I was in middle school trying to download some linkin park on limewire or something and stumbled across Ride the Lightning. The ferocity and elegance of those twin guitar harmonies in the intro really awakened something in me. What album or song was your gateway to the heavy halls?
Pantera and Metallica in my high school locker room. Walk, Cowboys from Hell, Master of Puppets, the classics.
I had just started summer break in middle school. Someone in my neighborhood gave me a bunch of dub cassette tapes. Among them were Metallica - Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets. As well, Pantera - Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display of Power. Some ACDC, Motley Crue, Ratt, Extreme, Europe. It really was some decent artists to listen to at that time being maybe 10 years old in the eighties for your first lengthy venture into metal. Thanks Denny!
Although I don’t care much for the band now, I think it was Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets that made up my mind for me.
Yeah, I had a friend who was obsessed with Metallica around the time too, so I spent a lot of time listening to them with him. Although he liked the 90’s hard rock era while I was more into thrash. I sadly got into metalcore next, lol. But after a few years discovered death metal and have been into that ever since.
“Through the Fire and Flames” on Guitar Hero 3, which led me to power and symphonic metal and I’ve never looked back.
Think it was “The Sciences” by Sleep. I was smoking a lot of weed at the time so it appealed to me because of that, and it was also a good gateway into metal that wasn’t too harsh or abrasive.
A friend of mine used to play Stratovarius - Black Diamond and Children of Bodom - Lake Bodom occasionally on car rides and I had to look them up … and then more stuff like it. Melodic death metal is still my favourite genre :)
Much later works for I, but your friend has excellent taste.