The most psychologically/philosophically heavy song I know is probably the downright comically morose Kummer by Trio
this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2025
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I have and do still occasionally listen to much heavier music but... Nirvana - You Know You're Right, maybe with SlipKnot - Left Behind as an honorable mention
Both are EMOTIONALLY heavy for me. I don't know about heavy musically, but defo soul-crushing songs.
I'ma throw my hat into the ring with Undergang. Danish Death. The guitar tones are disgustingly creepy and the feel of the tracks is heavy as. Start with 'Tvangstanker'.
It's hard to pick just one. Electric Wizard - Funeralopolis is absolutely a contender. Here are a few more that stand out for me:
Primitive Man - Victim (NSFW)
Katharsis - Wytchdance (the riff starting at 3:57, relentless and hypnotic. This band always made me think of Destruction but much darker)
Necrophagia - Dead Skin Slave (a little cheesy but the rhythm changes in the second half go hard)
Spawn of Possession - A Presence Inexplicable (the slowdown in the breakdown then gradual tempo increase, chef's kiss)
A candidate that comes to my mind right now: Laibach - Smrt za smrt (Death for death)
However, IMO much of the heaviness is based on the fact that the "singer" is reading a description of some sort of war crimes, in Slovenian D:
Intensive Battery Brooding by Carcass
Check out this 12tone video which tries to analyze what makes something "heavy". tl;dr: sonic transgression https://youtu.be/b0mo17wLB4Q
That was a great video. I don't know that I 100% agree with the simplified conclusion, especially as I don't think heavy is always inherently at odds with "pop," (just look at bands like Limp Bizkit; they certainly aren't the heaviest band around I'd argue they're almost equally as heavy as they are pop), but it was a tremendous exploration regardless and I think I probably still agree like 90% anyway. I'd watched a few 12tone videos before, but one specific songs (Sympathy for the Devil, The Middle, Free Fallin'), but this was a better video than those were, imo.
Torche - Barrier Hammer is a nice contender: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qnQ4uSGgLPw
So weird quick story, I was introduced to three albums I adore by this absolute hurricane of a woman who had a brief but impactful presence in my life. One of them was Tyler the Creator's Bastard, another was Thou's Tyrant, and for years I have been trying to remember the third album, only able to remember that it was amazing stoner sludge and had something to do with cavemen. Cut to literally yesterday morning and out of nowhere like a lightning bolt it suddenly hit me all at once: Meanderthal!
So anyway, Torche kick enormous ass, I'm so happy to finally be reunited with them, and I spent basically all yesterday listening to them (mostly Meanderthal again and Admission).
I'm glad if I helped :). Personally my favorite is probably Restarter, but to each their own. It's too bad they split, but if you need another hit, some members are now in Floor, and it has a similar vibe. (And Thou is another great choice btw)
No, I thought of them the prior day, it's just a crazy coincidence you mention them the day after I rediscovered them. I'll check out Floor though!
personally for me, https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=53ulHedroTk
The others count as fast and chaotic but this is DEFINITELY heavy
Primitive Man anyone?
Heaviest live show I've ever witnessed
I am absolutely gutted that I missed my one chance to see them live, it wasn't my own doing, but that would've been such a amazing experience
A bit of a tangent, but I just saw Meshuggah this week and they are by far the heaviest band I’ve seen live (so far) in terms of sound. And Cannibal Corpse was with them on tour mind you. No other metal band (of the ones I’ve seen live) compares, and I had the stankest of stank face the entire show. I think the second heaviest live that I experienced was Tesseract.
Broooo pretty with you there. When I saw them they played Dancers to a Discordant System and the walls frickn shook... And so thusly was I.
Yeah, I bet Meshuggah are fucking insane live. Jealous of you for that one
Such a tough question because I want to shout out songs across multiple subgenres. Death Grips - No Love, Primus - Frizzle Fry (especially the ending), Quo Vadis - Silence Calls the Storms, Rage Against the Machine - Settle for Nothing, Soundgarden - Jesus Christ Pose, Denzel Curry - Ultra (feat Yung Kane , Nell , Slikk , Rell), Vivaldi's Summer 3rd Movement and half of the Acid Bath or Ulcerate catalog. If I have to settle for one song though I think I would go for :
Ahab - Old Thunder
However, if I can choose a particular snipet of a song that I think is the heaviest thing I have ever heard period, I would go for Akercocke - Leviathan, between the marks of 3:30 and 4:00. I was legit scared first time I heard that. You gotta listen to it from the beggining though because that build up is insane.
Abab - Old Thunder; what a mood they created. Crushing. Drums are well tuned and that guitar tone is sooo distorted. Super Duper Heavy.
Akercocke are an interesting choice. I look fwd to listening to more of their efforts.
Akercocke - Leviathan ... because that build up is insane.
Yo, what a fucking banger of a track! You weren't kidding about the build up, insane and super effective, and then like you said borderline scary when those huge uncleans hit. And I love how a section in the guitar reminds me a little bit of like an NES game warning alert sound during that part. Very sick.
Ahab - Old Thunder
Yeah, that's fucking heavy. Great pick.
Glad you liked it ! I think this band is a little bit of a hidden gem. Their albums "The Goat of Mendes", "Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone" and "Antichrist" are really worth checking out.
Sewerslvt (aka Cynthoni)'s "final" album was made so she could cope with her girlfriend's suicide. There's a music video for the last song
Damn, might win for heaviest in terms of emotional weight and topic, at least. Long song, but cool listen. Probably not something I'll revisit often, but definitely an experience and you can really feel the loss in the track.
I guess I'm not very original, but Meshuggah just beats everything else for me lately, Future Breed Machine or pretty much the entirety of ObZen (though Bleed is overrated and possibly the worst song on the album apart from Pravus), I think it's something about how the vocals interact with the riffing, though I'm not sure this is exactly the kind of heaviness you mean...
Otherwise maybe check out Flood by Boris, that has some massive riffs (Flood III is where the shit goes down if you don't feel like listening to the whole thing)
I thought it was just me that thought Bleed was overrated. ObZen and Lethargica kick ass compared.
Baby Shark makes every parent/ teacher/ care taker’s heart sink to the depths death metal could only dream of
It's also been weaponized, which as far as I'm aware isn't something that death metal has ever been used for.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/us/baby-shark-florida-homeless-prevention-park-trnd/index.html
The FBI and ATF used pop music, Christmas carols, and some rock blasted into the Branch Davidian compound (David Korech's cult in Waco, TX) back in the 90s.
Metal is frequently used in Guantanomo Bay, to my knowledge.
Yikes. West palm beach douchiness is next level
I'm partial to Black Sabbath's Into The Void.
Classic.
I hoped so much that was going to be what that link sent me to. A true metal legend, making fuck for 30+ years now
Can't go wrong with Cannibal Corpse, although I'm more a Barnes guy overall I think (I just saw Six Feet Under live a few months ago and honestly Barnes sounded awesome, better than he has in awhile)
Blacklist by Exodus. Specifically their live at Hellfest 2008 version
That was fun, I like when it's clear the band is having a good time too
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