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Last week we looked at prolific performers whose image was as iconic as the songs they performed. This week we look at 5 more individuals who played a vital role in shaping the evolution of metal.
 1. James Hetfield: While no less err… misbehaved than his predecessors, Hetfield is one of the most legendary faces in not just thrash or metal, but all music in general. This can be attributed to him to some extent but Metallica’s status also helps. His problems with alcoholism did not deter him and his mates from creating a musical machine that dominated world music for many years. His aggressive vocal delivery and excellent musical ability were the perfect foil for the blistering solos and riffs of his partner…
 2. Kirk Hammet: Many people consider him overrated. Many people consider him a legend. Either way, he is someone who contributed to the creation of thrash metal, whether it was through the creation of Bay Area thrashers Exodus, or his axe work with Metallica. His technical skills (which he learned from guitar god Joe Satriani) would place him into the annals of history as one of the best guitarists of all time and this also made him an idol for many aspiring guitarists.
 3. Dave Lombardo: One always hears about great guitarists or great vocalists but the spine of a band somehow tends to get forgotten. Pounding the skins for hours on end is a feat worthy of praise. Smashing the crap out of it as if pummeling you enemy takes things to a new level. Lombardo was amongst the pioneers of a new, devastating style of drumming that would prove pivotal to the evolution of metal drumming. His departure from Slayer in the early 90’s led to a slump, which could only end with his return. The time he took off, however, was not wasted. Sitting behind the kit on Testament’s “The Gathering”, he delivered one of the standout performances of the year thus cementing his place as one of the greatest drummers of all time.
 4. Kerry King: Slayer is one of the most popular bands that extreme metal has seen (and this should be obvious to anyone whose head was not under the sand for the last 2 decades). A band is only as good as the song it writes and credit for their gems must go to Kerry King (and partner in crime Jeff Hannemann). Guitar melodies that possessed a level of violence never seen before ushered in a new era of extreme music. His partnership with Jeff was on par with the other thrash duos of Hetfield/Hammet (Metallica), Ian/Lilker (Anthrax), Mustaine/Poland (Megadeth). This style of two guitarists playing off each other would go on to become a characteristic feature of thrash metal.
 5. Chuck Schuldiner: One of the few people in metal who has managed to earn himself the tag ‘father of …”, Schuldiner along with band Death went on to create what would become one of the most popular genres of metal, Death metal. Crushingly heavy riffs combined with monster vocals were unheard of in the early 80’s. By creating the kind of songs he did, not only did Schuldiner manage to take metal to the next level, he proved to be the inspiration for legions of fans in the years to follow. His change in songwriting in the early 90’s would also go on to create another sub-genre, Progressive Death. It would be a crime if his genius were not recognized and appreciated by any self-respecting metalhead. His untimely death would put him into the elite category of great musicians who died young.
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