Metal Mayhem's Guide to Extreme Metal
Below is a description of the main Extreme Metal categories and a few bands, which if your new to that section, I recommend you have a look at. Further down the page you'll find five CD's from some of the greatest bands in each category I recommend you buy.
If you need more information on a band, aren't quite sure whether to buy that CD or just want to know what I think, send your e-mails to chris@metal-mayhem.co.uk
NOTE: The recommended bands may/may not be in that category nowadays but they were earlier in their careers. * by a band means HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
THRASH METAL
Characterised by a double speed drum pattern and grim, opressive riffs. This sound was to be labeled THRASH METAL and became very exciting. This was the first EXTREME METAL, which all began with the release of "Welcome to Hell" by Venom. Recognised by it's sixteenth note strumming, thrash is nowadays regarded as quaint, as its heyday was in the eighties.
Thrash is sometimes mentioned as speed metal, but some insist that speed metal is more technical.
Recommended:
Metallica*, Slayer*, Anthrax*, Megadeth, Kreator, Deceased, Exodus, Testament, Sodom, Dark Angel*, Overkill, Annihilator, Possessed*, Destruction
DEATH METAL
A more, primal form of thrash, but with often more brutal, heavier riffs and with usually growling, roaring, deeper vocal styles. This type of metal nearly always contains either brutal, gruesome and/or satanic lyrics. Other sub genres include Gore, Grind and a combination of both GoreGrind.
Recommended:
Morbid Angel*, Death*, Necrophagia*, Carcass*, Autopsy*, Cannibal Corpse*, Vader, Mortician*, Suffocation, Exhumed, Dismember, Malevolent Creation, Angel Corpse, Napalm Death*, Bolt Thrower, Amorphis*, Nile, Decapitated, Hypocrisy, Amon Amarth
BLACK METAL
Black Metal originated from the Venom album "Black Metal" and in the beginning this tag was given to metal bands with dark, satanic lyrics (Bathory, Mercyful Fate etc.) Nowadays, a mixture of thrash and death metal using lightning fast snare and kick-drum patterns, but instead of the grunting vocals a more high pitched screeching is used. War-paint is also worn by the bands to make them look skull-like or demonic.
It has the same thumping beats as thrash but can have alot more melody with keyboards and ochestra's but some bands like to use very lo-fi production values to give a very necro sound which overall creates a very unique type of music. This type usualy has evil, satanic lyrics.
Black Metal has been out of the music scene really for the last couple of years, but now it is back and going strong, with a very big fan base, mainly in Scandanavia, where nearly all the black metal sounds come from, (Burzum, Marduk, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, to name a few)
Recommended:
Burzum*, Marduk, Emperor*, Mayhem*, Bathory*, Aborym, Immortal*, Darkthrone*, Thorns, Ulver
POWER METAL
A very clean style based on monstrous riffs, often with thrash speed, but heavy in melody and harmonies, using Iron Maiden as its main influence.
Recommended:
Iron Maiden*, Bruce Dickinson*, Iced Earth*, Helloween, Gamma Ray*, Blind Guardian*, Stratovarious, Jag Panzer* Hammerfall*, Primal Fear, Rhapsody
DOOM METAL
Doom Metal took Metal in the opposite direction, with slow tempos and deep vocals. It later included the gothic influences such as The Sisters of Mercy.
Recommended:
Black Sabbath*, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Cathedral, Katatonia*, Candlemass, Trouble, Saint Vitus, Obssesed
Thanks to Sam from Battered for the last four recommended Doom bands! You can find the link to Battered on the Links Page!
Five CD's you must own from each category (In no paticular order).
You must also own "Tales from the 1,000 Lakes" by Amorphis but I wasn't sure where to put it. Highly recommended.
Power Death Thrash Black
1) Iced Earth - "Something Wicked...."
2) Iron Maiden - "Best of the Beast"
3) Hammerfall - "Lagacy of Kings"
4) Manowar - "Anthology"
5) Bruce Dickinson - "The Best of" 1) Carcass - "Reek of Putrefication"
2) Autopsy - "Torn from the Grave"
3) Morbid Angel - "Altars of Madness"
4) Death - "Spiritual Healing"
5) Bolt Thrower - "Warmaster" 1) Slayer - "Reign in Blood"
2) Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
3) Exodus - "Bonded by Blood"
4) Dark Angel - "Time Doesn't Heal"
5) Possessed - "Seven Churches 1) Darkthrone - "Under a Funeral Moon"
2) Immortal - "Sons of Northern Darkness"
3) Mayhem -"De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
4) Burzum - "Det Som En Gang Var"
5) Ulver - "Kveldssanger"
Below is a description of the main Extreme Metal categories and a few bands, which if your new to that section, I recommend you have a look at. Further down the page you'll find five CD's from some of the greatest bands in each category I recommend you buy.
If you need more information on a band, aren't quite sure whether to buy that CD or just want to know what I think, send your e-mails to chris@metal-mayhem.co.uk
NOTE: The recommended bands may/may not be in that category nowadays but they were earlier in their careers. * by a band means HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
THRASH METAL
Characterised by a double speed drum pattern and grim, opressive riffs. This sound was to be labeled THRASH METAL and became very exciting. This was the first EXTREME METAL, which all began with the release of "Welcome to Hell" by Venom. Recognised by it's sixteenth note strumming, thrash is nowadays regarded as quaint, as its heyday was in the eighties.
Thrash is sometimes mentioned as speed metal, but some insist that speed metal is more technical.
Recommended:
Metallica*, Slayer*, Anthrax*, Megadeth, Kreator, Deceased, Exodus, Testament, Sodom, Dark Angel*, Overkill, Annihilator, Possessed*, Destruction
DEATH METAL
A more, primal form of thrash, but with often more brutal, heavier riffs and with usually growling, roaring, deeper vocal styles. This type of metal nearly always contains either brutal, gruesome and/or satanic lyrics. Other sub genres include Gore, Grind and a combination of both GoreGrind.
Recommended:
Morbid Angel*, Death*, Necrophagia*, Carcass*, Autopsy*, Cannibal Corpse*, Vader, Mortician*, Suffocation, Exhumed, Dismember, Malevolent Creation, Angel Corpse, Napalm Death*, Bolt Thrower, Amorphis*, Nile, Decapitated, Hypocrisy, Amon Amarth
BLACK METAL
Black Metal originated from the Venom album "Black Metal" and in the beginning this tag was given to metal bands with dark, satanic lyrics (Bathory, Mercyful Fate etc.) Nowadays, a mixture of thrash and death metal using lightning fast snare and kick-drum patterns, but instead of the grunting vocals a more high pitched screeching is used. War-paint is also worn by the bands to make them look skull-like or demonic.
It has the same thumping beats as thrash but can have alot more melody with keyboards and ochestra's but some bands like to use very lo-fi production values to give a very necro sound which overall creates a very unique type of music. This type usualy has evil, satanic lyrics.
Black Metal has been out of the music scene really for the last couple of years, but now it is back and going strong, with a very big fan base, mainly in Scandanavia, where nearly all the black metal sounds come from, (Burzum, Marduk, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, to name a few)
Recommended:
Burzum*, Marduk, Emperor*, Mayhem*, Bathory*, Aborym, Immortal*, Darkthrone*, Thorns, Ulver
POWER METAL
A very clean style based on monstrous riffs, often with thrash speed, but heavy in melody and harmonies, using Iron Maiden as its main influence.
Recommended:
Iron Maiden*, Bruce Dickinson*, Iced Earth*, Helloween, Gamma Ray*, Blind Guardian*, Stratovarious, Jag Panzer* Hammerfall*, Primal Fear, Rhapsody
DOOM METAL
Doom Metal took Metal in the opposite direction, with slow tempos and deep vocals. It later included the gothic influences such as The Sisters of Mercy.
Recommended:
Black Sabbath*, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Cathedral, Katatonia*, Candlemass, Trouble, Saint Vitus, Obssesed
Thanks to Sam from Battered for the last four recommended Doom bands! You can find the link to Battered on the Links Page!
Five CD's you must own from each category (In no paticular order).
You must also own "Tales from the 1,000 Lakes" by Amorphis but I wasn't sure where to put it. Highly recommended.
Power Death Thrash Black
1) Iced Earth - "Something Wicked...."
2) Iron Maiden - "Best of the Beast"
3) Hammerfall - "Lagacy of Kings"
4) Manowar - "Anthology"
5) Bruce Dickinson - "The Best of" 1) Carcass - "Reek of Putrefication"
2) Autopsy - "Torn from the Grave"
3) Morbid Angel - "Altars of Madness"
4) Death - "Spiritual Healing"
5) Bolt Thrower - "Warmaster" 1) Slayer - "Reign in Blood"
2) Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
3) Exodus - "Bonded by Blood"
4) Dark Angel - "Time Doesn't Heal"
5) Possessed - "Seven Churches 1) Darkthrone - "Under a Funeral Moon"
2) Immortal - "Sons of Northern Darkness"
3) Mayhem -"De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
4) Burzum - "Det Som En Gang Var"
5) Ulver - "Kveldssanger"
