These are the 50 greatest cult metal bands of all time. How many have you heard?

“History is written by the winners” goes the old saying, and that’s no less true in metal than it is in the real world. For every Metallica, Black Sabbath, Slipknot or Ghost, there are thousands – no, make that tens of thousands – of fantastic bands who have been cruelly snubbed by fortune.

In the brand new issue of Metal Hammer we shower a little love on some of those bands by counting down the 50 Greatest Cult Bands Ever. By ‘cult’, we mean those bands whose brilliance and influence never gets the respect or attention it deserves beyond a handful of clued-in diehards.

Some of these bands were destined for greatness, only to have it snatched away by bad timing, music industry idiocy or heartbreaking tragedy. Others were so far ahead of their time people just couldn’t get their heads around them (and frequently still can’t). Then there were those who weren’t even aware of their own genius, and blinked out of existence before their influence could even register. And let’s not forget those who have reunited or are still forging their own, unique path.

You can see the list of 50 bands below, listen to the Spotify playlist we’ve compiled below and then go read about them all in the new Metal Hammer (featuring Gojira on the cover and available to buy here).  And while there’s undoubtedly gonna be some arguing, if it introduces you to a few bands you’ve never heard before, then we’ll consider our job done…