This will probably come across as a stupid request (nevertheless the criteria are pretty narrowing as these letters don't seem to be very popular), but I recently noticed that my music collection nearly spans the whole alphabet and what's missing are the letters X and Y and probably due to some undiagnosed neurosis I want to change that fact.

I mainly listen to old school metal of all subgenres including but not limited to Heavy Metal, DM, BM, Thrash and Speed Metal. Actually with old school I basically just mean anything that qualifies as a classic metal genre so the emphasis lies more on the exclusion of modern stuff like melodeath, metalcore, polka-related metal or anything that's trendy or pop-related etc.. Classic rock bands and hardcore punk will do too.

I already took a quick look through the bands listed in the archive, but none of the names stuck out as something I at least heard of. So if you know any recommendable or outstanding bands matching these criteria and having names starting with X or Y, I would really appreciate your recommendations.

Edit:

People started to use this thread for other seldom used letters so I'm preemtively making some suggestions:
When recommending: Only answer requests.
Only request the following letters: J, Q, X, Y, Z
Have a look here before requesting: http://www.metal-archives.com/browse/letter

You could try X Japan. Despite their looks, some of what I've heard of them reminded me a lot of Helloween and other old school metal.

Xenomorph are pretty ok death metal, not great, that's all I've got off the top of my head sorry.

More on the punk side of things, but you said hardcore was ok so I see no reason why Young and in the Way wouldn't be acceptable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ7se29AkNE

Plenty of metal influence, too.

Thanks so far. X Japan isn't really what I'm looking for. Xenomorph seem worthwhile to me. About YaitW I'm still unsure because I'm completely incompetent regarding post 80s hardcore.

Xysma? The old old school death/grind. Very good band

EDIT - Only the early stuff!

Xeque Mate is good Portuguese heavy metal. Only released one album.
Year Zero is good trad doom band from the UK. If doom metal is one of the old school metal subgenres you listen to.

Xentrix is the only band that comes to mind... Pretty much standard sounding 80's thrash, but done really well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JCJvIq0G3I

Check out Yyrkoon (named after a character in Elric, that's fucking cool). It's a great French death metal band, not quite old school, but not that modern.

Also Yearning, cool atmo doom band from Finland.

Yattering for technical brutal death
Yyrkoon is some modern sounding death/thrash metal.
Xyster for some quality odlschool British thrash.
Xasthur for one of those Burzum influenced black metal projects. A lot of people love it and a lot of people hate it.

Seconding Yattering, great band.

i'd count xenomorph as great rather than ok (assuming we're talking of the same band - the one with the empyreal regimes album)

Ysigim from Poland. Released one CD (Whispers) on Wild Rags Records. Great DeathDoom/Funeral Doom, one of the oldest band that founded this style, a bit like early Thergothon. However, completely overlooked and unknown band today...

I second early Xysma until "Lotto" (or excluding "Lotto"). Great Death Metal, with traces of Grind in the early stage, and traces of Death'n Roll later.

Xyster from the UK were a great Thrash band. The earlier their releases the better, means: demos are killer, full-length gets boring after some time.

Trust me OP, others are which suffer from the same undiagnosed problem concerning fully alphabetizing their metal collections!

My main problem is with the letter "Z" as I already listen to Xenomorph and Malmsteen (under Yngwie), and nope I don't like Zyklon. Sorry to barge in but since we're talking about weird letters I might just semi-hijack this thread.

Y&T's "Earthshaker" is a must-have hard rock album.

http://youtu.be/w4KjntebtV4

I don't know if bluesrock is your thing but wouldn't ZZ Top be the obvious answer? Somehow it seems that every metalhead I know likes them.

Try Zuriaake, they're an awesome Chinese black metal band. http://pestproductions.bandcamp.com/alb ... -of-autumn

Xipe, old Italian epic heavy metal band.

For Z, Zed Yago, traditional metal w/ female vocalist.

Naa...



Will do. Thanks!

Yeah same one, I know they get some praise, but they never really worked for me, apart from that excellent cover art.

Xenomorph is an acquired taste but I can understand why many won't like it. It's a bit too convoluted for it's own sake but I actually like it.

Zuriaake isn't really the kind of BM I dig and Zed Yago is a bit too generic and slow for my taste.

I'd say Xenomorph is actually the best thing that came up so far. Classic death metal, exactly the stuff I need.

Also I noticed that Anus has exactly one band of each of the letters in their list. Have to check them out.
Yamatu
Xibalba

The experimental Drone/ Black Metal project Yoga is indeed an interesting listen. Zuriaake were mentioned above, I'd also throw Yn Gizarm with that rec.

I must say it's the strangest things people care about!

i do find it curious why so few bands pick names starting with those letters

Yeah, it's kind of an ADD thing actually. The letter "Q" is also a bitch, but then again we're lucky enough to have Quo Vadis!

indeed - quo vadis is the only metal band i have with Q (actually the only band at all apart from queen) and while xenomorph and xysma fill in my X, i've got no metal in Z or Y (tho' there is non-metal stuff; ie. yup, *the* yardbirds & zz top)

Seconding Xentrix...

YOB. Colossal sludgey/stonery doom.

And for the Z request up there... though not metal, the obvious solution is get more Zappa.

Which would be either Frank or The Mothers... at least if you are concerned with tags.

These bands are pretty weird you know?!

Xasthur?? Xenophobic Ejaculation?? ...no, don't suppose they were helpful

Yngwie Malmsteen? I guess he comes under M (or W for wanker) but if you listen to music on an iPod it would fill the "Y" spot I think...

Funny you say this actually just the other week I realised I don't have a single band beginning with Y in my collection...

Maybe Yog Sothoth?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKEdBv0rphA&feature=relmfu

For X I'm truly astonished nobody suggested XYZ yet. [or is the fact that Don Dokken produced their first album a reason to banish them forever...?]

Y&T as suggested before have really awesome stuff.

Z - Zodiac Mindwarp

Q - Quiet Riot, Queensryche

xvii eyes is a decent band, more progressive black metal though

I just thought of this.....has there ever been a band named Xenomorph, after the titular antagonist of the Alein film series?

I'm also surprised to see that someone actually remembers the underrated retro rock band Zodiac Mindwarp.

Yigaels Wall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_pfvKj85zo



Youthquake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAUVYqEFrQ8

Congratulations on not reading about 1/5 of all the posts in this thread.

To contribute, check out:
Years of Rice and Salt (post-rock, if you like that stuff)
Ygg (pagan-ish BM)
Yndi Halda (again, post-rock. I find them rather boring though)
Yurei (sounds like Virus)
Zigoku Quartet (ridiculously catchy and technical... thrash, I suppose)
Zombiekrig (black 'n' roll)

Xcaliber clearly fits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsr4ICJq_m8

NWOBHM band Y Diawled also, but they start with Y only because that is the article in Welsh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9t9FF2L7Jw

Well, Obituary were called Xecutioner in their early demos. That should kind of count.
Also, Yob is a decent doom band.

EDIT: For whoever wants Z, Zorn is also a decent black metal band.