NotFromANUS

Table of Contents:
1) A Brief History Of Metal
2) Heavy Metal
3) Speed / Thrash Metal
4) Death Metal
5) Black Metal
6) Doom Metal
7) (Crossover) Thrash
8) Grindcore
9) Industrial Metal
10) Folk Metal
11) Power Metal
12) Progressive Metal
13) Post-Metal / Experimental
14) Deathcore
15) Melodic Death Metal
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A Brief History Of Metal

Heavy metal music rose out of popular music in opposition to both the dominant culture and the rock counterculture. Its heritage was equal parts the heavy guitar rock that replaced the blues, progressive rock and the neoclassical sounds of horror movie music. It is believed that the term was first used as a genre descriptor in a review of 'Kingdom Come', the 1970 debut of Sir Lord Baltimore.

1968-1978
First, bands like Blue Cheer demonstrated the distorted sound, then Iggy Pop and the Stooges brought proto-punk into the equation, and then progressive rock bands like King Crimson and Jethro Tull expanded on the idea. Finally, Black Sabbath released the first fully-fledged heavy metal album in 1970, 'Black Sabbath'. Following this, bands merged the Led Zeppelin style of Celtic folk-influenced hard rock with Sabbath, and cemented heavy metal as a genre. However, it immediately began to homogenize itself, and this brought about the creation of underground metal. Remember 'Black Sabbath' had made an impact on popular culture; it was here that the concept of metal as an underground subculture began.

1979-1987
Heavy metal became popular in the 1970s and got absorbed by the hedonistic, individualistic, pleasure-seeking culture of the time. This produced a type of stadium heavy metalish rock that sold well but lost sight of the artistic ambitions of the genre. At the same time, bands like the Sex Pistols were popularizing the punk sound that had intensified since innovators like MC5, Iggy Pop and Link Wray began experimenting with it in the 1960s. In response, the more alert heavy metal bands added more gothic and neoclassical elements to distinguish themselves from the fray. The fusion of these two threads, hardcore punk and neoclassical heavy metal, produced an explosion of genres, but only two, speed metal and thrash, matured directly.

At the same time, starting with the explosive release of 'Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing' from the nihilistic and thoughtful punks Discharge, other genres expanded in nascent form from 1983-1985, in particular death and black metal with releases from pioneers such as Bathory, Hellhammer and Possessed.

1988-1992
Now fully formed via tangible scenes in Scandinavia and the USA, death metal flourished. With this, however, it found itself under onslaught from gazillions of imitators. Earlier forms like heavy metal and thrash metal began to fall out of favour although Metallica, the genre's most popular mainstream exponent, filled stadiums at their commercial peak. The so-called 'Second Wave' of black metal got fully underway in Norway, with a new sound and less tolerant ideology.

1993-1996
Death metal became a field of Suffocation clones, and bands increasingly turned toward either going "technical" to distinguish themselves, or assimilating themselves into mainstream styles like rock (Asphyx - God Cries), jazz (Pestilence - Spheres), funk (Mordred - In this Life) or punk (Pyrexia - Hatredangeranddisgust). At the same time, black metal came close to being the most popular style of metal to come from the underground, mainly because its primitive riffs and nocturnal melodies were part nightmare and part lullaby. As soon as its popularity grew via the Second Wave, black metal too became inundated in imitators, although some late forming bands and middle-era albums by classic bands helped flesh out its style and bring it to maturity.

1997-2008
Since 1997, and in particular the dawn of the internet, metal has diversified and adopted new influences to varied success. Black metal bands continue the style, either by attempting to expand traditionalism or "new" combinations made of black metal plus any number of already extant genres. Death metal continues with some absorption by metalcore, which has created a queasily hybrid style that few fans of the older material want to hear, and many newer fans find too mixed for their tastes. What has radically expanded are the continuation of speed metal and neoclassical heavy metal, power metal, and the skipped generation descendant of thrash, metalcore, which reverses the thrash pattern by putting hardcore riffs into metal-style songs. The sub-genres are converging again by becoming more similar, which may enable newer acts to get more distance from convention and find a style in which writing makes sense.

NotFromANUS

Heavy Metal:

Essentially the creation of four drugged out musicians from Birmingham, Heavy Metal began as an attempt in the realm of Popular Music to scare the shit out of people. Heavy Metal was constructed from elements of Progressive, Psychedelic, and Hard Rock, Blues, and Jazz. Beginning with slow and sinister riffs, the genre eventually molded into its own entity where melodies were constructed from sequences of overly distorted power chords.

Starting Points:
Accept - Balls To The Wall ~ Metal Heart
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath ~ Paranoid
Dio - Holy Diver
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden ~ Powerslave ~ The Number of the Beast
Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
Motörhead - Overkill ~ Bomber

Best Of:
Brocas Helm - Into Battle ~ Defender of the Crown
King Diamond - Abigail
Manilla Road - Crystal Logic ~ Open the Gates
Manowar - Into Glory Ride ~ Sign of the Hammer
Running Wild - Death or Glory ~ Black Hand Inn
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

Further Listening:
Atlantean Kodex - The Golden Bough
Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire ~ King of the Dead
Dark Forest - s/t
Doomsword - Let Battle Commence ~ My Name Will Live On
Enforcer - Into the Night ~ Diamonds
Grand Magus - Iron Will
Heavy load - Death or Glory
Isen Torr - Mighty and Superior
Legend - Fröm the Fjörds
Metal Church - s/t ~ The Dark
Ostrogoth - Ecstasy and Danger
Oz - Fire In The Brain
Slauter Xstroyes - Winter Kill
(The Lord Weird) Slough Feg - Down Among the Dead Men ~ Traveller
Sortilège - Métamorphose
Tyrant - Legions of the Dead ~ Too Late to Pray
Twisted Tower Dire - Crest of the Martyrs
Warlord - ...And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun
Wolf - s/t ~ The Black Flame ~ Ravenous


NWOBHM:

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a movement beginning in the late 70's / early 80's, involving a surplus of bands playing in the classic, British, Judas Priest influenced Metal style.

Essentials:
Angel Witch - s/t
Cloven Hoof - Cloven Hoof ~ A Sultan's Ransom
Diamond Head - Lightning To the Nations
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Satan - Court In The Act
Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law

Further Listening:
Blitzkrieg - A Time of Changes
Demon - Night of the Demon ~ The Unexpected Guest
Desolation Angels - Desolation Angels
Holocaust - The Nightcomers
Grim Reaper - See You in Hell
Jaguar - Power Games
Raven - Rock Until You Drop
Saracen - Heroes, Saints & Fools
Tank - Filth Hounds of Hades
Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound

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Speed / Thrash Metal:

Influenced by the emergence of Punk and eventually Hardcore, Speed Metal bands took a leaf from the Motörhead book by playing fast series of often pedal-point styled, muffled power chord progressions, and often precise technical riffing.

Starting Points:
Metallica - Kill 'em All ~ Ride the Lightning
Exodus - Bonded by Blood
Slayer - Show No Mercy ~ Haunting the Chapel ~ Hell Awaits
Testament - The Legacy
Sodom - Agent Orange

Best Of:
Artillery - By Inheritance
Coroner - No More Color ~ Punishment for Decadence
Obliveon - From This Day Forward
Razor - Evil Invaders ~ Executioner's Song ~ Violent Restitution
Sabbat - History of a Time to Come ~ Dreamweaver
Voivod - Killing Technology

Further Listening:
Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
Deathrow - Raging Steel ~ Deception Ignored
Deathwish - At the Edge of Damnation ~ Demon Preacher
Desaster - Hellfire's Dominion ~ A Touch of Medieval Darkness
Destruction - Infernal Overkill ~ Sentence of Death
Detente - Recognise No Authority
Hobbs' Angel of Death - s/t
Holy Terror - Mind Wars ~ Terror and Submission
Infernal Majesty - None Shall Defy
Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! ~ Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
Mortal Sin - Mayhemic Destruction
Onslaught - The Force
Realm - Endless War
Sacrifice - Forward to Termination ~ Soldiers of Misfortune
Sadus - Illusions (Chemical Exposure) ~ Swallowed in Black
Vio-lence - Eternal Nightmare
Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly ~ Control and Resistance
Wehrmacht - Shark Attack

Death/Thrash Metal:

Generally influenced by the First Wave of Black Metal, these bands took the model and logic of Speed Metal to an unprecedented extreme.

Essentials:
Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
Possessed - Seven Churches
Sepultura - Bestial Devastation ~ Morbid Visions ~ Schizophrenia
Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death
Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence ~ Epidemic of Violence

Further Listening:
Devastation - Signs of Life ~ Idolatry
Exhorder - Slaughter in the Vatican
Grotesque - In the Embrace of Evil
Hellwitch - Syzygial Miscreancy
Morbid Scream - The Signal to Attack: 1986-1990
Mutilator - Immortal Force
Pestilence - Malleus Maleficarum
Revenant - Prophecies of a Dying World
Rigor Mortis - s/t
Ripping Corpse - Dreaming with the Dead
Slaughter - Strappado
Slaughter Lord - Thrash 'til Death 86-87

NotFromANUS

Death Metal

Death Metal songs are constructed from a series of multiple riffs, thrown together in a "riff-salad" fashion. Thematically similar riffs provide nuanced repetition, while drastic, often unexpected, tempo changes create a jarring effect. Riffs are generally totally chromatic melodies meant to provide a distorting and horrifying impact, while unrelenting rhythm pummels the listener. Concepts of death, war, decay, evil, religion, torture, and other horrifying truths are amoralistically examined within the lyrics.

Starting Points:
Cannibal Corpse - Eaten Back To Life ~ Tomb Of The Mutilated
Death - Scream Bloody Gore
Deicide - Deicide
Dismember - Like an Ever-Flowing Stream
Entombed - Left Hand Path

The Best:
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Deicide - Legion
Gorguts - Obscura
Incantation - Onward to Golgotha
Massacra - Enjoy the Violence
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
Demilich - Nespithe
Morpheus Descends - Ritual of Infinity
Autopsy - Severed Survival

Primary Essentials:
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Demigod - Slumber of Sullen Eyes
Gorguts - Considered Dead ~ Erosion of Sanity
Immolation - Dawn of Possession ~ Close to a World Below
Incantation - Diabolical Conquest
Infester - To the Depths... In Degredation
Massacra - Final Holocaust
Morbid Angel - Blessed are the Sick ~ Covenant
Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence
Order From Chaos - Stillbirth Machine
Suffocation - Breeding the Spawn ~ Pierced From Within

Secondary Essentials:
Darkthrone - Soulside Journey
God Macabre - The Winterlong
Imprecation-Ceremony Of The Nine Angles
Kataklysm - Sorcery ~ Temple of Knowledge
Master - s/t ~ On the Seventh Day God Created... Master
Molested - Blod Draum ~ Stormvold
Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
Sadistic Intent - Resurrection
Sinister - Cross the Styx ~ Diabolical Summoning
Therion - Beyond Sanctorum

Honorable Mentions:
Atrocity - Hallucinations ~ Todessehnsucht
Blaspherian - Allegiance to the Will of Damnation
Carnage - Dark Recollections
Cryptopsy - Blasphemy Made Flesh
Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangels
Disma - The Vault of Membros
Fleshcrawl - Descend into the Absurd ~ Impurity
Guttural Secrete - Reek of Pubescent Despoilment
The Chasm - Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph
Ulcerate - Everything Is Fire

NotFromANUS

Black Metal

First Wave Black Metal

The first wave of Black Metal consisted of various disparate bands who took the ideas presented in Heavy Metal and Speed / Thrash Metal one step further. This marked the formation of the underground. The pioneering bands and notable works in this genre are as follows:

Bathory - s/t ~ The Return ~ Under the Sign of the Black Mark ~ Blood Fire Death
Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom ~ Blood Upon the Altar
Bulldozer - The Day of Wrath
Celtic Frost - Hellhammer demos ~ Morbid Tales ~ Emperor’s Return ~ To Mega Therion
Death S.S. - The Story of Death SS 1977 - 1984
Mayhem - Deathcrush
Mercyful Fate - Melissa ~ Don’t Break the Oath
N.M.E - Unholy Death
Pentagram - Demo 1 ~ Demo 2
Root - Zjevení / The Revelation ~ Hell Symphony
Samael - Worship Him
Sarcofago - INRI ~ Rotting
Sodom - Obsessed by Cruelty ~ Persecution Mania
Venom - Welcome to Hell ~ Black Metal ~ At War With Satan
Vulcano - Bloody Vengeance

Second Wave and Beyond

The second wave of Black Metal coalesced primarily in Norway. Highly theatrical, these bands focused on constructing dark atmosphere from melodic guitar work which combined traditional scales with chromatic coloring. Drums often vary little, opting for a more constant hypnotic beat over which sonic layers can be built. Approaches range from primitive assaults to highly complex symphonic works.

Starting Points:
Dissection - The Somberlain ~ Storm of the Light's Bane
Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells
Gorgoroth - Pentagram ~ Anti-Christ
Impaled Nazarene - Ugra Karma
Necromantia - Crossing the Fiery Path ~ Scarlet Evil Witching Black

The Best:
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas
Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Summoning - Dol Guldur
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Ildjarn-Nidhogg - s/t
Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
Graveland - Following the Voice of Blood

Primary Essentials:
Absu - Barathrum ~ The Sun of Tiphareth ~ The Third Storm of Cythraul
Beherit - Engram
Burzum - s/t ~ Det Some Engang Var ~ Filosofem
Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky ~ Under a Funeral Moon
Demoncy - Joined in Darkness
Enslaved - Hordanes Land
Graveland - The Celtic Winter ~ Thousand Swords
Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism ~ At the Heart of Winter
Mayhem - Live in Leipzig
Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun
Summoning - Minas Morgal ~ Let Mortal Heros Sing Your Fame ~ Oath Bound

Secondary Essentials:
Angelcorpse - Exterminate
Antaeus - Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan
Avzhia - The Key of Throne
Dawn - Nær Sólen Gar Niþer For Evogher
Gris - Il Etait une Foret
Katharsis - 666 ~ VVorld VVithout End ~ Fourth Reich
Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike
Legion of Doom - For Those of the Blood ~ The Horned Made Flesh
Profanatica - Profanatitas De Domonatia ~ Disgusting Blasphemies Against God
Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp

No Poseurs Section:
Beherit - The Oath of Black Blood
Conqueror - War Cult Supremacy
Diocletian - Doomcult
Havohej - Dethrone the Son of God
Ildjarn - Det Frysende Nordariket ~ Forest Poetry ~ Strength and Anger

NotFromANUS

Doom

Doom is a genre of metal that emphasizes slow tempos, and heavy riffs and atmosphere. These are most often achieved with heavy distortion and downtuned guitars, creating a ‘thick’ sound.

Starting Points:
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus ~ Nightfall
Pentagram - Relentless ~ Day of Reckoning
Saint Vitus - s/t ~ Born Too Late
Trouble - Psalm 9
Witchfinder General - Death Penalty

The Best Of:
The Gates of Slumber - Conqueror
Hour of 13 - s/t
Pagan Altar - Volume 1 ~ The Lords of Hypocrisy ~ Mythical & Magical
Reverend Bizarre - In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend
Scald - Will of the Gods is Great Power
Solitude Aeturnus - Into the Depths of Sorrow ~ Through the Darkest Hour
Solstice - Lamentations ~ New Dark Age
Warning - Watching from a Distance

Extra Listening:
Altar of Oblivion - Sinews of Anguish
Apostle of Solitude - Sincerest Misery
Blood Farmers - Blood Farmers ~ Permanent Brain Damage
Count Raven - Destruction of the Void
Electric Wizard - s/t
Fall Of The Idols - The Séance
Graveyard Dirt - Shadows of Old Ghosts
Isole - Forevermore
The Lamp of Thoth - Portents, Omens & Dooms
Lord Vicar - Fear No Pain
The Obsessed - Lunar Womb
Orodruin - Epicurean Mass
Paul Chain - Alkahest
Procession - The Cult of Disease
Revelation - Release

Sludge

Generally accepted to have began with the Melvins and the second half of Black Flag's My War, Sludge is a combination of the trudging misanthropy of Doom Metal and the vicious assualts of Hardcore Punk. Typical features of Sludge include contrast between slow, Sabbathian riffs and upbeat sections reminiscent of early Hardcore Punk.

Essentials:
Melvins - Lysol ~ Bullhead
Eyehategod - In the Name of Suffering ~ Take as Needed for Pain
Iron Monkey - Our Problem
Crowbar - Crowbar ~ Odd Fellows Rest
Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops

Further Listening:
13 - Hollow ~ Grief and Eyhategod splits
Buzzov*en - To a Frown
Corrupted - Dios Injusto
Dystopia - Human = Garbage
Grief - Dismal ~ Come to Grief
Graves at Sea - Documents of Grief
Mistress - II: The Chronoviser
Noothgrush - Erode the Person
His Hero Is Gone - Fifteen Counts of Arson
Thou - Tyrant

Stoner Metal

Combining the staggering pace of Black Sabbath with the drug fueled madness of Psychedelic music, Stoner Metal approximates the soundtrack of a trip. Heavy in its slow, reverberated, low-tuned riffing, and often retro in its production, this music is the perfect companion to late night smoke sessions. Just say YES, kids.

Essentials:
Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun ~ Welcome to Sky Valley
Sleep - Holy Mountain ~ Dopesmoker
Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics... ~ Dopethrone
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
Goatsnake - Flower of Disease

Further listening:
Bongzilla - Amerijuanican
Boris - Heavy Rocks ~ Amplifier Worship
Church of Misery - Houses of the Unholy
Down - Nola ~ III: Over The Under
High on Fire - Surrounded by Thieves ~ The Art of Self Defense
Orange Goblin - Frequencies from Planet Ten ~ The Big Black
Om - Conference of the Birds
Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder
Spirit Caravan - Jug Fulla Sun ~ Dreamwheel
YOB - The Great Cessation

NotFromANUS

Death/Doom

Death/Doom, a variant of Death Metal, brings more focus on plodding, dirge style riffs, borrowed and re-worked from Doom Metal. Focusing more on oppressive and crushing atmosphere than on the up-tempo blast and scissor beat happy percussion styles of Death Metal, these bands bring the extremity of the early 90's together with the original heaviness of bands like Saint Vitus and Pentagram. Melodic and ethereal acoustic guitar sections are utilized by some bands, and a small pocket full of Gothic inspired "Melodic Death/Doom" made a strong impact in the international scene.

Starting Points:
Amorphis-The Karelian Isthmus
Cathedral-Forest Of Equilibrium
Coffins - Mortuary in Darkness ~ The Other Side Of Blasphemy
Katatonia-Dance Of December Souls ~ Brave Murder Day
Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise~Gothic

Best Of:
Autopsy-Mental Funeral
dISEMBOWELMENT - Transcendence Into the Peripheral
Incantation - Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Winter - Into Darkness
Asphyx-The Rack~Last One On Earth

Further Listening:
Anathema - Serenades~Cresfallen ~ They Die
Celestial Season - Solar Lovers
Ceremonium - Into The Autumn Shade ~ No Longer Silent
Cianide - The Dying Truth ~ A Descent Into Hell
Dark Millennium - Ashore the Celestial Burden
Divine Eve - As The Angels Wept
Goatlord - Reflections of the Solstice
Gorement - The Ending Quest
Hooded Menace - Fullfill The Curse
Mythic - Mourning In The Winter Solstice
Ras Algethi - Oneiricon
Rippikoulu - Musta Seremonia
Sorrow - Hatred And Disgust
Swallowed - Swallowed

Funeral Doom

Started by Thergothon, who opted for a new level of droning, mystical, and emotional Death/Doom, the majority of the former Death Metal elements were abandoned for an ambient sound that capitalized on the melancholic or introspective melodic work from guitars and keyboards, with slow, minimalist, rumbling riffs. Some newer bands have begun reintegrating elements from Death and Black metal, making something far more sinister and morbid than the founders.

Starting Points:
Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea, The Divinity Of Oceans
Evoken -Antithesis of Light
Shape Of Despair-Illusion's Play

Best Of:
Evoken - Embrace The Emptiness
Skepticism - Stormcrowfleet ~ Lead and Aether ~ Alloy
Thergothon - Streams From the Heavens
Esoteric - Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum
Wormphlegm - Tomb Of The Ancient King

Further Listening:
Abstract Spirit - Liquid Dimensions Change
Doom:VS-Empire Of The Fallen
Ea - Au Ellai, Ea Taesse
Imindain - Monlithium
Mournful Congregation - The Monad of Creation
Nivathe - Enveloped In A Diseased Abyss
Nortt - Gudsforladt
Pantheist - O Solitude ~ Amartia
Stabat Mater - Stabat Mater
Tyranny - Bleak Vistae

NotFromANUS

(Crossover) Thrash

A form of skater punk that fuses Metal and Hardcore into a unique form, Thrash takes the speed and political / social commentary (or satire) of Hardcore Punk, and mixes in riffing that is unquestionably Metal in construction and form.

Starting Points:
Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
DRI-Thrash Zone
Nuclear Assault - Game Over
Stormtroopers of Death - Speak English or Die
The Accüsed - The Return of... Martha Splatterhead

Best Of:
Fearless Iranians From Hell - Die For Allah ~ Holy War ~ Foolish Americans
DRI - Dirty Rotten LP ~ Dealing With It ~ Crossover
Cryptic Slaughter - Convicted ~ Money Talks
Carnivore - s/t ~ Retaliation

Further Listening:
Chronical Diarrhea - The Last Judgment
Corrosion of Conformity - Eye for an Eye
Cro-Mags - Age of Quarrel
Crumbsuckers - Life of Dreams
dead horse - Horsecore
Leeway - Born to Expire
Prong - Primitive Origins
Suicidal Tendencies - s/t

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Grindcore

Equally inspired by the raw simplicity of Hardcore Punk as the satanic battery of early extreme metal, Grindcore specialises in short bursts of unfiltered rage and pure aggression. The genre encompasses a variety of approaches to it's "short songs with blastbeats" templates, from a handful of powerchords to ultra-technical death metal inspired riffing, with lyrical topics stretching from left-wing soapboxing to descriptions of medical procedures.

Starting Points:
Brutal Truth - Need To Control
Carcass - Symphonies of Sickness
Impetigo - Horror of the Zombies
Insect Warfare - World Extermnation
Napalm Death -From Enslavement to Obliteration
Xysma-Above the Mind of Morbidity

Best of:
Napalm Death-Scum
Assück - Discography
Carcass-Reek of Putrefaction
Bolt Thrower - In Battle There Is No Law
Repulsion - Horrified
Terrorizer - World Downfall

Further Listening:
Agathocles-Discography
Blood - Impulse to Destroy ~ O Agios Pethane
Dahmer- Dahmerized
Despise You- West Side Horizons
Excruciating Terror- Expression of Pain
Extreme Noise Terror- A Holocaust in Your Head
G-Anx- Flashbacks
General Surgery-Necrology
Hatred Surge - Deconstruct
Magrudergrind - Rehashed
Multiplex – World
Nuclear Death - Bride of Insect ~ Carrion for Worm
Phobia- Means of Existence
Plutocracy- Sniping Pigz
Rotten Sound – Cycles
Unholy Grave- Revoltage

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Industrial Metal

Born from the mind of ex-Napalm Death guitarist Justin Broadrick, Industrial Metal formed in the early workings of his project Godflesh. Highly emphatic of repetitious sections of hammer blow to the head drumming, crushing guitar riffs, and pitch shifted vocals, it is the musical incarnation of the mechanistic hell of modern society.

Starting Points:
Ministry - Psalm 69
Fear Factory - Soul Of A New Machine

Best of Industrial Metal:
Godflesh - Streetcleaner
Ministry - The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste
Swans ~ Children of God

Notable Works:
Aborym-With No Human Intervention
Axis Of Perdition - The Ichneumon Method ~ Deleted Scenes From The Transition Hospital
Blut Aus Nord - The Works Which Transform God
Doubting Thomas - The Infidel
Godflesh ~ Pure
Ministry ~ Filth Pig
Pitchshifter - Industrial
Swans - Filth ~ Cop ~ Greed ~ Holy Money
The Amenta-Occasus

NotFromANUS

Folk Metal

Dating back to the early 90's, the genre only really started to grow in the late 90's/early 00's. Folk metal is a fusing of elements of Folk music and Metal, often in terms of instrumentation, melody, and lyrics. The term has since come to include other genres, which are more commonly referred to as Viking, Pagan or Battle Metal.

Starting Points:
Ensiferum - Iron
Finntroll - Jaktens Tid
Korpiklaani - Voice of Wilderness
Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Turisas - Battle Metal

Best of Folk:
Bathory - Hammerheart
Heidevolk - De Strijdlust is Geboren
Falkenbach - ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri...
Nokturnal Mortum - Голос Сталі
Odroerir - Götterlieder
Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness
Skiltron - The clans have united
Skyforger - Kauja Pie Saules
Темнозорь - Урочища Снов
Tuatha De Dannan - Tingaralatingadun

Further Listening for Folk:
Arkona - Lepta
Asmegin - Hin Vordende Sod & So
Cruachan - The Morrigans Call
Einherjer - Blot
Finsterforst - Zum Tode Hin
Folkearth - By The Sword of my Father
Forefather - Steadfast
Gjallarhorn - Nordheim
Glittertind - Evige Asatro
Irminsul - Irminsul
Крода - Cry to me, River...
Skyclad - Folkemon
Menhir - Hildebrandslied
Moonsorrow - V: Havitetty
Myrkgrav - Trollskau, Skrømt Og Kølabrenning
Nebelhorn - Fjordland Sagas
Theudho - The Völsunga Saga
Týr - Eric the Red

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Power Metal

Power Metal 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, Brazil and Japan with a lighter, more melodic sound and frequent use of keyboards. Fast tempo, melodic harmonies, and fantasy themed lyrics, usually based on mythologies, war, and death, characterize this genre.

Starting Points:
Gamma Ray – Land of the Free
Firewind – Forged by Fire ~ Burning Earth
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
Sonata Arctica – Ecliptica, Winterheart’s Guild
Rebellion - Miklagard - The History of the Vikings - Volume II
Cauldron Born - Born of the Cauldron
Stratovarius – Twilight Time ~ Dreamspace ~ Episode
Heathendom - Nescience

Best Of:
Riot - Thundersteel
Lords of the Crimson Alliance - Lords of the Crimson Alliance
Virgin Steele - The Marriage Of Heaven and Hell Part I
Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
Lizzy Borden - Love You To Pieces
Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind/Somewhere Far Beyond/Nightfall In Middle Earth/ Tales From the Twilight World
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1
Manowar – Gods of War
Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory

Further Listening:
Liege Lord - Master Control
Powermad - Absolute Power
Dark Age - Dark Age
Airwolf - Victory Bells
Savage Grace - Master of Disguise
Excelsis - Kurt of Koppigen
Omen - Battle Cry
Axenstar – Far From Heaven, Perpetual Twilight
Rhapsody of Fire – Dawn of Victory ~ Symphony of Enchanted Lands
Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus ~ The Odyssey
Demons and Wizards – S/T
Demoniac – Touch the Wind

NotFromANUS

Progressive Metal

Progressive metal bands have taken progressive rock stylings, such as longer and more complex song structures, odd time signatures, dissonant/otherwise odd harmony, and/or unusual instrumentation, and attach it to heavy metal. In some cases, this is merely taking metal and make it more complex; in others, the there is a much clearer sonic influence from the prog rock genre. Most prog metal bands take a primary influence from Rush and neo-prog bands like IQ, although there are some with more basis in the 70's prog sound exemplified by King Crimson and Gentle Giant.

Starting Points:
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory~Images And Words
Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape
Anubis Gate - Andromeda Unchained
Shadow Gallery - Room V
Vanden Plas - Christ.O~Beyond Daylight

Best Of:
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Pt.1
Hammers of Misfortune - The August Engine
Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within
Voivod - Dimension Hatross
Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale
Blotted Science - The Machinations of Dementia
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Psychotic Waltz - A Social Grace
Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness

Further Listening:
Pain of Salvation - Entropia~BE
Arcturus – The Sham Mirrors
Voivod - Nothingface~The Outer Limits
Gordian Knot - Gordian Knot~eMergent
Adramelch - Irae Melanox
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Hammers of Misfortune - The Locust Years~The Bastard
Noekk - The Water Sprite~The Minstrel's Curse
Dark Quarterer - Symbols~The Etruscan Prophecy
Riverside - Out of Myself~Second Life Syndrome

Extreme Prog

Extreme progressive metal borrows considerable elements from death metal and/or black metal, but can not be accurately described as "progressive death metal" or "progressive black metal." Extreme prog bands tend to use a mix of heavier sections and and soft sections, matched by a mix of harsh and clean vocals, along with the typical progressive metal elements.

Starting Points:
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve
Dan Swano - Moontower
In Vain - The Latter Rain
Enslaved - Ruun

Best Of:
Opeth - Still Life ~ My Arms, Your Hearse
Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
In Mourning - Shrouded Divine
Ne Obliviscaris - The Aurora Veil
Cynic - Focus
Edge of Sanity - Crimson

Further Listening:
Opeth - Deliverance~Morningrise
In Mourning - Monolith
Ikuinen Kaamos - The Forlorn~Fall of Icons
Alchemist - Organasm
Ihsahn - After~angL
Ethereal Blue - Essays In Rhyme on Passion and Ethics
Dark Suns - Grave Human Genuine
Orphaned Land - Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven
Edge of Sanity - Crimson 2
Cormorant - Metazoa
Windham Hell - South Facing Epitaph

NotFromANUS

Post-Metal/Experimental

Post-Metal is a concoction of many sounds and inspirations, originating from the early 90's with bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh combining crusty sludge, post-hardcore, industrial, early post-rock and noise soundscapes. The genre has grown, creating mellow counterparts and experimental entities with rising crescendos and minimalistic structures. A bit into the future (2005-now), French post-black metal bands like Alcest and Lantlos spawned with influences from black metal, post-rock and shoegaze, venturing extreme music into new land.

Starting Points:
Cult of Luna - Eternal Kingdom
ISIS - Wavering Radiant
Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm
Red Sparowes - At The Soundless Dawn
Russian Circles - Station
Intronaut - Valley of Smoke ~ Prehistoricisms
Pelican - Australasia

Best of Post-metal/Experimental:
Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood ~ Enemy of the Sun
ISIS - Panopticon ~ Oceanic
Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway ~ Salvation
Callisto - True Nature Unfolds
Pelican - The Fire in Our Throats Will beckon the Thaw
Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites
Jesu - Conqueror ~ Silver
Intronaut - Void
Maudlin of the Well - Bath

Additional Listening:
Old Man Gloom - Meditations in B
Mouth of the Architect - The Ties That Blind ~ The Violence Beneath
Irepress - Sol Eye Sea I
Kekal - 1000 Thoughts of Violence
Minsk - The Ritual Fires of Abandonment
A Storm of Light - And We Wept The Black Ocean Within
Year of No Light - Nord
Rosetta - 'Wake/Lift'
Nahemah - The Second Philosophy
Giant- Song
Fall of Efrafa - Inlé

Drone:
Earth - Earth 2: Special Low-Frequency Version ~ Hex (Or Printing in the Infernal Method)
Boris - Amplifier Worship ~ Absolutego
Sunn O))) - White2 ~ Black One
The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls with Sand
Pyramids - Pyramids

Post-Black Metal:
Altar Of Plagues - Mammal
Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde ~ Ecailles de Lune
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain ~ The Mantle
Lantlôs - .Neon ~ Lantlôs
Cold Body Radiation - The Great White Emptiness
Solstafir - Kold

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Deathcore

Deathcore has existed in vague forms for years, describing bands that mixed the intensity and chaotic approach to riffing of Hardcore, with the overall brutality and aggression of Death Metal. Primarily consisting of heavy, sometimes incredibly technical, low tuned riffing, blast beat and double kick pedal orientated drumming, half time sludgy breakdowns, and an increased focus on a wider harsh vocal range. Some bands have experimented outside of those confines with the introduction of keyboards, interludes, clean singing, and Meshuggah-esque meters.

Starting Points:
As Blood Runs Black - Allegiance
Bring Me The Horizon - Count Your Blessings
Job For A Cowboy - Doom EP
Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
Whitechapel - This Is Exile

Best of Deathcore:
The Faceless - Akeldama
Despised Icon - The Healing Process
All Shall Perish - The Price of Existence
The Red Chord - Clients
Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement
Animosity - Empires ~ Animal
Born of Osiris - The New Reign

Additional Listening:
Dead To Fall- The Phoenix Throne
Glass Casket- Desperate Man's Diary
Knights of the Abyss- Juggernaut
Shadow of the Colossus- Shadow of the Colossus
War From A Harlot's Mouth - Transmetropolitan ~ In Shoals

NotFromANUS

Melodic Death Metal

Melodic Death Metal combines the melody of the New Wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) with the intensity of Death Metal. Originating in Gothenburg, Sweden, the genre combined the harmony style and groove melodies of heavy metal with the harsh thrashy sound and vocals of death metal. Later the genre evolved with additions such as keyboards.

Starting Points:
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
Carcass – Heartwork
Dark Tranquility - The Gallery ~ Skydancer ~ Character
In Flames - The Jester Race ~ Lunar Strain
Wintersun - s/t

Essentials:
At The Gates - The Red in the Sky is Ours ~ Gardens of Grief
Intestine Baalism - An Anatomy of the Beast ~ Banquet in the Darkness ~ Ultimate Instinct
Cenotaph - Riding Our Black Oceans
Sentenced - North From Here
Eucharist - A Velvet Creation

Further Listening:
Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt ~ A Diamond For Disease
Be'lakor - Stone's Reach
Cardinal Sin – Spiteful Intents
Descend into Nothingness - Darkened Reality
Garden of Shadows - Oracle Moon ~ Heart of the Corona
Insomnium - In the Halls of Awaiting~Since the Day it All Came Down ~ Above the Weeping World
Quo Vadis - Forever... ~ Day into Night ~ Defiant Imagination
The Arcane Order - In the Wake of Collisions ~ The Machinery of Oblivion
Vehemence - God Was Created

...and so endeth our recommendations. We hope you've enjoyed reading, and found some music worth listening to! Don't forget to post questions if you want more tailor-made recommendations.

Contributors
A big thanks to, and in no particular order...
Riffmast
illuminatiano
NotFromANUS
Kepulix
VampireGoldfish
Stranglehold
Scourge441
dead-fish
AnnihiSlateR
we_built_a_tree and The Thrash Brotherhood
eazy-c
sg_man08
duncang
romencer17
Vermintide
Dyer's Eve
CG Man16
Limaj_daas
Burning_Angel
Magero
mydadisjewish (RIP)
and the many others who helped out!

sound-byte

looks good

__________________
People think that entertainers are very different from regular people, but we're not. You work hard for your money, we work hard for your money -Gene Simmons

Seven String Legion



Interpret, Adapt, Overcome.

illuminatiano

woohoooooooo

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Riffmast

I don't really feel the history part is needed.Good job though everyone.

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sound-byte

It can't hurt to have a bit of background.

__________________
People think that entertainers are very different from regular people, but we're not. You work hard for your money, we work hard for your money -Gene Simmons

Seven String Legion



Interpret, Adapt, Overcome.

SadusAttack

Wait..why isn't Merciless in the list of Essential Death/Thrash? Why is Death not on Melodic Death with Symbolic/TSOP? Why is there no Technical Death Metal?

illuminatiano

should have been there when we made it, too late now.

So anus, have you pm'ed a mod about it to get it stickied ?

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fallenangel20

I hate to nitpick, but no mention of "Helter Skelter" in the proto-metal introduction?


Just sayin'. We, basically, wouldn't have "Masters of Reality" without that song, which means LOT of lost history in metal.






That's my only "complaint", and it's barely one, at that.

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Nelsean

Excellent job! I will sticky this! MhuahahahahHa

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