The "Hitler game" is a wikipedia game where you are given an article, and you need to reach the Hitler article via links in the text.

I propose a metallum version of this game: you are given two bands and you need to find a way between them via similar artists tab of the band's page. You should try making this way as short as possible. Please don't add new similar bands while you play this game though.

Example: I am given Nightwish - Burzum. Nightwish - Sinergy - Children of Bodom - Wintersun - Windir - Enslaved - Burzum. Not the best solution, but I am not that great of a metalhead either.

Is anyone interested in this kind of game? You need to find a way between the bands, then you give your own pair of bands. I'll start: Iron Maiden - Darkthrone. This one is probably going to be too easy though.

Are Jewish people allowed to play this game?

It's true, Iron Maiden are six degrees of separation from Hitler.

Iron Maiden > Paul Di'Anno (Paul Di'Anno)
Paul Di'Anno > Ashen Light (Andrey Ischenko)
Ashen Light > Cavandish (Father Sergiy)
Cavandish > Hidden Time (Alexander "Pers" Persiyanov)
Hidden Time > Edenbeast(Mikhail "Michael" Korneev)
Edenbeast > Eclipse (Alexey "Alex" Kuznetsov)
Eclipse's album was engineered by Dr. Goebbels of the band Hitler.

Easy game:
Iron Maiden -> Tank -> Venom -> Darkthrone

Let's see
Mayhem -> Van Canto

(Slightly edited the thread title and original post for clarity. Carry on.)

Mayhem - Venom - Hell - Iced Earth - Hammerfall - Sonata Arctica - Nightwish - Epica - Apocalyptica - Van Canto
So basically black metal - thrash - speed - power - symphonic power.

Let's do something more extreme. Torsofuck - Within Temptation.

Torsofuck -> Mortician -> Incantation -> Demigod -> Sentenced -> Paradise Lost -> Theatre of Tragedy -> Within Temptation

Sentenced is in the related artists tab for Demigod but you have to click "see more" for it, does that count? Also the case for Paradise Lost -> Theatre of Tragedy.

Finding a path between two bands is pretty easy, I think a better way to play the game would be to keep up one challenge for, say, 24 hours and have people compete on who can find the shortest path within that timeframe. Anyway, for now:
Fairyland -> Sunn O)))

Fairyland > Rhapsody > Númenor > Bal-Sagoth > Emperor > Ihsahn > Ulver > Sunn O)))

Númenor's change in style made that much easier than it would have been otherwise.

Holy shit, I've actually done this quite often in the past to kill time! I came up with two really tricky ones but I love this game so much I just did them myself. I want to see other efforts, though.

Wilderun > Amaka Hahina
Wintersun > Happy Days

Gave a shot to the second one:

Wintersun > Xanthochroid > Emperor > Satyricon > Darkthrone > Celtic Frost > Triptykon > Bethlehem > Silencer > Happy Days
This is the shortest reasonable one i could find.

Wintersun > Bal-Sagoth > Cradle of Filth > Nachtblut > Eisregen > Bethlehem > Silencer > Happy Days
This is even shorter with only 7 steps but requires going from CoF to Nachtblut, which is a bit of a stretch as they only have 5 similarity points.

EDIT: Just found shorter one:
Wintersun > Eternal Tears of Sorrow > Amorphis > Katatonia > Forgotten Tomb > Silencer > Happy Days. Only 6 steps, lol

I remember a thread like this from quite a while back. I was surprised how quickly you could connect bands that are almost completely opposite in every way.

You could probably do it shorter than this but for here is what I got for Wilderun to Amaka Hahina:

Wilderun > Opeth > Akercocke > Anaal Nathrakh > Gnaw Their Tongues > Abruptum > Moëvöt > Amaka Hahina

I play this game on my own but the way I do it is by clicking the random band button and trying to find a way back to Black Sabbath.

You might like the website BandToBand which connects bands via shared members. It can make for some amusing connections, eg. Darkthrone to Cypress Hill in 5 steps.

Let's keep this game going!

Dragonland -> Xasthur

Númenor -> Stormlord -> Draugnim -> Winterfylleth -> Burzum -> Xasthur

Do you think you can do this one?
Mortiis -> Orphaned Land

Edit: got the rules wrong Mortiis -> Orphaned Land still stands.

Mortiis -> Burzum -> Darkthrone -> Celtic Frost -> Obituary -> Death -> Control Denied -> Pharaoh -> Iron Maiden -> Helloween -> Stratovarius -> Kamelot -> Myrath -> Orphaned Land

There is probably a shorter way but I don't feel like finding it.

Licht erlischt... -> Thin Lizzy

I think you meant:

Dragonland -> Númenor -> Stormlord -> Draugnim -> Winterfylleth -> Drudkh -> Burzum -> Xasthur

Wow, good effort! I was thinking personally that Paradise Lost would prove a quicker link since they have many different styles and Orphaned Land started off as a doom/death group.

Licht erlischt... -> Thin Lizzy

Licht erlischt... > Latitude Egress > Cross Vault > Primordial > Darkest Era > Slough Feg > Thin Lizzy


Let's see, Tristania > Make them Suffer

Several of those are below the 3 recommendation threshold but I'll give it to ya. I forgot that Latitude Egress was the continuation of Licht erlischt...

Tristania -> Draconian -> Swallow The Sun -> The Morningside -> Agalloch -> Wolves in the Throne Room -> Abigail Williams -> Make Them Suffer


When Mine Eyes Blacken -> Twisted Sister

Hum, there is no thresold refered in the topic

When Mine Eyes Blacken > Hypothermia > Lifelover > Shining > Forgotten Tomb > Katatonia > Opeth > Enslaved > Bathory > Venom > Motorhead > Saxon > Dio > Hear n Aid > Quiet Riot > Twisted Sister


Stryper > Immolation

Stryper > Judas Priest > Metal Church > Target > Watchtower > Atheist > Pestilence > Morbid Angel > Immolation

Death > Windir

Death > Obituary > Celtic Frost > Bathory > Windir.

Easy money. Bathory helps making this game much easier.

Godflesh -> Brocas Helm

You'll never believe this.

Godflesh -> Prong -> Anthrax -> Helstar -> Satan -> Brocas Helm

Killswitch Engage -> Aura Noir

Killswitch engage > Shadows fall > Lamb of God > Pantera > Sepultura > Sarcófago > Blasphemy > Sadistik Execution > Destroyer 666 > Aura Noir


Sleeping Romance > Gonin-ish

most are the upper echelon bands of the votes

sleeping romance > within temptation > sirenia > tristania > draconian > swallow the sun > in mourning > opeth > anathema > atrox > gonin-ish/五人一首

crossfaith (japan) > hypothermia

Crossfaith -> Blood Stain Child -> Children of Bodom -> Eternal Tears of Sorrow -> Amorphis -> Katatonia -> Lifelover -> Hypothermia

Punky Brüster > The County Medical Examiners

thanks to Carcass,

Punky Brüster > Zimmers Hole > Dark Angel > Dekapitator > Ghoul > Carcass > The County Medical Examiners

Anciients -> Iron Reagan

Here yah go:

Anciients > Mastodon > Neurosis > Amebix > Discharge > The Exploited > S.O.D > D.R.I > Iron Reagan


Steelpreacher --> Spiritus mortis

Steelpreacher > Saxon > Angel Witch > In Solitude > Ghost > Black Sabbath > Candlemass > Spiritus Mortis

Beherit > Thrash or Die

Beherit > Sarcófago > Sepultura > Nailbomb > Prong > DRI > Municipal Waste > F.K.Ü. > Thrash or Die


Begging for Incest > Elvellon

Begging for Incest > Hateful Transgression > Weeping Birth > Fleshgod Apocalypse > Dark Lunacy > Dominia > The Sins of Thy Beloved > Sirenia > Xandria > Elvellon

Hellyeah > Lustre

Hellyeah > Pantera > Sepultura > Sodom > Bathory > Burzum > Lustre

Harakiri for the Sky > Waking the Cadaver

Harakiri for the Sky > Insomnium > Amon Amarth > Unleashed > Autopsy > Carcass > Aborted > Ingested > Vulvodynia > Waking the Cadaver

Hysterica > Jesu

Hysterica -> Doro -> Dio -> Judas Priest -> Mercyful Fate -> Hell -> Sabbat -> Venom -> Bathory -> Enslaved -> Ulver -> Fen -> Alcest -> Jesu

Thergothon -> Gloominous Doom

Thergothon > Disembowelment > Prophecy of Doom > Napalm Death > Carcass > Ghoul > Gloominous Doom

Pelican -> Avulsed

Pelican - Neurosis - Godflesh - O.L.D. - Disharmonic Orchestra - Atheist - Avulsed

Grave - Alice in Chains

Grave-Death-Control Denied-Crimson Glory-Queensryche-Dio-Black Sabbath-Alice in Chains

Xasthur-Rush