Best Live Metal Bands
Iron Maiden are an English Heavy Metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The most critically acclaimed period for the band was from 1983-1989. With vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, lead guitarist Dave Murray, rhythm guitarist Adrian... read more Maiden, Rammstein, Metallica, and Slipknot would be the best four I've seen. I suppose the likes of Avenged Sevenfold and Linkin Park were good for what they were, but the atmosphere in the crowd for the four I mentioned is just insane.
Number of the Beast played live in Donington (can be found on iTunes) is perhaps their best live song ever. The original is not that good. I was never a fan of it. But this version is downright excellent.
They're like Black Sabbath on steroids. You know what I mean? Just attitude and balls.
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and Industrial Metal band consisting of Till Lindemann (vocals), Richard Kruspe (guitar), Paul Landers (guitar), Oliver Riedel (electric bass), Christoph Schneider (drums) and Christian Lorenz (keyboard), that formed in 1994 in Berlin ... read more Rammstein, known for their amazing pyrotechnic and stage stunts like on-stage fights and Till putting the keyboardist in a huge boiling pit and cooking him with a flamethrower, is definitely the best on the list.
They should be #1 because Iron Maiden does not have a better show than Rammstein. I think no one ever came close to being as mesmerizing as Rammstein live.
Rammstein never disappoints. Their live performances are amazing and insane. Nobody does fire the way they do!
Slipknot is an American metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa in 1996. The band is best known as one of the pioneers of the New Wave of American Alternative Metal during the late 1990s - 2000s and are distinguishable by the band's clothing choices, consisting of black/red jumpsuits and horror inspired... read more They were awarded Best Live Metal Band of 2012, and I think they deserve it. Corey's voice is so powerful live. The performance of the guitarists and drummers is amazing. But also, Lamb of God is kick-ass live. Randy Blythe has one of the most powerful voices ever.
You should vote for Slipknot. They don't let you sleep when they are in your country.
They should at least be number three.
Metallica is an American Heavy/Thrash Metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup was James Hetfield (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist), Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar), Lars Ulrich (Drums), Ron McGovney (Bassist). The group came into mainstream from their Self-Titled album and the hit single "Enter Sandman"... read more Can't say too much because I haven't been to many metal shows (I'm a kid), but Metallica is amazing live. Every time I watch a live performance of theirs, I want to see them live again. Hardwired has the best songs that you will ever hear live. It's not just that. Creeping Death is an absolute anthem live, and Sad but True injures your neck live.
Best band I have ever seen live so far! Metallica still has it!
Metallica in the '80s were amazing.
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1985 under the name of "Majesty", only to change its name to Dream Theater later... read more They get me. I know all of their songs. What else can you want from your crowd if it isn't that they vibe with all of your songs and know them all?
Simply the best. Unmatched performance. Technical prowess unbeatable. Full of energy and emotions.
Very technical musicians. They deserve some respect and appreciation.
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band, that was formed 1999 in California. Their longest lineup of members was M. Shadows (Vocals), Synyster Gates (Lead Guitar), Zacky Vengeance (Rhythm Guitar), Johnny Christ (Bass Guitar), and The Rev (Drums)... read more Most passionate live band I've ever seen. Best sound quality and balance of any band I've ever heard live. The pyro, effects, and interaction with the crowd are absolutely priceless. I'm getting emotional just thinking about seeing them live!
Absolutely brilliant musicians, and such chemistry between the members. They really engage the crowd, especially in Unholy Confessions with the pits the song creates. Each band member is extremely talented. Even with their new drummer, they still have the standard they had in the LBC performance with The Rev. I am really looking forward to seeing them live.
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Heavily influenced by Queen, they use the technique of overdubbing. They also incorporate large... read more Blind Guardian live is a band that manages to render monster songs, such as "And Then There Was Silence," live without losing any of the essence of the song. They have very high energy and intensity with their faster songs from their back catalog.
Everyone in the venue sings along to every single chorus. Hansi could even take breaks from singing if he wanted. In fact, with songs such as "The Last Candle" or "Valhalla," he can actually take a 5-minute break as everyone hollers, "Valhalla! Deliverance, why've you ever forgotten me," for 5 minutes without tiring.
Their stage presence is top-notch. Like bards, they know how to tell a story and make people invested in those stories.
So yeah, awesome band, awesome music, awesome presence, and lots and LOTS of killer choruses.
Babymetal is a Japanese metal idol band. Their line-up consists of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal", and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". Most metal fans might just scroll past this, but bear with me. It's amazing how much production value there is in a Babymetal concert. Coming from a longtime metal fan, I don't think I've seen a more well-produced and well-organized performance.
Each one of their concerts is an absolutely spectacular performance. The girls are such amazing performers, and their backing band absolutely kills it. Don't underestimate Babymetal. You'd be surprised at what you find.
These kids have more energy than 90% of bands that have ever existed. I saw them live in 2016, and they never stopped moving around with their energy for 80 minutes.
Pantera was an American heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul. The band started out as a glam metal act in the 1980s with little success. After discarding their original lead vocalist and enlisting Phil Anselmo, the band signed a major record deal with... read more The connection between these four guys on stage was absolutely perfect. It will never be duplicated.
Best metal band live ever. Avenged Sevenfold and Rammstein? Seriously?
They are wild. You can't tell me they're not worth being at the top.
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. It's a shame that they broke up. This band was full of energy and stage presence.
Easily the most chaotic, and in my mind, that's why they deserve that top spot.
The Newcomers
Alice in Chains is an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley.
Leprous is a Norwegian progressive metal band formed in 2001 in Notodden, Norway. The band gained prominence as the backing band for former Emperor frontman Ihsahn's live shows.
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler. Randy Blythe can pump up the crowds so much it is just insane. Lamb of God is the best band ever.
Randy Blythe is definitely worth watching. He's amazing!
Gojira is a progressive metal band from Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and rhythm guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on lead guitar, and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass. They are the most talented band I've ever seen live, besides maybe Tool and Rush. They are so perfect live. Any Gojira show is a must.
How is Gojira in 21st place? Go check out their live videos from Pol'And'Rock Festival 2018, or any show really. Perfect live show. It's insane!
Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band that formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are often referred to as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and are even commonly called “The Metal Gods”, after one of the songs on their 1980 album “British Steel”... read more Of all the heavy metal concerts I've seen, Priest was the best. Two hours of pure metal, and how Rob Halford keeps up those screaming vocals from beginning to end is beyond belief. True metal gods.
I did see Maiden and Priest together in Dortmund, Germany. Dickinson was great, but Halford was beyond belief.
Annihilator is a Canadian thrash metal band founded in 1984 by vocalist, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, engineer, producer, mixer and mastering engineer Jeff Waters and former vocalist John Bates. Watch them and judge for yourself. Perfectly flawless!
Trivium is an American Heavy Metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Their frontman, Matt Heafy, lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu and Bassist Paulo Gregoletto are the band's most consistent members and have appeared in every album since... read more They have so much energy when they play live. I've seen them live, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California. The band, which was founded in 1988, consists of Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Frank Delgado, Abe Cunningham and Sergio Vega. They have released a total of 9 studio albums. Some of their most popular songs are Change (in... read more Deftones put so much heart and soul into their live performances, especially mixed with kinetic energy and Chino Moreno as their frontman.
Don't know why Deftones are this low. I saw them in Chile, and Chino's chemistry with the crowd is amazing. The sound quality is very good too.
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Megadeth was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was fired from Metallica. They have released 15 studio albums to date, and have gone through many lineup changes, with Dave... read more One of the better-sounding bands while playing live with Marty in the '90s. Amazing riffs and technique. This should have been in the top 15.
Korn is an American nu-metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band's current lineup includes founding members Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, and Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, with the addition of Ray Luzier, who replaced the band's original member, David... read more Who wouldn't vote for Korn? It's Korn. They're at their best live most of the time, and they were still fantastic in 2018! How much better can you get?
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four of thrash metal bands, the others being Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax... read more Slayer live was an incredible experience. I urge everyone to see them if you get the chance.
As I Lay Dying is an American metalcore band from San Diego, California. Founded in 2000 by vocalist Tim Lambesis, the establishment of the band's first full lineup, which included drummer Jordan Mancino, occurred in 2001. As I Lay Dying has released six albums, one split album, and two compilation... read more
Gwar, often styled as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. I just missed out on a chance to see Gwar. Every concert they do, they "kill" some sort of politician or celebrity. These guys are hilarious.
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Loved them in concert both times I went. Adam is absolutely hilarious on stage.
Hilarious dudes, and they can get everybody singing with them.
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal.
Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band, founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen after his departure from After Forever. If the lighting is decent and it's indoors, and you're into that kind of music, it's an awesome experience. The imagery is served with the heaviness of death metal and the brainstorming complexity of progressive music.
I shouldn't ignore mentioning that Eluveitie and Sepultura are really fun to see live as well. I bet Meshuggah and Gojira are comparable too (haven't seen them live yet).