Best composer in metal?

[Balu]

'Ello there!
Yet another question, just because I'm interested in your opinions. This time, of all metal, as power metal doesn't have that many good ones. Also, no poll because of the many options.

[Babylonian]

There's no only one best composer for me, but Timo Tolkki, Tuomas Holopainen and Steve Harris are the best composers for me.

[Kosmo]

Lyric wise Tony Kakko takes the cake.
But i think that Tolkki writes better instrumentals.

[HinatAArcticA]

I must say Tony Kakko. Never have I heard that much creativity in a metal composer. So many different songs and some are just so great that are some of my favorite songs of all time.

[rikkertje]

Thomas Youngblood and Roy Khan.

[Rebel]

I was going to say Weikath, until I remembered Windmill. So I'm going to have to say Andi Deris. Occasion Avenue is one of my favorite power metal songs ever

[NeverendingAbyss]

Jorg Michael!


Nah, but I choose Turilli.

[Shurik]

Devin Townsend.

[adrian9]

for me is a close tie , between , Adrian Smith , Tobias Sammet and Tolkki of course.

of course I have to give a special mention to tony kakko and his terrific lyrics

[Kosmo]

I was going to say Weikath, until I remembered Windmill. So I'm going to have to say Andi Deris. Occasion Avenue is one of my favorite power metal songs ever

Occasion Avenue is actually my favourite Helloween song.

[Intiaani]

Devin Townsend.

+1

The man's got his very own soundscape. He's in his very own spheres. Especially those more calm songs like Solar Winds and Deep Peace for me... magic.

Speaking of one's own spheres and that other one I first typoed 'soundspace', I must also mention Arjen Anthony Lucassen. I think he might ultimately be THE best in my mind. Unique style. Without a doubt a genious. Anytime I get to the end of an Ayreon album I just want to make the world see that he's the best possible musician there can be... Some of my friends will hear my Lucassen appreciation speech whenever I happen to listen to his music.

Tolkki, Olbrich(/Kürsch?), Weikath (mainly for Keeper, the song), Hansen, Lulis/Boltendahl, (Blackmore, BÖC, Ken Hensley), David DeFeis, Iommi, Sammet, DeGarmo/Tate, whoever write(s) for Seventh Wonder <E> got the album Mercy Falls today finally. Story, concept & lyrics by Andreas Blomqvist and Tommy Karevik. Ingenious. Best album ever?

Who I'd most like to underline though is Erik Ravn if you haven't payed any attention to my Wuthering Heights odes before, and even if you have.

Off the top of my head anyone of the mentioned is THE best or ridiculously close to it. Or at least everyone of the mentioned was at some stage. Some of those have slowed down or even quit.

The list tells only a pretty narrow scale. Just the artists that I know, and think are among the best. I can't really bring up enough styles even inside of metal music in my opinion. For example, if there are more hidden gems from the genres I don't usually listen to, that are about as good as Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris, I'd possibly book them among the best as well.

Oh, and I shall jump to the Occasion Avenue bandwagon as well. One of the greatest (Helloween) songs ever! Still think Deris is generally far behind the best composers Helloween's ever had. Can understand why some tend to like his songs even the most, though.

[Kosmo]

Honorable mentions: Roy Khan and Tobi.

[mayhem-for-all]

Jarmo Myllyvirta, Timo Tolkki, Gus.G(yes I think he is more than just a great guitar player), Luca Turilli, Mikko Salovaara, Sami Saarinen.
(just to mention a few.)

[Kosmo]

Is Mikko Salovaara the guy from Kiuas?

[mayhem-for-all]

Is Mikko Salovaara the guy from Kiuas?

Yep

[Kosmo]

Kiuas is really good too...

Too many good composers, not that it's a bad thing. I just can't pick a favourite.

[Kecos]

a

[Balu]

Meh, here's my opinion.

Best: Arjen Lucassen without a doubt. I loved all of his projects: very creative, inspired, unique prog-based music.

Honorable mentions:

- Timo Tolkki: Everyone knows him here, meh.

- Christopher Johnsson: He did some awesome stuff with Therion. Not the most popular metal type, but still great.

- Devin Townsend: He makes very unique music with songs on a very wide range. He isn't even nearly the best, but one of the most unique.

- Asis Nasseri: Probably the least known on my list, but he is the composer for Haggard, writing one of the finest symphonic metal.

- Jens Johansson: While Jens isn't and never was the main composer for Strato, his songs were always great and I also love his solo albums and his other projects.

- The duo of André Olbrich and Hansi Kürsch: They wrote the most songs for one of the finest power metal bands with 90% of them beign great.



And of course many more...

[Intiaani]

Heck, yeah, I could as well add Nasseri as well. Haggard's so godlike!

And, yeah, there are many more very good ones that didn't make it to the list.

[Babylon]

My favorites are definitely Bruce Dickinson (Revelations is my favorite song in the world) and Michael Weikath. Andi, of course, has also written many many songs I like.

[warrencurrymetal]

This list is assuming we are dealing with composer as in the classical sense, because one could argue that all metal song writers are composers in their own right and then this would be about choosing the all time greatest metal song writer.

michael romeo (odyssey)
dream theater (six degrees + octavarium)
luca turilli + alex starapoli (rhapsody owns)
adagio is pretty damn good (stephen forte)
david defeis
the great kat (actually not her at all, but she wishes. Yngwie wishes he was too)
olbrich/kursch
dark moor has good composition
Steve vai is good composer, but weird and maybe not metal. Sounds like Looney Toons to my ears. .


I like devin Townsend, but his skills in composition are just ok (though his music rules! same with Tolkki, but he rules too, and trinity ROCKED)

[Mormegil]

I'm also going with Olbrich/Kürsch -duo from Blind Guardian. They have a truly unique style and for two decades have consistently had very high overall quality in their works.

[miditek]

Jimmy Page has my vote- although Zeppelin wasn't a 100% metal band per se, he is still one of the most talented and diverse songwriters and producers ever.

I also liked Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Chris DeGarmo, Dio, Mustaine, Iommi, and my old friends Babb/Carter from Wizards -> (Masters of Reality era Sabbath meets Hemispheres era Rush, hook up with Steve Vai, Keith Emerson as well as the B-52's and then they all head to hell! Funky apocalyptic space metal! )

[Rebel]

Jimmy Page has my vote- although Zeppelin wasn't a 100% metal band per se, he is still one of the most talented and diverse songwriters and producers ever.

I also liked Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Chris DeGarmo, Dio, Mustaine, Iommi, and my old friends Babb/Carter from Wizards -> (Masters of Reality era Sabbath meets Hemispheres era Rush, hook up with Steve Vai, Keith Emerson as well as the B-52's and then they all head to hell! Funky apocalyptic space metal! )

Somehow I didn't realize this was all metal, and I was just thinking Power metal.
In that case
Tony Iommi.
Tony Iommi.
Followed by Tony Iommi.
with special mention to Tony Iommi, and the Ritchie Blackmore/Dio composing team.

[Burning Reflection]

Timo Tolkki writes some really awesome music. His lyrics haven't always been the greatest, but not a lot of lyrics are

What lyrics do you consider good?

[Intiaani]

Timo Tolkki writes some really awesome music. His lyrics haven't always been the greatest, but not a lot of lyrics are

What lyrics do you consider good?

Pardon the interruption. Maybe it's because I'm Finnish, but I can't compare anything to Juice Leskinen (or Gösta Sundqvist). Nobody has ever come even near them in my opinion. Perhaps it's not just possible to produce as good lyrics in, say, English.

I know many here really can't compare because of the language barricade though. :/ Just mentioning. There are a lot of good lyrics, but not even near the best Finnish lyricists.

[Florian]

Kai Hansen, Mille Petrozza, Timo Tolkki and Yngwie Malmsteen are my favorite.

Kai Hansen for his songs which with Helloween and even more with Gamma Ray, "Ride The Sky", "I'm Alive", "I Want Out", "Save Us", "Halloween", "Rebellion In Dreamland", "Man On A Mission", "Valley Of The Kings", "Empathy" and many more. These songs are great and in all of these you can listen to powerful guitar solos.

Mille Petrozza wrote (and still writes) great songs with his band Kreator, it is in my opinion the best thrash metal band (and one of the only ones I like). Songs like "Betrayer", "Violent Revolution", "Under The Guillotine", "Hordes Of Chaos" and "Flag Of Hate" kick ass and must be awesome when you hear it live in the crowd

Timo Tolkki was a great composer in the late 90's, some of his songs like "Black Diamond", "Visions", "Destiny" and more are among the best of the genre.

Yngwie Malmsteen wrote killer songs with killer guitar solos that have brought something new. Rising Force is in my opinion the best instrumental album ever.

[Arkash]

Lyrics and music: Jari Maënpaä (Wintersun).
Music: Markus Toivoinen (Ensiferum), Thomas Youngblood (Kamelot), Thomas Holopainen (Nightwish), Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray), Oscar Drvonjak (Hammerfall), Jens Johansson (Strato), Mark Jansen (Epica)...

[AAAAAAAAAA]

I know how to compose myself. Why no mentions?
PS: My haunches itch.

[AGAG]

I know how to compose myself. Why no mentions?
PS: My haunches itch.

We need proof of both things