Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980, the group is known for lyrics based on fantasy and mythology, as well as numerous songs celebrating the genre and its core audience. The band is also known for a loud and emphatic sound. In an interview for MTV in February 2007, bassist Joey DeMaio lamented that "these days, there's a real lack of big, epic metal that is drenched with crushing guitars and choirs and orchestras... so it's nice to be one of the few bands that's actually doing that". In 1984, the band was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for delivering the loudest performance, a record which they have since broken on two occasions. They also hold the world record for the longest heavy metal concert after playing for five hours and 1 minute in Bulgaria in 2008. They also have been known for their slogan "Death to false metal". The band maintains a strong cult following.
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to concentrate further on the band that would eventually become Dream Theater. Their current lineup consists of Petrucci, Myung, vocalist James LaBrie, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Mangini.
Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band formed in 1992. The group released their first EP, Under the Moonspell, in 1994 and followed up with their debut album, Wolfheart, a year later. They quickly became the most recognizable metal band from Portugal and a key figure in gothic metal.
Gwar, often stylized in all caps as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Despite the death of frontman and lead singer Dave Brockie in 2014, the group has continued, albeit without any of its founding members.
Cathedral were a doom metal band from Coventry, England. The group gained attention upon release of its debut album, Forest of Equilibrium (1991), which is considered a classic of the genre. However, the band's sound evolved quickly and began to adopt characteristics of 1970s metal, hard rock and progressive rock. After releasing ten full-length albums and touring extensively for over two decades, Cathedral broke up after the release of The Last Spire in 2013.
Esoteric is an English funeral doom metal band from Birmingham founded in 1992. Releasing seven studio albums, and a demo, the band is widely regarded as among the first groups to develop the funeral doom style. The band has named a variety of groups as influences, such as metal bands Morbid Angel and My Dying Bride, more "trippy" artists such as Pink Floyd, Spacemen 3, and King Crimson, and the industrial and dark ambient genres.
Eyehategod is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Throughout the years, their core lineup has remained, with the exceptions of the bassist, a slot in which several musicians have played, and the death of drummer Joey LaCaze in 2013. As of 2021, the band has released seven studio albums.
Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda are the only members of Death Angel to appear on all of their studio albums.
Solitude Aeturnus is an American epic doom metal band that was started in early 1987 as Solitude in Arlington, Texas. Their vocalist, Robert Lowe, was also the singer for the doom metal band Candlemass between 2007 and 2012. Former bassist Lyle Steadham is now guitarist and lead vocalist for the band Ghoultown.
Monstrosity is an American death metal band which originated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during the Florida death metal scene of the early 1990s.
Nocturnus, currently Nocturnus AD, is an American death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning. They were known for their science-fiction themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unknown in extreme metal at the time. The 1990 debut from the band is considered by some to the first progressive death metal album.
Hi-Standard is a Japanese punk rock band formed in 1991 by bassist and lead vocalist Akihiro Nanba, guitarist and vocalist Ken Yokoyama, and drummer Akira Tsuneoka. The release Making the Road sparked sold-out Japan shows and US/European tours with punk bands such as NOFX, No Use for a Name, and Wizo. Although the members of Hi-Standard are Japanese, all of the band's major releases are sung in English.
Come My Fanatics… is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Electric Wizard. The album was released in January 1997 on Rise Above Records and was produced by Rolf Startin, Mike Hurst and band member Jus Oborn. It was the group's follow-up to their eponymous album Electric Wizard. Oborn described the release as a reaction to the music on the earlier album, which he had felt was not as heavy as he wanted the group to sound. The songs on Come My Fanatics… were described by Lee Dorrian, Rise Above Records owner, as breaking from the traditional doom metal style, with an unpolished and chaotic approach.
Novembers Doom is an American death-doom band from Chicago, currently signed to Prophecy Productions. Along with Evoken and Rigor Sardonicous, Novembers Doom is one of the earliest American death-doom bands still active today.
Demon is an English heavy metal band, formed in 1979 by vocalist Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner, both hailing from Leek, Staffordshire. The band is considered important to the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
Internal Void is an American doom metal band from Frederick, Maryland.
Orodruin is an American doom metal band from Rochester, New York, who play traditional doom as part of the style's early-2000s revival, playing alongside bands like Reverend Bizarre, While Heaven Wept, and Penance. Their sophomore release Ruins of Eternity came out on Cruz Del Sur Records October 25th, 2019.
Beneath Oblivion is an American four-piece Cincinnati, Ohio-based doom metal band. Since forming in 2003 they have released a demo in 2004, a full-length album in 2006, a 10" split in 2007, a self-titled 10" EP in 2009, a 7" split and a 2xLP in 2011. They are said to have the loud and heavy elements of sludge American underground, with DIY/punk ideas, ethics and touring style; Open minded to many different forms of music, sound and experimentation, but with more European funeral doom and death metal influences than anything.
Manilla Road was an American heavy metal band from Wichita, Kansas, founded by Mark "The Shark" Shelton and Scott "Scooter" Park. Beginning in 1977, the early years of Manilla Road were spent playing mostly progressive rock and space rock but eventually became noticeably heavier with time, the band's later heavy metal sound becoming more and more apparent with the release of Metal in 1982.
Solace of Requiem is an extreme metal band originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia. The group formed in 2001 with traditional death metal roots but began combining elements of technical death metal and black metal by the time of their 2010 release. Their 2014 album, Casting Ruin, is often referred to as part of the subgenre known as technical blackened death metal.
