The
Greatest Metal Songs of All Time
This week Vh1 is airing their 40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time
special. Some of the picks are leaving us scratching our heads instead
of banging our heads, so in an effort to understand how these lists are
brought about we asked our crew and our metal hearted brethren over at
antiMusic to come up with their lists of the Greatest Metal Songs of All
Time. Instead of one master list, this week we will be posting a few of
the individual lists each day that will show not only different tastes
of metal heads but Korn-free lists that are made by people with a real
love for metal not just industry insiders. The result is the conclusion
that metal means different things to different people and that's what makes
it the Greatest form of music of all time!
We kick things off with our editors lists' from head-thrasher Mark Hensch
and anti-boss Keavin Wiggins. Check back tomorrow for three new lists from
the crew.
Mark Hensch (Thrashpit Editor)
1. Black Sabbath's "Electric Funeral"---I
love this song, and in my opinion Sabbath's early, straight on doom style
is the best they ever had. I'm also picking it as it isn't a "mainstream"
Sabbath fave alongside say "War Pigs" or "Iron Man" for example.
2. Pantera's "5 Minutes Alone"---Far
Beyond Driven: is a landmark album and this is one of the best songs
on it. Catchy, raw, and above all else unflinchingly aggresive, when I
tell people to listen to Pantera this is what I point to.
3. Slayer's "Angel of Death"---I
can't think of a song that is more true metal than this. In fact, any song
that opens Reign in Blood deserves to be on this list.
4. Slayer's "Reign in Blood"---the
title track of the most beloved heavy metal album ever. Period.
5. Mastodon's "Hearts Alive"---an
epic masterpiece that contains everything metal is about....complex technicality,
vibrant story-telling, and pure crushing joy. Arguably the best song I've
ever heard.
6. YOB's "Exorcism of the Host"---as
a YOB fan I can't leave any of their songs off. This is the track that
truly endeared me to YOB, and it is everything doom can be....heavy, uncompromising,
and graceful (see the fantastic guitar solo mid-song). This style will
be the centerpoint of doom for the next decade.
7. Enslaved's "The Dark Stare"---with
the growing acceptance of black metal as a subgenre of music (hell, I saw
those bastards Dimmu Borgir in Rolling Stone the other day) I cannot leave
this blackened viking metal space rock opus out. Weird, yet utterly vital.
8. Pig Destroyer's "Thumbsucker"---I
am including this track as I feel that Pig Destroyer will soon be at the
forefront of a mainstream acceptance of grind. These guys are something
special and will be big someday.
9. Emperor's "I Am the Black Wizards"---one
of the best songs ever penned by the gods who created symphonic black metal.
10. Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"---I
am not even a big Iron Maiden fan, but this song represents to me everything
that the NWOBHM movement was about despite being a bit after the movement.
Galloping heavy metal at its earliest, most lively stages.
11. Sleep's "Jerusalem/Dopesmoker"---this
epic 56 minute freejam was reportedly recorded in one take and is without
doubt the most crushing, hypnotic slice of divinity to ever be recorded.
Oft-copied, but never mastered, this song has slowly edged its way into
more mainstream psyches....a portion of it was in Bill Murray's last movie,
"Broken Flowers."
12. Opeth's "Master's Apprentice"---the
moment people realized ambition, melody, and brutality could all coexist
in heavy metal. A balls-to-the-wall rocker that only comes once in a lifetime....yet
despite all this, it has a subtle, elegant majesty to it as well.
Keavin Wiggins (antiMusic
Editor)
Note: when coming up with my list I used a rule that the song had to
be at least 10 years old to pass the "withstand the test of time" trial,
as well as be songs that I feel had an impact on metal (so that's why you
see some hard rock stuff in here).
1. Fade To Black – Metallica: picking
the greatest metal song of all time is a tall order but I think this one
really broke through and took metal to a whole new level.
2. Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden:
Any number of Maiden songs could be here but Beast is an anthem.
3. Iron Man – Black Sabbath: the
band that started it all. Some would pick "Paranoid" but I think Iron Man
really is the heart of the Sabbath sound.
4. Highway to Hell – AC/DC: The
song that was supposed to be the answer to "Stairway to Heaven," one of
Bon's best moments and a song that never goes out of style.
5. Reign in Blood – Slayer: While
metal was going more mainstream, Slayer was taking the faithful straight
back to the underground. This song and album still kicks the ass of any
metal band today.
6. Victim of Changes – Judas Priest:
Riffs, screams, grooves. Priest at their very best and the highlight of
their live shows to this day!
7. Ace of Spades – Motorhead: Their
most recognizable song, but a band that new bands still rip off.
8. Mr. Crowley – Ozzy Osbourne:
Ozzy and Randy Rhoads, what more needs to be said? Ozzy came out and proved
not only that there was life after Sabbath but Randy introduced classical
music into the formula and helped pave the way for the metal to come.
9. 2112 Overture – Rush: Epic and
it still sounds groundbreaking.
10. Come on Feel The Noize – Quiet Riot:
The song that launched metal firmly into the public consciousness. This
song helped QR go down in metal history as the first metal band to ever
score a no. 1 album.
11. Hells Bells – AC/DC: one
of the greatest songs ever written. I still get chills hearing Angus' guitar
intro. Proved that AC/DC could carry on after the tragic death of
Bon and in fact this album became one of the biggest sellers of all time.
12. Cowboys From Hell – Pantera:
Just when the mainstream pinheads supposedly in the know were writing metal
off as dead (with Metallica's sell out), Pantera came out with this album,
kicked it up a notch and brought REAL metal firmly into the 90s.
I picked this song because it was the one that started the assault!
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