10 of the Most Overrated Metal Artists of All Time
Overrated metal artists come in a lot of shapes and forms. Music fans have different perspectives, tastes, and experiences with these bands. However, there is no denying that there are some performers who generally don’t live up to the hype. That’s undeniable and some of these bands are often mentioned in that regard.
These are ten of the most overrated metal artists because they don’t fulfill people’s expectations. Some of them even built a reputation on things not related to music. Others started incredibly well and fell apart as the years went by. And others simply became famous for one song. However, it is worth pointing out that this is all subjective and everyone has different opinions.
1. Ghost
The Swedish band, active since 2006, but whose first album came out in 2010, has gained a lot of fame and popularity in a relatively short time. Ghost has a style that mixes hard rock with pop rock that is quite accessible. The band became known for the set up they do in their concerts and the concept of the band members themselves. The singer and leader, whose real name is Tobias Forge, has a character whose idea is that of an evil or demonic father and whose name has been changing over the years.
With him are a group of nameless Ghouls who are the rest of the band members, something that has allowed them to change the musicians throughout the tours with ease. The problem with Ghost is that all this atmosphere and concept that can be great, is not accompanied by a sufficiently technical or elaborate music or a writing to match, unlike what happens with King Diamond, for example.
2. Motley Crue
Motley Crue was part of the glam metal movement that became popular in the 80’s thanks to several bands from the Los Angeles area that emerged at that time. Their first two albums (Too Fast for Love and Shout at the Devil) were a success at the time and launched the band to worldwide fame. However, the reason why we say that Motley Crue are overrated metal artists is because they are more famous for what they do off stage than on it. The members of the band have been involved in all kinds of situations and controversies that lead to people talking about them for that and not for their music.
3. Twisted Sister
The New Jersey band had an extensive career that spanned 5 decades and had its last chapter (for now) in 2023. Twisted Sister is known worldwide for two hits: “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”. The band does not have an extensive discography despite being active for so long with only six albums.
Hence, they are on this list of overrated metal artists since they based a large part of their career on their two main hits. They didn’t develop their music like other bands in a similar situation. A good example is Europe, who despite “The Final Countdown”, continued to make a lot of good music afterwards.
Twisted Sister embraced the notion of being a nostalgia act. This might sound harsh, but that is the truth. The New Jersey band only focused on what worked for them and didn’t move on. That has possibly worked for their fans but is certainly disappointing.
4. Slipknot
Slipknot is a band that burst onto the scene with great force from its beginnings in Iowa (the state, not the album). Their first albums had an energy and rage that attracted many fans, to which was added the mystery of the masks, the 9-member band and some very good live performances.
As time went by, the band lost those characteristics that led them to success and added to the loss of Joey Jordison, their leader and drummer, Slipknot has had fewer good years than bad. The thing with this group is not that they are bad but don’t live up to their image. A lot of people consider them one of the best of all time, which is certainly a reach. However, the dedication and commitment of their fans is admirable.
5. Nirvana
Nirvana is the symbol of a generation and a musical style, grunge. The band was the flagship of that subgenre and had its peak popularity in the 90s. Basically, they were the right band for a specific time. However, today, they can be seen as overrated metal artists since the magnitude of Nirvana was in a specific context that is different from today.
The passage of time allows for another interpretation of the band, something that was not there at the time, especially after the death of Kurt Cobain. It was always difficult to judge the band’s quality because of the singer’s passing. This isn’t a slight at Cobain but rather trying to analyze Nirvana’s quality objectively.
That is especially more telling when considering their contemporaries’ quality. The likes of Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and even Pearl Jam were more musically ambitious. They also proved to be more consistent with regular output for longer periods of time.
6. Killswitch Engage
As has happened with many bands from overrated metal artists, Killswitch Engage suffers from not being able to live up to their own standards. The band’s first albums established them as one of the best in melodic metalcore. However, over the years, they have become a bit generic and perhaps that lack of innovation makes them a bit bland.
It’s difficult for bands to stay relevant after a certain period. In many ways, Killswitch Engage rode the metalcore wave and failed to make an impact. This band still has a dedicated fanbase but has struggled to live up to its potential.
7. Bring Me The Horizon
This is a case contrary to Killswitch Engage, Bring Me The Horizon, they have kept changing constantly. Each album of the band offers a different sound from the previous one and it is something to be appreciated. The popularity of the band is quite large but it is partly because they have moved away considerably from metal. Among so much innovation, their music can already be considered something that borders on pop. This is startling when considering they began as a metal band oriented towards deathcore and metalcore.
The band has slowly moved away from metal music. This doesn’t make them bad per se but they don’t stand out in that area. It is a similar case to Metallica as they move to genres that don’t work for them. Bring Me The Horizon have their fans in this era but is generally underwhelming.
8. Metallica
This needs a quick clarification before it turns into a virtual lynching. Metallica is probably one of the most important (if not the most) bands in metal. Their first four albums are masterpieces and have songs that are some of the best in the genre. That said, starting with the “Black Album“, Metallica‘s material starts to lose some steam, a trend that continues with “Load” and “Reload”.
However, the real reason this band is included among the overrated metal artists is because of decline. The sound and quality of Metallica‘s music has lost a lot of the edge and quality they used to have. Sometimes they don’t seem like the same band as “Ride the Lightning” or “Master of Puppets“. That has even been telling with the band’s live performances throughout the years.
9. Marylin Manson
The Florida-born band has been around since 1989 where only the leader and singer remain. Marilyn Manson has been a band whose music has been greatly surpassed by the staging and the various controversies. The off-stage issues have surrounded them since their beginnings, especially because of their leader.
This is a good example of image and controversies overshadowing the music. While some musicians might like this approach at first, it doesn’t help. This has reduced Marilyn Manson to a PR disaster rather than a full-blown artist. While King Diamond or Alice Cooper might overcome that, not everyone can.
10. Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine was very popular in the 90s for a sound that was different for that time. A subgenre that we could classify as rap metal or perhaps alternative metal. However, the band has had more notoriety for its political approach both artistically and outside the studios and stages. This group also has a habit of obssessing over politics rather than music.
The political side has overshadowed a lot of the band’s musical achievements. Moreover, the band, specifically guitarist Tom Morello, has received a lot of criticism. Metal fans have also claimed that the group claims to have values they don’t practice. That’s something that metalheads don’t really appreciate.
