Reed's Favorite 100 Metal Songs of All Time - Finished

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

...because why not!

In this Official spin-off from the metalhead thread, I'm going to be painfully self-indulgent for 100 days as I roll out my favorite songs in this niche topic that like 6 different users ( @Brickman @Kguillemette @Hammerfestus @Murray @MrWunderful @CasualCart @guitarzombie ) care about!

A few ground rules:

1. I'm limiting myself to one song per "act." So there will be only one entry from Iron Maiden, but there could be a separate entry from Bruce Dickinson (hypothetically).
2. I'm not omniscient.  I haven't heard everything, or done a deep dive into everyone's library.  And there isn't time for me to quickly absorb the collected work of Bolt Thrower, so they're not showing up.
3. I disdain most nu metal, so you're not going to see Disturbed or Korn.
4. This is obviously one man's list, and it's subject to any of my biases.  So even though I consider myself pretty open minded, with a lot of varied tastes, a few trends will emerge.
5. I'm excluding hard rock, so in general you won't see stuff like AC/DC or Blue Oyster Cult.  But I do consider some songs by hard rock artists to be metal...
6. I'll be doing one song per day, pending any interruptions.

Blah, blah, blah.  You get the idea.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

#100: Sleep Token - The Summoning

 

 

The newest entry on this list.  It will no doubt climb with time.  But for now I'm putting it here while it's still fresh and it's overall impact on me is still fluid.

I love the mix of heavy and melancholic beauty.  I love the funky breakdown.  I love the vocal effects.  I love the atmosphere.  And I love how this song put this group on my radar, because I've jumped into everything they've done since.  These guys are gonna be huge.

[DefaultGen | 5,397]

3 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

So there will be only one entry from Iron Maiden

this list is already bullshit

[guitarzombie | 923]

I like that you said "6" but tagged 7, so I'll consider myself the outsider

[MrWunderful | 2,926]

Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad 

 

Cant wait to see so I can get some fresh licks to listen to. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,819]

Damn that hit you hard; top 100 right off the bat.  I’m pretty excited for the album.  I love some jazzy funkiness in my music.   I find myself listening to Aqua Regia even more than this one.  His vocals are so good.  

[Gloves | 11,759]

Hey I like metal where the fuck's my shoutout? Jeez!

[doner24 | 1,195]

The last part of this song sounded like The Black Keys, and not metal at all. Also, metal makes my old ears hurt. 

[Brickman | 3,978]

This is going to be crazy. Only one song per artist! Madness. I can’t wait to see what you come up with and discovering new music along the way.

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

I have to be in the right mood for the really atmospheric ambient music like that. Still very good stuff. I've always just been one for that steady beat I can groove to.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

#99: Mercenary - The Hours that Remain

The title track off the unheralded Danes' fourth album, I don't quite know how to describe the sound.  Power metal?  Melodic death metal?  Progressive?  Thrash?  All of the above?

Unfortunately they never did end up breaking through to larger acclaim, and have endured a semi-hiatus for the last decade.

[Brickman | 3,978]

4 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

#99: Mercenary - The Hours that Remain

The title track off the unheralded Danes' fourth album, I don't quite know how to describe the sound.  Power metal?  Melodic death metal?  Progressive?  Thrash?  All of the above?

Unfortunately they never did end up breaking through to larger acclaim, and have endured a semi-hiatus for the last decade.

Never heard of these guys but you weren’t kidding. Such a mixture of genres that you can’t even put them in one.

I’m really loving this track so I’ll definitely be having a listen to more of their stuff.

Has been a good start so far. You may only been posting to a small audience but you can at least know that one person is going to walk away with a lot more music on their playlist 

[MrWunderful | 2,926]

2 for 2 and we are at the bottom! 
 

@Reed Rothchild please quit your day job and live and support your family off the enjoyment Myself and others get from your lists. 
 

Cant wait for some generic metalcore/screamo

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

Oh that was right up my alley. I have a new band to explore.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

#98: Shining - Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra

Well, here we go.  The most "evil" artist on the list.  I thought about dumping it, but that didn't seem very genuine, as the number of listens I have speak for themselves.

One trend that will emerge is that with black metal I really need things to be "different" in order for the music to resonate with me.  Which is why the genre will have less than a dozen appearances on this list, and why you won't see early Mayhem or Bathory, or anything like that.

Well, with a few tiny exceptions.

This song definitely won't be for everyone.  And you have to be able to look past just how big of detestable shitbag Kvarfort is.  But if you can power through, you'll find one of the very best black metal albums of the 2000s.

[Hammerfestus | 3,819]

1 hour ago, Reed Rothchild said:

#98: Shining - Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra

Well, here we go.  The most "evil" artist on the list.  I thought about dumping it, but that didn't seem very genuine, as the number of listens I have speak for themselves.

One trend that will emerge is that with black metal I really need things to be "different" in order for the music to resonate with me.  Which is why the genre will have less than a dozen appearances on this list, and why you won't see early Mayhem or Bathory, or anything like that.

Well, with a few tiny exceptions.

This song definitely won't be for everyone.  And you have to be able to look past just how big of detestable shitbag Kvarfort is.  But if you can power through, you'll find one of the very best black metal albums of the 2000s.

Feeling kind of meh on this one.  Probably need a closer listen.   I agree with your sentiment about black metal needing something unique with it generally, be that folk, or orchestration, or Vikingness, or jazz or something.  The Trve Kvlt Black metal ist Krieg stuff is generally pretty dull.    About as close as I come is Impaled Nazarene or Immortal.  Does Immortal even count as that stuff?  
 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

Just now, Hammerfestus said:

Feeling kind of meh on this one.  Probably need a closer listen.   I agree with your sentiment about black metal needing something unique with it generally, be that folk, or orchestration, or Vikingness, or jazz or something.  The Trve Kvlt Black metal ist Krieg stuff is generally pretty dull.    About as close as I come is Impaled Nazarene or Immortal.  Does Immortal even count as that stuff?  

Well, kind of, I think.  *Spoiler* Immortal will be showing up later, with an album that I think did stretch their legs a bit.  Not a ton, but a bit.

[Hammerfestus | 3,819]

1 minute ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Well, kind of, I think.  *Spoiler* Immortal will be showing up later, with an album that I think did stretch their legs a bit.  Not a ton, but a bit.

I’m pretty intrigued by this.  I know where I’d go with it if I had to pick just one and I’m interested to see how far apart we are.

[Hammerfestus | 3,819]

Also omg how did I miss the immortal stretch your legs opportunity

 

[Brickman | 3,978]

2 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

#98: Shining - Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra

Well, here we go.  The most "evil" artist on the list.  I thought about dumping it, but that didn't seem very genuine, as the number of listens I have speak for themselves.

One trend that will emerge is that with black metal I really need things to be "different" in order for the music to resonate with me.  Which is why the genre will have less than a dozen appearances on this list, and why you won't see early Mayhem or Bathory, or anything like that.

Well, with a few tiny exceptions.

This song definitely won't be for everyone.  And you have to be able to look past just how big of detestable shitbag Kvarfort is.  But if you can power through, you'll find one of the very best black metal albums of the 2000s.

Enjoyed the music but the dudes voice doesn’t sound that great. Don’t think I’ll continue on with this band.

[G-type | 2,476]

I hope you include Pat Boone

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

9 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

#98: Shining - Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra

Well, here we go.  The most "evil" artist on the list.  I thought about dumping it, but that didn't seem very genuine, as the number of listens I have speak for themselves.

One trend that will emerge is that with black metal I really need things to be "different" in order for the music to resonate with me.  Which is why the genre will have less than a dozen appearances on this list, and why you won't see early Mayhem or Bathory, or anything like that.

Well, with a few tiny exceptions.

This song definitely won't be for everyone.  And you have to be able to look past just how big of detestable shitbag Kvarfort is.  But if you can power through, you'll find one of the very best black metal albums of the 2000s.

I'm with @Hammerfestus with this one. I agree with both of you that black metal needs something *extra* to bring it over the top. This song just isn't it for me.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

#97: Sepultura - Roots Bloody Roots

Any thrash purists might see this as a controversial call.  Arise or Chaos A.D. are generally considered the definitive works.  Thrash classics.  I don't see i.  I just hear what sounds like Slayer or Testament B-sides.

Roots, on the other hand, brought a unique identity to the table.  This album doesn't sound like anything else out there, and unfortunately it would remain that way with Max Cavalera leaving the band shortly afterwards, leaving it to kinda stand alone in the discography. And nothing the band has done since has been especially noteworthy, with the band's star remaining greatly diminished in the ensuing decades.  When I saw these guys around 2014, it was a tiny bar show, and all I could think about was how far the mighty had fallen.

Still, this is the one album that will always stay in my rotation.

Again, not something that is gonna appeal to everyone.

[doner24 | 1,195]

1 hour ago, Reed Rothchild said:

#97: Sepultura - Roots Bloody Roots

Any thrash purists might see this as a controversial call.  Arise or Chaos A.D. are generally considered the definitive works.  Thrash classics.  I don't see i.  I just hear what sounds like Slayer or Testament B-sides.

Roots, on the other hand, brought a unique identity to the table.  This album doesn't sound like anything else out there, and unfortunately it would remain that way with Max Cavalera leaving the band shortly afterwards, leaving it to kinda stand alone in the discography. And nothing the band has done since has been especially noteworthy, with the band's star remaining greatly diminished in the ensuing decades.  When I saw these guys around 2014, it was a tiny bar show, and all I could think about was how far the mighty had fallen.

Still, this is the one album that will always stay in my rotation.

Again, not something that is gonna appeal to everyone.

Saw them in 2000, funny enough Soulfly was also there. 

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

It's alright. It has that Nu-metal feel that was all the rage at the time.