Since the advent of MTV, bands and artists have let their creativity run wild with music videos. We’ve seen band performances and tour footage, lofty short films and trippy art pieces – yet, no matter how creative a band can get, there’s only so much they can do with their own members. So, sometimes, well-known artists bust out their phone book and make a few calls to enlist famous faces. Here, Hammer has compiled the 10 best music videos cameos by massive metal stars.
Lemmy Kilmister in Foo Fighters – White Limo (2011)
One of the most metal songs in the Foo Fighters back-catalogue deserved one of their most metal videos. So, they got Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister driving a white limousine around the city at high speed while smoking, running over pedestrians and flirting with Dave Grohl’s wife. It’s, unsurprisingly, metal as fuck.
Lars Ulrich, Randy Blythe, Rob Halford, etc. in Corey Taylor – CMFT Must Be Stopped (2020)
When Slipknot and Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor went solo, he hired an army of friends from across the industry to create one of metal’s most star-studded videos. From old-school legends like Judas Priest and Metallica to modern heroes Halestorm and Babymetal, it looks like the entire scene came out to play.
Ozzy Osbourne in Yungblud – The Funeral (2022)
Yungblud has a penchant for the gloomy and gothic, but The Prince Of Darkness’ appearance in The Funeral was still a shocker. The only thing more surprising was Ozzy Osbourne and wife/manager Sharon running the alt-rocker over, then making peace with it because he’s “just some fucking poser”.
Jonathan Davis (plus Eminem, Snoop Dogg, etc.) in Limp Bizkit – Break Stuff (2000)
Want proof of Limp Bizkit’s mainstream stature around the turn of the millennium? Look no further than Break Stuff. Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem rock up on camera during the sub-three-minute clip, while metal’s represented by Korn singer Jonathan Davis. Despite his penchant for feuds, Fred Durst had some high-profile friends.
Dave Grohl in Tenacious D – Tribute (2001)
Tenacious D went all out on the makeup when they found their devil. However, no amount of red body paint and “whippy tail” could hide the tattoos and tomfoolery of Foo Fighters frontman and metalhead supremo, Dave Grohl, who puts in a perfect performance as the Tribute’s “shiny demon”.
Myrkur in Lonely Island feat. Michael Bolton – Jack Sparrow (2011)
This one’s more a cameo in hindsight. Before she became the folk/black metal songstress Myrkur, Amalie Bruun showed up in comedy rappers Lonely Island’s Jack Sparrow video, playing the Jenny to Michael Bolton’s Forrest Gump (just go with it). It’s a bona fide pause-the-video moment for modern-day metalheads.
Tom Araya in Suicidal Tendencies – Institutionalized (1984)
Tom Araya has one of the most recognisable voices in heavy metal history. The back of his head though, not so much. So there’s a good chance that you missed this one: Mike Muir brushes past the Slayer legend in an alleyway and, after that, he’s vanished into the night.
Zack De La Rocha in Run The Jewels – Ooh La La (2020)
Rage Against The Machine’s Zack De La Rocha has practically become an honorary member of Run The Jewels over the years. So, it was no surprise to see him pound the pavement with the rap duo during Ooh La La. That they’re walking through a riot only makes the casting more perfect.
Joe Duplantier in Machine Head – Aesthetics Of Hate (2007)
In 2007, Gojira’s momentum was starting to steamroll after the cult hit From Mars To Sirius. So, you can imagine some metalheads hit pause when Machine Head’s Aesthetics Of Hate came onto their TV sets and singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier was standing right behind an incensed Robb Flynn.
