Top 10 Greatest Mosh Pit Songs of All Time

#10: “Chopped in Half” (1990)Obituary

There’s little in the way of subtlety when it comes to our opening salvo of heavy and determined death metal awesomeness. Obituary’s “Cause of Death” LP from 1990 is considered by fans today as a defining statement for this genre’s early days, an album chock full of bangers like “Chopped in Half.” This song wastes absolutely no time in crushing all with that ten-ton main riff, an approach that underlines Obituary’s dedication to mid-paced, doom-laden death. The band also doesn’t forget to pick up the pace after about a minute or so, creating an atmosphere that practically begs for mosh pits to form in its wake. It’s a vibe similar to Obituary’s landmark debut album from only a year earlier, “Slowly We Rot.”

#9: “All Against All” (2004)The Haunted

The demise of melodic death metal trailblazers At the Gates in 1996 necessitated the formation of a new group, The Haunted, to pick up those proverbial pieces. The thrash metal influence present within this band could be seen in bangers such as “Bullet Hole” from their self-titled debut, as well as “All Against All,” which was taken from 2004’s “Revolver.” Both albums feature Peter Dolving on lead vocals, with this latter tune boasting a music video that celebrates the finer subtleties of mosh pit etiquette. Not only does “All Against All” boast a great shot featuring a circle pit, but the climax even features Dolving dropping himself square in the middle of a ‘wall of death” brought together by video extras!

#8: “Davidian” (1994)Machine Head

The power-groove sound pioneered by Pantera in the early nineties influenced legions of groups in their wake. This included musicians like Robb Flynn, who had already earned his stripes alongside the thrash metal group Vio-Lence, to shake things up with a new group. Machine Head’s 1994 debut, “Burn My Eyes,” struck like a sledgehammer, thanks to crushing tunes like its barnburning opener, “Davidian.” This was contemporary metal with attitude and aggression; still fast in parts, but much more focused on muscular, in-the-pocket songwriting. “Davidian” possesses a smoldering intro that leads into a headbang-able, mosh-worshipping main verse. Then, the bottom drops out during that “shotgun blast” of a chorus, and we’re off to the races for slam dancing nirvana.

#7: “Laid to Rest” (2004)Lamb of God

This is another example of how the spirit of guitarist Dimebag Darrell’s work in Pantera continues to inspire and influence generations, years after the man’s tragic passing. Indeed, it doesn’t feel unfair to label Virginia’s Lamb of God as a group that’s carried the power-groove torch over the years. This honor can clearly be seen via how fans have continually flocked to songs like “Laid to Rest” as anthems of aggression, an expulsive burst of energy that’s conducted in a mosh pit, almost to the point of ritual. The song is thrashy, but also mid-paced, and includes a breakdown section that’s virtually guaranteed to cause pure chaos whenever it’s performed live.

#6: “The Toxic Waltz” (1989)Exodus

What do you do when your band releases one of the most influential thrash metal recordings of all time? Well, if you’re Exodus, then you double down and carve a career that’s single-mindedly focused on bringing “good friendly violent fun” to the masses. “The Toxic Waltz” was perhaps Exodus’ biggest crossover commercial success, thanks to MTV airplay of its accompanying video clip. The tune continues to be a fan favorite, as well, thanks to its chugging riffage and lyrical odes to mixing things up in the mosh pit. The breakdown section that occurs as Exodus comes out of the solo is particularly impactful, driving home the devastation of “The Toxic Waltz” with menace and glee.

#5: “43% Burnt” (1999)

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Chaos never sounded so good. Or violent, for that matter. Mathematical riffing assaults the senses here with “43% Burnt” by The Dillinger Escape Plan, taken from the group’s critically praised full-length from 1999, “Calculating Infinity.” This is metallic hardcore taken to the Nth degree of jazzy discordance, while simultaneously conducting some of the most sinister orchestras of mosh pit-able excess known to humanity. The sound of The Dillinger Escape Plan isn’t for everybody, of course, but it’s remarkable to hear how progressive and forward-thinking this sort of envelope-pushing sound was for the late nineties. Oh, and when that opening breakdown comes back after the three minute mark? Insane, ya’ll.

#4: “Indians” (1987)Anthrax

It’s widely seen as the finest recorded hour from Anthrax, as well as a landmark for ‘80s thrash metal. “Among the Living” also contained two epic odes to mosh pit excellence, from the self-fulfilling prophecy of “Caught in a Mosh” to our number four pick, “Indians.” Both tunes received MTV video clips, and brought Anthrax into the ears and homes of a lot more people, thanks to rotation on the “Headbanger’s Ball.” “Caught in a Mosh” is a bass-driven riff fest, while “Indians” boasts an epic breakdown section. The latter was characterized by the band as a “war dance,” a creative decision that kicked things up from “great” to “classic” status in the blink of an eye and a flick of the wrist.

#3: “Dead Embryonic Cells” (1991)Sepultura

It’s difficult to narrow down just one tune from the enviable discography of Brazil’s Sepultura to highlight here on our list. Heck, the album from which our choice, “Dead Embryonic Cells,” is taken, 1991’s “Arise,” is itself an embarrassment of riff riches, boasting countless “top 10” options. Still, it’s that riff that hits around the three-and-a-half minute mark of “Dead Embryonic Cells” that seals the deal for us. It’s the muscular, musical icing upon a cake that’s already built upon layers of tasty licks that makes “Dead Embryonic Cells” a stone-cold classic of thrashing death metal majesty.

#2: “Raining Blood” (1986)Slayer

The year was 1986, and Slayer was about to effectively turn the world of heavy metal upside down with one of the thrash genre’s most unconquerable masterpieces. There was no fat to be shed on “Reign in Blood,” which was an album that arrived ready to set the bar for all future contenders, or make that “pretenders” to Slayer’s throne. Songs like “Angel of Death” ruled the mosh pit while also adding to the band’s sinister reputation. [xref] Meanwhile, the album’s closer, “Raining Blood” broke down the doors for breakdown riffs in heavy metal, creating a standard that’s been often imitated but never duplicated, all of these years removed from Slayer’s formative presence.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Future Breed Machine” (1995), Meshuggah

Math Metal For the Masses

“One” (1988), Metallica

One Double-Bass Break to Rule Them All

“Shallow Breathing” (1994), Converge

A Hard AF Intro to “Halo in a Haystack”

“Sadistic Magician” (2017), Municipal Waste

Radioactive Party Thrash!

“Don’t Tread On Me” (1986), Cro-Mags

Classic New York Hardcore

#1: “Domination” (1990)Pantera

It would’ve perhaps been more obvious to highlight Pantera’s journey of subsonic heaviness that occurred as their discography progressed into the mid and late nineties. At the same time, however, it’s incredible that a song like “Domination” from “Cowboys From Hell” achieves so much heaviness while utilizing E-standard tuning. It all comes down to the simple, yet oh-so-effective arrangements utilized by Pantera as “Domination” comes out of its lead break. The crunch is real, the drums are slow, the riff is HEAVY. It’s the perfect way to cap off how “Domination” achieves basically everything it sets out to accomplish within a scant five minutes.

What songs make you want to kick up your heels in the mosh pit? Let us know your picks in the comments!