Every Metal Genre Explained: A Metal Genre Encyclopedia

Metal is one of the most diverse and creatively-evolving genres in music. From the primal aggression of early heavy metal to the complex and intricate realms of modern extreme metal, the genre has spawned countless subgenres, each with its own identity. Metal has always strived to push music to its extreme limits and many new genres are doing this in ways that would have been unimaginable 20-30 years ago.

Whether you're a newcomer to the scene or a veteran headbanger, this guide will walk you through every major metal genre, its key characteristics, notable bands, and the subgenres it has inspired.

Heavy Metal

What is Heavy Metal?

Heavy metal emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, pioneered by Black Sabbath’s dark, heavy riffs. Judas Priest refined the sound with twin-guitar attacks, while Iron Maiden brought melody and epic storytelling into the mix. This genre laid the groundwork for all subsequent metal subgenres, influencing everything from thrash to power metal.

Notable Bands:

• Black Sabbath
• Judas Priest
• Iron Maiden

Subgenres:

• (Basically Every Metal Genre)
• New Wave of British Heavy Metal
• Classic Metal

Thrash Metal

What is Thrash?

Thrash metal exploded in the 1980s, led by the "Big Four." It combined the raw aggression of punk with the technicality of metal, resulting in some of the most influential albums in metal history. While classic thrash remains popular, modern bands continue to evolve the genre, incorporating elements of groove and progressive metal.

Notable Bands:

• Metallica
• Slayer
• Megadeth
• Anthrax

Subgenres:

• Crossover Thrash
• Technical Thrash
• Speed Metal

Death Metal

What is Death Metal?

Death metal pushed metal into extreme territories with guttural vocals and intricate compositions. Florida and Sweden became hotspots for the genre, with American bands focusing on brutality and European bands introducing melodic elements. The genre has since expanded to include symphonic and blackened death metal, which blend atmospheric and orchestral elements.

Notable Bands:

• Death
• Cannibal Corpse
• Morbid Angel
• Obituary

Subgenres:

• Melodic Death Metal
• Technical Death Metal
• Brutal Death Metal
• Old School Death Metal

Black Metal

What is Black Metal?

Black metal is infamous for its raw production, corpse paint, and controversial history. The Norwegian scene in the early 1990s helped shape the genre into a movement with a unique aesthetic and anti-mainstream ethos. Modern black metal has branched out into folk, post, and avant-garde influences, creating an even wider sonic landscape.

Notable Bands:

• Mayhem
• Emperor
• Darkthrone
• Burzum

Subgenres:

• Atmospheric Black Metal
• Symphonic Black Metal
• Depressive Suicidal Black Metal (DSBM)
• Blackened Death Metal

Doom Metal

What is Doom Metal?

Doom Metal embraces despair, drawing inspiration from Black Sabbath’s slow, haunting sound. Doom metal often features slow, sludgy, repeating riffs. It has many subgenres, each focusing on different emotional and sonic elements. The genre often intermingles with gothic metal, leading to highly atmospheric and deeply emotional music.

Notable Bands:

• Candlemass
• My Dying Bride
• Saint Vitus

Subgenres:

• Funeral Doom
• Stoner Doom
• Sludge Metal
• Gothic Doom

Power Metal

What is Power Metal?

Power metal thrives on exaggerated energy and virtuosity. Bands often incorporate symphonic elements and uplifting themes, making it one of the most theatrical metal subgenres. Some bands even use conceptual storytelling, creating entire albums based on myths, fantasy novels, and historical events.

Notable Bands:

• Helloween
• Blind Guardian
• DragonForce

Subgenres:

• Symphonic Power Metal
• Speed Metal

Alternative Metal

What is Alternative Metal?

Alternative metal blends traditional metal elements with influences from alternative rock, grunge, and even hip-hop or industrial music. It often features unconventional song structures, varied vocal styles, and a focus on groove over speed.

Notable Bands:

• Tool
• Deftones
• System of a Down

Avant-Garde Metal

What is Avante-Garde Metal?

Avant-garde metal is an experimental subgenre that defies conventional metal structures, incorporating elements of jazz, classical, electronic, and other genres. It focuses on innovation and unique soundscapes mixed with modern metal.

Notable Bands:

• Igorrr
• Portal
• Nail Bite

Hardcore

What is Hardcore?

Hardcore is an aggressive and fast-paced genre rooted in punk, but often introducing metal elements as well. Hardcore is known for its short song structures, screaming vocals, and wild mosh pit culture.

Notable Bands:

• Knocked Loose
• Speed
• Hatebreed

Subgenres:

• Post-Hardcore
• Hardcore Punk
• Crossover Hardcore

Metalcore

What is Metalcore?

Metalcore fuses elements of hardcore punk with metal, featuring breakdowns, melodic hooks, and a balance of clean and harsh vocals. It is currently one of the most popular metal genres. See the most popular metalcore acts right now.

Notable Bands:

• Killswitch Engage
• Bring Me The Horizon
• A Day To Remember

Subgenres:

• Melodic Metalcore
• Progressive Metalcore
• Post-Hardcore Metalcore

Deathcore

What is Deathcore?

Deathcore blends death metal's technicality with metalcore's breakdown-heavy style, featuring deep growls, blast beats, and complex riffing. Deathcore is often over the top, featuring big changes between slowed tempos and rapid blast beats. See the most popular deathcore bands right now.

Notable Bands:

• Whitechapel
• Suicide Silence
• Lorna Shore

Subgenres:

• Blackened Deathcore
• Progressive Deathcore
• Slam/Down-tempo Deathcore

Progressive Metal

What is Progressive Metal?

Progressive metal (aka "prog") incorporates complex song structures, impressively technical and fast riffs, and experimental elements. It often features extended compositions and conceptual storytelling.

Notable Bands:

• Dream Theater
• Opeth
• Between the Buried and Me
• Gojira

Subgenres:

• Progressive Death Metal
• Progressive Metalcore

Industrial Metal

What is Industrial Metal?

Industrial metal is a fusion of heavy metal and electronic music, incorporating elements like synths, sampling, and mechanical beats. Starting in the 1980s and gaining prominence in the 1990s, industrial metal is known for its aggressive sound, distorted guitars, and industrial noise influences.

Notable Bands:

• Nine Inch Nails
• Rammstein
• Ministry

Technical Death Metal

What is Technical Death Metal?

Technical Death Metal takes traditional death metal (and sometimes deathcore influences) and amplifies its complexity–featuring intricate guitar work, extreme drumming, and rapid tempo changes. Technical Death Metal also often includes gorey and intense lyrics similar to classic Death Metal.

Notable Bands:

• Rings of Saturn
• Infant Annihilator
• Necrophagist

Subgenres:

• Technical Deathcore

Glam Metal

What is Glam Metal?

Glam metal (also referred to as hair metal) emerged in the 1980s and is characterized by flashy aesthetics, anthemic choruses, and a mix of hard rock and pop-influenced melodies. Glam Metal is typically known for being a more mainstream and commercialized version of traditional heavy metal, going further on rock elements with an exaggerated old-school metal look.

Notable Bands:

• Mötley Crüe
• Poison
• KISS

Subgenres:

• Pop Metal
• Arena Rock
• Hair Metal

Gothic Metal

What is Gothic Metal?

Gothic metal blends dark, melancholic themes with heavy guitar work, often incorporating symphonic elements, clean vocals, and poetic lyrics. Gothic metal–as its name suggests–takes inspiration from Goth subcultures and aesthetics.

Notable Bands:

• Lacuna Coil
• Type O Negative

Grindcore

What is Grindcore?

Grindcore is an extreme metal subgenre that fuses hardcore punk with death metal, characterized by short, intense songs, blast beat drumming, and aggressive vocals.

Notable Bands:

• Napalm Death
• Pig Destroyer
• Terrorizer

Subgenres:

• Goregrind
• Cybergrind
• Pornogrind

Kawaii Metal

What is Kawaii Metal?

Kawaii metal is a Japanese genre that blends heavy metal instrumentation with J-pop-style vocals, creating a unique contrast between aggressive and melodic elements. Babymetal is credited to be the first (and most popular act) of the genre.

Notable Bands:

• Babymetal
• Ladybaby
• PassCode

Subgenres:

• Idol Metal
• J-Metal

Beatdown

What is Beatdown?

Beatdown is an aggressive and brutal subgenre of hardcore and metalcore that focuses on slow, chugging breakdowns and heavy riffs designed for mosh pits.

Notable Bands:

• Kublai Khan
• Knocked Loose
• Malevolence

Electronicore / Rave Metal

What is Electronicore?

Electronicore (Electronic Metalcore) and Rave Metal are two very similar metal subgenres that are characterized by using EDM synths and bass beats with extreme metal, creating a sound somewhere between rave and modern metal.

Notable Bands:

• Electric Callboy
• The Browning

Djent

What is Djent?

Djent is a rhythmically complex, progressive metal style featuring palm-muted, thumping syncopated guitar riffs and intricate drumming patterns. The term "djent" was named after the characteristic drop-tuned guitar tone that the subgenre uses. Djent has become more popular in recent years, particularly in progressive metalcore genres. Meshuggah is often credited for inspiring the genre.

Notable Bands:

• Periphery
• Meshuggah
• Animals as Leaders

Thall

What is Thall?

"Thall" was coined by Swedish band Vildhjarta, originally as a joke. Thall is an offshoot of djent, known for building clean guitar melodies that are contrasted by similar but distorted riffs. Bands will use bending notes, harmonics, and down-tuned guitar riffs to create an "off-note" sound. The style is often written to create an uncomfortable and incredibly heavy atmosphere. Read a more in-depth explanation of Thall.

Notable Bands:

• Vildhjarta
• Humanity's Last Breath
• Mirar

Mathcore

What is Mathcore?

Mathcore combines metalcore with complex time signatures, chaotic structures, and intense, spastic performances.

Notable Bands:

• The Dillinger Escape Plan
• Converge
• Car Bomb

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