Background

It’s 2010. I’m at my cousin’s place, and they’re blasting Linkin Park. It’s my first real taste of English music. My millennial cousins were die-hard nu-metal fans, always playing SOAD, Linkin Park, and Korn. Every now and then, they’d switch it up with pop music - Shakira, Bob Sinclair, or Enigma.

But what really stuck with me were two Moserbaer CDs, burned with Nero Start Smart - Hybrid Theory and Meteora. I’d play Numb, In The End, Nobody’s Listening, High Voltage, and so many others on repeat.

Now, some might say Linkin Park isn’t really metal. And maybe they’re right. But I’m not here to argue that. What matters is that it was my gateway.

Funny thing is, every year I discovered new music, it turned out to be old music. I started with Linkin Park in 2010, then went backward in time - Megadeth, Metallica, Iron Maiden, even Ozzy Osbourne. It felt like stepping into a time machine, uncovering a world of metal I had completely missed, yet it all felt brand new to me.

My Formative Linkin Park Years

Throughout those years, I tried to be the cool kid who thought listening to English music was exotic, so that automatically made it cool. I come from a small Indian town, so that phase was pretty understandable.

That was also the time I listened to almost every genre in both Hindi and English — from Jagjit Singh’s ghazals to Indian pop hits from the 90s and 2000s. I was equally drawn to the global pop wave of the 2000s and 2010s - Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Alan Walker, Backstreet Boys, Gym Class Heroes, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Bebe Rexha, and many more.

Then came my Eminem phase. I blasted Superman, Kim, Rap God, Beautiful, Like Toy Soldiers, and Space Bound after the slightest inconvenience. I loved it. That’s when I learned about the whole East Coast vs West Coast rap scene Tupac Shakur vs Biggie Smalls.

For a while, I also listened to Bryan Adams (mostly Summer of ‘69) and Nirvana. I liked them but eventually grew out of that phase. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, and The Man Who Sold The World still remain my favorites. And of course, Summer of ‘69 will always be nostalgic.

Around the same time, I found a few singles from Evanescence, The Cranberries, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. They were great. I loved Bring Me to Life from Evanescence, Zombie by The Cranberries, and Californication, Otherside, Dani California, and Black Summer from RHCP. For a while, I even called them “the California Band.”

Green Day, on the other hand, always felt overrated to me. The only songs I genuinely liked were Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends, and 21 Guns.

Then came 2017. I had already memorized almost every Linkin Park song ever released when I heard about Chester Bennington’s tragic death. The man who gave Linkin Park its identity was gone. Just like every emo teen, I found myself sinking into nostalgia. Funny thing is, I was only 13, far too young to even be nostalgic. But I was. I got so attached to Chester’s voice that for the next five years, I hardly listened to anything else.

The old Linkin Park lineup, from left to right: Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, Rob Bourdon, Mike Shinoda, and Brad Delson. (Source: Kerrang!)

It’s not like I didn’t listen to other stuff - I had my Despacito and Shape of You era too, trying to look cool and impress that one crush in high school.

But there was something about Linkin Park I just couldn’t let go of. My teenage years were pretty happening, not because I had a lot of friends, but because I had a lively upbringing. I have no complaints about it; it’s just how life was. Through all of it, Linkin Park was my solace.

Given Up and Carousel are oddly the calmest songs to me. They carried me through my breakdowns during COVID-19, a time that forced a lot of reality checks and changed how I saw life. I failed at one thing after another, and it honestly sucked.

But what still soothed me was Linkin Park.

Don’t You Listen to Indian Music

When it comes to Bollywood music, I’ll be honest — “I mostly hate it”. Most songs either sound vulgar or follow the same tired heartbreak formula. It’s all “Thukra Ke Mera Pyar” energy on loop. I got bored of it pretty quickly.

And no, I don’t like Arijit Singh. His voice is good, sure, but it’s been overplayed to death. Every second song sounds like the same melancholic ballad.

What I actually enjoy are the classics: Kishore Kumar, S.D. Burman, Hemant Kumar, and Mohammed Rafi. Their music had soul, not algorithms. My mom loved Jagjit Singh, and I still find myself playing his ghazals when I need calm. On the more modern side, I’ve always liked KK and Atif Aslam. They had emotion without the drama. Sometimes I’ll also revisit JAL, Bombay Vikings, Rabbi Shergill, The Local Train, Junoon, and Kailash Kher; just a few songs on repeat, but they hit right.

And of course, every teenager in the early 2010s had their Punjabi pop phase. Honey Singh and Imran Khan were everywhere: Angreji Beat, Amplifier, Brown Rang. It was fun while it lasted, but it faded. These days, I’ll occasionally listen to Amrinder Gill, Babbu Maan, Honey, Bilal Saeed, or Imran Khan, just for nostalgia’s sake.

It’s not that I don’t like Indian music. I just like it when it feels real.

Discovering Metal

It was 2022. After a few personal and academic setbacks, I found myself looping Linkin Park again. Their songs had always been my go-to during rough patches. This time, though, I felt like exploring a bit more. I realized I liked the chaos: the aggression, the noise that somehow felt comforting. So I moved on to Slipknot and System of a Down.

Enough about Linkin Park for now; they deserve a blog of their own. But it’s fair to say they were my gateway into metal. Maybe not pure metal, but definitely nu-metal.

And honestly, I like Serj Tankian for his balanced political opinions, IFYKYK 😂

That’s when I stumbled upon Korn, Gojira, and In Flames. Suddenly, I had gone from nu-metal to death metal without even realizing it.

Serj Tankian and his iconic “Wake up!” pose from Chop Suey - System of a Down. (Source)

Not long after, I got into what people jokingly call the “Divorced Dad Bands” - Alter Bridge, Metalingus, Breaking Benjamin, and Nickelback. Say what you will, but they hit differently when life feels like one long midlife crisis set to music.

The Megadeth Moment

This was the time I wanted something stronger. I was thirsty. Enter Dave Mustaine, the frontman on the guitars. No one likes his vocals, but the Guitars I was in love with them. “Holy Wars“ and “Tornado of Souls“. I fell in love with it. “Symphony Of Destruction“ (pun-intended), they say. I fell for it. I’m not leaving this genre.

Funny enough, the person who introduced me to Megadeth is a guitarist named “Dave“.

What struck me about “Megadeth“ was their obsession with War History, Politics, Corruption, and Apocalypse. It’s cold, cerebral, cynical, and almost like a military report set to guitar solos. The thrash-heavy, complex riffing of guitars is very distinctive of Dave Mustaine’s style. What most people call technically complex, fast, and precise riffing, and borderline mechanical in precision.

Megadeth Members from Left to Right: James Lomenzo, Dirk Verbeuren, Dave Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari, Source

My Favourites (Top 5)

1. Symphony Of Destruction

2. Five Magics

3. Holy Wars

4. Tornado Of Souls

5. A Tout Le Monde

The Metallica Moment

Metallica is the one band that is literally the do-all of the metal genre. And maybe, doing all is an overstatement, but yes, they still did everything at the time.

Metallica was part of the Big Four of thrash metal (alongside Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax). Their early albums - Kill ’Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice for All - essentially cemented thrash as a genre. They brought punk aggression, NWOBHM precision, and complex songwriting together.

Fun Fact:
Dave Mustaine, the founder of Megadeth, was a former, Metallica member.

Metallica performs live at O2 World, Berlin, Germany, on September 12, 2008. Source
Photo By Jeff Yeager

The Black Album (1991) pushed metal into global mainstream consciousness. It was heavy enough for metalheads, but accessible enough for casual listeners. That’s when Metallica stopped being “just a metal band” and became a cultural institution.

Favourite Picks

• The Unforgiven - I, II & III

• Master of Puppets

• Fade to Black

• One

• Nothing Else Matters

• Enter Sandman

Love them or hate them. You can’t deny the fact, they still make Metal accessible to the casual listener.

You gotta respect that.

Iron Maiden - A New Chapter

If Black Sabbath is the Daddy of Metal, then Iron Maiden’s the Uncle. Yes, one of the oldest, older than Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer.

Once, a wise man said.

Somewhere down the line, everyone’s inspired from Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is what I listen to every morning as I start my routine. It’s chaotic, beautiful, and full of smooth guitars that take you from rebellion to war to reflection, all within a single 15-minute track. And the coolest part? These legends toured the world in their own private jet, Ed Force One, piloted by none other than Bruce Dickinson himself. Find any 40-year-old who graduated from college before 2004, and there’s a good chance they’re a Maiden fan.

The real charm of Iron Maiden lies in the maturity of their fanbase - passionate yet respectful, loyal for decades. It’s arguably the most welcoming community you can find if you’re new to metal. Even after 50 years, Maiden still plays with the same fire that started it all.

Various versions of Eddie, the official Iron Maiden Mascot. Source

Favourite Picks (The list was too long, so filtered the most popular ones)

• Hallowed Be Thy Name

• Clansman

• The Trooper

• Fear Of The Dark

• Wasting Love

• Wasted Years

• Blood Brothers

• Flight Of Icarus

• Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

• Genghis Khan

Iron Maiden isn’t a side dish - it’s the main course. You simply can’t skip it.

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne - Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty Images

And who can forget the man who started it all - Ozzy Osbourne, The Prince of Darkness. The man, the legend, the fanatic, the madlad who defined what “heavy” truly meant.

This man defined a new page in the history of Alternative Rock, the moment that marked the departure from the Grunge Era into the era of Heavy Metal. The person who started it all.

Ozzy wasn’t just a frontman; he was chaos personified. With Black Sabbath, he forged the blueprint- distorted guitars, doomy riffs, haunting vocals, everything that made metal metal. When Sabbath first dropped Paranoid and Master of Reality, they weren’t just making records; they were rewriting music history.

Trade ad for Black Sabbath's album Black Sabbath (1970). From left to right: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne. - Warner Bros. Records | Wikimedia Public Domain

Even when he went solo, Ozzy kept pushing the genre forward. Albums like Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman introduced a new era - melodic yet unrelenting, with Randy Rhoads shredding alongside him like a man possessed.

Ozzy (Left) performing with Randy Rhoads(Right). Source: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Ozzy is metal’s eternal spirit, unpredictable, unpolished, and immortal. He’s the reason the word “metalhead” even means something today. The bat-biting, dove-releasing, reality-TV-starring, unstoppable force who never stopped being true to himself.

Ozzy Osbourne Plays His 'Final Song' With Black Sabbath - The New York Times

Ozzy Osbourne’s final bow came on 5 July 2025 at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham. Seated on his black throne, the Prince of Darkness delivered one last unforgettable performance alongside his Black Sabbath bandmates, playing both his solo classics and Sabbath anthems. It was a poignant, electrifying farewell - chaotic, powerful, and deeply human.

Just 17 days later, Ozzy passed away at age 76, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the very foundation of metal. His final show wasn’t just a concert; it was a celebration of a life spent defying limits, inspiring generations, and proving that true metal never dies.

Some Cult Classics from the Genre

Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven
The anthem that transcended generations. A slow build from a gentle acoustic melody to an explosive solo, a spiritual experience more than just a song. Every guitarist has tried to learn it, and every listener has felt its pull at least once.

Eagles: Hotel California
A masterpiece of storytelling and mood. Smooth guitars, haunting lyrics, and a solo that still gives goosebumps. It’s less about escape and more about realization. You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.

AC/DC: Highway to Hell
A full-throttle anthem of rebellion. Simple, loud, and electric - everything rock stands for.

Black Sabbath: Paranoid
The birth of heavy metal in its purest form. Dark, fast, and unrelenting - the sound that started an entire movement. Ozzy’s masterpiece.

Judas Priest: Breaking the Law
Where speed met precision. A perfect embodiment of British metal’s grit and attitude. And this has a cool cover art too.

Other Honorable Mentions

Limp Bizkit, Three Days Grace, Five Finger Death Punch, Death, Audioslave, Soundgarden, Mötorhead, Guns and Roses, Sepultura, Testament, and Disturbed. Were a few enjoyable stations on this journey. I’ve included a brief list below for those interested, in no particular order.

1. Wrong Side Of Heaven - FFDB

2. Take A Look Around - Limp Bizkit

3. Decadence - Disturbed (Part of Need For Speed Most Wanted 2005 OST)

4. Down With The Sickness - Disturbed

5. Last Resort - Three Days Grace

6. Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) - Limp Bizkit

7. Ratamahatta - Sepultura

8. King of Kings (Triple H’s Entry Song in WWE) - Mötorhead

9. The Jester’s Dance - In Flames

10. Stranded - Gojira

11. For the Glory of.. - Testament

12. Voice Of The Soul - Death

13. Lack of Comprehension - Death

How has it shaped me?

Metal isn’t just music; it became a lens through which I understood chaos, control, and emotion. From Linkin Park’s raw vulnerability to Metallica’s precision, Iron Maiden’s epic storytelling, and Ozzy’s unfiltered madness, each band taught me something about balance - how intensity can coexist with nuance.

It taught me to embrace chaos rather than fear it. Life, much like metal, isn’t always orderly; sometimes riffs clash, tempos shift, and moments hit hard. But that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. Metal gave me resilience - the ability to process heartbreak, failure, and frustration without losing myself. When the world felt heavy, a pounding drum or a soaring guitar solo reminded me that there’s beauty in the storm.

It shaped my taste, too - not just in music, but in life. I learned to appreciate complexity, to notice subtle layers in art, people, and experiences. It taught me curiosity: if I loved one band, why not explore the next? If I admired one style, why not challenge myself with another? Metal turned my listening into a journey of discovery, patience, and respect for craft.

And finally, it gave me identity. In a world that often felt small, restrictive, or predictable, metal made me feel boundless. It gave me a sense of control in chaos, a space to be unapologetically myself. The music became a mirror and a guide, shaping how I handle life’s intensity with both head and heart.

And yes I still listen to LP, almost everyday…