Daily O'Collegian has issued the following report from Austin Porter:

Heavy metal may have been the greatest thing to happen in the history of music.

In the form of dropped D ballads that make listeners want to cry or double bass drum pedals that force listeners to head bang until their necks hurt, heavy metal has given all fans of music adrenaline-igniting theme songs.

It has even given followers reasons to fuel the leather and tattoo industries.

But many consider the genre an endangered species or say it’s adapting to the new-age, death-metal scene.

Defying that theory, some bands haven’t lost sight of their metal roots, continuing instead to gain recognition as they achieve success through loud, distorted guitar riffs and attitude.

ATREYU is a new-age heavy metal band from Orange County with a 2002 debut album Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses.

Since then, the band released The Curse in 2004, A Death-Grip On Yesterday in 2006 and The Best Of Atreyu in 2007.

The band is entertaining and has great songs, such as 'Bleeding Mascara'.

Atreyu gains a lot of strength from its earsplitting vocalist Alex Varkatzas and lacks nothing with its strong guitar riffs.

TRIVIUM is another band that has resuscitated heavy metal. The band formed in 2000 and has continued to get better and more creative.

Its influences include METALLICA, PANTERA and SLAYER, so it’s easy to understand the style Trivium puts in its music.

In 2003, the band released its debut album, Ember To Inferno, and has continued its career with albums Ascendency in 2005 and The Crusade in 2006.

Trivium is a great band that fits any metal standards.

When listing today’s heavy metal bands, no fan can leave out KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

One of the rawest, loudest bands, Killswitch Engage borders on the death-metal genre but still brings great guitar riffs to the music scene.

The band released its self-titled debut album in 2002 and has released five albums since.

Killswitch was featured at OZZFest in the past couple of years, but listeners should be warned of its scream of a sound.

Meanwhile, many say AVENGED SEVENFOLD puts on one of the best metal shows around.

The band likely has gained more success than any other metal band in the past year or two, and many metal magazines predict that the loud group of talented musicians is destined for greatness.

The band hails from Huntington Beach, Calif. Since its release of City Of Evil in 2005, it has earned recognition from metal fans everywhere.

LAMB OF GOD is another powerful metal deity, and although it may not be as well known as other bands, it is equally — if not more — talented.

Lamb Of God is raising heavy metal standards and has shone itself to be a band with a work ethic comparable to that of TOOL as it continues to make some of today’s more complicated metal riffs.

The band has been around since 2000 and is the face of heavy metal’s success in the present day.

Lamb Of God has released seven albums, all of which could rank high on any head banger’s list of great metal.

Although heavy metal may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it has proved through the years that it is here to stay.