Most Revolutionary Metal Bands
What makes a metal band revolutionary? To be revolutionary, you don't just have to be influential, you have to change music forever, be the first to experiment, and make people want to play your style. These bands here have all changed Metal music over the years for the better.
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 Smith, and drummer Nicko McBrain. Smith left the band in 1989 and was replaced by Janick Gers. But returned in 1999, and now the band has three guitar players. ...read more. They popularized metal all over the world, their style also was a major influence for Power Metal and Speed Metal.
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.The band became mainstream after improving after their debut album got panned. In 1978, Osbourne was fired and replaced with former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Who went to release 2 albums before leaving in 1983, only for Osbourne to return in 1992. ...read more.
Black Sabbath didn't influence the NWOBHM. On the contrary, Black Sabbath were influenced by the NWOBHM and in 1980 Black Sabbath radically changed their sound and style - from heavy blues rock to heavy metal.
Judas Priest and Iron Maiden didn't sound like Black Sabbath (bluesy, slow and/or quite simple songs) - they sounded like Rainbow and Deep Purple (non-bluesy, fast, complex, technical and classically inspired songs). The Trooper by Iron Maiden sounds like Highway Star by Deep Purple and not like Iron Man by Black Sabbath. The NWOBHM incorporated massively and irreversibly Ritchie Blackmore's metal DNA into the metal sound.
The Heaven And Hell album by Black Sabbath (1980) sounds pretty much like a Rainbow album. Black Sabbath even hired the most talented metal musicians discovered by Ritchie Blackmore - Dio (Rainbow) and Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) on vox, and Cozy Powell (Rainbow) on drums.
Simple they created heavy metal, they had a large influence on all of the NWOBHM bands and all metal bands today. They also created 2 major metal subgenres without even knowing it; Stoner Metal and Doom Metal.
Um, sorry dude. Remember Paranoid, from 1970? Sure, some songs on there were more blues-styled, but the title track, War Pigs, and Iron man reduce the blues for a heavier sound.
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".With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.
Early Metallica was extremely revolutionary, they created Thrash Metal and had mainstream success.
I love this band
Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. Death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in death metal. Its debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record, while the band's driving force, Chuck Schuldiner, is acknowledged as the "Godfather of Death Metal." Death released 7 studio albums, and are the band that started the Florida Death Metal scene. They were known for their death metal classics Lack of Comprehension and Crystal Mountain. Death ended in 2001 when Schuldiner died of Brain Cancer. They are the first death metal band ever. They displayed great musicianship, which is something not many death metal bands ever do, while being the first band to use the death growl. They are the foundation of bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Children of Bodom, and Deicide.
Actually, Possessed were the first death metal band ever.
Venom are an English extreme metal band formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal—are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. Most extreme metal band either, they popularized the satanic image that bands try to replicate. They created Black Metal and coined the term, Black Metal. They were the first metal band that scared people, and made people think they were evil.
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 Warner Music Group via Atco Records. Around this time, Pantera underwent a major change in their musical... read more They created Groove Metal and became the most popular metal band of the 90s. ending the so-called drought. They were one of the first metal bands to gain a major record deal during the Grunge scene.
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, ...read more. Ritchie Blackmore did something revolutionary: he first created rock songs based on scales typically used in classical music. The songs sounded non bluesy, in contast to all rock music back then. That was the template for metal music - heavy metal is a non bluesy genre.
All other rock bands used mostly blues scales to create rock/hard rock, or - in the case of Black Sabbath in the 70s - to create heavy blues rock.
Besides, Deep Purple introduced some other important features of current metal:
Introduced double bass drumming in metal;
Introduced theatrical/operatic vocals in metal;
Introduced ear raping screams in metal;
Produced the loudest sound of the 70s;
Created the fastest songs of their time;
Created the most technical songs of their time.
No doubt, Deep Purple is the most revolutionary metal band.
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”.They are known for several of their hit songs, which include “Painkiller”, “Breaking The Law”, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”, and “Turbo Lover”.
Their original lineup consisted of Al Atkins (vocals), K.K. Downing (lead/rhythm guitar), Ian Hill (bass), and John Ellis (drums). Atkins never recorded on any Judas Priest releases, but contributed to several songs. ...read more.
Introduced twin guitars and mindblowing vocals in metal. One of the top 3 metal founders.
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.The members of the band’s original lineup consisted of John Petrucci (Guitar), John Myung (Bass) and Mike Portnoy (Drums). The band had multiple keyboardists and singers, but as of and since 1991, the band's lead vocalist has been James LaBrie.
The band released their debut album "When Day and Dream Unite" in 1989, but only gained success and notoriety after the release of their second album, "Images and Words" in 1992. ...read more.
Progressive Metal was around long before Dream Theater with bands such as Queensrÿche, but Dream Theater popularized it. Metalheads were either kept the fact that they liked prog a secret, or hated prog until Images and Words came out. They blew up and suddenly Progressive Metal was on the rise and everyone wanted to be like Dream Theater.
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Regarded as one of the first Power Metal bands ever, as well as a Speed Metal influence
Motörhead were an English heavy metal band formed in June 1975 by bassist, singer, and songwriter Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, who was the sole constant member; guitarist and songwriter Larry Wallis; and drummer Lucas Fox. The band's harsh vocals and fast paced tempos helped inspire speed metal and thrash metal. To be more precise, they mixed Punk with Rock N Roll - they've never been a metal band. They probably influenced thrash but not speed metal (speed metal is a subgenre of power metal with gorgeous operatic vox and Motorhead are definitely far from that).
They were the first band to mix Punk with Metal, and also became a major influence on Speed Metal and Thrash Metal.
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. Kreator's Endless Pain and Pleasure to Kill were FAR more revolutionary. Destruction was also more involved in early thrash and black metal.. And "Slayer spawned death metal with RiB"? Give me a break. Darkness Descends was more "brutal" than Slayer. In fact, death metal was spawned by the innovative elements of Possessed and German thrash metal.
They are the most aggressive, fast, and evil sounding Thrash band ever. Every thrash band wants to be Slayer
Rainbow are a British rock band led by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1993 to 1997. They were originally established with Ronnie James Dio as the lead singer and lyricist. Rainbow were ranked No. 90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. The band has sold over 28 million albums ...read more.
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who was born on June 30th, 1963, in Stockholm, Sweden. He was known for his neoclassical metal playing style back in the 1980s.
Sodom is a German thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981. They have gone through many line-up changes, leaving bassist vocalist Tom Angelripper as the only constant member.
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.
Voivod is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. The band's current line-up consists of Denis "Snake" Bélanger, Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain, Dominique "Rocky" Laroche and Michel "Away" Langevin.
Carcass are a British extreme metal band from Liverpool, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reformation was enacted in 2007 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons.
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, Northern Germany. The band is a pioneering force in the power metal genre, and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II, are considered masterpieces of the genre.
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann.
Bathory was a Swedish Black/Viking Metal band formed in 1983 by Quorthon and Jonas Åkerlund. Bathory's first 4 albums layed the blueprint for Scandinavian Black Metal. Quorthon is often credited with creating the "shrieking" vocal style of Black Metal. Their 5th album, Hammerheart (1990) displayed ...read more.
Mötley Crüe is an American metal band formed in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, lead vocalist Vince Neil and lead guitarist Mick Mars. They pretty much brought the glam/big hair bands to the forefront in the 80s who made this list and left these guys out!?