Best Speed Metal Songs

Speed metal is different from thrash and other fast metal subgenres (so NO thrash, death, black metal, etc.). Speed metal is very close to Power metal but speed metal songs are faster, heavier and more technical than your typical power metal songs. Speed metal songs are really fast songs with CLEAN MELODIC vocals, usually combined with fast, technical and/or extended instrumental sections (mostly guitar solos).

NOT EVERY FAST SONG IS SPEED METAL, GUYS!
The Top Ten
1 Majesty - Blind Guardian

The intro for this song is amazingly misleading too. You get an electronic carousel tune that sounds pleasing, and then, BAM! Amazingly fast guitars and Hansi's aggressive and amazing voice.

Fast, heavy and long - can't get any better! Long live Blind Guardian!

2 Ride the Sky - Helloween

"Send me a sign, want to leave it all behind
I'll be leaving the hands of doom
Rearrange the master plan, take the future in my hands
To be free and not trapped anymore"

There are just a few things that gets better than this...

3 Fast as a Shark - Accept

Fast as a shark is a masterpiece for its time and still is No 1!

The german bands has much faster/heavier enlgish songs than the american bands!

One of the songs that defined speed metal.

4 Shot to Hell - Laaz Rockit

This should be in the top 5, at least top 10.

5 Banish from Sanctuary - Blind Guardian

I will never be able to choose between this song and Majesty - both are great songs by a great band.

6 Highway Star - Deep Purple

Speed metal started here. Highway Star (1972) wasn't their first speed metal song but it was the real speed metal masterpiece and metal template. The overall excellence of this song makes it a metal definition - Robb Reiner of speed metal band Anvil called it 'early speed metal'.

This song just doesn't have weak spots: awesome memorable riff, breathtaking long & technical solo, Bach-like chord sequences, Gillan's great vocals, and hell yeah - that galloping style (later used by speed metal bands and also Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, etc).
Before Highway Star they wrote Fireball (1971), Speed King (1970) and some other songs - I appreciate their innovative significance to the metal invention but I prefer Highway Star. To a high degree metal in general was invented in the form of speed metal. No wonder metal is currently the fastest genre.

7 A Light In the Black - Rainbow

A subgenre defining song (mid 70s speed metal). This song is awesome but underrated. The solo is very fast and technical, and the instrumental part is about 4 min long. This song can compete with some newer speed metal bands.

Very Underrated song... probably because the stargazer is before this in the "Rising" and many people noticed only the Stargazer... and that guitar solo is in the top 10!

In my opinion the first speed metal song ever.

8 Painkiller - Judas Priest
9 Somewhere Out in Space - Gamma Ray
10 Riding the Eagle - Primal Fear

Love this drummer - his double bass is insane (Randy Black).
The instrumental section is amazing - a really fast, technical and melodic solo. How fast? - imagine your plane is taking off! Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt - great job! (twin lead guitars)

The solo is also brilliantly paired with the drum beats for a maximum effect. And before the solo you can hear one of the most beautiful drum fills.

The Contenders
11 Through the Fire and Flames - Dragonforce
12 Burnnn - Pantera

In the 80s Pantera were a power metal band and similarly to many power metal bands, Pantera also wrote some speed metal songs like this one. It's a great song from their album 'Power Metal', 1988.

Don't be surprised - Pantera played different styles in the 80s and this song is actually very good, believe it or not.

13 Dyers Eve - Metallica
14 Judas - Helloween

Thanks to whoever added this song. Awesome speed metal. Walls of Jericho is such a great album.

15 Head Crusher - Megadeth
16 Rising Force - Yngwie Malmsteen

This is one of the Top 3 guitar shredding masterpeices of all time!
Solo and riff - killers.
It's not instrumental - it has great vocals and lyrics.
Vox: Joe Lynn Turner.

Only listen to that solo... Oh god

17 Disposable Heroes - Metallica
18 This Day We Fight! - Megadeth
19 Get Fisted - Skull Fist

Awesome instrumental part, almost 2 minutes long. Cool riff.
A new band, formed in 2006 but getting lots of positive reviews.

20 F****** Hostile - Pantera
21 Kill the King - Rainbow

A song of 1978 - I guess this song was insanely fast for the 70s standards, esp. Blackmore's 1 minute long solo. This is a genre defining song.
This song was/is one of the most influential metal songs. There aren't many metal songs with so many cover versions - these are some of the bands that did covers:
Heathen, Metallica, Candlemass, Jorn, Primal Fear, Adrenaline Mob, Liege Lord, Grave Digger

22 Most Dangerous Game - Laaz Rockit

This might be your next favorite speed metal song!
A deep track by an underrated band but it's highly recommended. The song sample plays only the slow intro but after it the song is really fast - amazing speed metal from the 80s. Insanely good vocals and great instrumental section - as fast as it should be.

23 Poison Was the Cure - Megadeth
24 Washed Out - Savatage

Early 80s speed metal - love this song, love this band.

25 Freewheel Burning - Judas Priest
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