7 ms·

Differences between Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, and Death Metal

75 points by curtis 10y ago

morley 10y ago
I consider myself a minor, amateur metalhead (to which I'm sure a real metalhead would take umbrage), and I have to look up the definitions of black and death metal every few months to remember the difference. It doesn't help that their names are so similar, and that I don't particularly like either genres. Off-hand, there's also sludge, stoner, prog, doom, folk, nu, and power metal, and several different slices of each genre.
- sreitshamer 10y ago
  and hair metal! :)
  - dfrey 10y ago
    Is hair metal different from power metal?
    - sevensor 10y ago
      I think power metal is closer to prog metal than hair metal, but this is calling out for an XKCD style map.
    - wnevets 10y ago
      Absolutely but I'm terrible at describing such things. However here are two examples. Hair Metal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8teXR8VE4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8teXR8VE4 Power Metal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZNb96EQJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZNb96EQJ8
      - Gravityloss 10y ago
        I never understood why bands went to the compressed machine like sound. The Ratt song has so much more "soul". And this is coming from a Blind Guardian fan!
    - stryan 10y ago
      Hair metal is another term for glam metal; think Guns & Roses, Warrant, those kinds of 80s hard rock/ kind of metal bands. Power Metal is like closer to speed metal; think of something like "Ramble On" played by Judas Priest or Iron Maiden.
      - wnevets 10y ago
        I think Guns & Roses would take exception with being grouped with glam metal. Their debut and grunge marked the end of glam metal.
      - 67726e 10y ago
        I always thought that GnR was a bit of a divergence from so called "hair metal", sure some of the guys had that big hair that was practically a uniform, but they had a different feel than your stereotypical hair metal bands like Warrant or Ratt. Hair metal had the glitz and glamour of rich rockers partying to excess, but Guns and Roses just had more sleeze. In reading Motley Crue's The Dirt and Nikki Sixx's Herion Diaries, they really sold that image a bit for me in that, while they got along well with each other on tour and partied together, there was a bit more of a dirty aspect.
    - Floegipoky 10y ago
      They're totally different, though to be fair there are some bands like Manowar who are considered to be Power Metal. They are very focused on their aesthetic (shirtless, oiled up dudes in leather pants riding motorcycles). I think they get lumped in because their lyrics are about glorious battle and such, a traditional lyrical topic of the genre, but musically and aesthetically they're doing something very different from the rest of the genre. I think most Manowar fans consider them to be Power Metal, but many fans of the broader genre (myself included) would disagree. The rest of the genre is derived from the lineage of the band Helloween, itself heavily influenced by the NWOBHM. Many point to 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1' as the first Power Metal album. Other early bands include Blind Guardian and Gamma Ray (which was founded by Kai Hansen, who played with Helloween and is considered by many to be the father of the genre). It's closely associated with Speed Metal, the line between them is not always clear but modern Power Metal bands tend to have "something extra" beyond fast guitar and high-pitched vocals, whether it's symphonic or progressive influences, more existential lyrical topics, a focus on storytelling, etc. It's often more about who the band is friends with than their musical or lyrical content or aesthetic. It's closely associated with Scandinavia, and it's worth noting that Symphonic Metal was at the very least heavily influenced by this genre, the respective scenes being tightly entwined/the same people. Some examples of what many self-identified fans of Power Metal would consider good Power Metal- Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 Sonata Arctica- Ecliptica Kamelot- Epica (The Symphonic Metal band Epica named themselves after this album) Rhapsody- Symphony of Enchanted Lands
- j2bax 10y ago
  You missed Djent!
  - ZenoArrow 10y ago
    Meshuggah time... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_tSyJBsRQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_tSyJBsRQ
- slantyyz 10y ago
  What you're talking about reminds me of those tree diagrams for Rock music. I always found those helpful in terms of understanding the relationship between various subgenres. I did a quick google and found this: http://www.maximummetal.com/images/metaltl.jpg http://www.maximummetal.com/images/metaltl.jpg
- mtdewcmu 10y ago
  It would have made sense to divide up Death Metal into subgenres. Doom metal/stoner metal is the most interesting thing I've come across in recent years.[1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcfW9pP8XQ&t=10m58s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcfW9pP8XQ&t=10m58s
  - RUG3Y 10y ago
    I wouldn't put doom and stoner under death metal, very different aesthetics. That's just me though.
    - mtdewcmu 10y ago
      I agree. The definition of death metal is a real hodgepodge. It's sort of like classifying animals as 1. dog 2. cat 3. horse 4. other
pavel_lishin 10y ago
I wish there were some representative samples linked from this. Based on the description, I don't think I'd be able to distinguish Black Metal from Death Metal. Also, metal is an incredibly varied genre. If you think you don't like metal, I'd be happy to recommend a couple of different sample songs and see if any of them catch your fancy and change your mind.
- dfrey 10y ago
  > I don't think I'd be able to distinguish Black Metal from Death Metal If the band is wearing black and white makeup on their face and looks ridiculous, then it's black metal.
- mtdewcmu 10y ago
  My interpretation: Death Metal sounds really hard; Black Metal sounds like crap
  - mtdewcmu 10y ago
    It's not my opinion... the description of Black Metal made it sound like crap.
    - Floegipoky 10y ago
      Give it a chance, I'm not a fan of the "we're like srs evil" aesthetic but the genre has produced a lot of high-quality art. A lot of bands sidestep Satanism and focus on paganism's affinity with nature, letting the atmospheric quality of the music lull the listener into a trance-like mindset of connection and oneness. Here's Agalloch, perfect for a snowshoed stroll through the forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXz69kk9YU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXz69kk9YU
- rl1987 10y ago
  See http://mapofmetal.com http://mapofmetal.com
- stinos 10y ago
notahacker 10y ago
But let's not forget all the other subgenres, as beautifully illustrated at www.mapofmetal.com
- 67726e 10y ago
  There's also the Metal Evolution tree[0] [0] - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/18/3b/19/183b19cafe1e9d15e0c500fa396e0747.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/18/3b/19/183b...
  - notahacker 10y ago
    that's very nice too, although I can't quite work out why someone's labelled grunge as "goth metal"
    - 67726e 10y ago
      Good catch, I never noticed that one.
vmasto 10y ago
Great overall but the omission of "Death" (the band) in death metal is a mystery to me. Death was a great influence not just in death metal but metal in general and defined the genre. They were impeccable musicians and brilliant virtuosos. I think any song from Death's early albums is a much better example of the music's "sound" than anything else.
- ZenoArrow 10y ago
  I used to enjoy The Sound of Perseverance, haven't heard it properly in a while, what was that instrumental track on that album with the harmonised guitars?
  - rl1987 10y ago
    "Voice of the Soul"
    - ZenoArrow 10y ago
      Yes, that's the one I was thinking of. Forgot it had a decent cover of Painkiller too: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=quPliK3eAy4 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=quPliK3eAy4
  - vmasto 10y ago
    Voice of the soul!
    - ZenoArrow 10y ago
      That's the one! Thanks! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j3OPOYG6XIQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j3OPOYG6XIQ
ZenoArrow 10y ago
Metal is a fairly broad group of genres, I'd suggest there's something in it for everyone. Just for fun, I'd be interested in hearing some recommendations. I'll start with one, this is The Space For This by Cynic, I'd guess you could call this melodic tech death metal, but as Zappa said, talking about music is like fishing about architecture, just see if you like it! http://youtu.be/gw-6IIBXNSQ http://youtu.be/gw-6IIBXNSQ
- pavel_lishin 10y ago
  My recommendations: - Rammstein - Du Riechst So Gut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrmsJhf89MY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrmsJhf89MY (music video) -- nearly everyone's heard of Rammstein; their music videos are always well done and usually tell a story, often based on traditional Germanic fairy tales. - Korpiklaani - Tuli Kokko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRbg1uEglEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRbg1uEglEE -- folk metal - Eluveitie - The Arcane Dominion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-hkjryDCmg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-hkjryDCmg -- folk metal again, from their album "Evocation 1", which was recorded with traditional, acoustic instruments. - The Kovenant - The Human Abstract: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH3P_6Ns7Go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH3P_6Ns7Go -- black metal, has some electronic/industrial influence. Vocals may be an acquired taste. - Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGe8qID9gSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGe8qID9gSs (music video) -- These guys won Eurovision in 2006; their gimmick is that every band member is a monster (think Gwar). - Nekrogoblikon - We Need a Gimmick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3ub1SUYfg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3ub1SUYfg (music video) -- another band with a gimmick (heh) - goblins, obviously. Vocals are again an acquired taste, but this whole album is worth listening to for a wonderful story about goblins trying to commit autogenocide. - Urizen - Boxmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDv1U_P7gTk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDv1U_P7gTk -- 8-bit influenced metal with good vocals. - Epica - The Last Crusade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV3gQcb8jU0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV3gQcb8jU0 -- symphonic metal with female vocals. - Babymetal - Gimme Choko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY (music video) -- jpop meets metal. You're basically either going to love this or hate this. - Ladybaby - Nippon Manju: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8-vje-bq9c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8-vje-bq9c (music video) -- jpop meets metal, but with a bearded Austrlian lead singer. - Knorkator - Buchstabe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUcSTyD2T7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUcSTyD2T7M (music video) -- comedy metal from Germany; funnier if you understand the lyrics.
glup 10y ago
As with any other classification, start with Borges' Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Emporium_of_Benevolent_Knowledge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Emporium_of_Benevole...
slantyyz 10y ago
I was sold with the opening sentence "I wrote my dissertation on this very topic..." I don't read dissertations and I'm not even a huge metal fan, but the idea of a dissertation on metal subgenres just sounds interesting to me.
- 67726e 10y ago
  There's a guy, Sam Dunn[0], who is an anthropologist and metal head. He did the documentary movie Metal: A Headbanger's Journey[1] and later the documentary series Metal Evolution[2] on VH1 Classic. If you're interested at all in the topic, they're definitely fun to watch, a good way to find some new music, and learn a bit more and think more about what's going on with the music. Personally, I found the episode on Shock Rock to be my favorite. [0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Dunn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Dunn [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger%27s_Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger%27s_Journe... [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Evolution
- jdc0589 10y ago
  I would read that, for sure.
- obombration 10y ago
  "Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult" is a great introductory book on early black metal scenes around the world. Most black metal works focus on the Norwegian scene (Mayhem/Burzum/Darkthrone primarily), but Evolution of the Cult has chapters on Rotting Christ from Greece, Sigh from Japan, the Les Légions Noire bands from France and a whole host of others. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Metal-Evolution-Dayal-Patterson/dp/1936239752 https://www.amazon.com/Black-Metal-Evolution-Dayal-Patterson...
  - jdc0589 10y ago
    had to double take that book title. I assumed they would have gone with "kvlt" instead of "cult"
camus2 10y ago
Thrash Metal is basically "L.A style" high pitched voice , Death metal is more like "Tampa style" growly voice, Black Metal is more about the look than anything else and Heavy Metal, well any rock band can play heavy.
ivl 10y ago
I find metal is one of the more interestingly diverging genres. The range of sound that falls under 'metal' is shocking. You can go from slow, with clean vocals and a (fairly) relaxing sound, to something earshattering. Also, you can very often tell that the musicians are putting all they can into it. The music is very emotional in a lot of the subgenres, particularly black metal, and post-metal.
saticmotion 10y ago
For those who want a very in depth tour of all metal genres, with example songs, check this website out: http://mapofmetal.com/#/home http://mapofmetal.com/#/home
obombration 10y ago
> This one's a bit unique as it all began with a small group of teenagers in Jessheim in Norway in the late 80s/early 90s. They wanted to be 'evil' and 'extreme' but they lacked the musical ability to rival the predominantly (at the time) Swedish and American Death Metal scenes. So instead they did what anyone would do (not) they started burning down churches, proclaiming themselves 'Satanists' and killing each other. That statement ignores a big part of the black metal aesthetic and does a huge disservice to the many great musicians in the scene. The raw production values were in response to the rising popularity and commercialization of death metal around the late '80s and early '90s and the 'plastic' production that came with it. Listen to Soulside Journey and then A Blaze in the Northern Sky and try telling me it wasn't absolutely intentional. Then listen to anything Emperor released and try telling me "they lacked the musical ability to rival the predominantly (at the time) Swedish and American Death Metal scenes." Euronymous spent tons of time perfecting the production of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Whether it sounds harsh to the average listener or not (it does), he went out of his way to have 1) audible bass (check it out on headphones sometime), 2) thunderously huge drums and 3) cacophonous guitars, true to his playing style. These were all calculated, intentional decisions, meant to drive the cold, bleak aesthetic.
- Applejinx 10y ago
  Indeed. Also, there's an interesting side-issue in that the 'corpse sound' of Black Metal was a conscious rebellion against overproduced death metal, but the same choices from a rock band would read as RAW, not 'bad'. There are parallels with AC/DC, who continually struggled against the record industry's desire to slicken and produce them. I like the heck out of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (you'd never think it to look at me) and have listened to it on a really high-end professional mix system with very good DACs and amplification, and far from being 'corpse, bad' sound, they actually managed a big, live sound that delivers the impact of a black metal band quite well. Just because it's not 'slick' doesn't mean it's low fidelity. For instance, Jethro Tull's 'Aqualung' is a very similar 'raw' sound but strikingly high fidelity on the right equipment. I strongly recommend the documentary, "Until The Light Takes Us" if you're interested in black metal. Varg "Count Grishnach" Vikernes in particular, interviewed in prison, has a lucid and striking account of the motivations of the early Black Metalists.
jdc0589 10y ago
The depth and breadth of all the sub-genres of metal is really pretty shocking, even for people that have listened to it all their lives. I have a slightly loose definition of metal, so in my mind I can go from Blackened Thrash/Death from someone like Skeletonwitch (an all time personal favorite), to whatever the hell 3 Inches of Blood is (all I know is it's awesome), to viking themed Death Metal, to all acoustic stuff from Eluveitie, all the way to a cello trio like Apocalyptica or maybe even Break of Reality (less so) and still be "in the genre" so far as I'm concerned. Its amazing.
squozzer 10y ago
I won't call the author right or wrong on their categorizations, but metal - and maybe all genres of music - break down in the following ways: 1) Subject matter, which for long-running bands tends to have a fad-like flavor (e.g. AC/DC's Highway to Hell and Back In Black have more satanic subject matter than DDDDC or Fly On The Wall.) 2) Presentation / aesthetics / "Dress code" -- For instance, Van Halen vs. Mötley Crüe. Both wore spandex; MC also wore obvious makeup, dyed / teased hair, and sort of shambling / fishnet clothing, VH did not. Black Sabbath tended a little more towards leather and black, while their equally-loud peers Led Zeppelin looked a little more hippy. 3) Band composition / Musical direction -- For instance, it is nearly impossible to call your band metal if it has a keyboard player (Sorry Styx and Deep Purple.) How about guitars? Some bands - GnR and Aerosmith had dedicated lead and rhythm guitarists, who harmonized a little; Other bands, such as Priest and Iron Maiden, had more-or-less two lead guitarists who would split leads and/or harmonize multiple times per song. Just a forinstance, KISS would be metal based on 2, but not so much 1 (their subject matter was mostly sex and drugs, very little death and hell.), and their approach to 3 was pretty much Rick Derringer territory.
- Floegipoky 10y ago
  Please stop perpetuating the myths that metal has to concentrate on "death and hell" and that keyboards somehow aren't metal.
blubb-fish 10y ago
Whaaaaaaat? Nobody posted Harald Schmidt talking about Metal, yet? http://www.sat1.de/tv/die-harald-schmidt-show/video/heavy-metal-clip http://www.sat1.de/tv/die-harald-schmidt-show/video/heavy-me... It's a classic!
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
throwaway26960 10y ago
Djent - (Periphery - The Walk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPNEGy5L-w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPNEGy5L-w Thrash - (Stone - Get Stoned) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHlr3U_s8Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHlr3U_s8Q Melodic - (Children of Bodom - Towards Dead End) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7fbeGWZ5gw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7fbeGWZ5gw Also (Galaktikon - Dangertits) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB8lM-oCSk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB8lM-oCSk Black - (Dimmu Borgir - Progenies of the Great Apokalypse) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuIxl0vip6Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuIxl0vip6Q Heavy - (Smashing Pumpkins - Zero) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkjcvNztKQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkjcvNztKQ Progressive - (Between the Buried And Me - White Walls) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdRh2un5eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdRh2un5eg Parody - (Austrian Death Machine - Get To The Choppah) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPIO86jTrQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPIO86jTrQQ
- xtracto 10y ago
  Good list of examples. I like to point people to Every Noise at Once ( http://everynoise.com/engenremap.html http://everynoise.com/engenremap.html ) to show the differences between the types of Metal. BTW, it is really really nice to see a post related to this my favourite type of music here in Hacker News. For people that do not understand Metal I can recommend the documentary "Metal, A HeadBanger's journey" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger's_Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger's_Journey ) which tries to explain in a "anthropological" way, the background of metal.

75 points by curtis 10y ago

I consider myself a minor, amateur metalhead (to which I'm sure a real metalhead would take umbrage), and I have to look up the definitions of black and death metal every few months to remember the difference. It doesn't help that their names are so similar, and that I don't particularly like either genres. Off-hand, there's also sludge, stoner, prog, doom, folk, nu, and power metal, and several different slices of each genre.

sreitshamer 10y ago
and hair metal! :)
- dfrey 10y ago
  Is hair metal different from power metal?
  - sevensor 10y ago
    I think power metal is closer to prog metal than hair metal, but this is calling out for an XKCD style map.
  - wnevets 10y ago
    Absolutely but I'm terrible at describing such things. However here are two examples. Hair Metal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8teXR8VE4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u8teXR8VE4 Power Metal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZNb96EQJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZNb96EQJ8
    - Gravityloss 10y ago
      I never understood why bands went to the compressed machine like sound. The Ratt song has so much more "soul". And this is coming from a Blind Guardian fan!
  - stryan 10y ago
    Hair metal is another term for glam metal; think Guns & Roses, Warrant, those kinds of 80s hard rock/ kind of metal bands. Power Metal is like closer to speed metal; think of something like "Ramble On" played by Judas Priest or Iron Maiden.
    - wnevets 10y ago
      I think Guns & Roses would take exception with being grouped with glam metal. Their debut and grunge marked the end of glam metal.
    - 67726e 10y ago
      I always thought that GnR was a bit of a divergence from so called "hair metal", sure some of the guys had that big hair that was practically a uniform, but they had a different feel than your stereotypical hair metal bands like Warrant or Ratt. Hair metal had the glitz and glamour of rich rockers partying to excess, but Guns and Roses just had more sleeze. In reading Motley Crue's The Dirt and Nikki Sixx's Herion Diaries, they really sold that image a bit for me in that, while they got along well with each other on tour and partied together, there was a bit more of a dirty aspect.
  - Floegipoky 10y ago
    They're totally different, though to be fair there are some bands like Manowar who are considered to be Power Metal. They are very focused on their aesthetic (shirtless, oiled up dudes in leather pants riding motorcycles). I think they get lumped in because their lyrics are about glorious battle and such, a traditional lyrical topic of the genre, but musically and aesthetically they're doing something very different from the rest of the genre. I think most Manowar fans consider them to be Power Metal, but many fans of the broader genre (myself included) would disagree. The rest of the genre is derived from the lineage of the band Helloween, itself heavily influenced by the NWOBHM. Many point to 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1' as the first Power Metal album. Other early bands include Blind Guardian and Gamma Ray (which was founded by Kai Hansen, who played with Helloween and is considered by many to be the father of the genre). It's closely associated with Speed Metal, the line between them is not always clear but modern Power Metal bands tend to have "something extra" beyond fast guitar and high-pitched vocals, whether it's symphonic or progressive influences, more existential lyrical topics, a focus on storytelling, etc. It's often more about who the band is friends with than their musical or lyrical content or aesthetic. It's closely associated with Scandinavia, and it's worth noting that Symphonic Metal was at the very least heavily influenced by this genre, the respective scenes being tightly entwined/the same people. Some examples of what many self-identified fans of Power Metal would consider good Power Metal- Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 Sonata Arctica- Ecliptica Kamelot- Epica (The Symphonic Metal band Epica named themselves after this album) Rhapsody- Symphony of Enchanted Lands
j2bax 10y ago
You missed Djent!
- ZenoArrow 10y ago
  Meshuggah time... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_tSyJBsRQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_tSyJBsRQ
slantyyz 10y ago
What you're talking about reminds me of those tree diagrams for Rock music. I always found those helpful in terms of understanding the relationship between various subgenres. I did a quick google and found this: http://www.maximummetal.com/images/metaltl.jpg http://www.maximummetal.com/images/metaltl.jpg
mtdewcmu 10y ago
It would have made sense to divide up Death Metal into subgenres. Doom metal/stoner metal is the most interesting thing I've come across in recent years.[1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcfW9pP8XQ&t=10m58s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcfW9pP8XQ&t=10m58s
- RUG3Y 10y ago
  I wouldn't put doom and stoner under death metal, very different aesthetics. That's just me though.
  - mtdewcmu 10y ago
    I agree. The definition of death metal is a real hodgepodge. It's sort of like classifying animals as 1. dog 2. cat 3. horse 4. other

pavel_lishin 10y ago

I wish there were some representative samples linked from this. Based on the description, I don't think I'd be able to distinguish Black Metal from Death Metal. Also, metal is an incredibly varied genre. If you think you don't like metal, I'd be happy to recommend a couple of different sample songs and see if any of them catch your fancy and change your mind.

dfrey 10y ago
> I don't think I'd be able to distinguish Black Metal from Death Metal If the band is wearing black and white makeup on their face and looks ridiculous, then it's black metal.
mtdewcmu 10y ago
My interpretation: Death Metal sounds really hard; Black Metal sounds like crap
- mtdewcmu 10y ago
  It's not my opinion... the description of Black Metal made it sound like crap.
  - Floegipoky 10y ago
    Give it a chance, I'm not a fan of the "we're like srs evil" aesthetic but the genre has produced a lot of high-quality art. A lot of bands sidestep Satanism and focus on paganism's affinity with nature, letting the atmospheric quality of the music lull the listener into a trance-like mindset of connection and oneness. Here's Agalloch, perfect for a snowshoed stroll through the forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXz69kk9YU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXz69kk9YU
rl1987 10y ago
See http://mapofmetal.com http://mapofmetal.com
stinos 10y ago

notahacker 10y ago

But let's not forget all the other subgenres, as beautifully illustrated at www.mapofmetal.com

67726e 10y ago
There's also the Metal Evolution tree[0] [0] - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/18/3b/19/183b19cafe1e9d15e0c500fa396e0747.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/18/3b/19/183b...
- notahacker 10y ago
  that's very nice too, although I can't quite work out why someone's labelled grunge as "goth metal"
  - 67726e 10y ago
    Good catch, I never noticed that one.

vmasto 10y ago

Great overall but the omission of "Death" (the band) in death metal is a mystery to me. Death was a great influence not just in death metal but metal in general and defined the genre. They were impeccable musicians and brilliant virtuosos. I think any song from Death's early albums is a much better example of the music's "sound" than anything else.

ZenoArrow 10y ago
I used to enjoy The Sound of Perseverance, haven't heard it properly in a while, what was that instrumental track on that album with the harmonised guitars?
- rl1987 10y ago
  "Voice of the Soul"
  - ZenoArrow 10y ago
    Yes, that's the one I was thinking of. Forgot it had a decent cover of Painkiller too: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=quPliK3eAy4 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=quPliK3eAy4
- vmasto 10y ago
  Voice of the soul!
  - ZenoArrow 10y ago
    That's the one! Thanks! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j3OPOYG6XIQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j3OPOYG6XIQ

ZenoArrow 10y ago

Metal is a fairly broad group of genres, I'd suggest there's something in it for everyone. Just for fun, I'd be interested in hearing some recommendations. I'll start with one, this is The Space For This by Cynic, I'd guess you could call this melodic tech death metal, but as Zappa said, talking about music is like fishing about architecture, just see if you like it! http://youtu.be/gw-6IIBXNSQ http://youtu.be/gw-6IIBXNSQ

pavel_lishin 10y ago
My recommendations: - Rammstein - Du Riechst So Gut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrmsJhf89MY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrmsJhf89MY (music video) -- nearly everyone's heard of Rammstein; their music videos are always well done and usually tell a story, often based on traditional Germanic fairy tales. - Korpiklaani - Tuli Kokko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRbg1uEglEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRbg1uEglEE -- folk metal - Eluveitie - The Arcane Dominion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-hkjryDCmg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-hkjryDCmg -- folk metal again, from their album "Evocation 1", which was recorded with traditional, acoustic instruments. - The Kovenant - The Human Abstract: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH3P_6Ns7Go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH3P_6Ns7Go -- black metal, has some electronic/industrial influence. Vocals may be an acquired taste. - Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGe8qID9gSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGe8qID9gSs (music video) -- These guys won Eurovision in 2006; their gimmick is that every band member is a monster (think Gwar). - Nekrogoblikon - We Need a Gimmick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3ub1SUYfg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3ub1SUYfg (music video) -- another band with a gimmick (heh) - goblins, obviously. Vocals are again an acquired taste, but this whole album is worth listening to for a wonderful story about goblins trying to commit autogenocide. - Urizen - Boxmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDv1U_P7gTk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDv1U_P7gTk -- 8-bit influenced metal with good vocals. - Epica - The Last Crusade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV3gQcb8jU0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV3gQcb8jU0 -- symphonic metal with female vocals. - Babymetal - Gimme Choko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY (music video) -- jpop meets metal. You're basically either going to love this or hate this. - Ladybaby - Nippon Manju: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8-vje-bq9c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8-vje-bq9c (music video) -- jpop meets metal, but with a bearded Austrlian lead singer. - Knorkator - Buchstabe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUcSTyD2T7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUcSTyD2T7M (music video) -- comedy metal from Germany; funnier if you understand the lyrics.

glup 10y ago

As with any other classification, start with Borges' Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Emporium_of_Benevolent_Knowledge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Emporium_of_Benevole...

slantyyz 10y ago

I was sold with the opening sentence "I wrote my dissertation on this very topic..." I don't read dissertations and I'm not even a huge metal fan, but the idea of a dissertation on metal subgenres just sounds interesting to me.

67726e 10y ago
There's a guy, Sam Dunn[0], who is an anthropologist and metal head. He did the documentary movie Metal: A Headbanger's Journey[1] and later the documentary series Metal Evolution[2] on VH1 Classic. If you're interested at all in the topic, they're definitely fun to watch, a good way to find some new music, and learn a bit more and think more about what's going on with the music. Personally, I found the episode on Shock Rock to be my favorite. [0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Dunn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Dunn [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger%27s_Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger%27s_Journe... [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Evolution
jdc0589 10y ago
I would read that, for sure.
obombration 10y ago
"Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult" is a great introductory book on early black metal scenes around the world. Most black metal works focus on the Norwegian scene (Mayhem/Burzum/Darkthrone primarily), but Evolution of the Cult has chapters on Rotting Christ from Greece, Sigh from Japan, the Les Légions Noire bands from France and a whole host of others. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Metal-Evolution-Dayal-Patterson/dp/1936239752 https://www.amazon.com/Black-Metal-Evolution-Dayal-Patterson...
- jdc0589 10y ago
  had to double take that book title. I assumed they would have gone with "kvlt" instead of "cult"

camus2 10y ago

Thrash Metal is basically "L.A style" high pitched voice , Death metal is more like "Tampa style" growly voice, Black Metal is more about the look than anything else and Heavy Metal, well any rock band can play heavy.

ivl 10y ago

I find metal is one of the more interestingly diverging genres. The range of sound that falls under 'metal' is shocking. You can go from slow, with clean vocals and a (fairly) relaxing sound, to something earshattering. Also, you can very often tell that the musicians are putting all they can into it. The music is very emotional in a lot of the subgenres, particularly black metal, and post-metal.

saticmotion 10y ago

For those who want a very in depth tour of all metal genres, with example songs, check this website out: http://mapofmetal.com/#/home http://mapofmetal.com/#/home

obombration 10y ago

> This one's a bit unique as it all began with a small group of teenagers in Jessheim in Norway in the late 80s/early 90s. They wanted to be 'evil' and 'extreme' but they lacked the musical ability to rival the predominantly (at the time) Swedish and American Death Metal scenes. So instead they did what anyone would do (not) they started burning down churches, proclaiming themselves 'Satanists' and killing each other. That statement ignores a big part of the black metal aesthetic and does a huge disservice to the many great musicians in the scene. The raw production values were in response to the rising popularity and commercialization of death metal around the late '80s and early '90s and the 'plastic' production that came with it. Listen to Soulside Journey and then A Blaze in the Northern Sky and try telling me it wasn't absolutely intentional. Then listen to anything Emperor released and try telling me "they lacked the musical ability to rival the predominantly (at the time) Swedish and American Death Metal scenes." Euronymous spent tons of time perfecting the production of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Whether it sounds harsh to the average listener or not (it does), he went out of his way to have 1) audible bass (check it out on headphones sometime), 2) thunderously huge drums and 3) cacophonous guitars, true to his playing style. These were all calculated, intentional decisions, meant to drive the cold, bleak aesthetic.

Applejinx 10y ago
Indeed. Also, there's an interesting side-issue in that the 'corpse sound' of Black Metal was a conscious rebellion against overproduced death metal, but the same choices from a rock band would read as RAW, not 'bad'. There are parallels with AC/DC, who continually struggled against the record industry's desire to slicken and produce them. I like the heck out of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (you'd never think it to look at me) and have listened to it on a really high-end professional mix system with very good DACs and amplification, and far from being 'corpse, bad' sound, they actually managed a big, live sound that delivers the impact of a black metal band quite well. Just because it's not 'slick' doesn't mean it's low fidelity. For instance, Jethro Tull's 'Aqualung' is a very similar 'raw' sound but strikingly high fidelity on the right equipment. I strongly recommend the documentary, "Until The Light Takes Us" if you're interested in black metal. Varg "Count Grishnach" Vikernes in particular, interviewed in prison, has a lucid and striking account of the motivations of the early Black Metalists.

jdc0589 10y ago

The depth and breadth of all the sub-genres of metal is really pretty shocking, even for people that have listened to it all their lives. I have a slightly loose definition of metal, so in my mind I can go from Blackened Thrash/Death from someone like Skeletonwitch (an all time personal favorite), to whatever the hell 3 Inches of Blood is (all I know is it's awesome), to viking themed Death Metal, to all acoustic stuff from Eluveitie, all the way to a cello trio like Apocalyptica or maybe even Break of Reality (less so) and still be "in the genre" so far as I'm concerned. Its amazing.

squozzer 10y ago

I won't call the author right or wrong on their categorizations, but metal - and maybe all genres of music - break down in the following ways: 1) Subject matter, which for long-running bands tends to have a fad-like flavor (e.g. AC/DC's Highway to Hell and Back In Black have more satanic subject matter than DDDDC or Fly On The Wall.) 2) Presentation / aesthetics / "Dress code" -- For instance, Van Halen vs. Mötley Crüe. Both wore spandex; MC also wore obvious makeup, dyed / teased hair, and sort of shambling / fishnet clothing, VH did not. Black Sabbath tended a little more towards leather and black, while their equally-loud peers Led Zeppelin looked a little more hippy. 3) Band composition / Musical direction -- For instance, it is nearly impossible to call your band metal if it has a keyboard player (Sorry Styx and Deep Purple.) How about guitars? Some bands - GnR and Aerosmith had dedicated lead and rhythm guitarists, who harmonized a little; Other bands, such as Priest and Iron Maiden, had more-or-less two lead guitarists who would split leads and/or harmonize multiple times per song. Just a forinstance, KISS would be metal based on 2, but not so much 1 (their subject matter was mostly sex and drugs, very little death and hell.), and their approach to 3 was pretty much Rick Derringer territory.

Floegipoky 10y ago
Please stop perpetuating the myths that metal has to concentrate on "death and hell" and that keyboards somehow aren't metal.

blubb-fish 10y ago

Whaaaaaaat? Nobody posted Harald Schmidt talking about Metal, yet? http://www.sat1.de/tv/die-harald-schmidt-show/video/heavy-metal-clip http://www.sat1.de/tv/die-harald-schmidt-show/video/heavy-me... It's a classic!

deleted 10y ago

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throwaway26960 10y ago

Djent - (Periphery - The Walk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPNEGy5L-w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPNEGy5L-w Thrash - (Stone - Get Stoned) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHlr3U_s8Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWHlr3U_s8Q Melodic - (Children of Bodom - Towards Dead End) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7fbeGWZ5gw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7fbeGWZ5gw Also (Galaktikon - Dangertits) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB8lM-oCSk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB8lM-oCSk Black - (Dimmu Borgir - Progenies of the Great Apokalypse) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuIxl0vip6Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuIxl0vip6Q Heavy - (Smashing Pumpkins - Zero) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkjcvNztKQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkjcvNztKQ Progressive - (Between the Buried And Me - White Walls) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdRh2un5eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdRh2un5eg Parody - (Austrian Death Machine - Get To The Choppah) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPIO86jTrQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPIO86jTrQQ

xtracto 10y ago
Good list of examples. I like to point people to Every Noise at Once ( http://everynoise.com/engenremap.html http://everynoise.com/engenremap.html ) to show the differences between the types of Metal. BTW, it is really really nice to see a post related to this my favourite type of music here in Hacker News. For people that do not understand Metal I can recommend the documentary "Metal, A HeadBanger's journey" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger's_Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger's_Journey ) which tries to explain in a "anthropological" way, the background of metal.