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  16. The greatest single ever released, and hence by default the greatest metal single. That doesn’t necessarily make it the best metal song, but I can’t think of a better one.

  20. Another outside bet?
    One of those Metal songs that starts with acoustic guitar, and then gets “quite” loud.
    Complete with high pitched vocals, proggy inflections and the obligatory screaamy. shredding, musical -wankery guitar solo.
    Helloween – Keeper Of The Seven Keys

    Good song, fine album. Probably not the Greatest Metal Song because it’s not in the same “Knowledge League” as Ace Of Spades, Paranoid or Hallowed Be Thy Name

  23. Unlikely as it may seem, 20-odd years ago I was the metal reviewer for a street paper in Australia. Pantera were huge at the time and this was one of their best tracks, before it all turned to shit:

    • This is properly one of my favourite songs of all time. What a riff. The sheer grooving energy of this tune still makes me behave improperly for my age.

      The trouble with having been weaned on genuinely heavy music means that, as much as I like Sabbath and even have a sneaking love of “Am I Evil”, anything before the 80s thrash revolution doesn’t really sound like metal to me. Just heavy-ish rock.

      Guns n’ Roses were perfect, but they’re not metal.
      Mötörhead are perfect, but they’re not metal.
      Even Maiden aren’t really that metal. Well, no – they’re metal, but they’re not that heavy.

      So for me, DFB got it right with Master Of Puppets. Or anything off Metallica’s first four albums.

      • I genuinely love that Pantera track. Fabulous riff, so much energy and just little things like the way Dimebag plays behind the nut at 0:24 (and several other places).

        I made the mistake of reading the lyrics once though and realised I was too old for this shit. The words are just arrant bollocks.

        • Oh the entire lyric sheet for Vulgar Display Of Power is hilarious. It’s a cracking album, though: this, Walk, A New Level, Fucking Hostile – all amazing. But unfortunately the effect is slightly ruined by a) as you say, reading the hilarious Begbie lyrics and b) Hollow, the final track. A shit power ballad featuring twin guitar solos and Phil Anselmo making the massive strategic error of singing rather than bellowing with rage. Not that he can’t sing – he can – but it’s absolute bollocks on toast.

  27. Roots Bloody Roots by Sepultura.

    Described by Dave Grohl as “a metal track with a carnival passing through it”, it doesn’t sound like anything else. It’s heavy and rifftastic and has a dark power while still letting a bit of light in, which is not an easy balance.

    Otherwise, it has to be Metallica. One or Battery, either will do.

  33. Good thread. Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica and Slayer are heavy metal’s greatest performers.

    AC/DC and G’n’R were/are hard rock’n’roll bands. Blackmore’s Rainbow were rather more subtle, medieval power rock. Saxon And Diamond Head are B-listers though their first few albums set the template for the NWOBHM.

    Personally I’d go for this as greatest ever metal track. It ticks all the boxes: riff, solo, Satan, screaming vocals, thumping drums, great bass line.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHe6FMs46o

  38. Some excellent examples of the much derided genre that got me into music of all (well, most) descriptions.
    Hard to argue with Sabbath (Dio and Ozzy years) Metallica and the mighty Motorhead, although my favourite Maiden track is probably Wasted Years, for some reason, which doesn’t get much of a mention in any of these kind of lists. Judas Priest just passed me by and I’ve never really seen them for anything other than an almost parody band (the OTT leather and studs imagery, riding motorbikes on stage through a wall of fake Marshall stacks etc) . Millions disagree, though.

    Good to see A Light in the Black get a mention, it’s a great song. Metal? Maybe not, but a great song. As is Stargazer. As is Eyes of the World.
    AC/DC aren’t “heavy metal”, so they’re out.

    On balance, I’d probably vote, if I had to, for Puppets. With a side order of a couple that haven’t been mentioned.
    Her’s hoping the links work.
    Metallica – Creeping Death

    Ozzy – Crazy train

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