10. CHINGON (Spanish)
This is kind of a strange one, but I thought I'd include since I wanted at least one Spanish band, and these guys rock! The reason this band is strange is because it was formed in 2003 in Austin, Texas, by Mexican-American director, Robert Rodriguez, as a way to compose music for his movies. So although it was formed for an unconventional reason, it's still technically a band. In fact, Rodriguez himself plays guitar, and the band occasionally plays gigs. The band's genres range from mariachi to Latin hip-hop. However, the band also recorded several rock songs, which makes it eligible for this list. The band's music is a mix of original pieces, and rock covers of popular Mexican folk songs. Really, it's more of a fun band then anything else, and since it's a bit unconventional and different from the others, I put it number 10. I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find some proper Spanish rock or metal, but the band's version of "El Cascabel" is pretty sweet. And it's worth sticking in just for the hot Latina on the album cover.
9. BLACK PANTHER (Chinese)
Black Panther is a Chinese rock band that was founded in 1987 by Dou Wei, one of the pioneers of Chinese alternative music. As this band isn't in the international mainstream, and I don't speak Chinese, that's the only information on the band I was able to obtain. But one thing I CAN tell you is, they really rock!
8. ORPHANED LAND (Hebrew, Arabic & English)
Okay, I cheated a little on this one. Most of the band's catalog is actually in English, but they do have a few Hebrew and Arabic songs which really rock, so I thought I'd include them anyways. The band originally formed in Israel in 1991, under the name "Resurrection", but changed its name the following year. This progressive metal band incorporates traditional instruments and sounds from Western Asia, creating a unique sound, which has come to be known as "oriental metal". The band's theme is promoting peace between Muslims, Jews and Christians. They are one of the few Israeli bands to perform for Arabian fans. But you don't have to be Middle Eastern to enjoy these guys. I highly recommend any hardcore metalhead to give them a listen. I guarantee that you've never heard anything like them before, and will not be disappointed.
7. DIVLJE JAGODE (Bosnian)
This hard rock/heavy metal band formed in Yugoslavia (present day Bosnia) in 1977, and are regarded as the pioneers of heavy metal in the region. The band's name translates to "Wild Strawberries", and like many Eastern European bands at the time, they were influenced by popular British bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Their music quickly spread beyond the borders of Yugoslavia, to the Soviet Block countries, who had easier access to other Eastern European bands then British or American bands. The band is still regarded as one of the most successful in the former Yugoslavia region, and despite changing dozens of members throughout their history, the band never broke up, and continues to perform to this day.
6. X JAPAN (Japanese)
If you haven't figured it out already, this band is from Japan. They formed in 1982, and played virtually every sub-genre of metal, short of death, black, industrial and extreme. However, they are most known for their speed and power metal. Basically, these guys are the Japanese version of the American hair metal bands of the 80s. (At least their looks.) These guys have some SERIOUS hair! But as was the case with hair bands in the U.S., these guys should be remembered for their kickass music, not their look. Although that hair is hard to ignore. Not only were they one of the first bands in Japan to achieve success on an independent label, they're also one of the pioneers of visual kei, which as explained earlier, was basically the Japanese equivalent of the American glam metal scene. The band has sold over 30 million records, and has recently achieved some fame in the U.S., even performing at Madison Square Garden, and the Coachella Festival. In 2017, Loudwire named them, "The best heavy metal band from Japan." Take THAT J-Pop!
5. GALNERYUS (Japanese)
Most music fans will tell you that anything made after the 1990s, sucks. Well, not everything. Galneryus is clearly an acceptation to that rule. This power metal band formed in Osaka in 2001, and I will say, it's one of the few modern bands that I can actually say, sound better then the old stuff. These guys have some serious talent, combing power metal with classical music, creating one of the most unique sounds in metal. You simply don't hear music like this in America, which is one of the main reasons I had to rank them so high on the list. In 2017 Loudwire ranked them amongst the top 10 heavy metal bands in Japan. This is another Japanese band, which despite the language barrier, managed to achieve fame in the West, having performed in Europe and Australia. This once again shows you don't have to understand the language to enjoy the music. I said it once, and I'll say it again, "TAKE THAT J-POP!"
4. RAMMSTEIN (German)
Everyone knew Rammstein would be somewhere on this list, and I feel this is one that doesn't need much of a description, but I will write one anyways. The band formed in Berlin, Germany in 1994. Miraculously, the band never broke up, and still has all its original members, despite the number of controversies they have caused over the years. You gotta applaud them for sticking together for all these years. It's true that Rammstein isn't much of a thing anymore, as many fans, especially in Germany grew tired of their controversies. But you can't ignore how awesome their music was! This is the only industrial metal band I can actually listen to, and is still my favorite "modern era band". To this day, they're still the biggest band to come out of Germany since Scorpions, and the only non-English band to break into the international mainstream. And contrary to popular believe, not all their songs are about sex, and not all their videos are grotesque. They even have a few songs on the lighter side. I am sad to see these guys aren't as popular as they used to be, but I will be a fan always. They have become icons of German culture, and I hope they are remembered more for their music then their controversies.
3. PERFECT (Polish)
As I've mentioned before, I have Polish roots, so it was inevitable that I would have a couple of Polish bands on here. I know a lot of you will probably say, I'm being a little biased towards Poland, which is the reason I'm ranking them so high. You'll change your mind after you hear how awesome these next two bands are. First off, we have Perfect. Their name alone should tell you why they get the number 3 spot. The band formed in Warsaw in 1977, and over the decades, has grown to become one of the most successful bands in Eastern Europe. It is also extremely popular with Polish nationals living outside of the country. In fact, the band sometimes performs in North American cities with large Polish populations. This is another one of those band's that emerged during the Communist era, and quickly gained popularity, thanks to the official ban on Western music. The band's style ranges from hard rock, to soft rock and pop rock. While a lot of other bands at this time were influenced by some of the major British bands, Perfect's style is quite original, and there's really nothing I've been able to compare them to. The lead singer, Grzegorz Markowski is also arguably one of the best lyricists in Europe, with many of their songs sounding almost poetic.
2. BUDKA SUFLERA (Polish)
This is my favorite Polish band, and one of my favorite bands of all time. The band formed in Lublin in 1969, but shortly disbanded and wasn't resurrected until 1974, from which point they stayed together until 2014. This progressive rock band never seized to amaze, and decade after decade of hits, made sure they were never forgotten. In fact, I happened to be in Poland when their 2000 album, Bal Wszystkich Swiętych was released. It was my first introduction to the band, and I was immediately hooked. To this day, I still consider it to be the band's best album, and the title track is still one of the most popular songs in Poland. In fact, several of the band's hits are among the most popular singles in Poland, and the songs "Takie Tango", "Jolka Jolka" and "Jest Taki Samotny Dom", are still regarded as some of the greatest in Polish music history. Despite covering some Hendrix and Zeppelin songs, this is another band that didn't have much influence from the outside, and created their own unique sound, that I've yet to hear anywhere else. If these guys don't deserve to be number 2, I don't know who does.
1. OMEGA (Hungarian)
My fellow Poles are probably gonna hate me for not putting a Polish band number 1. I'm sorry, but for me, this band wins the title of greatest non-English band.
Omega is a rock band that formed in Budapest, Hungary in 1962. Although many of their songs were later translated into English and German, this has always been a Hungarian language band, and their songs were meant to be heard in their native tongue. Speaking of their songs, the biggest reason they deserve to be number 1 on this list, is the sheer diversity of style in their catalog. Their genres include Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock and Space Rock. The band is literally ALL over the place, ranging from folky harmonica music to heavy guitar riffs. No two Omega songs sound the same. Some of their biggest influences are Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, The Beatles, David Bowie and Pink Floyd. With so many rock legends influencing their music, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I ranked this band number 1. Not to mention their sound and lyrics were way ahead of their time, being one of the first bands to experiment with storytelling. Omega was around during the toughest times of the Communist era in Eastern Europe. Coming from one of the strictest countries in the Eastern block, their music was truly a beacon for change, and helped spread hope and joy across the Eastern block. Their 1969 song, Gyöngyhajú lány, has become an anthem of Eastern Europe, and has become engrained in Eastern European culture. Just to show how much effect the song had, it has been translated into 5 languages, and covered by everyone from Scorpions to Kanye West! If all THAT isn't enough to give Omega the number 1 spot, then I don't know what is.
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