5 most important metal bands for the global metal scene in the last 15 years.

[outerone]

Since that other thread turned into a popularity contest between your favorite band vs. mine... here is a thread in which I ask to analyze the global metal scene from the last 15 years or so and to think of which bands have been truly influential and vital to the development of the metal scene. Without these bands, the metal scene today would look a whole lot different. Here are mine (taken from the other thread) And remember that these bands do not need to be your favorite or you dotn even need to like them...

I dont think many metal (if any) bands have big influence on the global music scene. But there have been some very influential bands within the metal scene that have had strong influence on the evolution of metal music. Metallica is an obvious choice but their influence was more developed during the 80s. So if I had to choose band during the later 90s and 2000s I would go with:

Bathory, their sound and musical themes influenced countless black, pagan, viking and folk metal bands. Their music created a scene.

Emperor, its hard to imagine a better black metal band will ever come along. Born under the chaos and darkness of the early BM years and they truly perfected the sound and took it to the peek.

Morbid Angel, They took death metal to new heights and defined a scene.

Children of Bodom, love them or hate them... they have inspired kids all over the world to pick up a guitar. Amazing guitars and melodies that have summoned the attention of the international guitar world.

Your band, in the 80s all we had were a handfull of bands reaching all the corners of the earth. But today with the help of the internet, social communication tools and the computer, we have thousands of bands, big and small rising from every corner of the planet and contributing to the world wide metal underground. Metal will never die!!

This list would of course be a bit different if I were to think of current important bands, bands that right now are pillars of the scene... But this list is related more towards the last 15 years.

 

[el_serpiente]

Bathory, their sound and musical themes influenced countless black, pagan, viking and folk metal bands. Their music created a scene.

Emperor, its hard to imagine a better black metal band will ever come along. Born under the chaos and darkness of the early BM years and they truly perfected the sound and took it to the peek.

It might be reasonable to put in Thorns instead of Emperor as they had a lot more influence but is less known.

Morbid Angel, They took death metal to new heights and defined a scene.

Children of Bodom, love them or hate them... they have inspired kids all over the world to pick up a guitar. Amazing guitars and melodies that have summoned the attention of the international guitar world.

I think you are right with COB, but their music is horrible.

Further I think that Devin Townsend and his different bands Strapping young lads in particular should be added.

 

[Don Corleone]

easy! metallica, slayer, opeth, tool, emperor.

 

[Sisyphus's Struggle]

Celtic Frost, Slayer, Cynic/Atheist, Morbid Angel, Bathory...

 

[grey knight]

Stratovarius and Helloween.

 

[Yaow!]

That's right about Children of Bodom, they are sure as hell the reason I started playing guitar, although I've been growing out of them in recent years, i still think Follow the Reaper is one of the best heavy metal albums of all time in terms of melodic guitar playing.
Metallica for sure. Although I must add that I think that Megadeth, and Dave Mustaine, have been more influential to other metal bands and guitarists. Not trying to spark a Metallica vs Megadeth debate here, it just seems to me that I've heard countless guitar players cite Dave Mustaine as a primary influence, and I can't quite say the same thign about kirk hammett or james hetfield.

I would have to add however the three pionneering melodic death metal bands: At The Gates, In Flames and Dark Tranquility.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

Megadeth-Mustaine does his sellsman homework very well, pioneer of thrash, tours vigorously.

Metallica-Keeping the hunger alive in an uninspired time, touring monsters.
.
Opeth-Proving bands can be complex and innovative in a time of several clone bands, touring vigorously.

Dimmu Borgir-Their circus act has reached crushing success worldwide with black metal inspired music, tour often enough to sell tons of records.

Judas Priest-Pioneers of metal, 30+ years and going they have proved metal has a very long life.With many diverse albums and tours ,Judas Priest never fail to suprise, inspire, and sell millions of records worldwide .

 

[grey knight]

Pretty new bands, but heckalot influential;

Nightwish
Sonata Arctica

And one shouldn't forget In Flames.

 

[Arasmas]

linkin park

 

[Alteredmindeath]

stinkin fart

 

[grey knight]

Pink in dark

 

[Wander]

Linkin Park is not important as world would do just fine without them

 

[affinityband]

dont think metallica n slayer count seeing as theyve been around longer than 15 years

 

[outerone]

I dont think Megadeth and Metallica necessarily make this list as these bands had more of an influence during the 80s. These bands continued to rule in the 90s and 2000s their influence on new bands and the overall metal sounds depleted later on.

I also dont think Sonata Arctica, Helloween or Stratovarious have made a strong impact on the global metal scene. And Opeth... as great as they are, I have yet to really notice a large influence on the sound, scene and new bands... maybe in a few years we will see.

 

[truhlo]

This is a real fucking thread, thanks for this outerone!

I will do as instructed in the original post and pick up the bands that i feel might be "most important" regardless of my personal taste. Thus i will leave out bands like Katatonia, Ulver, Agalloch or Bathory (whose classic works date mostly from late 80s actually, just as Metallica's or Maiden's), in favor of Porcupine tree and Dream theater. I will also understand the "metal" genre label loosely and thus include such music that was sometimes only rooted in metal, or bands that only started out as metal bands or picked up metal influences at some point, but transcended the label and pushed the envelope further... These are my picks:

Porcupine tree - Steven Wilson is an unstoppable creative force and his primary band perhaps the most developed platform for ambitious and forward-thinking music that he composes. Although not such a big fan (thus far) i understand the importance of SW's musical and also intellectual figure, and the impact PT's music has on progressive youth...

Dream theater - In time i tended to change my stance toward this band, from passion to almost complete negligence, yet, when i pick up their best compositions, and also take in consideration their wide recognition and influence, i realize DT is one of the bands that may easily be seen as crucial to progressive metal of 90's and the new millennium...

The Gathering - Ever since Anneke joined the band, The Gathering created one of the most impressive streaks of brilliant albums ever!, varying their sound over and over, and also changing my understanding of what is and what might be seen as metal, and bringing the sense of sophistication and artistry that was rarely if ever present in rock music whatsoever. Interestingly, they remained rather quiet and humble about it. Such a subtly iconoclastic band!

Tool - Long time my favorite band, Tool is all i could ever ask of music. They managed to inject alternative rock sensibility and emotional depth into progressive and complex song structures of metal, making the sound and a genre all their own. They remained true to their strictly artistic approach, and made music that is defiantly art, nothing else, and nothing less! In addition, i have never found a lyricist so undeniably gifted with poetic and literary talent as Maynard James Keenan is. Tool has it all.

Opeth - Most beautiful, most terrifying and most metaphysical music i have ever happened to hear. It makes our miserable existence worthwhile Yet it doesnt even sound like music written by a human (not meant as a phrase, but a true impression), more like a creation of some omnipotent and malevolent deity. And its a fair judgment thrown at the world we live in ! Opeth!

 

[Alteredmindeath]

morbid angel and bathory are from the 80's, bathory isn't even a band, more like one man project. I can't remember the last time morbid angel put out a decent inspiring album, lately they have been releasing piles of shit, as far as im concerned the first few albums are good.

Also i ask, how are these good for the global metal scene when they don't even tour the globe?

 

[outerone]

^^ good list Truhlo!

Except I do not fully understand Porcupine Tree being on this list. Besides Opeth... who else have they influenced?

 

[grey knight]

^^ good list Truhlo!

Except I do not fully understand Porcupine Tree being on this list. Besides Opeth... who else have they influenced?

They atleast influence new bands, look again after 2010 and there will be some bands who mention Opeth as their influencer bands.

Atleast I will, I just hope I'll get going with my music stuff.

 

[dwoakee]

a lot of people around here will probably hate me for saying this, but if you truly look out for the band(s) that had the biggest impact on the metal music scene during the last fifteen years then there is only one answer:

Korn.

There. I said it. I don't even like them much but their influence is as big as creating a new sub-genre and dividing the metal world into "nu metal" and "oldschool".

 

[Crepuscularia]

Korn.

Agreed. I remember listening to ANY 'modern rock' radio station in the mid 90's and thinking "Is this Korn, or one of the bands that sound like Korn?"

I think you have to pick bands that basically created an entire genre in metal, and Korn definitely did that. Which means At the Gates should be another one on this list, because I think they were basically the first 'melodic-death metal' band (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

and I'm having a really hard time thinking of any other metal bands who have had that much influence in the last 15 years.