The Ultimate Metal Anthem: A Symphony of Subjectivity
What makes a song the ultimate heavy metal anthem? Is it the thunderous riffs, the spine-chilling vocals, or the raw, unfiltered emotion that resonates with fans across generations? Kerrang! recently posed this question to a diverse group of artists at the Download Festival, and the answers are as varied as the genre itself. But beyond the surface-level responses, this poll reveals something far more intriguing about the nature of metal and its enduring legacy.
The Classics vs. The Contemporaries
One thing that immediately stands out is the dominance of classic metal tracks in the artists’ choices. Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell and Sweet Leaf, Iron Maiden’s Run to the Hills, and Metallica’s Master of Puppets and Enter Sandman all made the list. Personally, I think this highlights the timeless appeal of these songs. They’re not just anthems; they’re cultural touchstones that have shaped the identity of metal itself. What many people don’t realize is that these tracks were revolutionary in their time, pushing boundaries and redefining what music could be.
But it’s also fascinating to see contemporary tracks like Bring Me The Horizon’s Heavy Metal and After The Burial’s Lost in the Static getting a nod. This raises a deeper question: Can newer songs truly achieve anthem status, or do they need decades of fan adoration to earn that title? From my perspective, the inclusion of these modern tracks suggests that metal is still evolving, and its anthem-worthy moments aren’t confined to the past.
The Personal Connection
What makes this particularly fascinating is how deeply personal these choices are. Take Matt Heafy’s cheeky selection of Trivium’s Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr. On the surface, it’s a humblebrag, but if you take a step back and think about it, it’s also a statement about the pride artists take in their work. Every musician dreams of creating something that resonates as powerfully as the classics they grew up with.
Similarly, Jayant Bhadula of Bloodywood choosing Slipknot’s Eyeless speaks to the global reach of metal. Slipknot, a band from Iowa, has inspired artists from India to create their own unique fusion of metal and folk. This isn’t just about music; it’s about how metal transcends borders and cultures, becoming a universal language of rebellion and expression.
The Outliers and the Unexpected
A detail that I find especially interesting is the inclusion of Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome to the Jungle by RØRY. While GNR is often categorized as hard rock rather than pure metal, their influence on the genre is undeniable. This choice reminds us that the lines between subgenres are often blurrier than we think. Metal isn’t a monolith; it’s a sprawling, inclusive family of sounds and styles.
Then there’s Pendulum’s Gaz McGrillen and Peredur ap Gwynedd, who couldn’t pick just one track. Their choices—Meshuggah’s Bleed, Metallica’s Battery, and Psycroptic’s Lacertine Forest—reflect the complexity of modern metal. What this really suggests is that the genre has become so diverse that no single song can encapsulate its essence. And that’s a beautiful thing.
The Broader Implications
If you step back and look at the bigger picture, this poll isn’t just about songs—it’s about identity. Metal has always been a genre defined by its fans and artists alike. The anthems we choose say something about who we are, what we value, and how we see the world. In a genre that’s often misunderstood as aggressive or one-dimensional, these choices reveal its depth and nuance.
What’s also striking is how these anthems serve as a bridge between generations. Younger artists like Becca Bottomley (Marmozets) choosing Slipknot’s Psychosocial alongside veterans like Lzzy Hale picking Black Sabbath shows that metal’s legacy is alive and well. It’s a genre that doesn’t just look backward; it’s constantly reinventing itself.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, the ultimate metal anthem doesn’t exist—and that’s the point. Metal is too vast, too personal, and too alive to be distilled into a single track. Every fan, every artist, has their own anthem, shaped by their experiences, their struggles, and their triumphs. That’s what makes this genre so powerful.
So, the next time someone asks you what the ultimate metal anthem is, don’t just give them a song title. Tell them a story. Because in metal, the music is just the beginning.
