U.S. Military Branches as Metal Bands

Play the fight riff

Military bands have been around for a long time, but be honest. It’s getting old. Time for military services to adopt a more modern and martial sound: metal. Here are the U.S. military branches as metal bands.

Army: Metallica

The household name, the U.S. Army is what most civilians think of when they think of the U.S. military and most non-metalheads at least know there’s a band called Metallica. They’ve both had their ups and downs but even at their most Saint Anger, they find a way to kick ass: Frantic is a banger. Metallica’s music has even been used as a weapon of war.

Army Metal Hymn: Don’t Tread On Me

Air Force: Megadeth

Like the Air Force split off from the Army, Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth after being kicked out of Metallica. The military branch that employs two of the three legs of the nuclear triad has the most potential for destruction at its disposal, they are literally the agent of megadeath. Also the Air Force can pump out sorties like no one else, and Megadeth pumps out a lot of albums. In an ode to airpower, they even named one of their albums Warheads on Foreheads.

Air Force Metal Hymn: Hangar 18

Navy: Mastodon

Metalheads love the sea. Well, at least Corey Taylor does. But Mastodon’s 2004 album Leviathan takes it to the next level: who else has a concept album based on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick? They also have naval aviators covered with 2009’s Crack the Skye, even if it’s about space. Mastodon is probably the steadiest band on the list with no bad albums to speak of, even if fewer people know their contributions because they lack radio friendly hits. Like a slowly constricting naval blockade, Mastodon gets under your skin.

Navy Metal Hymn: Blood and Thunder

Marine Corps: Slayer

The Marine Corps and Slayer are just like other branches/bands, but moreso. Faster, harder, louder, more aggressive, and then even more aggressive. Slayer fans are less a fandom and more of a religion and, like Marines, they make strange noises at each other upon meeting. The rest of the branches are services, but the Marine Corps is a religion and Slayer is the most overtly religious band on this list. In a sense anyway. Marines and Slayer even tend to shock people unintentionally: Slayer released their 9th studio album God Hates Us All on September 11, 2001. How’s that for metal? Both Marines and Slayer know what makes the grass grow.

Marine Corps Metal Hymn: Raining Blood

Space Force: Iron Maiden

It’s only a matter of time before Space Force satellites encase the Earth in a celestial iron maiden. Add in Iron Maiden’s themes of adventure and exploration and the classic metal juggernaut gets the nod as the Space Force metal band. They even have an album called The Final Frontier (released in 2010).

Space Force Metal Hymn: The Final Frontier

Bonus Metal: A Ukrainian soldier play’s Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters on a bandura, the traditional instrument of Ukraine.