Top 10 Most Technical Heavy Metal Bands
List and vote on what you think are the most technical heavy metal bands. I'm only going to give a few examples (and I won't even choose the most difficult songs by them or the most technical bands I know). I want YOU to blow me away. Any form of metal is acceptable.
There will more than likely be a massive gap between the musicians on this top 10 list (and it will probably be out of order. This is not by accident). Why, you may ask? Well, again, I'm hoping the VIEWERS will fill in the blanks. If I wanted to showcase the most technical bands or artists I know, the list would consist almost entirely of technical death metal, neo-classical metal, and blues shred bands or artists.
I still plan to include a few of these, but all of them would sound almost exactly the same as Brain Drill. Trust me, there are more of these types of bands than you'd think. Especially tech-death bands. Hundreds of thousands have popped up in the last couple of years.
I'm happy for YOU to add these bands to the list since they make up the majority of the most technical heavy metal artists, but I'm leaving that task to you. This list is not about "feeling" or "how good it sounds." It's about pure technicality.
There are rules, though. You can't choose a band based on ONE SONG. The band or artist has to consistently be a technical band or artist in general. So no one-off sped-up YouTube videos.
Please refrain from putting bands like Metallica, Pantera, Slipknot, Slayer, Megadeth, or the Spice Girls on here. They're all good (and all, haha), but this is a list of the MOST TECHNICAL BANDS, not your favorite bands.
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Dream Theater (Progressive Metal)
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band from 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 (guitar), John Myung (bass), and Mike Portnoy (drums).... read more
There's really no explanation needed for why Dream Theater is amazing. All you have to do is listen to "The Glass Prison" and "Pull Me Under."
Not the best band out there, but they are technical grandmasters.
Each instrumentalist in the band is the best at what he does on the entire planet. That's enough to describe them.
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Nile (Brutal Death Metal)
Nile is an American technical death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are heavily inspired by ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern history, religion, mysticism, and art, as well as the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The band is known for its complex compositions... read more
These guys definitely won't be near the top of the list in terms of technicality, but they are quite different from Brain Drill. Again, I'm hoping you'll fill in the gaps.
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Death (Death Metal/Technical Death Metal/Progressive Death Metal)
Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. The band is widely considered one of the most influential in heavy metal and a pioneer of the death metal genre. Their debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, is regarded as the first true death metal record. Death released seven studio... read more
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Brain Drill (Technical Brutal Death Metal)
Brain Drill is an American technical death metal band that formed in 2005 in Ben Lomond, California. They are signed to Metal Blade Records and released their debut full-length album, Apocalyptic Feasting, on February 5, 2008. Following the release, the band experienced internal conflicts that led to... read more
Ah, Brain Drill, often criticized for their lack of songwriting ability. But keep in mind just how difficult it is to create an entire album - let alone multiple albums - while playing this many notes in a song (their title track on their second album runs for 16 minutes) without repeating riffs or simplifying the music. It's more challenging than one might think, even for talented players.
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Coroner (Technical Thrash/Technical Death/Thrash Metal)
Coroner is a Swiss thrash metal band from Zürich, formed in the early 1980s. They have been called "the Rush of thrash metal" for their complex musical style, which incorporates progressive rock elements into traditional thrash.... read more
Definitely not as technical as the above artists, but these guys deserve a mention. They are easily one of the most technical thrash metal bands, especially in the 80s, other than bands like Watchtower - probably one of the only 80s thrash bands that could compete with Coroner.
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Blotted Science (Technical Progressive Death Metal)
Blotted Science is an instrumental technical metal supergroup formed in 2004. It is led by guitarist Ron Jarzombek, with bassist Alex Webster and drummer Hannes Grossmann. The group is known for its complex compositions and technical proficiency.
Tech-death supergroup Blotted Science features members from bands like Watchtower, Spastic Ink, Hate Eternal, and Obscura. They are a very complex band, with music that is often extremely fast yet consistently intricate.
You might be wondering why some of the bands on this list are slower. As I've already stated, I'm purposely including a variety of bands and skipping the majority of ultra-speed tech groups - not because I think they lack "feeling" or "aren't music," but because I want you to engage with this and fill in the blanks.
Another reason is that all of the slower bands I'm choosing are quite technical. They aren't like Metallica or Megadeth, who usually play mid-fast paced, simple riffs in a repetitive fashion. These bands generally play complex songs with little repetition, and that's the point. "Technical" refers to a mixture of speed and complexity.
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Annihilator (Technical Thrash/Speed Metal)
Annihilator is a Canadian thrash metal band founded in 1984 by Jeff Waters and John Bates. Waters, the band's primary creative force, has served as vocalist, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and producer over the years. The band gained recognition with their debut album, Alice in Hell, released in 1989... read more
Yes, I agree with you on the definition of technical (speed + complexity). I considered this combination when comparing Annihilator and Coroner, and I gave preference to Annihilator.
One of the most underrated thrash metal bands.
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Obscura (Technical Death Metal)
Obscura is a German technical and progressive death metal band formed in 2002. The band gained prominence when members of Necrophagist and Pestilence joined founder Steffen Kummerer to release their second album, Cosmogenesis. The band's name was inspired by the album Obscura by Gorguts.
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Necrophagist (Technical Death Metal)
Necrophagist was a German technical death metal band founded in 1992 by guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez. The band released two acclaimed albums, Onset of Putrefaction and Epitaph, known for their complex guitar work and neoclassical influences. Necrophagist has been on indefinite hiatus since... read more
Riffs are super fast, with a lot of stretching.
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Spawn of Possession (Technical Death Metal)
Spawn of Possession was a technical death metal band from Kalmar, Sweden, founded in 1997. Known for their complex compositions and technical proficiency, the band gained recognition within the metal community. In 2017, they officially announced their disbandment through a post on their Facebook page... read more
This belongs in the top five. If we only had to pick one band to represent technical death metal on this list, Spawn of Possession is it.
I know I said I wasn't going to add many technical death metal bands, but I chose this one because they are not an "ultra-technical death wankery" band.
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Be'Lakor (Progressive Melodic Death Metal)
Be'lakor is an Australian melodic death metal band from Melbourne, Victoria. The band was formed in 2004 and its name is derived from a character called Be'lakor the Dark Master from the Warhammer Fantasy universe. They are known for their atmospheric sound and lyrical depth.
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Decapitated (Technical Death Metal)
Decapitated is a Polish technical death metal band formed in Krosno in 1996. The current lineup includes guitarist and founder Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Rafał Piotrowski, bassist Paweł Pasek, and drummer James Stewart. The band is known for their precise musicianship and impact on the international... read more
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Decrepit Birth (Brutal Death Metal)
Decrepit Birth is an American technical death metal band from Santa Cruz, California. They have released two studio albums through Unique Leader Records and one through Nuclear Blast, as well as an independently released demo. Their complex song structures and intense instrumentation have earned them... read more
A quite technical band, not as fast as many of the others but extremely complex.
Their older songs were faster and more "technical" than their newer material, but they lacked melody and had almost no leads.
As the lead guitarist is influenced by Chuck, their riffs and solos are the best. I love this band.
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Megadeth (Thrash Metal/Technical Thrash/Speed Metal)
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. They have released 16 studio albums to date and have undergone numerous lineup changes, with... read more
Amazing! Technically proficient and emotive as well - a rare combo. One of the best ever in any genre.
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Cryptopsy (Technical Death Metal)
Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records worldwide. They are known for their complex compositions and have been influential in the development of the technical death metal genre.
They deserve to be on here. Very skillful, technical, fast, and brutal. They are like a licensed surgeon gone serial killer.
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Oblivion (Technical Thrash/Heavy Metal)
I've always appreciated the faster the better attitude when it comes to technical death metal. Cryptopsy is definitely top-tier!
While somewhat obscure, their album From This Day Forward is the epitome of technical metal.
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Iron Maiden (Heavy Metal)
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 like Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere... read more
Almost perfect - nearly every album is worthy of a "deep" introspective listen, especially for aspiring musicians!
They aren't the most technical, but they are very technical. Maiden rules, so that's why I vote for them.
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Between the Buried and Me (Technical Death Metal)
Between the Buried and Me is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band originally featured vocalist and keyboardist Tommy Giles Rogers Jr... read more
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At Vance (Metal/Neo-Classical Metal)
At Vance is a German neoclassical and power metal band formed in 1998 by vocalist Oliver Hartmann and guitarist Olaf Lenk. The band is known for combining classical music influences with heavy metal. Over the years, they have released several studio albums and undergone multiple lineup changes.
An obscure band within the Neo-Classical tradition. They sound similar to Yngwie and put a great emphasis on guitar work.
Check out their metal covers of Vivaldi's Summer and Beethoven's 5th.
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Beyond Creation (Technical Death Metal)
Beyond Creation is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec. They are currently signed to Season of Mist records. The band is known for their complex compositions and has released several albums, including Algorythm and Earthborn Evolution.
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Rings of Saturn (Technical Death Metal)
Rings of Saturn is an American technical deathcore band from the Bay Area, California. The band was formed in 2009 and was originally a studio project. They are known for incorporating science fiction themes into their music and jokingly refer to their style as "aliencore".
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Origin (Technical Death Metal)
Origin is an American death metal band from Topeka, Kansas, founded in 1998. They are recognized by music critics and metal fans for combining a harsh sound with a high level of technical skill. The band is known for its complex compositions and rapid, precise instrumentation.
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Animals as Leaders (Progressive Metal/Djent)
Animals as Leaders is an American progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It was formed in 2007 by guitarist Tosin Abasi and currently includes Abasi, guitarist Javier Reyes, and drummer Matt Garstka. The band is known for its instrumental compositions and complex musical style, often described... read more
These guys should be number one. Simple as that.
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Bitter Frost (Melodic Black Metal)
These guys will probably end up somewhere near the bottom of the list, but they truly have some ridiculously technical stuff. They're likely one of the more technical modern black metal bands.
Their self-titled first album was recorded with a group of guest vocalists (all instruments are played by Christopher A. Erikson). Just listen to the entire album - there are some technical masterpieces within it.
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DragonForce (Extreme Power Metal)
DragonForce are a British power metal band based in London, England. Formed in 1999, the group is known for their long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-themed lyrics, and use of electronic elements to enhance their retro video game-influenced sound. Their 2006 song Through the Fire and Flames gained widespread... read more
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Symphony X (Progressive Metal)
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band currently consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen, and bassist Michael Lepond.
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Martyr (Death Metal)
Martyr is a Canadian death metal band from Trois-Rivières, Québec, founded in 1994 by brothers Daniel and François Mongrain. The band is known for their technical and progressive approach to death metal. François Mongrain later became a member of Voivod, contributing to the band's continuity in progressive... read more
A now inactive band from Trois-Rivières, Canada. One of a kind.