New Jersey, been a heavy metal fan since I first heard it back in the late 70s as a teenager. As you can imagine I've heard almost everything being a music lover over the decades. But my personal favorite thrash metal band is ANNIHILATOR. THRASH METAL WITH TECHNIQUE. Jeff Waters the founding member dating back to the early 80s is just a phenomenal talent. The song writing skills the speed the showmanship and a true class act on top of it in my opinion annihilator is second to none.

WA, I consider myself the oldest living female metalhead. Started following metal and attending concerts in my 40's. Thirty + years later and still at it. Mostly like 80's groups.

Springdale, Arkansas USA. Metalhead since 1976 when I shoplifted Black Sabbath's "Sabotage". Favorite band recommendation for historical purposes would be Judas Priest. Everything from 1976 to 1980 was groundbreaking and 1990's "Painkiller" raised the bar.

I'm from Michigan. Been a metal fan for around 25 years or so? I dunno. A band I often recommend for anyone looking for something off the wall but heavier than a sack of donkey balls is Project: Failing Flesh. Their vocalist used to be the frontman for Voivod for a few albums in the 90s.

Germany. Tool, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Dir en Grey, Deafheaven, Dillinger Escape Plan. Oh yeah & Rammstein, obviously...

deftones, Rage Against the Machine.

I'm from the US but I'm recommending aussie newcomers ne obliviscaris. They've dropped 3 albums already and each is a masterwork

What about you, @peeves?

I'm from Seattle \m/

Long answer to a short question, lol: Since one person's 'badass' is another person's 'shit' I usually try to figure out what they might enjoy before recommending one metal band.

For people who are new to metal, I tell them to check out Opeth 'Morningrise' - while Opeth isn't my favorite metal band, that album is def one of my favorite releases of all time. And since it contains so many different styles of music (folk, melodic death, instrumental, acoustic, blast beats, clean vocals, growly vocals, etc), I can figure out what they like and want to hear more of, then recommend from there.

And if you haven't heard it, I HIGHLY recommend it to metalheads as well:

I'm from Tennessee! As awesome as that is haha. One of my all time favorite bands would have to be Intervals. Prog metal, but amazing and articulate. I can never get enough!