Which is your favorite "metal god"

note: videos in spoiler otherwise they would take up too much space.


Who is the most powerful metal god?
Specifically I am talking about Ozzy, Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, and Bruce Dickenson. I'll give a brief "profile" and some of the best clips I can find on all 4 then let you decide by poll.

Rob Halford:
Hes the guy that pretty much coined the term "Metal Gods" to begin with and even has a song with said title. He has easily the widest vocal range of all the others. Most popular band he was in was Judas Priest, he had a solo career, and like everyone else mentioned in this topic has performed in Black Sabbath due to either Dio quitting or Ozzy becoming ill.

My favorite songs from Judas Priest:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Insanely awesome concert intro song.





Rob Halford/Judas Priest now

Saw them at the Metal Masters tour, Heaven and Hell (Dio Sabbath) was also there. Both were awesome.

Ozzy:
When in Black Sabbath not only created metal but an entire subgenre of metal, Doom Metal, is based on that band's style. Ozzy always had awesome performances and is energetic on stage typically and is probably the most "well known" among all groups of music listeners. Ozzfest is a major contribution of his and a lot of bands gained popularity after going on an ozzfest tour.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Its early 70s, you are at a concert where Earth Wind and Fire are playing, bright colored stage with a rainbow, Black Sabbath steps up and everyone goes .


Randy Rhodes was awesome.


Ozzy now:

I dislike Zakk Wylde, lol. Ozzy knows how to REALLY get a crowd going and acts like a crackhead at any performance.

Watching like the Osbournes where he seems like a burnout with alzheimers then seeing a recent performance and the fact that in recent years hes been making more money than ever really shows that he really is a great businessman as well.

Ronnie James Dio:
Dio is the oldest of all the metal gods (67 currently) and was already a veteran vocalist by the time he entered the metal genre. Hes played with two people who are among the best guitarists of all time, Tony Iommi when with Sabbath and Ritchie Blackmore when in Rainbow, and has probably the perfect voice for more dark themed metal. His music usually involves "fantasy" type lyrics since with Rainbow either as the theme of the song or as simply the metaphore he chooses to use for his lyrics. Dio is probably the metal god most often attributed with by fans (in a tongue in cheek kind of way) as having magic powers, being a demon, stealing souls for immortality, etc. probably due to the lyrics and deep tone of his songs. Hilariously enough his actual age was in dispute at one point, probably adding to this.
Example of this here: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dio
Attributed with inventing the metal horns for use at performances. Awesome stage performer.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

With sabbath:


Rainbow: (some say this is probably the first speed metal song)

Solo:


Now, almost literally. Video from 2009.

Bruce Dickinson:
Bruce Dickinson is just awesome, not only is he a great metal vocalist and stage performer, but, as quoted from wikipedia due to the combined awesomeness that is this first sentence hes also a "TV presenter, airline pilot, radio show host, record producer, fencer, author, and songwriter best known as the vocalist of the metal band Iron Maiden"
Seriously. WTF? It sounds like it would be absolutely awesome to be Bruce Dickinson.

Iron Maiden has a lot of songs based on poems, historical events/people, books, etc.

He also presented the 5-part historical TV series about aviation; Flying Heavy Metal was shown on the Discovery Channel, which is now shown on the replacement for Discovery Wings, Discovery Turbo in the UK. He was also a guest on a Discovery Channel show where he shared his enthusiasm for trains. He was also a guest on an episode of the Military Channel's "The Greatest Ever", where he drove a Russian T-34 tank.

On to some Iron Maiden:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Couldn't find many classic videos of this band at first that were of good quality.
His singing hasn't degraded at all with age. In fact, live, hes better than he was before IMO.

- colonization of america
- obvious
-based on the poem of the same name
- greek fable
About Magellan supposedly
About Dune: Explains at the beginning on why Frank Herbert is a dick.
- Battle of Britain

A poster in one of these said, jokingly, that they learned more about literature and history from Iron Maiden than in school.

The funny thing, for me, is that my taste changes often so I can't ever give one answer to this question since it seems to change by the month.


edit: trying to figure out how polls work. My descriptions might be biased, lol. I tend to prefer Dio and Dickinson to Halford and Ozzy usually. I think Halford has by far the best vocals however, especially at his height of vocal ability.

edit2: also did not proofread.

you! I cannot decide.





I decided on Halford. He is my god. GG Allin is my messiah. Dio exists in a realm of awesomeness that you go to to prove your worth. The gatekeeper.

you! I cannot decide.

My opinion constantly changed as I was typing this and looking up videos.

I've really been into Judas Priest the past two weeks so, for now, i'm going for Halford as well.

I changed my mind about 7 times between Dio and Halford before just voting for Halford...

Tough choice... very tough choice...

I like early Sabbath most but out of the singers it's between Dio and Bruce Dickinson. I think I prefer Dio, just about, so I'll choose him.

2 other metal vocalists I'd choose if they were there:

Geoff Tate

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Buddy Lackey

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EDIT: How could I forget Johan Längqvist?

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I wanted to make a larger poll at first, but usually I only hear them 4 referred to as the metal gods. The funny thing, about Black Sabbath, is that all 4 of these vocalists did at least a live set with that band.

I'll make a larger one later about metal vocalists in general.

Awww... I LOVE them all!!!

But, it was the Priest that got me into Heavy Metal so...

HALFORD!!!

Originally Posted by Kanaric

I'll make a larger one later about metal vocalists in general.

If you're going to do that, be sure to include these guys!!!
They're all amazing vocalists!

Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween)

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Sean Harris (ex-Diamond Head)

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Göran Edman (ex-Yngwie J. Malmsteen)

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Isn't there already a thread about metal vocalists floating somewhere in the flotsam and jetsam of this forum? (Metal reference! I am awesome!) : P

IDK, if there was it was a while ago.

Ozzy Osbourne all the way he set the standard for metal around the world,

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Easy choice.

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K. K. Warslut (centre):



From Destroyer 666. Shame about the most recent album though.

I havent heard the new Destroyer 666...what is the issue? Those guys are ing awesome. As was Bestial Warlust

Originally Posted by vizi

I havent heard the new Destroyer 666...what is the issue? Those guys are ing awesome. As was Bestial Warlust

It's still a good album, but it just doesn't do as much for me as the previous 3 LPs, all of which were definitive IMO. Its more like their EP output. In other words, a little patchy and perhaps even shallow, but only by their standards.

Ahhh...that works.

I have got to go for Halford, they've all earned the Metal God title but good ol' Rob just takes cake.

Good, Ozzy is a joke compared to the other people on this list. I think Sharon is stuffing the ballot.

Originally Posted by vizi

Good, Ozzy is a joke compared to the other people on this list.

Ozzy is no joke and is rightfully placed among these other artists. His career solo may not be as great as Dio but paired with Randy Roads, Zakk Wylde and Black Sabbath his contrabutions are legendary topping even Halford.

Halford is the METAL GOD!

From this list - Ozzy, obviously. Work of Black Sabbath throughout 1970s have set up a framework for what we call today "metal". Especially, one of my most favourite genres, doom metal, inherits itself directly to early Sabbath.