Forbes Names The 38 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands

Forbes has published a new article, The 38 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands. Following is the introduction to a rundown that includes Carcass, At The Gates, Napalm Death, Cannibal Corpse, Anthrax and more. The band in the #1 spot won't come as a surprise to anyone.

"This list of iconic metal bands was created with the entire history of the heavy metal genre in mind, which began when Black Sabbath released their debut studio album in 1970. While it’s impossible to include all metal sub-genres in this type of list, the sub-genres that are most prominent and influential across metal today were considered with priority. As far as bands go, with the exception of a couple acts that blur the lines between rock and metal, every band on this list is unquestionably a metal band first and foremost, regardless of whether they appeal to other neighboring genres of metal music (i.e. hardcore, punk, rock). Furthermore, every act on this list has released one or more landmark albums throughout their career."

Following is an excerpt from the list:

#36 - Exodus

"To put it simply, without Exodus many of metal’s most popularized bands would not exist like they do today, namely thrash acts Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. Exodus were at the forefront of the Bay Area thrash metal scene in the early 80s, which embraced brutally fast riffs, crazed vocals and violent crowd behaviors like moshing and stage diving. Exodus garnered a formidable reputation through sheer sonic force which has since been continued through the band’s recent works, and most notably by guitarist Gary Holt.

While Exodus don’t share the same popularity of the many hugely successful bands they’ve influenced, many recognize Exodus as an important thrash metal band, and for being the band Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett co-founded prior to joining Metallica in 1983."

Check out the complete rundown here.