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"Help me add details to these descriptions!" I honestly don't give 2 ******** about trying to label every band, but its still interesting to read up on genres. I include everything 'harder than plain rock music' in the metal scene and its sub-genres. Everything from Hard Rock, Thrash, Speed Metal, etc. are types of 'Metal' or metal sub-genres. Some of these genres/bands might not technically be 'true metal', but I'm using the term broadly. I know their is some dispute with this, but calling all the music 'Metal' and describing the sub-genres as specific types of metal makes things easier. Bands can also be 'Multi labeled' meaning that they fit various genres and this is common. *I will be missing a rare few genre's. There's a plethora of genres so only the prominent ones will be posted unless someone would like to add it themselves. Just PM me*

Solid Genre: Solid genres are very common and prominent. Its easy to quickly identify the genre of the band just by sound. The band obviously fits a genre that is already known.
Sub-Solid Genre: Think of this as a branch within a branch. A critically specific band that fits inside of a 'Solid Genre', forming another sub-genre within it. These bands are hard to put a finger on because they fit few prominent traits or are only a part of a main genre.

Black Metal

Sub-genres: Symphonic Black Metal, Viking Metal
Bands with extreme fast tempos, shrieked vocals, and highly distorted guitars sometimes droning or hypnotic patterns. Some have unconventional song structure. There is emphasis on specific atmosphere's of dread or depression(similar to Doom Metal). Ex. Amon Amarth

Doom Metal

Sub-genres: Funeral Doom, Death/Doom, Drone Metal, Gothic Metal
Bands feature very extreme slow tempos, low-tuned guitars, and a much "denser" or "heavier" sound. The sound and the lyrics evoke a sense of despair, dread, and impending doom. Ex. Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Paradise Lost

Death Metal

Sub-genres: Melodic Death Metal, Death n' Roll, Technical Death Metal, Deathcore, Goregrind
All 'Death Metal' is extreme and heavy. Typically characterized by heavily distorted guitars, harsh vocals that are low-pitched or growled, dark and morbid lyrics, exceptionally fast-paced rhythms and melodies, frequent blast beats on drums, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes. Some bands build momentum with speed and become increasingly complex. Ex. Legion Of The Damned, Morbid Angel

Folk Metal

Sub-genres: Celtic Metal, Cello Metal, Pagan Metal, Medieval Metal
Bands fuse Metal with folk music. They pick up folk instruments and some traditional singing styles. The sound can vary from the folk influence a band chooses to follow. Ex. Equilibrium, Korpiklanni, Eluveitie


Bands that have a experimental edge using typical heavy instruments, sometimes with a few unique instruments. They usually have signature sound, lyrics, and technique that is a staple of the band. Ex. TOOL, System Of A Down


Bands are usually slow or mid-tempo and have down tuned thrash riffs, bluesy guitar solos, greatly emphasized drum work and harsh vocals. Many incorporate a beat that flows through the song. Ex. Lamb Of God, Fear Factory, Machine Head


Bands of funk are pretty much a fusion of Metal and funk. It started as sort of a sub-genre to alternative metal and influenced the nu metal scene. Ex. Rage Against The Machine, Primus, Faith No More


Sub-genre: Deathcore
One of my favorites. Bands incorporate hardcore punk with one or more genres like heavy metal, thrash metal, and extreme metal. Guitarists generally use harmonized guitar riffs and solos. Drummers use hardcore d-beats and double bass drums. Vocalists use a sing-along style which I tend to call metalrap. Some bands tend to place more significance on melody. Some metalcore artists also use clean vocals. Early metalcore is a different take on metal by punk artists. metalcore bands generally began as punk bands, some New York Style Hardcore, and became heavy dissonant Metal-like bands by adding metal onto punk beats and punk guitar variations, and expanding out from that. Ex. Absone, Canon, Starkweather, Ringworm, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Darkest Hour, Poison The Well -Deathcore Ex. Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Whitechapel


Bands blend heavy metal elements with other styles. These include grunge, hip hop, and groove metal. The style is mostly syncopated and based on riffs, and is influenced by groove metal rhythm. Some nu metal bands use seven-string guitars, which are sometimes down-tuned to increase heaviness. Turntables, sequencers and samplers are sometimes included. Nu metal vocal styles range between melodic singing, rapping, screaming and death growling. Ex. Korn, Static-X, Limp Bizkit, Faith No More, Linkin Park


Bands are more upbeat than most other genres, taking heavy influence from heavy metal and speed metal. Power metal often emphasizes clean, melodic, high-pitched vocals, fast pacing that is mostly driven by double bass drumming and melodic lead guitar. The rhythm guitar is defined by straight power chord progressions. Power metal leans toward the positive, happy side of life, seeking to empower the listener and inspire joy and courage. Power metal lyrics usually involve fantasy or science fiction themes. Ex. Dragonfore, Sabaton, Helloween, Kamelot

Older bands are a direct musical progenitor of thrash metal. 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. Extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding music. Ex. Venom, Annihilator, Motorhead


Metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from Southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting tempos. Generally combines the slow tempos, heavy rhythms and dark, pessimistic atmosphere of doom metal with the aggression, shouted vocals and occasional fast tempos of hardcore punk. Ex. The Melvins, Mastodon, Eyehategod, Neurosis


Thrash metal and its first bands are regarded as the formers of extreme metal. It is generally characterised 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. Ex. Anthrax, Slayer, Sodom, Destruction, Kreator


A subgenre of alternative rock that emerged as a fusion of punk, alternative, and metal. Bands particularly in the Seattle area were 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. Ex. Alice In Chains(one of my favs), Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam


Symphonic bands vary in form. It most commonly refers to heavy metal bands that use orchestral elements in their music. These elements include full orchestras, opera themes, vocals or keyboard playing akin to that of opera or symphony music, and a softer and more upbeat nature than other metal genres. Ex. Apocalyptica, Nightwish, Therion


A fusion between progressive rock and heavy metal. It is one of metal's more complex genres, due to its use of unusual and dynamic time signatures, long compositions, complex compositional structures, and skilled instrumental playing. Instrumental solos are sometimes detailed and extended. Vocals, if present, are melodic (though there are a few that utilize unclean vocals), and lyrics are often philosophical, spiritual, or political Ex. Dream Theater, Opeth, Tool, Queensryche


Bands are typically slow-to-mid tempo, low-tuned, and bass-heavy. It combines elements of psychedelic rock, blues-rock and doom metal, often with melodic vocals and 'retro' production. Ex. Sons Of Otis, Electric Wizard, Acid King


Also known as hair metal. Its a term used to describe the visual style of certain heavy metal bands that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States. Flamboyant look of glam rock and playing a commercial hard rock/heavy metal musical style. Any of the bands donned make-up to achieve an androgynous look. Ex. Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Poison

Also known as classic metal or often simply heavy metal. Bands play a metal music style similar to the style heard before the genre evolved and splintered into many different styles and sub-genres. 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. Ex. Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden



See something wrong or something that needs adding? Help out then, lemme know. Here's some info contributors for these genres:

Real Horrorshow Groodies
SaguaroDundee
I-Alo-I

My favorite genre's would probably be... groove metal, metalcore, and.. nu metal. What about you guys?

I also put in 1 vote for groove metal! heart

Yea, the branching becomes quite hectic.. I'm not going off my own knowledge, I read up on it and didn't tie the loose ends. Took me a while. Also, give me 3 or 4 sludge bands you'd like me to place as examples. I put the description up already

I fixed them and added your suggested bands cheese_whine

Sure they exist, many people agree and disagree on genres so i said "******** it" and posted everything. Nu Metal to me would be like.. Static X and quirky bands that use weird techno like keyboards or synthesizers. However I agree that alternative metal isn't really metal, but I include anything heavier than hard rock in this genre post. You can help me edit/add descriptions if you would like.

You are completely right when you said "just misused words which either tend to mean the same thing" and i typo'd when I said anything heavier than hard rock, I meant to say Hard rock and everything heavier than it. All that genre information isn't coming from my own knowledge. I used wikipedia and other sites to help build it quickly. It would still be incomplete if I had nailed everyone just right.