Best hard rock/heavy metal band

[Melodist]

On a similar note, i just had a conversation with a friend of mine about a list of top five punk bands the other day. We could agree on (in no specific order) The Misfits, The Ramones, The Clash, and Social Distortion. He insists on The Sex Pistols as belonging on the list, which I think they contributed more to a popular image of punk than anything else. I would prefer to give the remaining spot to Operation Ivy for their influence on punk and ska that continues to this day and for the influence of what would later on come from the formation of Rancid from two of the members and the influence that Tim Armstrong has had through the formation of Hellcat Records.

 

[Iconodule]

I'm not sure if they were the best punk band per se, but the best band to come out of the old school punk scene was definitely Siouxsie and the Banshees.

 

[Iconodule]

My favorite punk bands tend to cross the line into thrash. Cryptic Slaughter, for instance.

 

[Symeon77]

On a similar note, i just had a conversation with a friend of mine about a list of top five punk bands the other day. We could agree on (in no specific order) The Misfits, The Ramones, The Clash, and Social Distortion. He insists on The Sex Pistols as belonging on the list, which I think they contributed more to a popular image of punk than anything else. I would prefer to give the remaining spot to Operation Ivy for their influence on punk and ska that continues to this day and for the influence of what would later on come from the formation of Rancid from two of the members and the influence that Tim Armstrong has had through the formation of Hellcat Records.

What's the criteria for judging this?

I would say all of the examples you and your friend agreed upon fall pretty squarely within the pop/ punk formula (early Social D.-prior to Mommy's Little Monster- and the later, thrashier Misfits stuff notwithstanding) so I think this is narrowing the field a bit. Punk was diverse enough to include bands falling outside of this form. So I would concede that early Ramones were important for this form and The Clash were pretty important too, as one of the first (way before Op. Ivy!) to showcase country, dub and ska influence in punk. The others, though popular, I think were less influential as innovators. If we are speaking in terms of influence and innovation, I would say unquestionably The Stooges, particularly Raw Power- era, for their influence on what would become the early N.Y. and U.K. punk movements a few years hence. It's awfully hard to narrow down to five but I suppose my list might go something like this:

1. (Iggy & The) Stooges (Raw Power, 1973, in particular, as mentioned above)

2. Pere Ubu (first two singles from 1975... for their influence on later, artier punk and post-punk bands mostly. Joy Division were hugely influenced, as were Wire and Johnny Rotten- esp. pertaining to his work in P.I.L., and Mission of Burma- see below- to mention but a few.)

3. Black Flag (Pre- Henry era right up to Damaged, 1981, for their influence on the first wave of hardcore punk, and for basically giving birth to the form as we know it- Middle Class' first single, Weirdos 'Solitary Confinement', and Crime 'Hot Wire My Heart' notwithstanding.)

4. Discharge (early singles (1980) and Why?, 1981, for the huge influence on what would become known as the Crust, Grindcore, and Thrash genres... Amebix, Siege, Napalm Death, Septic Death, etc... heck, even Metallica, all list them as a key influence.)

5. Mission of Burma (Signals, Calls & Marches EP: 1981, VS. LP: 1982, for melding art-punk/post-punk, hardcore and early new wave ala Television. Their influence on artists as diverse as Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Unwound, early R.E.M. they helped spawn the 'indie rock' genre and what came to be known as 'emo-core', though not what passes as 'emo' now, which is a-historical, polished, dilletantish rubbish)

Like I say, hard to narrow down. But, FWIW, my subjective enumeration of a tentative top five. Velvet Underground- first album and White Light/White Heat- and first Ramones record should probably be here too, which would bring it to seven.

 

[Melodist]

Nice. Some good stuff there.

 

[Dominika]

You keep speaking as though popularity decides who is better, but I don't think that's the case. I think Metallica was good at getting popular (even before One/Black album), Megadeth was good at technically interesting (if often disjointed) songs, Slayer was good at their whole evil shtick, and Anthrax was... er... Anthrax.

That's not only about the popularity. But, of course, Metallica has written more songs that people listen to them also nowadays. But it's also important they're more melodical, so deeper than Slayer's ones. As for Megadeth, certainly sometimes I listen to the, but they're not so great, maybe because of Mustaine's vocal. And as for solo parts, Metallica due to Kirk Hammet is very good. And I like Anthrax I was positively surpsied by them at the concert.

 

[Charles Martel]

No mention of Godsmack here yet?

Maybe not my nomination for best, but pretty damn good.

I always thought they had a hard driving sound and the lead singer has one powerful voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYjZK_6i37M

 

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

Just a side note... I'm not really a Soundgarden fan, but I like some of their stuff. Never understood why "Black Hole Sun" was a bigger hit than "Fell On Black Days" which I love:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySzrJ4GRF7s


Selam

 

[peacenprayer]

Mastodon
AAAAAAAW YEAH. \m/(>_<)\M/

Crack the Skye, one of my favorites by them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HY6AwtnxBM

 

[Cyrillic]

Nobody mentioned Turisas?

 

[Iconodule]

Turisas are very enjoyable but they're a bit superficial. I listen to, say, a Summoning album for hours and not grow tired of it. With Turisas, I can get pumped up with "March of the Varangian Guard" maybe once every 2 months.

 

[Asteriktos]

Just a side note... I'm not really a Soundgarden fan, but I like some of their stuff. Never understood why "Black Hole Sun" was a bigger hit than "Fell On Black Days" which I love:

I am sort of in a similar situation. Superunknown was the only album by them that I really liked, but it remains one of my favorite rock albums to this day. I also thought Black Hole Sun was one of the weaker tracks on the album. *shrugs*

Mastodon
AAAAAAAW YEAH. \m/(>_<)\M/

LOL, fwiw, I've made some fanboyish posts in support of them on the forum over the years  ;D

 

[Iconodule]

I've occasionally heard things from Mastodon that I liked, but they generally get a "meh" from me. The music doesn't live up to the cover-art. Also, I can't forgive them for making such a lame video for "Blood and Thunder.