The Most Universally Respected Bands (among metalheads)

[SouthernTrendkill]

If you go up to pretty much any group of classic rock fans, and say "My favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and The Who" they will probably say "fuck yeah! Right on." True that some classic rock fans don't like Led Zeppelin and The Who, but it's pretty rare that you'd get any flak for liking them from a CR fan.

Now... alternatively, if I go up to a group of metalheads and tell 'em my favorite bands are Pantera and Metallica, they'll probably say "fuck off, I hope you die."

Maybe that's just because metal fans are cooler than classic rock fans. I'm NOT trying to start any bullshit arguments about what bands are good or who we are or what is real or any of that!

All I wanna know is... who are the most well-respected metal bands? Metalheads are usually into a ton of more obscure bands, but are there still ones that most people will agree on as being great?

Death?
Black Sabbath?
Slayer?
Bathory? Judas Priest? Ozzy? Venom?

peace & love

 

[Nehebkau]

Iron Maiden.

 

[AchrisK]

Iron Maiden

 

[AchrisK]

Iron Maiden.

 

[cookiecutter]

Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Death, Darkthrone, Slayer, Morbid Angel

 

[AchrisK]

Not Darkthrone

 

[KevenZ]

Bathory gets my vote.

 

[AchrisK]

Suffocation

 

[fates warning 666]

Of the bands mentioned so far I think the most universally respected are '70s Priest, early Sabbath and maybe pre-Seasons Slayer and the first three Morbid Angel albums. There are a lot of metalheads who prob don't like the latter just 'cause of the growls though.

I don't particularly like Maiden and I know other people who don't. Still, they're mostly universally respected, I'll grant ye. Death... well, there's the whole ANUS crowd for starters. A lot of wankers hate Darkthrone. Bathory are definitely up there, nearly everyone likes some Bathory at least. Ozzy... no. Venom no.

How about Candlemass? Angel Witch? Bruce's solo stuff? Most of this stuff is liked by everyone who's heard it - some of these are maybe not that well known though, for one reason or another.

 

[fates warning 666]

Plenty of people don't like Suffocation.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Most people at least respect Suffocation as an influential band.

 

[The Ozzman]

Black Sabbath

 

[cookiecutter]

Plenty of people don't like Suffocation.

Most people at least respect Suffocation as an influential band.

Yes, and my reasoning with Darkthrone

 

[Gold]

limp bizket, morbid angel

 

[PiratesRule]

I'll add Possessed, Mercyful Fate, and At the Gates.

 

[cookiecutter]

At the Gates catches plenty of hate, especially about Slaughter of the Soul

 

[fates warning 666]

Most people at least respect Suffocation as an influential band.

If a band I don't like is influential that's usually a bad thing, as far as I'm concerned. When a bad band does lead to something good, there's usually been a pretty radical evolution the likes of which the bad band had no inkling of at the time, and it remains questionable whether they really warrant respect.

 

[skeptik]

Black Sabbath. End. Brutality and Throne Of Ahaz covered them, Mekong Delta wrote a tribute song to them, etc., etc.

 

[fates warning 666]

Mercyful Fate is a possibility, Possessed as well. I don't agree with ATG either.

 

[fates warning 666]

Black Sabbath. End. Brutality and Throne Of Ahaz covered them, Mekong Delta wrote a tribute song to them, etc., etc.

I think Sabbath are pretty blatantly number one on this list. Priest might be second.