5 Modern Bands That Will Transport Millennial Metalheads Back to the Good Old Days

Millennial metalheads have watched everything, including music, change drastically over the years. We’ve come a long way from hoping our parents will take us to the record store or that our friend will let us make a copy of his new tape. Today, we have nearly every album ever pressed at our fingertips. At the same time, there are more sub-genres of metal than you can count. The modern age is an undeniably good time to be a fan of any musical genre, especially metal.

At the same time, I can’t be the only one who longs for the days of popping in a tape from a band I’d never heard of and falling in love. Think back to the first time you heard Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, or Iron Maiden. How great was it to hear those songs for the first time? While getting those special moments back is impossible, there are plenty of modern metal bands who are doing their best to capture that old-school vibe. So, if you’re looking to add some killer tunes to your collection or playlist, you’re in luck.

Dunsmuir

Dunsmuir is kind of a supergroup. It features vocalist Neil Fallon (Clutch, The Company Band), bassist Brad Davis (Fu Manchu), drummer Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath), and guitarist Dave Bone (The Company Band). While the lineup is mostly made up of stoner rock royalty, make no mistake, their self-titled album is a modern heavy metal masterpiece.

Dunsmuir (2016) is a concept album about the crew of a wrecked ship trying to survive against hostile wilderness and Lovecraftian monsters. Bone’s guitar work here is nostalgic gold, with nods to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath. That, combined with Appice’s drumming, Davis’ groove-heavy low end, and Fallon’s signature bellow, makes this a must-hear. Unfortunately, they have been completely inactive since shortly after the album’s release.

Deathchant

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if Motorhead and Thin Lizzy came together and made a baby that was a huge fan of modern doom metal? Me either. Hearing Los Angeles-based rockers Deathchant for the first time made me realize that I needed that combination in my life.

These guys deliver everything you could want from a straightforward heavy metal band. The riffs are big, the lyrics are great, and the vocals harken back to the days of hoping your Walkman’s batteries lasted until the car ride was over because your parents’ geezer music was too lame to endure. So far, they’ve released three albums. Their latest, Thrones (2023), sees them at their peak. It’s an incredibly heavy record with some stellar songwriting.

Margarita Witch Cult

Hailing from Birmingham, UK, the home of Black Sabbath, Margarita Witch Cult are proudly carrying their city’s musical legacy. Somewhere between modern stoner metal and the doom forged by their hometown heroes, these guys are powerfully underrated.

Their sophomore album, Strung Out in Hell (2025), is just so good. The riffs are as hooky as they are heavy. It’s nearly impossible to resist nodding along with the rock-solid rhythm section.

Burning Witches

Burning Witches is an all-female band from Switzerland. Their sound leans heavily toward the classic with a hint of modern power metal thrown in, adding a dramatic flair. They’ve released six albums since their debut, Hexenhammer, hit shelves in 2018.

Few other bands exhibit the ability to stick this close to the classic heavy metal format without sounding like they’re just rehashing the same thing we’ve heard thousands of times. One of the best examples of this is their cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver.”

Haunt

Haunt is Trevor William Church’s (Beastmaker) solo project. It is his way of stepping away from doom metal and exploring the world of traditional metal. To date, they have released nine studio albums and a pair of split discs. They’re currently days away from releasing their next album, Beautiful Distraction. So, it’s a good time to dig into this throwback powerhouse of a band.

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