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1.
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Black Sabbath The first band considered as metal. All their influence could not be described. |
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2.
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Judas Priest They brought in more melody to metal, added the twin guitar and created the traditional heavy metal sound. |
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3.
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Iron Maiden Has had a huge influence on all kind of melodic metal and also on early thrash metal bands. |
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4.
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Motörhead The first band to mix metal with punk. Had a major influence on the thrash genre. |
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5.
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Metallica The first thrash metal band to record an album. Have influenced numerous bands in different genres. |
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6.
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Venom Usually considered as the first extreme metal band. Influenced genres like black metal and thrash metal. |
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7.
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Slayer Brought in hardcore influences in thrash metal to make it more extreme, and influenced a genre like death metal. |
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8.
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Celtic Frost The first band to be described as avant-garde metal. Have had a big influence on different genres like death, black, gothic and symphonic metal. |
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9.
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Bathory Usually considered as the first pure black metal band. They also created the viking metal genre. |
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10.
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Helloween They created the power metal genre, and have influenced most of the bands in the genre since. |
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11.
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Death Created what many considered as the first pure death metal. |
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12.
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Possessed Had a huge influence on early death metal. |
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13.
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Pantera They started the groove metal genre and influenced genres like nu metal, metalcore and other forms of alternative metal. |
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14.
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Morbid Angel Brought in ultra-speed to death metal. |
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15.
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Mercyful Fate They perhaps didn't create a genre on their own, but have influenced bands in numerous genres. |
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16.
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Accept Had a big influence on early power metal, speed metal and thrash metal. |
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17.
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Paradise Lost Created the gothic metal genre. |
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18.
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At The Gates They started the Gothenburg movement and have had a major influence on the metalcore genre. |
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19.
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Melvins Created the sludge metal genre and influenced bands in alternative metal, drone metal and post metal. |
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20.
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Godflesh Created the industrial metal genre (or at least was one of the originators). Had a major influence on post metal, and also influenced drone metal and other forms of alternative metal. |
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21.
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Dream Theater Took the progressive influences more further into metal than any band before them. |
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22.
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Mayhem Although bands like Burzum, Emperor and Darkthrone have had a bigger influence for later black metal, Mayhem was the band that started the 2nd wave black metal. |
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23.
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Queensrÿche Influential for prog metal. |
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24.
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Budgie Had a huge influence on NWOBHM. |
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25.
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Sepultura Started as a death/thrash metal band but had their biggest impact on genres like nu metal and metalcore. |
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26.
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Napalm Death The first grindcore band along with Repulsion. |
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27.
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Burzum Created the atmospheric black metal genre. |
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28.
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Darkthrone The first 2nd wave black metal band to release an album. And the most cloned. |
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29.
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Ministry One of the pioneers of industrial metal. Combined industrial metal with some influences from thrash metal. |
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30.
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Manowar Made the metal more epic and bombastic. Influenced the power metal genre and also the viking metal genre. |
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31.
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Candlemass Bands like Pentagram, Trouble and Saint Vitus were earlier, but it was Candlemass who made the genre popular and influenced most forth-coming bands. |
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32.
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Diamond Head Had a big influence on thrash metal. |
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33.
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Kreator Influenced the death and black metal genres. |
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34.
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Watchtower The first technical thrash metal band, and to many also the first prog metal band. |
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35.
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Atheist The first technical death metal band. |
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36.
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Yngwie Malmsteen Created the neoclassical metal genre. |
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37.
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Exodus One of the pioneers of thrash metal. |
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38.
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Anthrax Brought in NY hardcore and rap into thrash metal. |
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39.
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Fates Warning One of the pioneers of prog metal. Has also influenced power metal bands. |
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40.
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Pentagram The first band that took Black Sabbath's doom metal sound further, although they didn't release any album until the 1980's. |
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41.
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Trouble One of the bands that is responsible for the creation of doom metal as a genre. |
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42.
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Saint Vitus Together with Trouble and Pentagram, they are responsible for the doom metal genre. They also brought in some punk influences to doom metal. |
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43.
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Repulsion Along with Napalm Death, the first grindcore band. |
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44.
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Entombed As Nihilist they could be said to be responsible for the swedish death metal scene. They brought in a hardcore element to death metal, and had a big influence for the evolution towards melodic death metal, and also started death 'n' roll |
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45.
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Obituary One of the pioneers of death metal. |
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46.
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Neurosis Created the post metal genre. |
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47.
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Suicidal Tendencies Influential for crossover thrash. |
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48.
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Emperor Created the symphonic black metal genre. |
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49.
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Autopsy Has influenced many big death metal bands and death doom bands. |
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50.
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Carcass Influential in both grindcore and melodic death metal. |
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51.
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Megadeth One of the biggest thrash metal bands. |
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52.
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Savatage Has had a big influence on American heavy metal. |
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53.
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Deicide One of the more influential in death metal. |
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54.
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My Dying Bride One of the pioneers in death doom. Brought in violins to doom metal and influenced gothic metal. |
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55.
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Theatre Of Tragedy Developed the beauty and the beast sound, and was the first one to use it on an entire album. |
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56.
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The Gathering One of the originators of gothic metal. |
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57.
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Saxon One of the first NWOBHM band. |
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58.
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Suffocation Created the brutal death metal genre. Also had a big influence on the deathcore genre. |
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59.
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Amorphis Has had a big influence in Finnish metal. Brought in some finnish folk influences. |
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60.
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Manilla Road American cult band. Influential for american power/heavy metal. |
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61.
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Fear Factory Brought industrial influences to the extreme metal scene. |
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62.
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Dio Classic heavy metal band. |
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63.
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W.A.S.P. The heaviest of the glam metal band. |
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64.
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Ozzy Osbourne The biggest influence he had was I think by the guitar-player Randy Rhoads. |
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65.
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Immortal Brought speed to black metal. |
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66.
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Sodom Influenced death and black metal. |
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67.
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Dark Angel Influenced death metal. |
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68.
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Raven Influential for thrash metal. |
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69.
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Thergothon Created the funeral doom metal genre. |
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70.
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Earth Created the drone metal genre. |
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71.
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Isis One of the pioneers of post metal. |
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72.
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Sleep Influential stoner metal band. |
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73.
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Cannibal Corpse Influential in death metal. |
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74.
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D.R.I. Influential for crossover thrash. |
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75.
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Terrorizer Classic grindcore band. |
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76.
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Cynic Took the jazz influences further into death metal than any band before. |
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77.
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Eyehategod Pioneering sludge metal band |
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78.
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Enslaved Influential in viking metal and progressive black metal. |
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79.
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Opeth Took the progressivity farther into death metal than any band before. |
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80.
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The 3rd And The Mortal Influential for atmospheric metal. |
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81.
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Blind Guardian Influential power metal band. |
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82.
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Therion Took the symphonic element further into metal than any one before. |
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83.
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In Flames The most melodic of the classic gothenburg metal bands. Influenced melodic metalcore. |
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84.
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Meshuggah Created what has been labelled as djent. |
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85.
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Rhapsody Of Fire The first symphonic power metal band. |
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86.
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Stratovarius Influential power metal band. |
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87.
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Destruction One of the big three within teutonic thrash metal. |
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88.
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Sarcófago Influential for black metal and technical death metal. |
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89.
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Angel Witch Influential for thrash metal. |
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90.
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Anvil Influential for thrash metal. |
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91.
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Nightwish First female-fronted symphonic metal band. |
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92.
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Children Of Bodom Created extreme power metal. |
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93.
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Dissection Created melodic black metal. |
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94.
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Dark Tranquillity One of the pioneers of the Gothenburg sound. |
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95.
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Cathedral Took the doom metal genre into the 90's. |
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96.
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Ulver Influential for the blackened folk metal genre. Later they experimented with electronica. |
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97.
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Tiamat Created what could be called psychedelic doom metal. |
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98.
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Immolation Influential for dark death metal |
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99.
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Thorns Pioneering black metal band |
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100.
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Crowbar Pioneering sludge metal band |
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101.
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Master's Hammer Early experimental black metal band. |
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102.
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Nuclear Assault Influnetial for crossover thrash. |
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103.
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Master One of the pioneers of death metal. |
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104.
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Nocturnus Brought in keyboards to death metal. |
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105.
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Crimson Glory Influential for prog metal. |
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106.
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Anathema One of the originators of death doom metal. Influenced gothic metal. |
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107.
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White Zombie Influential for groove metal, industrial metal and nu metal. |
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108.
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Katatonia Influential for the blackened doom metal genre, and also for death doom metal. |
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109.
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Bethlehem Gave name to the most diffuse metal genre dark metal. Introduced the suicidal lyrics. |
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110.
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Gamma Ray Influential power metal band. |
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111.
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Skyclad The first folk metal band. |
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112.
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Vulcano Influential Brazilian extreme metal band. |
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113.
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Von Pioneering black metal band |
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114.
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Voivod Influential technical thrash. |
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115.
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Skepticism Influential funeral doom metal band. |
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116.
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Disembowelment Influential extreme doom metal band. |
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117.
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Graveland Influential for the Eastern European black metal scene. |
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118.
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Type O Negative Created their own form of gothic metal. |
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119.
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Danzig Influential for gothic and doom metal band. |
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120.
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Corrosion Of Conformity Influential for crossover thrash. |
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121.
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Stormtroopers Of Death Influential for crossover thrash. |
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122.
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Electric Wizard Influential for modern stoner/doom. |
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123.
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Machine Head Influential groove metal band |
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124.
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Winter Influential extreme doom metal band. |
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125.
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Rotting Christ Early Greek black metal band. |
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126.
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Bolt Thrower Influential English death metal band. |
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127.
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Sentenced Influential for what on this site is described as Suomi metal. |
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128.
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Exhumed Influential deathgrind band. |
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129.
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Carnivore |
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130.
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King Diamond |
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131.
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Exhorder |
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132.
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Unholy |
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133.
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Prong |
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134.
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Testament |
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135.
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Witchfinder General |
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136.
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Overkill |
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137.
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Slaughter |
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138.
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Massacre |
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139.
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HammerFall |
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140.
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Dimmu Borgir |
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141.
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Cradle Of Filth |
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142.
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Finntroll |
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143.
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Satyricon |
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144.
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In The Woods... |
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145.
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Mastodon |
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146.
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Running Wild |
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147.
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Metal Church |
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148.
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Samael |
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149.
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Strapping Young Lad |
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150.
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Summoning |