5 Essential Metal Songs from People Who Aren't Really into Metal

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1. Hypocrisy - "Carved Up"
2. At the Gates - "Under a Serpent Sun"
3. Eyehategod - "Dixie Whiskey"
4. Sleep - "Dopesmoker"
5. Entombed - "Full of Hell"

So there's some dirty laundry. I know I'm not the only one, and I swear I'm not really into metal.

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Monday, 11 September 2006 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

Wheres ace of spades ?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Monday, 11 September 2006 21:20 (nineteen years ago)

Define "metal"

Anyway, my 5 songs that may not be considered "metal" by hardcore metal fans, but which do still feature enough of those elements to be defined as "metal" by myself.

1. Jump - Van Halen
2. Temples Of Syrinx - Rush
3. Photograph - Def Leppard
4. Over The Hills And Far Away - Gary Moore
5. Animal - Def Leppard

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 11 September 2006 21:24 (nineteen years ago)

1.-5. Supernaut

― xero (xero), Monday, 11 September 2006 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway, my 5 songs that may not be considered "metal" by hardcore metal fans, but which do still feature enough of those elements to be defined as "metal" by myself.

1. Jump - Van Halen
2. Temples Of Syrinx - Rush
3. Photograph - Def Leppard
4. Over The Hills And Far Away - Gary Moore
5. Animal - Def Leppard

sir, it is sometimes easier to establish what something isn't rather than what it is. I can't pass comment on the rush or GM tunes, not having heard them, but certainly the halen and leppard tracks are not even remotely metal.

halen certainly did record some heavy tunes and some great ones, but 'jump' is neither. it's pure pop, albeit with a guitar solo and long hair.

as for def leppard...hmmm. again, long mullets and guitars doth not a metal band make. at best, soft rock. did you know kerrang! used to write about michael bolton?

so I'm curious, what are the elements you see in these songs that make them metal? for me, metal requires a certain sonic density, a heaviness, an abrasive rawness, a sense of irresistible propulsion, be it turbocharged or glacial. plus guitars shaped like medieval weaponry and an abiding love of satan.

― guanoman (mister the guanoman), Monday, 11 September 2006 21:40 (nineteen years ago)

geir: i agree with guanoman here; i don't think that list can be considered metal. i think you may be trying to be funny and are succeeding. certainly your list IS hard rock; like of the hard rock cafe ilk, or arena rock for that matter. i'm gonna try to define here: keyboards are a no no, but can fit, never will they hold down the melody. and melody is certainly not essential, we're talking very percussive guitars that are loud as hell. think bevis and butthead interpretations of songs. (duh duh da da da da duh!) and certainly there should be some screaming in the vocals at some point during the song. underlying themes in the lyrics of brutality, death, destruction. i guess i kinda am into metal, but anyways here's my list

1. rust in peace/polaris- megadeth
2. sanitarium- metallica
3. mandatory suicide- slayer
4. walk- pantera
5. anything by venom

i'll go back to sleep now.

― jdchurchill (jdchurchill), Monday, 11 September 2006 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

i'm not even into it enough to make a list - certainly not with all the metalists who don't like metal around. sometimes i feel guilty about not really being into metal, but what can you do? i like it on the radio, but then any metal i can hear on the radio probably doesn't count, huh fellas?.

― consigliere (consigliere), Monday, 11 September 2006 22:06 (nineteen years ago)

Well most of those bands were considered metal at the time. Had fans who described themselves as metal fans. It's not their fault more extreme bands came along.

Anyway i'll leave this to Chuck N George who I'm sure will have far more to say on the matter.
x-posts

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Monday, 11 September 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

DOPESMOKER ABOVE ALL

― trees (treesessplode), Monday, 11 September 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

i'd definitely consider early van halen to be heavy metal.

― Emily B (Emily B), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 02:51 (nineteen years ago)

It's not Slayer but "Temples of Syrinx" actually is pretty heavy (especially for 1977), with percussive guitars, screaming, and dystopian lyrics.

― Sundar (sundar), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 02:57 (nineteen years ago)

i'd definitely consider early van halen to be heavy metal.

some of it is, aye - fools, unchained, I'm the one, hot for teacher, loss of control, DOA, etc, etc. but jump? nah.

― guanoman (mister the guanoman), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 06:31 (nineteen years ago)

That thread title's kinda misleading/confusing. Unclear whether it means "Metal for non-metal fans" or "Metal from non-metal bands".

― Myonga Von Baffled (Monty Von Byonga), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 07:07 (nineteen years ago)

haha. yeah, it's unclear whether the person posting is not into metal, or At the Gates is not into metal. somebody clarify ... was At the Gates really into metal?!

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 08:18 (nineteen years ago)

pfunkboy otm Rush/Leppard/Foreigner et al were staples of early issues of Kerrang.

As a non-metal fan my top 5 would be

1. Ace of Spades - Motorhead
2. Hit and Run - Girlschool
3. Evil (In league with satan) - Venom
4. Rainbow rising - Rainbow
5. You shook me all night long - AC/DC

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 08:48 (nineteen years ago)

OK, without looking at this thread, I would say:

1. Motorhead - Motorhead
2. Paranoid - Black Sab
3. Breaking the Law - Judas Priest
4. Don't fear the reaper

sorry, bored now.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 08:51 (nineteen years ago)

an iconic list:

metallica - for whom the bell tolls
megadeth - holy wars... the punishment due
slayer - raining blood
black sabbath - into the void
iron maiden - the trooper

a more extreme list:

opeth - godhead's lament
dark tranquillity - insanity's crescendo
emperor - with strength i burn
my dying bride - the cry of mankind
opeth - bleak

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

Recommending "Dopesmoker" is like putting a banana peel at the top of a very long and steep flight of stairs. Shame on you.

Pick something from the first Montrose album. Everything smokes on it.

― Urnst Kouch (Urnst Kouch), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

but certainly the halen and leppard tracks are not even remotely metal.

They have loud guitars, fast guitar solos and screaming high-pitched vocals. Makes them metal to me.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

whut, like Prince?

― Dr. Alicia B. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:01 (nineteen years ago)

(cue "black metal" jokes)

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

...who also got a Kerrang cover in the mid 80s apparently.

x-post

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

b-b-but his studded jacket makes him a punk, so he can't be metal.

― Dr. Alicia B. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:13 (nineteen years ago)

Well here is what Kerrang considered metal in their end of year polls from 1982-2005

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:20 (nineteen years ago)

1984 and 1985 may be of particular interest.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:24 (nineteen years ago)

roffle at Tom Petty

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:24 (nineteen years ago)

Frankie Goes to Hollywood?

― Dr. Alicia B. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:32 (nineteen years ago)

Big surprise: Thread morph into ~~booger~~ extreme metal fan telling others, not exclusively into ~~booger~~extreme metal, "But that's not metal!"

Thumbs up to the Brigadier, always a fave character from old Who, for being gracious and sensible.

I nominate
Blood Duster's "It's Just Not Metal" and "I Wanna Do It With a Donna" which covers the debate from A to Z, or is that AIIZ?

― Urnst Kouch (Urnst Kouch), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

Burzum - Stemmen Fra Taarnet.

Catchiest riff out there.

― MRZBW (MRZBW), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

Those Kerrang lists get worse and worse as you scroll down.

― lrsn (larssen), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 22:23 (nineteen years ago)

91-95ish isnt too bad.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 22:27 (nineteen years ago)

Scratch 95. Thats pretty poor actually. At least the screaming trees won in 1996 and Qotsa won twice.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 22:28 (nineteen years ago)

It's bad.

― MRZBW (MRZBW), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 22:29 (nineteen years ago)

Heres the terrorizer ones http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/terroris.htm

The site doesnt seem to have the RAW lists anymore :(

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 23:56 (nineteen years ago)

1. Dio - Rainbow in the Dark
2. Metallica - One
3. Pantera - Walk
4. Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction
5. W.A.S.P. - Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)

something like that

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 01:28 (nineteen years ago)

the terrorizer lists are fairly corny

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

The Terrozizer lists are a lot better than the Kerrang lists.

― Marty Innerlogic (marty innerlogic), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 12:22 (nineteen years ago)

Heres the Metal Hammer ones http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/metal.htm

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 12:41 (nineteen years ago)

I think I qualify for this~

Entombed - "About to Die"
Entombed - "Year One Now"
Slayer - "Reign in Blood"
Slayer - "Angel of Death"

Sorry, only 4! I'm really, really not into metal.

I somehow came upon these songs in the early days of my internet music wanderings, and I think they pretty effectively gave me a sense of Metal's ability to just overpower and pummel the listener.

― Yoshinorimike (Yoshinorimike), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

Those Kerrang lists aren't supposed to just be metal, are they? Surely even in the early 80s no one considered "Every Breath You Take" or "Relax" to be metal?

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

It will stop people saying "oh kerrang isn't as good as it used to be" at least then.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 22:03 (nineteen years ago)

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