|  | Black Sabbath
The godfathers of metal. There wouldn't be a genre called metal if they hadn't come along. I wouldn't even be making this list if it weren't for them! |
| |  | Metallica
Metal's crown princes, before they betrayed us and became Alternica. |
| |  | Megadeth
Technical monsters, lords of precision. |
| |  | Anthrax
Metal with a sense of humor and maybe metal's best drummer, Charlie Benante. |
| |  | Iron Maiden
UK's biggest and longest running metal act, the originators of fusing metal with mythology and legends, becoming legends of metal themselves! |
| |  | Slayer
The most evil of all metal bands. |
| |  | Testament
Alex Skolnick was only 18 years old when they recorded their first album. What more can I say? Oh and they made popular the "black clothes with white high-tops" look. |
| |  | Sepultura
Spawned from Brazil, they are all at once heavy, evil, and precise. |
| |  | Confessor
The singer has the craziest voice. I personally credit them with being the first true "math metal" band. The drummer is a maniac! |
| |  | Gwar
This band is from another planet. |
| |  | Voivod
Bringing sci-fi technology to metal fans. |
| |  | Suicidal Tendencies
Teen anger and angst at its best. |
| |  | D.R.I.
The first thrash band I ever heard, taking metal from the "hills" into the garage. |
| |  | Wrathchild America
A very solid, short lived, and underrated metal band. |
| |  | At the Gates
The best Scandinavian metal band. |
| |  | Judas Priest
Another U.K. originator, much props. |
| |  | Manowar
Strengthened the presence of swords in metal. They actually wore barbarian costumes on the covers of their albums, which were also responsible for making kids like me think that Molly Hatchet was a heavy metal band. |
| |  | Nuclear Assault
Among thrash metal's most socially aware groups, making room for serious subject matter. |
| |  | Napalm Death
Widely credited with inventing grindcore. |
| |  | Kreator
Germany's best metal act, and pretty damn good for the rest of the world, too! |
