Pantera and Metallica in my high school locker room. Walk, Cowboys from Hell, Master of Puppets, the classics.
I had just started summer break in middle school. Someone in my neighborhood gave me a bunch of dub cassette tapes. Among them were Metallica - Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets. As well, Pantera - Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display of Power. Some ACDC, Motley Crue, Ratt, Extreme, Europe. It really was some decent artists to listen to at that time being maybe 10 years old in the eighties for your first lengthy venture into metal. Thanks Denny!
Although I don't care much for the band now, I think it was Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets that made up my mind for me.
Yeah, I had a friend who was obsessed with Metallica around the time too, so I spent a lot of time listening to them with him. Although he liked the 90's hard rock era while I was more into thrash. I sadly got into metalcore next, lol. But after a few years discovered death metal and have been into that ever since.
A friend indoctrinated me a couple years back, starting with Haken’s Vector and blasting The Cockroach King in her car the first time we hung out. Honestly, I didn’t get it at first! It just sounded like noise to me and I hated it, only listening to be polite. But after a few days, I realized that a specific part of one song was stuck in my head. I’d go back for a relisten only to find out that, suddenly, this song didn’t sound like noise anymore. Then after a couple days, I’d remember another song… Rinse and repeat until I came out loving it, with an appetite for more!
"Through the Fire and Flames" on Guitar Hero 3, which led me to power and symphonic metal and I've never looked back.
A friend indoctrinated me a couple years back starting Haken’s Vector and blasting The Cockroach King in her car the first time we hung out. Honestly, I didn’t get it at first! It just sounded like noise to me and I hated it, only listening to be polite. But after a few days, I realized that a specific part of one song was stuck in my head. I’d go back for a relisten only to find out that, suddenly, this song didn’t sound like noise anymore. Then after a couple days, I’d remember another song… Rinse and repeat until I came out loving it, with an appetite for more!
A friend of mine used to play Stratovarius - Black Diamond and Children of Bodom - Lake Bodom occasionally on car rides and I had to look them up .. and then more stuff like it. Melodic death metal is still my favourite genre :)
Much later works for I, but your friend has excellent taste.