This document provides a guide to different genres of heavy metal music. It lists and briefly describes over a dozen subgenres including British metal, thrash metal, hair metal, power metal, progressive metal, black metal, death metal, grindcore, and metalcore. For each genre it provides one or two example bands to check out. The guide aims to introduce newcomers to the wide variety of heavy metal styles and provide starting points for further exploration.
Presentation by Clare Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Scottish Government at the Scottish Communicators Network event Collaborating for Success on 24th June 2015.
Presentation by Clare Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Scottish Government at the Scottish Communicators Network event Collaborating for Success on 24th June 2015.
1. THURSDAY OCTOBER 4, 2007
RE
By DYLAN MOO oduc-
CONWELL-EG
AN write an intr
hen I firs t sat down to favorite of all
metal, my
W
ting
tion to heavy s, it seemed like a daun -
musical genre ned an d mis
e most malig ea of explain-
might be th and the id
task. Metal sic,
form of mu possible.
understood is almost im
ve it so much e reader, find out for
ing why I lo to let you, th ery-
So I decided is list for ev
ething on th -
yourself. T here is som has whatever you’re look
bgen re that ques your
one, some su on. And if anything pi .
ing for, so read afraid to give it a listen
’t be
interest, don ht be glad you did.
You just mig
BRITISH M THRASH M
ETAL Perhaps the m ETAL
Heavy metal go
t
in England. Thes its start in the early ’70s original British ost direct descendent of th
e
born style of th metal scene is the mainly U
out of the same e first bands, growing .S
sc ’80s, thrash m rash metal. Beginning in th .-
rock, shared th ene as early punk etal bands took e early
e loud, fast ener power of Iron the speed an
Clash and the gy of the M
Se to the fire. Thra aiden and added even mor d
dose of musical x Pistols, but added a sh metal is as e fuel
The early Britis ability to the equation. you’ll ever hear fa
h be stunning. Th , and the leve st as anything
considered som metal bands are today l of virtuosity
ca
musical acts of e of the most influential bands vary gr e vocal stylings of thrash m n
eatly from clas et
al
British scene is l time, and the ’70s aggressive ye sic-rock falset al
lls to to
point for an introdefinitely a good starting dizzyingly fast , but the music is always
duction to the ge , and the solo
s never disapp
IF YOU LIKE: Fa nre. IF YOU LIKE: oint.
Insane
classic-rock styl st, chugging guitars, speed, great gu
itar
e vocals, raw en solos, varied
ergy vocals
THEN CHECK
O THEN CHECK
Iron Maiden, B UT:
lack Sabbath Anthrax, Slaye OUT:
Megadeth, A r,
nnihilator
E TAL
HAIR M one prob
ably
list, this ly, hair metal
s on this Put simp
subgenre on. ble “big-
Of all the e least introducti r the unmistaka l was a
fo ta
needs th e ’80s. Named bands, hair me synth-
ow ned th favored by the oppy and s
s t times p ou
hair” stylerand of metal, a betraying a seri metal era
iverse b s
er time s from the hair ay, but,
d th
hile at o nd tod
heavy, w ck influence. Ba ated pop artists ht us
-ro sd
classic discounted a hair bands bro ug
are often the days of the
,
in reality cellent music. more
some ex y songs,
nth-heav
wer, sy ruses
IKE: Slo o
IF YOU L emes, catchy ch
upbeat th
HECK
THEN C n Halen,
OUT: Va
pard,
Def Lep r, Dokken
Slau ghte
CROSSOVER POWER METAL
In its infancy, thras
h
scene, and, being metal was largely a West Coast The beginnings of thi
s
concurrent L.A. pu
as such, its exposu at some point in the one are a little fuzzy as well, but
nk scene was ine re to the decided it would be
late ’80s or early ’90
s, someone
a literal “crossing- vit
over” of the two sty able. The result of a
make it as fast as thr good idea to take hair metal and
just that: crossover. les was dubbed ash. With that, powe
yelled vocals and Crossover combined the raw soun born. Power metal ba r metal was
DI
speed and shredd Y ethic of punk with the blazing
d, style vocals, epic (an nds are known for their virtuoso-
d
while mixed, were
ing solos of thrash, speed, and, most of often corny) lyrics, blazing
(and still are) often and the results, RIDICULOUS) guita
all, ridiculous (and I
mean
spectacular. r work. Power metal
IF YOU LIKE: Punk starting point for any is an excellent
heavy metal novice,
vocals and lyrics, -style accessible than many as it is more
metal speed and
thrash- watered down at all. of the other genres, but not
virtuosity
THEN CHECK OU IF YOU LIKE: Long,
T: “epic” songs, insane
D.R.I., Municipal
Waste, guitar solos, break-ne
The Escaped, R.K.
L. speed, ’80s-style vo ck
cals
THEN CHECK OUT:
DragonForce, Sona
ta
METAL
Arctica
SSIVE
PROGRE oint in the 1
est
980s, the b tal
e
undefined p ir metal and British m ose of
yet-
At some as- thrash metal, ha a lethal d BLACK
e togeth
t
lt of all th
added
things abou er, and to that mix was is was progressive Black me
the more tal, popular in Sc
METAL
cam resu nical of all
uosity. The e most tech brands o modern, and, ce andinavia, is one
musical virt essive metal, easily th 0s-style vocals with f rt
’8
metal. Progr s, combines distinctly esizer and even vocals oft metal. It is extre ainly, more extre of
e m m
subgenre plays of guitar, synth h, prog metal shrieking n involve high-p ely heavy, and th e
L
DEATH META
the itched sc
g dis noug . In addit
reaming e
mind-blowin ics. As if that weren’t e in strange time themes o ion, the ly
o
b ass histrion o notorious for playing usic best dark. Wh f black metal son rical and musical r
ls a nutshell, m ile it is ce gs are oft ting as an offshoot
of
bands are a rogressive metal is, in palatable rtainly n en very Death metal, originathe best-known subgenres
P
signatures. usicians. subgenre or accessible of ot the most crossover, is one of rkest of
joyed by m E: Incredible few black s, there a the meta
l the heaviest and da
en IF YOU LIK and compositional metal ba re definitely more of metal. It is by far ily detuned guitars and
av
l
instrumenta ely long songs,
nds wort
h checkin than a the genres, with he vocals. Death metal varies
m
ability, extre lyrics g out. low-pitch ed growled fast, but,
IF YOU L empo to extremely
o ften poetic heavy m IKE: Extr
emely in speed from mid-t bone-crushing sonically.
ush, s
either way, is alway not for the squeamish,
CK OUT: R u
themes, sic, dark
THEN CHE ter, Symphony X shrieking are
Death metal lyrics en dark and violent. If
a
Dream The THEN C vocals
as the themes are
oft
H
Venom, ECK OUT: ed hasn’t scared
Immorta everyth ing I’ve just mention metal a shot.
e death
l, Ulver you off yet, then giv music to be heard.
Th ere’s a lot of good
re is,
heaviest sound the
IF YOU LIKE: The vocals, dark, often “evil”
aggressive, growled
themes
GRINDCO ORE
RE METALC developments in metaleis cee
THEN
Without a do th CHECK OUT:
ub n d
metal subgen t the least accessible of most recen
t
the punk-in
flu Nile, Death,
re al
of crossover, s, grindcore, another offs l One of the aditional metal with lly, metalcore. Cannibal
tr
is
untrained ea not for the faint of heart. hoot blending of core, creating, natura of sung and Corpse,
rd n
r,
nothing but no grindcore often sounds likTo the genre of ha ntains a combinatio aggression, Arch Enemy
drums and gu ise. With extremely fast an e M etalcore co cals, and melds the ardcore with
vo fh
and screamed itars, often discordant synt d loud screamed and emotive lyrics o harmonized guitars
s s
nothing more vocals, it may actually be h parts breakdown etal elements such a lcore is a very good
th
awesome an an noise. But it can be traditional m ass drumming. Meta introduced to
-b ing
yw
give grindcor ay. So if you’re feeling br and double meone who is just be accessible genre.
e a shot. ave, place for so rt, because it is a very
IF YOU LIKE
: metal to sta So there
screaming vo High-speed guitars and dr E: Beginner you have it. The
cals, cacoph
ony ums, IF YOU LIK ggression ’s
Metal. Th Guide to Heavy
THEN CHEC
K Ha rdcore’s a etal-style complete
is is by n
o means a
OUT: Origin, n, m
and emotio sung and myriad su
listing of
all the
Genghis Tron g uitar work, cals b
but it is a genres out there,
The End, Cre , screamed
vo good plac
tin so do you e to start,
CK OUT: rs
check out elf a favor and
THEN CHE evenfold, a few of th
Avenged S on here. O
n
e bands
early Thrice might en e of them just
d up bein
what you ge
were look xactly
Photo by
ing for.
STEVE GENGLER,
TOM RASKI
REALITY EDITOR ANDY VINEBERG: 215-949-4135 ARTIST TOM RASKI: 215-949-5744 E-MAIL BACKTALK@PHILLYBURBS.COM WRITE REALITY, C/O COURIER TIMES, 8400 RT. 13, LEVITTOWN, PA 19057