Best Avant-garde Metal Bands

57 bands

Rank	Band / Formed / Genres	Albums
1	Arcturus 1991, Norway Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	The Sham Mirrors (2002) #216 Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996) #587 La masquerade infernale (1997) #1025
2	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #415 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1040 In Somniphobia (2012) #1282
3	Diablo Swing Orchestra 2003, Sweden Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal	Pandora's Piñata (2012) #592 Sing-Along Songs for the Damned and Delirious (2009) #3176 The Butchers Ballroom (2006) #4413
4	Gorguts 1989, Canada Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Dissonant Death Metal	The Erosion of Sanity (1993) #2101 From Wisdom to Hate (2001) #2182 Obscura (1998) #2685
5	Celtic Frost 1984, Switzerland Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Doom Metal	To Mega Therion (1985) #263 Morbid Tales (1984) [EP] #2084 Monotheist (2006) #2136
6	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #24 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1541
7	Thy Catafalque 1998, Hungary Avant-garde Metal	Vadak (2021) #2014 Meta (2016) #4081 Rengeteg (2011)
8	Unexpect 1996, Canada Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal	Fables of the Sleepless Empire (2011) #1948 In a Flesh Aquarium (2006) #5374 Utopia (1999)
9	Rainy Sun Korea Avant-garde Metal	Porno Virus (1998) #976 Origin (2009) #2775 Woman (2003)
10	Dir en Grey 1997, Japan Alternative Metal, Visual Kei, Progressive Metal	Uroboros (2008) #863 Arche (2014) #1649 Dum Spiro Spero (2011) #1710
11	Faith No More 1982, United States Avant-garde Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal	The Real Thing (1989) #1109 We Care a Lot (1987) [Single] Epic (1990) [Single]
12	Devin Townsend Project 2008, Canada Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Ambient	Addicted (2009) #595 Transcendence (2016) #880 Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2015) [Live] #1712
13	Ulcerate 2000, New Zealand Technical Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal	Stare into Death and Be Still (2020) #618 Cutting the Throat of God (2024) #893 Everything Is Fire (2009) #2541
14	Avenged Sevenfold 1999, United States Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Hard Rock	City of Evil (2005) #647 Nightmare (2010) #821 Avenged Sevenfold (2007) #1210
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #694 Paracletus (2010) #931 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1359
16	Odraza 2009, Poland Black Metal	Rzeczom (2020) #938 Esperalem tkane (2014) Kir (2015) [EP]
17	Alchemist Australia Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal	Austral Alien (2003) Tripsis (2007) #3895 Organasm (2000)
18	Igorrr France Breakcore, Avant-garde Metal, Experimental	Nostril (2010) Savage Sinusoid (2017) #3244 Spirituality and Distortion (2020) #3835
19	Manes Norway Electro Avant-garde metal	Under ein Blodraud Maane (1999) #1995 Be All End All (2014) Slow Motion Death Sequence (2018)
20	Dødheimsgard 1994, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Industrial Metal	Black Medium Current (2023) #3739 A Umbra Omega (2015) #5063 666 International (1999) #6834
21	Solefald 1995, Norway Progressive Metal, Post-Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	The Linear Scaffold (1997) #849 In Harmonia Universali (2003) Red for Fire : an Icelandic Odyssey Part l (2005)
22	Akphaezya 2002, France Avant-garde Metal, Gothic Metal, Progressive Metal	Anthology II: Links from the Dead Trinity (2008) #3916 Anthology IV : the Tragedy of Nerak (2012) #4177 Fell Down the Veil (Anthologies I, III & V) (2024)
23	Schammasch 2009, Switzerland Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Contradiction (2014) Triangle (2016) #2434 Hearts of No Light (2019)
24	Ihsahn Norway Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Arktis. (2016) #1442 angL (2008) #2479 After (2010) #3903
25	Zeal and Ardor 2014, United States Avant-garde Metal, Black Metal	Stranger Fruit (2018) #2640 Devil Is Fine (2016) #4418 Live in London (2019) [Live]
26	Blut aus Nord 1994, France Atmospheric Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Black Metal	Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses (2022) #1782 The Work Which Transforms God (2003) #2464 Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With the Stars (2009) #3052
27	Kayo Dot 2003, United States Avant-garde Metal, Post-Metal	Hubardo (2013) Choirs of the Eye (2003) #5798 Coffins on Io (2014)
28	Lunatic Gods 1995, Slovakia Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Doom Metal, Black Metal	Vlnobytie (2012) Sitting by the Fire (1998) Mythus (2004)
29	Ex Eye 2016, United States Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal	Ex Eye (2017) #4848
30	Shining 1999, Norway Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Rock, Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal, Experimental Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock,	Blackjazz (2010) #4549 One One One (2013) Where the Ragged People Go (2001)
31	Primus 1984, United States Experimental Rock, Funk Metal, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal	Pork Soda (1993) #5729 Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991) #6270 Conspiranoia (2022) [EP]
32	Iwrestledabearonce 2007, United States Experimental Grindcore, Metalcore, Experimental Deathcore	It's All Happening (2009) #6092 Iwrestledabearonce EP (2007) [EP] Late for Nothing (2013)
33	Imperial Triumphant 2005, United States Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Dissonant Death Metal	Spirit of Ecstasy (2022) Vile Luxury (2018) Abyssal Gods (2015)
34	Au Revoir Michelle 2009, Korea Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Folk Metal	Les Cris De La Nuit (2012) #5286 님의 찬미 (2012) [Single] 흥보가 기가막혀 (2012) [Single]
35	Ved Buens Ende Norway Avant-garde Metal, Black Metal	Written in Waters (1995) #7893 Those Who Caress the Pale (1997) [EP] Those who Caress the Pale (1994) [Demo]
36	In the Woods... 1991, Norway Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	Pure (2016) #2238 Live At the Caledonien Hall (2003) [Live] #2462 Heart of the Ages (1995) #2671
37	The Dillinger Escape Plan 1997, United States Mathcore, Metalcore, Alternative Rock	Irony Is a Dead Scene (2002) [EP] #5455 Miss Machine (2004) #5820 Dissociation (2016) #5893
38	Mr. Bungle 1985, United States Avant-garde Metal, Fusion	The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo (2020) #8473 Mr. Bungle (1991) #8596 The Night They Come Home (2021) [Live]
39	Phlebotomized 1990, Netherlands Death Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal	Deformation of Humanity (2019) Clouds of Confusion (2023) Immense Intense Suspense (1994) #7073
40	Portal 1994, Australia Dissonant Death Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Seepia (2003) #969 Vexovoid (2013) #4015 Avow (2021) #4098
41	Car Bomb 2000, United States Mathcore	Mordial (2019) #5923 Meta (2016) #7381 w^w^^w^w (2012)
42	Hail Spirit Noir 2010, Greece Black Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Avant-garde Metal	Pneuma (2012) #590 Fossil Gardens (2024) Mayhem in Blue (2016) #3975
43	Fantômas 1998, United States Avant-garde Metal	The Director's Cut (2001) Millennium Monsterwork (2002) [Live] Delirium Cordia (2004)
44	Madder Mortem 1997, Norway Progressive Metal, Atmospheric Doom Metal	Old Eyes, New Heart (2024) #7846 Red in Tooth and Claw (2016) Marrow (2018)
45	Liturgy 2005, United States Avant-garde Metal, Black Metal	H.A.Q.Q. (2019) #6565 Renihilation (2009) Aesthethica (2011) #8920
46	Windham Hell United States Neoclassical Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Reflective Depths Imbibe (1999) Window of Souls (1996) South Facing Epitaph (1994)
47	Atrox 1990, Norway Avant-garde Metal, Progressive Metal, Doom Metal	Orgasm (2003) Mesmerised (1997) Contentum (2000)
48	Oranssi Pazuzu 2007, Finland Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Värähtelijä (2016) #807 Kosmonument (2011) Mestarin kynsi (2020)
49	Lux Occulta 1994, Poland Symphonic Black Metal	Dionysos (1997) #3784 Forever Alone Immortal (1996) #5782 My Guardian Anger (1999) #6886
50	Melvins 1983, United States Sludge Metal, Stoner Rock, Drone Metal, Noise Rock	Houdini (1993) #5668 Millennium Monsterwork (2002) [Live] Tarantula Heart (2024) #8294

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