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Black metal started in the early '80s. It drew influences from thrash metal, but took things to even more extremes. The Norwegian scene quickly grew and was plagued by church burnings and murders in the early '90s. The genre spread across Europe and into North America. Many black metal bands wear corpse paint and stage outfits that make them look evil or threatening.
Musical Style Early black metal was raw and very poorly produced, with blast beat drumming and distorted guitars. The production value improved, but the rawness was still a hallmark of the first wave of black metal. Today's "second wave" bands are more melodic and symphonic with a lot of keyboards, but still very extreme and uncommercial. Image is just is important as musical style in this genre.
Black Metal Vocal StyleMostly high pitched rasps and guttural growls that are completely intelligible. If you look at the lyrics sheets many have pagan or satanic themes. Many vocalist try to sound like a demon or something straight out of hell.
Pioneers
Venom
Venom formed in England in the late '70s and consisted of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon. Their debut album Welcome To Hell was released in 1981 and followed a year later by the album that gave the genre its name, Black Metal.
Mayhem
The Norwegian band is famous because of their music, and infamous because of everything else that went on around them. Vocalist Dead committed suicide and Euronymous was stabbed to death by fellow band member Count Grishnackh. Formed in 1984, they were at the forefront of the increasingly popularity of black metal in Norway.
Musical Style Early black metal was raw and very poorly produced, with blast beat drumming and distorted guitars. The production value improved, but the rawness was still a hallmark of the first wave of black metal. Today's "second wave" bands are more melodic and symphonic with a lot of keyboards, but still very extreme and uncommercial. Image is just is important as musical style in this genre.
Black Metal Vocal StyleMostly high pitched rasps and guttural growls that are completely intelligible. If you look at the lyrics sheets many have pagan or satanic themes. Many vocalist try to sound like a demon or something straight out of hell.
Pioneers
Venom
Venom formed in England in the late '70s and consisted of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon. Their debut album Welcome To Hell was released in 1981 and followed a year later by the album that gave the genre its name, Black Metal.
Mayhem
The Norwegian band is famous because of their music, and infamous because of everything else that went on around them. Vocalist Dead committed suicide and Euronymous was stabbed to death by fellow band member Count Grishnackh. Formed in 1984, they were at the forefront of the increasingly popularity of black metal in Norway.
Doom metal has its origins in the early 70’s, with heavy metal band Black Sabbath playing songs with slow riffing and dark, foreboding lyrics. In the 80’s, bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble, and Candlemass took those elements and warped them into what became known as doom metal. The genre spanned out in the early 90’s to include other musical genres, including death, thrash, and black metal to form a multitude of subgenres. Out of these subgenres came successful doom metal acts such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. Today, the genre is still going strong, especially in the underground scene.
Musical Style:
Doom metal has slower melodies and dark lyrical themes, usually dealing with death, destruction, and feelings of despair and emptiness. The sound is heavy and thick, due in part to the guitar tone, with distortion and downtuning usually prevalent characteristics in the guitar work.
Vocal Style:
Most vocalists sing cleanly, save for some that use either growled or whispered vocals. The singer usually sounds depressed or moody, with a lot of pausing and a heavy-handed approach that emphasizes the gloomy lyrical content.
Pioneers of Doom Metal:
Pagan Altar
Pagan Altar One of the first true doom metal bands, Pagan Altar would quickly fade into obscurity in the early 80’s. Their debut album Volume 1 was not released until 1998, but was originally recorded in 1982, and showcased the early incarnation of doom metal. Along with fellow British band Witchcraft General, Pagan Altar left a lasting impression on the genre, even in their brief time together. The band reformed in 2004, and released two albums, 2004’s The Lords Of Hypocrisy and 2006’s Mythical and Magical.
Witchcraft General
While eventually following the same career path as Pagan Altar (breaking up early, re-forming about twenty years later), the band was able to release a few essential doom metal albums in their original lineup. 1982’s Death Penalty took many cues from Black Sabbath, but slowed down the tempo considerably, save for a few NWOBHM-influenced cuts, like “Free Country.” The band would release one more album, 1983’s Friends Of Hell before disbanding, only to bring the band back to life in late 2006.
Saint Vitus
Over in America, a metal band from California would make their mark in the genre with their self-titled debut in 1984. With epic numbers like “Zombie Hunger” and “Burial At Sea,” the five tracks on their first album would make the band a major underground hit. The band would go on for another decade, releasing quality material, before ending the band in the late '90s.
Musical Style:
Doom metal has slower melodies and dark lyrical themes, usually dealing with death, destruction, and feelings of despair and emptiness. The sound is heavy and thick, due in part to the guitar tone, with distortion and downtuning usually prevalent characteristics in the guitar work.
Vocal Style:
Most vocalists sing cleanly, save for some that use either growled or whispered vocals. The singer usually sounds depressed or moody, with a lot of pausing and a heavy-handed approach that emphasizes the gloomy lyrical content.
Pioneers of Doom Metal:
Pagan Altar
Pagan Altar One of the first true doom metal bands, Pagan Altar would quickly fade into obscurity in the early 80’s. Their debut album Volume 1 was not released until 1998, but was originally recorded in 1982, and showcased the early incarnation of doom metal. Along with fellow British band Witchcraft General, Pagan Altar left a lasting impression on the genre, even in their brief time together. The band reformed in 2004, and released two albums, 2004’s The Lords Of Hypocrisy and 2006’s Mythical and Magical.
Witchcraft General
While eventually following the same career path as Pagan Altar (breaking up early, re-forming about twenty years later), the band was able to release a few essential doom metal albums in their original lineup. 1982’s Death Penalty took many cues from Black Sabbath, but slowed down the tempo considerably, save for a few NWOBHM-influenced cuts, like “Free Country.” The band would release one more album, 1983’s Friends Of Hell before disbanding, only to bring the band back to life in late 2006.
Saint Vitus
Over in America, a metal band from California would make their mark in the genre with their self-titled debut in 1984. With epic numbers like “Zombie Hunger” and “Burial At Sea,” the five tracks on their first album would make the band a major underground hit. The band would go on for another decade, releasing quality material, before ending the band in the late '90s.
The origins of metalcore date back to the mid-1980s, where bands like Agnostic Front and Suicidal Tendencies were mixing thrash, punk, and hardcore together. The genre became huge in the late '90s, as a major wave of metalcore bands formed to tear up the metal landscape. Bands like Unearth, Killswitch Engage, and All That Remains have made names for themselves in the mainstream, headlining major festivals and achieving solid albums sales. Today, metalcore is still one of the most popular genres of metal, even with criticism from some in the underground metal community.
Musical Style:
Metalcore is structured linearly, with the songwriting consisting of aggressive verses and melodic choruses. Breakdowns are a vital part of the genre, usually used to invoke moshing at live shows. A good portion of the bands in the genre have recently added in solos and a greater emphasis on technical guitar playing, including a heavy use of palm muting. Double bass drumming is prevalent in the genre as well. The sound is polished and the lyrics range from personal to political issues.
Vocal Style:
Most vocalists scream and growl, with some saving the clean vocals for selected points in the song (chorus, bridge).
Metalcore Pioneers:
Earth Crisis
Formed in 1991, Earth Crisis made a splash in metalcore with their 1995 debut album Destroy The Machines. The album is considered one of the most influential albums towards garnishing mainstream recognition of the genre. Earth Crisis released a few more albums that showcased a cleaner and more refined approach to metalcore before dissolving in 2001.
Shai Hulud
While some today may consider the band to be closer to a hardcore/punk hybrid, Shai Hulud was considered a pioneer of metalcore back in the mid '90s. Their 1997 album Hearts Once Nourished With Hope And Compassion was an anger-fueled journey; however, Shai Hulud brought intelligent lyrics to the forefront of their music, helping them to achieve critical and commercial acclaim.
Musical Style:
Metalcore is structured linearly, with the songwriting consisting of aggressive verses and melodic choruses. Breakdowns are a vital part of the genre, usually used to invoke moshing at live shows. A good portion of the bands in the genre have recently added in solos and a greater emphasis on technical guitar playing, including a heavy use of palm muting. Double bass drumming is prevalent in the genre as well. The sound is polished and the lyrics range from personal to political issues.
Vocal Style:
Most vocalists scream and growl, with some saving the clean vocals for selected points in the song (chorus, bridge).
Metalcore Pioneers:
Earth Crisis
Formed in 1991, Earth Crisis made a splash in metalcore with their 1995 debut album Destroy The Machines. The album is considered one of the most influential albums towards garnishing mainstream recognition of the genre. Earth Crisis released a few more albums that showcased a cleaner and more refined approach to metalcore before dissolving in 2001.
Shai Hulud
While some today may consider the band to be closer to a hardcore/punk hybrid, Shai Hulud was considered a pioneer of metalcore back in the mid '90s. Their 1997 album Hearts Once Nourished With Hope And Compassion was an anger-fueled journey; however, Shai Hulud brought intelligent lyrics to the forefront of their music, helping them to achieve critical and commercial acclaim.
Progressive metal has its roots in the progressive rock movement of the '70s. In the mid 1980s, bands began to take the basics of progressive rock and add in a heavy metal sound to the equation, forming a new style of progressive music. Progressive metal became huge in the early '90s, with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater having several hit singles that were played regularly on MTV. Since that time, the genre has expanded to include death metal, jazz, and classical elements. Bands have forged their own identities mixing these new elements with what the early pioneers of the genre brought to the table.
Musical Style:
Progressive metal is heavy on technically-sound guitar playing, frequent use of keyboards and complex signature time changes, especially in the drumming department. Bands tend to create a balance between melody and pure aggression. Many bands in the genre play longer songs, some extending over the half-hour mark.
Vocal Style:
Vocals are high-pitched and clearly recognizable. Falsettos, high notes, and operatic/theatrical singing are the norm. However, some bands, like Opeth and Cynic, use growls and screams, in the style of death metal.
Progressive Metal Pioneers:
Dream Theater
Dream Theater hit it big with 1992’s Images and Words, behind the single “Pull Me Under.” The band was highly skilled with their instruments, even in the early stages of their career, and their songwriting was top-notch. Fans enjoyed their modern twist on the classic progressive rock sound. Dream Theater would build up a large fan base and continue to grow off the success of Images and Words.
Fates Warning
The heaviest of the three pioneers of the genre, Fates Warning took a heavier approach to progressive rock, stripping it down to the bare essentials. 1988’s No Exit would be the album that showcased the band at their most progressive, with the 20-minute epic “The Ivory Gates Of Dreams” being the band’s magnum opus at the time of its release.
Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche’s third album, 1988’s Operation: Mindcrime, is considered one of the finest concept albums in progressive metal. Leaning towards the progressive side, Queensrÿche’s songs were catchy and upbeat, yet had an edge to them that gave them the extra kick to please fans of the metal side of the genre.
Musical Style:
Progressive metal is heavy on technically-sound guitar playing, frequent use of keyboards and complex signature time changes, especially in the drumming department. Bands tend to create a balance between melody and pure aggression. Many bands in the genre play longer songs, some extending over the half-hour mark.
Vocal Style:
Vocals are high-pitched and clearly recognizable. Falsettos, high notes, and operatic/theatrical singing are the norm. However, some bands, like Opeth and Cynic, use growls and screams, in the style of death metal.
Progressive Metal Pioneers:
Dream Theater
Dream Theater hit it big with 1992’s Images and Words, behind the single “Pull Me Under.” The band was highly skilled with their instruments, even in the early stages of their career, and their songwriting was top-notch. Fans enjoyed their modern twist on the classic progressive rock sound. Dream Theater would build up a large fan base and continue to grow off the success of Images and Words.
Fates Warning
The heaviest of the three pioneers of the genre, Fates Warning took a heavier approach to progressive rock, stripping it down to the bare essentials. 1988’s No Exit would be the album that showcased the band at their most progressive, with the 20-minute epic “The Ivory Gates Of Dreams” being the band’s magnum opus at the time of its release.
Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche’s third album, 1988’s Operation: Mindcrime, is considered one of the finest concept albums in progressive metal. Leaning towards the progressive side, Queensrÿche’s songs were catchy and upbeat, yet had an edge to them that gave them the extra kick to please fans of the metal side of the genre.
Hair metal was influenced by glam rock from the late '70s and early '80s, inspiring the over the top looks hair bands adopted, including big hair and makeup. Hard rock bands like Slade and Aerosmith helped shape their musical sound. In the U.S., hair metal was popularized on the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles beginning in the early '80s. At the height of its popularity in the '80s, hair bands had huge radio and MTV hits and were one of the most popular genres in all of music.
That spawned numerous copycat bands of lesser talents that diluted the genre, and the nail in the coffin was the rise of grunge music in the early '90s. Many hair bands broke up or went on hiatus during that era, but toward the end of the decade and into the 2000s, nostalgia helped propel hair metal back to life. Bands like Poison, Motley Crue and Ratt still are able to draw large crowds to their concerts, although their new musical material hasn't been as well received.
Musical Style:
Hair metal is very polished and accessible. Big hooks, melodic choruses, and the ever popular "monster ballad" typify the genre. Guitars are also very prominent, with nearly every song having at least one guitar solo. There's also an endless debate on who is and isn't a hair band. Some say Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses are hair bands. Guns N' Roses came from that L.A. scene, but to me don't fall under the hair metal banner because of the edginess of their earlier stuff.
Vocal Style:
Like the music, hair metal vocals are also accessible. They are melodic, and usually relatively high-pitched. Hair metal vocalists rarely get the respect that traditional metal singers do, in part because of the glam looks and accessible songs. But there have been some quality singers in the hair metal genre.
Hair Metal Pioneers:
Motley Crue
Bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee formed Motley Crue in 1981. They soon recruited guitarist Mick Mars, and eventually hired Vince Neil as their singer. The Crue quickly become of the most successful bands to emerge from the Sunset Strip. Their legendary partying drew almost as much as attention as their music. They had a string of successful albums, including Shout At The Devil, Theatre Of Pain, Girls Girls Girls and Dr. Feelgood. After turmoil and member changes in the '90 and early 2000s, the classic lineup is back together, touring and releasing new music.
They also started their own summer touring festival Crue Fest in 2008.
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot formed in the late '70s, and their early lineup included guitarist Randy Rhoads, who ended up joining Ozzy Osbourne's band before his tragic death in a plane crash. The band's first two albums didn't do much, but their third release Metal Health hit number one on the Billboard album chart, the first heavy metal album to do so. That opened the floodgates, ending up in hair metal's massive commercial popularity.
Quiet Riot's reign of success only lasted a few years, and they had a lot of lineup changes and a couple of breakups. They still toured until recently, when vocalist Kevin DuBrow died of a drug overdose in 2007.
Hanoi Rocks
In Europe, Hanoi Rocks mixed glam rock, punk and the big hair and makeup of vocalist Michael Monroe. The Finnish band got their start in the late '70s and quickly rose through the ranks. They were on the verge of breaking through when tragedy struck. In 1984, drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley was killed in a car accident (the car was driven by Motley Crue's Vince Neil). The band was never the same. Their status as a true "hair band" is disputed by some, but there's no doubt they greatly influenced the genre, and should be considered pioneers.
That spawned numerous copycat bands of lesser talents that diluted the genre, and the nail in the coffin was the rise of grunge music in the early '90s. Many hair bands broke up or went on hiatus during that era, but toward the end of the decade and into the 2000s, nostalgia helped propel hair metal back to life. Bands like Poison, Motley Crue and Ratt still are able to draw large crowds to their concerts, although their new musical material hasn't been as well received.
Musical Style:
Hair metal is very polished and accessible. Big hooks, melodic choruses, and the ever popular "monster ballad" typify the genre. Guitars are also very prominent, with nearly every song having at least one guitar solo. There's also an endless debate on who is and isn't a hair band. Some say Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses are hair bands. Guns N' Roses came from that L.A. scene, but to me don't fall under the hair metal banner because of the edginess of their earlier stuff.
Vocal Style:
Like the music, hair metal vocals are also accessible. They are melodic, and usually relatively high-pitched. Hair metal vocalists rarely get the respect that traditional metal singers do, in part because of the glam looks and accessible songs. But there have been some quality singers in the hair metal genre.
Hair Metal Pioneers:
Motley Crue
Bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee formed Motley Crue in 1981. They soon recruited guitarist Mick Mars, and eventually hired Vince Neil as their singer. The Crue quickly become of the most successful bands to emerge from the Sunset Strip. Their legendary partying drew almost as much as attention as their music. They had a string of successful albums, including Shout At The Devil, Theatre Of Pain, Girls Girls Girls and Dr. Feelgood. After turmoil and member changes in the '90 and early 2000s, the classic lineup is back together, touring and releasing new music.
They also started their own summer touring festival Crue Fest in 2008.
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot formed in the late '70s, and their early lineup included guitarist Randy Rhoads, who ended up joining Ozzy Osbourne's band before his tragic death in a plane crash. The band's first two albums didn't do much, but their third release Metal Health hit number one on the Billboard album chart, the first heavy metal album to do so. That opened the floodgates, ending up in hair metal's massive commercial popularity.
Quiet Riot's reign of success only lasted a few years, and they had a lot of lineup changes and a couple of breakups. They still toured until recently, when vocalist Kevin DuBrow died of a drug overdose in 2007.
Hanoi Rocks
In Europe, Hanoi Rocks mixed glam rock, punk and the big hair and makeup of vocalist Michael Monroe. The Finnish band got their start in the late '70s and quickly rose through the ranks. They were on the verge of breaking through when tragedy struck. In 1984, drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley was killed in a car accident (the car was driven by Motley Crue's Vince Neil). The band was never the same. Their status as a true "hair band" is disputed by some, but there's no doubt they greatly influenced the genre, and should be considered pioneers.
Power metal mixes heavy metal with thrash, speed and symphonic elements. European bands like Helloween and Gamma Ray started the power metal movement in the late ‘80s, with the genre exploding in the ‘90s with Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, and Stratovarius leading the way for future power metal bands. The main sound of the genre hasn’t changed much, with the vocals still soaring high and the guitar solos flying free. Nowadays, bands like Dragonforce and Theocracy are keeping power metal strong, engaging a new generation of metalheads.
Musical Style:
Most guitar work in power metal is played at a fast speed, with thrash-like riffing and wild solos that can go on for an extended period of time. The bassist usually just stays with the rhythm guitarist. The drummer relies heavily on double bass work, adding in some complex fills and cymbal work as well. The keyboard work ranges from band to band, with some bands using the keys for simple melodies, while others create an orchestration effect for the music.
Vocal Style:
Vocalists sing in a high register, quite similar to Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson and Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. Their range is usually wide, with high notes being the norm.
Power Metal Pioneers:
Helloween
In 1987, the two-part epic concept album Keeper Of The Seven Keys put the German power metal band on the map. Both of these albums are really where the birth of power metal began. Taking NWOBHM and adding melodic elements to the sound is what led to Helloween’s early success, and the forward momentum of the power metal genre as a whole.
Blind Guardian
While forming around the same time as Helloween, it wouldn’t be until later releases where the band’s full potential would be unleashed. While they did play power metal in the early days, Blind Guardian tended to lean towards speed metal on 1988’s Battalions Of Fear and 1989’s Follow The Blind.
Gamma Ray
When Helloween guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen left the band in 1988, he formed his own project, Gamma Ray. Hansen kept to his power metal roots in his new band, with Gamma Ray eventually becoming an underground hit for fans of the genre. The band is best known for their epic 1995 album Land Of The Free.
Musical Style:
Most guitar work in power metal is played at a fast speed, with thrash-like riffing and wild solos that can go on for an extended period of time. The bassist usually just stays with the rhythm guitarist. The drummer relies heavily on double bass work, adding in some complex fills and cymbal work as well. The keyboard work ranges from band to band, with some bands using the keys for simple melodies, while others create an orchestration effect for the music.
Vocal Style:
Vocalists sing in a high register, quite similar to Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson and Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. Their range is usually wide, with high notes being the norm.
Power Metal Pioneers:
Helloween
In 1987, the two-part epic concept album Keeper Of The Seven Keys put the German power metal band on the map. Both of these albums are really where the birth of power metal began. Taking NWOBHM and adding melodic elements to the sound is what led to Helloween’s early success, and the forward momentum of the power metal genre as a whole.
Blind Guardian
While forming around the same time as Helloween, it wouldn’t be until later releases where the band’s full potential would be unleashed. While they did play power metal in the early days, Blind Guardian tended to lean towards speed metal on 1988’s Battalions Of Fear and 1989’s Follow The Blind.
Gamma Ray
When Helloween guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen left the band in 1988, he formed his own project, Gamma Ray. Hansen kept to his power metal roots in his new band, with Gamma Ray eventually becoming an underground hit for fans of the genre. The band is best known for their epic 1995 album Land Of The Free.
Death metal evolved from thrash metal and also took some of the extreme elements of black metal. The fast tempos of thrash were kept, but blast beats were added to make it even more brutal. The aggressive vocals of thrash became the screaming unintelligible "cookie monster" vocals of death metal. The genre arose simultaneously in the U.S., especially in Florida, and in Europe. A multitude of subgenres later splintered off from death metal, such as melodic death metal. Death metal and its variants are probably the most popular form of metal today.
Musical Style : In one word, brutal. Death metal is intense and fast, usually utilizing a double bass drum and dual distorted guitars.
Vocal Style: The vocals are what make death metal distinctive. Instead of singing, death metal vocalists use a low-pitched guttural growl that is nearly impossible to understand. The lyrical content is almost always dark and/or apocalyptic.
Pioneers:
Death
It only makes sense that a band called Death is a pioneer in death metal. They were part of the Florida scene that spawned the genre in the U.S. The band was started in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner, a true metal pioneer. They released several demos that became popular in the underground and finally released their debut album Scream Bloody Gore in 1987. Death released seven full-lengths before Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001.
Morbid Angel
Also a part of the seminal Florida scene, Morbid Angel got together in 1983. Guitarist and songwriter Trey Azagthoth is the backbone of the band, who have gone through a few different vocalists. Their debut album was 1989's Altars Of Madness. Their signature release was 1991's Blessed Are The Sick, a classic death metal album and a must-own.
Musical Style : In one word, brutal. Death metal is intense and fast, usually utilizing a double bass drum and dual distorted guitars.
Vocal Style: The vocals are what make death metal distinctive. Instead of singing, death metal vocalists use a low-pitched guttural growl that is nearly impossible to understand. The lyrical content is almost always dark and/or apocalyptic.
Pioneers:
Death
It only makes sense that a band called Death is a pioneer in death metal. They were part of the Florida scene that spawned the genre in the U.S. The band was started in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner, a true metal pioneer. They released several demos that became popular in the underground and finally released their debut album Scream Bloody Gore in 1987. Death released seven full-lengths before Schuldiner died of cancer in 2001.
Morbid Angel
Also a part of the seminal Florida scene, Morbid Angel got together in 1983. Guitarist and songwriter Trey Azagthoth is the backbone of the band, who have gone through a few different vocalists. Their debut album was 1989's Altars Of Madness. Their signature release was 1991's Blessed Are The Sick, a classic death metal album and a must-own.
