Best German Heavy Metal Bands

1. Scorpions

The Scorpions are my number one German metal band of all time for their combination of talent and longevity. They even had radio hits in two different decades in the U.S. with "Rock You Like A Hurricane" in the '80s and "Winds Of Change" in the '90s. Having seen them in concert I can also vouch for their incredible live shows. 1982's Blackout is probably their best album, but their 1970's releases are really underrated and overlooked, especially by younger fans.

2. Helloween

The power metal band Helloween had their greatest success in the '80s, and were a very influential European group. Keeper Of The Seven Keys and Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II are both classics, and the band has had several other excellent albums over the years.

3. Accept

It wasn't until Accept's fifth album, 1983's Balls To The Wall, that they had great commercial success and worldwide attention. But their earlier albums were even better, especially 1982's Restless And Wild. Accept combined power and speed with melody and the distinctive vocals of Udo Dirkschneider.

4. Kreator

Kreator rose to prominence in the mid 1980s, and were one of best, most popular and most influential European thrash metal bands. They had a string of outstanding albums including 1986's Pleasure To Kill, 1988's Terrible Certainty, 1989's Extreme Aggression and 1990's Coma Of Souls. Kreator hit a slump in the '90s before rebounding with more excellent albums during the past few years.

5. Destruction

Even though they weren't as successful as thrash brethren Kreator and Sodom, Destruction was a really good band whose work has really stood the test of time. Their best album was 1988's Release From Agony, a ferocious release with great riffs. Vocalist Schmier left the band for the decade of the '90s, but has now returned and Destruction is a much stronger force.

6. Blind Guardian

Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian are at the top of the German power/speed metal heap in terms of both commercial success and longevity. Originally known as Lucifer's Heritage, Blind Guardian is known for their stellar musicianship and epic lyrical themes. Their best albums are probably 1992's Somewhere Far Beyond and 1995's Imaginations From The Other Side.

7. Grave Digger

The power metal band Grave Digger was formed back in 1980. Frontman Chris Boltendahl is the lone original member still in the band after numerous lineup changes over the years. They even shortened their name to Digger for a while before reverting to their original title. Grave Digger's style is epic speed/power metal with great melodies and catchy choruses. Their best releases include 1995's Heart Of Darkness and 2001's The Gravedigger.

8. Sodom

Sodom is a thrash band with heavier, more extreme influences like death and black metal. Their career has had a lot of ups and downs, but when they are good, such is 1987's Persecution Mania, they are really good. But their inconsistency puts them in third place among the Big 3 of German thrash that also includes Kreator and Destruction.

9. Gamma Ray

After appearing on Helloween's first four albums, Kai Hansen left the band to form Gamma Ray. He would play guitar, and Ralf Scheepers was the group's singer for their first few albums. He did a good job, but Gamma Ray's best album was 1995's Land Of The Free, which saw Hansen resuming vocal duties and kickstarting the power/speed metal band to a string of excellent albums. This is a rare band whose later albums have been superior to their earlier ones.

10. Running Wild

When Running Wild started, they were more of a raw speed metal band. But with their third album, 1987's Under Jolly Roger, they took on their trademark pirate image and moved more toward power metal. They've had tons of lineup changes over the years, but they continue to spread pirate metal across the globe.