My Favourite Metal Mascots

I love talking about all things metal and now it’s time to share another aspect that I love about the genre. While I love some bands that have a strong visual image like KISS, Lordi, Ghost, GWAR, etc. there are also bands that don’t dress up on stage, but they do have a mascot that indicates what they stand for. It could represent what type of sound they play or the mascot could have a story of its own that the band writes songs about.

Either way, metal mascots are badass and in this post, I will be writing about my favourite metal mascots and talking about the things I love about them and what they are known for.

Hector (HammerFall)

This templar has been on the cover of every HammerFall album and no one seems to talk about him. He’ll be seen wielding one or two hammers or sometimes he’ll even have wings. I love his design, he’s always evolving but not to a point where he would be unrecognizable to us fans.

Whenever I listen to any song by HammerFall, all I can picture is Hector battling whatever forces of evil stand in his way. Demons, evil templars, angels, you name it, Hector has faced them all and has always wielded his hammer with pride. HammerFall’s music suits him well with its traditional heavy metal sound with a touch of power. It’s like battle music worth turning up the volume for.

My favourite version of him is on the Dominion album it’s like he’s become an angelic templar ready to battle the demons in Hell. Definitely an underrated mascot.

The Guy (Disturbed)

Stark powerful and always smiling fiercly, no matter the circumstance, be it a crowd full of fists in the air or the heart of an inferno. I do not listen to Disturbed as much as I used to, but this mascot is something that works and has always been recognizable for me.

I still think my favourite version of him is a tie between the Asylum and Indestructible albums. He’s a great symbol for nu metal and is the first one I think of when it comes to that subgenre.

Vic Rattlehead (Megadeth)

See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. Vic Rattlehead is the iconic mascot that represents society as a whole when a change happens that we don’t like, but we don’t do anything about it. Vic has been on almost every cover of Megadeth’s albums and sometimes he’s a soldier, a mad scientist, or a politician. I personally like to see him as a soldier or a scientist.

But one thing that always remains the same about him is that he can’t see and his ears and mouth are sealed shut. One can listen to this band and hear that there are a lot of political themes and in this case, it fits Vic like a glove. I remember when I was trying to make a Megadeth fanfiction work, I made Vic an actual living entity that the band took with them on tour until he went rogue and killed several people. Sadly this idea I scrapped because I didn’t know where to take it after finishing the first book. I should have kept it up, it came from the album Super Collider when the back of it featured a giant robot version of Vic. Ah well, he’s still a mascot I love.

Alister Vale (Orden Ogan)

Another very underrated metal mascot that many websites omit is none other than Alister Vale of Orden Ogan. He is always wearing a red bandana covering the lower part of his face; you’d think with the withered parts you can see, he’d be undead.

Ever Orden Ogan album has a different theme to it and Alister evolves with it, he’s been to the Wild West and to the future, and even what the world might look like if the White Frost hit for real! I like to think many of the band’s songs are about his journey through time as the band watches over him. I am brainstorming how this will be implemented in a future fanfiction project so it’ll definitely be a challenge to work on.

Snaggletooth (Motörhead)

Last but not least, the number one mascot of all time, and for me, goes to the one and only warpig itself, Snaggletooth. It isn’t a creature that exists with a story in another world, it is just simply a powerful and badass emblem that represents what Motörhead is all about: louder, meaner, cooler and faster than everything else. Snaggletooth has evolved slightly throughout the band’s discography but always maintained the same look for fans to recognize, that was enough for me to make it the big back patch on my vest.

And what also makes it special is although Motörhead was a very successful band, they were never meant to be mainstream, because this monster is just too badass and angry to be inserted into everything. Metal was always about standing out and defying societal expectations. People have Snaggletooth tattoos and others got it on their shirts, vests, or even their vehicles. (Note to self, find a sticker for my car!) This combination of its fierce attitude and rebellious image makes it the perfect mascot to represent metal wholly, my love for the genre, and how I don’t give a damn about what people think of me.

Those are my favourite mascots in heavy metal, short list, but a one full of bands I love the most, or have loved for a long time. What about you? What are your favourite metal mascots?

👽Emily