Extreme metal
Encyclopedia
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term
for a number of related heavy metal music
subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal
, death metal
, doom metal
, thrash metal
and sometimes speed metal
, groove metal
.
Though not very well known to mainstream music fans, as it is by definition counterculture
, extreme metal has influenced an array of musical performers inside and outside of heavy metal.
, Satanic
or occult
imagery). The "extreme" label is most commonly applied to bands whose music is extreme; for example, few would consider Kiss
or Alice Cooper
to be extreme metal, though they could be considered to employ "extreme" elements in their appearance and stage demeanor for their time.
According to ethnographer
Keith Kahn-Harris, the defining characteristics of extreme metal can all be regarded as clearly transgressive
: the "extreme" traits noted above are all intended to violate or transgress given cultural, artistic, social or aesthetic boundaries.
Given the vagueness of existing definitions and considering the limitations such definitions have, there are many artists for whom the usage of the term "extreme metal" is a subject of debate. However, Kahn-Harris also notes that many musicians and fans see such debates over style and genre as useless and unnecessary, or at least as given undue attention.
in general, the underlying elements of melody
, harmony
and rhythm
are generally similar to those in rock and pop music. Conventional melodies
– one of the key elements of popular music – are often of limited importance in extreme metal, if not absent entirely, although chord progressions are still present and important. Extreme metal songs rarely have the central focus of a melodic "pop hook
," and when present, melodic elements more typically provide an instrumental backdrop rather than a central focus.
s; from harsh, guttural death growls (characteristic of doom and death metal) to high-pitched shrieking (characteristic of black metal). Thrash metal vocalists commonly employ a harsh or shouted vocal style. Extreme metal vocalists can use one or more techniques, and some bands have multiple singers, and in some black metal bands, even orchestral choir singing is used.
s, though not all make use of these techniques. Kahn-Harris notes that many extreme metal drummers take great pride in creating and playing drum patterns that are complex and demanding.
s (rather than the more common six-string guitars) are not unusual in extreme metal, particularly in death and doom metal. Drop tunings are common and sometimes open tunings are used as well. Kahn-Harris notes that extreme metal tends to defy the "riff
-guitar solo
" paradigm
of heavy metal: Guitar solos are often of less importance in extreme metal than in other metal styles, and the chord progression
s (or "riffs") in extreme metal are often unusual and sometimes complex and demanding.
was developed in the late 1960s as a louder, more emphatic form of blues-rock
. Heavy metal pioneers like Black Sabbath
, Led Zeppelin
and Deep Purple
all had strong roots in blues-rock
, and although heavy metal was harder and louder than its predecessor, it retained a strong blues feel. A noted precursor to extreme metal, Budgie
, "was among the heaviest metal of its day".
However, by the late 1970s, some heavy metal musicians were drifting away from the genre's blues roots. The most notable development was the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal
" (NWOBHM), which included groups like Iron Maiden
, Saxon
and Motörhead. These bands toned down the blues elements of earlier acts, increased the tempo, and adopted a harsher, tougher sound inspired by punk rock
.
are widely considered one of the most important groups in the creation of extreme metal. Though critics have often characterized Venom's musicianship as mediocre or worse, the band was nonetheless influential. Their songs were among the fastest of their era, with harsh vocals and blatantly Satanic
imagery. Their albums Welcome to Hell
(1981) and Black Metal
(1982) are regarded as foundational influences on extreme metal. Venom's members also adopted stage name
s intended to help create a menacing and mysterious persona. Though the practice is not universal, many extreme metal musicians have similarly adopted stage names, especially in black metal.
The early 1980s saw the development of speed metal
and thrash metal
, two distinct but nonetheless closely related styles that both drew influence from punk rock
(particularly the emphasis on very fast tempos, 2/4
or implied 2/4 time, and brief songs found in hardcore punk
). The "big four" of thrash metal (the American groups Anthrax
, Megadeth
, Slayer
and Metallica
) proved that extreme metal was a commercially viable force.
and grindcore
. Both genres are partly distinguished by their use of blast beat
s, down-tuned electric guitars and growled vocals
. At the beginning of the 1990s, the Norwegian black metal scene emerged, which helped to define black metal as a distinct genre.
Extreme metal earned an unprecedented level of international mainstream attention in the early and mid-1990s. Pioneering record label Earache Records
, for example, signed a distribution deal with major label Columbia Records
. However, much of the attention towards extreme metal was negative and focused on arsons on Christian churches and murders associated with the early Norwegian black metal scene.
Fusions with other metal styles
Fusion with hardcore punk and punk rock styles
Fusion with Southern Rock
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
for a number of related heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
, death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, doom metal
Doom metal
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...
, thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
and sometimes speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
, groove metal
Groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
.
Though not very well known to mainstream music fans, as it is by definition counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
, extreme metal has influenced an array of musical performers inside and outside of heavy metal.
Definitions
"Extreme" can be meant to describe any of the following traits: music (whether it is intended to be faster, more aggressive, abrasive or "heavier" than other metal styles), lyrics (dealing with darker, more sensational topics and themes), vocals (which often use guttural, harsh or abrasive singing), or appearance and stage demeanor (using corpse paintCorpse paint
Corpse paint or corpsepaint is a style of black-and-white makeup, used mainly by black metal bands during live concerts and photo shoots. The makeup is used to intensify the bands' imagery of evil, inhumanity, and corpse-like decay. It is most commonly used just on the face, but also on arms and...
, Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
or occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
imagery). The "extreme" label is most commonly applied to bands whose music is extreme; for example, few would consider Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
or Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
to be extreme metal, though they could be considered to employ "extreme" elements in their appearance and stage demeanor for their time.
According to ethnographer
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
Keith Kahn-Harris, the defining characteristics of extreme metal can all be regarded as clearly transgressive
Transgressive art
Transgressive art refers to art forms that aim to transgress; i.e. to outrage or violate basic mores and sensibilities. The term transgressive was first used by American filmmaker Nick Zedd and his Cinema of Transgression in 1985...
: the "extreme" traits noted above are all intended to violate or transgress given cultural, artistic, social or aesthetic boundaries.
Given the vagueness of existing definitions and considering the limitations such definitions have, there are many artists for whom the usage of the term "extreme metal" is a subject of debate. However, Kahn-Harris also notes that many musicians and fans see such debates over style and genre as useless and unnecessary, or at least as given undue attention.
Structure
Though songs in traditional heavy metal may be louder, harsher or more abrasive than rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
in general, the underlying elements of melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
, harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
are generally similar to those in rock and pop music. Conventional melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
– one of the key elements of popular music – are often of limited importance in extreme metal, if not absent entirely, although chord progressions are still present and important. Extreme metal songs rarely have the central focus of a melodic "pop hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
," and when present, melodic elements more typically provide an instrumental backdrop rather than a central focus.
Vocals
One of the more apparent characteristics of extreme metal is the vocals. Extreme metal singing includes various extended techniqueExtended technique
Extended techniques are performance techniques used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments to obtain unusual sounds or instrumental timbres....
s; from harsh, guttural death growls (characteristic of doom and death metal) to high-pitched shrieking (characteristic of black metal). Thrash metal vocalists commonly employ a harsh or shouted vocal style. Extreme metal vocalists can use one or more techniques, and some bands have multiple singers, and in some black metal bands, even orchestral choir singing is used.
Tempo
Extreme metal is also characterized by its unusual tempo, which may range from very fast-paced thrash, death and black metal (and can occasionally approach the extraordinary range of 300 beats per minute) to the extremely slow, as in funeral doom and drone doom. Drummers often utilize double-kick, double bass and blast beatBlast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s, though not all make use of these techniques. Kahn-Harris notes that many extreme metal drummers take great pride in creating and playing drum patterns that are complex and demanding.
Guitars
Guitars in extreme metal are commonly distorted to create a thick or abrasive tone. Guitars are frequently tuned below the standard E: thrash metal and black metal guitarists usually tune a half or a whole-step down, while death metal and doom metal often tune even lower. Seven-string guitarSeven-string guitar
A seven-string guitar is a guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six. Some types of seven-string guitars are specific to certain cultures . The standard 7-string guitar tuning is BEADGbe...
s (rather than the more common six-string guitars) are not unusual in extreme metal, particularly in death and doom metal. Drop tunings are common and sometimes open tunings are used as well. Kahn-Harris notes that extreme metal tends to defy the "riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
-guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
" paradigm
Paradigm
The word paradigm has been used in science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" , "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" , "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" , "beside, beyond" + "δείκνυμι" , "to show, to point out".The original Greek...
of heavy metal: Guitar solos are often of less importance in extreme metal than in other metal styles, and the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
s (or "riffs") in extreme metal are often unusual and sometimes complex and demanding.
History
Below is a basic summary explaining how the primary extreme metal genres evolved:- Heavy metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
(late 1960s)- New Wave of British Heavy MetalNew Wave of British Heavy MetalThe New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
(late 1970s)- Speed metalSpeed metalSpeed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
(late 1970s, early 1980s)- Thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
(early 1980s)- Black metalBlack metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
(mid-late 1980s) - Death metalDeath metalDeath metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
(mid-late 1980s)
- Black metal
- Thrash metal
- Speed metal
- Doom metalDoom metalDoom 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...
(mid 1980s)
- New Wave of British Heavy Metal
Origins (1970s)
Heavy metal musicHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
was developed in the late 1960s as a louder, more emphatic form of blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
. Heavy metal pioneers like Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
all had strong roots in blues-rock
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
, and although heavy metal was harder and louder than its predecessor, it retained a strong blues feel. A noted precursor to extreme metal, Budgie
Budgie (band)
Budgie is a Welsh Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band from Cardiff. They are widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence to many acts of that scene, with fast, heavy rock being played as early as 1971. The band has been noted as "among the heaviest metal of its day"...
, "was among the heaviest metal of its day".
However, by the late 1970s, some heavy metal musicians were drifting away from the genre's blues roots. The most notable development was the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
" (NWOBHM), which included groups like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
and Motörhead. These bands toned down the blues elements of earlier acts, increased the tempo, and adopted a harsher, tougher sound inspired by punk rock
Punk rock
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 perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
.
Early development (early 1980s)
The NWOBHM group VenomVenom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
are widely considered one of the most important groups in the creation of extreme metal. Though critics have often characterized Venom's musicianship as mediocre or worse, the band was nonetheless influential. Their songs were among the fastest of their era, with harsh vocals and blatantly Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
imagery. Their albums Welcome to Hell
Welcome to Hell
Welcome to Hell is the debut album by the English heavy metal band Venom, released in December 1981. Welcome to Hell is often described as speed metal, but it had a great influence on the then-emerging thrash metal style, and crystallized the elements of what later became known as death metal and...
(1981) and Black Metal
Black Metal (album)
Black Metal is the second album by the English band Venom. It was released in November 1982 and is considered a major influence on the thrash metal, death metal and black metal scenes that emerged in the 1980s and early 1990s. Although lending its name to the latter genre, today the album is often...
(1982) are regarded as foundational influences on extreme metal. Venom's members also adopted stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
s intended to help create a menacing and mysterious persona. Though the practice is not universal, many extreme metal musicians have similarly adopted stage names, especially in black metal.
The early 1980s saw the development of speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, two distinct but nonetheless closely related styles that both drew influence from punk rock
Punk rock
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 perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
(particularly the emphasis on very fast tempos, 2/4
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
or implied 2/4 time, and brief songs found in hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
). The "big four" of thrash metal (the American groups Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
) proved that extreme metal was a commercially viable force.
Diversification (mid 1980s–present)
According to Kahn-Harris, the mid-to-late 1980s saw vital new developments: death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
and grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to 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 hardcore punk....
. Both genres are partly distinguished by their use of blast beat
Blast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s, down-tuned electric guitars and growled vocals
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
. At the beginning of the 1990s, the Norwegian black metal scene emerged, which helped to define black metal as a distinct genre.
Extreme metal earned an unprecedented level of international mainstream attention in the early and mid-1990s. Pioneering record label Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
, for example, signed a distribution deal with major label Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. However, much of the attention towards extreme metal was negative and focused on arsons on Christian churches and murders associated with the early Norwegian black metal scene.
Primary genres
- Black metalBlack metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
- Death metalDeath metalDeath metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
- Thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
- Doom metalDoom metalDoom 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...
- Speed metalSpeed metalSpeed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
(sometimes included) - Avant-garde metal (sometimes included)
Primary sub-genres
- Sub-genres of black metal
- Symphonic black metalSymphonic black metalSymphonic black metal is a black metal subgenre that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The genre is known for its symphonic and orchestral elements and is centralized in Europe.-Characteristics:...
- Viking metalViking metalViking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its galloping pace, keyboard-rich anthemic sound, bleakness and dramatic emphasis on lyrical themes of Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age...
- Pagan metalPagan metalPagan metal is an umbrella term for heavy metal music which fuses extreme metal with "the pre-Christian traditions of a specific culture or region through thematic concept, rustic melodies, unusual instruments or archaic languages", usually referring to folk metal or black metal. The Norwegian band...
- Symphonic black metal
- Sub-genres of death metal
- Melodic death metalMelodic death metalMelodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
- Technical death metalTechnical death metalTechnical death metal is a musical subgenre of death metal that focuses on complex rhythms, riffs and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Death, Atheist and Cynic...
- Melodic death metal
- Sub-genres of doom metal
- Drone metalDrone metalDrone metal is a style of heavy metal that melds the slow tempos and heaviness of doom metal with the long-duration tones of drone music...
- Funeral doom
- Stoner doom
- Epic doom
- Sludge metalSludge metalSludge metal is a subgenre of heavy 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...
- Drone metal
Fusion genres
Fusions between extreme metal styles- Blackened death metal
- Death/doomDeath/doomDeath/doom, sometimes writes 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...
Fusions with other metal styles
- Gothenburg metal
Fusion with hardcore punk and punk rock styles
- Crossover thrashCrossover thrash__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
- Crust punkCrust punkCrust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. 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...
- GrindcoreGrindcoreGrindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to 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 hardcore punk....
- DeathgrindDeathgrindDeathgrind is a musical genre that fuses death metal and grindcore. The genre, along with pornogrind, is related to the goregrind subgenre...
- GoregrindGoregrind-History:Despite the early impact of albums such as Repulsion's Horrified and Impetigo's Ultimo Mondo Cannibale, the origins of the genre really lie with the British band Carcass, who began their career in the late 1980s...
- Deathgrind
- MetalcoreMetalcoreMetalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
- DeathcoreDeathcoreDeathcore is an extreme metal music genre that combines elements of death metal with elements of metalcore or hardcore punk, or both. It is defined by an "excessive" use of death metal riffs, blast beats and use of hardcore punk breakdowns...
- MathcoreMathcoreMathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
- Deathcore
Fusion with Southern Rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
- Groove metalGroove metalGroove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
- Sludge metalSludge metalSludge metal is a subgenre of heavy 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...