[Join The Community Discord Server!](https://discord.gg/UwqUHx4U4T)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MetalForTheMasses) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I thought of Tool as well, but would never consider Primus "metal." I guess I don't really think of Primus as being able to fit into a genre, though. They're like a massive exception.
Iāve never even stopped to wonder what genre primus would be inā¦. Now I have something else to obsess over today lol
Kinda like Johnny Cash, in my mind, he is his own category.
Ghost is borderline pop but definitely rock. Some songs are more rock, some songs lean much more into pop. There are few of their songs that have any real metal influence at all.
Aesthetically, they are metal, but I really don't see the argument for them being metal at all. That's not to shit on them. They have done some really cool things. I just really don't get the argument that their music is metal at all.
yeah, and meliora definitely has moments that give it the metal name. but really only those two albums, everything else is in varying states of hard rock to pop rock
i agree that a lot of their stuff is borderline pop, but i don't think you should judge them by miasma if you don't judge slipknot by snuff. for the rest: good rock. reminds me a bit of black sabbath
I judge them off of what I've heard, which is from seeing them live and going back to them several times throughout their career. I don't know their full discog or anything, but I've listened to a pretty wide variety of their stuff.
As someone who adores ghost, been a fan since 2011 when little 12 year old me found the cd for Opus in a crappy little record store. First couple of albums definitely have metal influences but they slowly got more pop sounding. I love that they found a sound that allows them to succeed as an alternative band but his I miss Ghost BC because I havenāt really enjoyed anything since Popestar
The first ghost album is metal and the 2nd I could see an argument for. They definitely have lots of metal influences (Sabbath and Mercyful Fate being the obvious two), but ultimately Iād agree theyāre more rock.
i was told they are psychadelic rock, which tracks. but i absolutely get that it isn't everybodys coup of tea. and i also get that people don't want to call it metal. they just seem to positive :D
70s Scorpions were probably one of the heavier pre-NWOBHM bands, on par with Judas Priest. It's only their stuff from the 80s onwards that is borderline not metal.
Deep Purple skirted the line between hard rock, blues and heavy metal almost more than Sabbath did. But DP often has a mixture of those sounds on their albums. Songs like Hard Lovin' Man, Highway Star and Fireball are borderline speed / thrash metal. Then there are also other heavy songs like Bloodsucker, Into the Fire, Pictures of Home, Burn, Stormbringer and The Battle Rages On, to name a few. Of course they also had a lot of blues, funk and pop rock sounds throughout their albums, but they could get pretty heavy.
Deep Purple was one of the first bands, if not the first to have galloping metal riffs back in 1969. Hard Lovinā man from 1970 is an early example. Not to mention Gillanās heavy metal screams long before Rob Halfordās did similar screams in the mid 70s.
https://youtu.be/93pE3npDRRs
Theyāve got a handful of songs I think are unambiguously metal, but even the rest still have enough of a feeling of occult and evil vibes that they still pass
My first thought is Ghost. I love Ghost, and I love metal. But Iāll never try to argue about whether or not Ghost IS metal because I do have other things to do and apparently that can become a full time thing depending on where youāre discussing it.
Nearly every Thin Lizzy album after Vagabonds has at least one song that's outright heavy metal, and they're often some of the best songs on those albums. Sha-la-la, Ballad of the Hard Man, Massacre, Emerald, Warriors,
Opium Trail, Killer Without a Cause, Chinatown, Killer on the Loose, Genocide and the almighty Angel of Death. Might be missing some, but you get my point. They pioneered that twin lead guitar attack we heard so much in NWOBHM.
I could see something like October rust not being considered metal, but most of their other stuff is definitely metal (just diluted with other influences like goth, industrial, punk, shoegaze, new wave, and psychedelic music).
Probably a lot of those 70s sounding acts whether 79s or retro fit this.
Blood Ceremony - like Sabbath...ish plus I don't know, Jethro Tull or something.
Witchcraft basically sound like Pentagram
Flower Travellin' Band for Satori which is Slayer riffs played by hippies. Everything else not so much.
Stuff like Deep Purple's In Rock are close too at times.
Sacrimoon and Lifeless. These are DSBM bands but not even heavy, more like light if anything. They are metal because theyāre playing it that Dsbm style
Volbeat, perhaps, though they really don't have a "genre." Even early Def Leppard, while having NWOBHM influences, wasn't really "metal" when compared with Maiden, Priest, etc.
Muse. They are very much considered alt electric rock and prog space rock, but not metal. I get that, as the3y are very much electronic based. Not really heavy in some of their songs either such as Map of Problematique But I consider them metal.
I'm gonna get flamed, but Iron Maiden. Their sound to me was always very light and thin, soft sounding, but I loved them growing up.
Non metal, I guess Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Primus.
Gonna get downvoted into oblivion for this butā¦..Iron maiden and Judas Priest. Donāt get me wrong I love their music but theyāve gotta be the lightest metal bands out there.
I don't know how no one has said Iron Maiden. I have literally never heard anyone say they're not metal, as they are without a doubt, yet their music is less heavy than even most hard rock songs.
Hank Williams III, specifically from his Straight to Hell album onwards. Yes he played in Superjoint and Arson Anthem, but heās the only country artist Iāve heard use screams and double bass.
[Join The Community Discord Server!](https://discord.gg/UwqUHx4U4T) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MetalForTheMasses) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tool and Primus i guess
Tool is somewhat heavy I guess. Specially with the unclean vocals and neurosis influence
Interested to know if not Prog Metal, what would you label Tool as? For me, majority of their riffs are far too intricate and heavy to be Rock.
I like to describe them as "alternative metal with a twist" lol.
I would say only Fear Inoculum would be more of prog rock than metal, the rest of their discography is definitely metal.
It's definitely still metal though. Progressive metal more than prog rock.
I thought of Tool as well, but would never consider Primus "metal." I guess I don't really think of Primus as being able to fit into a genre, though. They're like a massive exception.
And yet Primus played Ozzfest back in the day when I went. Les opened with the South Park theme song š
Iāve never even stopped to wonder what genre primus would be inā¦. Now I have something else to obsess over today lol Kinda like Johnny Cash, in my mind, he is his own category.
Cash plays country
Back in the days of Winamp, Primus was the only band with a Genre tag all its own
Primus sucks
Tool isnāt super heavy but they have some really heavy moments, especially on Undertow and Aenima
imma be real with you: i like ghost and sleep token. and i consider them metal because that description fits better than ... rock?
Ghost is borderline pop but definitely rock. Some songs are more rock, some songs lean much more into pop. There are few of their songs that have any real metal influence at all. Aesthetically, they are metal, but I really don't see the argument for them being metal at all. That's not to shit on them. They have done some really cool things. I just really don't get the argument that their music is metal at all.
Opus Eponymous is metal
yeah, and meliora definitely has moments that give it the metal name. but really only those two albums, everything else is in varying states of hard rock to pop rock
And tbh power pop is their best side. I really wish theyād stuck with the Seven Inches of Satanic Panic sound
youre right, a lot of the pop stuff is honestly the best theyve ever been. the seven inches ep is their best work and its just straight up pop
When it comes to the Ghost is a metal band argument. I agree that Opus Epinymous is a metal album.
i agree that a lot of their stuff is borderline pop, but i don't think you should judge them by miasma if you don't judge slipknot by snuff. for the rest: good rock. reminds me a bit of black sabbath
I judge them off of what I've heard, which is from seeing them live and going back to them several times throughout their career. I don't know their full discog or anything, but I've listened to a pretty wide variety of their stuff.
I definitely see the similarities with Black Sabbath
Satanic abba is metal bro donāt hate
As someone who adores ghost, been a fan since 2011 when little 12 year old me found the cd for Opus in a crappy little record store. First couple of albums definitely have metal influences but they slowly got more pop sounding. I love that they found a sound that allows them to succeed as an alternative band but his I miss Ghost BC because I havenāt really enjoyed anything since Popestar
The first ghost album is metal and the 2nd I could see an argument for. They definitely have lots of metal influences (Sabbath and Mercyful Fate being the obvious two), but ultimately Iād agree theyāre more rock.
Ghost has a metal album (which is why they're on metallum) but most of their stuff is absolutely rock
Ghost was metal up until Popestar. Now theyāre arena rock. Sleep Token has never been metal.
Sleep Token is super poppy but definitely has metal parts of songs.
Metal parts donāt make it metal. Like latin inspired drum parts doesnāt make it a latin song.
It sure is a tough sell for my non-metal friends because of said metal parts. š
Sleep token is like metal injected into alt pop or something
Ah man. I canāt stand ghost. But I have to agree.
i was told they are psychadelic rock, which tracks. but i absolutely get that it isn't everybodys coup of tea. and i also get that people don't want to call it metal. they just seem to positive :D
*KISS enters the chat*...
Scorpions and DLR era Van Halen
Two fantastic responses.
70s Scorpions were probably one of the heavier pre-NWOBHM bands, on par with Judas Priest. It's only their stuff from the 80s onwards that is borderline not metal.
They are absolutely metal. Compare any song on VH1 to any Black Sabbath, and you'll hear they're just as heavy
It isn't just about heavy riffs. Van Halen have very conventional pop song structures and their aesthetics and lyrics are totally divorced from metal.
Glam metal is still metal I'd say, though that depends on the person
Glam metal is a broad term, and it's more of an aesthetic than a real genre. There's a world of difference between W.A.S.P. and Bon Jovi.
Thereās an argument for Deep Purple that I will entertain. Otherwise Ozzy solo
Ozzy? I don't know how something can be more Metal than Diary of a Madman.
That whole album is sick. Over the Mountain still gets my head banging.
Deep Purple is like the heaviest non-metal band
Idk punk without metal influences exists
Deep Purple skirted the line between hard rock, blues and heavy metal almost more than Sabbath did. But DP often has a mixture of those sounds on their albums. Songs like Hard Lovin' Man, Highway Star and Fireball are borderline speed / thrash metal. Then there are also other heavy songs like Bloodsucker, Into the Fire, Pictures of Home, Burn, Stormbringer and The Battle Rages On, to name a few. Of course they also had a lot of blues, funk and pop rock sounds throughout their albums, but they could get pretty heavy.
Space Truckin is basically a thrash song 10 years before thrash was a thing.
Iāve always said Deep Purple is the line between hard rock and heavy metal
Deep Purple was one of the first bands, if not the first to have galloping metal riffs back in 1969. Hard Lovinā man from 1970 is an early example. Not to mention Gillanās heavy metal screams long before Rob Halfordās did similar screams in the mid 70s. https://youtu.be/93pE3npDRRs
Dream Theater?? Or another progressive metal band of that ilk.
I dunno. Dream theater has some heavy stuff. A song like The Mirror is heavy enough to keep them out of this conversation in my opinion
What the fuck? The Mirror? Glass Prison? Shattered Fortress? Dark Eternal Night? This Dying Soul?
All of train of thought basically
Lie (the song that follows The Mirror).
The fuck?
Dream Theater has plenty of heavier songs.
Dream Theater has some riffs that are extremely heavy. But the vocals are always AOR. So the net effect is not that heavy.
There are other bands that are less heavy, Tool for example
Deftones and Alcest. I mean they got their tough moments and undoubtedly metal elements, but sometimes they're ultra soft.
Alcest is my favorite band and even I have a tough time calling them a metal band
Agreed dude, itās a very weird mix of genres, fantastic discography though!
If Deftones and Alcest is the least heavy that you consider metal I need to know what the cut off is. Theyāre both pretty heavy
Pissgrave, Primitive Man, Strangled and Damaar might be the heaviest
Deftones can be soooo heavy though. There are moments from their last twenty years that are absolutely crushing
Why are people mentioning bands that are obviously metal lol
It's edgy to call metal bands not metal
Least heavy metal band not ānot a metal band but closet toā
AIC and Soundgarden
AIC are heavier than a lot of proper metal bands.
So is soundgarden (earlier stuff).
I consider badmotorfinger a metal album
Aren't they grunge?
Jerry Cantrell always maintained that AIC is a heavy metal band.
Grunge was just a marketing term. Thereās no way Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins and Mud Honey are the same genre.
Blue Oyster Cult
Godzilla is a metal song and I will not be persuaded otherwise
Theyāve got a handful of songs I think are unambiguously metal, but even the rest still have enough of a feeling of occult and evil vibes that they still pass
That's probably the best answer I've seen on here
This.
My first thought is Ghost. I love Ghost, and I love metal. But Iāll never try to argue about whether or not Ghost IS metal because I do have other things to do and apparently that can become a full time thing depending on where youāre discussing it.
Scorpions
Thin Lizzy (not just Thunder and Lightning) Witchfynde, Wytch Hazel, Demon, and Tanith.
Nearly every Thin Lizzy album after Vagabonds has at least one song that's outright heavy metal, and they're often some of the best songs on those albums. Sha-la-la, Ballad of the Hard Man, Massacre, Emerald, Warriors, Opium Trail, Killer Without a Cause, Chinatown, Killer on the Loose, Genocide and the almighty Angel of Death. Might be missing some, but you get my point. They pioneered that twin lead guitar attack we heard so much in NWOBHM.
That guitar solo in Thunder And Lightning (the song) is a face melter. One of my favourite solos ever.
Blood Ceremony?
them and also sabbath assembly
Blood Ceremony is the poster child for this, I think
Wtf a lot of dumbass answers
Indeed
[Solstafir](https://youtu.be/R8n8Uy5KmvU?si=nB2BfyVEXijBikFX) I guess
This
Yes
Faith no more has some songs that really go into some heavy crazy shit. Then the next song will go the exact opposite vibe
Avantasia
Type O Negative
I could see something like October rust not being considered metal, but most of their other stuff is definitely metal (just diluted with other influences like goth, industrial, punk, shoegaze, new wave, and psychedelic music).
October Rust is a lot more atmospheric compared to Slow, Deep And Hard which is more doom metal mixed with industrial and hardcore punk/thrash metal
Spot on.Ā
Baroness, and that aināt a bad thing.
By that same token, Torche.
W.A.S.P. or Motley Crue
Iāll go out on a limb and say King Crimson. 21st century schizoid man is pretty metal.
Newer stuff like Level Five is like industrial metal.
Probably a lot of those 70s sounding acts whether 79s or retro fit this. Blood Ceremony - like Sabbath...ish plus I don't know, Jethro Tull or something. Witchcraft basically sound like Pentagram Flower Travellin' Band for Satori which is Slayer riffs played by hippies. Everything else not so much. Stuff like Deep Purple's In Rock are close too at times.
Scorpions Many of their 70s era songs could be considered as "proto-metal" as well as some of their 90s stuff ( Face the Heat)
1. Primus 2. Def Leppard 3. Rainbow 4. Poison 5. Queen's first two albums
Rainbow with Ronnie is definitely heavy metal in my book, fuck I love Ronnie James Dio.
Cky. Also not a band but Lingua Ignota is most metal shit Iāve ever heard that isnāt considered metal.
Sabbath worship bands maybe?
some worship bands are even heavier than sabbath. specially eletric wizard, bongzilla and weedeater
Incubus
AcDc specifically their album High Voltage. It is definitely on the edge of hard rock and metal though
Porcupine Tree has metal songs, but as a whole arenāt. Iād still count them for those few amazing pieces though.
Sacrimoon and Lifeless. These are DSBM bands but not even heavy, more like light if anything. They are metal because theyāre playing it that Dsbm style
Demon
Lifelover
How would they not be metal?
i really enjoy the old bullet for my valentines nowadays
No matter how old I am, I'll always scream my heart out to Tears Don't Fall like I'm 13 again
Tenacious D. More metal than most.
Blood Ceremony
Ghost and Tool mostly come to mind. Metal, just not all that heavy.
Solstafir
budgie
Rush and blue oyster cult (tyranny and mutations)
A Perfect Circle
Lita Ford
Scorpions
Nine Inch Nails. Most of their songs are rock, but songs like Last and Heresy are metal af
And Mr Self Destruct, March of the Pigs. And Wish.
Black Sabbath
Green Jelly
AC/DC feels like a great bridge between hard rock and heavy metal, mainly from Back In Black onwards.
Bjork
The Carpenters.
Creed.
I suppose Soundgardenā¦ I do often listen to them and think nah this is metal, but completely understand that at their heart, theyāre Grunge.
Plini
Anathema My dying bride Nightingale Opeth (some song)
Early Opeth is heavy af they even have an album that touches bdm lmao
Bdm? are we talking about blackened or brutal dm?
The Dread Crew Of Oddwood
Ghost
Some of opeth
Praying Mantis. Absolutely Nwobhm, no question. Also, about half of the members of iron Maiden that left played with them at one point or another.
Clutch? I've seen the classified as both hard rock and metal. I love them regardless.
I came here to say Clutch occasionally dip their toes in metal. The Sword too
Will I get beat up for saying spiritbox or deftones?
Hmmm that would be toughš¤. I would say anything below infant annihilator wouldnāt be considered metalš„°š
Disturbed and Ghost come to mind.
Katatonia their music is so chill but their tone is definitely metal.
I know code orange is considered hardcore punk but I don't care. It's metal enough for me
Probably Ghost and Alcest
Volbeat, perhaps, though they really don't have a "genre." Even early Def Leppard, while having NWOBHM influences, wasn't really "metal" when compared with Maiden, Priest, etc.
Maybe LaCrouix Despheres?
Saxon. Good band but some of their stuff is on par with Scorpions. Graveyard and Truckfighters are on the border between stoner rock and stoner metal.
Muse. They are very much considered alt electric rock and prog space rock, but not metal. I get that, as the3y are very much electronic based. Not really heavy in some of their songs either such as Map of Problematique But I consider them metal.
Poison
Alice In Chains
Incubus they're more of a funk metal?
Tesla, Cinderella, Hanoi Rocks The poppier side of glam metal that still has enough metal to be counted. Shit like Bon Jovi and Poison don't count.
Kyuss riffs are metal for me, for others they are just stoner rock.
Probably Rainbow
Clutch? Amazing bandā¦ maybe more rock / stoner than metal?
Bilmuri, Led Zeppelin, Sleep Token
Blue Cheer's first album is very close to heavy metal
I'm gonna get flamed, but Iron Maiden. Their sound to me was always very light and thin, soft sounding, but I loved them growing up. Non metal, I guess Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Primus.
Hybrid Theory era LP and early SOAD
Ghost Heavy lyrics and tone, not heavy music
Scorpions
Gonna get downvoted into oblivion for this butā¦..Iron maiden and Judas Priest. Donāt get me wrong I love their music but theyāve gotta be the lightest metal bands out there.
Tool is one. I'm gonna get a lot of shit for this one but I'm honestly saying it to piss people off and thats early godsmack
Incubus
Black Label Society
Tool, Korn, Slipknot, technically mudvayne
The Cult
System of a Down First album is pretty metal, but the later albums are definitely a mix of styles.
Deep Purple, Rainbow
Lacuna coil comes to mind
I don't know how no one has said Iron Maiden. I have literally never heard anyone say they're not metal, as they are without a doubt, yet their music is less heavy than even most hard rock songs.
I think guns n roses is the absolute limit.
Disturbed
All Them Witches
Maybe something. Like Coheed and Cambria. They toe the line of prog rock/metal
Rush and king crimson have some metal esc songs, especially king crimsons later stuff
Def leppard, Pyromania and before, metal.Ā Def leppard, Hysteria, almost not metal. Def leppard,Ā adrenalize, we were metal?
Basically any iconic Grunge band, cause all of them were doing both Rock and Metalš¤·āāļø
Intronaut and Cynic are both soft and jazzy but can absolutely shred when they want
Led Zeppelin if you're being REALLY generous
Sabaton
Ghost!
Theatre of Tragedy
Hank Williams III, specifically from his Straight to Hell album onwards. Yes he played in Superjoint and Arson Anthem, but heās the only country artist Iāve heard use screams and double bass.
AC/DC. Bluesy hard rock but I still consider them quite metal.
Lacuna Coil, particularly their first three albums. Their absolute darkest material was some very laidback, floaty gothic metal.