Certain genres have some quiet and mellow parts, but most metal is loud, intense, sat and aggressive. The vocal styles in heavy metal range from melodic singing to aggressive singing to unintelligible screaming, depending on the genre. Genres At the beginning there was just traditional heavy metal. Shortly after it evolved and splintered into many different styles and submerges. This site has a series of articles on many of the genres that will give you a more in-depth look at that particular type of metal.
As time has gone on, there are literally hundreds of submerges, but these are some of the main genres of heavy metal: Avian Garden Metal Also called experimental metal, it’s characterized by unusual and nontraditional instruments and song structures. Examples: Arcata’s, Dog Fashion Disco, Mr.. Bungle, Peacetime, Pinsetters Black Metal Characterized by high-pitched raspy vocals and pagan/satanic lyrical imagery. Symphonic black metal is a submerge that uses keyboards and is more melodic. Examples: Battery, Barium, Emperor, Mayhem, Venom Celtic Metal A combination of heavy metal and Celtic music with lyrics focusing on Celtic mythology.
Examples: Churchman, Sages, Hollander An extreme form of the genre that uses distorted guitars and a growling vocal Tyler sometimes described as “cookie monster” vocals. Examples: Cannibal Corpse, Death, Decide, Morbid Angel Doom Metal A genre that uses slower tempos and emphasizes gloomy, melancholy and atmospheric music. There are numerous submerges of doom, including drone, epic, industrial, sludge and stoner. Examples: Candles, Pentagram, Saint Vitas Grinder This is a genre influenced by thrash metal and death metal. It takes its name from the sound of the atonal guitar riffs combined with blast beats from the bass drum.
The vocals are similar to death metal. Examples: Carcass, Napalm Death, Nassau, Pig Destroyer, Terrorize Also called pop metal and hairspray metal, this genre is Very melodic and mass appeal. Some of the most commercially successful and critically despised bands came from this genre. They wore a lot of makeup and had huge teased hair, thus the name. They received a lot of radio airplay and chart success in the late ‘ass and early ‘ass until grunge rock destroyed it. Examples: Poison, Rat Warrant, Winger, White Lion Metalwork This genre is currently very popular and combines heavy metal with hardcore.
They use the musical style of heavy metal, especially melodic death metal, and the shouting vocal style of hardcore. Breakdowns are also heavily utilized. Examples: As Lay Dying, God Forbid, Checklists Engage, Shadows New wave Of British Heavy Metal (NEWBORN) This genre has influenced almost all metal that has followed it. These were the metal pioneers that took the original sound of groups like Black Sabbath and took out the rock and blues influences to make the traditional metal sound that we’re familiar with today. Examples: Defy Leopard, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon
Nu-Metal Combining heavy metal riffs with hip-hop influences and rapped lyrics, this genre became very popular in the late ‘ass through the early sass’s and then fell from favor. There are a few bands Of this style still doing well, although most have come and gone. Examples: Koran, Limp Backbit, Papa Roach, Slipknot Power Metal A very melodic form of metal that utilizes soaring guitars and strong vocals, usually in a higher register. It’s also an epic style, with long songs and many lyrics about mythology, fantasy and metaphysical topics. Most power metal bands also have a keyboardist.
Examples: Blind Guardian, Fate’s Warning, Halloween, Jag Panzer Progressive Metal A mixture of heavy metal and progressive rock, this genre utilizes many of the characteristics of avian-garden and power metal. The song structures are complex, using many time signatures and key changes and are usually long. The lyrics are epic and often progressive metal albums are concept albums, utilizing a main theme that runs throughout. Examples: Dream Theater, Evergreen, Fates Warning, Consequences Thrash Metal This genre evolved from NEWBORN and became heavier and more extreme.
It’s characterized by fast guitar and double bass drum with aggressive but understandable vocals. Some of the most popular bands in metal started as thrash bands, although most evolved as they went along. Examples: Anthrax, Megalith, Metallic, Slayer The Future The great thing about heavy metal is that it is continually changing, evolving and improving. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more extreme, something new comes along. Whether you prefer the melody and complexity of power metal or the aggression and intensity of death metal, it’s all part of this widely encompassing genre called heavy metal.
