Alternative metal[edit]

Alternative metal band Life of Agony.
 
 
 
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Alternative metal usually combines heavy metal with influences from genres like alternative rock, and in some cases other genres not normally associated with metal as well. One of the main characteristics of alternative metal and it's subgenres are heavily downtuned, mid-paced "chug"-like guitar riffs.
[2][3][4]Alternative metal bands are also often characterized by melodic vocals, unconventional sounds within other heavy metal genres, unconventional song structures and sometimes experimental approaches to heavy music.
[5] Many of the early alternative metal bands originated from 
Los Angeles.
[6] Prominent bands in this genre include 
Alice in Chains,
[7] Faith No More,
[8]Helmet,
[9] Life of Agony,
[10] Rollins Band[6] and 
Tool.
[6][11] More modern bands include 
Breaking Benjamin,
[12] Chevelle,
[13]Godsmack[14] and 
System of a Down.
[15]
Derivatives of alternative metal[edit]
Funk metal[edit]
Nu metal[edit]
Nu metal is fusion genre that blends alternative metal and groove metal elements with other styles, including 
grunge, 
industrial, 
funk and 
hip hop. The style is mostly syncopated and based on riffs,
[19] and is influenced by 
groove metal rhythm.
[20] Some nu metal bands use 
seven-string guitars, which are sometimes down-tuned to increase heaviness, resulting in 
bass guitarists using five and six-string instruments.
[21] Turntables, 
sequencers and 
samplers are sometimes included.
[21] Nu metal vocal styles range between 
melodic singing, 
rapping, 
screaming and 
death growling. The 
Bakersfield-based 
Korn became the first band to be labeled as "nu metal".
[22] MTV states that Korn "arrived in 1993 into the burgeoning alternative metal scene, which would morph into nü-metal the way 
college rock became alternative rock."
[23] Deftones,
[24] Coal Chamber,
[25] Linkin Park,
[26] Slipknot,
[27] Papa Roach,
[28]Kittie[29] and 
Disturbed[30] are prominent bands in this genre.
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Rap metal[edit]

Sonny Sandoval of rap metal band 
P.O.D. 
 
 
Avant-garde metal[edit]

Dan Mongrain of avant-garde metal band 
Voivod 
 
 
Avant-garde metal or avant-metal, also known as experimental metal, is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and characterized by the use of innovative, avant-garde elements, large-scale experimentation, and the use of non-standard and unconventional sounds, instruments, song structures, playing styles, and vocal techniques. It evolved out of 
progressive rock, 
jazz fusion, and 
extreme metal, particularly 
death metal. Some local scenes include Los Angeles and the 
San Francisco Bay Area in the United States, 
Oslo in Norway, and Tokyo in Japan. Pioneers of experimental metal include 
Boris, 
Celtic Frost, 
Earth, 
Helmet, 
Maudlin of the Well, 
Neurosis, 
Sunn O))), and 
Voivod.
Black metal[edit]
Initially considered a synonym for "Satanic metal", black metal has often been met with hostility from mainstream culture, mainly due to the 
misanthropic and 
anti-Christian standpoint of many artists. Moreover, several of the genre's pioneers have been linked with 
church burnings and 
murder. Some have also been linked to 
neo-Nazism, however most black metal fans and most prominent black metal musicians reject Nazi ideology and oppose its influence on the black metal subculture.
[32][33][34][35]
Derivatives of black metal[edit]
National Socialist black metal[edit]
NSBM typically melds 
Neo-Nazi beliefs (such as 
fascism, 
white supremacy, 
white separatism, 
antisemitism, 
xenophobia, and 
homophobia) with hostility to "foreign" religions (
Christianity, 
Judaism, 
Islam, etc.). Bands often promote ethnic European 
paganism, 
occultism, or 
Satanism. Hendrik Möbus of Absurd described Nazism as the "most perfect (and only realistic) synthesis of Satanic/
Luciferian will to power, elitist 
Social Darwinism, connected to Aryan 
Germanic paganism". Members of the band Der Stürmer (named after the 
antisemitic newspaper edited by Julius Streicher) subscribe to 
esoteric Hitlerism, leaning on the works of 
Savitri Devi and 
Julius Evola.
Red and Anarchist black metal[edit]
Red and anarchist black metal, often shortened to the acronym 
RABM, is black metal in which the artists espouse various 
far-left and 
environmentalist ideologies such as 
anarchism, 
Marxism, and 
green anarchism.
[36] It emerged as an amalgamation of black metal with anarchist 
crust punk,
[24][37] and typically eschews the traditional Satanic and nihilist lyrics of black metal.
[24][38]While some artists such as 
Iskra, Panopticon, Puna Terrori and Skagos overtly endorse political agendas and manifestos, others, such as 
Wolves in the Throne Room and some other 
Cascadian artists, would not explicitly associate with the red or anarchist label.
[24] Other RABM artists include Storm of Sedition,
[37] Not A Cost,
[37] Black Kronstadt,
[37] Crepehanger,
[37] Leper,
[37]Mutiny,
[37] Fauna,
[38] and Vidargangr.
[39]
Symphonic black metal[edit]
Symphonic black metal is a style of black metal that incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. This may include the usage of 
music workstation keyboards to conjure up "pseudo-orchestral" landscapes with default presets (e.g. strings, choirs, piano, organs, and pads), or full orchestral arrangements containing 
woodwind, 
brass, 
percussion, 
keyboards and 
strings. Bands like 
Carach Angren may feature solo instruments such as violins in addition to virtual or live orchestral arrangements. Vocals can be "clean" or operatic in style, and song structures are more defined or are inspired by symphonies, albeit not adhering to forms found in Western music (e.g. sonata, rondo, theme and variations) and following a typical riff-based approach. Many of the characteristics of traditional black metal are retained, such as shrieked vocals, fast tempos, high treble gain and tremolo picked electric guitars. Examples of symphonic black metal include 
Emperor and 
Dimmu Borgir.
Viking metal[edit]
Viking metal is a subgenre of 
heavy metal music with origins in 
black metal and 
Nordic folk music, characterized by a common lyrical and thematic focus on 
Norse mythology, 
Norse paganism, and the 
Viking Age. Its musical style is typically manifested as Nordic folk-influenced black metal. Some common traits include a slow paced and heavy riffing style, anthemic choruses, use of both clean and harsh vocals, a frequent use of 
folk instrumentation, and, often, the use of 
keyboards for atmospheric effect. Viking metal developed in the 1980s through the mid-1990s as a rejection of 
Satanism and the 
occult, instead 
embracing the 
Vikings and 
paganism as the leaders of opposition to 
Christianity. Most Viking metal bands originate from the 
Nordic countries, and nearly all bands claim that their members descend, directly or indirectly, from Vikings. 
Bathory, from Sweden, is generally credited with pioneering the genre with its albums 
Blood Fire Death (1988) and 
Hammerheart (1990). 
Enslaved, 
Burzum, 
Emperor, 
Storm and 
Falkenbach helped further develop the genre in the early through mid-1990s. The 
death metal bands 
Unleashed and 
Amon Amarth, which emerged during the early 1990s, also adopted Viking themes, broadening the genre from its primarily black metal origin. Other key bands in the genre include 
Darkwoods My Betrothed, 
Einherjer, 
Ensiferum, 
Moonsorrow, 
Thyrfing, and 
Windir.
War metal[edit]
War metal,
[40] also known as war black metal
[41] or bestial black metal,
[42] is an 
aggressive,
[41] cacophonous[40] and 
chaotic[40][41] black metal style, described by 
Rock Hard journalist Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann as "rabid"
[41] and "hammering".
[41] Important influences include first wave band 
Sodom,
[40][41]first wave/death metal band 
Possessed[41] as well as old 
grindcore, black and death metal bands like 
Repulsion,
[40][41] Autopsy,
[41] Sarcófago[40][41][42][43] and the first two 
Sepultura releases.
[41][43] War metal bands include 
Blasphemy,
[40][41][43] Archgoat,
[41] Impiety,
[41] In Battle,
[44] Zyklon-B.
[45]
Blackgaze[edit]
Blackgaze is a genre fusion of black metal and 
shoegazing that originated in the early 2000s.
[46][47] The genre often incorporates heavier elements common of black metal including blast beat drumming and high-pitched screamed vocals with melodic elements and heavily distorted "
wall of sound" guitar styles typically associated with shoegazing. The French shoegazing band 
Alcest is often credited with having influenced and formed the genre, while American bands such as 
Deafheaven have become synonymous as to defining the genre's characteristics.
[48][49]
Christian metal[edit]

Michael Sweet of Christian metal band 
Stryper 
 
 
Christian metal, also known as white metal,
[50] is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message using song lyrics as well as the dedication of the band members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by professed 
Christians sometimes principally for Christians who listen to heavy metal music and often produced and distributed through various Christian networks.
[51]
Christian metal artists exist in all the subgenres of heavy metal music, and the only common link among most Christian metal artists are the lyrics. The Christian themes are often melded with the subjects of the genre the band is rooted in, regularly providing a Christian take on the subject matter. It has been argued that the marginal yet transnational Christian metal 
subculture provides its core members an alternative religious expression and Christian identity, and that the music serves the purpose of offering a positive alternative or counterbalance to 'secular' metal music which is known for its generally dark and negative message.
[51] 
Derivatives of Christian metal[edit]
Unblack metal[edit]

Lars Stokstad of unblack metal band 
Antestor 
 
 
Unblack metal, sometimes called Christian black metal, is a genre of music that is stylistically 
black metal, but whose artists promote 
Christianity in their lyrics and imagery.
[54] Such artists are controversial, mainly because black metal's pioneers, especially those of the Second Wave, intended to encourage 
hostility towards Christianity. It is also suggested that Christianity contradicts black metal's dark nature and the 
individualistic and 
misanthropic ideals of many bands.
[55]
Crust punk[edit]
Crust punk, often simply called crust, is a form of music influenced by 
anarcho-punk, 
hardcore punk and 
extreme metal.
[56] The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills. The term "crust" was coined by 
Hellbastard on their 1986 
Ripper Crust demo.
[57]
Death metal[edit]
Building from the musical structure of 
thrash metal and 
early black metal, death metal emerged during the mid-1980s.
[59] Metal acts such as 
Slayer,
[60][61] Kreator,
[62] Celtic Frost,
[63] and 
Venom were very important influences to the crafting of the genre.
[59] Possessed[64] and 
Death,
[65][66][67] along with bands such as 
Obituary, 
Carcass, 
Deicide and 
Morbid Angel are often considered pioneers of the genre.
[68] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, death metal gained more media attention as popular genre niche record labels like 
Combat, 
Earache and 
Roadrunner began to sign death metal bands at a rapid rate.
[69] Since then, death metal has diversified, spawning a variety of subgenres.
[70]
Derivatives of death metal[edit]
Blackened death metal[edit]
Death 'n' roll[edit]

Olle Dahlstedt of death 'n' roll band 
Entombed 
 
 
Melodic death metal[edit]
Melodic death metal, also referred to as melodeath or MDM, is a 
heavy metal music style that combines elements from the 
new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) with elements of 
death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia. The 
Swedish death metal scene in particular did much to popularize the style, which soon centered in the "Gothenburg metal" scene in 
Gothenburg, Sweden. Some prominent melodic death metal bands include 
Amon Amarth, 
At the Gates, 
Soilwork, 
Dark Tranquillity, 
Arch Enemy, 
In Flames, and 
Carcass.
Technical death metal[edit]

Technical death metal band 
Cynic 
 
 
Technical death metal, often abbreviated to tech death, is characterized by fast, technically complex guitar and drum work, often including sweeping guitar solos. Vocals often adopt the guttural sound of death metal. Some of the first tech death bands include 
Death, 
Pestilence, 
Atheist, 
Nocturnus, 
Cynic, 
Origin and 
Cephalic Carnage. The music is often dark in nature.
Doom metal[edit]
Doom metal is an 
extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower 
tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres. Both the music and the lyrics intend to evoke a sense of despair, dread, and impending doom.
[73] The genre is strongly influenced by the early work of 
Black Sabbath,
[73] who formed a prototype for doom metal with songs such as "
Black Sabbath", "
Electric Funeral" and "
Into the Void". During the first half of the 1980s,
[73] a number of bands from England (
Pagan Altar, 
Witchfinder General), the United States (
Pentagram, 
Saint Vitus, 
Trouble) and Sweden (
Candlemass, 
Count Raven) defined doom metal as a distinct genre.
Derivatives of doom metal[edit]
Death/doom[edit]
Death/doom, sometimes written as death-doom or deathdoom, is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It combines the slow 
tempos and pessimistic or depressive mood of doom metal with the deep 
growling vocals and double kick drumming of 
death metal.
[74] The genre emerged in the mid-1980s and gained a certain amount of popularity during the 1990s, but had become less common by the turn of the 21st century.
[74] In turn, death/doom gave rise to the closely related genre of funeral doom as well as to the more melodic and romantic 
gothic metal. The death/doom genre originated in the mid-1980s when the early progenitors like Dream Death began to mix traditional 
doom metal with the sounds of 
thrash and the nascent 
death metal scene.
[75] Early records by such bands as 
Paradise Lost, 
My Dying Bride and 
Anathema combined the sounds of mid-1980s 
Celtic Frost and 
Candlemass with the use of female vocals,
[76] keyboards and, in the case of My Dying Bride, violins.
Drone metal[edit]
Funeral doom[edit]
Sludge metal[edit]
Sludge metal began as a derivative of 
doom metal, incorporating 
hardcore punk and elements of 
Southern rock. Many sludge bands compose slow and heavy songs that contain brief hardcore passages.
[79][80] However, some bands emphasize fast tempos throughout their music.
[81] The string instruments are heavily 
distorted and are often played with large amounts of 
feedback to produce an abrasive, sludgy sound. Drumming is often performed in typical doom metal fashion, but drummers may employ hardcore 
d-beat or double-kick drumming during faster passages. Vocals are usually shouted or screamed, and lyrics are generally pessimistic in nature. Suffering, drug abuse, politics and anger towards society are common lyrical themes. 
New Orleans with 
its metal scene is often considered as its birthplace.
[82] The style was pioneered in the early 1990s by bands such as 
Eyehategod,
[79]Crowbar,
[80] Buzzov*en[81] and 
Acid Bath.
[83]
Extreme metal[edit]
Though many extreme sub-styles are not very well known to mainstream music fans, as extreme metal is by definition a 
counterculture, extreme metal has influenced an array of musical performers inside and outside of heavy metal.
Folk metal[edit]
Folk metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional 
folk music. This includes the widespread use of 
folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for example, Dutch 
Heidevolk, Danish Sylvatica and Spanish Stone of Erech).
The earliest example of folk metal was the English band Golgotha, whose 1984 EP 
Dangerous Games contained a mixture of 
new wave of British heavy metal and folk styles. The genre was not further developed, however, until the emergence of another English band, 
Skyclad. Their debut album 
The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth was released in 1990. It was not until 1994 and 1995 that other early contributors in the genre began to emerge from different regions of Europe as well as in Israel. Among these early groups, the Irish band 
Cruachan and the German band 
Subway to Sally each spearheaded a different regional variation that over time became known as 
Celtic metal and 
medieval metal respectively. Despite their contributions, folk metal remained little known with few representatives during the 1990s. It was not until the early 2000s when the genre exploded into prominence, particularly in Finland with the efforts of such groups as 
Finntroll, 
Ensiferum, 
Korpiklaani, 
Turisas, and 
Moonsorrow.
The music of folk metal is characterized by its diversity, with bands known to perform different styles of both heavy metal music and folk music. A large variety of folk instruments are used in the genre with many bands consequently featuring six or more members in their regular line-ups. A few bands are also known to rely on 
keyboards to simulate the sound of folk instruments. Lyrics in the genre commonly deal with 
mythology, 
history, and 
nature.
Derivatives of folk metal[edit]
Celtic metal[edit]
Celtic metal is a subgenre of folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of 
heavy metal music and 
Celtic music. The early pioneers of the genre were the three Irish bands 
Cruachan, 
Primordial and 
Waylander. The genre has since expanded beyond Irish shores and is known to be performed today by bands from numerous other countries.
Pirate metal[edit]
Medieval metal[edit]
Medieval metal or medieval rock is a subgenre of folk metal that blends hard rock or heavy metal music with 
medieval folk music. Medieval metal is mostly restricted to Germany where it is known as "Mittelalter-Metal" or "Mittelalter-Rock."
[85][86] The genre emerged from the middle of the 1990s with contributions from 
Subway to Sally, 
In Extremo and 
Schandmaul. The style is characterized by the prominent use of a wide variety of traditional folk and medieval instruments.
Pagan metal[edit]
Glam metal[edit]
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is the visual style of certain 
heavy metal bands 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 commercial hard rock/heavy metal musical style. The term 
Hair bands was popularized by 
MTV in the 1990s and derives from the tendency among glam metal acts to style their long hair in a 
teased-up fashion. Many of the bands donned make-up to achieve an 
androgynous look, similar to that of some 1970s glam rock acts. 
Mötley Crüe, 
Stryper, 
Bon Jovi, 
Poison and 
Ratt are examples of bands who adopted the glam metal look in their stage attire and their music video imagery.
Gothic metal[edit]
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An example of a gothic metal song. 
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Grindcore[edit]
Grindcore is a fusion of 
crust punk, 
hardcore punk and 
thrash metal or 
death metal. It is characterized by growling vocals, blast beats, and incredibly short songs with lyrics that are often focused on gore and violence, though sometimes the lyrics can be political. Grindcore, in contrast to death metal, is often very chaotic, and lacks the standard use of time signatures. The style was pioneered by the British band 
Napalm Death in the eighties. Other notable grindcore bands include 
Brutal Truth, 
Anal Cunt and 
Pig Destroyer.
Derivatives of grindcore[edit]
Deathgrind[edit]
Deathgrind, sometimes written as death-grind or death/grind, is a musical genre that fuses 
death metal and 
grindcore. Deathgrind has been described as "grindcore and brutal death metal colliding head on."
[95] Danny Lilker described deathgrind as "combining the technicality of death metal with the intensity of grindcore."
[96]Death/grind emphasizes overall musical brutality with a specific focus on speed-soaked fury and retains grindcore's traditional abruptness.
[97] Notable bands include 
Cattle Decapitation , 
Mortician (band) and 
Misery Index.
Goregrind[edit]
Pornogrind[edit]
Pornogrind, also known as porno grind, porno-grind or porn grind, is a musical subgenre of 
grindcore and 
death metal, which lyrically deals with sexual themes. Natalie Purcell's book 
Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture, suggests that 
pornogrind is defined solely on the basis of its lyrical content and unique imagery, its focus on pornographic content. Purcell notes that bands like 
Gut include "simpler, slower, and more rock-like songs". The artwork for pornogrind bands' albums is noted for its extreme and potentially offensive nature, which "would keep them out of most stores".
[citation needed] Other notable bands of the genre include 
Cock and Ball Torture and 
Rompeprop.
 
Industrial metal[edit]
Kawaii metal[edit]
Latin metal[edit]
Metalcore[edit]
Metalcore combines 
heavy metal and 
hardcore punk. Generally, metalcore guitarists use heavy 
guitar riffs and solos, drummers frequently use hardcore 
Blast beats and double bass drums, and vocalists use a vocal style which includes 
death growls and 
shouting. A distinguishing characteristic is the "
breakdown", whereby the song is slowed to half-time and the guitarists play open strings to achieve the lowest-pitched sound. Prominent Metalcore bands include 
Hatebreed, 
Bury Your Dead, 
Killswitch Engage, 
While She Sleeps, 
Asking Alexandria, 
Bleeding Through, 
Integrity Unearth, and 
Parkway Drive. Original metalcore bands from the 1990s included 
Earth Crisis, 
Hatebreed, 
Integrity and 
Converge. More modern bands include 
Avenged Sevenfold, 
Killswitch Engage, 
Underoath, 
All That Remains, 
Trivium, 
As I Lay Dying, 
Bullet for My Valentine, 
Asking Alexandria, 
Shadow's Fall, 
Unearth, 
Atreyu, and 
Bleeding Through.
Derivatives of metalcore[edit]
Melodic metalcore[edit]
Melodic metalcore bands have big influences, 
guitar riffs, and writing styles from Swedish 
melodic death metal band such as 
At the Gates, 
Arch Enemy, 
In Flames and 
Soilwork.
[116][127] They tend to have strong use of instrumental 
melody. Many melodic metalcore can have 
clean singing as their vocals as well as 
growls and 
screaming. It also can feature harmonic 
guitar riffs, 
tremolo picking, 
double bass drums and 
metalcore-stylized 
breakdowns.
[128][129][130] Some bands also may feature 
guitar solos.
[117] A few of these groups, like 
Shadows Fall, have some appreciation for 1980s 
glam metal.
[131] Melodic metalcore groups have been described as "embrac[ing] '80s 
metal clichés", such as "inordinate amounts of smoke machines, rippin' 
solos, [and] three bass drums."
[117]
Deathcore[edit]
Mathcore[edit]
Neoclassical metal[edit]
Neoclassical metal, also known as shred metal, is a subgenre that is heavily influenced by 
classical music in its style of composition. It uses a very technical style of guitar soloing called 
shred guitar, in which guitarists use cross-picking, sweep picking, and economy picking to play rapid scales and arpeggios. As well, it uses elements borrowed from classical music; including instruments, scales and melodies. 
Yngwie J. Malmsteen, 
Tony MacAlpine and 
Vinnie Moore are prominent performers in this genre.
Neue Deutsche Härte[edit]

Neue Deutsche Härte band 
Oomph! 
 
 
Neue Deutsche Härte ("New German Hardness") describes a 
crossover style that is influenced by 
New German Wave, 
alternative metal and 
groove metal combining it with elements from 
industrial, 
electronica and 
techno.
[145] The lyrics are generally in German, and 
dance metal is the term most commonly used to describe 
Neue Deutsche Härte songs sung in other languages. NDH uses the basic setup of instruments for metal: 
electric guitar, 
bass guitar, 
drums and 
vocals, along with 
keyboard, 
synthesizers, 
samples and occasionally additional percussion. Emphasis is on a demonstration of predominance, by over-pronouncing certain 
syllables and letters (such as the 
uvular or 
alveolar trill). The vocals are thus dominantly presenting in deep, male, and clean voice.
[145] Some bands use screaming and 
death growls, which is also common, being heard in certain songs by 
Oomph!, 
Rammstein, 
Stahlhammer (literally "Steel Hammer"), 
Samsas Traum and 
Megaherz. NDH imagery is often strongly masculine, and at times militaristic, depending on the group and the song. Guitars are tuned low, usually to drop D or C, and are generally heavily distorted.
 
Post-metal[edit]

Aaron Harris of post-metal band 
Isis 
 
 
This heavy metal movement takes influences from 
post-rock. While it is in many ways similar to post-rock, post-metal tends to include lower-tuned guitars, distorted guitar(s), heavy atmospherics, gradual evolution of song structure, and a minimal emphasis on vocals. Post-metal stresses emotion, contrasting the ambiance of post-rock with the weight and bombast of metal. Vocals are deemphasized or non-existent, and lyrics tend to be equally abstract: often thematic or philosophical in nature. It is a largely American phenomenon, but also includes some Japanese bands. Bands like 
Neurosis, 
Isis, 
Cult of Luna and 
Pelican write lengthy songs (typically five or six per album) that can range from light and guitar-driven to heavy, drum and bass-driven.
Power metal[edit]
Power metal takes influence from heavy metal and speed metal, and 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. Sometimes, harsh vocals are used, but usually only as backing vocals. Power metal lyrics usually involve 
fantasy themes. The songs often have a theatrical, epic, and emotionally "powerful" sound.
[146] Power metal is generally more upbeat than other metal genres, seeking to empower the listener and inspire joy and courage.
The term was first used in the middle of the 1980s
[147] and 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, Finland, Italy and Scandinavia), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil) and Japan, with a lighter, more melodic sound and frequent use of 
keyboards. Examples of power metal bands include 
DragonForce, 
Blind Guardian, 
Helloween, 
Sonata Arctica, 
Angra, 
Sabaton, 
Stratovarius, 
Kamelot, and 
HammerFall.
[148]
Progressive metal[edit]
Progressive metal is a fusion between 
progressive rock and heavy metal. It is one of heavy metal's more complex genres, due to its use of unusual and dynamic 
time signatures, long compositions, complex compositional structures, and skilled instrumental playing, where instrumental solos are detailed and extended. However, the latest age of progressive metal has favored rougher lyrics and lower-pitched riff sequences with high amounts of strumming. Vocals, if present, are melodic (though there are a few that utilise unclean vocals), and lyrics are often 
philosophical, 
spiritual, or political. Many bands of the genre were influenced by the progressive rock band 
Rush, who would often incorporate elements of heavy metal into their music. Examples of the genre include 
Queensrÿche, 
Dream Theater, 
Opeth, 
Tool, 
Fates Warning, and 
Pain of Salvation.
Derivatives of progressive metal[edit]
Djent, also known as djent metal,
[149] is a musical subgenre that emerged as a spin-off from 
progressive metal.
[150][151] The word "djent" is an 
onomatopoeia for a heavily 
palm-muted, distorted guitar chord. Typically, the word is used to refer to music that makes use of this sound, to the sound itself, or to the scene that revolves around it.
[152] Djent as a style has been described as featuring heavily 
palm-muted, distorted guitar chords alongside 
virtuoso soloing,
[150] and is characterized by rhythmic complexity and palm-muted 
riffing.
[153] Pioneering bands in the style are 
Born of Osiris, 
Meshuggah, 
Periphery, 
Animals As Leaders, 
TesseracT, and 
Textures.
Speed metal[edit]
Speed metal originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s out of the 
new wave of British heavy metal, and was the direct musical progenitor of 
thrash metal.
[154] When speed metal first emerged as a genre, it increased the tempos that had been used by early heavy metal bands, while retaining their melodic approaches. Influenced by 
hardcore punk, speed metal is very fast, abrasive, and technically demanding.
[37]Examples of speed metal include 
Venom, 
Motörhead, 
Anvil and 
Accept.
Stoner metal[edit]
Symphonic metal[edit]
Symphonic metal most commonly refers to metal bands that use 
orchestral elements in their music, either through having an actual orchestra, a few classical instruments, or keyboards that simulate the sounds of classical instruments. Prominent examples of symphonic metal include the bands 
Nightwish, 
Within Temptation, 
Epica, 
Rhapsody of Fire, and 
Therion.
Thrash metal[edit]
Thrash metal is often regarded as the first form of 
extreme metal. It is generally characterized by its fast tempos, complexity and aggression. Thrash metal guitar playing is most notable for the "chugging" sound it creates through low-pitched 
palm muted riffs, and high-pitched 
shred guitar solos. Drummers often use double-kick and double-bass drumming. Vocals are most often shouted or sung in an aggressive manner.
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An example of a thrash metal song. 
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Derivatives of thrash metal[edit]
Crossover thrash[edit]
Groove metal[edit]
Groove metal, also known as neo-thrash, post-thrash, or power groove, consists of slow or mid-tempo and down tuned 
thrash riffs, 
bluesy guitar solos, greatly emphasized drum work and harsh vocals. Examples of groove metal include 
Pantera, 
Lamb of God, 
Machine Head, 
DevilDriver, 
Sepultura and 
A.N.I.M.A.L..
Teutonic thrash metal[edit]
Teutonic thrash metal, or just Teutonic metal, is a regional form of thrash metal that originated in Germany during the 1980s and was heavily influenced by the 
new wave of British heavy metal. Teutonic thrash is often considered to be "less thrashy" than regular thrash metal, and the style is known to incorporate raspy vocals, palm muted guitar riffs, and frantic double bass drumming. Notable Teutonic bands include 
Kreator, 
Destruction, 
Sodom, 
Holy Moses, 
Iron Angel, and 
Living Death.
Traditional heavy metal[edit]
Traditional heavy metal, also known as classic metal
[162] or often simply heavy metal, is the group of bands and artists who play a metal music style similar to the style heard before the genre evolved and splintered into many different styles and subgenres.
[163] It is characterized by mid-to-fast-tempo 
riffs, by thumping basslines, crunchy riffs, extended lead guitar solos, and clean, often high-pitched vocals and anthemic choruses. It is not generally categorized as a subgenre of metal, but the main genre of it. Examples include 
Black Sabbath, 
Led Zeppelin, 
Alice Cooper, 
AC/DC, 
Judas Priest, and 
Kiss.
 
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