Heavy metal genres

A number of overlapping heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal in the late 1960s. Even though metal genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show different characteristics in overall structures, instrumental and vocal styles, and tempo. Sometimes a trait of a genre is common in several more genres however, and metal genres are normally grouped by their combination of these traits.

Heavy metal subgenres

Black metal

Main article: Black metal

Evolving from thrash metal, black metal is characterized by a dark, cold atmosphere replacing thrash metal's head-on brutality. Though not as atonal as death metal, it is still the most extreme subgenres of metal. The vocals are usually shrieked, screamed, rasped or grunted, with the lyrical themes often being depressing, Satanic, occult, or anti-Christian.

Black metal's origins have been put to a few bands (the name "black metal" is usually accredited to Venom, who coined the term with their album entitled Black Metal), though the style itself is thought to have emerged first from Sweden's Bathory and then from Norway, the most influential bands being Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone and Emperor. Black metal is now found throughout the world, with each region seemingly attributing their culture differently to the black metal sound.

Death metal

Main article: Death metal

Death metal, like black metal, is an offshoot of thrash metal pioneered by Possessed. Possessed, Death, Morbid Angel and other bands pushed to more brutal extremes, with dissonant harmonies, exotic scales, erratic time signature changes and downtuned guitars. Double bass drums are universally implemented, as well as rapid snare drums, 'blast beats', and chaotic cymbal crashes. Vocals are usually growled, but also can be shrieked, yelled, or screamed. Current death metal bands often dabble in neo-classicism, Jazz-fusion, medieval music, or folk and symphonic endeavors. The lyrical content usually deals with the darker, nihilistic side of human imagination, dealing with blood, death, gore, and occasionally Satan (e.g., Deicide). However, Death Metal is not limited to just blood, death, and gore. Its lyrical content may also cover philosophy, mythology (Nile), and politics (Krabathor).

Doom metal

Main article: Doom metal

Eschewing the fast pacing common to thrash metal and its offshoots, doom metal bands generally use only slow to moderate tempos, relying more heavily on atmosphere than their cousin metal bands, often to convey a sense of depression or melancholy. Deriving its name from their first album, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, doom metal was heavily influenced by the Swedish Candlemass, and much of it is reminiscent of Black Sabbath.

Folk metal

Main article: Folk metal

Folk metal embraces metal bands that are influenced by folklore from varying cultures and origins. Originally started as a mixture of folk rock, power metal and black metal, the term has progressed to encompass many folk-themed metal bands, that use folk based lyrical themes and composition, including instrumentation. Some prominent bands of this genre are Finntroll, Skyclad and Moonsorrow. This genre sometimes blankets to include purely ambient bands not employing traditional metal instrumentation.

Glam metal

Main article: Glam metal

Glam metal was one of the most popular styles of metal during the 1980s, often referred to by detractors as “Hair metal“. The sound; as the name suggests lies somewhere between the Heavy Metal sound of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and the Glam rock sound of Sweet and KISS. The bands were famous for their use of guitar solos, energetic frontmen and drummers that did not only have technical ability, but the ability to put on an entertaining show; as per Tommy Lee. Many of the bands donned make-up to achieve an androgynous look, similar to that of some 1970s Glam rock bands. Mötley Crüe, W.A.S.P., and Quiet Riot are examples and references for this kind of music.

Gothic metal

Main article: Gothic metal

Gothic metal is a genre of heavy metal music that originated during the early 1990s in Europe as an outgrowth of doom-death, a subgenre of doom metal. Musically it combines the guitar style of doom metal, black metal and death metal with its own unique use of heavy keyboard atmospherics, distorted guitars, romantic story like lyrics and dual vocalists. Bands include Type O Negative and Lacuna Coil.

Groove metal

Main article: Groove metal

Also known as neo-thrash or post-thrash, it consists of slow or mid-paced and down tuned thrash riffs, blusey guitar solos, greatly emphasized drum work and harsh vocals. Pantera is a primary example of the groove metal style in addition to Lamb of God and Chimaira.

Industrial metal

Main article: Industrial metal

Industrial metal fuses elements of industrial music and other electronic genres such as House music by using electronic instruments such as Synthesizers and drum machines alongside more purely heavy metal instruments such as Guitars and Bass and a vocal style combining elements of both genres. Fear Factory and Rammstein have both made it particularly big in this genre.

Metalcore

Main article: Metalcore

Metalcore is defined usually by bands whose music combines both the raw vocals and beat of American hardcore (generally within the Northeast US) with the guitars more often used in European thrash metal and melodic death metal. Some good examples of this genre are Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Atreyu, and Haste the Day.

Neo-classical metal

Main article: Neo-classical metal

Neo-classical metal incorporates elements from classical music, into the normal heavy metal sound, including tempos, instrument usage, and even melodies. Yngwie J. Malmsteen is a known proponent of this branch of metal.

Nu metal

Main article: Nu metal

Nu metal is a style that combines elements of heavy metal, hip hop, alternative rock, and funk music, often utilizing downtuned guitars. KoRn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Snot, SlipKnot, and Coal Chamber are some of the bands in this genre.

Power metal

Main article: Power metal

Power metal is more upbeat than most metal genres, taking heavy influence from thrash metal and heavy metal, with more progression replacing the electro-blues style, more speed and technique in the guitar leads and solos, though a more "boxed" approach is seen compared to usual metal soloing, which is more freeform and melody-driven. Common to the genre are stressing, jaunty tempos. Power Metal often emphasizes clean, melodic, high-pitched vocals and fast pacing that is mostly driven by double bass drumming and melodic lead guitar. The rhythm guitar is defined by straight power chord progressions. Power metal leans toward the positive, happy side of life, seeking to empower the listener and inspire joy and courage. Power metal usually carries fantasy or science fiction themes. Most power metal bands (e.g. Blind Guardian, Hammerfall and Sonata Arctica) are from continental Europe, though a small number (e.g., Symphony X, Kamelot, and Iced Earth) hail from North America.

Progressive metal

Main article: Progressive metal

Progressive metal is a fusion between progressive rock and heavy metal. It's one of heavy metal's most complex genres (along with other technical metal genres), due to its use of unusual and dynamic time signatures, long compositions, complex compositional structures, and virtuosic instrumental playing, where instrumental solos are detailed and extended. Vocals, if present, are melodic and lyrics are often philosophical, spiritual, and/or political. Forerunners in this genre include Dream Theater, Symphony X, Pain of Salvation, Fates Warning, Evergrey, Savatage, Opeth and Queensrÿche.

Speed metal

Main article: Speed metal

Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that uses traditional heavy metal song structures and riffing but with faster tempos and driving rhythms. It is usually just as melodic as traditional heavy metal. Speed metal emerged when traditional heavy metal bands started writing an occasional fast song. It kicked off as an established genre when bands wrote the majority of their songs in this style. It is considered an offshoot of power metal, and most bands in the genre are considered power metal. Some well known bands of this genre are Judas Priest and Anthrax.

Symphonic metal

Main article: Symphonic metal

Symphonic metal varies in form. It most commonly refers to bands that use orchestral elements in their music. These elements include full orchestras, opera themes, vocals or keyboarding akin to that of opera or symphony music, and a softer and more upbeat nature than other metal genres. The bands Nightwish, Within Temptation, and Epica fall under this sub-genre. Often, symphonic metal can be a combination of other sub-genres of metal, such as Rhapsody of Fire, who are a symphonic power metal band or Emperor, a black metal band.

Thrash metal

Main article: Thrash metal

Thrash metal originated, and remains, NWOBHM[1][2][3] with tempos influenced more predominantly by hardcore punk. Thrash metal songs are usually fairly complex, and frequently contain constant time and tempo changes. Thrash metal replaces melody with brutality and speed, with the use of ample distortion. Thrash was the first subgenre to widely use double bass drums in metal. Vocals in thrash metal are usually yelled, screamed, or snarled, though, at the same time, melodic.

As is true for many of the terms in this list, the moniker "thrash metal" was not always embraced by its supposed representatives; early on, Metallica referred to themselves as "power metal" (conflicting with the above definition of this term). Conversely, many bands, like Kreator, have been labeled as hate metal.[4]

Cross-genre references

Many terms are used to group bands from across genres that share a common trait. These terms are used loosely when used, and in some places may or not be used at all. They normally group bands of several genres together into a group due to a shared trait that is not normally a feature of any of the genres of metal the individual bands are part of.

Alternative metal

Alternative metal is a cross-genre term used to describe metal bands and metal influenced bands, which some fans consider to be unique or experimental, as well as bands of the nu metal genre that lack hip hop influence. Some examples are System of a Down, Marilyn Manson and Tool.

Grunge

Grunge is subgenre of alternative rock that incorporates elements from heavy metal, harcore punk and indie rock.It's often associated with the metal music. Grunge was popular during the early to mid-1990's. Bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden are examples of Grunge bands.

Avant-garde metal

Avant-garde metal (sometimes called experimental metal), is a cross-genre grouping which contains bands from multiple genres of metal that exhibit experimentation through non-standard sounds, instruments, and song structures akin to the genre of metal they are rooted in.

Blackened death metal

Blackened death metal is a fusion genre of extreme metal utilizing elements of death metal and black metal. Many of the bands start out as full on black metal outfits and end up adopting death metal influences and fusing the two together. One example of this genre is the band Behemoth.

Christian metal

Christian metal is another cross-genre grouping which contains metal bands that introduce Christian themes into their lyrics. This sub-genre has a long and (by many metal fans) unwelcome tradition within metal, starting with "white metal" bands springing up alongside the NWOBHM phenomenon to the christian metalcore bands today. Often the Christian themes are melded with the subjects of the genre the band is rooted in, often giving a supposedly Christian take on the subject matter. Some bands are reportedly financially supported by Christian organizations. Examples include Tourniquet, Underoath, Blindside, Norma Jean, Living Sacrifice, Mortification, As I Lay Dying, Stryper, Demon Hunter, and Disciple.

Classic metal

Main article: Classic metal

Classic metal is a name given to the original form of heavy metal music characterized by thumping fast bass lines, fast, crisp and somewhat heavy and more melodic riffs, extended lead guitar solos, high pitched vocals and anthemic choruses, this era of metal bands boomed in the early to mid 1980s.

Dark metal

Dark metal concerns bands across genres that use what is considered to be a darker atmosphere than is normal for the genre they are in. Bands of this type are normally symphonic metal, gothic metal, doom metal and black metal bands.

Epic metal (War Metal)

Epic metal is a cross-genre name given to bands with fantasy-inspired lyrics and a symphonic feel. Bands of this grouping often belong to gothic metal, power metal and symphonic metal genres.

Extreme metal

Extreme metal is a cross-genre reference to some heavier and aggressive styles of metal including black metal, death metal, and thrash metal.

NWOBHM

The 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal' (often abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a term used to describe British heavy metal artists that emerged in the late 1970s/early 1980s in the wake of the 'original wave' of British traditional metal artists, and as a reaction against pop and punk. NWOBHM was hugely popular and has been influential to most metal genres since. The key bands of this genre are: Iron Maiden, Saxon, Motörhead and Def Leppard.

Post-metal

Main article: Post-metal

This movement is largely American, but also includes some Japanese bands. Instrumental bands like Mono and Pelican write lengthy, frequently changing songs (typically five or six per album) that can range light and guitar driven to extremely heavy, Other related bands like Isis, Sunn O))) and Earth are in some ways closer to doom metal but share the same fanbase.

Rapcore

Rapcore (sometimes called Rap metal) is a cross-genre reference to metal bands that institute the vocal and lyrical form of rap. It is normally used in association with the term 'alternative metal' to differentiate between nu metal bands that contain hip-hop influence, and those that do not. It is also used occasionally to refer to bands that have worked alongside hip-hop artists on tracks before. Some modern examples are Body Count, Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park, and P.O.D..

Stoner metal

Stoner metal refers to bands who use low, bassy riffs and elements of heavy metal, doom metal and psychedelia. The Black Sabbath song "Sweet Leaf" is often regarded as the template for stoner metal. While not all fans are marijuana users, the tag "stoner" has stuck.

Viking metal

Viking metal is a subgenre of black metal, typically with musical compositions more complex than early Norwegian black metal. Having songs with lyrics about vikings or the various histories and legends of the Nordic countries has nothing to do with classifying a band as Viking metal. It is a complex subgenre with subtle cross-over elements, such as native folk music styles or melodeath. Amon Amarth, Thyrfing, Ensiferum, and Bathory are examples of this genre.