Best Metal Songwriters

[Purveyor Of Evil]

Harris/Dickinson/Smith/Murray/Gers
Jon Schaffer
Tobias Sammett
Iommi/Butler
Ronnie James Dio
Halford/Tipton/Downing
Jon Oliva
Cristoffer Johnsson
Kursch/Olbrecht
Kai Hansen
Kurdt Vanderhoof
A. Young/M. Young/Johnson
Lee/Lifeson/Peart
"Peavy" Wagner
Schenker/Meine
Lemmy Kilmeister
Bloom/Roeser/Pearlman
Joey DeMaio
Turilli/Staropoli
Arjen Lucassen
Mercury/May/Deacon/Taylor
Simmons/Stanley
Ted Nugent
Mikael Akerfeldt
Dane/Loomis
Mark Briody
Gillan/Blackmore/Lord/Glover/Paice
Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham
Waters/Gilmour
Degarmo/Tate/Wilton
Ian/Spitz
Tuomas Holopainen
Timo Tolkki
Coverdale/Sykes
...and tons of others whose names evade me at the moment.

 

[valerus]

Oh yeah..
Riverside
Rush
Agalloch
Opeth

 

[13ShadesofGray]

These have written lyrics/music or both that, to me, have written some incredible material. I'm sure I'll be thinking of more and adding later.

Jim Matheos
Ray Alder
Kevin Moore
Nick van Dyk
John Sykes
Jason Becker

 

[Curufin]

Chris Bay

 

[The_Kinslayer]

Tuomas (Nightwish)
Hansi/Andre Olbrich (Blind Guardian)
Mike Akerfeldt (Opeth)
Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation)
Christopher Johnsson (Therion)
Jari Maenpaa (Ex-Ensiferum, Wintersun)

 

[BenMech]

(snip)Bloom/Roeser/Pearlman

You forgot BOUCHARD and Meltzer HOW?

 

[thisisjuicyman]

Seconded. I also wouldn't hesitate to include the guys from Nevermore, Orphaned Land and Riverside in this group.

I wouldn't disagree with you there one bit and I forgot a big one:

PETRUCCI/PORTNOY/MYUNG/RUDESS

DREAM THEATER BABY

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

You forgot BOUCHARD and Meltzer HOW?

Brainfart, I guess.

 

[Braxil]

Chris Bay

In seriousness:
Andre Matos
Hansi Kursch
Andre Olbrich
Enrik Garcia
Tobias Sammet
Kai Hansen
Jon Schaffer
Tuomas Holopainen
Timo Tolkki
Michael Romeo
Christofer Johnsson

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Jon Oliva
Arjen Lucassen
Christofer Johnsson

and I'm growing appreciation for Devin Townsend

 

[SharkBlack]

Danny and Vincent Cavanaugh - Anathema
Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz - Bad Religion
Frank Aresti and Jim Matheos - Fates Warning
Steve Hogarth - Marillion
Paul/John/George & Ringo
Christopher Johnsson - Therion
David Byron Mick Box, & Ken Hensley - Uriah Heep
David Bowie
Martin Gore - Depeche Mode
David Gilmour - Pink Floyd
Tony Kakko - Sonata Arctica
Ihsahn - Emperor
Tom Englund - Evergrey
Tchort - Green Carnation
Tuomas Holopainen - Nightwish
Åkerfeldt - Opeth
Daniel Gildnlow - Pain of Salvation
Ron & Russell Mael - Sparks


And Last but not least

 

[SyXified]

One man: Kai Hansen
One band: Gamma Ray

That's as good as it gets

 

[MysticX9]

Wyvern and Emerald Sword nailed a lot of my favorites, have to also mention Geoff Thorpe/Mark McGee/Carl Albert/Dave Starr/Larry Howe (Vicious Rumors),
Geoff Gayer/Michael Olivieri/Carey Howe (Leatherwolf), Akira Takasaki (Loudness), Dirkschneider/Hoffman (Accept), Tony MacAlpine and Vinnie Moore for great instrumentals, many more I'm leaving out...

 

[Stingray11214]

Tuomas Holopainen is one of the greatest music storytellers of all time. Steve Harris is close to being a genius. the Lee/Lifeson/Peart triumverate is next to brilliant.


Peace,
Ray C.

 

[The Fiddler]

Best combos:

Blackmore/Dio (Rainbow, e.g. Mistreated, Greensleeves)
Harris/Smith/Dickinson

 

[Angrafan]

Danny and Vincent Cavanaugh - Anathema

I love Vinny! but he hasn't written a single song since Alternative 4!!
and even on that album he wrote only one song (re-connect)

 

[Claus / Intromental]

Best lyricists in metal:

Martin Walkyier (Skyclad/Sabbat)
Erik Ravn (Wuthering Heights)
Buddy Lackey (Psychotic Waltz)

c.

 

[corvinus]

Personally I dont care for sword and sorcery lyric writing, yea its fun and fits most power metal/viking bands that i love but to say someone is a good lyric writer they have to do more than rhyme sword with cold, or winter with splinter or something like that.

I know I'm gonna get shit for this but one album where the lyrics just took me to another place was Cradle of Filth's Cruelty and the Beast.Dani Filth can write some good poetry when he's not trying to be witty.

Another great lyric writer is Dave Mustaine, I cant get enough of his political tirades.

Warrel Dane and Mikael Stanne are great at writing introspective, metaphor-driven lyrics. I don't understand what they are trying to say half the time but upon further reading it all makes sense. Great songwriters.

Edit- Forgot one more.

TXUS from Mago de Oz. I know he wont be appreciated by many here due to him writing in spanish but take the time to translate a song such as "La Cantata del Diablo" and tell me that this guy doesnt rock.

 

[SymphonyOfDreams]

Easily for me it's the trio... Gildenlow, Akerfeldt & Wilson.

Gildenlow has the amazing skill to take any type of music and make it his own packing it with the subtleties that will just scream "this is Pain Of Salvation", everything around the music he does seems to be done with a porpouse, be it the muddy production, the excessive vocal melodies, to the slightest articulation of the lyrics he wants it to have a porpouse around the concepts of his albums, and it's sooo difficult to find artists dedicated like that to their music and the details. I hated it Pain Of Salvation for 3 years before it finally clicked, and IMO today, I believe that to the ears of those that actually like their music, very few bands will ever have the same impact.

Akerfeldt is a freaking genious, to the rocking to the atmospheric he does it ALL, the first thing that drove me insane about Opeth was how elegant it sounded and at the same time so damn EVIL, no blast beats no tremolo picked notes, none of that, just the right notes getting struck at the right moment, there isn't an album from Opeth that hasn't made go like "holy shit..." even my least liked one "Deliverance" has plenty of stuff that gives me chills or makes me wanna go insane.

Steven Wilson IMO is the modern father of atmospheric music, this man can literally do it all, maybe not in the details and complexity that say Opeth does it, but with the same elegance... sure I'm not to keen on Porcupine Tree's heavier stuff, but when PT goes atmospheric and psychodelic, they are untouchable, not to mention Wilson's side works, pure brilliance.

 

[edgeofthorns]

Another great lyric writer is Dave Mustaine, I cant get enough of his political tirades.

Dave is cool. He's one of my favorites as well.