You might be surprised to find that in Forbes’ newly published 38 Greatest Metal Bands list that the publication actually gave a very positive and solid representation of extreme metal, with over ten bands making the final cut.
When it comes to all encompassing metal lists, it’s typically no surprise to see the more mainstream metal acts getting the public love in print and there are a fair share of those on this list, but having such a wealthy selection of metal’s most extreme groups is a welcome change of pace.
Which Extreme Groups Made the Forbes 38 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands?
It doesn’t take long for the list to drop you right into the extreme metal mindset, as Carcass kicks off the list at No. 38.
“Along with their fellow U.K. peers Napalm Death, Carcass played a pivotal role in expanding the extreme metal genre in the early ‘90s but with a notably more melodic presence. The band intertwined groovy blues riffs with the sheer aggression of death metal and grindcore, which helped to lay the foundations for melodic death metal in the mid ‘90s.” write Forbes in saluting the band.
They are joined by such extreme acts as At the Gates, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse, Converge, Death, Gojira, Lamb of God, Meshuggah, Napalm Death and Slipknot within the rankings.
READ MORE: Two Extreme Metal Guitarists Made Rolling Stone’s 250 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time List
Which extreme metal act placed the highest on the list? That would be the mighty nine of Slipknot, who placed seventh overall in the rankings.
“There’s not been a band that’s graced the heavy music scene this century that has brought with it the same level of hype and excitement that Slipknot had in the late ‘90s. Since 1999, the nine-piece Iowan metal outfit has gone on to become a global sensation from their exhilarating live theatrics, unrelentingly heavy songwriting and brilliant musicianship,” beamed Forbes of the masked, jumpsuit-wearing rockers.
Who Else Made the Cut?
There’s a broad representation of metal within the Forbes list. “The Big 4” of thrash metal all earned spots, but they weren’t the only thrash bands recognized. You also have prog metal icons Dream Theater, legendary pioneering acts such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, groove metal icons Pantera and more modern metal favorites such as Korn, Deftones, Rammstein, Avenged Sevenfold, Tool and System of a Down all making the cut.
Who placed where? And what notable names were left off? The full Forbes 38 Greatest Metal Bands feature is out now.
Best Metal Bands From 40 Different Subgenres
Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita
