I'm going to suggest a completely different path, this is more towards the Metallica side, this is the band Jayson Newsted came from, http://youtube.com/watch?v=u42DcO-M9wg, this is newer stuff as I cannot find any youtube videos of older stuff that you can actually hear.
I used to listen to A7X but I got more into Power and Viking Metal, so maybe the same could work for you, here are some of my favorites, youtube isn't a great source for most of this, I can't really find anything. The top of my list is Human Fortress, followed closely by Iron Fire, Kamelot, Firewind, Hammerfall, Helloween, Spellblast and Primal Fear. Don't be turned off by the names, thinking they are going to be super heavy with deep, throaty vocals, the singing is actually spectacular.