Top 10 Best Modern Metal Vocalists

No offense to the legends, but this isn't the place for Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford. Yes, they helped shape metal into what it is today, but here, we're shining a light on the vocalists who've carried the torch into the 21st century. They've added fresh fury and style to the genre in ways that deserve their own spotlight.

When we say "modern," we're mostly talking about artists who gained major recognition or hit their prime from the early 2000s onward. That means no Robert Plant, no James Hetfield, no Dave Mustaine. Those guys already have enough metal street cred to last five lifetimes. This is about the newer generation of voices. Think of the singers who mix brutal growls with clean highs, who bounce between styles with ease, and who front the bands that fill stadiums and headline festivals today.

The Top Ten

M. Shadows

Matthew Charles Sanders, better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the American metalcore/alternative metal band Avenged Sevenfold. He is recognized for his versatile vocal range and for helping to shape the... read more

Not overrated at all. He made a big way, coming from metalcore to revive old-school heavy metal and bringing it back to its glory along with David Draiman in modern times. You must thank him because metal can still compete with pop music on the Billboard charts.
A7X made the right choice in coming to heavy metal because it is a more versatile style than their metalcore days.

Matt Shadows IS the best metal vocalist. He can sing soft songs like Dear God and Warmness on the Soul as well as typical metal songs like We Come Out at Night and Unholy Confessions. A7X foREVer...
Mikael Åkerfeldt

Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the progressive death metal band Opeth. He was also the vocalist for the death metal supergroup Bloodbath, contributing to three albums before leaving the band in 2012.... read more

This guy is a genius. Seriousness is the opposite of genius. All the rivals here are serious, dogmatic METAL vocalists.
Åkerfeldt is not only a terrific vocalist, but he's also a great songwriter. He has a celestial clean voice and the heaviest growls on earth. When he writes songs, he serves the song. He makes all other metal musicians look like narrow-minded teenagers.
Mikael is just too gifted, too much of a genius to even be listed here.

A7X is not pure metal. They really shouldn't be in the top ten, much less first. Mikael Åkerfeldt is probably one of the greatest vocalists who shall ever live. He deserves number one.
Corey Taylor

Corey Todd Taylor was born on December 8, 1973. He is an American musician, author, and actor best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the nu-metal band Slipknot and the hard rock/alternative metal band Stone Sour. Taylor has also published books and appeared in films and on television.... read more

Taylor is the best modern metal vocalist. He can sing heavy while pronouncing the lyrics, unlike a very large number of bands that have songs as intense as Slipknot. He also shows his soft side in Stone Sour, making him extremely versatile.
Shadows isn't a true metal vocalist. A7X is a hard rock/metalcore band. Their first albums were heavy but had bad vocals. No one can sing like Taylor, hands down.

Taylor is without a doubt the best modern-day metal vocalist. If I had to pick my top metal singers, he would be number 4. The only three guys who are better than him are the legends Dio, Halford, and Dickinson. I would rank him even above Ozzy.
His voice is amazing, and he has mastered different styles. There is nothing that he couldn't sing.
David Draiman

David Michael Draiman is an American heavy metal singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the band Disturbed, a role he has held since 1996. Draiman also fronted the industrial metal project Device from 2012 to 2014.... read more

Learn to accept facts and stop voting based on looks and popularity. M. Shadows is superb. He is talented and really cool. David Draiman is the best. Draiman comes behind only Sully Erna and James Hetfield. M. Shadows is slightly overrated. Draiman is far more creative and skilled. His voice is powerful and melodious to listen to. He has a greater vocal range.

The great voice of metal. This guy is one of the best in metal history. Out of all the singers alive today, this guy is crowned best. Yes, I even mean better than Anselmo and Hetfield.
He wasn't so good on The Sickness. After that, though, it was time to unleash his best. He would make a very good thrash singer. I heard him sing with Megadeth, and he would make a great thrash singer. Maybe the best. His voice is powerful, heavy, and melodic.
Randy Blythe

David Randall "Randy" Blythe is the vocalist and lyricist of the American heavy metal band Lamb of God. He is also involved in the side project band Halo of Locusts. Blythe is known for his intense vocal style and dynamic stage presence.

I am slightly biased towards vocalists who use growling or screaming for vocals all the time, but I will say that Randy Blythe is very good at this type of vocals.
There are many vocalists who growl, and you can't understand a word they're saying. With Blythe, you can understand nearly every single word that is growled.
Björn Speed Strid

Very underrated. Just listen to the Night Flight Orchestra and Soilwork stuff.

He's great. I love Soilwork and Disarmonia Mundi, but he is nowhere near the best.

Vocalist for Disarmonia Mundi, Coldseed, and Soilwork most prominently.
Chester Bennington

Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 to July 20, 2017) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the lead vocalist of Linkin Park.
Before he became known for his work with Linkin Park, Bennington was the lead singer of the post-grunge band Grey Daze, which was... read more

I am not as crazy for Linkin Park's new stuff as I was for the old classics like Meteora and Hybrid Theory. But Chester is still an excellent singer, whether it be with the band's more recent melodic electronic pop music or with their old electronic hard rock/metal music that made me such a big fan.
Hybrid Theory was the first CD I ever owned as a child, and I still give it a listen every now and then.

I think this great vocal artist should be placed beside M. Shadows. A7X is a heavy metal band (a little bit inclined to punk), whereas LP is basically a developed nu-metal group. So just consider these two bands as representatives of two extreme sub-genres of metal music.
M. Shadows and Chester Bennington are both top-class vocal artists.
Matt Heafy

Matthew "Matt" Kiichi Heafy is a Japanese-American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Orlando-based heavy metal band Trivium. He joined the band in 1999 at the age of 13. Heafy is also known for his involvement in various side projects and for streaming music content... read more

Trivium is a notable member of NWOAHM. Their style is unique. Heafy is not a trained vocal artist, although his way of singing exactly fits the heavy metal style.
So I think Matt Heafy should be placed just after Draiman.

I can't believe Heafy is not even in the top ten. Has anyone even seen these bands live? Not to mention his versatility and range.

Seriously? Matt Heafy must be in the top 5. He is a very good vocalist and frontman, a really down-to-earth person. I think he is the best frontman in the music industry.
Roy Khan

Roy Sætre Khantatat, known professionally as Roy Khan or simply Khan, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist for the symphonic power metal band Kamelot from 1997 until his departure in 2011.
During his tenure, he co-wrote most of the band's songs with guitarist and founder... read more

Roy Khan. Oh my god. Just reading his name and I feel like having his voice whispering in my ear.
It is not just his great ability to turn a heart-breaking song into an epic masterpiece in metal history, but also his capacity to communicate his feelings to every spectator even if you have the volume down. His expressivity in music videos or concerts, all helped by his opera classes, shows after joining the great symphonic/progressive metal bands Conception, and later on Kamelot.
Thank you for all your awesome songs: March of Mephisto, The Fourth Legacy, Karma, Ghost Opera, Forever. Those are more than songs.

Khan being below any of these hacks in the top ten is pure blasphemy. The man had range that very few could compete with, and passion second to none. Corey Taylor and M. Shadows better than Khan? They're not even better than Howard Jones or Matt Heafy.
I can think of way better vocalists for the top ten: Tom Englund of Evergrey, Mathias Blad from Falconer, Tommy Karevik (the new front man for Kamelot), Russell Allen of Symphony X, Miles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, Matthew Barlow of Iced Earth. I don't know the guy's name even, but the male singer from Amaranthe. All of them completely put to shame every vocalist on this list placed before Roy Khan.
And Khan stands at the head of all of them. Ridiculous.
Burton C. Bell

Burton Christopher Bell is an American musician and vocalist, best known as the frontman and co-founder of the industrial metal band Fear Factory. He was the only consistent member of the band from its inception in 1989 until his departure in 2020. Bell's vocal style combines melodic singing with aggressive... read more

The Newcomers

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Tatiana Shmayluk

Raw energy and incredible range - ballad to scream to belt. Tatiana can put it all in a 5-second window as she does in Teacher Teacher.
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Lacey Sturm

Lacey Nicole Sturm, born Lacey Mosley on September 4, 1981, is an American singer and songwriter originally from Homestead, Florida. She was raised in Arlington, Texas, and became known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Flyleaf.... read more

The Contenders

Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian (Armenian: Սերժ Թանգյան. Born August 21, 1967) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet, and political activist.
He is best known as the lead vocalist of the Armenian-American rock band System of a Down. After the... read more

People don't like him because he is different, but I love his style of singing. He gives everything authenticity, and he doesn't hide his accent. He is amazing.

He may not be the best to the world, but yes, he is my role model and to me the best vocalist that ever lived. Just unique!

The best vocalist I have heard in my life. Comparable to Freddie Mercury. It's all about the classical training!
Howard Jones

Howard Jones (born July 20, 1970) is an American heavy metal vocalist. He is currently the lead singer of the band Light the Torch, which was previously known as Devil You Know. He is best known for his time as the frontman of Killswitch Engage from 2002 to 2012, and he was also the vocalist for the... read more

Howard is so overlooked, what a shame. His voice is so soothing and soulful, and he screams with ease. He should be in the top 5 without a doubt.
I can't describe his voice. You just need to listen for yourself. My personal favorite metal vocalist.

Howard's range is ridiculous. His usage of melody is so incredibly diverse and unique. There's a reason they're the world's most well-known metalcore band.
Don't forget about Jesse though!

Howard should be above Matt Heafy. Both are great vocalists, but Howard is just better.
Maynard James Keenan

Maynard James Keenan, often referred to by his initials MJK, is an American musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. He is best known as the vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning progressive metal band Tool.
Keenan is also the lead singer of the bands A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, which... read more

A stunning vocalist and songwriter, I'd say what sets him apart is the dedication to his craft and his obvious desire to push the scope of what he can do and to try new and different approaches.
You get the same sense from every member of Tool, and I think it's what makes them so great and such a radical departure from pretty much every other band out there. They aren't setting out to raise a roof or move a room of bodies. You really feel that they each just love music in general and their respective instruments. It's all like one big experiment in pushing their own learning and ability as far as it will go.
Alexi Laiho

Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho (April 8, 1979 - December 29, 2020) was a Finnish guitarist, composer, and vocalist. He was best known as the lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and founding member of the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. Laiho also performed with Sinergy, The Local Band, and Kylähullut... read more
Jens Kidman
Christian Alvestam

Absolutely one of the best. Soaring cleans and dark growls. The only thing I don't like is his lack of range with growls. It can be very monotonous, but he has a great smooth growl tone.

His clean range and his ability to growl are astounding. Along with that, his vocals are so diversified within each song. I recommend the album Holographic Universe by SS.

His ability to do both clean vocals as well as insane growls makes him by far the best metal vocalist ever.
Russell Allen

Russell Allen is a singer and lyricist best known as the lead vocalist of the American progressive metal band Symphony X. He has also performed with other projects, including Allen/Lande and Adrenaline Mob. Allen is recognized for his powerful vocal range and versatility across metal subgenres.

This man easily tops the top 10 on this list. His highs are absolutely incredible, as are his lows and the overall quality of his voice.

Singer of Symphony X. I can't believe he isn't already on this list. This dude is incredible, with one hell of a vocal range.
Till Lindemann

Till Lindemann is a German singer, songwriter, musician, actor, poet, and pyrotechnician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. Lindemann is also known for his solo project, Lindemann, and for his provocative and theatrical performance style... read more

A truly amazing vocalist, hands down. Whether you agree or not, one has to appreciate this lead singer for being able to convey a wide range of emotions in such a powerful way.
One example would be in Ohne Dich and Wo Bist Du, where if you sit down to truly listen to the song, you hear him convey something heart-rendering that makes you feel as if you lost someone dearly.
From the signature fierceness and aggression, his voice can be combined with softness but still remain powerful, just like in the song Mutter. Even more so, Till's voice can convey the message of the lyrics and truly bring together the rest of the band's magnificent playing to make the listeners laugh, cry, or be furious.
One of my favorite vocalists from one of my favorite bands.
Marko Saaresto

Poets of the Fall isn't metal at all, but I love Marko! He's one of the naturally gifted singers around. Seeing him perform live is indeed my best experience!

He has a truly magical voice. It may be the most unique singing voice I have heard yet. It's a real shame that they're not more famous.

His voice is amazing! I can't live without their music. By the way, Marko is a very handsome man.
Myles Kennedy

Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge. He is also the lead vocalist in Slash's current band, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. Kennedy has received critical acclaim for... read more

This guy has sung a wide variety of songs: jazz, blues, alternative rock, hard rock, metal, pop... You name it!
And he has owned the genre every single time.

Go listen to Words Darker Than Their Wings. The high note is amazing.
Floor Jansen

Floor Jansen (born February 21, 1981) is a Dutch singer-songwriter and vocal coach. She's currently the lead vocalist of Nightwish and was the founder and frontwoman of the band Revamp.
Jansen officially joined Nightwish in 2012, first as a live session member and then as a permanent member. She's... read more
Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD and JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of the nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre.... read more

This guy is an idol for so many metal artists. Korn is one of the pioneers of NWOAHM.
Ryan Clark
Hansi Kürsch

Hansi Kürsch (born Hans Jürgen Kürsch on August 10, 1966) is the lead singer, lyricist, co-composer, and former bassist of the German power metal band Blind Guardian. He has cited Freddie Mercury as a major influence and often creates rich, overlapping choir effects by overdubbing his own voice multiple... read more
Alissa White-Gluz

Alissa White‑Gluz is a Canadian vocalist best known as the former lead singer and a founding member of the metal band The Agonist. She left the band in 2014 and then joined the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy as their lead vocalist. With Arch Enemy, she has released multiple well‑received... read more