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10 Underrated Metal Bands You Should Be Listening To

Heavy Metal, as a genre, is still going as fierce as ever. There are a few bands out there that are continuing the brutality and power that were first ignited by bands such as Black Sabbath.

Regrettably, the current popular scene is overflowing with emo sentimentality, and a lot of the newer and younger metal fans out there are literally just scraping the surface of the music – there is more than just Metallica, Nu Metal, and some of the heavier emo acts out there.

The chronicle of heavy metal scores a host of numerous underrated (and indeed, sometimes forgotten) acts out there. A list such as this one is hardly comprehensive and could possibly go on indefinitely. But for those new to metal, wishing to plummet a little further into the genre, take a listen to these ten acts – underrated metal artists that deserve a listen…

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Overkill

Frequently considered to be the godfathers of thrash, Overkill had their origins in the eighties and is still going strong to this day. While their power and conviction was repeatedly eclipsed by the more successful acts like Metallica and Slayer; Overkill have unswervingly delivered strong performances on each of their releases, never wavering to mainstream pressure and more intent on staying true to the music. If you are into thrash metal, Overkill is a group that you must include on your playlist.

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Sodom

Hailing from Germany and additionally having been formed during the eighties, Sodom are a thrash band that have had extensive impact, yet like Overkill were often concealed behind the success of the bigger international thrash acts. Often cited to also be huge influences on death metal and black metal acts, Sodom delivered an unrelenting rage to their music and has consistently dispensed quality material on each of their releases. Still continuing to bring the metal to the people to this day, the band is presently working on a currently untitled album set for release during 2008.

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Forced Entry

While critics were hailing the grunge development from Seattle in the early nineties, one band from the Washington area never stood back from their metal sound and metal roots. Beginning during the eighties, Forced Entry secured their thrash influences into their music, despite the fact there was really no thrash scene in their area during the time. The band intended to make their music as diverse as possible, yet stay true to the metal, and worked hard at delivering an intellectual feel to their lyrics. These efforts made them a major force in the Seattle music scene, which sustained them in standing with solidarity when the grunge flood came along.

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Hanoi Rocks

Bridging the gap between the glam/metal bands from the 1970′s (KISS, Alice Cooper, New York Dolls) to the bands of the 1980′s (W.A.S.P., Motley Crue, Twisted Sister), Finnish band Hanoi Rocks became one of the superior influences to the wave of glam metal and hair metal during this time. Their influences mostly stem from rock and early metal, despite their image, and nonetheless they are a cornerstone in the history of metal that is often overlooked and undervalued by many.

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Queensryche

Cited by their supporters and even their critics as being a band that was ahead of their time, Queensryche had their origins in the early 1980′s also. The band is known for their progressive nature and their motivation to be experimental with their music. During this time they were frequently obscured by the success of other major bands tearing up their fame on MTV, yet the band ultimately experienced some solid recognition and success with the Operation: Mindcrime and Empire releases. Queensryche continue to this day, and are definitely worth a listen if you deem yourself to be a metalhead.

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Cyclone Temple

Formed in 1989 in Chicago, Illinois, Cyclone Temple offered metal heads a complementary breath of fresh air as grunge began to take rise in the music scene. Developing their sound from an influence of the earlier thrash and speed metal bands, Cyclone Temple zoned in on threads such as racism and religion – topics largely avoided by some of the more fashionable bands at the time. With hair metal oversaturating the genre, and grunge about to take a chokehold on MTV, this act were one of the few who tried to continue fighting the good fight for metal fans.

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Devin Townsend

Perhaps more recognized for his role as frontman and coordinator for the formidable Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend also works on many solo projects that are often overlooked by mainstream metal heads. Townsend has made some very significant music with projects such as Ocean Machine and Terria, as well as on the releases Accelerated Evolution and Synchestra by The Devin Townsend Band. Devin is not only cited for his genius within the genre of metal; but is also known for his efforts in giving his music more depth through embracing technology. If you consider yourself a metalhead, you should be listening to Devin Townsend. Devy FTW.

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Dark Angel

Another thrash metal act often overlooked is the seminal crushing sound of Dark Angel. When the underground thrash movement began reaching its peak in the mid-eighties, Dark Angel was offering albums such as Darkness Descends, making their music a must-own experience for fans during the time. Unfortunately, as time moved forward, people would often point to Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax and the key bands during the period; often missing out on acts such as Dark Angel. They are a valuable addition to any metal head’s collection.

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Coven

Coming from Washington State, Coven rose out of the ashes of the 1980′s and into the 1990′s contributing a powerful sound that was sadly clouded by the grunge trend. While alternative became the mainstream, bands such as Coven were quite often underrated despite the solidarity they provided with their music; which quite often saw the members deliberately exploiting the stereotypes of the genre to the logical extreme in their performances, lyrically, and in their artwork. This would sometimes manifest itself in humorous tracks such as McDonaldland Massacre

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Joe Lynn Turner

Best remembered for his top notch vocal performances with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Deep Purple, Joe Lynn Turner’s solo work is often cited by metalheads as very prolific and perhaps some of the most intelligent work in the genre. Despite this, his involvement with larger acts often overshadowed his solo efforts from the eighties through to today. JLT also has done some impressive cover songs (not just from metal bands, but from some more unexpected obscure sources as well) over the years. While it is worth seeing his work he contributed to Malmsteen and so on, it is also a very rewarding experience checking out his solo material.