I'm going to come up with a 'fu
ck boring' list for now and fill in a little detail, then try to come back when I have more time.
Bathory
Aside from being among the greatest songwriters in the history of metal, they basically created the classic black metal sound and
Blood Fire Death is easily one of the greatest black metal albums ever, if not the greatest. It builds on all the power and intricacy of
Ride the Lightning era Metallica and takes it to a new level of chaotic fury.
Venom
They were the first extreme metal band, so that counts for something, but they were also good at writing catchy riffs and I think they set a good precedent for the genre by playing really sloppy and imprecise - it gives extreme metal a certain charm it wouldn't otherwise have.
Morbid Angel
As far as ugly, dissonant songwriting goes, MA are the masters of it. Their songs are almost always interesting in terms of structure and riffwork, and work on a level of creepiness that few bands can manage. Azagthoth is an incredible guitarist with a style all his own, possibly the closest any guitarist has ever come to making his instrument sound like the very wails of the damned. With all the bizarre twists and turns he puts in his solos, they seem to just pull one's brain apart slowly. Unbelievably talented band overall.
Other bands I'd rank up there as well:
* Darkthrone
* Dimmu Borgir
* Opeth
* Emperor
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoathsomePete
Therion
Starting off as a death metal band but turning more into a symphonic metal band later on in their career, they really made the jump from one style to another seem natural, graceful, and elegant. Their orchestral arrangements for their later albums are very strategically placed that add a whole new element to the band and Christofer Johnsson comes across as an incredibly intelligent and interesting man who I'd love to sit down and have a drink with and pick his brain about his thoughts on metal and the world. I was very upset when I found they were playing Vancouver a few years ago and I couldn't go because I was leaving for the UK a week earlier, however along with Hypocrisy, they are a band that I am determined to see live, even if I have to travel to Wacken to do it.
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Therion weren't very exceptional as a death metal act, and only really became notable because of their symphonic metal, so I don't think they belong on a list like this.