There's too many great bands to list. I like a wide array of metal but none of the "nu-metal" stuff like they play on the radio.
I grew up on bands like: Accept, Running Wild, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Venom, Manowar, Bathory, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Warlord, Wild Dogs, Wasp, Possessed, early Metallica (before "the black album"), Grave Digger, Virgin Steele, Alice Cooper, Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Witchfynde, Diamond Head, etc.
I've loved hard rock/heavy metal all my life, even going so far as to publish a few different heavy metal magazines in my day. Maggot Colony (1991-1995), Moon Magazine (1995-1997) and Battle Helm Magazine (printed 1997-2001 online since then).
We still get CD's for reviewand interview bands online but I have been finding it very hard to enjoy newer bands that are being released in the last couple years. Just seems like they don't have that spark. I'll admit, new albums by my old faves don't have that spark either. Battle Helm has agreed to do a contest for the upcoming Tony Iommi album (we're doing a giveaway with some prises) I only hope it's good! I hate to agree to help promote an album and find out it's a real stinker!