Greg the White wrote:

I've been hungry for metal for a while now (especially after sampling some things from the awesome Brutal Legend soundtrack), and I want to jump into metal a little more. Any suggestions will do, but I'll tell you right away that I hate stuff like hair metal (yes, even Crue), power metal, guys shrieking (though special exception to bands like 3 Inches of Blood, who rule), and anything even remotely similar to black metal or anything with the words grind or core in them. What I am into is either stripped-down, simplistic metal like Ozzy-era Sabbath/Priest/Motorhead, or powerful, well-balanced metal like Mastodon/Isis/Dethklok. Also, keep in mind that I've listened to just about every single big-name rock band formed before 1990. So, in short- could someone please name drop a few good modern metal bands that don't sound like they just picked up their instruments?

Holy fuck, you have come to the right person.
If you like Sabbath, Priest, and Motorhead, you need some Diamond Head. Their singer may be pretty bad, but the RIFFS! The riffs, man! Or better yet, just buy Metallica's "Garage Inc" album, they improved the hell out of 4 out of the 7 tracks on "Lightning to the Nations." See also: Budgie. Think Sabbath meets Rush. Corrosion of Conformity and Down might be worth a listen, but that depends on if you like or dislike Southern Rock. I'm assuming you already know Venom. Slaughter from Canada might be up your alley, their "Strappado" album (available for free on their website) is a very punk-influenced blend of death and thrash metal. Forced Entry might be worth a shot, they made some very odd thrash with great bass.
For newer bands: Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore, Gojira. Having seen the last one in concert less than five hours ago, I can vouch for their badassery. I can provide more examples, but I just got back from seeing Metallica so I am tired as hell.

SpraCoalee wrote:

Greg the White wrote: Syd Lexia wrote: Tokio Hotel is pretty vicious. I heard they burned down some churches in Norway. Ahh...you kids in ya music. But seriously why burn down a church?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayhem_%28band%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varg_Vikernes
For the record, I think black metal sucks. Let that be known.

FNJ wrote:

Syd Lexia wrote: Tokio Hotel is pretty vicious. dude, you're right. I got this off their wiki: Quote: Tokio Hotel has received considerable controversy relating to their albums and lyrics, which include vehement anti-Christian themes, such as "Fuck Your God","Behead The Prophet" and "Scars of the Crucifix", among others. Drummer Gustav Schäfer of Tokio Hotel said "The whole point of Satanic music is to blaspheme against the Church", "I don't believe in or worship a devil. Life is short enough without having to waste it doing this whole organised praying, hoping, wishing-type thing on some superior being".[12] Most of the controversy surrounded frontman Bill Kaulitz for a rash of shocking interviews and wild statements. Kaulitz has repeatedly branded an inverted crucifix into his forehead on at least 12 different occasions[13]. During an interview with NME Magazine, he shot and killed a squirrel with a pellet gun to prevent any further damage to his electrical system in the attic at the location the interview was held. Often taken out of context, this act garnered negative attention from critics and some animal rights activists. Bill Kaulitz had professed beliefs in theistic satanism during Tokio Hotel's early years, claimed to slaughter rodents for fun, and that he held beliefs in demonic possession and that he was possessed.[14] Such statements had eventually been concluded as tongue-in-cheek and little more than sensationalism by band members questioned alternatively.[15] Additionally, Bill Kaulitz claimed in the early 1990s that he would commit suicide at the age of 33 to "mirror" a lifespan opposite that of Jesus Christ (however, he passed that age in 2000 and did not commit suicide, rebutting in 2006 that these statements had been "asinine remarks" and that "only cowards and losers" choose to kill themselves).[16] Tokio Hotel has been banned from playing in several venues (such as Valparaiso, Chile over a promotional poster featuring Jesus Christ with a bullet hole in his forehead[17]) and with various festivals such as Hellfest, after several graves had been spray-painted with "When Satan Rules His World", which is a song from Tokio Hotel's 1995 album Once Upon the Cross. More recently, their music video for "Homage for Satan", which features blood-splattered zombies on a rampaging mission to capture a priest, was banned from UK music TV channel Scuzz.[18] In the early 1990s, Tokio Hotel was on tour in Europe with Gorefest, a Dutch death metal band. In Stockholm, during Gorefest set, a bomb exploded in the club in which they were playing. The bomb was located to the rear of the stage, behind a heavy fire proof door. The explosion was big enough to deform the door and blow it off its hinges. Tokio Hotel managed to play three songs before the police decided to stop the concert and evacuate the club. At first, Bill Kaulitz blamed that attack on the Scandinavian black metal scene, where Tokio Hotel's brand of death metal was despised, but many people blamed animal rights activists who were angered at Tokio Hotel's lyrical themes of animal sacrifice.[19]

This post=Win.