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Quiz about 20 Great Metal Bands
Quiz about 20 Great Metal Bands

20 Great Metal Bands Trivia Quiz


I have chosen 20 of my favorite heavy metal/hard rock bands and will see if you know anything about them.

A multiple-choice quiz by ralzzz. Estimated time: 10 mins.
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Author
ralzzz
Time
10 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
133,341
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
9 / 20
Plays
10390
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (5/20), Guest 120 (8/20), Guest 146 (12/20).
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Question 1 of 20
1. Bruce Dickinson joined Iron Maiden in 1982, recording the incredible "Number of the Beast". Who did he replace as lead vocalist? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. What Florida based band was created by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva? Hint


Question 3 of 20
3. Led Zeppelin has long been heralded as the greatest hard rock band in music history, enjoying unparalleled success throughout the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's. Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page after working in the Yardbirds. Page and John Paul Jones found Robert Plant singing in a Birmingham, England band and immediately recruited him. Plant recommended his ex-bandmate, John Bonham, and Led Zeppelin was formed. The band played their first show as The New Yardbirds in Scandinavia. What band was Robert Plant and John Bonham recruited from? Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. John Michael Osbourne, more popularly known simply as Ozzy, started in the late 1960's as the frontman for Black Sabbath. Ozzy has had huge success as a solo artist and then again with his ex-mates in Black Sabbath. The music festival, Ozzfest, has been hugely successful and the television reality show "The Osbournes" have made the Osbourne family as recognizable as anyone in television. My question deals with guitar players that have played with Ozzy. Who played guitar on "Speak of the Devil", the live album released after the death of Randy Rhoads? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. AC/DC was formed in Australia in 1973 by the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm. Dave Evans was the original lead singer, but a bout of stage fright led to his demise and he was replaced by Bon Scott. Bon Scott died in 1980 from binge drinking and he was replaced by Brian Johnson. What band was Johnson in when AC/DC recruited him? Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. Metallica was formed in the early 1980's in California by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield and has not looked back. They continued to be one of the most popular bands out there, turning all they touch into gold (or platinum if speaking of their albums). Robert Trujillo was hired as the band's fourth bass player. What band gave Trujillo his start? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. Judas Priest started what was known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the 1970's. K.K. Downing (guitar) and Ian Hill (bass) started the band with a lead singer who was in another band also called Judas Priest. What was this singer's name? Hint


Question 8 of 20
8. Dream Theater is a progressive metal band formed in September of 1986 by John Petrucci and John Myung. The band members were attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston and needed something to do in their spare time. They enlisted numerous friends to join the band and originally took which name? Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. Def Leppard were the definitive hard rock band of the 1980's with albums such as "High and Dry", "Pyromania", "Hysteria" and "Adrenalize". Their debut album was titled "On Through the Night" and was released in 1980. That however was not their first recording; an EP was cut in 1978 by original members Rick Savage, Pete Willis, Joe Elliot and Steve Clark. The drummer in this original line up was Tony Kenning, but he was quickly replaced by Frank Noon. Noon eventually was fired to make room for Rick Allen. Back to the EP, what was it titled? Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. In May of 2003, Phil Anselmo pretty much laid Pantera to rest by announcing that there are no plans for Pantera to play together "for quite some time" and that he would be putting all of his creative efforts into a new band. Do you know which band this is? Hint


Question 11 of 20
11. What band was formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA by Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. Suicidal Tendencies basically invented what was known as "skatepunk" in the early 1980's. The band had such a huge cult following in the skateboard circuit that indie label Frontier signed them to a record deal. The self titile debut album was released in 1983 and the song "Institutionalized" was featured in a major film. What was the name of the film? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. Kim Bendix Peterson is a Danish born singer who had moderate success as a solo artist and as the lead singer of a band. His band released an album titled "Don't Break the Oath". As a solo artist, he released "Them". By which name is this impressive singer more commonly known?



Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. Layne Staley (Alice in Chains), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Barrett Martin and John Saunders (both of Screaming Trees') formed a supergroup known as Mad Season. But that was not their original name. Do you know what was? Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. Kiss has been tremendously popular since the 1970's when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons put the band together in New York. After adding Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, both found through ads in music publications, the band was set and ready to take over New York City. What band was Stanley and Simmons originally in before forming Kiss? Hint


Question 16 of 20
16. Progressive rockers, Queensryche, were responsible for creating a musical brand that was hard hitting like Van Halen, but artsy like Pink Floyd. Their albums were hard hitiing (like "Rage For Order") and conceptual (like "Operation: Mindcrime"). Everyone knows that Queensryche released the EP "Queen of the Reich" in May of 1983 to put them on the map of heavy metal stardom, but what was the name of their own record label that released it? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. Rush, simply the hugest musical act ever out of Canada, emerged in 1968 with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey performing covers of standard 60's music. When Rutsey fell ill and left the band, Neil Peart stepped in and breathed new life and energy into the band, provoking some of the most imaginative music ever created. Their breakthrough album has to be the 1976 release "2112", which is based on a novel by Ayn Rand. From which novel is this album conceptualized? Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. Swedish guitar virtuoso, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, practically invented the guitar technique known as "shredding" and was quite popular in the 1980's. Yngwie found his way to the US via Shrapnel Records and was inserted into a band which also featured Ron Keel (from the band Keel). What was the name of this band? Hint


Question 19 of 20
19. Mostly everyone remembers the Led Zeppelin clones, Zebra, from New Orleans, LA. Members Randy Jackson (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Felix Hanemann (bass) and Guy Gelso (percussion) left New Orleans bound for Long Island, NY seeking fame and fortune, which they found in their debut release "Zebra". The album produced two radio hits in "Tell Me What You Want" and "Who's Behind the Door?". Listeners did not respond well to the next albums and Jackson formed another band. Which band was it? Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. Tesla is a band who, in my opinion, never got the full respect they deserved. They managed to stay together and keep putting out hard, bluesy rock throughout the 1990's when the world was listening to nothing but alternative and grunge. Tesla's debut album "Mechanical Resonance" released in 1986 set the stage for what was to come, music with no machines, just musicians and their instruments laying out great music. How did Tesla get their name? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Bruce Dickinson joined Iron Maiden in 1982, recording the incredible "Number of the Beast". Who did he replace as lead vocalist?

Answer: Paul Di'Anno

Di'Anno was forced to leave the band due to his tremendous alcohol problems. Bruce Dickinson was with Iron Maiden from 1982 until 1991 when he left to pursue work with his new band, Skunkworks. Bruce was replaced with Blaze Bayley and the band released "The X Factor" which had little commercial success. Dickinson rejoined the band (along with Adrian Smith who had departed the band in the late 1980's) in 1999 and released "Brave New World" in 2000.
2. What Florida based band was created by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva?

Answer: Savatage

Savatage started off as Avatar before the name change in 1983. The band had moderate success through the 1980's before peaking with the album "Gutter Ballet" in 1990. Sadly, Criss Oliva was killed in a car wreck in 1993 and was replaced by ex-Testament guitarist, Alex Skolnick.
3. Led Zeppelin has long been heralded as the greatest hard rock band in music history, enjoying unparalleled success throughout the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's. Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page after working in the Yardbirds. Page and John Paul Jones found Robert Plant singing in a Birmingham, England band and immediately recruited him. Plant recommended his ex-bandmate, John Bonham, and Led Zeppelin was formed. The band played their first show as The New Yardbirds in Scandinavia. What band was Robert Plant and John Bonham recruited from?

Answer: Band of Joy

Led Zeppelin was signed by Atlantic records for $200,000 (a huge advance in those days) and released Led Zeppelin I in January of 1969. Led Zeppelin had a long run of hit albums throughout the 1970's until John Bonham died of asphyxiation (alcohol induced) on 25th September, 1980.

The band called it quits after the death of their bandmate and their last album "Coda", an album of unreleased material, was released in 1982.
4. John Michael Osbourne, more popularly known simply as Ozzy, started in the late 1960's as the frontman for Black Sabbath. Ozzy has had huge success as a solo artist and then again with his ex-mates in Black Sabbath. The music festival, Ozzfest, has been hugely successful and the television reality show "The Osbournes" have made the Osbourne family as recognizable as anyone in television. My question deals with guitar players that have played with Ozzy. Who played guitar on "Speak of the Devil", the live album released after the death of Randy Rhoads?

Answer: Brad Gillis

Yes, Brad Gillis of Night Ranger fame was recruited to record the live album of Black Sabbath tunes in 1982 after Rhoads was killed in a bizarre plane crash. The Ozzy Osbourne family tree of bandmates is quite interesting. He has had many great members in his band including: Robert Trujillo (now with Metallica), Mike Bordin (from Faith No More), Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde (both as featured lead guitarists), Rudy Sarzo (from Quiet Riot) and has even cut a track with Busta Rhymes.
5. AC/DC was formed in Australia in 1973 by the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm. Dave Evans was the original lead singer, but a bout of stage fright led to his demise and he was replaced by Bon Scott. Bon Scott died in 1980 from binge drinking and he was replaced by Brian Johnson. What band was Johnson in when AC/DC recruited him?

Answer: Geordie

Geordie started in England in the year 1972. Geordie was originally called USA, but the name was changed to better fit their UK glam rock image. Believe it or not, Johnson gained his musical interest by performing in church choirs in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England as a young boy.
6. Metallica was formed in the early 1980's in California by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield and has not looked back. They continued to be one of the most popular bands out there, turning all they touch into gold (or platinum if speaking of their albums). Robert Trujillo was hired as the band's fourth bass player. What band gave Trujillo his start?

Answer: Suicidal Tendencies

Rob started playing in Suicidal Tendencies in Venice, CA. Rob eventually joined Ozzy in the mid 1990's and then was hired to be the fourth bassist of Metallica in February of 2003. Previous bassists were Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted.
7. Judas Priest started what was known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the 1970's. K.K. Downing (guitar) and Ian Hill (bass) started the band with a lead singer who was in another band also called Judas Priest. What was this singer's name?

Answer: Alan Atkins

Alan Atkins, who interestingly enough had a band called Judas Priest, met up with K.K. and Ian in 1970 to begin a new band. The guys kept the Judas Priest name and added John Ellis as drummer. After several line up changes, Rob Halford was enlisted in 1973 and the album "Rocka Rolla" was released. Judas Priest enjoyed many years of success until the early 1990's when Halford left the band to start the band Fight.

In 1996, Tim "Ripper" Owens replaced Halford and they released the album "Jugulator".
8. Dream Theater is a progressive metal band formed in September of 1986 by John Petrucci and John Myung. The band members were attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston and needed something to do in their spare time. They enlisted numerous friends to join the band and originally took which name?

Answer: Majesty

Dream Theater has had moderate mainstream success, particularly with the album "Images and Words", but the band has a huge following amongst the prog rockers of the world. I once heard the music of Dream Theater described as putting Metallica, Pink Floyd and Rush into a microwave and heating on high until it explodes. That's pretty accurate in my opinion.
9. Def Leppard were the definitive hard rock band of the 1980's with albums such as "High and Dry", "Pyromania", "Hysteria" and "Adrenalize". Their debut album was titled "On Through the Night" and was released in 1980. That however was not their first recording; an EP was cut in 1978 by original members Rick Savage, Pete Willis, Joe Elliot and Steve Clark. The drummer in this original line up was Tony Kenning, but he was quickly replaced by Frank Noon. Noon eventually was fired to make room for Rick Allen. Back to the EP, what was it titled?

Answer: Getcha Rocks Off

"Getcha Rocks Off" was actually a re-issue of "The Def Leppard EP" on the label Vertigo. Def Leppard originally released this album on the Bludgeon Riffola label. By the way, Pete Willis was replaced by Phil Collen in 1982. Steve Clark passed away in 1991 after a long battle with alcoholism. Vivian Campbell (of Whitesnake, Riverdogs, Sweet Savage and Ronnie James Dio fame) was asked to join in 1992 to replace Clark.
10. In May of 2003, Phil Anselmo pretty much laid Pantera to rest by announcing that there are no plans for Pantera to play together "for quite some time" and that he would be putting all of his creative efforts into a new band. Do you know which band this is?

Answer: Superjoint Ritual

While Phil did not rule out that Pantera would ever play again, he pretty much voiced his frustrations with the band and management and wants to dedicate all his attention to Superjoint Ritual. Pantera has long been a favorite of most metal heads since they formed in Texas.
11. What band was formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA by Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman, Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo?

Answer: Slayer

Slayer was probably one of the most distinctive and influential metal bands of the 1980's. The group had a unique way of blending super heavy riffs with lyrics about death, torture, war and all sorts of other nifty topics. The debut, "Show No Mercy", started a metal legacy that only a few bands have been able to duplicate.

Their signature album, "Reign in Blood", is arguably the greatest heavy metal album of all time.
12. Suicidal Tendencies basically invented what was known as "skatepunk" in the early 1980's. The band had such a huge cult following in the skateboard circuit that indie label Frontier signed them to a record deal. The self titile debut album was released in 1983 and the song "Institutionalized" was featured in a major film. What was the name of the film?

Answer: Repo Man

Suicidal Tendencies had a hard time making their start because they were banned in their native southern California for rumors alleging them to gang involvement. Eventually the Caroline Record label gave them a chance and the results were quite successful. Epic Records eventually took on the band and the rest is history.
13. Kim Bendix Peterson is a Danish born singer who had moderate success as a solo artist and as the lead singer of a band. His band released an album titled "Don't Break the Oath". As a solo artist, he released "Them". By which name is this impressive singer more commonly known?

Answer: King Diamond

King Diamond had near operatic singing ability and was very successful as a solo artist and with the band Mercyful Fate. Diamond has been rumored to believe in Satanism and other such spooky themes such as the occult and voodoo. Speaking literally of his musical talent though, there have been few to match Diamond's vocal range.
14. Layne Staley (Alice in Chains), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Barrett Martin and John Saunders (both of Screaming Trees') formed a supergroup known as Mad Season. But that was not their original name. Do you know what was?

Answer: Gacy Bunch

That's right, Gacy Bunch. The second Mad Season record featured Mark Lanegan, the Screaming Trees' vocalist, triggering rumors that Staley was mired in drug addiction and unable to go on with the project. Staley very sadly was found dead in April of 2002 of drug overdose. I believe Alice in Chains could have been a great musical force if Layne would have stayed healthy, but the draw to heroin was too great.
15. Kiss has been tremendously popular since the 1970's when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons put the band together in New York. After adding Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, both found through ads in music publications, the band was set and ready to take over New York City. What band was Stanley and Simmons originally in before forming Kiss?

Answer: Wicked Lester

Wicked Lester was formed by Gene Simmons and Steve Coronel, along with Paul Stanley, Tony Zarella and Brooke Ostrander. Wicked Lester never saw the light of day though because the record label wanted the band to replace Coronel with a better guitarist.

The band fired Coronel and replaced him with Ron Leejack, but neither Stanley or Simmons were happy with the laid back music they recorded and they dissolved the band. As a side note, when Kiss became popular, and all the members were hiding their faces behind make-up, Wicked Lester's album and artwork had to be bought by Kiss's label, Casablanca, in order to ensure it stayed out of the public eye.

Otherwise, everyone would have known what half the band looked like sans make-up.
16. Progressive rockers, Queensryche, were responsible for creating a musical brand that was hard hitting like Van Halen, but artsy like Pink Floyd. Their albums were hard hitiing (like "Rage For Order") and conceptual (like "Operation: Mindcrime"). Everyone knows that Queensryche released the EP "Queen of the Reich" in May of 1983 to put them on the map of heavy metal stardom, but what was the name of their own record label that released it?

Answer: 206 Records

The demise of Queensryche's popularity came when founding member Chris DeGarmo left the band to pursue other interests.
17. Rush, simply the hugest musical act ever out of Canada, emerged in 1968 with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey performing covers of standard 60's music. When Rutsey fell ill and left the band, Neil Peart stepped in and breathed new life and energy into the band, provoking some of the most imaginative music ever created. Their breakthrough album has to be the 1976 release "2112", which is based on a novel by Ayn Rand. From which novel is this album conceptualized?

Answer: Anthem

"Anthem", by the American novelist Ayn Rand, is about a man's triumph over an impersonable, high tech society. His discovery of music leads him through an adventure that sees him victorious over his government's "Brave New World" philosophy. Both the book and the album are incredible.
18. Swedish guitar virtuoso, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, practically invented the guitar technique known as "shredding" and was quite popular in the 1980's. Yngwie found his way to the US via Shrapnel Records and was inserted into a band which also featured Ron Keel (from the band Keel). What was the name of this band?

Answer: Steeler

Most people would argue that Malmsteen's first band was Alcatrazz, but he did indeed log time as Steeler's guitarist. After Steeler split up, Malmsteen joined Graham Bonnett in Alcatrazz (a band which later would feature Steve Vai). After limited popularity, Malmsteen left Alcatrazz and found Rising Force and released several albums until his musical style wore thin with his audience due to its lack of growth and substance.
19. Mostly everyone remembers the Led Zeppelin clones, Zebra, from New Orleans, LA. Members Randy Jackson (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Felix Hanemann (bass) and Guy Gelso (percussion) left New Orleans bound for Long Island, NY seeking fame and fortune, which they found in their debut release "Zebra". The album produced two radio hits in "Tell Me What You Want" and "Who's Behind the Door?". Listeners did not respond well to the next albums and Jackson formed another band. Which band was it?

Answer: China Rain

China Rain was released with no audience to listen to it. By the time the album "Bed of Nails" was released, the world was enamored with Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Another hair metal band laid to rest by the Seattle grunge explosion.
20. Tesla is a band who, in my opinion, never got the full respect they deserved. They managed to stay together and keep putting out hard, bluesy rock throughout the 1990's when the world was listening to nothing but alternative and grunge. Tesla's debut album "Mechanical Resonance" released in 1986 set the stage for what was to come, music with no machines, just musicians and their instruments laying out great music. How did Tesla get their name?

Answer: Named after an inventor

Nikola Tesla was the Serbian-American inventor responsible for the radio, fluorescent lights, the telephone repeater and many other incredible inventions. The band Tesla has had success with albums such as "The Great Radio Controversy", "Psychotic Supper" and the live "Five Man Acoustical Jam".
Source: Author ralzzz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor silverginger before going online.
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