What are the top ten heavy metal bands?
This should be easy I thought. To throw in a twist in honour of the way @JamesAltucher - challenge instigator may approach the challenge - I have purely let my iTunes Data choose this for me / and resisted all non-data backed assumptions.
Data Background?
- Metal Muso / diehard from 13 (1993) to 18 (1998) without parallel (all I listened to, in a metal band, my life).
- in 1999 began architectural school - my life passion since, continuing to my current architecture company, mentoring, lecturing to this day (41, 2022).
This has led to 2 interesting inputs.
Any ripped-tape I had, recorded off the radio, etc, I eventually saved and purchased the CD in solidarity with my Muso idols. I started this at 13 and continue to this day.
The first Mac I bought (apple G5 1st edition that with cinema screen cost me $28,000 AUD (80% of my student architect salary over 2 years 2002-2003 saved !!!) to run early BIM 3D software to finish my masters degree 2004-2005 - meant that from 2004 I only hand entered (and manually typed!) each disc, song name and genre.
To this date (2022), I do not have a Spotify account, do not stream apple music and ensure to physically buy each CD.
So - the data is rock solid from 2004-2022.
That has missed my peak metal-lifestyle years, I Might make a second list including those perfect albums flogged to death.
Here we go!
(edit - I'll return to this post and flesh out key details)
1. Pantera
Early groove-oriented metal, not just thrash but groovy. The Reinvention story a few terrible glam albums before the real kick off the real deal. As with the Beatles, an 'instant success' (after 10s of 1000s of hours of touring and false starts.
The quartet:
Vocalist Phil. Legitimately angry with the ability to hit notes and falsettos since since the ditched-glam sensibility like a spice used very sparingly (Mouth for War) . Pre hard drug addiction of latter years - on fire.
Guitarist (in my opinion!) the best guitarist of all time - Dimebag Darrell. World ending, completely original riffs. Unbelievably virtuoso and original solo's. His 'pinch harmonics' - in a pre digital world it was simply impossible to make this sounds, without his talent, invention - used sparingly (Cemetery Gates). In Sync with his brother drummer (Vinny). Maybe flew too high. Was murdered on stage after the disbandment of Pantera by a fan - heartbreaking.
Drummer Vinne Paul (Dimes Brother) - total lockstep. Sometimes the groove / power / asymmetry of Dimes riffs would inform lock step beats. (A New Level ). Sometimes insane Rhythms would come from Vinnie, and Dime would respond with minimal accents. (Primal Concrete Sledge).
Bassist Rex - not showy / virtuoso (Cliff early Metallica, or metal adjacent Les from Primus or teh epic Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) - understood there was an absolutely 1 pf a kind riff-beat-symbiosis between the brothers - and picked (not finger picked) - in total lock step with them both. (Cowboys from Hell)
Essential Albums:
- Cowboys from Hell 1990
- Vulgar Display of Power 1992
*A iTunes score - 156 x
2. Devin Townsend
*score - 151x
(not including Strapping Young Lad)
3. Deftones
*score - 99x
4. Sepultura
*score - 92x
5. Strapping Young Lad
*score - 82x
(not including any other Devin Townsend project / band)
6. KoRn
*score - 68x
Forgive me. I said I would honour the data!
7. Tool
*score - 66x
8. Fear Factory
*score - 59x
9. Rage Against The Machine
*score - 53x
10. Metallica
*score - 52x
No comments.