Favorite Heavy Metal Bands?

[Painkiller]

What are your favorite bands?

[Gamerforlife]

Sentenced, Iced Earth, Dark Tranquillity, In Flames in their earlier years, Metallica from Kill em All to the Black Album, Apocalyptica, Judas Priest(primarily their Painkiller album), Nightwish and Kamelot are the ones that immediately come to mind.

If we look at more mainstream bands I also like Disturbed

I've enjoyed various works from other bands too, but it's hard to remember and list every single metal song or album I've ever liked

I don't know if we can call them metal, but I've been listening to a lot of Blue Oyster Cult lately(Dominance and Submission in particular is a badass song). I've also been getting into a lot of bands featured in the Supernatural tv show like Triumph and Eagles of Death Metal

Favorite vocalists:Matt Barlow, Kahn from Kamelot, Tarja from Nightwish and James Hetfield back when he was in his prime. There are some other great ones too

EDIT:As this a gaming site, I also must say that Brutal Legend is one of my favorite games

[Flake]

ELO

[Pabstblueribbon]

Gwar, Meshuggah, Opeth, Widow Sunday, Last Chance To Reason, Goatwhore, Napalm death...

I could go on and on about metal

[Rurouni_Fencer]

PANTERA, Opeth, Meshuggah, Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, (early) Cradle of Filth, Ill Nino, Killswitch Engage.. So many bands, so little time...
I used to be a huge fan of black metal; the symphonic melodies and grinding riffs more than made up for the craptastic vocal style (see: Hecate Enthroned, early Cradle, Immortal.)
Ever since the surge of the Gothenberg sound (In Flames,) as well as the New England metal movement (All That Remains, Killswitch Engage,) I've been digging the priority given to cleaner vocals balanced with gutter growling.

If you're looking for technical metal brilliance, look no further than Opeth and Meshuggah.
\m/ \m/

[MrEco]

Turisas, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, The Stranglers, and many others I can't seem to remember right now.

But most importantly: HEIDEVOLK
Greatest band ever.

[AwesomeMonstar]

Up the Irons. Then again, I;m curious as to how these guys can be considered as part of some new wave movement seeing as they've been around since the 70's.

Aside from that, Sabbath, Judas Priest, Metallica, Motley Crue, Motorhead.

And finally, does Opeth and the like really fall into heavy metal? I always considered them as part of the newer takes on metal.

[HellHammer]

Dissection

Immortal

I like metal most when it has a subtle but strong melody to it. While they aren't technically considered 'heavy metal' these are two of the most creative, impressive, and enjoyable metal bands I've ever heard. 'Immortal is a timeless frost.' I saw them live, it changed my life.

[durkada]

Blue Oyster Cult, Iron Maiden... I still seem to listen to alot of Anthrax and Testament.

[WrathOskvro]

Mors Principium Est, Luca Turilli, Dream Theater, Dark Tranquillity, Iced Earth, Kamelot, Necrophagist, The Absence, Meshuggah,

On the more electronic side of things, Celldweller, Crossbreed, Turmion Katilot.