Top 10 Heaviest Metal Bands

Cannibal Corpse is the most hardcore, aggressive, and kick ass band I have ever heard. I enjoy many of the bands above but they are no where near as hardcore as Cannibal Corpse. This is one of the rare bands you find that can sound like they do. Bands like bring me the horizon and peirce the veil do not even need to be close in the ranking, as they are not hardcore, and are not the best bands out there. This band knows how to scream and make riffs, unlike so many other bands

Cannibal Corpse is the most hard-core heaviest and one the best band of all time. Look at their album covers... It gross, and kind of creepy but awesome. And even the lyrics are so gross, violent and aggressive making a perfect death metal band and even the heaviest band

Just look them up on iTunes and read the names of all of their songs on the "butchered at birth" and "tomb of the mutilated album. The names of their songs are absolutely HORRIFYING sodomy-filled lyrics are enough to make them the heaviest.

YES. Cannibal Corpses sound is heavier than Metallica and slayer combined. Yes cannibal Corpse is the heaviest. Here are some examples. Tomb of the mutilated, vile, evisceration plague, KILL, eaten back to life and very heavy songs.

Slayer realeased some of the heaviest albums of all time such as Reighn in Blood and Seasons of the Abyss. Even their name just screams heavy band. I personally find them heavier than Cannibal Corpse because I find that E, Eb, and D/Drop D are the heaviest tunings (the most common thrash tunings) and that Slayer's vocals are just the right range to be heavy. Many people would disagree, but it's an honest opinion. I find some Cannibal Corpse songs heavier than others, but I think Slayer just beats them out.

If you disagree that they are heavy, just listen to Angel of Death or Raining Blood loud through good sound equipment, and feel the music crushing you.

Slayer may be "heavier" band than Metallica, but they all represent the same time era of being created. There will be time when Slayer, Metallica, Megadeath and all together will be satanic stories for the kids, and there will be the time when these are "hippy" proge metal. To me Slayer is more like faster style trash metal than Metallica, while Metallica is deeper and heavier... But to get the hippies to leave the premises I would choose Reign in Blood over Enter Sandman.

So brutal, Raining Blood is extremely heavy, but that doesn't compare to their song "Disciple" off God Hates Us All! How heavy is this band?!

Slayer should definitely be # 1. Come on guys... This band has produced the riffs that are traditionally metal and has been loved all across the globe... and what about the drums? They're ferocious especially the double basses... Slayer haters and asss do listen to Angel of death, Raining blood...

Behemoth isn't called by some "The Kings Of Black Metal" for no reason. They're one of the only actually good blackened death metal bands, the combo of the extremely heavy elements of Death metal and the evil sounding noisiness of Black Metal is rarely this perfect.

"Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer", "Ov Fire And The Void", "O Father O Satan O Sun"...all some of the heaviest songs I've ever heard. these guys are absolutely brutal and I mean that in the best way possible

They are not softer than slayer, I like cc but they're just too mainstream. I'm not voting for my favorite band. They're just heavy as heavy can be..

Come on guys, this list is not bout voting for yer favorite band.. My favorite metal band is lamb of god and pantera and not to mention I'm not a very big fan of behemoth but I have to agree their music are extremely heavy take slaves shall serve for example, the song itself sounded like it want to kill you

This is a popularity contest. Nile is way heavier than all these other 9 bands, Cannibal Corpse deserves to be on the list, not the other 8. Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Mortician, Malevolent Creation, Suffocation, Carcass, Beheaded, Morbid Angel. All those bands should be here. Not those other bands that are mentioned. People just don't know what heavy is or they are completely uneducated when it comes heavy music

Metallica, Pantera, Slipknot and Black Sabbath in the Top 10? Even Slayer is way too light compared to Death or Black Metal.
Brutal Death Metal like Nile is pretty much one of the heaviest music types you can find out there.

Annihilate the wicked on this page. Nile is amazing band who really understand technical death metal. Enough said and those who think a musically oblivious 8th graded is voting well I am musically smart 9th grader

Nile is by far the heaviest band in the world. In instrumental plan and also the atmosphere they are bringing. All other aren't come close

Not much explanation here, it's meshuggah. They were playing djent like 30 years before it existed. The combination of prog djent death metal has never sounded so good. The guitar tuning is so low it's probably in hell by now. That and having a tractor on the drums and yelled vocals are enough to give someone an anxiety attack.

Not only is Meshuggah's tone and overall vibe by far the heaviest on this list, their lyrics push the bar to a whole new level of dark poetry. There couldn't be a stronger juxtaposition between the whiny, insipid lyrics of many "core" bands splattered with unnecessary F-shots, and the rich imagery and hellishly uncanny lyricism found in Meshuggah.

This band is definitely the heaviest on the list. Most bands you'll hear at least one or two songs in an album that aren't as heavy as the others, sometimes more. However, Meshuggah only makes heavy music, and, to me, is the heaviest sounding band I've ever heard.

ObZen, and Chaosphere are the best albums made by these technical masters. Just think! With Fredrik Thorndendal with his heavy and atmospheric guitar solos, and Tomas Haake with his complex heavy drumming, Meshuggah is one of the best technical modern heavy metal bands of our time!

My vote goes to these guys. Death Metal and Black Metal bands are more noise than heavy. Slayer is really fast and aggressive, but Metallica came up with some of the heaviest riffs ever in the 80s, fast AND slow. If you don't think they are heavy, listen to Fight Fire With Fire, The Thing That Should Not Be, Battery, Harvester of Sorrow, Damage Inc, Dyers Eve, Blackened, For Whom The Bell Tolls, and Trapped Under Ice. When you're done, show me proof they aren't heavy.

If you say they aren't heavy at all, you aren't a metalhead. At all. Listen to that Slayer isn't heavy when they palm mute. When Metallica palm mute, they are. Heck, The Thing That Should Not Be has a riff that slam bands would use! Fight Fire With Fire, Battery, and Dyers Eve have some difficult and fast riffing, which is what death metal is made of.
Go listen to The Thing That Should Not Be, Fight Fire With Fire, Battery, and Dyers Eve as loud as you can and go tell me they're not heavy!

1. They are definitely one of the heaviest. It doesn't matter that they gave up heavy in 1991-1997. The Ride The Lightning to And Justice For All era was way heavier than Slayer. You might say "No way you idiot what are you thinking, Slayer is much heavier!" Slayer is just fast while Metallica has a pretty even widespread of fast and slow. You don't have to be fast to be heavy.

2. Bands like Cattle Decapitation and Deicide and every other death/black/slam/core band sound heavier than they really are because they tune down, like the other guy said. Even though F Your God by Deicide is in Eb they are still less heavy than Metallica because of that.

That's called being SMART, not just looking at it by ear.

Music in general is very subjective. It is all about the person listening the song etc. But briefly to the point: Metallica, within their time as categorized as "heavy metal" the band made their Black/Metallica album. It is, and still is very, very heavy, to the sound, feel and how it is performed.
Yes, it was produced very well. It has many good songs, even so good that they could be thought to be made as simply in purpose of making money... or just to make sure that future kids have some tunes to play to their chicks.

Sad But True is a good example of very heavy song as musically. There are much, faster, slower, deeper, lover - what so ever bands/songs there. I would love to challenge Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth and Moonspell to make a cover song of Ozzy's Mr. Crowley... Oh wait... They are "heavier", why shouldn't/couldn't they make cover of Enter Sandman? - They could, but they don't want to?

In the end, we can go back in the history towards the great classical ...more

Although the list is messed up, pantera would definitely be the heaviest of the bands mentioned in the top 10. Listen to 5 minutes alone, god that song is heavy! One of the heaviest riffs ever made in the history of metal, no song I have heard can match up to the heaviness of this song. And trust me, I listen to a lot of metal.

This list is lying. Pantera are OBVIOUSLY heavier than Metallica, Slayer, and pretty much every other band ever (except for MAYBE Cannibal Corpse)! Don't believe me? Here's my proof:

Cowboys from Hell
Vulgar Display of Power
Far Beyond Driven
The Great Southern Trendkill (especially this one, it's the best metal record of all time right up there with Pantera's previous two efforts)
Reinventing the Steel

Listen to all of these (in order), and I guarantee you will think that I am right. If not, then that's fine, it's probably just because Cannibal Corpse out-heavies them by just a little bit...

These "musicians" should be number 1. I quoted musicians because they aren't musicians. They're beasts. Their music isn't the fastest, but they have Dimebag's signature sound, Vinnie Paul's amazing grooves, Rex's pounding bass, and Phil's skull crushing screams.

Strength beyond strength. You don't need 7 strings, blast beats, and pure growling to be the heaviest band in the world. Pantera proved that with their sheer aggressive anger and pure power. Pantera is the heaviest band of all time!

Friggin amazing. Deathcore at it's finest. Between Infant Annihilator and Suicide Silence, I can't tell which is heavier, probably this. BONUS: They're Bri'ish

The heaviest band on the planet. If you don't believe me, listen to the album "The Palpable Leprosy of Pollution". "Pinned Down and Fisted" has the most intense rift I've EVER HEARD.

Heaviest band I know. Just look at the lyrics and listen to the sheer brutality.
Don't know what people have against deathcore. It's just as heavy or heavier than death metal. Maybe it's the way the people in the bands look. Or maybe death metal fans are jealous of the success of bands like suicide silence. Check out the band Callenish Circle

I'm sorry but Slayer sound like nursery rhymes compared to this... The guitars, drumming, vocals, heck even the lyrics are heavier. I was going to pick cattle decapitation... but due to the lyrics I decided on IA

Heaviest band ever. Castigation and Betrayal is the most unfairly heavy song ever, 30 seconds of extremely heavy doom metal, 3 minutes of insanely aggressive death metal, and back to those 30 seconds. That song alone makes them the heaviest band ever, not to mention Pandemonic Hyperblast is the second heaviest song ever, behind that.

Musically, nothing really competes against Anaal Nathrakh in regards to heaviness. Black Metal with strong influences of Grindcore and Industrial Music, its an effective combination to establish something uniquely heavy, which this band succeeds. In fact, the music is so chaotic, even bands like Cannibal Corpse sound rather mellow in comparison.

I think they should be number one honestly. They're basically the total annihilation of mankind in music form. Just listen to tracks like "I Am The Wrath Of Gods And The Desolation Of The Earth" and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Maybe not the absolute heaviest band ever, but definitely the heaviest band with clean choruses, and aside from maybe Meshuggah and Cattle Decap they are clearly much heavier than anything else in the top 10.

Some people don't know the definition of heavy. Were talking chunky riffs, layered raw sounds, relentless tempo, growling vocals and technicality here. Not popular bands and certainly not nu metal!

Death is the final form of metal music development. It is the absolute. Without any posing or heavy for the sake of sounding heavy. It's raw, melodic and metal as it gets. It is metal in its pure form.

Death! In my opinion one of the best and first bands in real death metal their old school sound is much heavier than nu metal!

Just like Death. Being Death metal they out-heavy most other metal bands.

Lamb of God is heavier than most bands, but there's no need to compare them with extreme Thrash Metal (such as Slayer) or BDM (such as Cannible Corpse) even some Deathcore (if you considered deathcore as metal). There are two reasons:1, LOG's music, mostly, are slow, or at mid-tempo. 2, They have pretty melodic riffs. Rate the Bands for their heaviness, If Cannible Corpse and Slayer are at 10, the Beatles at 1, I think LoG should be around 7.5.

I love Black Sabbath. With that said, no other band besides Meshuggah should be on this list with Lamb of God. The first Slipknot album was decent, Metallica isn't half bad, and I do enjoy Pantera. Cannibal Corpse is a total joke, so there's that. The rest, I can totally do without. Especially on a "Heaviest Bands" list. Seriously, what.

Lamb of God is amazing. Nobody does vocal like randy Blythe. He kicks ass, their material is amazing and everything they have is kick ass, heavy, bad ass, and metal as HELL! They are heavier then half the bands on this list and although they aren't they heaviest ever, they are without a doubt one of the best ever!

Sorry guys, this list is about "heaviest, " not which bands your girlfriend or mom can tolerate. Therefore, as cool as they are, Mettallica, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Maiden, have no business appearing here. When I think heavy, I think of condemnation of my soul, bleeding ears, and pits with broken bones... And Lamb of God.

Very technical, fast and heavy death/groove metal band. If you think Cannibal Corpse is either too gruesome for you or your a Meshuggah and Slipknot fan you'll easily get into these guys. System of a Down is hard rock and CoF is mall core. What's next, Bathory being heaviest on this list? I hope not.

Powerful drums, speed, low tuning, brutal vocals. Dying Fetus is the definition of heavy. This should be number one on the list without a doubt.

This and Infant Annihilator are the Heaviest bands I listen to.

The name and the music... Says it all.

Heaviest and the best

Basically Nile but more raw and less technical.

How are these guys so low? Graves of the fathers is the heaviest song in existence, and that's just one song. The whole none so vile album is soul crushing

Cryptopsy, Cattle Decapitation and Periphery need to be higher.

Their album "None So Vile" is probably the heaviest death metal album ever

The heaviest bands are mostly black and death bands, but in terms of popular bands, they are the heaviest. All Hope Is Gone is a death metal and thrash metal song, so is Gematria, Sarcastrophe, Eeyore, Three Nil etc. But the Iowa album, that is the heaviest of all. Disasterpiece is so heavy.

I love Metallica and Slipknot and I'm okay with Slayer but Metallica was the true heavy metal in the 80s like For Whom the Bells Toll and Master of Puppets! But Slipknot is a very heavy metal band, dark lyrics, Corey's vocals, the down toned of guitars, and the masks. Metallica has gotten softer slipknot is getting more harder and awesome. I mean they weren't what they were like in Iowa and Subliminal Verses but they said the next album is darker than Iowa and Subliminal combined! Their darkest songs are Eyeless, People=S***, and Heretic Anthem. Well to me, MAGGOTS FOR LIFE

Slipknot are actually still very heavy. Maybe not as heavy as Meshuggah or Cannibal Corpse, but still very heavy. People who don't say they're heavy, go listen to People = S***, Psychosocial, Disasterpiece etc. They are 10 billion times heavier than Black Sabbath, A7X, Metallica, Deep Purple. While they do have some ballads (Snuff, Till We Die etc.) Most of their songs are HEAVY, and the vocals are pretty brutal.

To those who don't say they're heavy, go suck some eggs. They're heavier than Metallica, though they may not be as heavy as any true dark metal band. Joey Jordinson's drumming is truly phenomenal (Lord rest his soul), and Corey Taylor can scream the yellow pages of the phone book to me if he wanted to.

This appears to be a popularity contest, rather than what is really "heaviest". Love slayer, slipknot... Etc but nothing can compare to SYL (except maybe meshuggah) for heaviness.

Stop what you're doing. Go and listen to 'Oh My God' by Strapping Young Lad. Come back and vote then.

How Strapping Young Lad is not the first of the list is beyond my comprehension.

Listen to "Oh My God" and "Happy Camper" then come back and vote correctly.

GREYBOYY seems to know very little about Heavy Metal and is citing bands that just use speed and relentless noise to quantify what is 'Heavy'. For volume to have impact there must also be silence in the music. How can you seriously be discounting bands that are responsible for creating Heavy Metal in the first place? Maiden are a Heavy Metal band (How can this band NOT be in the top 30? ). Priest is a Heavy Metal band. Sabbath are a Heavy Metal band. Metallic are a Heavy Metal band. Heavy does not equal constant racket and growling tuneless vocals.

Black Sabbath has nothing to do with extreme metal, it's a classic blues-rock band, then it became a hard rock/heavy metal band, Metallica and megadeth have some heavy songs, but there are much pop metal bands, Slayer is among the heaviest, but Iron Maiden are more melodic and with complex songs, and with much better vocalist!

Iron Maiden? Heavy? Seriously? This band is awesome but when it comes to heaviness Iron Maiden has no place even in the top 30!

Ridicilous! Everybody know what Iron Maiden is the heaviest band of all times! No one could compare, no one could even stay close to Iron Maiden!

This band is just as heavy as Metallica... Metallica is not that heavy compared to any death metal, black metal, or doom metal band. Especially funeral doom metal bands.

Metallica's heavy? Heavier than Megadeth and Lamb of God and Slayer? Ha Ha. Really, there should be some sense among people. Come on.

Still rocking after all these years. Better than the rest. Enough said. From Killing is My Business to Super Collider, better quality.

Megadeth is heavier than Metallica and avenged sevenfold. I love Iron Maiden but Megadeth is heavier than them too.

If you don't agree with Nails being top choice, I guess You Will Never Be One of Us.

You haven't heard heavy until you heard of these guys.

Every single song is a facemelter. You haven't heard heavy till you've heard these guys

This should be higher then Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and especially Black Sabbath.

Deicide rule the world!