The United States played a crucial role in the birth and evolution of heavy metal. In the early 1970s, American hard rock and proto-metal acts like Blue Öyster Cult, Kiss, and Van Halen helped shape the genre’s sound and stage presence. By the 1980s, the country had become a powerhouse, producing multiple influential scenes: the Los Angeles glam metal wave with bands like Mötley Crüe, Ratt, and Poison; the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal scene led by Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, and Testament; and the East Coast’s heavier underground spearheaded by Manowar, Anthrax, and Overkill. Let’s not forget Slayer and Megadeth either.

The U.S. also fostered extreme metal innovations, including death metal from Florida’s Death, Morbid Angel, and Obituary, as well as pioneering grindcore and sludge bands. In the 1990s and 2000s, American metal diversified further, with Pantera’s groove metal, the rise of metalcore through Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage, and the continued success of progressive and alternative metal acts like Tool and Dream Theater.

Today, the United States remains one of the most influential countries in heavy metal, home to countless subgenres, a thriving underground, and major festivals such as Maryland Deathfest, Milwaukee Metal Fest, and Psycho Las Vegas.

CITIES

FAMOUS AMERICAN METAL BANDS

Anthrax
Avenged Sevenfold
Cannibal Corpse
Dark Angel
Deicide
Down
Exodus
Kiss
Lorna Shore
Megadeth
Metallica
Mötley Crüe
Municipal Waste
Obituary
Pantera
Power Trip
Quiet Riot
Ratt
Savatage
Slayer
Slipknot
Testament
Type O Negative
Van Halen

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