What are your top 10 favorite metal songs?
Hey there, metalheads! I had an opportunity to share some of my favorite songs in a different website chat, and of course they're all metal. I like that thread enough to wonder why we never had a thread like that here. So here it is, my top 10 favorite metal songs, one per metal genre!
10. Melodic/technical deathcore: The Crimson Armada - Guardians
9. Gothic metal: Type O Negative - Love You to Death
8. Death-doom: Paradise Lost - Gothic
7. Epic death-doom: Draconian - Death Come Near Me
6. Progressive thrash metal: Nevermore - The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
5. Melodic death metal: In Flames - Moonshield
4. Groove metal: Lamb of God - Laid to Rest
3. Progressive metal: Between the Buried and Me - White Walls
2. Power metal: DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames
Honorable mentions:
Folk-melodeath: Wintersun - Starchild
Symphonic metal: Within Temptation - Mother Earth
And finally, #1:
Metalcore: Trivium - In Waves
Do any of you have any top 10 favorite metal songs? Please share!
Just off the top of my head and subject to constant change:
1. I Am the Black Wizards - Emperor
2. Cromlech - Solstice
3. Killers - Iron Maiden
4. Creeping Death - Metallica
5. Watching From A Distance - Warning
6. Raining Blood - Slayer
7. Servants of the Warsmen - Winter
8. Jewel Throne - Celtic Frost
9. The Usher - Subrosa
10. Freezing Moon - Mayhem
... shit, but then what about Motorhead - Overkill, Enslaved - Lifandi liv undir hamri, Grand Magus - The Hunt, Sabbath - Into the Void, Darkthrone - In the Shadow of the Horns, Panopticon - Bodies Under the Falls, Winterfylleth - Mam Tor (The Shivering Mountain), Electric Wizard - Funeralopolis, Reverend Bizarre - Goddess of Doom, Venenum - Trance of Death - Part III: There Are Other Worlds... and a thousand others. This too difficult man!!
Ok then how about I increase it to top 20 favorite songs to make it a little easier for any member who has tons of favorite metal songs. I'll demonstrate tomorrow...
My top 20 favorite metal songs, two per metal genre:
20. The Crimson Armada - Guardians (melodic/technical deathcore)
19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (melodic/technical deathcore)
18. Septicflesh - Persepolis (symphonic metal)
17. Eluveitie - Inis Mona (folk-melodeath)
16. Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts (gothic metal)
15. Type O Negative - Love You to Death (gothic metal)
14. My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans (epic death-doom)
13. Draconian - Death Come Near Me (epic death-doom)
12. Vektor - Forests of Legend (progressive thrash metal)
11. Nevermore - The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover) (progressive thrash metal)
10. Sabaton - Twilight of the Thunder God (Amon Amarth cover) (power metal)
9. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (melodic death metal)
8. In Flames - Moonshield (melodic death metal)
7. Mastodon - The Czar (progressive metal)
6. Wintersun - Starchild (folk-melodeath)
5. Within Temptation - Mother Earth (symphonic metal)
4. Between the Buried and Me - White Walls (progressive metal)
3. All That Remains - Two Weeks (metalcore)
2. DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (power metal)
Honorable mentions:
Paradise Lost - Gothic (death-doom)
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest (groove metal)
And finally, #1:
Trivium - In Waves (metalcore)
Before I give mine, are you specifically looking for one or 2 per genre? All top 10 - maybe even 20 - would be Thrash, Doom and Death metal otherwise.
My favorites, limited to one per artist
10. Persefone - Shin-Ken (Parts 1 & 2)
9. Insomium - The Killjoy
8. Slipknot - Vermillion
7. DOOM:VS - Oblivion Upon Us
6. Swallow the Sun - Hold This Woe
5. In Flames - Evil in a Closet
4. 40 Watt Sun - This Alone
3. Slayer - Killing Fields
2. X Japan - Say Anything
1. Mar de Grises - For Just an Eternity
Honorable mentions
Some non-metal songs by metal artists would be there, but I wanted to stick purely to metal : Opeth -To Bid You Farewell, Anathema - Inner Silence
Strong contenders: Katatonia - Rainroom, Queensryche - Screaming in Digital, Angel Dust - Marching for Revenge, Exodus - Strike of the Beast
Cool list, SilentScream! I'm gonna list some songs from your list that I'm thrilled and surprised about. And I mean the good kind of surprised, not the criticizing surprised.
"Thrilling" songs:
Persefone - Shin-Ken (Parts 1 & 2)
A superb underrated two-track epic.
Katatonia - Rainroom
Also great, though I like "Brave" a little more.
"Surprising" songs:
In Flames - Evil in a Closet
Beginning their move into their current alt-metal era, out of their greater melodeath past.
Anathema - Inner Silence
Beginning their move into their current alt-prog rock era, out of their greater gothic death-doom past.
Haha thanks man, yeah I tend to really like songs that don't seem to stand out to most people. In Flames for example - Evil in a Closet is one of their most mellow songs, but the lyrics and delivery of that song hit me way harder than any dual guitar assault from their melodeath era. All the songs I picked had some sort of emotional effect on me; these always stick with me more than something that just sounds really cool.
Man, this is seriously difficult... here's a first attempt, although I admit I've never made a best song list before.
In no particular order...
My Dying Bride – The Sexuality of Bereavement
Blut aus Nord – Our Blessed Frozen Cells
Burzum – Det som en gang var
Carcass – Incarnated Solvent Abuse
Opeth – Bleak
Disembowelment – Cerulean Transience of All My Imagined Shores
Shape of Despair - ...To Live for My Death...
Morbid Angel – Fall from Grace
Slayer – Raining Blood
The Ruins of Beverast – Takitum Tootem (Trance)
It was always part of my Angel and the Dark River experience, as I owned the digipak version from day one. Yes, it was out of place on that album, but it was also the best thing about it (and that's not a criticism, I love the rest of the album). Incredible track!
Interestingly, I bought the standard "The Angel & The Dark River" CD (i.e. not the digipack) immediately upon release & "The Sexuality Of Bereavement" was included on it so I don't think it was limited to the digipack.
I did it! I listened to "The Sexuality of Bereavement", and it is indeed an incredible track, one of their best! My newly updated review for The Angel and the Dark River explains what I like about it. Anyway, here's my updated list, again two songs per metal genre:
20. The Crimson Armada - Guardians (melodic/technical deathcore)
19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (melodic/technical deathcore)
18. Septicflesh - Persepolis (symphonic metal)
17. Eluveitie - Inis Mona (folk-melodeath)
16. Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts (gothic metal)
15. Type O Negative - Love You to Death (gothic metal)
14. Katatonia - Brave (epic death-doom)
13. My Dying Bride - The Sexuality of Bereavement (epic death-doom)
12. Persefone - Shin-Ken (Parts 1 & 2) (progressive metal)
11. Nevermore - The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover) (progressive thrash metal)
10. Sabaton - Twilight of the Thunder God (Amon Amarth cover) (power metal)
9. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (melodic death metal)
8. In Flames - Moonshield (melodic death metal)
7. Vektor - Forests of Legend (progressive thrash metal)
6. Wintersun - Starchild (folk-melodeath)
5. Within Temptation - Mother Earth (symphonic metal)
4. Between the Buried and Me - White Walls (progressive metal)
3. All That Remains - Two Weeks (metalcore)
2. DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (power metal)
Honorable mentions:
Paradise Lost - Gothic (death-doom)
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest (groove metal)
And finally, #1:
Trivium - In Waves (metalcore)
In no order (and I could probably write a new one of these by lunchtime):
Bolt Thrower - The Killchain - Those Once Loyal (2005)
Vektor - Forests of Legend - Black Future (2009)
Opeth - Face of Melinda - Still Life (1999)
Asphyx - The Krusher - Last One On Earth (1992)
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss - Seasons In The Abyss (1990)
Deep Purple - Child in Time - In Rock (1970)
Blut Aus Nord - Procession of the Dead Clowns - The Work Which Transforms God (2003)
Gorguts - The Battle for Chamdo - Colored Sands (2013)
Altarage - Altars - Nihl (2016)
Sepultura - Troops of Doom - Morbid Visions (1986)
Insomnium - "Winter's Gate" (Is this cheating?)
Bell Witch - "Mirror Reaper" (I think this is cheating.)
Dream Theater - "A Change Of Seasons" (This is definitely cheating.)
Opeth - "Blackwater Park"
Blind Guardian - "Another Holy War"
Moonsorrow - "Pimeä"
Gojira - "Flying Whales"
In Flames - "The Jester Race"
Inter Arma - "Citadel"
Wilderun - "Far From Where Dreams Unfurl"
Favorite songs have always been impossible for me to personally nail down, but I figured I'd throw something in here anyway.
Bell Witch - "Mirror Reaper" (I think this is cheating.)
The first "how could I have missed this?" moment just happened for me.
I must admit, I shied away from tracks that are an entire album, otherwise I would also have seriously considered including Mirror Reaper, along with Monolithe III and Ogre's Plague of the Planet. But I agree with Xephyr, after 44 years of listening to metal this is a nigh-on impossible task!
Insomnium - "Winter's Gate" (Is this cheating?)
Bell Witch - "Mirror Reaper" (I think this is cheating.)
Dream Theater - "A Change Of Seasons" (This is definitely cheating.)
Opeth - "Blackwater Park"
Blind Guardian - "Another Holy War"
Moonsorrow - "Pimeä"
Gojira - "Flying Whales"
In Flames - "The Jester Race"
Inter Arma - "Citadel"
Wilderun - "Far From Where Dreams Unfurl"
Favorite songs have always been impossible for me to personally nail down, but I figured I'd throw something in here anyway.
Great list, Xephyr! Though I also had a small "How could I miss this?!" moment when I saw Gojira - "Flying Whales". And don't worry, you're not cheating. 20+ minute epics are welcome here. I'm trying to make this thread as inclusive as possible. Personally, if I had the chance to include a few 20+ minute epics in my list, I would also include Dream Theater - "A Change of Seasons", along with Seventh Wonder's "The Great Escape" and Edge of Sanity's "Crimson I+II".
Ever since Sonny92 started his "What is (are) your favourite non-album track(s)?" thread just now, I feel like reserving my favorite songs that aren't in full-length albums for that thread. I also wanted to update my list again to include a few previously mentioned tracks that I felt bad for not including. So here's another update to my list, still two per genre:
20. The Crimson Armada - Guardians (melodic/technical deathcore)
19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (melodic/technical deathcore)
18. Septicflesh - Persepolis (symphonic metal)
17. Eluveitie - Inis Mona (folk-melodeath)
16. Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts (gothic metal)
15. Type O Negative - Love You to Death (gothic metal)
14. Katatonia - Brave (epic death-doom)
13. Draconian - Death Come Near Me (epic death-doom)
12. Gojira - Flying Whales (progressive metal)
11. Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons (progressive metal)
10. Revocation - Anthem of the Betrayed (progressive thrash metal)
9. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side (power metal)
8. At the Gates - Blinded by Fear (melodic death metal)
7. In Flames - Moonshield (melodic death metal)
6. Vektor - Forests of Legend (progressive thrash metal)
5. Wintersun - Starchild (folk-melodeath)
4. Within Temptation - Mother Earth (symphonic metal)
3. All That Remains - Two Weeks (metalcore)
2. DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (power metal)
Honorable mentions:
Paradise Lost - Gothic (death-doom)
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest (groove metal)
And finally, #1:
Trivium - In Waves (metalcore)
Regarding single track albums, I seriously considered including Edge of Sanity's Crimson, but it did feel a bit like cheating.
@MacabreEternal, I originally had Procession of the Dead Clowns, but for some reason it felt odd to have an entirely instrumental track as one of my top 10 tracks. On hindsight, I should have left it as it was. Lifechanging track!
Regarding single track albums, I seriously considered including Edge of Sanity's Crimson, but it did feel a bit like cheating.
I would've included Edge of Sanity's Crimson, both I & II, if I felt up to adding in a couple mega-long epics. 20+ minute/single-track album epics are welcome here. I'm trying to make this thread as inclusive as possible.