We need to talk about Ghost.
Who are Ghost, you might ask? They are currently the biggest metal band in the world, according to the general public. Why is this a problem? Because they suck, and I’m fed up about it.
Like anyone who used to spend Friday and Saturday nights listening to Eddie Trunk on WNEW, every now and then I like to explore what’s new in the world of hard rock and heavy metal. You’ve always got the classics to fall back on – Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Slayer. But one of the most fun aspects of listening to this genre is finding those hidden gems – bands that play a more extreme version of metal, bands that never got their proper due, and bands that no one knows that you end up loving. And that’s what leads you on the hunt to find more, for better or worse.
During one of these exploratory ventures, I kept coming across this band named Ghost. They had opened for Mastodon and Opeth, two highly respected metal bands in my world that we’ll talk about later. They seemed to be getting a lot of press in the metal world. I thought to myself – well, they must be worth checking out, at least to see what all the fuss is about.
I’m going to try to explain to you as best I can just how wrong I was about Ghost. To do that, I need to explain a bit about the formation of the band and what they’re all about. The band is the brainchild of Tobias Forge of Sweden. He recorded the first three Ghost songs (“Death Knell,” “Stand by Him,” and “Prime Mover”) with a former bandmate. He decided that these songs were so evil sounding that he needed to come up with costumes for the band because according to Forge, “these songs do not sound like people who look like you and me.” He was also quoted as saying that “Stand by Him” had “the most heavy metal riff that ever existed” and that the lyrics started haunting him when he was creating them.
I tried listening to these songs – I really did. I regret to inform you that “Stand by Him” does not in fact have the most heavy metal riff that ever existed in it. Tony Iommi can rest easy tonight knowing that much. Its lyrics focus on a witch and the devil, but are really uninspired and sang as if they were being shoehorned in to fit the music. They will not be haunting anyone’s dreams tonight, either. The vocal delivery itself was underwhelming and bland. Perhaps that’s because Forge asked at least four different people to sing for the band, who all turned him down, making him the default vocalist for Ghost.
I was off to an inauspicious start – the music was not very good. And these were the band’s early songs, which are generally the best and most highly regarded when talking about any band’s catalog. Maybe they refined their craft on later albums?
I kept looking for anything to go on – any song that might have a redeeming quality. I tried a song called “Mary on a Cross,” their most popular song on Spotify. And I’m not sure why. There’s a decent synthesizer line which makes the song marginally interesting, but the lyrics remain trite and delivered poorly. I tried “Dance Macabre” and “Rats,” two other seemingly popular tracks, and ran into similar problems. “Square Hammer” actually had a decently catchy synth background which dominates the song and makes it somewhat redeeming. Mostly these songs just left me shaking my head and full of questions. Shouldn’t the biggest metal band in the world have some songs that are just outright awesome? Why am I searching for a good one? Am I too old to rock anymore? Is the world playing a joke on me? Maybe there’s another draw to why they’re popular?
I needed to know a bit more about the actual band so I took to the internet to research. As I mentioned previously, Forge had commented that the band needed to change their appearance due to the supposed evil nature of the music. This misguided thought brought about the creation of Papa Emeritus, a satanic priest or anti-pope character, as seen below.
There have been four incarnations of this character, as each one has been “killed off” at the end of each album or tour cycle.
The other band members perform on stage as Nameless Ghouls who each have an elemental sign assigned to them based on water, fire, earth, wind, and ether like some fucked up satanic version of Captain Planet. Their identities are never revealed unless they leave the band and then sue Tobias Forge, which has happened on multiple occasions due to disputes over royalties.
The band also has a very ornate stage show, featuring what I can only assume is Papa’s church, or anti-church as a set. I wish I never knew any of this.
Intricate stage designs, on-stage gimmicks, fake names, and costumes are nothing new in metal. KISS wore ridiculous costumes and took the stage with their alter egos nightly and there are still grown adults obsessed with the band. Norwegian black metal bands started painting their faces black and white and called it corpse paint and started an entire new genre (Ghost actually claims Papa’s face paint is an homage to that scene, despite the music sounding nothing like it). King Diamond, in his ripe old age, still performs in full corpse paint on a satanic mass set that puts Ghost’s to shame. Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of a bat. Bill Bailey turned himself into Axl Rose. The list goes on.
I’m sure that Ghost puts on a very entertaining live show based on all of these elements. There is one key difference between all the acts mentioned above and Ghost, however. Every other band mentioned above had the songs to deliver alongside the electric stage show, except perhaps the black metal bands, but they were at least creating a whole new genre. Ghost is not creating anything new. At best, they are taking elements from other successful acts and using them for a stage show to deliver mediocre songs; the metal world’s version of lipstick on a pig.
Perhaps the last straw for me in regards to Ghost is that they somehow have the credibility to tour with legitimate metal acts. As previously mentioned, they opened for Mastodon and Opeth in 2012 as they were just coming up. Ghost opened for Iron Maiden when they played toured the United States in 2017. They supported Metallica in 2019 during the European leg of their Hardwired World Tour. Last year, in a cruel reversal, Mastodon opened for Ghost on their North American Imperatour. Currently, they are preparing for a tour in which they have Amon Amarth opening for them. Amon Amarth is a legendary melodic death metal band that writes largely about Viking themes. They are a very well known metal band and have a high level of metal street cred. And they are opening for Papa Emeritus.
None of it makes very much sense to me. The music itself is very generic brand of metal that incorporates some synthesizer, which is far and away the most interesting part of it. They have seven or eight members in the band, and none of them seem to know how to shred, which would make things a bit more interesting. The vocals and lyrics are about as nondescript as it comes, which is difficult to do in metal as there are so many directions you can take them in and still be accepted into the metal community’s tattooed arms. The Papa Emeritus gimmick and related stage show can be seen as one of their draws, but it still doesn’t add up if the music isn’t very good. The albums don’t even really follow along with any kind of concept related to the whole gimmick – they just kind of regurgitate the same satanic imagery that grows tired after a while because frankly Forge is not very good at it. Overall, Ghost are too polished, too restrained, and really just too boring to be so widely adored and celebrated.
I feel duped. I feel ashamed that I spent this much time listening to Ghost in search of answers. And I want to prevent you from wasting your time in the same manner. If you’re looking for a new metal band, don’t worry. You don’t have to spend your time checking out Ghost. I did that for you and suffered through pain and confusion that will haunt me for years. I don’t want that to happen to you.
So to prevent this, here’s a list of 50 metal bands that you’ve never heard of, who are better than Ghost, or at the very least, have one song better than any Ghost song you’ve ever heard. My plan is to provide you with a song from each band that at it’s face value is better than Ghost’s best song, whatever that may be (“Square Hammer” for me at this point). At risk of losing all my metal cred, I assure you these bands provide a more rewarding listen than Ghost ever will or could be. I swear on Ronnie James Dio’s devil horns.
50 Metal Bands Who Are Better than Ghost
1) Accept – “Balls to the Wall” (1983)
Accept were a straight forward metal band formed in Germany during the late 1970s and rose to fame in the early 1980s, largely due to this song. And their lead singer’s name is Udo Dirkschneider. I’m not sure you need much more information than that.
2) Agalloch – “Odal” (2002)
Agalloch were a progressive black metal band from….Portland, Oregon? While not exactly from a metal hotbed, the band, led by guitarist and vocalist John Haughm, contributed several truly depressing albums in their time together. The best of these is 2002’s The Mantle. “Odal” is probably the band’s best song – a completely instrumental track which builds from simple beginnings to a soaring crescendo before bringing you back down to earth again. For a song with actual words, try “You Were But a Ghost in My Arms.”
3) Amorphis – “Weeper on the Shore” (1996)
Amorphis hail from Finland, and have evolved over the years. Starting as a death metal band, they’ve moved to a more progressive, folk metal style in recent years. “Weeper on the Shore” is a bit of a cross section of that evolution. The song mixes acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, clean and harsh vocals, all while remaining compelling.
4) Anthrax – “I Am The Law” (1987)
I’m not sure if it’s fair to include Queens’ own Anthrax on this list since they are considered part of the “Big Four” thrash bands, but I feel like they never really get their due when compared to the others. 1987’s Among the Living rates as one of the better thrash albums of all time. “I Am The Law” is just pure fun in a song. Joey Belladonna screams about Judge Dredd over Scott Ian’s best riff, and the chorus is “I am the law – you won’t fuck around no more.” What more could you want?
5) Armored Saint – “Reign of Fire” (1991)
Emerging from the Los Angeles scene of the 1980s, Armored Saint played a brand of straight forward American heavy metal. Vocalist John Bush’s raspy vocals serve as the trademark for this track, which includes the lyrics “find what sex is in the reign of fire.” I’m not entirely sure what it means, but the song is good, despite questionable lyrics like this. Bush would ironically eventually replace Joey Belladonna in Anthrax during the 1990s.
6) Astroqueen – “Serve the Sun” (2002)
Astroqueen are a bit of an anomaly to me. The Swedish stoner rock/metal outfit released their only album, Into Submission, in 2002. The album plays the whole way through, and yet they never released another full length again. The album has sort of a cult following, as it was recently released on vinyl and sold out in mere minutes. “Serve the Sun” is one of many standout tracks on this one.
7) Avenged Sevenfold – “Bat Country” (2005)
A metalcore band that turned towards more traditional American heavy metal, Avenged Sevenfold really hit their stride with 2005’s City of Evil. “Bat Country” is largely based on a line from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: “he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.” The line appears both spoken at the beginning of the song and as a lyric towards the end. The song itself rules, featuring driving guitars and dizzying vocals that are the band’s trademark.
8) Black Label Society – “Stillborn” (2003)
If you know Zakk Wylde, you probably know him as Ozzy Osbourne’s long time guitarist (from No More Tears to the present). Black Label Society is Zakk’s main band, and as the band’s name suggests, most of the songs revolve around getting drunk and stoned. So much so that when the band released an acoustic album, they named it Hangover Music, Vol. 1. “Stillborn” is to date the band’s best contribution, and actually features Ozzy on backing vocals.
9) Bloodbath – “So You Die” (2002)
Sweden’s Bloodbath are our first supergroup on the list and feature many major players from the country’s biggest bands. 2002’s Resurrection Through Carnage stands as their best work. Featuring Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt on guitar and vocals, and legendary guitarist and producer Dan Swano from Edge of Sanity on guitar, this album features the band’s strongest lineup. It’s written as a classic death metal album: fuzzy guitar tones, harsh but easily digestible vocals from Akerfeldt, and your traditional gruesome death metal lyrical topics. “So You Die” is probably the catchiest track on the album, but you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
10) Borknagar – “The Genuine Pulse” (2001)
Admittedly, I don’t know much about Borknagar. They were founded in 1995 Norway and play a combination of black and folk metal – no doubt inspired by how cool all those church burnings were (disclaimer: they weren’t cool). I do remember the album this song was released on, Empiricism, being a really big deal on metal message boards because Vintersorg was singing lead vocals for the band. Who the hell is Vintersorg? Well, apparently he had led a band by the same name that was hailed for pushing the limits of black metal by featuring clean vocals. I don’t know, I guess you had to be there on that message board to get it. The song itself features some very cool keyboard work and a beautiful crescendo of clean vocals towards the end of the song featuring the song’s namesake. An interesting but rewarding ride.
11) Children of Bodom – “Follow the Reaper” (2000)
The driving force behind Finland’s Children of Bodom was Alex “Wildchild” Laiho. The melodic death metal band got its name from a lake in Finland where a group of children were murdered – very cheery stuff. Their trademark is Laiho’s shredding guitar, accompanied by slick keyboard work, with over the top black metal-esque vocals that sometimes hurt your ears. Laiho was an excellent guitarist and a less than stellar vocalist, which are both on display in “Follow the Reaper.” The band had a bit of a sense of humor, as seen in their frequent pop covers – listen to their take on Britney Spears here if you’re brave enough. Sadly, Laiho passed away in December 2020, essentially signifying the end of the band.
12) Corrosion of Conformity – “Wishbone (Some Tomorrow)” (1996)
Starting as a hardcore band from North Carolina, COC took a turn towards southern rock and metal when guitarist Pepper Keenan joined the band prior to 1991’s Blind. Keenan would eventually take over lead vocal duties on the band’s next album, Deliverance (1994) and subsequent albums. Wiseblood (1996) remains to me the band’s most complete effort, and “Wishbone (Some Tomorrow)” might be the strongest track on that album. Although, you really can’t go wrong with anything from the albums mentioned – Corrosion of Conformity is one of the more underrated American metal bands, especially on any album where Keenan is involved.
13) Death – “Crystal Mountain” (1995)
Death is widely accepted as the band who started death metal – how apropos. Chuck Schuldiner (guitar/vocals) was the main creative catalyst for the band, as Death endured countless lineup changes throughout the years with him remaining the one constant. The Florida band expanded the metal genre through Schuldiner’s unique vocal style, which more resembled growling in a somewhat normal voice as opposed to the classic death metal growls you may associate with the genre now. The same can be said of his lyrical topic choices (leprosy, screaming bloody gore, regurgitated guts, zombies). By 1995 and the release of Symbolic, Schuldiner’s music and social commentary both matured, as “Crystal Mountain” seems to tackle the topic of religion. It stands out to me as the band’s best song musically and lyrically. Schuldiner lost a battle with brain cancer in 2001, and the band ceased to exist.
14) Demons & Wizards – “Heaven Denies” (2000)
Combining lead singer Hansi Kursch from Blind Guardian, and guitarist John Schaffer from Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards qualify as another supergroup on our list. Schaffer’s signature triplet riffing complements Kursch’s soaring vocals about, as you might guess, demons and wizards, which allowed the band some marginal success as a side project. “Heaven Denies” is a straight forward metal song and outshines most moments from both members original bands’ catalogs.
15) Down – “Bury Me in Smoke” (1995)
Speaking of supergroups, Down were formed by 5 metal musicians hailing from New Orleans to create a heavy, southern groove laden series of albums between 1995 and the present. The main draw to Down is their lead singer, Phil Anselmo, of Pantera fame. Pepper Keenan from Corrosion of Conformity on guitar and members of Eyehategod and Crowbar filled out the rest of the lineup. Their first release, NOLA (1995) is a truly classic metal album that plays all the way through. “Bury Me in Smoke,” the closer for the album, takes the listener on a plodding, sludgy journey which leads to epic dueling guitar solos before ending. As with a lot of Down’s songs, the lyrics read as a love letter for all the band members’ mutual affection for marijuana – “don’t regret the rules I broke – when I die, bury me in smoke.”
16) Dream Theater – “6:00” (1994)
A progressive metal band formed by the founding members who all attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Dream Theater have put out countless live and studio albums since their debut in 1989. When founding members John Petrucci (guitar) and Mike Portnoy (drums) added James LaBrie as lead vocalist in 1990, the band’s classic lineup was complete and allowed the group to put out some of their best work, including 1994’s Awake. “6:00” showcases LaBrie’s classically trained vocals around a masterful mix of music, including Kevin Moore’s excellent keyboard work and lyrics. Though releasing several great albums in the 1990s, Dream Theater has endured lineup changes, including the loss of Portnoy and Moore, which have led to mixed results with their later releases.
17) Edge of Sanity – “Black Tears” (1994)
The aforementioned Dan Swano may be known better as a producer in the metal world, but his main project prior to joining Bloodbath was Edge of Sanity. The band is credited with mixing extreme styles like death and black metal with a progressive style. “Black Tears” does not feature any black or death metal vocals, and plays more like a more up tempo Type O Negative song, but features plenty of shredding which are complemented by Swano’s understated vocals.
18) Emperor – “With Strength I Burn” (1997)
One of the most influential bands from Norway’s infamous black metal scene, Emperor can also boast being one of the most listenable. A large amount of black metal from the original scene is unlistenable due to poor quality recordings, indecipherable vocals, and a cacophony of sounds masquerading as metal music. Emperor actually does it right – the vocals are lower in the mix and are somewhat understandable. The backing band incorporates the typical frantic drumming and guitar tones associated with the genre, with keyboards that provide a symphonic element. “With Strength I Burn” features a wonderful clean vocal section in the middle of the song, which makes this probably the best black metal song ever produced.
19) Elvenking – “Pagan Purity” (2001)
We’ve seen a number of bands on this list from Scandinavian countries, but Elvenking are our first, and maybe only one, from the Mediterranean. Italy’s Elvenking are a power metal band that tends to incorporate folklore into their music. “Pagan Purity” is a pure, fun power metal song that has very catchy verses and a sing-song, infectious chorus. Throw in a few solid lead guitar solos, and you’ve successfully executed the recipe for power metal. As a fun bonus, check out their cover of “Heaven is a Place on Earth.”
20) Fu Manchu – “The Action Is Go” (1997)
Born from the Palm Desert scene in California, Fu Manchu have been turning out fuzz-laden rock and metal tunes for nearly 30 years. Vocalist and guitarist Scott Hill has been the driving force behind the band from its inception. 1997’s The Action Is Go, and its title track, are a solid starting point for anyone looking to get into the band. 2002’s California Crossing may be a better listen album wise, but “The Action Is Go” showcases the driving force the band is when they’re clicking on all cylinders.
21) God Forbid – “Antihero” (2004)
Classified as metalcore, New Jersey’s God Forbid emerged in the early 2000s on the American metal scene alongside bands like Lamb of God and Shadows Fall. The band plays a straight forward metal style featuring harsh vocals. Though not as successful as their metalcore breathren, their most notable contribution is “Antihero,” which features strong guitar work and digestible vocals.
22) Iced Earth – “The Coming Curse” (1998)
The story of Iced Earth has many twists and turns, some of which you might not see coming. Jon Schaffer has been the one constant member for the band’s 30+ years of existence. The band’s best work came in the mid- to late- 1990s with lead vocalist Matt Barlow. Schaffer’s lyrical themes largely revolve around history, particularly American history, so much so that I’ve seen Iced Earth be referred to as “book report metal” on several message boards. Their creative peak may have been 1998’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. “The Coming Curse” is by far the best song on this album and features what constitutes classic Iced Earth – Barlow’s powerful and resounding vocals, Schaffer’s signature triplets, and a creative lyrical concept about pending Armageddon. Shortly following September 11th, Barlow left the band to become a police officer, only to be replaced by Tim “Ripper” Owens, who famously had been in Judas Priest after being in a Priest cover band. Schaffer has made his own headlines recently, as he was arrested for storming the Capitol on January 6th armed with bear repellant. Iced Earth has since been on hiatus – indefinitely.
23) In Flames – “Embody the Invisible” (1999)
Native sons of the Gothenburg, Sweden, In Flames pioneered the very sound their hometown quickly became known for in metal circles. The Gothenburg sound refers to melodic death metal, characterized by highly melodic guitar riffs, leads, and solos with death metal style vocals. “Embody the Invisible” is the opening track to 1999’s Colony, one of several solid albums the band offered in the late 1990s to early 2000s. The driving riff from guitarist Jesper Strombland is so contagious it carries the song, though the vocals are tolerable and understandable – two very important aspects in the world for extreme metal. If you can’t stand the vocals, try “Dialogue with the Stars” to see how talented In Flames truly are.
24) ISIS – “The Beginning and the End” (2002)
Though their name has aged very poorly in recent years, ISIS were a post-metal band from Boston led by Aaron Turner on vocals and guitar. The band’s albums were progressive in nature, and mostly featured mostly unintelligible lyrics that complement the songs as an added instrument, rather than a featured part of the song. Oceanic (2002) starts with “The Beginning and the End,” an 8-minute track that shifts between calm and heavy parts with melodic guitar leads throughout and ends with a climatic Turner shouting what sounds like “they always know” at the song’s crescendo. The entire album is a beautiful piece of work if you can get past the vocals – in fact, nearly all of ISIS’ releases are incredibly solid. They disbanded in 2010, prior to the rise of the other ISIS.
25) King’s X – “Over My Head” (1989)
King’s X are known as one of the most popular metal bands to never “make it.” Through approximately 15 albums since they began in the 1980s, the band always seemed to tour with big name bands but never broke through to the mainstream with their own hits to gain the same level of popularity as their peers. A three-piece outfit from Missouri, the band combined the vocal melodies from influences like the Beatles into metal and rock music. “Over My Head” showcases Ty Tabor’s best riffing alongside bassist Dug Pinnick’s soulful vocals.
26) Kyuss – “Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop” (1994)
Before Josh Homme was the brains behind Queens of the Stone Age, he was the guitarist for Palm Desert, California’s Kyuss. The band was hugely significant in that they launched the stoner rock/metal genre with the four records they released before breaking up in 1995. “Supa Scoopa,” off the 1994 masterpiece Welcome to Sky Valley was written by Homme about drummer Brandt Bjork’s departure from the band. Frontman John Garcia’s vocals are a gruff acquired taste, but he shines on this track alongside some excellent lead work from Homme. Kyuss remain one of the biggest hidden treasures in my musical world – I’d recommend you check out Blues for the Red Sun and …and the Circus Leaves Town as well.
27) Lamb of God – “Laid to Rest” (2004)
Looking back, it seems like 2004 was when American metalcore was most en vogue. Lamb of God’s Ashes of the Wake was released at this time alongside big releases from Shadows Fall and God Forbid, the two other biggest bands in the genre, with major hype behind them (relatively speaking). There are two notable facts I know offhand about Lamb of God. The first is that they used to be called Burn the Priest - apparently that didn’t sell so they settled on the tamer Lamb of God, no doubt tongue in cheek. The second is that frontman Randy Blythe was tried and acquitted for manslaughter in the Czech Republic for throwing a fan offstage. He was found morally responsible but not criminally liable. I’m not sure how to transition from that into a song called “Laid to Rest,” so just have a listen as its their best song. RIP to that fan.
28) Mastodon – “Blood and Thunder” (2004)
For my money, Mastodon have been and continue to be the biggest and best band in metal. To quickly recall my point in writing all of this, the fact that they had to open for a band of Ghost’s caliber is a crime. Mastodon have continuously recreated themselves and contributed some of the best albums released in metal in the last 20 years. To date, the band has released concept albums related to Moby Dick (Leviathan), climbing up a mountain while hallucinating (Blood Mountain), and a quadripelegic who astral travels to Russia and encounters Rasputin (Crack the Skye). Those albums were released back to back and are absolutely timeless. Troy Sanders (bass), Brann Dailor (drums), and Brett Hinds (lead guitar) all share vocal duties alongside Bill Kelliher’s (guitar) master riffing. If you do anything based on reading this article, please go listen to Mastodon.
29) Mercyful Fate – “The Oath” (1984)
I might never have known about Mercyful Fate had it not been for my old friends Metallica. The first time I encountered anything by the band was listening to Metallica cover five of their songs in a medley on Garage, Inc. Fronted by metal icon King Diamond, Merycful Fate from Denmark released two indispensable metal albums in the early 1980s. Melissa (1983) and Don’t Break the Oath (1984) are highlighted by King Diamond’s legendary high pitched wails about everything satanic alongside Hank Shermann’s tremendous lead guitar work. “The Oath” illustrates both these points well, but you can pick pretty much any song from either album to do the same.
30) Monster Magnet – “Negasonic Teenage Warhead” (1995)
You might be thinking that the band who broke through with “Space Lord” isn’t exactly metal, but au contraire – Eddie Trunk played them on his show so that’s good enough for me. In fact, many of Monster Magnet’s early released were pretty progressive, featuring long stoner rock and metal influenced songs. Much like what would follow from the band, this song features Dave Wyndorf crooning science fiction lyrics about saving the world. Much like “Space Lord,” it just flat out rules.
31) Nevermore – “All Play Dead” (1999)
Nevermore formed in Seattle in 1991 and took a different route from other bands in that area at the time. Led by Warrel Dane’s passionate, high pitched vocals and Jeff Loomis’ simply electric lead guitar play. “All Play Dead” is just one example of this excellent combination. Nevermore put together several good albums in the 1990s playing standard American metal. Their best work is 1999’s Dreaming Neon Black, a concept album about a man who slowly loses his mind after losing a woman he was very close to, which was based on real life events from Dane’s personal life in – a former girlfriend was murdered after leaving him to join a religious cult. In what Dane called a happy ending, everyone dies by the end of the album. In a sad example of life imitating art, Dane passed away in 2017 from heart failure.
32) Nightwish – “Over the Hills and Far Away” (2001)
Officially labeled as “Finnish symphonic metal,” Nightwish combines power metal with a classically trained opera singer, to fantastic results. The star of the show is lead singer Tarja Turunen, a soprano with three and a half octave range. “Over the Hills and Far Away” has this vocal range on full display, alongside catchy guitar and keyboard hooks that make this song especially fun.
33) Opeth – “The Drapery Falls” (2001)
I don’t throw the term “genius” around very lightly, but Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt is as close as it comes in the metal genre. Opeth are among the most highly respected bands in the metal community today, and with good reason. The band has played a brand of progressive death metal, with alternating clean and harsh vocals, for almost 30 years now. Akerfeldt in the lead guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter for the band, as they’ve had several lineup changes over the years. “The Drapery Falls” exemplifies the best of his clean and harsh vocals, while also showing his genius for writing dynamic, catchy songs in this style. In recent years, they’ve gone completely progressive with no harsh vocals. You really can’t go wrong if you listen to any of their first 8 albums, some of which are concepts, specifically Still Life, Orchid, My Arms Your Hearse, or for a completely acoustic experience, Damnation. For an added bonus, check out their cover of the Alice in Chains classic “Would?”
34) Pelican – “Glimmer” (2009)
A post-metal quartet from Chicago, Pelican have a similar style to ISIS in that their music is largely instrumental. In fact, “Glimmer” is from the 2009 release What We All Come to Need which features exactly zero lyrics. That’s not a problem for Pelican – the band delivers dynamic riffs which interesting leads that replace the need for lyrics. I’d recommend checking out the entire album, which I stumbled on to blindly during a search for new music which went way better than my foray into the world of Ghost.
35) Porcupine Tree – “Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled” (2000)
Steven Wilson is a world renowned music producer at this point, but he got his start as the lead singer and guitarist in Porcupine Tree, an English progressive metal band who have been quite influential since their inception. “Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth” is a wistful love song that curiously concludes with tape of Heaven’s Gate cult leader Marshall Applewhite playing over a beautiful acoustic breakdown. It’s probably the most unique song we have on our list. Porcupine Tree’s best work, album wise, is 2002’s In Absentia, and it’s most certainly worth your time.
36) Priestess – “Lay Down” (2006)
Canadian rockers Priestess play a combination of stoner rock and heavy metal. “Lay Down” was easily one of the best songs to play in Guitar Hero III, and for that alone it has a spot on the list. With one of the catchiest riffs and the undertones of an organ, this song doesn’t even need the excellent vocal line to succeed – a straight ripper.
37) Queensryche – “Revolution Calling” (1988)
Led by Geoff Tate’s incredible vocal range, Queensryche from Bellevue, Washington, became a force in the American metal scene in the early to late 1980s. Operation: Mindcrime (1988), a concept album which follows a disillusioned drug addict who joins a radical group as a political assassin, is the band’s seminal work. It is leaps and bounds better than it’s successor, Empire. “Revolution Calling” sets the stage for the concept while also highlighting Tate’s impressive vocal range and Chris DeGarmo’s complementary guitar work.
38) Quicksand – “Thorn In My Side” (1995)
Technically classified as a post-hardcore and alternative metal band, New York City’s own Quicksand broke through with “Thorn In My Side” by having it featured on the Empire Records soundtrack. The band released two significant albums in the early 1990s: Slip and Manic Compression. Both feature frontman Walter Schreifels wailing over your typical hardcore backing music. Though both releases are great, Quicksand’s real best song is no where to be found on Spotify – listen to “Shovel,” the actual song I wanted to include in this discussion, and easily the band’s best.
39) Rainbow – “Kill the King” (1975)
I couldn’t invoke the name of Ronnie James Dio without putting him on the list. Before he became the lead singer for Black Sabbath or embarked on his famed solo career, Dio was the lead singer of the band Rainbow, started with Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple fame. The oldest song on our list by a country mile, “Kill the King” was deeply influential for many future metal bands. Blackmore’s tremendous lead guitar, rife with fills and catchy shredding, carries big time metal overtones. Dio’s vocals are exactly as you know them to be, singing about the medieval themes he was known for in all phases of his career. Rainbow is severely underrated, most notably because of the impact they had on many metal bands to come after them, even if they were just experimenting with elements of the genre. Rising and Long Live Rock ‘n Roll are mandatory albums as far as I’m concerned.
40) Red Fang – “Prehistoric Dog” (2009)
Red Fang are a stoner rock/sludge metal outfit from Portland, Oregon. “Prehistoric Dog” was their first single ever, and the song sounds like its namesake – a mangy riff with lead singer Bryan Giles (not the former baseball player) barking the lyrics overhead. A straight ahead rocker.
41) Savatage – “Hall of the Mountain King” (1987)
Founded by brother Jon (vocals) and Criss Oliva (lead guitar) in Florida, Savatage became a big act in the 1980s American metal scene. Their masterwork is 1987’s Hall of the Mountain King. The title track is the high point of the album, led into with the band’s take on a Handel classic the song is based on. Jon’s distinctive, almost laughing vocals accentuate Criss’ masterful lead guitar play and soloing in an epic classic. An overlooked classic album in 1980s metal.
42) Sepultura – “Refuse/Resist” (1993)
Our first entry from below the Equator, Brazil’s Sepultura was founded by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera. Generally classified as a mix of thrash and death metal, Max’s vocals really amount to him shouting the lyrics at you in a deep voice. “Refuse/Resist” has an irresistible groove and simple-yet-effective lyrics: “Chaos AD – tanks on the streets,” along side the even simpler chorus, “Refuse…..resist.” It works, and it’s awesome.
43) Shadows Fall – “Destroyer of Senses” (2002)
Shadows Fall was by far the best metalcore band to emerge from the scene with Lamb of God and God Forbid in the early 2000s. From Massachussetts, the band put out a few significant releases, most notably The Art of Balance (2002) and The War Within (2004). “Destroyer of Senses” shows what the band is all about – blistering guitar riffs and lead singer Brian Fair alternating between screaming harsh vocals and almost spoken clean vocals. A rare gem of a band from a generally subpar genre of metal.
44) Sinergy – “I Spit On Your Grave” (2002)
Our last supergroup on the list, Sinergy combined Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom and Kimberly Goss from Dimmu Borgir to create, as the lady lead singer put it, “a balls out female fronted metal band.” And that’s exactly what they did. Laiho rips solos while Goss belts out vitriolic lyrics about avenging betrayal while literally spitting on her enemy’s grave. An absolute ripper from start to finish.
45) Soilwork – “Song of the Damned” (2002)
Another band borne out of the Gothenburg sound, Soilwork from Sweden produced a number of worthwhile melodic death metal albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Though sometimes having a tenuous grasp on English – a lyric on 2002’s Natural Born Chaos states “we know how to spit or swallow, bring out the mercury shadow” – the band achieved success both in their native Europe and in the United States. Lead singer Bjorn “Speed” Strid alternates between clean and harsh vocals over mesmerizing guitar leads in “Song of the Damned,” probably their best and most cohesive song as a group. The only downside to it is that it doesn’t contain any misguided references to blowjobs.
46) Stratovarius – “Black Diamond” (1997)
Finnish power metal band Stratovarius strung together two or three good albums in the mid 1990s, largely on the backs of guitarist Timo Tolkki and lead singer Timo Kotipelto. “Black Diamond” is a love song at it’s core, but you may not know it by the racing guitars and gang vocals. The group’s best song also features a harpsichord – that’s pretty metal.
47) The Sword – “Maiden, Mother & Crone” (2008)
You might know them for “Freya,” which is incredible in its own right, but The Sword have plenty of other rippin’ songs. Formed in Austin, Texas, and largely the creative wizardry of lead singer and lead guitarist John Cronise, The Sword have blended doom metal and stoner rock to perfection. Gods of the Earth (2008) is far and away their finest offering, which is where we encounter “Maiden, Mother & Crone.” Cronise provides a monster riff, a hallmark of The Sword’s music, along with surprisingly animated vocals, which is not always standard for the band. As of 2022, The Sword ceased to be as Cronise stated he had done everything he wanted to with the band. Alongside Opeth and Mastodon, The Sword rank very high on my list for recommendations – listen to them.
48) Tesla – “Modern Day Cowboy” (1986)
While they may be bordering on glam metal (they released an album called Bust a Nut), Tesla from California produced a few hits throughout the 1980s. Think Bon Jovi with a bit more edge. Their best song, by far, is “Modern Day Cowboy,” which received heavy play on Saturday Night Rocks, which is why it’s included on this list. Enjoy the cheesy goodness.
49) Testament – “Practice What You Preach” (1989)
Often forgotten and overlooked in the thrash scene, Testament had a run of three or four solid albums in the mid- to late 1980s. Landing just outside of the Big Four thrash bands, Testament did enjoy some success mainly due to lead singer Chuck Billy and lead guitarist Alex Skolnick. “Practice What You Preach” embodies what Testament were all about in the 1980s - Billy’s high pitched vocals complement Skolnick’s classic thrash riffs. For a full album experience, The New Order (1988) may be your best bet.
50) Waylander – “Born to the Fight” (1998)
Let’s end our list with the most obscure band of them all: Waylander. Referred to as a Northern Irish folk and black metal band, Waylander released a few albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the most notable being 1998’s Reawakening Pride Once Lost. Through incorporating traditional Irish instruments, alongside black metal growls, the band created a truly one of a kind sound that I haven’t heard since. I’m not even sure how I found this band, but I likely downloaded their album illegally from the internet (RIP Audiogalaxy). For a mostly instrumental track, try “King of the Fairies.”
This list may seem exhaustive, but my point in writing it is to really hammer home my point: Ghost should not be the biggest metal band in the world. Each and every band that I’ve named above, for better or worse, played a brand of metal that challenged boundaries, contributed something new and unique to the genre, and took chances with their music to make themselves stand out. Ghost are rehashing old ideas and keeping them in a safe, well-polished box decorated by an intricate stage show. They take no chances and play a boring style of metal with no defining characteristics – and how they became the biggest name in metal still confounds and angers me. So much so that I just made a list of 50 bands that are better at their baseline than Ghost. Please listen to any and all of them instead of trying to figure out Ghost. I even made you a playlist to make it easier. Learn from my mistake.
I do have one confession before I conclude this magnum opus of spite. When Mastodon opened for Ghost in the fall of 2022, I did go to the show. I wanted to rip Ghost apart for the entirety of Mastodon’s set, but I was seated next to a teenage girl, attending the show with her mother, and I just didn’t have the heart to ruin it for the kid. The thing about music is that it can mean different things to different people, and provide solace for anyone who thinks they’re going through something in life. In that moment, I sort of understood how Ghost could mean something important to someone else – so I kept my mouth shut. There was no need to wreck the illusion for that kid.
But once I left the arena after Mastodon’s set, I ripped the shit out of Ghost. Because they still fucking suck.
