List your top 5-10 bands you think make METAL! I want opinions! TY!

if we're talking in terms of today.......

disturbed
sevendust
killswitch engage
shadows fall
korn


if we're talking all time?...that gets a little tougher

metallica
pantera
danzig
slayer
anthrax

just to name a few.

I couldn't completely decide...with all of them mixed together...which five MAKE metal.
I was thinkin' between today and yesterday (year-wise) that the five would be close to:

Iron Maiden
Metallica
Pantera
Slayer
Disturbed

I'm trying to get the best list! Thanks so far for those ideas...I know it has to do with taste and opinion...but I am curious to see which five get picked the most. :)

Iron Maiden
Metallica
Black Sabbath
Blind Guardian
Motorhead
Scorpions

System of a Down
Disturbed
Slipknot
Opeth

All time bands who made metal what it is

1. Black Sabbath - the first metal band period, so they get the nod.
2. Iron Maiden - perhaps the biggest repetoire of any metal band in history, was a major part of the 80's movement.
3. Metallica - Not only the most famous metal band of all time, but their heavy style was a major part in developing metal into an extreme genre of music.
4. Ronnie James Dio - You can argue his popularity, but his powerful vocals and success with so many pioneer bands was a major part in metals progression, especially with power metal. Technically not a band, but still.
5. Eddie Van Halen - not van halen the band. they were way to light for metal in my opinion. But Eddie was the first to use the legendary guitar distortion that so many guitar players from the eighties adopted.
6. Cannibal Corpse - glamorized the extreme metal genres.
7. In Flames & Dark Tranquility - pioneered melodic death metal, combining great melodious ideas with extreme metal, eventually leading to the metal core genre.
8. Slipknot - had a huge influence on the direction of american modern metal.
9. Disturbed - Keeping classical metal alive with a touch of thrash, and has become the most recognized metal band in north america today. They are lower on the list because they have a smaller influence on other bands.
10. Slayer - was the first band to completely leap over the line with controversial lyrics, and in turn, has caused every metal band that followed them to write with an uncensored approach.

What made metal?

Led Zeppelin
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Dio (with Sabbath first, then his own band later on)
Iron Maiden

In chronological order. While I may favor bands over others (the Gods of Metal Judas Priest over Iron Maiden, at least for me) its not really arguable that these bands made metal what it is.

Commercially successful American bands today?

Slipknot
Metallica
Disturbed
Lamb of God (I respect the hell out of them though)
Most metalcore bands (All That Remains, Killswitch, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for my Valentine,etc.)

DYLANPCRIDDLE wrote:
9. Disturbed - Keeping classical metal alive with a touch of thrash, and has become the most recognized metal band in north america today. They are lower on the list because they have a smaller influence on other bands.

I like the point that you make for Disturbed. I don't really know what Disturbed's legacy will be. I don't really see any newer bands citing them as influences, but then again I don't listen to any new mainstreamish bands that would even possibly cite them as influences. But only time will tell.

I also liked how you included Dark Tranquillity and In Flames because they are definitely cited as influences by many European metal bands. I would also throw in Opeth, Anathema, and Porcupine Tree as highly influential(the last two aren't metal, but highly influential in lesser known rock/metal).


Metallica
Led Zeppelin
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Black Sabbath
Slayer

Today:
Disturbed
Lamb of God
HeXeN
Slipknot
Godsmack


None of those bands are really "Metal" except for HeXeN. But I think we can kiss those days goodbye anyways.




Past:
Sabbath
Judas Priest
Iron Maiden
Slayer
Metallica



Sabbath is way overrated. None of their music was really "Metal" but they helped start it I guess. Judas Priest and Sabbath are the two bands to have really made a push for Metal but Judas Priest was really the only one of those two that incorporated it.



Sabbath went a little heavier from the modern rock during those days. Judas Priest took the same idea, raised the pitch and sped up the pace a bit. AC/DC took the pitch even higher and sped up the pace even more but didn't go any heavier. Iron Maiden went to the old Judas Priest but then REALLY turned it into HEAVY Metal; after adding fantasy-ish themes to the lyrics, in which Judas Priest later took on, more or less anyways.


Metallica had then taken the "biker"-ish theme and really sped up the pace and put emphasis on the guitars but had kept the same vocals pitch as from the "old" rock during those days; and at times going even lower. This would become "Thrash" Metal in which Slayer would eventually take a turn into what Thrash is today.

For me

Judas Priest (forever)
Metallica
Pantera
Dio
Slayer

Hmm...

Disturbed
Slipknot
Metallica
Korn
Nightwish