Top American Metal Bands of All Time

I am always shocked when I hear my fellow American metalheads wishing that they had the European metal scene around them instead of the American one. The legacy of American metal is rich and varied as any mainland European country, and it continues to thrive to this day, both with countless unknown, underground artists, as well as some of the most well-known and influential ones. Below are ten of the most important and essential American metal acts for understanding the metal scene in the good old U.S. of A.

#10 Cannibal Corpse

Disgusting. Perverse. Horrifying. These are all words that can accurately used to describe Cannibal Corpse's gore-splattered style. Obsessed with serial killers, sexual perversion, and horror movie imagery, Cannibal Corpse made a name for themselves through sheer shock value. And their shtick worked, too, as they are the highest-selling death metal band of all time. Love them or hate them, you have to give props to these guys for carving out some modicum of financial success in a genre of purely underground appeal.


#9 Manowar

Manowar receive tons of criticism from metalheads for their cheesy style and generally appalling lack of any self-awareness whatsoever. That said, let's not forget that they are one of the pioneers of the genre in America, having formed all the way back in 1980--a time when only the perversion known as hair metal could be found in the States. No matter how many layers of cheese Manowar have slapped onto their music and image over the years, they've always remained true to the metal spirit and they deserve tons of respect for that. It's also worth mentioned that vocalist Eric Adams is among the greatest the genre has ever seen, and that alone makes them worthy of this list.

#8 Slayer

Though not the most talented band on this list, Slayer's contribution to the metal scene is overwhelming when you view the scene as a whole. When they released Reign in Blood in 1986, metal as a genre took another huge leap forward--a mere four years after doing the same thanks to Metallica's debut album. Suddenly, metal became an arms race to see who could push the genre to heavier, darker, and more taboo regions than any that came before. As a result, extreme metal came into existence, consisting of subgenres like black and death metal. But without Slayer to push that envelope a little bit further, that evolution of the genre would not have started when it did.


#7 Death

The seminal band of the Tampa death metal scene, Death was simply continuing the journey towards heavier, more aggressive music than had ever been heard before. That trend was started by Metallica on Kill 'Em All and then continued by Slayer on Reign In Blood. What Death did, though, was take that defining step from thrash into death metal. With their faster, more downtuned sound, and harsher vocals, Death were setting themselves up to be imitated endlessly by younger bands of the genre for the next twenty-five-plus years and counting. Had Chuck Schuldiner not tragically died in 2001, Death would probably still be going strong today. All death metal artists owe their sound to him, and his legacy will not be soon forgotten. Rest in peace, Chuck.

#6 Iced Earth

Easily the most unique band on this list; no band before or since has ever sounded quite like Iced Earth. Early on they were defined by their blending of Master of Puppets-style thrash with Painkiller-like vocals and melodies. It was then that Jon Schaffer showed himself to be a riff master above all riff masters, establishing himself as the greatest rhythm guitarist of all time. Constant lineup changes has taken it's toll on the band at times, but the continual influx of new talent also seems to have kept the creative juices flowing for the most part. Overall, it's hard to find a band that has been as consistently great as Iced Earth have been over the last twenty years.

#5 Dream Theater
#4 Symphony X

Much like the next two entries, it makes more sense to compare these two bands in order to understand where they ought to rank in comparison to each other and the other bands on this list. At first glance, it seems no contest and that Dream Theater should be ranked higher. After all, they've been around longer, they are probably the most essential band for understanding what prog metal is, and the number and size of the accolades heaped upon the band--both on individual members and on the band as a whole--by critics, fans, and the music industry itself is without equal in the world of metal.

How, then, can Symphony X be ranked higher? Simply put, no band since the mid-eighties has had a run of albums like Symphony X's last six releases. Even more astounding: those six releases have spanned fifteen years, which marks an unrivaled run of excellence. Between the guitar fireworks of Michael Romeo, the world-shaking vocals of Russell Allen, the complex and syncopated drumming of Jason Rullo, and the sometimes soulful, sometimes bombastic keyboard work of Michael Pinnella, Symphony X manage to take the cake as not only the best American metal band of the last fifteen years, but also one of the best of all time.

#3 Megadeth
#2 Metallica


These two thrash titans are linked so irrevocably that they can only be discussed together on a list of this type. The debate has raged virtually since the beginning; who is better? The answer to that question depends on whether you prefer a band that reached heights few (if any) bands have ever reached, or a band that has consistently produced albums that ranged between very solid and transcedently great for more than 25 years. Would you take Metallica's unrivaled and historic run of albums from 1982-86, followed by a steady but undeniable decline? Or would you go with Megadeth's nearly unbroken chain of quality releases that have spanned parts of four decades and resulted in probably four times as many quality metal tunes as Metallica?

It's a tough choice, and neither one can really be considered wrong. However, I'm going with Metallica just a hair above Megadeth for one major reason: their influence as the seminal creators of thrash metal as a genre means that they are probably the fourth-most influential metal band of all time, after the Big Three of Maiden, Priest, and Sabbath. The overwhelming amount of quality music created by Megadeth over the years is a very compelling argument, though, and makes this one of the toughest picks on this whole list.

#1 Dio

Dio the person has earned this spot more so than Dio the band. Yes, Holy Diver is one of the greatest metal albums of all time, and the follow ups to it were pretty darn good too. However, Ronnie James Dio's contribution to the realm of heavy metal goes far beyond the music. His constant optimism, joy, and wisdom demonstrated to the world that metalheads could be more than just sweaty, angry dudes with long hair and tattoos. He showed how one could conduct himself with grace, professionalism, and charity while still being a total badass. In short: Ronnie James Dio was a true ambassador of the genre and he is and will continue to be greatly missed. RIP, Ronnie.

Honorable mentions: Savatage, Testament, Anthrax, Exodus, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Blue Oyster Cult.

Top 10 Metal Albums from the First Half of 2012

#10 Omerta Adrenaline Mob (Capitol)

I've written before about how my friends and I like to dream up different scenarios of our favorite metal musicians getting together and creating something truly special between them. Well sometimes those dream scenarios become reality, and such is the case with Adrenaline Mob, as prog metal legends Russell Allen (vocals) and Mike Portnoy (drums) team up to create something...not prog metal. This music rocks hard and in a straight line, with no complexities or experimentation to be found. The main draw here is Allen's monstrous, beefy vocal delivery, as he manages to sound like a more powerful, rangy version of Ronnie James Dio--a good enough reason on its own to check this out.



#9 Asphyxia Sangre Eterna (Maple Metal)

You might hear the distictive buzzsaw guitar tones and gothic keyboard work and instantly assume this was recorded in Sweden--probably even at the legendary Sunlight Studios where said sound was invented. But you would be wrong. Hailing from Serbia of all places, Sangre Eterna sound like Character-era Dark Tranquillity mixed with a bit of Eternal Tears of Sorrow--an impressive pedigree of melodeath to be sure. Their fresh and energetic take on the genre gives them a credibility that many of their copycat peers lack.



#8 Eulogy for the Damned Orange Goblin (Candlelight)

Like a more soulful version of High on Fire, Orange Goblin bring the high-intensity energy and trucker speed of Motorhead and the killer riffing of Sabbath and Zeppelin. The soulfulness of Orange Goblin is noteworthy, though, as they temper HoF's bone-jarring grit with the smooth, groovy melodies and bass lines of southern rock. In the name-dropping trend of this entry, I would have to say there is more than a little Skynard mixed into this collage of styles, especially on tracks like "Save Me From Myself." In essence, this everything good about 70's music all blended together into one especially tasteful dish.


#7 Steel Battle Beast (Nuclear Blast)

Vocalist Nitte Valo sings with balls and range that no female (and few male) vocalists in metal can match. Her range is probably the most impressive aspect, as she manages Dio-esque grit and Halford-like wailing both with equal force and gusto, while also occasionally showing off an operatic soprano more typical of her contemporaries like Tarja Turunen and Simone Simmons. Aside from the vocals, Battle Beast also offer insanely catchy choruses and riffs, soulful and technically impressive soloing, and a heavy dose of cheesy (but still awesome) synth work. Other than Valo's vox, there's not a whole lot here you haven't heard before, but for some extremely finely constructed power metal, you need to look no further than Steel.


#6 Stalingrad Accept (Nuclear Blast)

Blood of Nations was a huge (and pleasant) surprise for me (as I'm sure it was for most people). I just cannot fathom how, 30+ years after their formation and 14 since their last studio album, these German heavy metal legends were able to create arguably the finest work of their career. After that, I was prepared for Stalingrad to be killer as well, and I am not disappointed. The same fire, energy, and bare-chested swagger exists in equal quantities here. Maybe the only aspect that doesn't quite stand up to BoN is that there are no instant-standout tracks like we got in "Teutonic Terror" or "Bucket Full of Hate," but make no mistake, this still an great album from front to back. Just accept it!



#5 Rengeteg Thy Catafalque (Season of Mist)

Rengeteg is this year's winners of the To Mega Therion award for "I don't know what the hell I'm listening to but I freaking love it!" Highly experimental, but still firmly rooted in the metal sound (in other words, there's enough heavy riffs, fast drumming, and emphatic vocals to remind you what genre you're actually listening to), Thy Catafalque manage to blend black metal, avant-garde, folk, death metal, prog, ambient, and electronic into one tightly-delivered and mesmerizing package.



#4 Batavi Heidevolk (Napalm)

Heidevolk have returned with what is easily their best album to date. Though they still are and always will be defined by their spectacularly unique dual harmonized vocal leads, the band has really spread their wings on this recording by incorporating heart-stopping riff progressions and tempo changes, more leads, solos, folk instrumentation, and growled vocals. Probably the most noteworthy addition to their sound, however, is a newfound aggression. Some of these riffs and vocals parts are downright vicious and add a excellent spice to what could otherwise have devolved into a dull repetition of the same sonic flavors.


#3 And So It Came to Pass Dyscarnate (Siege of Amida)

I'm pretty sure the International Chiropractors Associations sponsored this album as a way of creating more business for themselves. Henceforth, when referring to a situation where I headbanged so much that I hurt myself, I will refer to that as "dyscarnating my neck." Hailing from the UK, Dyscarnate play a groovy form of death metal. The key in their creation of countless headbang-inducing riffs lies in their tempo; most of these songs are mid-tempo, with almost no blast-beating and only few periods of extended double bass to be found. Don't let that lull you into a false sense of security, though, as few albums are as unrelentingly violent or overpowering as And So It Came to Pass.


#2 Deathhammer Asphyx (Century)

The riffs. Oh the riffs! The weight and meatiness of the riffs by these Dutch death metal legends is such that you can almost feel them thickening the air around you as you listen. This is an album that manages to be incredibly heavy without trying to be "brootal," a rare feat for today' death metal scene. Even rarer, these songs have a definite tunefulness to them as well. The secret lies in their grooviness of the bass and riff progressions, and the result is an old-school death metal sound that few can achieve and even fewer have mastered the way Asphyx have.


#1 Bury the Light Pharaoh (Cruz Del Sur)

Pharaoh fall firmly into the classification of what I call "songsmiths;" they craft songs the way an artisan metalworker would craft a fine blade--shaping it, refining it, sharpening it, and polishing it until a beautiful and killer result is achieved. It can be difficult to quantify exactly what it is that makes these songsmiths so good at their crafts. Yes, the riffs and solos here are spectacular, but not better than plenty of other bands out there. Yes, the vocals are fiery and full of passion and conviction, but again, this is done better elsewhere. The real strength of Bury the Light is the way all these spectacular elements are forged together into a flawless weapon--razor sharp and pointed at your ear hole.