Top 10 Best Bands Who Use Uncommon Instruments

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we all love music. Of course, we all have different tastes, and that is completely fine. The world would be boring if we all liked the same things.

Personally, I've always enjoyed listening to foreign bands because they often share their culture through their music. Additionally, they frequently use instruments that differ from those we are accustomed to.

For this list, it is important to clarify what qualifies as an "uncommon" instrument. Essentially, any instrument that is not commonly used by bands, such as guitars, bass guitars, drums, and the piano, falls into this category.

The Top Ten

Nightwish

Nightwish is a symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. It was formed in 1996 by Tuomas Holopainen, Emppu Vuorinen, and Tarja Turunen. The current lineup includes Holopainen, Vuorinen, Floor Jansen, Troy Donockley, Kai Hahto, and Jukka Koskinen.

Nightwish is a symphonic metal band from Finland. They have used many uncommon instruments like flutes, strings, piano, keyboards, and even a pipe organ!

Wow, pipe organ! That certainly is cool. Where's that band that only uses their own bodies for instruments?

Not sure if piano counts as an uncommon instrument, but I think I probably should check out this band.
Chthonic

Chthonic is a Taiwanese heavy metal band. The group incorporates influences from traditional Taiwanese music, including adaptations of folk songs and the use of traditional instruments, most notably the erhu.
They also use stringed instruments including the koto and shamisen, as well as Tibetan bells and shakuhachi and pgaki flutes, the latter of which are traditionally used by the aboriginal people of Taiwan.
Eluveitie

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

Eluveitie is a Swiss folk metal band. They use a wide range of instruments like the guitar, bass, and drums, but also traditional instruments such as fiddles, tin whistles, flutes, bagpipes, and hurdy-gurdies. They might be one of, if not the only, band to have a full-time hurdy-gurdy player.

Yeah, folk metal bands often incorporate traditional and cultural instruments in their music. What a remarkable list, great job!
The Hu

For those unfamiliar with The Hu (not to be confused with the English band The Who), they are a Mongolian rock band formed in 2016. They primarily use traditional Mongolian instruments such as the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), and Tumur Khuur (jaw harp).
I've been hooked ever since I first listened to their songs. I highly recommend checking them out.

Such an amazing band. I love their music.
Heilung

Heilung is an experimental folk music band from Denmark, Norway, and Germany. Their music is based on texts and runic inscriptions from the Germanic peoples of the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Viking Age.
They use no modern instruments in their songs, not even classical instruments. In an interview, they named many of their instruments: drums, including one with horse skin painted with human blood, two drums with deerskin, and a drum with goatskin. Bones. A buffalo horn rattle. A clay rattle with human ashes. A Hindu ritual bell. A reconstructed silver cup from the Viking Age. A ravanahatha (an ancient Indian instrument). Other rattles, whistles, and percussive instruments.
Korpiklaani

Korpiklaani is a Finnish folk metal band that was formerly known as Shamaani Duo and Shaman. The group adopted the name Korpiklaani in 2003 to reflect its evolving musical style. The band is known for blending traditional Finnish folk melodies and instruments with heavy metal elements, earning it a devoted... read more

Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland. They incorporate shamanic instruments, as well as violin and accordion, in the majority of their songs and sing in Finnish.
Korn

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, along with Ray Luzier, who replaced original drummer David Silveria in 2007. Korn... read more

Korn is a very well-known nu-metal band. I'm sure most of you wouldn't expect to see them on this list, but they did use an uncommon instrument in a few of their songs: bagpipes. Yes, you read that right, bagpipes.
Jonathan Davis, the band member who uses the instrument, said that Star Trek inspired him to learn how to use it.

I would not expect a nu-metal band to use bagpipes.
Ensiferum

Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band based in Helsinki. The group blends traditional folk melodies with melodic heavy metal. The members describe Ensiferum as a "melodic folk metal" band, and the group is known for integrating Finnish folk influences into its music.

Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band. They, of course, use the good ol' guitar, bass, drums, and piano, but they have also used a nyckelharpa on all their albums since Victory Songs. The band also used bagpipes and Hammond organ.
Amorphis

Amorphis is a Finnish metal band that was formed in 1990. The group began as a death metal act but later expanded its sound to include elements of folk metal and progressive metal. Its musical evolution has earned the band recognition both within and beyond the metal community.

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums, they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal and folk metal.
Amorphis has used saxophones, flutes, and choral sequences, among other things, in their music.
Equilibrium

Equilibrium is a German folk metal band known for blending multiple metal subgenres. The band's music incorporates elements of folk music, power metal, black metal, and symphonic metal, often accompanied by epic and mythological themes. Formed in 2001, Equilibrium has released several albums and built... read more

Equilibrium is a German folk metal band. The members use all the conventional instruments of a heavy metal band (electric guitars, drums, bass), but their songs are almost always accompanied by accordion, flutes, and other folk instruments.

The Newcomers

?
The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular... read more
?
Green Day

Green Day are an American pop-punk and punk rock band formed in East Bay, California, in 1987. The core members are Billie Joe Armstrong on vocals and guitar, Mike Dirnt on bass, and Tré Cool on drums, with Jason White often performing live on guitar. They blend punk rock, pop-punk, and alternative rock... read more

The Contenders

Wardruna

Wardruna is a Norwegian music group dedicated to creating musical renditions of Norse cultural and esoteric traditions. They make significant use of Nordic historical and traditional instruments, including deer-hide frame drums, flutes, kraviklyra, tagelharpe, mouth harp, goat horn, and lur.
Non-traditional instruments and other sources of sound like trees, rocks, water, and torches are also used.
Rivers Of Nihil

Rivers of Nihil are a technical death metal band. Just by reading this, you'll probably be surprised to learn that they use a saxophone in their song "The Silent Life" from the album "Where Owls Know My Name."
They are low on the list because they only use the instrument for one song so far, but I felt it was worth mentioning as extreme metal bands don't usually use saxophones.
Apocalyptica

Apocalyptica is a Finnish metal band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso, along with drummer Mikko Sirén. Known for blending classical music with metal, they first gained recognition with their... read more

Apocalyptica is a symphonic metal band from Finland who started out as a Metallica cover band. They incorporate classical instrumentation in their music, like the cello.
Incubus

Incubus is an American alternative rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while they were students at Calabasas High School. The group later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich... read more
Counting Crows

Counting Crows is an American rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California, formed in 1991. The band consists of Adam Duritz, David Bryson, Charlie Gillingham, Dan Vickrey, David Immerglück, Jim Bogios, and Millard Powers. They gained widespread recognition with their debut album, August and... read more

They used an accordion in "Omaha."
Jackyl

Jackyl is an American rock band formed in 1991. The band is best known for the song "The Lumberjack," which features a chainsaw solo by lead singer Jesse James Dupree.
I debated whether I should include them on the list, but since they use the chainsaw as an instrument, I decided it should count.
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
Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The original lineup included brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. They are widely recognized for their vocal harmonies and innovative studio work, especially on... read more
Lostprophets

Lostprophets were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, Wales, formed in 1997. Founded by lead vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin, and guitarist Lee Gaze, they originally began as a side project of the hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. The band achieved mainstream success... read more
I'm from Barcelona

I'm from Barcelona is a Swedish pop group (yes Swedish, not Spanish as the name indicates) best known for its 29 band members and eclectic mix of instruments such as clarinets, saxophones, flutes, trumpets, banjos, accordions, and kazoos, as well as the common instruments for a band like guitars, drums, and keyboards.
Soundgarden

Soundgarden was an American grunge and alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto.
The band was one of the pioneers of the grunge movement and released critically acclaimed albums... read more
Muse

Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The members are Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, lead guitar, piano, keyboards), Dom Howard (drums, percussion), and Chris Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals). They have won numerous awards, including five MTV Europe Music Awards... read more

They used a bass clarinet for one of their songs.
Wagakki Band

They incorporate metal with Japanese folk instruments.
Ghost

Ghost is a Swedish heavy metal band that was formed in Linköping in 2008. The band features five masked instrumentalists known as the Nameless Ghouls and a lead character known as Papa Emeritus. Each album cycle introduces a new iteration of Papa Emeritus, though all are portrayed by frontman Tobias... read more

Used a kazoo of all instruments.
NOFX

NOFX was an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1983 until its retirement in 2024. The band was formed by vocalist and bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin, with drummer Erik Sandin joining shortly afterward. They were known for their DIY ethic, satirical lyrics, and... read more