The Best Metal Bassists Of All Time Ranked

Heavy metal bass is the use of the bass guitar (also called “electric bass”) in the rock music genres of heavy metal and hard rock. The bassist is part of the rhythm section in a heavy metal band, along with the drummer, rhythm guitarist and, in some bands, a keyboard player. The prominent role of the bass is key to the metal sound, and the interplay of bass and distortedelectric guitar is a central element of metal. The bass guitar provides the low-end sound crucial to making the music “heavy”. The bass plays a “… more important role in heavy metal than in any other genre of rock.” Metal bassists play many different types of basslines, depending on the subgenre they are playing in and their personal playing style. Metal bass lines vary in complexity, from holding down a low pedal point as a foundation for the band’s sound to doubling complex riffs and licks along with the lead guitar and/or rhythm guitars. Here are all of The Best Metal Bassists Of All Time ranked.

See more: The Best Rock Singers Of All Time Ranked

See more: The Best Bassists Of All Time Ranked

20. Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)

“Ryan, in my opinion, is the best bassist there is. Cliff is good, but he’s not great. Nobody would care about Cliff if it weren’t for “pulling teeth” and the intro to for “for whom the bell tolls.” Ryan is my favorite bassist because he is extremely technical, he stands out from every other bassist, he has a great tone, amazing writing skills, etc.”

19. Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down)

“He has so much flair when he plays, it’s just amazing, not to mention he is very good at playing his instrument. The song “Deer Dance”, or “Prison song”: Prime examples of his skill. Shavo plays with his own style and even playing low like he does still delivers a clear and powerful sound.”

18. D.D. Verni (Overkill)

“The song writing. The live presence and damn that bass tone. No one has that tone and cuts across anyone that ever listen to it. It’s his sound. No one has the DD sound. He maybe not be all over with being flashy but the man can hold his own”

17. Rex Brown (Pantera)

“Gets overshadowed because Dimebag was an amazing guitarist with a monster tone. Rex’s bass fill ins while Dime solos are sick. Domination is my favorite Rex bass track. Rex really killed it when it came to bass playing even though you don’t hear him much over dime.”

16. Gene Simmons (KISS)

“Gene rocks, his axe-bass solo’s are one of the things that made KISS bigger and made him a bass legend. His bass playing live is incredible and loud just like in his famous hit I Love It Loud. He has said that his job is to make what he has in his head come out with his playing, and he does that and then some.”

15. Tom Araya (Slayer)

“Tom is amazing on the bass. Listen to War Ensemble or another fast track and the bass will blow you away. In Raining Blood he plays the same way as the guitars. You have no idea how hard that is for a bassist until you try. Amazing Player who sings very rhythmic vocals while playing extremely fast syncope’s.”

14. Geddy Lee (Rush)

“Not only is Geddy an intricate bass player, from an instrument standpoint. But, he also sings & plays keys, all the while still holding firm in the structure of each song. He plays Bass for rush which would already be hard enough, he is the lead singer of Rush, and he also plays piano for Rush!”

13. Frank Bello (Anthrax)

“Take the Steve Harris style of finger playing, and apply it to thrash metal. The result is something similar to what Frankie Bello gives you: solid, pumping, bright and fluid, adding a layer beyond and behind, yet distinct from Scott Ian’s massive rhythm guitar parts.”

12. Robert Trujillo (Metallica)

“Rob’s galloping style has contributed a lot to Metallica’s songs. Metallica’s recent live performances sound a lot heavier and more brutal because of Rob. He may not be the best bassist of all time, but he’s certainly one guy you can never ever write off. His name is definitely there, along with the likes of Burton, Butler, Steve Harris and Ellefson.”

11. Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine)

“One of the most underestimated bass players, but has awesome funk, hip hop groove mixed with brutal and inimitable tone! He may come from a different age but you can’t deny that back in the day, RAtM delivered some of the most effective metal bass lines ever. And he was a beast live.”

10. Les Claypool (Primus)

“Unquestionably the best bassist to roam the earth, even though Justin Chancellor is my favourite bassist, Claypool is inarguably the most talented and innovative player on the list. He is a metal bassist, Primus isn’t a metal band but he used to be in the Prog Thrash band Blind Illusion he even played on their first studio album. “

9. Jason Newsted (Metallica)

“Not as good as Cliff Burton, but you have to respect him for the awesome bass lines on The Black Album, and his work on Load really is the only saving grace of a pretty lackluster album. A great live player, and his new project, Newsted, released a simply phenomenal debut album.”

8. Lemmy Kilmister (Mötorhëad)

“He has one of the most unique styles of bass in the entire genre. His baselines are powerhouses, and he normalized the bass solo. This guy defined how most of this bands sound has been rocking since the 70s and still going strong. Has his own brand. Very best at what he does.”

7. Justin Chancellor (Tool)

“Justin plays his bass with the prowess of a lead guitarist. His bass lines are more technical than a lot of guitar riffs from other bands. He contributes so much style and musicality to the band without overshadowing the other members. You would not have the TOOL sounds without him”

6. Steve DiGiorgio

“The eternal hippy of all that is fretless” as Chuck Schuldiner would say. Great bass player who brought another dimension to many albums. Not really a mainstay in any band, but you could always pick him out on any album he was on. Just solid.”

5. John Myung (Dream Theater)

“John Myung should be number one. Just see how technical his playing style is. Just listen to the bass lines of octavarium and you would understand myung’s capabilities. He should be considered as a lead bassist. He is one of the most complete contemporary bass players. JM started playing at the point the others remain stagnant in there progress. Just amazing and a paradigm of bass playing!”

4. David Ellefson (Megadeth)

“Listening to David Ellefson explain his playing philosophy is a master class in bass performance. Like Geddy Lee (for example) he knows exactly how to fill in the band’s sound with his instrument–from driving the drum kit’s rhythm into your skull to putting a nice thick bottom end on the guitar work. Plus his tone is monstrous. Anyone that can cut through a Mike Clink “wall of sound” mix has some serious balls in his sound.”

3. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)

“This bassist is part of the best band in history. He plays like there is no tomorrow, and he can come up with awesome riffs. I get that he’s not considered the greatest bassist of all time (but I still believe he’s the best), he’s at least without a doubt the greatest metal bassist! Most creative by far. Listen to Black Sabbath’s solos in their earlier songs (Sweet Leaf and War Pigs are great examples). Geezer just goes insane and it sounds absolutely amazing.”

2. Cliff Burton (Metallica)

“Though he may not be the most technical bassist, he is definitely the most original. In the end, it is not the most technical that ends up being the best but the bassist who contributed the most to the music. Cliff burton’s Bass lines, though not the most technical, enhanced the song and harmonized perfectly with all the other instruments. His song writing was impeccable. He revolutionized metal bass. He treated it like a lead instrument, focusing less on holding down the rhythm and instead enhancing the song harmonies and melodies.”

1. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

“Metal is a genre where unfortunately many bassists go unappreciated because the rip roaring guitars take center stage. Not so with Steve Harris. You will feel his presence in every Iron Maiden song and rest assured, he makes them better. Responsible for the iconic “Maiden Gallop” often used throughout metal and also about half the writing of the band’s songs, Steve is unquestionably the best.”