Top 10 Most Original Metal Bands of All Time

1. Tool

   

   Tool is an American alternative and progressive metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1990.

   The lineup includes Maynard James Keenan on vocals, Danny Carey on drums, Adam Jones on guitar, and Justin Chancellor on bass, who joined in 1995. The band is recognized for incorporating electronic influences... read more

   They're basically their own genre. Complex time signatures, kickass bass, powerful vocals, expert drum playing, and some of the best metal performances of all time.

   No one was or is like them at all. Their song Lateralus is so deep that even the drumbeat is related to the song. Watch this video on it by Polyphonic.

2. Meshuggah

   

   Meshuggah is a Swedish progressive metal band from Umeå, formed in 1987. They are often considered pioneers of the djent subgenre due to their use of downtuned, polymetric guitar riffs and complex rhythms. They are also known for their song "Bleed," which is notable for its intricate instrumentation... read more

   This band's music is the musical equivalent of taking testosterone boosters and protein shakes.

3. Black Sabbath

   

   Black Sabbath were a heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 by guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, singer John "Ozzy" Osbourne, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. Their self-titled debut album received mixed reviews, but they quickly gained a strong following... read more

   Sabbath was pretty much the first to do everything on a regular basis, although bands like Cream and the Yardbirds sent experimental forays in metal's direction.

   Say what you want, but Sabbath was the first band to use satanic lyrics, slow tempos, and heavy riffs. They set the tone for heavy metal.

   They created metal. That's the most original it can get.

4. Deep Purple

   

   Deep Purple is an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are regarded as pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has changed over the years. They originally played progressive rock but shifted to a heavier sound around 1970.... read more

   They, specifically Ritchie Blackmore, wrote the first rock songs based on classical music, now known as heavy metal. I'd say this is the most original idea ever, and accordingly, Deep Purple is the most original metal band of all time. All rock musicians back then used blues scales to create rock, hard rock, or blues rock.

5. Iron Maiden

   

   Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Their most critically acclaimed period is widely considered to be from 1983 to 1989, during which they released landmark albums such as Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere... read more

   Maiden's sound is all over the place, and they have never made two albums the same. I can't get enough of them!

6. Dream Theater

   

   Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1985 under the name "Majesty," later changing it to Dream Theater. The original lineup consisted of John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on bass, and Mike Portnoy on drums.... read more

   They were originally progressive metal when they made their Images and Words record, but ever since Six Degrees came out, I don't even know what genre these guys follow anymore.

   So what is this, Progressive Metal or Power Metal? I don't know.

7. Blind Guardian

   

   Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in West Germany. They are widely credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power and speed metal subgenres. Heavily influenced by Queen, they use overdubbing and incorporate extensive orchestral arrangements.... read more

   The most original modern metal band - they developed such an original style that it's difficult to trace the typical subgenres in their stuff. Maybe one day there will be a new subgenre to describe them best - Bard Metal or Guardian Metal, which sounds good, too.

   Whatever they do, they do it their own way. Their version of speed metal is different from the typical speed metal. It is darker and heavier. Similarly, their power metal doesn't sound like any other power metal. It is absolutely unique with a dense sound, bizarre melodies, lyrics, and is also prog influenced. Their symphonic metal is different too - they use an orchestra in a different way.

8. Mastodon

   

   Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. The band was formed in early 2000 by Troy Sanders on bass, Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher on guitars, and Brann Dailor on drums. Hinds left the group in March 2025, ending the lineup's 24-year run, and died in a motorcycle collision later... read more

   How many metal bands have four singers?

   Brent Hinds - a great Eddie Vedder-type voice.

   Brann Dailor - an overall amazing voice.

   Troy Sanders - great harsh vocals.

   Bill Kelliher - death growl backup vocals.

9. Ghost

   

   Ghost is a Swedish rock band that was formed in Linköping in 2006. The band features masked instrumentalists known as the Nameless Ghouls and a lead character from the Papa Emeritus lineage. The different Papa characters are portrayed by frontman Tobias Forge.... read more

10. The Dillinger Escape Plan

    

    The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group was formed in 1997 following the breakup of Arcane, a hardcore punk band that included Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, Chris Pennie, and Adam Doll. After disbanding in 2017, the band reunited in 2023 and... read more

    There will never be another band like The Dillinger Escape Plan. From the jazzy moments to the electronic moments to the never-ending in-your-face brutality. Without a doubt, one of the most unique and innovative metal bands of all time.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Leaves' Eyes

    

    Leaves' Eyes is a symphonic metal band based in Germany. The band was formed in 2003 and is known for combining melodic female vocals with metal instrumentation and lyrics inspired by Norse mythology and the Viking Age. It was originally fronted by Norwegian singer Liv Kristine and has been fronted by... read more

12. ?

    Jesus Manson

    
The Contenders

13. System of a Down

    

    System of a Down, formed in 1994, is an Armenian-American metal band from Glendale, California. The band name is sometimes shortened to System or SOAD. They're known for their politically charged lyrics, often addressing subjects such as genocide, war, incarceration, and social injustice in songs like... read more

14. Gojira

    

    Gojira is a progressive and death metal band from Bayonne, France. The band was originally known as Godzilla until 2001. Its members include Joe Duplantier on vocals and rhythm guitar, Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on lead guitar, and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass.

15. Apocalyptica

    

    Apocalyptica is a Finnish metal band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band consists of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso. Known for blending classical music with metal, they first gained recognition with their debut album, Plays Metallica by... read more

    All cellos. And they still maintain a metal sound.

16. Van Canto

17. Ne Obliviscaris

    

    Ne Obliviscaris, which means "forget not" in Latin, is an extreme progressive metal band from Melbourne, Australia. The band was formed in April 2003 by vocalist Marc "Xenoyr" Campbell and bassist Adam Cooper. They have released four studio albums, with the most recent being Exul, which came out on March... read more

18. Sepultura

    

    Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984. Their debut album, Morbid Visions, was released in 1986 and featured an early blend of black metal and death metal. Over the years, their sound has evolved to include elements of thrash metal, groove metal, and death metal.

19. Cradle of Filth

    

    Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style initially grew out of black metal but later evolved into a cleaner, more produced blend of gothic metal, symphonic metal, and other metal genres. Over the years, they've become one of the most prominent... read more

20. Voivod

    

    Voivod is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec. Their musical style has evolved over time, incorporating elements of thrash, progressive, and industrial metal since their formation in the early 1980s. The band's current lineup includes Denis "Snake" Bélanger on vocals, Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain... read more

    I can recall a sound so original in the 80s. The dissonance of their riffs, the blasting rhythm of Away, and the voice was nearly enough to give you the creeps. Thanks to this Canadian legend, the metal subgenres are today what they are. Thanks, Voivod, for so many amazing records in the 80s, 90s, 2000s... 3000s.

21. Celtic Frost

    

    Celtic Frost was a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, known for its influential role in shaping black, death, and doom metal. The group was formed in 1984 by former members of Hellhammer, a band established in 1982. Celtic Frost was active until 1993, with a reformation lasting from 2001 to 2008 before... read more

22. Slayer

    

    Slayer is 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 are considered one of the Big Four of thrash metal, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.... read more

    They refuse to sound like anything else but Slayer, which makes them the best in the big four, or at least second.

    They don't copy anyone! They have their own style of thrash metal.

23. Rainbow

    

    Rainbow was a British hard rock band led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The group was active from 1975 to 1984, from 1993 to 1997, and from 2015 to 2019. It originally featured Ronnie James Dio as its lead singer and lyricist. Rainbow was ranked No. 90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and... read more

24. Eluveitie

    

    Eluveitie is a Swiss folk-metal band formed in Winterthur, Zürich, in 2002 by Chrigel Glanzmann. The band combines Celtic folk elements with melodic death metal, using traditional instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, flutes, and violins. They have released nine studio albums, including the... read more

25. Helloween

    

    Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, West Germany. The band is a pioneering force in the power metal genre, and its second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II, are considered landmarks of the genre. The group has continued to release albums... read more

26. Amaranthe

    

    Amaranthe is a Swedish heavy metal band notable for having three lead vocalists, currently Elize Ryd, Nils Molin, and Mikael Sehlin, each bringing a distinct vocal style. Their second album, The Nexus, reached number 6 on the Swedish Albums Chart, number 4 in Finland, and number 12 on the U.S. Billboard... read more

27. Nine Inch Nails

    

    Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock band founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. They have released eleven studio albums.

    The band is known for its dark, moody lyricism and aggressive vocal delivery. Their biggest hits include "Closer," "Hurt," "Wish," "We're in This Together... read more