Top 10 Bands and Artists that are Most Surprisingly Metal According to Encyclopaedia Metallum
Metal music is an intense, diverse, and often misunderstood genre. And when it comes to determining which bands and artists fall under the metal banner, things can get a little complicated. This is where Encyclopaedia Metallum, the definitive resource for all things metal, comes into play. But did you know that there are some bands and artists catalogued there that might surprise you?As you probably know, Encyclopaedia Metallum is a reliable place to discover metal bands, both obscure and popular. It's like a treasure trove for metal fans seeking new music to headbang to. But let's talk about those unexpected entries, the bands and artists who, on the surface, might not seem to fit into the heavy world of metal.
In the vast spectrum of metal music, you'll find a surprising array of artists who defy traditional genre boundaries. From bands that incorporate unconventional instruments, to artists who blend disparate musical styles, the metal scene is full of surprises. It's part of what makes this genre so exciting and unpredictable.


The only band I absolutely disagree they're on Metallum.
They never released a metal song, not even their earliest songs, they had hard or heavier progressive rock songs, but they NEVER played metal.
What the flip?

Def Leppard aren't on EM for songs like Pour Some Sugar on Me, Love Bites, Lets Get Rocked, and similar. I guess they are there for their debut album - part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.
You understand that Def Leppard and the other bands on this list may have some metal songs/albums, but it doesn't mean all their songs are metal just because the band is on EM. This is very important.
They have some metal songs in their earliest period. But yes, overall they aren't metal.
What, this is rock bro


Yes, they're grunge, but they're very metal oriented grunge, not Nirvana alike Punky grunge band. So they're not a bad pick on the Metallum either.

@Du - heaviness isn't the only thing that makes a band/song metal. Same for loudness, screaming and speed. While these things are typical for metal, they don't define metal. Not every heavy, loud, fast or aggressive song with screaming is metal. Most often people confuse punk with metal and hard rock with metal.


Metalcore is a mix of metal and punk. Killswitch Engage include enough metal elements in this mix while most of the metalcore bands don't.

Same as Soundgarden, they're metal oriented grunge, so I'm not wonder they're up.
Dirt is definitely metal.

I have mixed feelings about them. Their music sounds like metal most of the time, but they're pretty poppy. So I don't know.

There are lots of Eric Johnson on metallum. But I am talking about this one. He is on metallum. He is a shredder but he isn't a metal guitarist. He is mostly hard rock guitarist.

Yes, Lemmy said many times they weren't metal and I agree with him. However, Motörhead are a more complicated case because they have always been considered metal by many. I don't know, maybe in the future EM will change their opinion about Motörhead.
Their logo is misleading


Yes, they played hard rock, blues rock, psych rock, prog rock and also heavy metal. Some of their songs aren't heavy. But the riff/solo techniques was inspirational towards metal guitarists. Plus Ian Gillan's vocals. However this didn't surprise me that much. That surprised me most when Child In Time wasn't considered as a metal song.
This isn't a surprise - Deep Purple invented metal as we know it now: a genre that is fast, technical and classically inspired. They wrote several metal songs in the early 70s. Deep Purple and Black Sabbath wrote the first metal songs.
Deep Purple is definitely a metal band. Together with Black Sabbath, they invented most of metal.

I guess White Zombie is on EM for the early stuff that is Heavy Metal/Noise Rock. Not for his late stuff that is Industrial Rock but some people call it "metal".
And no, they don't make the same music. Metal elements available in some White Zombie songs were conveniently replaced with punk in Rob Zombie material. Punk is also loud, fast, angry and aggressive but is easier to play and easier to understand. Punk is simple, metal is complex. There are also some other differences.

Their riffs and solos are metal, but the drumming is typical hard rock/glam metal drumming.






Yes, they are hard rock band mostly. But they were also a metal band in the 70s, when Uli Jon Roth was there. Listen to the solo of "Fly to the Rainbow". Most powerful dive bombs I have ever heard. Plus, Uli Jon Roth is a neoclassical metal artist. The biggest reason they are there because of neoclassical metal and shredding.
Only one metal song I can think of immediately- Sails of Charon.

Not. Buckethead deserves to be there. Buckethead is a metal artist. Listen to these songs - Eerie Canal, Botnus, Frozen Brains Tell No Tales, Crack the Sky etc. He has a lot of songs. Most of the famous songs aren't metal. That's why people think that he is not a metal guitarist. But he is surely a metal guitarist.