Spotify has grown into a leader of music streaming services offering free and premium account access. That’s no secret. Everyone in the metal universe loves a killer playlist featuring discovered classics and undiscovered talents. That’s also no secret. However when it comes to heavy metal and hard rock music discovery on Spotify, the editorial playlists are often lacking in such greatness.
Everyone knows about the famous New Metal Tracks playlist and Kickass Metal playlist made by Spotify’s editorial team. These are very popular options that are constantly spoon fed to the app’s metal users. The metal presented in these playlists often—not always—features overproduced music made primarily with midi instruments and plugins with digital recording software. While the masses don’t mind listening to music made by software instruments as evidenced by any song on the Billboard Top 100. In the metal world such as the doom and stoner genres, amazing listeners constantly show their support for loud obnoxious electric guitars from real amplifiers, basses, and full size authentic mic’d up acoustic drum kits. Another playlist made by Spotify that is often guilty of featuring heavy rock music with unauthentic instruments is the New Blood playlist. Not always terrible, but also not the greatest option for fresh metal talent either.
There is this growing belief among underground metal artists that there are undisclosed back door deals that occur within the corporate makeup geared toward favoring the big record labels and their clients. Ultimately this behavior cheats the independent and often more talented rising talents that end up going unnoticed.
Even Soundplate, a website that wants independent music submissions for playlist consideration fails to have a category for Metal. Soundplate has a Rock/Indie category, but no metal band wants to be associated with the term Indie Rock. Hearing that term alone makes us vomit in our mouths. It’s a far too whiny and weak genre for metal artists to be associated with. So, what exactly are the best Spotify playlists for discovering powerful new talent in the world of hard rock and heavy metal?
We might as well get this one out of the way. Yes, the Gears of Rock has its own playlist. It’s the Gears of Rock Top 30 metal playlist and it is updated on a daily basis. You will find bands like Lamb of God and Metallica, but you will also hear amazing unnoticed metal bands like Lesbian Bed Death, Sweden’s Carmilla, Valkyrie, Pterodactyl Problems, Night Demon, and Dead Eye Doll: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3nFNOa6yKSgvLMORTfYPnE?si=Nfh0r5QZQq2WqKWEha8AzA
It’s 420: All things Stoner / Doom by Metal Assault is one of the best playlists out there. It’s updated every day at 4:20 pm and it officially launched on April 20th of this year. Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Pentagram are all there but just about every day you will most likely discover a brand new heavy doomy artist that you will want to add to your own playlists. Read more about Metal Assault’s playlist here and listen to the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/00u979mNYfvFKbrGvUW0Xd?si=rhabHU4gR0uvZbkfVxFWIg
Workout Hard Rock is a pretty good metal playlist that tries real hard to be mainstream through its tireless promotional efforts and loyal following on the Instagram platform, but there are some solid offerings on it. You will always find Slipknot, apparently the curator loves putting Slipknot front and center right toward the top along with Metallica. But when you dig deeper into this playlist you will find bands like Sin Seer, Concrete Dream, and Demonstealer: https://open.spotify.com/user/headbangerz.net/playlist/04EzHFNzLCfdQByQMSkEvX?si=sJIxIXTCQY-oO1kzePmerA
Uprising Doom and Sludge is another great playlist on Spotify especially on days you crave Black Sabbath, Type O Negative, Khemmis, Corrosion of Conformity, Sleep, and Saint Vitus. You will also find artists of the new old school metal pool such as Red Fang, Electric Wizard, David HK, Kirk Windstein, Monolord, Ellefson, DemonScar, Baroness, and Cvlt Ov the Svn: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5eza1KRzFiX3Ke48Jn3XIi?si=ZPerx-KlQjKK58KD7aCaSg
Here’s another post you might be interested in from last year with 15 rock and metal playlists that are great alternatives to Spotify’s editorial options: http://www.gearsofrock.com/2019/11/23/top-10-spotify-playlists-for-rock-and-metal/
In conclusion, the best possible metal playlist ever is not made by the employees at Spotify or the playlist curators references above. It’s you! You and only you have the power to make the greatest and best metal playlists on Spotify. This is heavy metal music we are talking about. You have your own awesome tastes and preferences. The problem is you need to share them. Share on social media and text it to your friends. Let the bands know that you’ve included them. They will certainly appreciate you adding their songs if you can get in touch with them. Most independent artists are very accessible, not because they suck, but because they care.
What are your favorite heavy metal playlists on Spotify right now? Please post them below. We are always on the lookout for killer new metal playlists!
More amazing playlists for metal and hard rock by awesome Spotify users:
North East American Metal by Spotify Metal Canada: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/668nhIMGBYyfT3YyErfOE7?si=lC4e3AN-QJSmlu5zLLIFIw
Metal Mix: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iuMvliJ7gdBjGKw26SVCD?si=0hlv3CRkT-aX9ngS_-N-Yg
2020 Metal Rock Releases + Upcoming: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/15pyB2i2j7bKdSD5iFIyFn?si=hSzR0r1MRC6HeTehX28_mw
Spaced Out—Transmissions from Saturn: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NMQDw1vFAptIhKqYVIXrN?si=5EXo8cjhRSauWOfn2ZyFFw
Stoned Meadow of Doom: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1fyvBoH5Env9M9pxf8lL60?si=k9V3n9mHTCyC0vh3NS484Q
2Furs: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2BpqrdwmEf7mUWPsiNVmRy?si=U8Wz26SfTFyDItaTQA1KwQ
Red Eyes Red Skies: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ZDebXduzrqmIOeg2PQ3Zp?si=iTxh_Xn5Tp-vkp1kIMqBrw
New Psychedelic Acid Stoner Heavy Rock 2020 by Grotesqualizer: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hjFe0Gs8NXQhU4t8pnSor?si=svYYtRetSAOohp9Y9caLRQ
Comment your favorite Spotify metal playlist below and include the link. We want to know what you’re listening to. Metalheads of the world unite!