Carcass gave me alot of influence for my song writing, as did Death.

...

Mirrorthrone
Spawn of Possession
Emperor
Absu
Megadeth
Funeral
November's Doom
Children of Bodom's first two albums
Symphony X
Bloodbath
Opeth
Blind Guardian
Akercocke

Who got me wanting to learn to play guitar was Michael Angelo Batio. But the bands Dimmu Borgir, Children of Bodom, Opeth and Death got me into writing songs. Mainly, Dimmu Borgir, Napalm Death, and Opeth influenced my lyrics.

well for me, when writing music, and as a vocalist, since i listen to many different types of metal, i like to expand my horizons by working with different types of metal seeing how some vocal styles only fit certain genres, but as far as like bands that make me want to write music go, here it is:

Death Metal-Vader, Skinless, Nile, Deicide, Belphegor

Black Metal-Dark Funeral, Asmodeus, Marduk, Naglfar, Setherial, Immortal, Darkthrone

Symphonic Black Metal-...And Oceans, ChthoniC, Limbonic Art, Emperor, Gotherfall, Ceremonial Castings, (SOME) Old Man's Child

Funeral Doom Metal-Evoken, Nortt, Catacombs

Doom Metal (In General)-Virgin Black, Paradise Lost, Draconian, Esoteric

For me it would have to be female-fronted Symphonic Power Metal with some Gothic on the side. And of course, all those wonderful Death/Black Metal band names, totally awesome even if I don't care for the vocals of the genres in question. As for lyrics anything from the Fantasy genre really.

the meteors and dissection .

Honestly im finding it hard to get inspiration from different bands., i mean every band has there own style particularly in viking metal, its rare to get bands that sound the same, usually only slight similarities. I could listen to Falkenbach and say, hey i can do epic acoustic riffs with some synth, and then listen to old Thyrfing where all the riffs are based off the keyboard parts. For me i think its maybe inventing my own style, but still i find it's difficult to write music in the viking/folk metal genre

alot of bands inspired me to pick up an instrument period during my youth

bands like black sabbath, iron maiden and judas priest as well as some motorhead growing up had me playing alot of bass.

but the stuff that made me want to write my own riffs and lyrics are bands like megadeth, slayer, overkill, exodus and testament, idk what id be doing without them. probably into rap or something haha

Holy shit. I thought I was on "christian fag metal archives" for a second.

Just about everything you said. Though Njiqahdda is still hard for me to grasp and get into... still, inspiring music.

Though I have to add Aaskereia to that list if you haven't heard. Truly amazing black metal IMO.

Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, TANK, Tröjan, Dio, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Lucifers Friend, Megadeth, ADX, Sortilege etc. etc.

Loads of Heavy, Speed and Thrash gets me really inspired

Well maybe, not write lyrics but to compose music in general would be

Immortal
Iron Maiden
Eluveitie
Korpiklaani
Burzum
Manowar
Bathory
Testament
Victor Wooten
Billy Sheehan

Last 2 are not metal, or at least not Victor Wooten, but still, im a bassist and i love there work.

Wooten is an incredible bassist. I'll take Wooten over Burton any day.

As for me, the bands that inspire me to write music are

Finntroll
Moonsorrow
Coheed and Cambria
Candlemass
Eyehategod
Guns N Roses
Iron Maiden
Black Sabbath
Gentle Giant
Pagan's Mind
Yes (Rick Wakeman inspired me to become a better pianist and keyboardist)

I write... stuff, maybe lyrics to:

Ihsahn
Peter Tagtgren
Instrumental metal

*I do not claim to be a writer, or such... Loving music compels you to do something about it, for me, it makes me write!*

October Tide
Thy Serpent
Sacramentum
In the Woods...
Septic Flesh
Daylight Dies
Swallow the Sun
Agalloch
Wolves in the Throneroom
Catamenia
Woods of Ypres
Watain

Lately, those have been the bands anyway. Used to be Gorgoroth and 1349.

diSEMBOWELMENT - I cannot stress this enough, but they are perfect. I truly admire the way they can mesh together crushing doom, brutal death/grind and very tranquil ambience together. The lyrics also have are a huge inspiration to me, rubbing off into the lyrics I myself have written.

Weakling - Weakling are just downright amazing. Their songs contain some of my favorite moments in music, ever. Their progressive, epic style is something that inspires me.

Grand Belial's Key - They truly stand out when it comes down to USBM. They have a sound obviously inspired by death metal, but it is still their own brand of black metal. The way in which their lyrics employ sarcasm and straight up mockery makes their attack against Christianity all the more scathing.

Deathspell Omega - These guys don't bullshit around, I admire how they pushed the boundaries of black metal with SMRC, and even more so with Kenose and Fas.

Pan.Thy.Monium - Strange, strange death metal. Yet everything comes together so well.

i'm mostly inspired by classical and avant-garde... john cage, steve reich, and phillip glass are my "big three" that always seem to keep me going and pushing forward with creative force.

i'm also heavily influenced by rock/metal/punk bands like black sabbath, darkthrone, amebix, sonic youth, black flag, can, blue cheer, my bloody valentine, husker du, skepticism, and teenage jesus & the jerks.

Dream Theater...Deep Purple...Iron Maiden...Anthrax...Judas Priest...Helstar...Manowar...Mercyful Fate...

Really any music inspires me to write music, simple as that.

Bands such as Sargeist, Death, Emperor or Ihsahn inspire me. I like old classic heavy metal stuff but it doesn't make me feel.. inspirated I would say. This bands I named inspire me with their melodies and lyrics (Ihsahn the most in that aspect, Sargeist not much) and make me wanna write this kind of music. Though I have to admit that I compose rock mostly. And ballads of course, it's damn easy. Metal, in my opinion, is very hard to create.

Metal doesn't inspire me, but that doesn't stop people (like me) from creating it. Personally I think, you can like any band, write a riff or melody and turn it metal. Turning something metal is rather easy in my opinion. All you need is you instrument, Blues scales and Classical Latin scales are that of the metal I do listen to. But when you write music, it comes from the sub-conscience so all that I know, Metal could be inspiring me!

Heavy Santex - if metal is hard to create. May I suggest you write it in another genre - Blues- Jazz - Classical, what ever you want. Just try after that to add metal aspects to the music. Thats what I do, and it seems to work =]

Metallica, Manowar, and DragonForce!

It's less about bands making me want to write music. I just enjoy writing music; it's rare that I'll listen to a band and go "man I really want to write a song now".

Of course that's not to say that my playing style isn't heavily inspired by bands. Despite my drone loving tendencies I certainly enjoy writing and playing Slayer/Metallica/Megadeth stuff, and also some Jesu/Nadja/Angelic Process type things.

KARL SANDERS

I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music so it would be difficult for me to pinpoint a few bands and say, "THEM! THEY MAKE ME WANNA WRITE MUSIC!". There are however, bands that I listen to that will give me a surge of power and make me want to stop listening to them so I can create my own stuff. I remember I felt this way listening to Wolves in the Throne Room's "Diadem of 12 Stars". When I want to write music though, I don't take influence from bands that drive me to create music because I don't create metal at this moment in time. Knowing that there is people wanting to hear your latest stuff also makes me want to write music, and it's a little drive when people you respect give you positive words and encourage you to write more.

I think a supporting community is what makes me want to write music, and not specific bands.

Bands that a very prolific in their songwriting. Bands that write memorable songs.
Loudness
Motley Crue
Ratt
Guns N'Roses
Scorpions
many more

But ive been writing music for a long time. I usually come up with at least one new potential part per week. But id say my best songs come after not listening to a band because often times if you've just listened to a band and then write a song your song will sound similar to the song you just listened to.

So what kind of stuff do you write when you've been listening to Dragonforce?

I mostly get inspired by...

Paysage d'Hiver
Animus
The Red King
Mayhem

And maybe even a bit of Root, just because they are so awesome and original.

The one main criticism I have of Judas Priest is that Ian Hill's basslines are boring. I'm not expecting Joey DeMaio bass solos all over the place, but I wish he'd come up with more creative stuff every now and then. Anyone else agree?

Death, Mercyful Fate, Cynic - a lot of black metal bands too...Jeez, I wish I was in a band. I was but it was destined to fail and it had just become to painful to endure any longer

I still enjoy writing though, just for fun - something I was never "allowed" to do in the aforementioned band...

Ah yes Death and Cynic. Add Athiest to that last.

Everything off Metallica's Kill 'Em All album, plus D.R.I. and Municipal Waste.

Agalloch and Burzum

Not metal or guitar, bass, drums music but listening to the works of Hans Zimmer inspire me to write music. Also Dark Tranquillity and Marilyn Manson concept wise.

Darkthrone, definitely.
In fact right now I'm playing a riff based on Paragon Belial

General music writing:
Metallica
Death
Between the Buried and Me
Jaco Pastorius
Rush
Philip Glass
Opeth
Return to Forever
Stanley Clarke
Weather Report

I hardly ever get any inspiration from black metal.

I forgot Moonsorrow and Corvus Corax (not the medieval one).



That's because you like Between the Buried and Me.

Whenever I hear a band, any genre (including those outside of metal), that makes music that moves me emotionally, it gives me inspiration. That's what great music is, whether it's music that makes you cheerful or music that gives you such an addrenaline rush that you want to blow something up. Even more amazing are the artists that can make you feel multiple conflicting emotions over the course of one song.

fall of efrafa.
explosions in the sky
wolves in the throne room
sodom
return to forever
converge
death
samothrace.

all huge inspirations in my music. not all combined, but you know what i mean

The "Explosions in the Sky" sound is an inspiration of mine as well, though I do not care for the band at all. Check out "Long Distance Calling" and "I Hear Sirens" if you haven't already heard of them.