Jason Momoa’s five favourite heavy metal songs: “Yeah, that’s pretty iconic”
Within the ranks of Hollywood’s biggest stars, there are more than a few notable metalheads. Jack Black is probably the most obvious one, but he’s rivalled by Margot Robbie, Michael Fassbender, and, of course, Khal Drogo himself, Jason Momoa.
Momoa has been wearing his love for all things heavy metal and hard rock for as long as he’s been in the public eye, and his Instagram page often seems like a metal geek’s wonderland. He’s constantly posting pictures of himself backstage at gigs, rocking the devil horns while posing beside childhood heroes like Slayer, Anthrax, and Metallica.
Momoa is obsessed with playing guitar, specifically the bass, which he dove into while playing the role of Aquaman in the DC Universe films. Footage exists of him playing a cover of Tool’s ‘Sober’ for his assistant, who is a huge fan. Heartwarmingly, though, it was a real family affair – after all, his children played the drums and guitar alongside him.
“I always knew I wanted to play bass,” Momoa told Guitar World. “After that, I wanted to play standup, so I bought one and now it’s a passion for me, with how it makes me feel and how it sounds. I studied and studied and studied bass”.
The more he practised on the instrument, the more he felt he’d missed out on something wonderful as a younger man. “I was like, ‘My God, I wish I would have done this when I was young,'” Momoa admitted. “I wish that I had that opportunity, but I’m making up for lost time.”
Over the years, Momoa has lived out the fantasies of metalheads everywhere by joining some of his favourite bands on stage. For instance, in November 2019, he joined Phil Anselmo to play Pantera’s ‘This Love’ as support for Slayer’s final farewell tour performance, and he has also rocked the bass on stage with the Mike Hayes Band.
By 2025, Momoa had become such a recognised celebrity ambassador for headbanging music that he was the obvious choice to host Black Sabbath’s historic final show in Birmingham. The Minecraft star was incredibly nervous and excited about the gig, even revealing to Kerrang that he phoned members of Anthrax and Metallica to blag a ticket to the event before he had any inkling that Sabbath wanted him to host.
“Ozzy is everything to me,” Momoa gushed. “Sabbath is every-fucking-thing, man. I remember the first song; I remember playing Sabbath to my kids the first time. I love everything about that band. They’re real man, and I’m just going to be around everyone that I grew up loving.”
Ultimately, Momoa paid tribute to his late idol the only way he knew how: after his hosting duties were fulfilled, he joined the mosh pit with the heaving mass of fans, and rocked out.
It was fitting that Momoa had the opportunity to be part of Black Sabbath’s swansong, because when he was asked to name his five favourite metal songs of all time, ‘Black Sabbath’, from the band’s self-titled debut album, was his first pick. Next, he opted for Metallica’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, although he admitted, “You know, it’s just a bunch of Metallica, probably!”
Momoa’s third pick was ‘Walk’ by Pantera, which he dubbed “pretty iconic”, and in fourth spot, he found himself caught in two minds. “Maybe Rage Against The Machine with either ‘Freedom’ or ‘Bulls on Parade,'” he pondered, unable to decide between the two incendiary numbers. Then, in the final spot, Momoa went for the controversially pornographic Guns N’ Roses song ‘Rocket Queen,’ from their debut album Appetite For Destruction.
Jason Momoa’s five favourite heavy metal songs:
- ‘Black Sabbath’ – Black Sabbath
- ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ – Metallica
- ‘Walk’ – Pantera
- ‘Freedom’/’Bulls on Parade’ – Rage Against the Machine
- ‘Rocket Queen’ – Guns N’ Roses
