Band catagorization

[mel_progson]

Was just thinking about style catagorization of bands between now and say the 80's early 90's.

For example; Metal Church were classified as thrash in the 80's and early 90's but if they were around now, they'd more likely be branded power metal.

Anyone think of any other good examples? Feel free to reverse it too. What would bands nowdays be branded in the 80's?

 

[Keir]

Metal Church always considered themselves a heavy metal band, neither thrash nor power. I think they started out as thrash but became more power metal over time, especially with the addition of Mike Howe, so I just call them power/thrash.

Power metal from the 80s was a very different creature in general. For example, Helloween were called melodic speed metal when they started but became the template for what power metal was in the 90s (and still is today).

 

[hoodaman]

Speed metal. That's a genre I never used. Thrash and power metal both apply but aside from tempo are so stylistically different that it doesn't make sense to lump them together.

 

[labrekk]

Was just thinking about style catagorization of bands between now and say the 80's early 90's.

For example; Metal Church were classified as thrash in the 80's and early 90's but if they were around now, they'd more likely be branded power metal.

Anyone think of any other good examples? Feel free to reverse it too. What would bands nowdays be branded in the 80's?

I remember that when they released their 1st album, Gates To Purgatory in 1984, which had some Satanic lyrics, Running Wild were often labeled as "black metal", which certainly doesn't fit what we refer as "black metal" nowadays.

 

[Keir]

Yeah, I have an old Kerrang that calls Slayer black metal.

 

[mel_progson]

I remember that when they released their 1st album, Gates To Purgatory in 1984, which had some Satanic lyrics, Running Wild were often labeled as "black metal", which certainly doesn't fit what we refer as "black metal" nowadays.

lol that's a great example.

 

[Claus / Intromental]

There were some interesting genre-tags put on bands back in the day - one of my favorites; I remember STRATOVARIUS being categorized as "techno metal" by some of the bigger European magazines.

 

[OrionSon]

Speed metal seems like one of those genres where I can't describe the difference between it and power metal, but id know it when I hear it. A very weird defining line between thrash and power.