12 Great Heavy Metal Deep Cuts

A best selling single is great news for any band, but metal bands struggle to gain the success that their counterparts in other genres achieve. This usually means a heavier band will have to try much harder to have their single break into the mainstream. Record labels are always looking for the next big thing and will always choose the softer, radio friendly tracks to release as a single.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, successful singles provide a great jumping on point for bands and will attract more casual listeners. The downside of this strategy is that much better songs are left to the wayside, either deep into an album's track listing or as a B-Side to one of the singles.

For instance, everyone and their mum knows 'Sweet Child of Mine' by Guns 'n' Roses, but how many of those fans are aware of the much more exiting 'My Michelle' from that very same album?

There are tonnes of examples like this, and so many amazing songs you could be missing out of.

Master of Puppets is a full on masterpiece. Offering a more refined sound compared to the band's previous efforts, this was Metallica at their very best.

The record would go on to influence the genre for years to come and still holds up today. Master of Puppets would also be the last release to feature the late bassist Cliff Burton, who tragically died during the promotional tour.

Often overlooked, 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' is a powerful track dealing with the difficult subject of insanity and confinement. Taking inspiration from Ken Kesey's novel 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest', the lyrics are a dark insight into the mind of someone who feels their imprisonment is unwarranted.

The instrumental serves as a brooding backdrop to the story. Opening with a slow, haunting clean guitar, the track builds to an epic finish as the story's character reaches breaking point. The structure of this track would be revisited with later tracks such as 'One'.