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Heavy Metal Supergroups: The Best of the Best (Usually…)
"No, these aren't metal bands with capes — although there are certainly a few that SHOULD have capes!"
"Pour yourself a cup of coffee, put some booze in it, put on your cape, and fly into the all-star stratosphere of metaldom."
What Is a Heavy Metal Supergroup?
A metal supergroup is a band formed by musicians who are already established — and usually famous — members of other successful acts. Unlike side projects (where one artist recruits collaborators), supergroups typically bring together multiple well-known names as near-equal contributors. The appeal is obvious: if Musician A and Musician B are each brilliant in their own bands, what happens when they work together? Sometimes the answer is magic. Sometimes it's a fascinating disaster. And occasionally it's Velvet Revolver.
As metal fans it's always fun when our favorite musicians collaborate with each other. These supergroups usually turn out some really cool tunes — sometimes not so much. On this episode of Metal Nerdery we covered the good, the bad, and the cheesy — going alphabetically through some of the greatest metal supergroups ever assembled, band by band, member by member, album by album.
This is one of our most referenced and revisited episodes — and for good reason. Whether you're discovering Hear 'N Aid for the first time or trying to remember exactly which members of which bands ended up in Metal Allegiance, this page is your definitive Metal Nerdery guide to the heavy metal supergroup phenomenon.
The Supergroups We Covered — At a Glance
Why Supergroups Matter in Metal
In most musical genres, supergroups are a novelty. In heavy metal, they're practically a tradition. The reasons are unique to the genre — metal has always been a musician's music, built on technical proficiency, mutual respect between players, and a culture of collaboration that crosses band boundaries. When Pantera's Phil Anselmo forms DOWN with members of Eyehategod and Corrosion of Conformity, it's not a cash-in — it's a genuine artistic project born out of friendship and shared musical DNA.
Metal supergroups also tend to attract the most technically gifted players in the genre. Liquid Tension Experiment — John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, Mike Portnoy, and Tony Levin — exists at a level of collective musicianship that almost no other genre can match. Hear 'N Aid, the 1985 metal answer to Band Aid and We Are the World, assembled virtually every major heavy metal vocalist and guitarist of the era on a single recording — Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate, Vivian Campbell, George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Iron Maiden's Dave Murray and Adrian Smith on rhythm guitar, among dozens of others.
The DOWN connection: DOWN deserves special mention as arguably the greatest metal supergroup ever formed. Phil Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Rex Brown, and Jimmy Bower created something on NOLA (1995) that none of their main bands could have made individually — a slow, heavy, Southern-fried masterpiece that draws on sludge, doom, and groove metal simultaneously. The tangentially tangential connections between DOWN, Kingdom of Sorrow, Rebel Meets Rebel, Crowbar, and Eyehategod make it one of the most interconnected webs in metal history.
The Gasoline story: Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul's after-hours party band — no albums, no singles, just Dime and Vinnie playing for the love of it after Pantera shows. One of the most purely joyful stories in metal supergroup history, and a reminder of what these two brothers were like when the cameras were off.
The Hear 'N Aid bass controversy: With virtually every major name in 80s metal on the recording, one bass virtuoso was notably absent. We discussed who that was — and why the omission remains one of the most baffling decisions in the entire history of metal charity recordings.
The Supergroups — Full Band-by-Band Breakdown
Every band listed below includes full current and past member rosters, member pedigrees, and complete discography. Photos of most groups are included.
Discography
Formed when Billy Howerdel — who had been quietly stockpiling riffs for a decade while working as a guitar tech — finally convinced Maynard to front the project. Mer de Noms debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 10 million copies worldwide. Darker and more atmospheric than Tool, drawing heavily on the goth and alternative influences Howerdel absorbed working with NIN and Smashing Pumpkins.
Discography
Formed in 2011 from the unlikely combination of Symphony X powerhouse vocalist Russell Allen and Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. Straight-ahead heavy rock with a modern production sheen — a deliberate departure from both members' prog-heavy main bands.
Discography
Three-quarters of Rage Against the Machine plus the greatest rock vocalist of his generation. Formed after RATM's initial breakup, Audioslave delivered three albums of heavy groove-driven rock. Cornell's voice elevated everything it touched. The band reunited briefly in 2017 — Cornell died just months later.
Discography
Jake E. Lee — unceremoniously fired from Ozzy's band — assembled one of the great 80s hard rock supergroups with vocalist Ray Gillen and future KISS drummer Eric Singer. Gillen's powerful voice was one of the great underappreciated instruments of the era. Tragically, he died of AIDS-related illness in 1993 at just 34 years old.
Discography
A fascinating hair metal supergroup assembled right at the moment the genre was dying. Released in 1991 — the same year as Nevermind and the Black Album — Contraband arrived too late to the party. Michael Schenker's guitar work alone makes it worth seeking out.
Discography
Ted Nugent's tribute to Manowar by way of Night Ranger and Styx. "High Enough" became a massive power ballad hit in 1990 — one of the defining songs of the tail end of the hair metal era.
Discography
The Metal Nerdery Endorsed Favourite Supergroup. NOLA (1995) is a slow, heavy, Southern-fried masterpiece of sludge, doom, and groove metal — the kind of album that none of the members' main bands could have made individually. The tangentially tangential connections between DOWN, Kingdom of Sorrow, Rebel Meets Rebel, Crowbar, and Eyehategod make it one of the most interconnected webs in all of metal.
No albums. No singles. Just Dime and Vinnie playing for the love of it after Pantera shows — the Abbott brothers at their most purely joyful. One of the best stories in metal supergroup history precisely because it never tried to be anything other than two brothers having a great time.
Recording
The greatest gathering of metal talent in recorded history — 40+ of heavy metal's biggest names assembled in 1985 to record a charity single for African famine relief. Rob Halford. Ronnie James Dio. Geoff Tate. Yngwie. Vivian Campbell. George Lynch. Iron Maiden's rhythm section. All on one track. The one bass virtuoso inexplicably left out remains one of the most baffling omissions in metal history.
Discography
Vinnie Paul's project after Pantera — heavy, groove-oriented Southern metal with an Atlanta connection. Their final album 333 was released posthumously after Vinnie Paul's death in 2018.
Discography
Possibly the most technically gifted four-piece ever assembled. Petrucci, Rudess, Portnoy, and Tony Levin playing almost entirely improvised instrumental progressive metal. The kind of collective musicianship that makes guitar students want to quit and start over simultaneously.
Discography
A revolving door of thrash and metal legends united by genuine love of the genre. Each album features different guest vocalists — Phil Anselmo, Mark Osegueda, John Bush and more have all appeared. Pure celebration of the music, back to the FUN of thrash.
Discography
Paul Gilbert (one of the fastest guitarists alive) plus Billy Sheehan (one of the fastest bassists alive) plus "To Be with You" somehow becoming a #1 worldwide power ballad is the most improbable success story in hard rock supergroup history.
Discography
Max Cavalera's industrial metal side project with Alex Newport — recorded quickly, brutally loud, and completely uncommercial by design. Point Blank is an industrial thrash record of genuine ferocity. The live album title alone tells you everything about its commercial ambitions.
Discography
Roadrunner Records' 25th anniversary project — essentially the entire label roster assembled into one massive all-star recording. Four "team captains" including Joey Jordison and Dino Cazares each wrote songs and drafted other Roadrunner artists to perform them. The result is genuinely excellent modern metal.
Discography
Mike Portnoy doing what Mike Portnoy does — assembling the most technically gifted musicians he can find and making a progressive metal album. Psychotic Symphony is legitimately great. Sons of Apollo essentially out-Dream-Theaters Dream Theater on occasion.
Discography
Scott Ian and Charlie Benante of Anthrax combined with Dan Lilker and vocalist Billy Milano to create one of the first crossover thrash/hardcore records. Speak English or Die (1985) is abrasive, intentionally provocative, and furiously funny — thrash and hardcore in 28 minutes.
Discography
Three-quarters of the most important rock band of the late 80s plus the vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots. Contraband went to #1 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance ("Slither"). They had everything — and then it fell apart. Scott Weiland is gone. Slash is back with Guns N' Roses. The greatest "what if" in supergroup history.
AS METAL FANS IT’S ALWAYS FUN FOR US WHEN OUR FAVORITE MUSICIANS COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER. THESE SUPERGROUPS USUALLY TURN SOME REALLY COOL TUNES, SOMETIMES NOT SO MUCH. WITH THIS EPISODE WE’RE GOING TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CHEESY. ENJOY!
Supergroups We Mentioned — On the Radar for Future Episodes
At the end of the episode we rattled off a list of supergroups we didn't get to cover — all of them worthy of their own deep dive. Consider this the waitlist:
The Big Debates
🏆 What is the greatest heavy metal supergroup of all time?
DOWN is the Metal Nerdery endorsed favourite — NOLA is a masterpiece that none of the members' main bands could have made. But Audioslave (Cornell + RATM) gave us three albums of genuine crossover brilliance. Velvet Revolver was three-quarters of Guns N' Roses plus Scott Weiland. Liquid Tension Experiment is technically the most gifted lineup ever assembled. Which one takes the crown?
🎸 Are supergroups always less than the sum of their parts — or can they surpass the main bands?
The cynical view is that supergroups are side projects where nobody is fully committed. The counterargument is DOWN's NOLA, which many fans consider better than anything Pantera or Corrosion of Conformity ever made. Can a supergroup genuinely outperform the bands its members came from?
🎤 Hear 'N Aid — the greatest gathering of metal talent in history?
Rob Halford. Ronnie James Dio. Geoff Tate. Kevin Dubrow. George Lynch. Yngwie Malmsteen. Vivian Campbell. Iron Maiden's rhythm section. All on one recording in 1985. Nothing before or since has assembled this many elite metal names in one place. Is "Stars" the greatest metal charity recording ever — and who was the bass player they inexplicably left out?
💀 Velvet Revolver — what could have been?
Three-quarters of the most important rock band of the late 80s plus the vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots. Contraband went to #1. They won a Grammy. And then it fell apart. Scott Weiland is gone. Slash is back with Guns N' Roses. Is Velvet Revolver the greatest "what if" in supergroup history?
🤘 Which supergroup from the "didn't cover" list deserves its own full Metal Nerdery episode?
Killer Be Killed (Max Cavalera, Troy Sanders, Greg Puciato, Dave Elitch). Black Country Communion (Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, Derek Sherinian). The Winery Dogs (Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan). All have serious claims. Which one gets the call?
- Episode: Metal Nerdery #17 — published October 10, 2019
- Supergroups covered: 18 bands, presented alphabetically
- Metal Nerdery endorsed favourite: DOWN
- Most members on a single recording: Hear 'N Aid — over 40 musicians
- Only supergroup with no albums: Gasoline — Dime and Vinnie's party band
- Most prolific supergroup member: Mike Portnoy — Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo, Liquid Tension Experiment, Metal Allegiance, and more
- Supergroups mentioned for future episodes: Killer Be Killed, Black Country Communion, The Winery Dogs, Chickenfoot, and more
- Best episode description: "Pour yourself a cup of coffee, put some booze in it, put on your cape, and fly into the all-star stratosphere of metaldom"
Related Metal Nerdery Episodes
00.00: Intro/Supergroups (Now with capes)/the best of the best (usually…)
04.22: Heavy Metal Super Groups (presented alphlegmbetically): A Perfect Circle
09.03: Adrenaline Mob and Geeoff T8’s indirect influence on himself/Rage Against the Audio Soundgarden Slave Machine (all at once!)
15.08: Badlands/accolades and commendments/(*future MN episode ideas*)
18.48: Contraband, Shark Island and a band called Bass
20.37: Damn Yankees and Ted Nugent’s tribute to Manowar/a future offering on www.metalnerdery.com/merch
23.52: DOWN (simply the best! Including tangentionally tangential connections with Kingdom of Sorrow and Rebel Meets Rebel)/Review of Down II (umm, do what now?), the long gaps between albums and a mini review of their catalog(ue)Down IV
32.40: Gasoline: Dime and Vinnie’s “after hours” band
34.38: Hearin’ Aid, Ronnie James Dio, all the vocalists, all the guitarists, and all the guitar solos (WE’RE STARS!!!)/and the one bass virtuoso that was sorely overlooked for Hearin’ Aid
42.58: HELLYEAH and the Atlanta connection/333
45.04: Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE): ultra-skilled prog metal wankery at its finest!/Matt goes down a tangentionally tangential tangent of a brilliant rabbit hole
48.06: Metal Allegiance (back to the FUN of thrash and metal!)
50.42: Mr. Big (Addicted to that Rush)/Bill finds an artifact
56.15: Nailbomb (LOUDAHH!!!!)
59.50: Roadrunner United (who are also magic in the night!!!)/
1.04.20: Sons of Apollo/(Psychotic Symphony)/It’s a trio of...
1.07.36: S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death)/Bigger than the Devil/Speak English or Die/Rise of the Infidels/Seasoning the Obese
1.09.55: Velvet Revolver/Stone Temple Gun’s N Pilots Roses/Whaddya mean?/Other supergroups (to be covered later): Killer Be Killed/Fantomas/Handsome/Tomahawk/Brides of Destruction/Kill Devil Hill/OSI/MD45/Winery Dogs/Chicken Foot/Black Country Communion/Metal Nerdery Endorsed Favorite Super Group/CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORDERY ABOUT THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!