#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.
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