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Metallica has been my absolute favorite metal band since I first heard them back in the eighties.

However, my metal preferences have kept expanding over the years.

Maiden is obvious. So is Sabbath.

But, I’m also super into Amon Amarth, Kataklysm, Ensiferum, Dimmu Borgir, Shepherd’s Reign (if you don’t know them, you have to immediately give them a listen, even if you end up not liking them), GWAR, Anthrax, and Megadeth.

That’s not an exhaustive list of bands I listen to frequently, just the ones that as soon as an album drops, I get it. Well, Megadeth has dropped off in that regard, but I listen to anew album as soon as I can, and then decide if I want to buy it or not.

I could fill up a page with bands that I love, and another with bands I just like.

Oh! And a relatively new band that’s only recently released their first album! Gotta hype these guys, Oklahoma Blood. Really stripped down, aggressive sound. They’re a trio and sound like a bigger band.

Metal isn’t my only music, but it ends up being my favorite genre overall. It’s just so alive when done well, in a way that I don’t really find with most genres. Folk and folk related stuff is alive in the same way, particularly bluegrass and zydeco, and you’ll find plenty of individual “indie” stuff that has that kind of vital essence. That’s subjective, obviously, but it’s the way I’ve come to think about what it is that draws me to some forms of music over others.