# Recommend some heavy metal instrumentals **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557 "2005-02-05T18:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/1 "2005-02-05T18:57:34Z")
That’s pretty much it. I’m looking for tight, hard-hitting metal which is wholly or predominately instrumental. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/2 "2005-02-05T19:02:25Z")
One word: Apocalyptica. Their cover of Grieg’s _Hall of the Mountain King_ is better than you. ALL OF YOU. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/3 "2005-02-05T19:29:24Z")
The track “Triad” by **Tool** is really heavy and has sparse vocals. No words, just vocalizations. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/4 "2005-02-05T19:30:37Z")
Yngwie J. Malmsteen: “Black Star” from _Rising Force_. I’ve always liked Flo & Eddie’s crack that he billed himself as “Yngwie **J.** Malmsteen” to distinguish himself from all the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the music business. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/5 "2005-02-05T19:38:40Z")
> [@Fuji Kitakyusho](#): > > That’s pretty much it. I’m looking for tight, hard-hitting metal which is wholly or predominately instrumental. You’re not really going to find a lot. Vocalizations are very important in metal. If you’re not too hung up on having something fast, Pelican and Earth are both excellent choices. Pelican uses no vocals, and Earth mostly doesn’t. Metallica did a couple instrumentals: “The Call of Ktulu” from _Ride the Lightning_ and “Orion” from _Master of Puppets_. I think Dream Theater did at least one on _Train of Thought_, but the name escapes me at the moment. I think Manowar did an arrangement of “Flight of the Bumblebee”, but I can’t remember what they called it. Toadliquor covered the opening to _Also Sprach Zarathustra_ on _Hortator’s Lament_. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/6 "2005-02-05T19:45:17Z")
Not everyone will regard these tracks as heavy metal, but you might try… 1. King Crimson’s “Red” (from the album “Red”). 2. Anything from Joe Satriani’s album “The Extremist.” 3. Jeff Beck’s “Rice Pudding” (from the “Beck-Ola” album). 4. AC/DC’s “Chase the Ace” (from “Who Made Who”) ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/7 "2005-02-05T22:07:32Z")
Pelican often gets lumped into being metal for some odd reason, although I think they’re quite shoe-gazery. I’ve heard their two albums and while they’re not terribly hard-hitting, they do have some surprisingly heavy bits. YMMV, but I’d get some additional opinions before giving them a listen to. My brother also highly recommends Isis, but I wasn’t impressed when I heard them. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/8 "2005-02-05T22:18:05Z")
“Liqiud Tension Experiment” or “Black Light Syndrome”, any records by these bands suit your needs as that is all they do (and they do it very well). Unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/9 "2005-02-05T22:53:41Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > I think Manowar did an arrangement of “Flight of the Bumblebee”, but I can’t remember what they called it. It’s called **_Sting_ of the Bumblebee** , and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard (bass solo). **Iron Maiden** have a few instrumentals on their early albums (Losfer Words, Transylvania, Genghis Khan) which are worth hearing if you haven’t already. These are cool in that they sound like they were written to be proper songs without words, rather than just guitar solos, or songs _with_ singing with the vocal track missing. One of the problems with so many heavy metal bands (in terms of this question) is that when they do an instrumental, it’s often atypical, and either ambient, or jazzy, or anything but metal. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/10 "2005-02-06T00:04:30Z")
You’re in for a treat. The artist: Andy Timmons. The album: **That Was Then, This Is Now**. 16 tracks of utterly superb music from a guitar genius. Only the last track (a tribute to George Harrison) has words, so it’s easy to skip that if you want to. The rest are just guitar, bass and drums, but with talent to burn and the true flair of a consumate artist displaying mastery and artistry in equal measure. And there’s enough ‘heavy’ on there to satisfy anyone. Then of course there’s Hendrix, **Nine To The Universe**. No lyrics to speak of (apart from the odd grunted phrase or two from the man himself). Just soul-searing pyrotechnical jamming from a place that other guitarists will never reach. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/11 "2005-02-06T00:12:55Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > 1. Anything from Joe Satriani’s album “The Extremist.” I’d have to go with **Surfing with the Alien** on the album by the same name. ---
**Author:** ![Sutremaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sutremaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sutremaine)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/12 "2005-02-06T00:49:12Z")
**Dream Theater’s** _Train Of Thought_ instrumental: Stream Of Consciousness. There’s also one on their earlier album _Awake_ called Erotomania, which is I think is a lot crunchier and more the sort of thing you’re after. If you like them you’ll likely like **Liquid Tension Experiment** – DT’s current line-up is the same as LTE’s but with a different bassist and a vocalist. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/13 "2005-02-06T12:09:47Z")
Although its not metal, it is heavy heavy rock, Frankenstein - The Edgar Winter Group. Possibly the heaviest rock single of all time. or maybe The Devils answer - Atomic Rooster Hocus Pocus - Focus, prog rock really but a reasonable sound for all that. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/14 "2005-02-06T12:52:01Z")
There has been a serious oversight in this thread **Iron Butterfly** In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/15 "2005-02-06T15:04:20Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > There has been a serious oversight in this thread > > **Iron Butterfly** In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida It that the tune with a twelve minute drum solo, or am I thinking of something else? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/16 "2005-02-06T15:18:59Z")
The infamous “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” drum solo is really less than three minutes long. And the song is not an instrumental, and is not heavy metal (it’s psychedelia). ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/17 "2005-02-06T15:55:41Z")
Although I don’t consider Rush to be heavy metal, I’ve seen them sometimes characterized as such. They have done several instrumentals, including _La Villa Strangiato_ and of course, _YYZ_. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-heavy-metal-instrumentals/288557/18 "2005-02-06T16:22:55Z")
I highly recommend you check out [The Fucking Champs](http://www.thefuckingchamps.com/). The first (and best) album _IV_ is from 2000, and I recommend “C’mon Smash the Quotal” and “Policenauts”.