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Lists that rank the greatest bands and artists in every metal genre.

Metal

Kiss

Update:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rNY0x983lwPCj0T1SBclQ?si=ty4Lm6jlQrqYZMzhUuRjJg" target="_blank">Follow Ranker&#39;s official New Metal 2020 playlist&nbsp;on Spotify</a>!

Creating some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-heavy-metal-songs-2020/music-lover" target="_blank">best metal songs of 2020</a>, the greatest heavy metal bands ever include some of the most iconic names in music. Famous bands, like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, paved the way for many of today&#39;s biggest acts. They&#39;re bigger than just heavy metal -- they&#39;re among the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-rock-bands-of-all-time" target="_blank">best rock bands/artists of all time.</a> Which one is the best? That&#39;s up to you to decide with your votes. Vote up the good heavy <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-metal-band-fans/charley-ruddell" target="_blank">metal bands you&#39;re a huge fan of</a>, and vote down any that you just don&#39;t like. Also, feel free to add any cool heavy metal bands that might be missing from the list, and rerank the choices in the order you believe is the best! If you&#39;re looking for something harder than hard rock, these heavy metal bands have got the music for you.&nbsp;

Not surprisingly, some incredibly well-known classic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/metal-band-zodiac-signs/jacob-shelton/" target="_blank">heavy metal bands</a> top this list, including American bands Metallica and&nbsp;Pantera as well as &#39;70s English band Iron Maiden and &#39;80s metal band Megadeth. Some <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-new-heavy-metal-bands-2019/ranker-music" target="_blank">newer bands are also included</a>. Tool and Korn, for example, formed in the 1990s. Sadly, some of these bands don&#39;t include all of the original members or singers (Alice in Chains, for example), but that doesn&#39;t mean they&#39;re forgotten, not popular, or not worth including. From old school and the 2000s to the new and current,&nbsp;we&#39;re ranking the all-time best heavy metal groups.&nbsp;

Which heavy metal band is the best? Be sure to vote and don&#39;t forget to rerank this list your way, too.

poll

The Number of the Beast

Shreddit's top metal albums include some of the best and most classic extreme metal albums ever made. For casual fans, some of these album titles might be new, but they're certainly worth checking out. Longtime fans, however, will likely instantly recognize several of these albums, and realize that they are from some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-heavy-metal-bands-that-i-know" target="_blank">greatest heavy metal bands</a> of all time. This is where the votes come in: Cast your votes up or down, based on your own personal opinions. You can also add any of your favorites that might not be listed, and of course, you can (and should) re-rank this list of Shreddit's favorite metal albums any way you want.

From the doom metal of bands like Sweden's Candlemass to albums by the "stoner" metal band Sleep, the albums listed here reflect the diversity of the metal genre. Again, these are some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-heavy-metal-albums-you_ve-never-heard-/king-dinosaur" target="_blank">best heavy metal albums you've possibly never heard</a>, but they are all worth your time to track down.

Interested in other heavy metal-related lists? Check out and vote on these lists of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-hard-rock-and-metal-guitar-shredders" target="_blank">best female hard rock/metal guitar shredders</a>, the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-10-screamo-bands-of-all-time" target="_blank">best screamo bands of all time</a> and the best overall <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-metal-guitarists-and-guitar-teams" target="_blank">metal guitarists and guitar teams</a>.

Thrash Metal

D.R.I.

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Thrash metal artists list, with photos, ranked best to worst by votes. List of good thrash metal bands includes a filter so you can sort by the groups&rsquo;s label and what albums they&#39;ve put out. This list of the top thrash metal <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-famous-rock-bands-right-now/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">bands in the world</a> includes all musicians who have released recordings that have gotten distribution, and is an up-to-date list. Thrash metal groups and artists are shown below along with any additional genres in which their music belongs. If available, you can also see information about where all thrash metal bands on this list got started. These are truly the greatest thrash metal bands of all time, since the most famous thrash metal artists ever are listed, and the order is decided by actual fans of the best thrash metal music.

You can click on the thrash <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-heavy-metal-bands-that-i-know?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">metal band names</a> to see more information about that particular notable thrash metal group. If they&#39;re near the top of the best thrash metal artist list, though, then they should have at least some information available. All the top thrash metal bands named on the list also have discographies on their pages if you click on the thrash metal band names themselves.

The list you&#39;re viewing is made up of many different artists, like Metallica and Judas Priest. Rock the vote by upvoting your favorite artists. If they get enough votes they rise to the top. Are you one of those people that doesn&#39;t like Megadeth or Dave Grohl? Then vote those things down to have your voice heard.

All important, significant and iconic names in thrash metal music history deserve your votes, so make sure to choose wisely. You can only vote once on this list.

The list includes all new thrash metal bands, and if there are any missing on the list, you can always add them yourself. Just make sure they aren&#39;t already on the list and check your spelling, because this is already an accurate compilation of the best examples of thrash metal, as well as a good place to start if you&#39;re asking yourself, or friends, exactly how to get into thrash metal music. Especially since the bands at the top of the list will at the very least be the best choices if you&#39;re looking for a list of good thrash metal bands with which to start out. No point in listening to them if they aren&#39;t actually good or even half-way decent thrash metal bands.

This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best thrash metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest thrash metal musician ever?&quot;

If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band&#39;s music instead of just voting for the most popular or famous thrash metal musicians that you might&#39;ve heard of, but not really listened to closely enough to cast an informed vote.

Re-rank the page to fit your opnions then make it votable so you can share it with your friends and get only their input on this whole thing. {#nodes}

Scorpions

What are the best hair metal bands of all time? The hair bands, or <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/glam-metal-bands-and-musicians/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">glam metal bands</a>, on this list are some of the best of the best so you have work cut out for you trying to decide which one is truly the greatest big hair band ever. There are so many great bands on this list you might even have trouble deciding on a top 10 hair metal bands list, but that is your rock challenge. Are you up for it? These great <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-artists-of-the-_80s?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">80s rock bands</a> certainly are!80s Hair Metal bands serve an important role in music history. A lot of people are quick to dismiss this period of music as just &quot;silly&quot; but what it really did was bridge the gap from &quot;classic rock&quot; to &quot;grunge.&quot; And glam rock didn't just bridge a gap, hair bands from the 80s cranked out some of the most beloved tunes in the history of rock whether anyone wants to admit it or not.So, vote for your favorites!

Rock

List of the greatest metal guitarists of all time, with photos. Clearly, the list contains a broad selection of guitarists who can still be classified as "metal," though some of the featured guitarists predate the period in which "heavy metal" was enjoying mainstream, popular success. It also includes guitarists such as Brian May and Jimi Hendrix who are not typically referred to as "metal guitarists" as their primary genre – but their guitar sounds were actually highly influential in early heavy metal music.Who are the best metal guitarists of all time? Which musicians shredded the hardest on their guitars? The list also notably contains memorable duos or guitar groups, as line-ups featuring multiple guitarists who compliment one another is such a fixture of the metal genre. Guitarists who are featured as part of a group (such as Megadeth's Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman or KISS's Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley) should not be listed individually except in rare circumstances where that guitarist had notable success and a specific style while playing solo as well as with a metal group. If you can think of anyone who would be in your personal top 100, then definitely add them to this list.&nbsp;

Warlock

When heavy metal first emerged at the beginning of the 1970s, naysayers would have never suspected that the bands from those early years would be considered some of the classic metal bands. These outfits are widely considered among the top <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-heavy-metal-bands-that-i-know?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">heavy metal bands</a> of all time, and with good reason. They are recognizable and their songs are some of the greatest songs in metal history.&nbsp;So, who are the best classic heavy metal bands? Every lists must have Black Sabbath at or near the top. The Birmingham, UK natives pretty much invented the genre, and all of heavy metal. Between Ozzy Osbourne's vocals and Tony Iommi's guitar, the entire foundation for all heavy metal bands was laid. If not for Sabbath, bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden or even Metallica may not have existed. Even the best classic metal bands owe a debt of gratitude to Black Sabbath. No matter which edition of Black Sabbath you like - Ozzy or Dio edition - they are easily the most influential classic metal band.&nbsp;What band should be at the top of the list of classic metal bands? If you're a heavy metal fan and know everything there is to know about the top classic metal bands, then you should have your voice heard.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best classic metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest classic metal musician ever?&quot; if you notice that a popular classic metal band isn't on this list, feel free to add them.&nbsp;

1980s

What are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-heavy-metal-songs-2020/music-lover?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best metal songs</a> from the decade that brought the genre from the fringe it enjoyed in the 1970s to the mainstream in the &#39;80s? To answer that question, let&#39;s rank the best &#39;80s metal songs that truly defined the decade and inspired all of the metal acts that followed in the &#39;90s and beyond.

The 1980s is one of the best decades to feature metal music thanks to the growing popularity of the genre. These were the years that Ozzy Osbourne killed it with solo hits like &quot;Crazy Train&quot; and Iron Maiden hit the airwaves with &quot;Wrathchild.&quot; Slayer&#39;s &quot;Angel of Death&quot; kicked off the band&#39;s opening track of their&nbsp;1986 album&nbsp;Reign in Blood with an analysis of Dr. Joseph Mengele and his actions during WWII. That level of depth was especially common in &#39;80s&nbsp;metal, which is one of the reasons the genre solidified itself during the decade. Some other incredible tracks from the age of hair bands include Dio&#39;s &quot;Holy Diver,&quot; Exodus&#39; &quot;Strike of the Beast,&quot; and Motorhead&#39;s &quot;Ace of Spades.&quot;

Vote up your favorite &#39;80s metal songs&nbsp;on this ranked list, and add any tracks that aren&#39;t here already.

Baroness

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The beauty of progressive metal is that it combines the genres of progressive rock and heavy metal to crate a genre that is as innovative as it is exciting. Prog metal started in the 1970s in the UK and US before shooting to prominence in the 1980s. While there are elements of hard rock intertwined as well, progressive metal bands also incorporates other avant garde structures and genres that usually wouldn&#39;t be associated with heavy metal. The best progressive metal bands have some of the strongest followings in all of metal music, and can sell out arenas and stadiums across the globe. While progressive metal bands don&#39;t move the needle like they use to, they&#39;re still among the most original and exciting bands in heavy metal.

So, what are the best progressive metal bands? For starters, you need to look at the likes of Dream Theater, Opeth, Mastodon and&nbsp;Meshuggah are well known progressive metal bands that are known to be at or near the top of the heap. These bands are widely recognized as some of the greatest progressive metal bands and everyone knows that if you&#39;re loyal to a prog metal band, they&#39;ll return the behavior with epic albums and incredible live performances.

That said, it&#39;s up to you to determine what are the best progressive metal bands. All of the top prog metal bands are known for their skill and charisma. If you notice that a particular prog metal band isn&#39;t on this list, feel free to add them.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best progressive metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest progressive metal musician ever?&quot;&nbsp;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band&#39;s music instead of just voting for the most popular progressive metal bands that you might&#39;ve heard of&nbsp;{#nodes}

Khalas

Oriental metal artists list, with photos, ranked best to worst by votes. List of good oriental metal bands includes a filter so you can sort by the groups’s label and what albums they've put out. This list of the top oriental metal bands in the world includes all musicians who have released recordings that have gotten distribution, and is an up-to-date list. Oriental metal groups and artists are shown below along with any additional genres in which their music belongs. If available, you can also see information about where all oriental metal bands on this list got started. These are truly the greatest oriental metal bands of all time, since the most famous oriental metal artists ever are listed, and the order is decided by actual fans of the best oriental metal music. You can click on the oriental <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-heavy-metal-bands-that-i-know?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">metal band names</a> to see more information about that particular notable oriental metal group. If they're near the top of the best oriental metal artist list, though, then they should have at least some information available. All the top oriental metal bands named on the list also have discographies on their pages if you click on the oriental metal band names themselves. The list you're viewing contains artists like Melechesh and Orphaned Land. You decide which artists make up the top 10 by casting your votes right on this page. Make sure to vote for artists like Salem or Chthonic if you like them.All important, significant and iconic names in oriental metal music history deserve your votes, so make sure to choose wisely. You can only vote once on this list. The list includes all new oriental metal bands, and if there are any missing on the list, you can always add them yourself. Just make sure they aren't already on the list and check your spelling, because this is already an accurate compilation of the best examples of oriental metal, as well as a good place to start if you're asking yourself, or friends, exactly how to get into oriental metal music. Especially since the bands at the top of the list will at the very least be the best choices if you're looking for a list of good oriental metal bands with which to start out. No point in listening to them if they aren't actually good or even half-way decent oriental metal bands.This list answers the questions "who are the best oriental metal bands of all time?" and "who is the greatest oriental metal musician ever?"If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular oriental metal bands that you might've heard of, but not really listened to closely enough to cast an informed vote.Re-rank the page then share it with your social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr). {#nodes}

No more is the guitar a boys only club, and it’s about damn time we celebrate and recognize. From Leah Woodard and Aliases to the always incredible Nita Strauss, this list is all about talent. The frenzy of female fronted bands is a sight to behold and a leap forward from the 80′s and 90′s when metal bands were 95% testosterone. Despite all that, women who play instruments besides their voice are under-utilized and under-recognized. Who else should be on this list? Vote up your favorite female hard rock and metal guitarists, and vote down any you don't think deserve a spot of honor here. Also, feel free to add anyone who's missing. You can also rerank this list any way you want.No list of brilliant female guitar shredders would be complete without the incomparable talents of legendary guitarists like Sarah Longfield, Liz Buckingham, Mia Coldheart and Lita Ford. This list also includes some incredible hard rock and metal guitarists you might not know -- but should. And to be fair, a lot of the women listed here should be on any list of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest guitarists of all time</a> and the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-metal-guitarists-and-guitar-teams" target="_blank">best metal guitarists and guitar teams</a> -- not just because they're female. Gender does not matter when it comes to natural musical abilities. Need more proof? Check out this list of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-drummers/rockboy" target="_blank">best female drummers</a> of all time, or just vote on all the famous female guitar players on this list.

A 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/why-heavy-metal-fans-are-most-loyal/" target="_blank">data study by Spotify</a>&nbsp;found that fans of metal bands are the most loyal around the world. To any metal fan, this should come as no surprise. Since its creation in the late 1960s, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-metal-songs-for-noobs-new-fans/ranker-music" target="_blank">metal has captivated the dark corners of our minds</a> with brutal riffs and wild stories of despair, chaos, and insanity. Metal music forces society to ponder the harsh realities of life, winning the hearts and minds of desperate souls along the way.&nbsp;

And more than any other genre, metal deploys brand awareness. From terrifying album art to cutting-edge fashion and notorious antics, metal artists submerge fans in a world where they can pick their champions and tag along for the ride, even to the most extreme lengths.

Here are the&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-heavy-metal-bands-that-i-know?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best heavy metal</a> albums&nbsp;of the decade, ranked by fans everywhere.&nbsp;Featuring popular music from some of the biggest metal bands today, this list of the top 2010s metal albums&nbsp;includes black metal, thrash metal, metalcore, and other subgenres.&nbsp;From Ghost&#39;s&nbsp;2010 album&nbsp;Opus Enonymous to High on Fire&#39;s 2019&nbsp;Grammy-winning&nbsp;album&nbsp;Electric Messiah,&nbsp;the 2010s decade is filled with so many good metal albums.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Vote up the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/shreddits-top-metal-albums?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best metal albums</a> of the 2010s, and add your favorites if they deserve to be on this list.&nbsp;

Savatage

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Known as a wildly popular subgenre of heavy metal, power metal mixes elements of traditional metal with speed metal and even elements of symphonic metal. Other metal subgenres may focus on doom and gloom, but power metal bands write relatively catchy, anthemic songs where the lyrical content focuses on the theatrical, and even fantasy-based. But above all, power metal bands are very melodic and some of the most memorable bands in metal.

So, what are the best power metal bands? You&#39;d be foolish to leave the likes of Rainbow, Symphony X, Helloween, Queensr&yuml;che and Rhapsody of Fire off this list. Power metal bands have followings across the globe, which has led to different types of power metal in the U.S. and Europe. But no matter how you cut it, power metal bands, at least the best power metal bands, have the ability to unite the different fans who will sing along to their catchy songs and headbang to their crunchy solos.

That said, it&#39;s up to you to determine what are the best power metal bands. If you notice that a power metal band isn&#39;t on this poll and should be, feel free to add them.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best power metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest power metal musician ever?&quot;&nbsp;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band&#39;s music instead of just voting for the most popular power metal bands that you might&#39;ve heard of. {#nodes}

Skid Row

The 1980s offered music listeners a new type of sound in terms of glam bands. Before, people glam bands meant over-the-top performances by rock bands. In the decade of excess, glam metal became the next big thing. Fusing hard rock and heavy metal, the best <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-hair-metal-bands-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">glam metal bands</a> have songs that are still popular today, years after the initial release of those tracks. Glam metal bands put on decadent live shows and their wardrobes were as excessive as their guitar solos.&nbsp;So who are the best glam metal bands? If you're starting a list of glam metal bands, you'd need to include the likes of Motley Crue, Skid Row and Ratt. These bands are known to many as some of the top glam metal bands whose music is still looked back fondly by music fans of their time. Many of these bands saw their popularity peak in the mid-1980s, except the Crue, who can rightfully claim to be one of the best glam metal bands.That said, determining who should be considered among the top glam metal bands isn't easy, but this poll of readers should determine that.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best glam metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest glam metal musician ever?&quot;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular glam metal bands that you might've heard of. If you notice a glam band missing, feel free to add them because this should include all glam metal bands. This list of glam metal bands should feature new glam metal bands like The Darkness and Steel Panther as well. {#nodes}

August Burns Red

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Making some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-heavy-metal-songs-2020/music-lover/" target="_blank">best metal songs of 2020</a>,&nbsp;the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-new-metal-bands-2020/jovaughnbrown?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best metalcore bands</a> listed here are ranked best to worst by fans. List of good metalcore bands includes a filter so you can sort by the groups&rsquo;s label and what albums they&#39;ve put out. This list of the top metalcore <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-famous-rock-bands-right-now/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">bands in the world</a> includes all musicians who have released recordings that have gotten distribution, and is an up-to-date list. Metalcore groups and artists are shown below along with any additional genres in which their music belongs. If available, you can also see information about where all metalcore bands on this list got started. These are truly the greatest metalcore bands of all time, since the most famous metalcore artists ever are listed, and the order is decided by actual fans of the best metalcore music.

You can click on the metalcore band names to see more information about that particular notable metalcore group. If they&#39;re near the top of the best metalcore artist list, though, then they should have at least some information available. All the top metalcore bands named on the list also have discographies on their pages if you click on the metalcore band names themselves.

List contains artists like Mike Portnoy and Disturbed. Any artists you vote for graduate closer to the top of the list. Is Joey Jordison a better choice for the top of the list than As I Lay Dying? Vote accordingly.

All important, significant and iconic names in metalcore music history deserve your votes, so make sure to choose wisely. You can only vote once on this list.

The list includes all new metalcore bands, and if there are any missing on the list, you can always add them yourself. Just make sure they aren&#39;t already on the list and check your spelling, because this is already an accurate compilation of the best examples of metalcore, as well as a good place to start if you&#39;re asking yourself, or friends, exactly how to get into metalcore music. Especially since the bands at the top of the list will at the very least be the best choices if you&#39;re looking for a list of good metalcore bands with which to start out. No point in listening to them if they aren&#39;t actually good or even half-way decent metalcore bands.

This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best metalcore bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest metalcore musician ever?&quot;

If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band&#39;s music instead of just voting for the most popular metalcore bands that you might&#39;ve heard of, but not really listened to closely enough to cast an informed vote.

Share this list with your friends to make sure we get a great list going.&nbsp;

Ill Niño

Update:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rNY0x983lwPCj0T1SBclQ?si=ty4Lm6jlQrqYZMzhUuRjJg" target="_blank">Follow Ranker&#39;s official New Metal 2020 playlist&nbsp;on Spotify</a>!

Nu metal artists list, with photos, ranked best to worst by votes. List of good nu metal bands includes a filter so you can sort by the groups&rsquo;s label and what albums they&#39;ve put out. This list of the top nu metal <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-famous-rock-bands-right-now/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">bands in the world</a> includes all musicians who have released recordings that have gotten distribution, and is an up-to-date list. Nu metal groups and artists are shown below along with any additional genres in which their music belongs. If available, you can also see information about where all nu metal bands on this list got started. These are truly the greatest nu metal bands of all time, since the most famous nu metal artists ever are listed, and the order is decided by actual fans of the best nu metal music.

You can click on the nu metal band names to see more information about that particular notable nu metal group. If they&#39;re near the top of the best nu metal artist list, though, then they should have at least some information available. All the top nu metal bands named on the list also have discographies on their pages if you click on the nu metal band names themselves.

List artists include Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park and many more. Click the thumbs up button to see your favorite artists rise to the top. What&#39;s the best item on this list? Korn? Kelly Osbourne?

All important, significant and iconic names in nu metal music history deserve your votes, so make sure to choose wisely. You can only vote once on this list.

The list includes all new nu metal bands, and if there are any missing on the list, you can always add them yourself. Just make sure they aren&#39;t already on the list and check your spelling, because this is already an accurate compilation of the best examples of nu metal, as well as a good place to start if you&#39;re asking yourself, or friends, exactly how to get into nu metal music. Especially since the bands at the top of the list will at the very least be the best choices if you&#39;re looking for a list of good nu metal bands with which to start out. No point in listening to them if they aren&#39;t actually good or even half-way decent nu metal bands.

This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best nu metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest nu metal musician ever?&quot;

If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band&#39;s music instead of just voting for the most popular nu metal bands that you might&#39;ve heard of, but not really listened to closely enough to cast an informed vote.

Change the order of the list by having your friends vote.

Evanescence

Different from other genres of heavy metal, alternative metal provides exactly what it's title describes: an alternative to traditional or <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/classic-metal-bands-and-artists/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">classic metal bands</a>. Fusing elements of classic rock with heavy metal, alt metal rose to prominence in the 1990s when bands with heavy riffs, a reliance on melody and a willingness to experiment with traditional metal song structures became popular. For a while, alternative metal bands were among the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-rock-bands-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">most popular bands</a> in the world. The best alternative metal bands remain among the biggest bands bands in the world, and easily some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-heavy-metal-bands-that-i-know?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best metal bands</a>. Among alternative metal bands, these are the bestSo, what is the best alternative metal band. Any alt metal bands list has to include metal bands like System of a Down, White Zombie, Faith No More, Tool and Korn. These alternative metal bands are among the top in the genre and are considered pioneers for helping popularize alt metal, in particular Korn with their Family Values Tour. While some may bleed over into nu-metal, that shouldn't effect their standing as one of the top alt metal bands. This should include all good alternative metal bands.That said, it's up to you to decide what alternative metal bands should be considered the best. If you notice any alt metal band isn't on this list, feel free to add them.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best alternative metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest alternative metal musician ever?&quot;&nbsp;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular alternative metal bands that you might've heard of. {#nodes}

Sirenia

Update:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rNY0x983lwPCj0T1SBclQ?si=ty4Lm6jlQrqYZMzhUuRjJg" target="_blank">Follow Ranker&#39;s official New Metal 2020 playlist&nbsp;on Spotify</a>!

Here&#39;s Ranker&#39;s list of the best symphonic metal bands of all time. Symphonic metal may seem like a paradoxical name, but it is in fact one of the most exciting genres of heavy metal. Blending traditional metal with elements of classical music, most notably symphonic instruments and the use of choirs. That said, what are the top symphonic metal bands?&nbsp;Any symphonic metal bands list has to include the likes of Nightwatch, Epica, Kamelot and Rhapsody of Fire. These names are easily some of the greatest symphonic metal bands, and their legacies remain strong.

Symphonic metal bands are influenced by gothic metal, power metal, and not too surprisingly, classical metal. Some of the best symphonic metal bands are some of the most influential metal <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-famous-rock-bands-right-now/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">bands in the world</a>.

It&#39;s up to you, metal fan, to determine who deserves to be at the top of this symphonic metal bands list. With all of the symphonic metal out there, there may be a band missing from this list that should be on here. Feel free to add them if that&#39;s the case.

Carpathian Forest

Known for&nbsp;fast tempos, shrieking vocals, distorted guitars and lo-fi recordings, black metal has emerged as one of the top heavy metal genres. Similarly to <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/avant-garde-metal-bands-and-musicians/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">avant garde metal</a> bands, black metal bands also feature unconventional song structures and lyrical emphasis on atmosphere. What does make black metal bands different than every other heavy metal band is that the band often will appear in corpse paint that looks like blood. A lot of the best black metal bands emerged in the first wave of black metal bands are still among the most beloved and most popular black metal bands. The genre originated in the 1980s and became associated with satanism and anti-religion lyrics.So, what are the best black metal bands? Well for starters, any black metal bands list has to include the likes of&nbsp;Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum, Marduk and Deafheaven. Mixing black metal bands old and new, this list of black metal bands includes every great black metal band to have ever played. These are widely considered some of the top black metal bands.&nbsp;That said, it's up to you to decide what are the best black metal bands. If you notice a black metal band that isn't on this list, feel free to add them.&nbsp;This list answers the questions &quot;who are the best black metal bands of all time?&quot; and &quot;who is the greatest black metal musician ever?&quot;&nbsp;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular black metal bands that you might've heard of

Rage

An offshoot of the New Wave of British Metal, speed metal emerged at the end of the 1970s. Speed metal bands are some of the most skilled musicians out there. The genre can be described as extremely fast (speed metal isn't just a clever name), melodic and aggressive. Also, speed metal showcases solos and a technical precision that demonstrates how truly talented the best speed metal bands are. The increased tempo, power chords and more authoritative sound helped define speed metal to its legions of fans.So, what are the best speed metal bands? If you're going to talk about speed metal bands, you have to include the likes of Motorhead, Anthrax, Judas Priest, Metallica (during those early years) and Helloween. All of these speed metal bands played an important role in shaping the genre and its popularity remains strong today. The best speed metal bands have been able to play some of the biggest arenas - and even stadiums - in the world which is a testament not only to their popularity, but skill as musicians.That said, it's up to you to determine what are the best speed metal bands. If you notice that a band isn't on this list and should be, feel free to add them.&nbsp;This list answers the questions "who are the best speed metal bands of all time?" and "who is the greatest speed metal musician ever?"&nbsp;If you know enough about the genre, please vote based on the quality of the band's music instead of just voting for the most popular speed metal bands that you might've heard of. {#nodes}

Hard Rock & Heavy Metal

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Drummers

A metal band is really only as good as their drummer. Unless they're Metallica. But, that's neither here nor there. So, here are the best metal drummers of all time! These are some of the best drummers in rock... the greatest bangers of things with sticks EVER in music.

The Best Metal Drummers of All Time

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Neil Peart

Neil Ellwood Peart (September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian musician and writer best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart received numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest person ever so honoured. His drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency, and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina. During his last years, Peart lived in Santa Monica, California, with his wife, photographer Carrie Nuttall, and daughter Olivia. After a three-year illness, Peart died of glioblastoma on January 7, 2020, at age 67.

Cozy Powell

Cozy Powell (Born Colin Trevor Flooks) (29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer, who made his name with many major rock bands and artists like The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, Brian May, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake & Powell, and Black Sabbath.Powell had appeared on at least 66 albums, with contributions on many other recordings. Many rock drummers have cited him as a major influence.

John Bonham

John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer for the British rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast bass drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for the groove, he is regarded by many as the greatest and most influential rock drummer in history. In 2016, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 1 in its list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".

Richard Christy

Thomas Richard Christy Jr. (born April 1, 1974) is an American drummer, radio personality and actor, best known for being the former drummer for several heavy metal bands since the early 1990s, most notably Death, and his tenure on The Howard Stern Show. Born and raised in Kansas, Christy took an interest in rock and heavy metal music in his youth, and started playing the drums at age ten. He played in several bands while at school.
Christy's music career began in 1992 when he joined the Springfield, Missouri group Public Assassin, and also worked as an electrician. In 1996, Christy formed Burning Inside and relocated to Orlando, Florida, where he joined and toured with several popular heavy metal bands until 2004, including Acheron, Death, Control Denied, Iced Earth, and Leash Law.
In 2004, Christy took a break from music and relocated to New York City to join The Howard Stern Show. He has written, directed, and acted in several home made independent films and has performed as a stand-up comedian. He returned to music in 2009 when he formed his own metal band, Charred Walls of the Damned.

Mike Portnoy

Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American drummer and songwriter primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater. In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure from Dream Theater after 25 years, with Mike Mangini taking his place as drummer of the band. Since his departure, Portnoy has formed a variety of new bands and projects, including Adrenaline Mob, Flying Colors, The Winery Dogs and Sons of Apollo.

Dave Lombardo

David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. Lombardo played drums on nine Slayer albums, including the 1986 album Reign in Blood and the 2006 album Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise. Lombardo's music career has spanned forty years, during which he has been involved in the production of thirty-five commercial recordings covering a number of genres. He has performed with numerous bands, including Grip Inc., Fantômas, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies, in addition to Slayer. Lombardo is currently playing drums with Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, and the Misfits.Lombardo is widely known as an aggressive heavy metal drummer. His drumming has been praised as "astonishingly innovative". Drummerworld named him "the Godfather of Double Bass". He has had a significant influence on the metal scene and inspired modern metal drummers, particularly extreme metal drummers.

Danny Carey

Daniel Edwin Carey (born May 10, 1961) is an American drummer and instrumentalist best known for his work in American Grammy Award-winning progressive metal band Tool. He has also contributed to albums by artists such as Zaum, Green Jellö, Pigface, Skinny Puppy, Adrian Belew of King Crimson, Carole King, Collide, Lusk, and the Melvins.

Joey Jordison

Nathan Jonas "Joey" Jordison (born April 26, 1975), is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the former drummer and co-songwriter for the American heavy metal band Slipknot as well as guitarist in the American horror punk band Murderdolls. Jordison played in Slipknot since their formation in 1995 until his departure from the band in December 2013. He was the drummer and founder of the American heavy metal band Scar the Martyr, which formed in 2013 and disbanded in 2016. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8. He performed in several bands until joining in the summer of 1995 with the group The Pale Ones, which would later change their name to Slipknot. Of Slipknot's nine-member lineup, which lasted from 1999–2010, Joey was the third to join the band.
With Slipknot, Jordison performed on four studio albums, and produced the live album 9.0: Live. Outside his major projects, Jordison has performed with other heavy metal groups such as Rob Zombie, Metallica, Korn, Ministry, Otep and Satyricon. Jordison is also known for his session work, which includes performances on many albums for many different artists. Jordison uses several drum brands including Pearl and ddrum.
He currently plays with the band Sinsaenum.

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Nicko McBrain

Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952) is an English musician and drummer of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982. Having played in small pub bands from the age of 14, upon leaving school McBrain paid his bills with session work before he joined a variety of artists, such as Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust. He joined Iron Maiden in time to debut on their fourth album, Piece of Mind (1983), and has remained with them since, contributing to a total of thirteen studio releases.

Vinnie Paul

Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018), also known as Vinnie Paul, was an American musician, songwriter and producer, best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera. He was a member of Hellyeah for 12 years from 2006 until his death in 2018. He also co-founded the heavy metal band Damageplan in 2003 with his younger brother, Dimebag Darrell.

Gene Holgan

Bill Ward

William Thomas Ward (born 5 May 1948) is an English musician and visual artist, best known as the original drummer of the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He also performed lead vocals on two Black Sabbath songs: "It's Alright" from the album Technical Ecstasy and "Swinging the Chain" from the album Never Say Die!.

Chris Adler

Christopher James Adler (born November 23, 1972) is an American drummer, best known as the founder of the groove metal band Lamb of God (1994-2019), and Grammy Award winning member of Megadeth. 
Chris became a member of the veteran thrash metal band Megadeth from 2015-2017, playing all percussion on their fifteenth album Dystopia and performed all touring dates in support of that album as well as the touring and creative obligations with the band he founded, Lamb of God (1994-2019). 
In his 7th Grammy nomination, "Dystopia" won Chris his first Grammy Award for the Best Metal Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards. 
In 2006 Adler collaborated with revered progressive guitarist Ron Jarzombek and began the project Blotted Science. 
In 2013, Adler moved to Toronto, Canada to contribute to and record the album "Volition" with the progressive metal band Protest the Hero. 
The album went on to win and provide Chris his first Juno Award (Canadian equivalent to the US Grammy) 
In 2014 he contributed several drum tracks to the Testament album Dark Roots of the Earth. 
In 2016 Adler recorded three songs with  Jim Gillette, Michael Angelo Batio, and Victor Wooten in a California studio for a Nitro reunion album.
As of October 2017, he left the Nitro reunion project to focus on a mid-2018 release and tour with Lamb of God (1994-2019)Lamb of God. 
Chris is the elder brother of Lamb of God bandmate and guitarist Willie Adler. Willie joined the band based on Chris's recommendation, replacing guitarist Abe Spear.  
Chris played in several local bands including Calibra, Jettison Charlie, Grouser and Darker Days before founding the heavy metal band Lamb of God (1994-2019) in 1994. 
Unlike his bandmates, Adler is pescatarian and has worked with PETA. 
He is well recognized for his open-handed technique, his use of the heel-toe technique, and his unusual approach to the drum kit as a left handed player on a right handed kit. 
As of March 2019, Chris stepped away from the band he started Lamb of God (1994-2019). 
There is much speculation as to why and how, and his absence is noted widely among fans. 
Chris chose and recommended a part-time fill-in player and continues to support the band he started. 
Chris scheduled multiple international clinic dates in the back half of 2019 and joined a Richmond Virginia local project with the members of Kepone. 
In April of 2018 Chris founded Kintsugi Management, an artist management firm. Kintsugi focuses on Chris’s passion for music, the artists that inspire him and employs multiple international partners.   
Chris became engaged in March of 2019.



Ginger Baker

Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (born 19 August 1939) is an English drummer and a founder of the rock band Cream. His work in the 1960s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", while his individual style melds a jazz background with African rhythms. He is credited as a pioneer of drumming in genres like jazz fusion, heavy metal and world music.Baker began playing drums aged 15, and later took lessons from Phil Seamen. In the 1960s, he joined Blues Incorporated, where he met bassist Jack Bruce. The two clashed often, but would be rhythm section partners again in the Graham Bond Organisation and Cream, the latter of which Baker co-founded with Eric Clapton in 1966. Cream achieved worldwide success but lasted only until 1968, in part due to Baker's and Bruce's volatile relationship. After briefly working with Clapton in Blind Faith and leading Ginger Baker's Air Force, Baker spent several years in the 1970s living and recording in Africa, often with Fela Kuti, in pursuit of his long-time interest in African music. Among Baker's other collaborations are his work with Gary Moore, Masters of Reality, Public Image Ltd, Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster, Bill Laswell, jazz bassist Charlie Haden, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell and Ginger Baker's Energy.
Baker's drumming is regarded for its style, showmanship, and use of two bass drums instead of the conventional one. In his early days, he performed lengthy drum solos, most notably in the Cream song "Toad", one of the earliest recorded examples in rock music. Baker is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Cream, of the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2008, and of the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Rev

James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009), professionally known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician, best known as the drummer, songwriter, backing vocalist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The Rev was widely regarded and critically acclaimed for his work on Avenged Sevenfold albums, and contributed entire songs composed by himself, such as "Afterlife", "A Little Piece of Heaven", and "Almost Easy". He was also the lead vocalist/pianist in Pinkly Smooth, a side project where he was known by the name Rathead, with fellow Avenged Sevenfold member, guitarist Synyster Gates (Brian Elwin Haner Jr.), and he was the drummer for Suburban Legends from 1998 to 1999.

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Tomas Haake

Tomas Haake (born 13 July 1971) is a Swedish musician. He is the drummer of the extreme metal band Meshuggah.
Known for his polyrhythms and technical ability, in 2012 Haake was named the fifth best "Modern Metal" drummer by MetalSucks.net. In the July 2008 edition of Modern Drummer magazine, Haake was named the number one drummer in the "Metal" category, as decided upon in the magazine's Readers' Poll.

Vinny Appice

Vincent Samson Appice (born September 13, 1957) is an American rock drummer best known for his work with the bands Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell. Of Italian descent, he is the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice.

Tommy Aldridge

Tommy Aldridge (born August 15, 1950) is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. Aldridge is noted for his work with numerous bands and artists since the 1970s, such as Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy, Vinnie Moore and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Self-taught, Aldridge was initially inspired by the music of Cream, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Drummers such as Joe Morello, Ginger Baker, John Bonham and Mitch Mitchell were particularly influential as Aldridge developed his drumming style. Aldridge himself has become very influential, and is regarded as a double bass drum pioneer in rock music.

Ian Paice

Ian Anderson Paice (born 29 June 1948) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and last constant original member of the English rock band Deep Purple.

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Clive Burr

Clive Burr (8 March 1957 – 12 March 2013) was an English drummer.  He was a member of Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.

Alex Van Halen

Alexander Arthur van Halen (born May 8, 1953 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch American musician who is the drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. The band was formed in 1974 by Alex Van Halen; his younger brother, Eddie Van Halen; David Lee Roth; and Michael Anthony. Warner Brothers signed the band in 1977, and its debut album was released in 1978. Alex and Eddie Van Halen are the only members of Van Halen who have been in the band throughout its existence.

Charlie Benante

Charles Lee Benante (born November 27, 1962, in The Bronx, New York) is an American musician best known as the drummer for thrash metal band Anthrax, as well as crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. Alongside rhythm guitarist and band leader Scott Ian he has composed the majority of the music throughout Anthrax's discography.

Mikkey Dee

Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou (born 31 October 1963), known by his stage name Mikkey Dee, is a Greek-Swedish rock musician and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer for the British rock band Motörhead from 1992 until the band disbanded in December 2015, due to the death of founder and frontman Lemmy. Dee is currently the drummer for the German rock band Scorpions with whom he became a permanent band member in September 2016.

Mike Mangini

Michael Mangini (born April 18, 1963) is an American musician who is the current drummer of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, following the departure of founding drummer Mike Portnoy in 2010. He has also played for bands and artists such as Annihilator, Extreme, James LaBrie, and Steve Vai. Before joining Dream Theater, Mangini was a faculty member at Berklee College of Music. Between 2002 and 2005, he set five World's Fastest Drummer records. Mangini appeared on the Discovery Channel show Time Warp, displaying his drum skills for high speed cameras.

Randy Castillo

Randolpho Francisco Castillo (December 18, 1950 – March 26, 2002) was an American musician. He was Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999 to his death in 2002.

A metal band is really only as good as their drummer. Unless they're Metallica. But, that's neither here nor there. So, here are the best metal drummers of ...