Ever wonder why there are various kinds of Metal Musics and what makes each one of them unique? Here are some summarised details of their definitions, check em' out. (I apologize if the definitions below does not agree with your own personal metal definitions).
American Metal is a movement in heavy metal music that originated in the US during the early to mid 199os and has expanded most in the recent 2000s. Some of the bands considered part of the movement had formed as early as the 1980s, but did not become influential or reach popular standing until the following decade . The term NWOAHM or New Wave of American Heavy Metal is a later reference to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement of the very early 1980s. Although the term is used by the media with increasing frequency, the definition has not been finished completely. This is due in part to the growing addition of bands that assimilate to common styles in NWOAHM (as defined below), yet have not differentiated greatly enough as to garner a new genre moniker. One descriptor by longtime metal author Garry Sharpe-Young helps classify the NWOAHM as a "marriage of European-style riffing and throaty vocals". Several of the bands within the NWOAHM are credited with bringing heavy metal back into the mainstream.
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often uses fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, and unconventional song structure. During the 1980s, certain thrash metal bands formed a prototype for black metal. This so-called "first wave" included bands such as Venom, Bathory, Old Funeral, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. A "second wave" arose in the early 1990s, mostly of Norwegian bands such as Mayhem. Burzum, Darkthrone, Immortal and Emperor. This scene developed the black metal style into a distinct genre. Black metal has been met with great hostility from mainstream culture, mainly due to the misanthropic and anti-christian standpoint of many artists. Moreover, a handful of musicians have been linked with church burnings., murder or National Socialism. For these reasons and others, black metal is often seen as an underground form of music.
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes. Building from the musical structure of thrash metal, death metal emerged during the mid 1980s. It was mainly inspired by thrash metal acts like Slayer, Kreator and Celtic Frost. Along with the band Death and its frontman Chuck Schuldiner (who is often referred to as "the father of death metal"), bands like Possessed and Morbid Angel are often considered pioneers of the genre. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, death metal gained more media attention as popular record labels like Earache and Roadrunner began to sign death metal bands at a rapid rate. Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning a rich variety of subgenres.
Glam metal (also known as hair metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene. It was popular throughout the 1980s and briefly in the early 1990s, combining the flamboyant look of glam rock and playing a power-chord based hard rock musical style. "Hair bands" was the derogatory term popularized byMTV in the 1990s and derives from the tendency among such bands to have styled their long hair in a backcombing fashion.
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music. Gothic metal combines the aggression of heavy metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The genre originated during the early 1990s in Europe as an outgrowth of death/doom, a fusion of death metal and doom metal. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. Lyrics are generally melodramatic and mournful with inspiration from gothic fiction as well as personal experiences.
Pioneers of gothic metal include Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, all from the north of England. Other pioneers from the first half of the 1990s include Type O Negative from the United States, Tiamat from Sweden, and The Gathering from the Netherlands. Norwegian band Theatre of Tragedy developed the "beauty and the beast" aesthetic of combining aggressive male vocals with clean female vocals, a contrast that has since been adopted by many gothic metal groups. During the mid-1990s, Moonspell, Theatre des Vampires and Cradle of Filth brought the gothic approach to black metal. By the end of the decade, a symphonic metal variant of gothic metal had been developed by Tristania and Within Temptation. In the 21st century, gothic metal has moved towards the mainstream in Europe, particularly in Finland where groups such as The 69 Eyes,Entwine, HIM, Lullacry, Poisonblack and Sentenced have released hit singles or chart-topping albums. In the US, however, only a few bands such as Lacuna Coil, Evanescence have found commercial success.
Grindcore is an extreme music genre that emerged during the mid–1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of harcore punk. Grindcore is characterized by heavily distorted, down-tuned guitars, high speed tempo, blast beats and vocals which consist of growls and high-pitched screams. Early groups like Napalm Death are credited with laying the groundwork for the style. It is most prevalent today in North America and Europe, with popular contributors such as Brutal Truth and Nasum. Lyrical themes range from a primary focus on social and political concerns, to gory subject matter and black humor. An infamous trait of grindcore is the "microsong". Several bands have produced songs that are only seconds in length.
A variety of "microgenres" have subsequently emerged, often used to label bands according to alternative traits that deviate from standard grindcore, including goregrind, focused on horror themes, and pornogrind, fixated on pornographic lyrical themes. Other offshoots include noisegrind (especially raw and chaotic) and electrogrind (incorporating electronic elements). Although an influential phenomenon on hardcore punk and other popular genres, grindcore itself remains an underground form of music.
Grunge(sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics. The grunge aesthetic is stripped-down compared to other forms of rock music, and many grunge musicians were noted for their unkempt appearances and rejection of theatrics.
The early grunge movement coalesced around Seattle in the late 1980s. Grunge became commercially successful in the first half of the 1990s, due mainly to the release of Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten. The success of these bands boosted the popularity of alternative rock and made grunge the most popular form of hard rock music at the time. However, many grunge bands were uncomfortable with this popularity. Although most grunge bands had disbanded or faded from view by the late 1990s, their influence continues to impact modern rock music.
Hardcore is a subgenre of punk rock that originated primarily in North America (though, early examples could be found throughout the world) in the late 1970s. The new sound was generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. Early hardcore has a quick tempo with drums and vocals in time, whereas modern hardcore punk has drums and vocals which may not be on beat with the tempo.
Hardcore spawned several fusion genres and subgenres, some of which experienced mainstream success, such as melodic hardcore, metalcore, and post-hardcore. In the United States, the music genre that became known as hardcore punk originated in different areas in the early 1980s. The origin of the term hardcore punk is uncertain. In many circles, hardcore was an in-group term, meaning music by people like us. Since most bands had little access to any means of production, hardcore lauded a DIY approach. In most cities the hardcore scene relied on inexpensively-made DIY recordings created on four-track recorders and sold at concerts or by mail. Concerts were promoted by photocopied zines, community radio shows, and affixing posters to walls and telephone poles. Hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirts, jeans and crewcut haircuts.
Hard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage, blues rock and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music. It is typified by a heavy use of distorted electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and pianos and keyboards.One of the major influences of hard rock is blues music. American and British rock bands began to modify rock and roll, adding to the standard genre harder sounds, heavier guitar riffs, bombastic drumming and louder vocals. This sound created the basis for hard rock. Early forms of hard rock can be heard in the songs "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks (1964), "My Generation" by
The Who (1965) and "I Feel Free" by Cream (1966). Later, Jimi Hendrix produced a form of blues-influenced psychedelic rock, which combined elements of jazz, blues and rock and roll. He was one of the first guitarists to experiment with new guitar effects like phasing, feedback and distortion, after Dave Davies of the Kinks, Pete Townsone of The Who, Eric Clapton of Cream and Jeff Beck of The Yardbirds.
Hard rock emerged with groups of the late-1960s, such as The Who, Deep Purple Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer and Led Zeppelin who mixed the music of early rock bands with a more hard-edged form of blues rock and acid rock. deep Purple helped pioneer the hard rock genre with the albums Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Talisyen (1968), and Deep Purple (1969), but they made their big break with their fourth and distinctively heavier album, In Rock (1970). Led Zeppelin's eponymous first album, Led Zeppelin (1969), and The Who's Live at Leeds (1970), are examples of music from the beginning of the hard rock genre. The blues origins of the albums are clear, and a few songs by well-known blues artists are adapted or covered within them.
Heavy metal (often referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are generally associated with masculinity and machismo. The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, though they were often critically reviled, a status common throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; Motorhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands in the New Wave of Briish Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal had attracted a worldwide following of fans known as "metalheads" or "headbangers".
Industrial Metal is a heavy metal, musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal groups include Ministry, Godflesh and KMFDM. Industrial metal's popularity led to some criticism from other artists associated with the industrial scene. Subsequently, it is most well-known in various European permutations. Industrial metal groups have produced many acclaimed music videos.
Metalcore is a fusion genre incorporating elements of harcore punk and extreme metal. The name is a portmanteau of hardcore punk and heavy metal. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands like Earth Crises, Deadguy and Integrity. The earliest of these groups, Integrity, began performing in 1988. Metalcore is distinguished from other punk metal fusions by its emphasis on breakdowns slower, intense passages conducive to moshing.
Nu Metal is a genre of music that blends heavy metal elements with other styles, such as hip hop, funk and grunge It became popular in the early 90's and had its apogee during the second half of the 90's and early 2000's. It has been obscured by the decline of its play on radio and mainstream music channels and the resurgence of other metal genres, such as Thrash Metal.Nu metal bands often feature aggressive vocals ranging from melodic singing, guttural screaming, and shouting from various forms of metal, hardcore punk, and like funk metal; rapping is somtimes used. Korn's Jonathan Davis, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, Slipknot's Corey Taylor, Taproots's Stephen Richards, Disturbed's David Draiman and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst have all cited Maynard James Keenan's signature style as their main influence, with Durst also calling the band Tool both his biggest musical influence and favorite band. Mike Patton of Faith No More is also credited for vocally influencing nu metal. Nu metal bass parts are often reminiscent of hip hop or funk grooves, and in some songs, slap bass technique is used. The bass in nu metal is occasionally the driving force behind the music. Many nu metal bassists use 5-string over 4-string bass guitars. Many nu metal bands feature a DJ for additional rhythmic instrumentation (such as music sampling, scratching and electronic backgrounds). Examples of nu metal DJs include Sid Wilson of Slipknot, Mr.Hahn of Linkin Park, and Dj Lethal of Limp Bizkit.
Power metal is a style of heavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a later more widespread and popular style based in Europe (especially Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Brazil and Japan with a lighter, more melodic sound and frequent use of keyboards.
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal, which blends the powerful, guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing of progresive metal. Some progressive metal bands are also influenced by jazz fusion and classical music. Like progressive rock songs, progressive metal songs are typically much longer than standard metal songs, and are often thematically linked in concept albums. Progressive metal is more associated with the "new-wave" of heavy metal than traditional heavy metal.
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They created fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY (do it yourself) ethic, with many bands self-producing their recordings and distributing them through informal channels.
By late 1976, bands such as the Ramones, in New York City, and the Sex Pistols and The Clash, in London, were recognized as the vanguard of a new musical movement. The following year saw punk rock spreading around the world. Punk quickly, though briefly, became a major cultural phenomenon in the United Kingdom. For the most part, punk took root in local scenes that tended to reject association with the mainstream. An associated punk subculture emerged, expressing youthful rebellion and characterized by distinctive styles of clothing and a variety of anti-authoritarian regime. By the beginning of the 1980s, faster, more aggressive styles such as hardcore and Oi! had become the predominant mode of punk rock. Musicians identifying with or inspired by punk also pursued a broad range of other variations, giving rise to post punk and the alternative rock movement. By the turn of the century, pop punk had been adopted by the mainstream, with bands such as Green Day and The Offspring bringing the genre widespread popularity.
Shock rock is a wide umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances.Screamin' Jay Hawkins was arguably the first shock rocker. After the success of his 1957 hit "I Put A Spell On You," Hawkins began to perform a recurring stunt at many of his live shows; he would emerge from a coffin, sing into a skull-shaped microphone and set off smoke bombs. Another artist who performed similar stunts was the British singer-songwriter Sreaming Lord Stuch. The 1960s brought several proto-shock rock artists. In the UK, The Who often destroyed their instruments, The Move did the same to television sets, and Arthur Brown wore vivid makeup and a flaming headpiece. In the US, Jimi Hendrix set his guitar alight at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, while Detroit musician Iggy Pop's violent, erratic onstage persona drew widespread recognition, as Pop would often throw his body about the stage, frequently injuring his band members. With a career spanning the mid-1960s to recent years, American band leader Alice Cooper refined shock rock, with expensive, upscale illusionary, graphic stunts, such as feigning decapitation with the use of elaborate special effects. In the early 1970s, Cooper's unique blend of heavy metal and folk-blues, complete with sardonic and inevitably controversial lyrics, proved a powerful inspiration for many future genre artists such as KISS of the mid 1970s. However Cooper is the one who has been credited for inventing true shock rock, as well as trade-marking shock rock.
Stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of rock and heacy metal musci. It combines elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features low-tuned guitars, a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by the Californian bands Kyuss and Sleep.
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression. Thrash metal songs typically use fast, percussive and low-register guitar riffs overlaid with shredding-style lead work.Thrash metal lyrics often deal with social issues using direct and denunciatory language, an approach which partially overlaps with the hardcore genre. The "Big Four" bands of thrash metal are Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer who simultaneously created and popularized the genre in the early 1980s. The origins of thrash metal are generally traced to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a number of bands began incorporating the sound of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal creating a new genre and developing into a separate movement from punk rock and hardcore. This genre is more aggressive compared to its relative, speed metal, and can be seen in part to be a reaction to the lighter, more widely acceptable sounds and themes of glam metal.
