If you don't know metal...

[MURAI]

Today I was chatting with a buddy @ work and he mentioned he had never heard of Heavy Metal (I was as shocked as you are reading this) and was wondering if I could recommend a few songs to give him a feeling of the genre. I went with the following:

1. Queensryche - Queen of the Reich
2. Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name
3. Judas Priest - Painkiller
4. Metallica - Master & Sad But True
5. Slayer - Raining Blood and,
6. Megadeth - Holy Wars

I figure each of these give a good indication of what metal is and what it sounds like - from the harmony guitars, crazy vocals, insane drumming and just being downright HEAVY. Anyone have any others that truly exemplify the metal genre?

Sounds like a good list to give the guy an idea.

Your list had thrash and NWOBHM bands but how about make him try these too to give him an idea of the rest of the other types of metal (death, black, sludge etc):

Crowbar - Time Heals Nothing
Ministry - Psalm 69
My Dying Bride - Black God
Morbid Angel - Dawn of the Angry
Napalm Death - Greed Killing
Graveland - Storm of Souls
Manowar - Gloves of Metal [show him their album covers too]
Pantera - Mouth For War
Black Sabbath - Iron Man

 

[Bryant]

old school Heavy Metal

Priest - You Got Another Thing Coming
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
Maiden - Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner
Accept - Princess of the Dawn

Hair metal

White Lion - Lady of the Valley (great tune)
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
Cinderella - Once Around the Ride
Motley Crue - Red Hot

power metal

Metal Church - Badlands
Angel Dust - Bleed (this song is a must)
Tad Morose - Cyberdome
Armored Saint - Reign of Fire

Prog metal -

Dream Theater - Metropolis Part one
Vanden Plas - Silently
Fates warning - Through Different Eyes
Pagans Mind - Through Osiris Eyes

Thrash

Metallica - Creeping Death
Pantera - Cowboys from Hell
Wrathchild America - Climbing the Walls
Megadeth - Lucretia

almost metal

Tesla - Easy Come easy Go
AC/DC - You Shook me All Night Long
Rush - Tom Sawyer
April Wine - Sign of the Gypsy Queen


Bryant

 

[MURAI]

old school Heavy Metal

Priest - You Got Another Thing Coming
Black Sabbath - Iron Man

...
almost metal

AC/DC - You Shook me All Night Long

That Priest song is a good idea since it's such a catchy song that even non-metallers. Same with the Sabbath song.

I recommend that "TNT" song for AC/DC.

 

[Priest of Evil]

Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
Exodus - Blacklist
Overkill - Hello from the Gutter

I dunno if this is helpful but I wouldnt mind hearing these 3 right now