Top 10 Best Things To Hear In a Metal Song

The Top Ten
1 Sweep Picking

I love this sound. Sweep picking is probably the hardest guitar technique to master but the effort pays off. It sounds awesome to me.

2 Fast Riffs

I do like fast riffs in Thrash Metal the most but Groove Metal and Symphonic Metal are close contenders for me.

I love the most Thrash Metal Riffs. Also great for headbanging.

That picture though

Fast riffs rule!

3 Double Bass Drum

I prefer its sound over snare drum

It sounds awesome.

4 Fretless Bass

The sound of fretless bass is different - it's softer and more melodic. Because of that, you might be surprised that it's used mainly in death metal - technical and progressive death metal, in particular (Obscura, Ne Obliviscaris).
Again, it's much harder to play without frets (moreover, very fast). And because of that, it isn't a surprise it's used mostly in technical and progressive death metal, where the most metal talent is concentrated currently.
I love the distinctive sounds the fretless bass makes - those “bwoww” and "muwahh" sounds.

5 Dueling Solos

Dueling Solos are usually between 2 guitars, or between guitar and keyboards (the latter found mostly in Children Of Bodom, Dream Theater, Yngwie, and Deep Purple - where it started in metal).
And a very rare version - between guitar and violin, wow! (Ne Obliviscaris).
You can check out the list Top 10 Songs with Dueling Solos
PS. The image depicts Children Of Bodom playing dueling solos - Janne Wirman (keyboards) and Alexi Laiho (guitar).

6 Headbanging Riffs

They're simple, hard hitting and absolutely fun.

7 Bridge

Bridge is an optional element of a song but it makes the song more interesting because the music of the bridge appears only once in a song and it's pretty different from the music in the rest of the song.

You can check out the lists:
Top 10 Rock and Metal Songs with the Best Bridges
Top 10 Metallica Songs with the Best Bridges or Interludes

8 Well performed scream(s)
9 Whammy Bar Stuff

Whammy Bar, aka vibrato bar or tremolo bar, is used to create sick sound effects, such as, bomb drop/dive, dirt bike (car/motorbike engine roar), police siren, horse whinny, alien talk, elephant, and more).

You can check out the list Top 10 Metal Songs with Whammy Bar Effects

Whammy bars are awesome.

10 Twin (Duo) Lead Guitars

As heard in Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Primal Fear, Helloween (not all bands with 2 guitarists are with twin lead guitars - for example, Metallica aren't). Also, twin guitars aren't a double-neck guitar.
Twin (Duo) Lead Guitars basically means twin harmony guitar arrangements.
You can read more in the list Top 10 Bands with Best Twin (Dual) Lead Guitars
PS. On the picture are Judas Priest guitarists

The Contenders
11 Drum Intro

One of my favorites is the one to Gojira's song, The Way of All Flesh.

Judas Priest - Painkiller.

+ Stargazer intro.

12 Long Sustained Notes

Ex. - the end of Painkiller by Judas Priest (18-19 seconds).

13 Bass Solos

YES! I definitely love hearing them! Check out the list Top 10 Metal Songs with the Best Bass Solos

They're rare so I appreciate them whenever I hear one

14 Death Growls

It's last on my original remix because most of the metal fans don't like extreme metal (but I love deep death growls)

15 Pinch Harmonics
16 Blast Beats
17 Heavy Guitar Tones

I personally am a fan of the sludgy dirty guitar tones found in many death metal and grindcore songs

18 Polyrhythmic Drumming
BAdd New Item