THE BEAST

Image by Jim Cooper from Pixabay

Ever wondered about the most metal animal on the planet? We're not talking about animals with adamantium skeletons like the Wolverine – although he's pretty cool. We are rocking out with powerful animal symbols featured prominently among metalheads and their bands. 

The Animal Kingdom features a mighty selection of protagonists to choose from. It's an unenviable task – picking a handful of beasts and propping them up on pedestals as the proverbial poster child of heavy metal. Each one of them rocks the house. They are brutal, ferocious, and ready to rumble. But most importantly, they know to make some noise!

Of course, there are serpents – pythons, anacondas, pit vipers , copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths. These beasts of nature scare the heck out of folks, and for good reason. If they don't crush you to death and swallow you whole, some of them will inject you with hypodermic needles filled with instant death – venom. 

As a case in point, when snakes face off against birds of prey, we give mad props to the slithering beasts of the earth – they win out every time. Think of the Gold Cobra of legendary rock band Limp Bizkit or Metallica's Black album featuring a crawled-up serpent on its cover. Yes, snakes are a hot favorite among metal bands – for good reason.

What about Werewolves?

As mythical creatures, werewolves have captivated the public's attention for centuries. While Dracula certainly didn't invent these powerful beasts, he popularized them. Today, we pay tribute to the mighty werewolf in all its majesty. It's not a creature to be toyed with – it's a ferocious beast with teeth that bite hard. The unmistakable growl, snarl, and viciousness of a werewolf is something none of us want to encounter in person. Real or imagined, the werewolf is essentially a demon-possessed man with wolf-like qualities. 

These night-dwelling creatures are no saints. They will rip you to pieces if you give them a chance; yes, they seek opportunity wherever they can. The Werewolves are the preferred icons of many rock bands, including the following Ozzy Osbourne with Bark at the Moon, Warren Zevon with Werewolves of London, Rob Zombie with Werewolf, Baby!, Iced Earth with their hit song Wolf, and Twilightning with their song Plague-House Puppet Show.

Whenever we let our imagination run wild with werewolves, it can take us to many deep and dark places. And it's not just the music scene that embraces the iconic Werewolf – it's the gaming realm, too. The cursed Werewolf features prominently in a hand-picked selection of top-tier games, notably Curse of the Werewolf Megaways – an eerie, hair-raising spectacle that ramps up the action to fever-pitch levels. This social slot game is fashioned off creepy graphics and spinetingling beats. Not for the faint of heart.  Play a note or two at your leisure, if you dare…

If you enjoy the hard rock and heavy metal tracks of Metallica, Rob Zombie, or Ozzy Osbourne, you will have a field day with this social casino game. And a nod to metal fans: it's creepy, and it's got an industrial sound of Phantom of the Opera ringing in your ears while those reels of spinning and the werewolf is howling up a storm outside!

What about Bears?

Granted, Grizzly Bears are fearsome creatures. They will likely tear werewolves apart in a one-on-one encounter or even become werewolf grizzlies after being bitten – who knows? The point is, that metalheads who study this stuff understand that bears have near-universal appeal across many genres. They are symbolic of strength, resilience, and brute force. Nothing stands up to an angry grisly on its hind legs, standing 10 feet tall, weighing up to 450 kg, and packing a serious punch. 

With a bite force of up to 1200 pounds per square inch, their raw power makes them formidable opponents. They can lift objects of up to 450 kg with effortless ease. You wouldn't want to take on a grizzly bear, no matter what superhuman abilities you think you might have. And outrunning them is out of the question – these creatures can sprint up to 40 mph – you stand no chance.

Let's look at some heavy metal rock bands with grizzly bear motifs, themes, or tracks. Ready to rock out? Let's roll! Grizzly Bear the band is an indie rock band that takes its name from the eponymous Grizzly Bear. There is also Weedeater with its hit track God Luck and Good Speed, and naturally, the motif is perfectly suited to the landscape of the mighty grizzly bear. 

Minus the Bear is an alternate/indie-style rock band whose namesake references a bear. Granted, their music does not directly focus on bears, but it's in their motif and branding. Another alternative rock band named The Bear Quartet pays tribute to the mighty bear. Still, the association is more of an enduring, resilient nature and a tribute to the animal.

There you have it, folks! You can rock out knowing that some of the most ferocious beasts on the planet are held in high esteem. We're going with the werewolves on this one in a three-way showdown between grizzly bears, werewolves, and snakes!