As I sit here listening to that Melvins tribute album I got the idea for us to pay tribute to the heaviest bands of all time. Not the fastest or most extreme, but purely the heaviest. Just mention the band and give some thoughts on them.

Melvins - They're the true pioneers of heaviness. They took where Black Sabbath left off and multiplied the heaviness by about 20. Even in their more punk stuff from Mangled Demos and such is pretty heavy. Bullhead may have been the heaviest album ever up to that point when it was released, and Lysol didn't do anything to take them down.

Earth - Another more of a pioneer of heaviness. Really Dylan Carlson with help from others, including Joe Preston in the earlier days, I've heard that in the early 90's them and the Melvins were basically battling to be the heavier band (not really battling, but I think you get the picture). Earth 2 has to be one of the first released albums that just puts me in awe of the heaviness on it.

Electric Wizard - Doom at its finest. There isn't a single song from Electric Wizard (well, song over a minute long) that doesn't drop my jaw with its heaviness. Another band that plays it as slow and heavy as possible, but they have so many other cool elements to their music as well.

Sunn O))) - I don't know what I can really say, they took where Earth left off and made it even heavier and added a lot of loud and heavy elements to the already heavy sound.

SYL
I say this because they have completely encapsulated heaviness in all forms. Drums, bass, guitar, vocals, synth and effects, all there. It may not be the obligatory cookie monster vox but its fucking heavy.

That's my opinion anyway.

Nevermore - They have always been known for the heaviness, ever since the early days of Sanctuary. I've always enjoyed Nevermore, not because of the heaviness involved within there music, but for Warrell's poetic lyrics. They speak truth in one way or another, I believe that Nevermore are one of the pioneers of heavy metal, and with the new release "This Godless Endeavor" it shows that these guys are not giving up anytime soon.

Alice In Chains - Do I have to say anything more!

Cog - Australia's premier heavy rock band. Some people might say that these guys arn't entirely heavy in some way or another. Ever since starting back in the late 90's they have always incoperated heavy riffs within there music. They may not be heavy in aspect to say Jerry Cantrell or Corrosion Of Conformity, but they still belt out some amazing songs.

SYL - Duh, hate metal to the extreme

Behemoth - I'm not saying they're the heaviest band ever, nor are they even in the top 100. However, the way they mix the vocals in Demigod creates such a wall of sound that it's like getting screamed at by a supernatural being. The sound comes from everywhere at once and not all at the same time, a small echo going on during the singing, and it really adds to this effect of some evil spirit screaming at you.

Meshuggah - Chaos is heaviness in a lot of ways and Meshuggah means chaos in Yiddish (I believe that's the language). Need I say more?

Pantera - No one can scream like Phil and portray that much fury (I would go as far to say Devin is second to Phil), and no one can shred like Dime (RIP), and no one hammers with as much power as Vinnie. They took metal to a new level and have left a permanent mark, teaching people HOW to play heavy.

Abyssic Hate - The mastermind/singer who has mangled his body with a knife is the most heavy depressing writer I've ever heard. Suicidal Emotions is perfectly under produced (I'm not a fan of Darkthrone) so that the bad quality actually adds to the content by sucking you into the emotional agony. The music video of their's I saw was one of the creepiest and most distrubing I have seen...mainly because you can see the scars that line his arms.

Neurosis - Although I love their new stuff as well, their old stuff is heavier. This band can take a single note and hammer it so hard it can crumble worlds (ok that's overly dramatic, lol). Slowing down all the music so that every note hits at it's maximum effect, they create booming epics that speak of tortured emotional trama's. Before they made it to ozzfest, they made it a point to never play while the sun is out.

Cryptopsy (just becuase I just saw them again, heh) - With Lord Worm back, their new album experiments into new idea's of heaviness. Maybe not the heaviest band out there, nor the most chaotic, but Once Was Not is something different in the death metal realm. Lord Worm has a unique way of screaming and his stage presence is very unique even though he has stepped away from the chalice of worms he was known for.

Strapping Young Lad-Nuff said
Dillinger Escape Plan-Again, Nuff said
Ministry-I know they're not the most extreme thing in the world, but what they did for so-called industrial music left a permanant mark, and a shitload of mediocre imitators. To me, the sheer power of their music is what makes it heavy.
The Melvins-I agree. A different kind of heavy, indeed
Pantera-Again, agreed. Pantera ARE fucking metal. Even though they're dead, they will always epitomise metal to me.
Napalm Death-One of the true pioneers of extreme music and one of the few bands even teedering on the brink of death metal that I can listen to without laughing at.
Bile-This is more personal. They're not the heaviest thing in the world, but were one of the first heavier bands I ever heard, and I still remember hearing "I Reject" off of the Mortal Kombat soundtrack and shitting my pants in the 8th grade
Mr. Bungle-Heaviness through sheer mindfuck. A giant cock in your cerebrum. How do you get heavier than that?

I think that's a pretty good list.

SYL (Duh!, they are and probably always be in my opinion the heaviest band ever), Nevermore, Meshuggah - bands other people have already mentioned

Gojira (sheer plodding heavyness), Ion Dissonance, Dillinger Escape Plan (intensity for those 2), Lair of the Minotaur (probably the most raw sounding band ever), Nasum (grindcooore),

and for the award of most apocalyptic sounding band ever I would have to say Axis of Perdition

As I sit here listening to that Melvins tribute album I got the idea for us to pay tribute to the heaviest bands of all time. Not the fastest or most extreme, but purely the heaviest. Just mention the band and give some thoughts on them.

Melvins - They're the true pioneers of heaviness. They took where Black Sabbath left off and multiplied the heaviness by about 20. Even in their more punk stuff from Mangled Demos and such is pretty heavy. Bullhead may have been the heaviest album ever up to that point when it was released, and Lysol didn't do anything to take them down.

Earth - Another more of a pioneer of heaviness. Really Dylan Carlson with help from others, including Joe Preston in the earlier days, I've heard that in the early 90's them and the Melvins were basically battling to be the heavier band (not really battling, but I think you get the picture). Earth 2 has to be one of the first released albums that just puts me in awe of the heaviness on it.

Electric Wizard - Doom at its finest. There isn't a single song from Electric Wizard (well, song over a minute long) that doesn't drop my jaw with its heaviness. Another band that plays it as slow and heavy as possible, but they have so many other cool elements to their music as well.

Sunn O))) - I don't know what I can really say, they took where Earth left off and made it even heavier and added a lot of loud and heavy elements to the already heavy sound.

I've checked EARTH and Sunn O))) through the last couple of month. IMO, they deserve the word "heavy" really. The most of the people, I know, don't get along with the DRONE genre. By the way, check the EARTH homepage, there is a LP or 7" available with 16 rpm. (no joke)

bloodduster- heavy groovin tunes to make you feel good

Meshuggah means chaos in Yiddish (I believe that's the language

Actually, I believe it means more like crazy, mad, weird...

I´d go for Morbid angel around the C/D albums. They´ve lost it since then in my opinion, the songwriting at least. Maybe they´ll pull it off now since David is back.

Amon Amarth were fucking heavy when I saw them at the Bloodstock fest in the UK last September!

Would be cool to see them again!

Arsis.

[EphelDuath666]

Ephel Duath: Heavy in a jazzy way. I love this band! Their music always is a really nice mindfuck.

Anaal Nathrakh: Now that's maybe not heavy...it's INSANE! One of my favorite extreme metal bands. Hilarious stuff!

Behemoth: Another one of my favorite extreme metal bands. Absolutely majestic and brutal.

Red Harvest: Endtimes music...especially songs like Godtech rule with their deep and cold grooves that stomp you into the ground.

Neurosis: Through Silver In Blood is a masterpiece. I love all their stuff but that one is one of their heaviest and deepest.

SYL has been mentioned quite often already but they belong to this list too of course. And some others too of course.

ministry
alice in chains
phobos

Slayer?

i'm glad to see someone mentionned red harvest & neurosis!

for doomier heavy bands, add Morgion on the list!