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Sonically speaking, the pickups in your guitar are at the forefront of your tone. Everything within your pickups -- such as their number of windings, the material and thickness of their wire, and their magnet type -- can have drastic effects on your tone's feel, sustain, punchiness and response. As such, many metal players oftentimes replace their stock pickups with hotter ones for more gain and aggression. It's a cheap mod that's relatively painless to perform and a hell of a lot cheaper than trying to fix the issues with a new guitar, amp or pedal.

Ah yes, the metal fan -- a complex soul whose actions can confuse those who do not take appreciation with the music genre. We've collected some of the most retweeted #Youknowyoureametalfan quotes from our own Twitter page as well as our friends at Loudwire. For those who give metal fans funny looks, please let these quotes guide you to understanding the metal fan's DNA a little better.

In the early ‘90s, a wave of bands from Seattle captured the public’s imagination, spreading the sound of the Northwest underground to the world. Dubbed “grunge” or the “Seattle sound” by the press, its sonic characteristics were rooted in ‘60s garage rock and proto-heavy metal. When grunge first started creeping into the mainstream circa 1991, hair metal still ruled MTV, but bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden changed all that. A few key players in the grunge scene might have had hair metal pasts, but the Aqua Net and eyeliner had to go to make room in the closet for all the flannels and Chuck Taylors. Noisecreep is paying tribute to the hard-rocking sounds that dominated the '90s with our 10 Greatest Grunge Albums list.

The year 2003 might not come up during the conversation when discussing heavy metal's landmark periods, but that doesn't mean it didn't leave behind some stellar releases. Whether it was veteran acts taking stylistic chances, or younger bands looking at the past for inspiration, 2003 gave metalheads a lot to be happy about...

Iron Maiden have Eddie. Megadeth have been in business with a guy named Vic Rattlehead since the '80s. Anthrax? They roll with the Not Man. But heavy metal isn't the only genre packed with its own cast of comic book-worthy mascots. Ever since the first wave of punk shook up the music world in the mid-'70s, the scene has given us some of the most iconic mascots this side of Tony the Tiger... Read M

At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeonly buzzkill, there are many players out there who don't put enough consideration into the unpredictable situations that come with owning nice gear. It's good to be prepared for those maddening moments when your gear breaks down suddenly -- and it's especially wise to have a backup plan just in case they failure occurs in the middle of a gig or jam session.

The year 1993 was a transitional one for metal. The late '80s glut of radio friendly metal acts was being eschewed away by the grunge explosion, leaving the genre in a state of trying to regain its hold in the music world. By the time 1993 rolled around we began to see pockets of metal sub-genres starting to take hold. The more extreme, death and sludge metal acts started knocking down doors, some of the remaining vets of the '80s adapted with the times and there were a few metal acts who even broke through the radio barrier. As we reflect on the greatest metal songs of 1993, it's interesting to see just how the roots of future favorite acts were just starting to take hold. So join us as we count down the 10 Greatest Metal Songs of 1993.

The year 1983 was a landmark one for heavy metal. Not only did the year usher in the debut album releases of Metallica, Dio and Mercyful Fate, it also marked the first time a metal act hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 when Quiet Riot’s ‘Metal Health’ topped the chart in November. That feat helped prove that metal could hold its own commercially against all of the pop and new wave acts of the period.

You've heard this song performed many times, many different ways over the years but there's just something about hearing the U.S. National Anthem performed on the 4th of July that really brings out the patriotism in most Americans.

Separated at birth? Maybe the same person?