Best electric guitar for a beginner metal-head?

Well, The Epiphone SG and Specials are better quality than Squier and telecasters, im sure they are more up your alley for playing metal. If you do settle for a fender, make sure the gutiar has humbucker pickups, not just a single coil pickup.

One brand I want to suggest to you is schecter. I have been using my 7 string schecter for the last 4 or 5 years now, I record with it, take it to parties. its just a good all around guitar. I got it for about 400 dollars but its built like a 600 dollar guitar.

I concur with the above poster that suggested Schecter. I've owned 2 of them and they are great guitars for the money you spend.

There are a couple Telecasters that will work for metal, but they are both signature models and will be expensive (Jim Root from Slipknot has a signature Tele, and so does John 5 from Rob Zombie's band). A standard Telecaster is not a good fit for playing metal.

The Epiphones you mentioned will work, Dethklok uses Explorers and Flying Vs, so the tone will be similar (Yes, I am referring to the real musicians, not the animated characters. They really use the instruments the band is depicted with on the show)

Look into the following brands: Ibanez, Dean, LTD, Schecter, Jackson. Of them, Schecter will get you the best instrument for the money, though the others make quality stuff as well.

I really like Telecasters. Great and very versatile guitar that is perfectly at home playing rock or country. And you'll see 'em in metal, but they're not the greatest metal guitar. You should get something with humbuckers and either an SG or a Les Paul are more natural choices for metal. I personally hate Les Pauls but they're popular enough.

You should also look at Ibanez and LTD for good beginner guitars that are setup for metal. And a Squier Strat with humbuckers would get a nice sound.

At this level you should worry about the amp. Those guitars are cheaper ones and you shouldn't worry about that now. Hell, Iron Maiden play metal with damn Fender Stratocasters and those are certainly not guitars with metal in mind. Now, the amp is making the sound. You need one that can really have high gain and distortion. I recommend you get what is called a "modelling amp" because it emulates the sounds of much more expensive and famous amps. I recommend you get a Roland Cube:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/...

Between those guitars I'd forget the Squier completely. They are not for metal. As for the others... I don't want to bring you down but those guitars are not really that good for long-term investments. You need to spend at least $200 on the guitar alone. Also make sure your guitar has humbucker pickups (i.e. the big wide ones as seen here)

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-sp...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-le...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/esp-ltd-v-5...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/esp-ltd-f-5...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/esp-ltd-h-5...

I suggest almost all guitars by Schecter, Jackson, ESP/LTD, Ibanez, and some Epiphones. Avoid BC Rich because although they look like very metal guitars the cheaper ones are really shitty compared to those people have recommended.

It's better to save a bit and get something of decent quality than get something that will frustrate you.

Telecaster is NOT a good guitar for metal, and les paul isn't ideal. I suggest you check out Jackson and Ibanez instead.

Definitely Ibanez

It doesn't really matter which one you choose. Once you're playing the same two wrong chords over and over with so much distortion that no single note can be in tune, the brand of guitar is irrelevant.

I like metal.