Title says it all. I would like some recommendations for heavy metal and symphonic metal (like Nightwish), too.
Just post any type of Rock and Metal that you like.

Symphonic Metal?
Therion
Waltari
Kamelot
Within Temptation
Hollenthon

My personal favorite is The Black Dahlia Murder.

Have you heard Evergrey or Disarmonia Mundi? Both kick arse in a big way

If you're after melodic death metal I'd suggest soilwork, in flames, dethklok & mnemic

If you're after solid death metal you'd be hard pressed to beat sepultura or arch enemy

Blind Guardian.
Faith No More with Mike Patton as the singer.
Led Zeppelin.
Machinae Supremacy, they have a bunch of free promo songs on their homepage, or at least used to. http://machinaesupremacy.com/music/
Turmion Kätilöt (Bane's midwives), here's a music video of theirs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HISEPFnsQ-Q.

Kamelot
Dream Theater
Pain of Salvation
Rush
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Porcupine Tree
Iron Maiden
Votum
Riverside

The Gathering
Epica

Threshold
Savatage (anything from Gutter Ballet forward)

For metal, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Metallica, Testament, Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, Pantera, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Motorhead, Guns 'n' Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Faith No More, Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne, and Sepeltura! They're from Brazil!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eswTDabn1Zc

For rock, The Arcade Fire, Rush, Linkin Park, Twisted Sister, Bad Brains, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, DEVO, Led Zepplin, Our Lady Peace, Sum41, The Dead Milkmen, Fishbone, Living Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers, & Aerosmith.

Ministry, Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Atari Teenage Riot, & Daft Punk are awsome electronic groups, w/Ministry doin lotta metal. And Beastie Boys can do whatever they want and be A-1 awsome at it.



Jimi Hendrix is the forefather of all rock and metal. This is not to be contested.

A Day To Remember, A Static Lullaby, Akissforjersey, Alter Bridge, Burden of a Day, Creed, Dead Poetic, Emery, Killswitch Engage, P.O.D.

You have just earned like a thousand respect points from me

As for a list of bands....

Rock- Alterbridge, Aranda, Breaking Point, Candlebox, Clutch, Coheed & Cambria, Danko Jones, Foo Fighters, Halestorm, Hinder, Janus, Jonathan Tyler, Live, My Machine, Papercut Massacre, Quarterfly, Since October, Sixx: A.M., Taddy Porter, Taking Dawn (could also fall under metal), The Gathering

Punk- Authority Zero, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Blitzkid, Michale Graves, Misfits, NOFX, Story of the Year, The Offspring

Metal- Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Armored Saint , Avantasia, Black Tide, Bruce Dickinson, Children of Bodom, Corrosion of Conformity, Danzig, Down, Evergrey, Fates Warning, Iced Earth, Iron Maiden, Jackyl, Lizzy Borden, Pink Cream 69, Queensryche, Saxon, Soundgarden, Stone Sour, Stuck Mojo, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, The Cult, W.A.S.P., 3 Inches of Blood

Alternative- Deftones, Faith No More, Look What I Did, Mr. Bungle, Nuclear Rabbit, Primus, Tool


& that is just the ones I can think of right now... I might add more later

I am not a fan of metal overall. But I admire the craft that great metal bands display. I'm not some old "it's just noise" guy... it just isn't my scene.

But your other two lists are what I'm all about and I especially want to second The Arcade Fire. Anyone not listening to The Arcade Fire is making a huge mistake.

Also, Skinny Puppy. I saw them in 1987. That is one seriously twisted band.

Epic Metal

Hammerfall
Freedom Call

Rock

Soundgarden
Audioslave
Temple of the Dog

Symphonic? Nemesea is pretty awesome and almost nobody knows them

from memory, I can also think of Lunatica and Angelzoom at the moment :)

Arcade Fire
The White Stripes
The Strokes
Paramore
The Fratellis
Franz Ferdinand
Muse

I shall place this here.

And run before the shit hits the fan :-P