If I was going to start listening to Metal, where would I start?

[WayoftheFist]

In my opinion you should start with the roots and work forward. Dig deep into Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. Look at the big 4 from the 80's Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax (and throw Testament in there too just for being fucking awesome). To me those bands are still the best of the genre even though I like, and even love, a lot of bands that followed them. Also Pantera because Pantera is Pantera and Pantera was awesome. By the time you get there you should know what you really like. If you want to get into death metal and enjoy gutteral screaming there are better people than I to give you suggestions from that side of things. There are a lot of good bands that do that but it's never been my thing.

 

[That__John__Guy]

Wow, a metal noob. Cool.

Actually there is a documentary called Metal: A Headbanger's Journey which is pretty good. It covers the birth of metal through to the 21st century and covers the various sub-genres. Personally I don't agree with every single thing in the documentary, particularly I think the guy is a little too much a fan of Death Metal which I am not a fan of, but all-in-all it is not a bad place to start. Chances are you won't like every sub-genre, so figuring out if you like Doom Metal or Thrash Metal or Death Metal or Black Metal or Speed Metal or whatever is going to help you find bands that'll have the sound you are looking for.

 

[ColdBoreMK23]

Thrash metal

Slayer
Exodus
Kreator
Sodom
Nuclear Assault
Testament
Toxic Hocaust


Death Metal

Death (essential)
Bloodbath
Entombed
Suffocation
Obituary
Dismember
Nile
Grave
Deicide
Morbid Angel
Hate Eternal
Vital Remains

Black Metal

Venom
Bathory
Burzum
Gorgoroth
Enslaved
Mayhem
Emperor
Dissection



Other essentials

Mshuggah
Dio
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Motörhead
Iced Earth
Gamma Ray
Yngwie Malmsteen (if you're into guitarist/soloist)
Opeth
In Flames (older albums)
Dark Tranquillity
edge Of sanity
At the Gates



Stay away from

Korn
Slipknot
Any other nu-metal shit and "Metal Core"



Have fun

 

[Johnny Kahl]

Anything from Opeth

 

[Error]

Thrash metal

Slayer
Exodus
Kreator
Sodom
Nuclear Assault
Testament
Toxic Hocaust


Death Metal

Death (essential)
Bloodbath
Entombed
Suffocation
Obituary
Dismember
Nile
Grave
Deicide
Morbid Angel
Hate Eternal
Vital Remains

Black Metal

Venom
Bathory
Burzum
Gorgoroth
Enslaved
Mayhem
Emperor
Dissection



Other essentials

Mshuggah
Dio
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Motörhead
Iced Earth
Gamma Ray
Yngwie Malmsteen (if you're into guitarist/soloist)
Opeth
In Flames (older albums)
Dark Tranquillity
edge Of sanity
At the Gates



Stay away from

Korn
Slipknot
Any other nu-metal shit and "Metal Core"



Have fun

Korn used to be pretty cool in their early days, although I don't listen to them anymore, they got me into metal. Why is Black Sabbath not an essential? ;_; I'd also add Sepultura to that list.

 

[Zoidberg747]

jk i dont care that much but slipknot fans calling themselves metalheads bothers me sometimes.

I'm not gonna lie, I actually like a few slipknot songs. Though I like the ones like dead memories, vermilion 1+2 and snuff, which aren't really metal. There metal stuff is pretty bad, imo.

The biggest thing about metal is you have to find your own taste You also have to realize no matter who you listen to metal snobs will shit on you for it, best to accept that now lol.

 

[rev0lver]

I'm not gonna lie, I actually like a few slipknot songs. Though I like the ones like dead memories, vermilion 1+2 and snuff, which aren't really metal. There metal stuff is pretty bad, imo.

The biggest thing about metal is you have to find your own taste You also have to realize no matter who you listen to metal snobs will shit on you for it, best to accept that now lol.

I actually like vermillion pt 2

 

[That__John__Guy]

Yeah, and "metal" is a pretty fluid definition. Once upon a time Blue Oyster Cult, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, and Alice Cooper were considered Heavy Metal. Would they be today? Maybe not. AC/DC was a heavy metal essential that might be considered more classic rock these days too. Some bands like Motley Crue (who I dig) are sometimes called metal or glam metal, but are they metal or hard rock? Is Ministry "metal" or "industrial metal" or "industrial"... I don't know. Lol, Black Sabbath is currently top 40, although they helped pioneer metal.

 

[ColdBoreMK23]

Korn used to be pretty cool in their early days, although I don't listen to them anymore, they got me into metal. Why is Black Sabbath not an essential? ;_; I'd also add Sepultura to that list.

I can't believe I forgot Sepultura. I was just jamming to them at the gym today.

I also forgot Sabbath. Blasphemy. I'm embarrassed and will never call myself a metal head anymore. =(

Everyone listened to Korn back in the day. Looking back at it, I can't believe bands like Dismember, Carcass, Suffocation, and Obituary existed at the same time. Shame.


Speaking if which, I forgot Carcass. The band which got me into the grind/death metal Genre back in 97.


Good times.

 

[Error]

I actually like vermillion pt 2

Vermillion Pt.1 used to be my song in the 8th grade, too edgy for even me(Before Slipknot I listened to Eminem and things like Greenday and Paramore). As much as I make fun of Slipknot/Korn fans (and rightly so) I still love these songs.

 

[ColdBoreMK23]

To expand on what Error said. I think everybody listened to Slipknot, Korn, etc back in the time when they where the mainstream thing.

They did have some catchy tunes.

Just the annoyance if them being at a metal fest when there where bands that paved certain genres being snubbed for them *cough*ozzfest*cough*.

The 90's where an amazing decade for Death Metal. Death made their best albums during that time, then you had bands like Deicide, Obituary, Suffocation, Entombed, Dismember, Grave, and even Cannibal Corpse coming out strong.

Plus that was the decade of second wave black metal and also your melodic death metal like Opeth, At the Gates, early Arch Enemy, Edge of Sanity, In Flames, Dark Tranquility, etc.


When people say the 90's sucked for music I say, "I don't know what you're talking about but the 90's where the shit."

 

[Spinky]

subzerosmokerain Start with Pantera, man. One of the biggest and best metal bands on the planet.

If you wanna get into some of the slightly heavier stuff, try Lamb of God. Those guys are teh SEX.

 

[Error]

Feck, now I'm all nostalgia'd up and listening to old Slipknot and Korn. The birth of angsty music.

 

[Spinky]

I got into metal by listening to early Linkin Park lol

Lmao. I fucking love me some LP, sure they ain't metal but whatevs.

 

[Spinky]

Feck, now I'm all nostalgia'd up and listening to old Slipknot and Korn. The birth of angsty music.

I like Slipknot and Korn are ma BOIS, don't give a shit what anyone says.
;_;

 

[Error]

I like Slipknot and Korn are ma BOIS, don't give a shit what anyone says.
;_;

They're fun to listen to every once in a while, but they can get boring quick.

 

[Spinky]

They're fun to listen to every once in a while, but they can get boring quick.

Meh, to each their own.

 

[Spinky]

Lady Gaga
Britney Spears
Rihanna
Katy Perry
Metal fuck yeah!

 

[Spinky]

subzerosmokerain Also... MACHINE FUCKING HEEEEEEAAAAAAD!

 

[JokerNU456]

IRON MAIDEN

 

[Spinky]

Dammit, there's so much shit I wanna recommend.

 

[doomfarmer]

Should be easy to get into...

 

[BGMD]

I started with Atheist, Death, Cynic, Voivod (still my all time favorite band)... just happened that I loved that music so much, but this isn't stuff that someone would probably recommend for a first-listener... so it shows that you have to try stuff for yourself because it's such a diverse genre

 

[Error]

I started with Atheist, Death, Cynic, Voivod (still my all time favorite band)... just happened that I loved that music so much, but this isn't stuff that someone would probably recommend for a first-listener... so it shows that you have to try stuff for yourself because it's such a diverse genre

When I was a Freshman in HS and still in that Slipknot/Slayer phase, one of my friends posted Scream Bloody Gore on my wall. I thought it was weird at first, but I felt compelled to listen to it again, and I liked the chorus. That's how I got into Death and death metal.

 

[Duck Nation]

How in the blazing fuck did this get to four pages with only one mention of Tool (and no other Maynard James Keenan project) or Pantera, and without a single Mike Patton project? Jesus.

Going to avoid trying to call anybody out for their shitty taste in music, tempting though it is.