Top 10 Best Chinese Metal Bands, According to Homegrown Heathens Dehumanizing Itatrian Worship
When we launched what we’re unofficially calling The Bad Penny Passport earlier this year, we never would’ve imagined we’d get a submission from a Chinese heavy metal band listing what they consider to be the top 10 bands of their ilk who also hail from their country. (Frankly, we didn’t think we’d score one from a Russian musician either.) But thanks to the devoted efforts of one of our closest allies, Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations, the truly unlikely came to fruition. Think of it as our version of Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy gambit.
Lots more info on Dehumanizing Itatrian Worship – a brutal slamming death metal group founded in 2014 – is below. But first, let’s take a look at what they consider to be the top 10 best metal bands in their homeland of China.
1. Tumourboy
One of my favorite Chinese thrash metal bands. Some punk influence makes the songs really aggressive; I lean toward fast riffs, and the arrangement and vocals are both well done.
2. Zuriaake
This is probably one of the most famous black metal bands in China. Perfect fusion of black metal and Eastern aesthetics.
3. Mvltifission
A really sick death metal band. Heavy, twisted. I especially love their 2024 album [the box set Season of Mist Recordings].
4. Black Kirin
This band is somewhere between melodic death metal and melodic black metal, with lots of Chinese folk roots and an epic vibe. They write about Chinese history and wars in the country.
5. DeadTrees
This is a one-man black metal project. His style covers a lot: some atmospheric black metal, some depressive black metal and post-black metal. And his 2026 album, New World, definitely created a unique sound that’s completely his own.
A really sick band mixing nu-metal with slam and deathcore. Their music is all about Chinese gangsta culture.
7. Ὁπλίτης
A one-man black metal project from China. All lyrics are written in Greek. I think this is the best dissonant/progressive black metal in China. Every album is perfect. His other one-man projects, Vitriolic Sage and Smiqra, are great too.
8. Never Before
Never Before mixes stoner rock’s lazy groove, sludge’s thick texture and doom’s heavy weight. It’s chill but tense at the same time.
Deep Mountains also fuses black metal with Eastern aesthetics, but brings more of a post-rock and modern vibe. Their style is unique among all Chinese metal bands.
10. Impure Injection
Easily one of the most active and best grindcore bands in China.
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Go to Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship’s Bandcamp account, Facebook profile and Instagram feed to learn more about Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship.
For more authoritative lists of the best bands from non-U.S. countries, as picked by bands that hail from those places, check out:
• Top 10 Best Russian Bands, According to Native Son Ovfrost of Malist and Crimson Crown
• Top 10 Best Chilean Metal Bands, According to Native Black-Metal Act Ad Finem Omnia
• The 10 Best Canadian Metal Bands, According to Montreal Thrashers Ombra (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best German Heavy Bands, According to Native Black-Metal Sons Der Weg einer Freiheit (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Bay Area Bands, According to Death-Thrash Hometown Heroes Absolute Darkness (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Swiss Bands, According to Native Dark-Jazz-Grind-Doom Experimentalists Convulsif (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Irish Bands, According to Alt-Pop-Addicted Electronic Producer Phenom Vaticanjail (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Chilean Bands, According to Guitarist for Santiago-Based Noisy Punk-Rock Squad Niño Nuclear (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Venezuelan Heavy Bands, According to the Country’s Most Badass Garage-Rock Guitarist, Diego Ramirez
• The 10 Best Italian Metal Bands, According to the Country’s New Post-Metal Phenoms Orbita (Exclusive)
• The 10 Best Belgian Metal Bands of All Time, According to Gnarly Native Sons 30,000 Monkies (Exclusive)
• Edge of Sanity Frontman Dan Swanö Reveals 10 Swedish Bands That Made Their Way Into His Musical DNA
• The 10 Best Swedish Heavy Bands Ever, According to Native Sons Prime Creation
• The 10 Best Portuguese Heavy Bands Ever, According to Portugal’s Own Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell
• Germany’s Top 10 Best Metal Bands Ever, Per the Country’s Native Death-Metal Sons Fleshcrawl
• The 10 Best Finnish Bands Ever, According to Natives the Feral Kids
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