The Groove

The greatest metal artists of all time

208 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Metallica

United States of America · 1981– · heavy metal

507.000

Why this number?

The full board · page 5

Fear Factory

United States of America · 1990– · industrial metal 17.090

98 Mgła

Poland · 2000– · black metal 17.050

99 Venom

United Kingdom · 1979– · black metal 16.740

100 Tristania

Norway · 1996–2022 · gothic metal 16.560

101 Borknagar

Norway · 1995– · black metal 16.501

102 Saxon

United Kingdom · 1976– · heavy metal 16.220

103 Anaal Nathrakh

United Kingdom · 1999– · black metal 15.780

104 Delain

The Netherlands · 2002– · symphonic metal 14.820

105 HammerFall

Sweden · 1993– · power metal 13.640

106 DragonForce

United Kingdom · 1999– · power metal 13.360

107 Avatar

Sweden · 2001– · melodic death metal 12.900

108 Rob Zombie

United States of America · 1965– · heavy metal 12.720

109 Sunn O)))

United States of America · 1998– · drone metal 12.070

110

Napalm Death

United Kingdom · 1982– · grindcore 11.980

111 Symphony X

United States of America · 1994– · progressive metal 11.770

112 Bad Omens

United States of America · 2015– · metalcore 11.760

113

Epica

The Netherlands · 2002– · symphonic metal 11.760

114 Tiamat

Sweden · 1987– · gothic metal 11.292

115 Celtic Frost

Switzerland · 1984–2008 · heavy metal 10.990

116

Asking Alexandria

United Kingdom · 2006– · metalcore 10.800

117 Alestorm

United Kingdom · 2007– · power metal 10.570

118 Michael Kamen

United States of America · 1948–2003 · heavy metal 10.440

119 San Francisco Symphony

United States of America · 1911– · heavy metal 10.440

120 Zeal & Ardor

Switzerland · 2013– · avant-garde metal 10.330