Which Metal Bands Do You Miss The Most?

In light of this week’s sad (for me at least) news that Silverchair are officially calling it a day, I thought I would use this blog as an opportunity to tip our collective hats to the bands that have been and gone. There are plenty of acts now reunited who we previously lamented for leaving us (Soundgarden, System Of A Down, Blink 182 et al) but these 10 below are still out of action.

Whether through unexpected death, boredom, arguments, better offers or fade-outs they’re all defunct. These are the 10 Metal Bands I miss very much. Which groups do you wish were still out and about rocking the planet? Post your comments and choices below.

1. Led Zeppelin (1968–1980)
Well, obviously. One of the greatest and most influential bands of all time. They showed us all exactly what could have still been with their one-off gig in December 2007 with John Bonham’s son Jason on drums. Incredible.

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2. Pantera (1981-2003)
Disbanding one year before the shocking death of guitarist Dimebag Darrell, fans often wonder what could have been (or have been prevented) had the metal four stayed together. Vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown are now together in Down, while drummer Vinnie Paul is still going strong in Hellyeah.

3. Refused (1991–1998)
Sweden’s most important export since Ikea, the hardcore punk pioneers’ final album ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’ went on to become one of the most influential records of the era. Reunion rumours in 2010 had us all giddy with excitement, but it was sadly a false alarm. Mind-blowingly original and ahead of their time, just imagine where they could have gone next?

4. Nirvana (1987–1994)
The premature death of Kurt Cobain on April 5, 1994 understandably ended the three-piece’s collective musical output, although seeing and hearing the incredible music that drummer Dave Grohl went on to produce with his own Foo Fighters, you can’t help but wonder what having Cobain on board could have added.

5. Silverchair (1992– 2011)
The Australian grunge kids announced their split this week after nearly 20 years in the business. They grew up through their music, maturing through stompy punk riffs into epic metal creations and moving string ballads, with their fans following them along their path. Let’s see what happens next…

6. Type O Negative (1989–2010)
Another sad tale, as the New York goth metallers disbanded following the unexpected death of towering vocalist Pete Steele in April 2010. A uniquely distinctive, moody and powerful sound, Type O were like no other.

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7. Sikth (1999–2008)
The Watford-based tech metallers are probably one of the most important UK metal bands of this century. The criminally under-rated Sikth are now being heralded by bands overseas (see Protest The Hero and Periphery) as their most important influence, having bought old EPs and demos of our homegrown heroes off eBay as youngsters.

8. Reuben (1998–2008)
Totally metal? I don’t really care. They had to be on this list, as they were another criminally under-rated bunch of Brit geniuses they cannot go without a mention. Their three albums, including the snappy-titled ‘Racecar Is Racecar Backwards’, were packed full of original ideas, quirky arrangements and memorable hooks. Brit music misses them.

9. The Ghost Of A Thousand (2004–2011)
Damn them! The Brighton-based noise masters were unbelievably good, complex, energetic and inspiring – and were one of only a handful of very few bands that seemed to be doing something exciting and new. Damn you!

10. Johnny Truant (2002–2008)
One of Britain’s rowdiest and noisiest exports, the metallers curiously disbanded following the release of their best album ‘No Tears For The Creatures’. With tunes so heavy they sent venues into crumbing meltdown, it’s a real shame we didn’t get to see what could happen next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SunFX7NU7B8

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