Top 10 Metal Songs That Best Represent Their Subgenres

Metal_Treasure

The Top Ten

1 Raining Blood - Slayer (Thrash)

Ironically Slayer are frequently mistaken for a death metal band.

My initial idea was to put in the top 10 only one song per subgenre but I know that if I put only one of these 3 thrash songs, the other 2 will be added immediately by other people so I added them myself.
I also tried to put the most popular subgenres first. - Metal_Treasure

To Be Honest This Song Describes Metal In General Id Pick This Song To Describe All Of Metal - christangrant

Gonna vote for this but I guess Angel of Death represents thrash more. - anonymonstrum

2 Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden (New Wave of British Heavy Metal)

I know that this isn't officially a sub genre and I know that Iron Maiden songs are labelled traditional metal/heavy metal. But I think Iron Maiden songs are way faster than traditional metal because traditional metal is mid-tempo. - Metal_Treasure

3 Master of Puppets - Metallica (Thrash)
4 Holy Wars ... the Punishment Due - Megadeth (Thrash)

So I don't actually like this song much. The main riff of holy wars is pretty great but the transition to the punishment due section is awful and then the song goes to it. Also Dave mustaine had a really bad vocal performance and bad lyrics.

The riff is breathtaking. - Metal_Treasure

Should be #1 : textbook thrash.
Agressive political lyrics with a very fast tempo.
Three fast solo.
But moreover, the most important thing to me is the complex dual riffage that defines the thrash sound : it's no surprise the Big Four of Thrash all had rhythm guitarists : riffing is the most important thing in thrash. This song has many diffenrent riffs all throughout, sometimes different riffs are played simultaneously, which shows great compositional complexity. The thrashiest thrash metal song in my opinion. - JoLeKosovo

5 Octavarium - Dream Theater (Progressive Metal)
6 Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath (Traditional Metal)

Traditional metal (mid-tempo, melodic, clean vox). - Metal_Treasure

7 Lack of Comprehension - Death (Death Metal)

An essential metal song. - Metal_Treasure

8 Dante's Inferno - Iced Earth (Heavy Metal)

I think "Epic Thrash" would be the best way to describe this masterpiece but there's no such subgenre. - Metal_Treasure

9 Only Ash Remains - Necrophagist (Technical Death Metal)
10 I Am the Black Wizards - Emperor (Black Metal)

The Contenders

11 The Pursuit of Vikings - Amon Amarth (Melodic Death Metal)

I think probably a carcass, at the gates, early in flames, or dark tranquility song might better represent the genre but this song is still amazing.

12 Mouth for War - Pantera (Groove Metal)
13 Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 2 - Helloween (Power Metal)
14 Perfect Strangers - Deep Purple (Traditional Metal)
15 Sacred Worlds - Blind Guardian (Symphonic Metal)

One of the most impressive, crafted and epic metal songs. - Metal_Treasure

16 War Pigs - Black Sabbath (Traditional Metal)
17 Painkiller - Judas Priest (Heavy Metal)

Everything in this song is great... and crazy - vox, drums and guitars. Truly a metal classic by an iconic metal band. - Metal_Treasure

18 A Fine Day to Die - Bathory (Black Metal)
19 Nemesis - Arch Enemy (Melodic Death Metal)
20 Freezing Moon - Mayhem (Black Metal)
21 And Then There Was Silence - Blind Guardian (Progressive Power Metal)
22 Schizos (Are Never Alone) Parts I & II - Annihilator (Technical Thrash)
23 Spill the Dirty Blood of Jesus - Infernal War (Brutal Black Metal)
24 Majesty - Blind Guardian (Speed Metal)
25 Arc-Lite - Coroner (Technical Thrash Instrumental)
26 Emerald Sword - Rhapsody (Symphonic Power Metal)
27 Angel of Death - Slayer (Thrash)
28 Father Time - Stratovarius (Power Metal)
29 Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt.2 - Helloween (Epic Power Metal)
30 Black Star - Yngwie (Neo-Classical Metal)
31 Ride the Sky - Helloween (Speed Metal)
32 Hall of the Mountain King - Savatage (Traditional Metal)
33 Beyond the Realms of Death - Judas Priest (Power Ballad)
34 Progenies of the Great Apocalypse - Dimmu Borgir (Symphonic Black Metal)
35 One Rode to Asa Bay - Bathory (Viking Metal)
36 Shipwrecked - Alestorm (Pirate Metal)
37 Victory Song - Ensiferum (Folk Metal)
38 I Am - Theocracy (Christian Progressive Power Metal)
39 Cast Down the Heretic - Nile (Technical Death Metal)
40 Magnetic Propulsion - Flametal (Flamenco Metal)
41 Walk - Pantera (Groove Metal)
42 The Violation - Fleshgod Apocalypse (Symphonic Technical Death Metal)
43 Rebellion In Dreamland - Gamma Ray (Epic Power Metal)
44 Battle Hymns - Manowar (Battle Metal)
45 Brumlebassen - Trollfest (Folk Metal)

Trollfest play a heavier version of folk metal that often includes death metal and black metal elements. Vocals are never clean. - Metal_Treasure

46 To Hell With the Devil - Stryper (Christian Heavy Metal)
47 Burnt Offerings - Judas Priest (Power Metal)
48 Victim of Changes - Judas Priest (New Wave of British Heavy Metal)
49 Heavy Metal - Judas Priest (Traditional Metal)
50 Deathmask Divine - The Black Dahlia Murder (Melodic Death Metal)

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