Instrumental Metal Essentials

Apple Music Metal

Sometimes lyrics are just accessories as far as conveying a message through music, and these relentlessly heavy artists decided they didn't need words at all. Eschewing vocals to explore metal’s pure instrumental power, they also increase the potential interpretations of their work by not tattooing it with the subjective words of a lyricist. You’ll hear Chicagoans Pelican aim skyward with an impressive arsenal of major-chord guitar triumphs, while D.C. trio Animals As Leaders specialize in spacey, skronky prog workouts. Elsewhere, international duo Sunn O))) strip the genre down to abstract subwoofing drones, ditching vocals and drums while stretching each riff out for eons. On the psych-rock tip, San Diego’s Earthless revel in extended lysergic jams—though guitarist Isaiah Mitchell took to the mic on parts of their 2018 album. The form continues to kaleidoscope through the sepia-toned Americana of Earth, the driving post-hardcore rhythms of Russian Circles, and the cinematic reveries of This Will Destroy You.
Sammy Boller
Sammy Boller
Ritual Lights - Single
3:28
Metallica
Metallica
Ride the Lightning (Remastered)
8:53
Allegaeon
Allegaeon
Concerto in Dm - Single
7:21
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Paranoid
2:30
Death Angel
Death Angel
The Ultra-Violence
10:33
Mastodon
Mastodon
Remission
8:01
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman
Tokyo Jukebox 3
4:56
Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Passion and Warfare
6:03
Animals As Leaders
Animals As Leaders
The Joy of Motion
4:40
TesseracT
TesseracT
One (Instrumental)
5:43
Ghost
Ghost
Opus Eponymous
4:03
Tribulation
Tribulation
Where the Gloom Becomes Sound
2:12
Cloudkicker
Cloudkicker
The Discovery
4:44
King Diamond
King Diamond
Conspiracy
4:12
Cacophony
Cacophony
Speed Metal Symphony
9:32
Death
Death
The Sound of Perseverance (Reissue)
3:43
Faith No More
Faith No More
The Real Thing
5:41
Megadeth
Megadeth
So Far, So Good... So What! (Remastered)
3:22
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
The Symphony of Extremes - Single
5:16
Plini
Plini
Handmade Cities
5:05
Manowar
Manowar
Kings of Metal
2:49
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Luciferian Towers
8:36
Opeth
Opeth
My Arms, Your Hearse
4:02
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Powerslave (2015 Remastered Edition)
4:15
Sannhet
Sannhet
Revisionist
4:02
Candlemass
Candlemass
Tales of Creation
3:02
Toundra
Toundra
(III)
7:24
In Flames
In Flames
The Jester Race (Black Ash-Inheritance Version)
2:09
Polyphia
Polyphia
New Levels New Devils
4:40
Syberia
Syberia
Seeds of Change
8:10
KRANE
KRANE
Eidos - EP
10:09
Reb Beach
Reb Beach
A View from the Inside
3:14
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen
Trilogy
7:17
Pelican
Pelican
Nighttime Stories
4:56
Generation Axe
Generation Axe
Frankenstein (Live In China) [feat. Nuno Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen & Tosin Abasi] - Single
10:57
Scale the Summit
Scale the Summit
The Migration
5:07
Ayreon
Ayreon
The Theory of Everything
3:16
Russian Circles
Russian Circles
Blood Year
6:33
Tony MacAlpine
Tony MacAlpine
Maximum Security
3:46
Metallica
Metallica
Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)
8:27
Blotted Science
Blotted Science
The Machinations of Dementia
5:56
Caspian
Caspian
On Circles
6:53
Intervals
Intervals
The Shape of Colour
4:07
Sithu Aye
Sithu Aye
Set Course for Andromeda
8:37
Dysrhythmia
Dysrhythmia
Barriers & Passages
7:41
WuW
WuW
Rien ne nous sera épargné
7:49
Tribulation
Tribulation
The Children of the Night
5:52
Spectral Lore
Spectral Lore
Gnosis - EP
9:14
Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Fuzz Universe
7:03
Latitudes
Latitudes
Old Sunlight
9:13
Animals As Leaders
Animals As Leaders
The Madness of Many
6:01
If These Trees Could Talk
If These Trees Could Talk
The Bones of a Dying World
7:49
Bongripper
Bongripper
Satan Worshipping Doom
11:37
Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Life Metal
11:45
Polyphia
Polyphia
New Levels New Devils
3:22
Ghost
Ghost
Prequelle
5:17
Jason Becker
Jason Becker
Perpetual Burn
5:39
Sammy Boller
Sammy Boller
Path of the Heart - Single
4:01
Buckethead
Buckethead
Crime Slunk Scene
9:04
Earth
Earth
Full upon Her Burning Lips
12:15
Lotus Ash
Lotus Ash
The Evening Redness
6:54
Tempel
Tempel
The Moon Lit Our Path
8:21
The Chasm
The Chasm
A Conscious Creation from the Isolated Domain-Phase I
5:23
God Is an Astronaut
God Is an Astronaut
All Is Violent, All Is Bright (Remastered)
4:11
Plini
Plini
Impulse Voices
4:09
Sleep Terror
Sleep Terror
Unihemispheria
2:06
Metallica
Metallica
Kill 'Em All (Remastered)
4:14
TesseracT
TesseracT
Altered State (Deluxe Edition)
5:50
Irepress
Irepress
Samus Octology
4:59
Red Sparowes
Red Sparowes
The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer
7:36
This Will Destroy You
This Will Destroy You
Young Mountain
7:12
Cameron Graves
Cameron Graves
Seven
2:56
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen
Instrumental Best Album
4:12
Meniscus
Meniscus
Refractions
10:45
Tribulation
Tribulation
Nightbound - Single
5:29
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Inquisition Symphony
5:00
Omega Massif
Omega Massif
Karpatia
8:04
When Day Descends
When Day Descends
When Day Descends
12:08
Pray for Sound
Pray for Sound
Dreamer
6:06
Earthless
Earthless
From the Ages
14:08
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman
Wall of Sound
4:35
Barón Rojo
Barón Rojo
Volumen Brutal (Remasterizado)
2:42
Aluk Todolo
Aluk Todolo
Occult Rock
8:35
The Ocean
The Ocean
Pelagial
9:17
Savatage
Savatage
Dead Winter Dead
5:01
Year of No Light
Year of No Light
Ausserwelt
9:37
Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Alien Love Secrets - EP
5:50
Anvil
Anvil
Metal On Metal
2:36
Vinnie Moore
Vinnie Moore
Mind's Eye
5:19
Trivium
Trivium
The Crusade
8:21
Tigran Hamasyan
Tigran Hamasyan
The Call Within
5:19
Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Surfing with the Alien
4:24
Russian Circles
Russian Circles
Guidance
5:29
Red Sparowes
Red Sparowes
At the Soundless Dawn
8:28
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden (Remastered)
4:04
Dark Matter Secret
Dark Matter Secret
Perfect World Creation
8:21
John Petrucci
John Petrucci
Terminal Velocity
6:07
Behold...The Arctopus
Behold...The Arctopus
Horrorscension - EP
3:36
Sepultura
Sepultura
Machine Messiah
4:41
Metallica
Metallica
...And Justice for All (Remastered)
9:48

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