Top Ten Best American Metal Bands

With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.
They may all be good, but compared to Metallica all of these bands are armatures: fact. If it wasn't for Metallica none of them would exists. Hands down best band, metal or not. They really know how to write music, especially for today's standards. And there doing the best they can for how old they are now, considering some of there songs are played faster than the recorded version. Metallica, keep writing awesome tasteful music! Love you guys!
"Not What They Used To Be" would only be accurate before Death Magnetic came out. That album is total thrash metal like their old stuff and its an extremly underrated album. Just listen to All Nightmare Long, it's so awesome!
We all know that Metallica are the kings of metal. A7X is a good band and even though I am a big Linkin Park fan, LP is not metal... LP is the best alt rock band...
Metallica is amazing. Though their not what they used to be, they can put on killer shows, and are always unique. All the bands on this list suck period. Metallica= best American m etal band ever

They released their debut album “Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good!” in 1985, but became successful after the release of “Peace Sells...But Who’s Buying?” in 1986. ...read more.
Just voted to get them above korn. Korn is good but not above great bands like pantera, megadeth, slayer, anthrax, dio, etc.
This band is just awesome. I just love them... Can't believe their so down in the list!
How are posers like Avenged Sevenfold and slipknot above megadeth?
*Ahem* did we forget Megadeth was an American band?

Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan (Drums), their most notable drummer, passed away in 2009, being temporarily replaced by Mike Portnoy, who was replaced by Arin Ilejay, who was finally replaced with Brooks Wackerman. A common phrase for fans "foREVer" was created after the Rev's death in his remembrance.
With the bands debut album "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet" they started with producing metalcore music, until they changed their sound into alternate metal with the album "City of Evil".
The band is best known for songs, like "Afterlife" or "Nightmare", and sometimes "A Little Piece of Heaven". They have created over ten albums. ...read more.
Avenged sevenfold has every taste of music I love to hear/listen. Every members of this very band is very unique. I love M Shadow voice.how manly he sang and scream. This band must be in the top 1 list.no question.no doubt they are the best and no other band in the future can step them.
M. Shadows is one of a kind vocalist and I love his higher vocal range, falsetto and he can growl like any other metal band which in my opinion better than james hedfield and corey taylor. That is just make a7x better than Metallica but I am agree Metallica nust be topple them out since Metallica is one of my favourite metal band ever and dream theatre shoild be in second place
I love A7X but how in the world are they above Testament? Testament has god AKA Alex SKolnick but A7X did have Jimmy, and have Syn, Matt, Zacky, and Johnny but Testament should have been at least number 1 and A7X should number 2, and Metallica sucks, Megadeth should be above Metallica
Slipknot is a great band with a bunch of great songs but Avenged Sevenfold is Avenged Sevenfold with such awesome guitarists, super vocalist and the world's best drummer. RIP Jimmy.

Slayer is known for their graphic and controversial lyrics which cover topics such as satanism, religion, murder, serial killers, terrorism, hate crimes, necrophilia, torture, human expiramentation, genocide, nazism, antireligion, and war. One of their songs has even been linked to the murder of a teenage girl (Elyse Pahler). Despite their explicit songs, Slayer have never claimed to be satanists (with frontman Tom Araya claiming to be a devout Catholic who doesn't let Slayer's lyrics interfere with his beliefs) or have condoned harm in people. ...read more.
Why is not Slayer number one? They are definitely the best thrash metal band and both Megadeth and Metallica are thrash. Slayer has realeased the best thrash metal album (Reign in Blood) and definitely deserve to be number one.
My list
1. Slayer
2. Megadeth
3. Dio
Avenged Sevenfold above Slayer? There is no hope for the Metal community
Every member is incredibly influential and brought something to metal

Pantera is the best. Rex is a bad ass bassist. Vinnie Paul can wail on the drums and has an amazing sound. You know his drumming. Phil is the greatest front man hands down. Just saw the PHA and the illegals. Awesome... but Dimebag is metal. He's the best. Period. Notice metal fell off after that idiot ruined metal. I saw Pantera. Along with most of this list. No one can come close to Pantera. The connection between the fans and the band may never be duplicated. Slayer is close in that category but they lack the ferocious vocals of Phil and the amazing guitar of Dime. Pantera influences all new metal and set the bar when Far beyond Driven debuted at #1.
Who else can sell out 10,000 people a night without radio or mtv support? A #1 album without the help of a top 40 song. Metallica is the only metal band bigger than Pantera and we all know how that happened. Pantera even influenced bands/musicians that came out years BEFORE them (Rob Halford in 1990s). Some of the biggest rock bands of all time have ADMITTED to being blown off the stage by Pantera. Whether you like Pantera music or not, their accomplishments as a band are unmatched. by anyone.
What a horrible list, most of the bands on here are complete garbage. Pantera was, is, and always will be the greatest metal band of all time.
The creators of groove metal, deserves better than 8th.

Do I even have to explain why Dio is the greatest American metal band? Dio's voice is overwhelmingly powerful, the riffs are cool as hell and the songs have great lyrics. No doubt, the greatest American metal band ever.
Slipknot AND Avenged Sevenfold above the legendary Dio? I have lost faith in the metal community.
With vocals like that Dio is the Boss. Plus he was in Black Sabbath and I love them

The members of the band’s original lineup consisted of John Petrucci (Guitar), John Myung (Bass) and Mike Portnoy (Drums). The band had multiple keyboardists and singers, but as of and since 1991, the band's lead vocalist has been James LaBrie.
The band released their debut album "When Day and Dream Unite" in 1989, but only gained success and notoriety after the release of their second album, "Images and Words" in 1992.
Since the release of “Images And Words”, the band has developed to be one of the most well-known and successful progressive metal bands in the world, and with the release of their 5th studio album, "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory" in 1999, they created one of the most well-known and beloved progressive metal and also concept albums of all time. ...read more.
Their music is beautifully complex, and yet heavy at the same time. They also have a variety of songs with different styles - all of which are amazing. Surely they should take first place
The hell is going on in this list!
It's a disgrace to all the legendary bands on this list that A7X, Slipknot and Korn arerated above them. Shame on you.
Why only the fifth place, I mean like the others all pretty cool but DT gives us chillings, gives us masterpieces and makes us believe they're gods. Yay
Dream Theater are not from Canada - James LaBrie is Canadian but DT are an American band!


Death made 7 decent albums (many of them much more than decent) and Metallica only made 3.5 decent albums. Come on, I can't believe how extremely overrated that band is. Death on the other hand made true, good quality Metal.
Ridiculously good riffs, extreme heaviness, overall musical profficiency, very good lyrics (towards the end of their career), and no sell outs.
Chuck Schuldiner was always true to Metal, making brilliant music and giving Metal a new meaning, and for that I thank him
Recommended songs: Crystl mountain, Misanthrope, Zombie Ritual, Pull the Plug, Spirit Crusher, the Philosopher, Cosmic Sea, Flesh and the Power it holds
By far the best band on this list. Sad that the rest are Nu-Metal bands.
Best songs:
Crystal Mountain - Most popular, catchy, heavy
Zombie ritual - If you like traditional death metal
Flesh and the power it holds - progressive, technical and still heavy and catchy.

Slipknot is one of the best bands I have ever heard. I'm a big country music fan but Slipknot and Misfits have pulled me into this whole world of music. I love Slipknot!
Slipknot is so amazing. the best song in my opinion is Eyeless, My Plague, or Wait and bleed. The best album is slipknot. If you like Nu-Metal go on to iTunes and check them out.
Slipknot rocks no matter what. Stay (sic) everyone! R.I.P. Paul Gray.. Slipknot is the best band! And Limp Bizkit sucks!
Avenged Sevenfold is crap, and so is Metallica. Yes, I said it.
Slipknot is the BEST.

They should easily be top 10. Joey Belladonna and Scott Ian are legendary together


Ok this pisses me off. Besides Metallica, which is debatable, the next four bands are a7x, slipknot, disturbed and korn. Where is pantera, slayer, lamb of god? In my opinion those should be the top 3 not crappy emo/nu metal hard rock like the stuff that's listed
Lamb of God over A7X. Seriously, who is voting here? Little 8th graders? Do you not realize the talent that Lamb of God possess? Randy is probably ten times the vocalist M. Shadows is.
LOG Is the most talented on the list. Obviously people think its little 8th graders voting but I'm in year 9. I know good music when I. Hear it
Who is voting on this page?! 14 year old kids? A7x, korn, slipnot suck!
LoG Metallica slayer megadeth dream theater should be top 5!


As much as I want to give this to Disturbed... I have to give it to Korn. Metallica copied off of other metal bands such as Juda Priest and black sabbath, in reality bringing nothing new to the table of metal. Bands such as cannibal corpse and Death were just too heavy for non metalhead. So when Korn came around they introduced something heavy enough for for REAL metal heads and something soft enough for non metal heads the perfect combination. And it is true if Korn never came around Slipknot would never have made it maybe not even disturbed. I love disturbed and Slipknot but THIS IS JUST THE COLD HARD TRUTH. And avenged sevenfold DEFINITELY would not have made it without KORN. Why are they even on this list they are closer to emo than ACTUAL metal.
No korn, no slipknot, fact!


Thrash as its finest

Overkill #56?... After dozens of mediocre bands, some of them not even metal? Shame on this list.


Know what metal means. They made metal kid!

One of the most unique and influential acts of recent metal.
I know the pieces fit
Should be in top ten


Their songs have emotion and meaning and they deliver it through their music.
Come on this should be in the top 5!

This should be in the top ten, this shows true American brutal death metal band

Diverse and ever-evolving. Extremely talented musicians.
Because Trivium kicks all of the others asses.