Top 10 Bands that Aren't Metal According to Encyclopaedia Metallum
I didn't create this list to make people feel ashamed or offended because of their music preferences - it's OK if you like some of these bands. I believe everyone can listen to all bands under the sun - just keep in mind that the bands on this list are probably not metal.I know that many people will be shocked and confused.
Metalheads know the site Encyclopaedia Metallum (aka The Metal Archives) very well - it's a site with extensive database of information about metal bands such as discography, lyrics, origin, band members, years active, album reviews and many more details. Encyclopaedia Metallum is widely considered the best and most accurate source of information about metal music.
As of September 2016, they have articles on about 111,350 metal bands, even including very small bands that only released a demo in the 80s. But the site has no articles and information about some very well known bands because the people from Encyclopaedia Metallum think these bands aren't metal.
So this list is about bands many people believe are metal but according to Encyclopaedia Metallum they are not - if you put band names from this list into their search bar, you will see this:
"No matches found. Please try with different search terms."
I don't mind the majority of the exclusions stated by the Metal Archives, but if for nothing else, City of Evil should've been enough to qualify them.
I am agreed with most of the bands here that they aren't metal.I still can't believe Avenged Sevenfold aren't metal.But I searched for "Uriah Heep" in the Encyclopaedia Metallum,but this band wasn't there.I think Uriah Heep should be there.
It is an undebatable FACT that they are metal. Denying it only makes you look like the ignorant fake that you are. Posers
Of course they're Metal. If they're not Metal, then neither is Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, or Opeth.
Yeah, I don't consider them metal either. In fact, considering them to be metal is about as ridiculous as the fact that the band members themselves think that they are a thrash band.
I'm no metalhead but seriously how is Slipknot not metal?.They play Alternative Metal and Groove Metal and yes they may have a few Nu Metal stuff but Slipknot is still metal.
I like many of the bands on the list but I Think Slipknot is the only band that should be allowed of these bands to be listen on metal-archives
@FireWasp2004 - because their music isn't metal. It's heavy but not metal. Not every heavy sounding music is heavy metal.
I think that Rammstein is a metal band, but a lot of bands in their genre aren't. But they are more rooted in metal, you can tell that even by their keyboard licks.
I think EM is being unfair towards industrial artists. There's a lot more to industrial music than just heavy electronic sounds.
Spirit Of Metal is better
Ha! This is a big surprise for me. But I actually agree with Encyclopaedia Metallum. Thank you, Powerfultekin, for adding them. I double-checked and confirm they are not on Encyclopaedia Metallum.
Yeah, this one I get. Progressive/alternative rock with metal tendencies.
Obviously metal. Not as heavy as other metal bands, but still metal.
They aren't metal, but they're a good band.
This has been a very helpful list. However I still don't agree with two or three decisions of Metallum. But for more than 90% I agree with their decisions.
Anyone who knows what metal is knows that Linkin Park isn't metal at all.
Linkin Park is an overaged boy band but with Guitars. They suck.
They actually kind of are on Metal Archives. They had a different name when they first started, and that incarnation of them is on there.
Alternative metal/heavy metal
Definitely are Metal, no elitist website will make me think otherwise
They are progressive metal, shows how inaccurate the site is
Definitely Progressive Metal, especially albums like Colours and Parallax II.
This one really surprised me
The band's current members include Serj Tankian (vocalist, keyboards), Daron Malakian (guitarist, vocalist), Shavo Odadjian (bassist), and John Dolmayan (drummer). ...read more.
Great and correct explanation, zxm! Yes, their guitars aren't metal. A similar detailed analysis of the other elements of this song (and all their songs) prove the same - NOT metal.
System of a down is radio friendly horrorcore with horses in it. Not metal at all.
System of a Down is Metal. Case closed.
This is definitely not metal
It's good Korn admitted they weren't metal because Korn fans didn't believe anyone who was saying the same.
OK, but will Korn return the Grammy for Best Metal Performance they got in 2003? Megadeth had to wait for 14 more years to get their first Grammy in 2017. Dio has never gotten one. But in 2017 Korn were nominated again for a Metal Grammy, for the song Rotting In Vain...
They aren't and they never were. The band members freely admit that they aren't metal.
Are the guys at Metallum being pristine or what? What is the reason why Infant Annihilator are not on the encyclopaedia? Too extreme? This is metal, and a good one too. One might not agree with their visual...insanity, but that does not affect the music. Blasphemian is one of the best-structured metal songs of the 2000s. The video is disgusting, though.
Deathcore is metal, metallum has tons of deathcore bands on their site.
The ones that are excluded are the bands that are more meralcore than deathcore, but infant annihilator is deathcore/tech death.
Death is hardcore with death metal. They are and should be considered metal
Can someone please tell me what genre this is that isn't a sub genre of metal?
Their sound is definitely a lot closer to Heavy Metal than the likes of Disturbed, Slipknot, Shinedown, A7x etc. They do have some selective tracks that can be classified as Metal, but overall, their albums as a whole lies more or less on the fringe between Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. I personally think of them as an Alternative Metal band - 60% Metal & 40% Hard Rock. Nonetheless, they are an amazing modern rock band, unlike Creed and Nickelback, of course.
But, I also have a doubt concerning why Rush is on the Metal archive's bands list? Similar to Tool they are a progressive rock band. Maybe the website has a specific criteria that a band must possess at least one full metal album to be considered as a Heavy Metal band, which I reckon is the only logical reason why Rush is featured in there.
They never sounded like heavy metal to me.
Led Zeppelin is not a heavy metal band.I am sure of it.Though their sound wasn't heavy to become metal but their musical style was little bit of heavy metal.Especially riffs of Jimmy Page.But ultimately they aren't a heavy metal band.They are a hard rock and blues rock band.
Deep Purple and Black Sabbath are on Encyclopaedia Metallum.
Led Zeppelin themselves refuse to be labeled metal.
They were always Hard Rock, Folk Rock and Blues Rock
Groove metal with strong alternative metal influences
? How so? Encyclopaedia is confusing me.
@Ananya - RE "I don't think that anyone would call them metal". Obviously many people think they are metal because Ben Burnley is at #5 on the list "Top Metal Singers". And he is not even that good. But some of the most talented metal singers are way lower than Ben - Russell Allen is at #81, Jon Oliva #79, Tobias Sammet #50, Michael Kiske #32, Hansi #21...
I don't think that anyone would call them metal
Okay I have checked it more than 3 times and this band wasnt there.But they are a heavy metal band,Traditional heavy metal.Though they were also a progressive and hard rock band but I don't think they have never been a metal band.MT, if you read this then what's your opinion on this band?
Ballsier than Deep Purple and slightly proggier. Great riffs and time changes. I don't understand why they don't consider the Heep Metal. Epic fail.
They aren't on Encyclopaedia Metallum.
I am pretty happy Metallum are trying to separate metal-based and punk-based bands (both types may sound heavy). Because grindcore is mostly punk and not metal. Some of the bands from genres with "core" and "grind" in the name only give metal a bad name when they aren't really metal.
I tried to submit them a lot of times. But finally I understood why Metallum won't approve them. Is because they want a complete metal album. So I cannot add individual songs of their's. Because Aurthohin has always played hard rock and other genres in their albums along with metal. So it's impossible to add them there. But I can assure that they have lots of metal songs. For first two of their rules, they pass, they failed at the third rule.
All right, this band is not on the site. I though it's a foreign band that's why it isn't on the site. but when I saw other bands like - Warfaze, Cryptic Fate and Artcell on the site, then I think I should add it here. Because it's a metal band. I am sure of it
Now I'm more certain of that this is a metal band. but not on the site.
They were never Metal. They're hard rock or at least rock and roll like angus said.
The line between hard rock and heavy metal is really thin.
Agree, they never sounded like metal to me.
There's no conceivable reason for Hatebreed to not be on Metal Archives. Hatebreed's absence is strictly trolling
I don't understand. Rush is on Encyclopaedia Metallum, but Porcupine Tree isn't? �"