Definitions

[no country for old wainds]

I know a hell of alot of people who can't distinguish some of the different metal genres. I also struggle with some songs. Can anyone give me definitions for the main metal genres? Thanks.

 

[SoulVomitor]

Fuck all that sub-genre bullshit....no matter what you think you know some assfucker will tell you you're wrong.....just listen to what you like & discuss it, otherwise you'll waste time trying to explain yourself.

 

[Weapon X]

Sub-Genres are a real pain in the ass. But some are usefull, while others are complete bullshit. 90% bullshit 5% usefull 5% sure but your stretching it a little bit.

I find Thrash and Death Metal probably the most usefull, while Doom, Black, Gore metal just confuses me. Then you get into bands that go into these catagories. One guy will say this "band" is Death while someone else will say it's Thrash.

Example; Opeth fans say Opeth ain't Death or even Melodic Death in any way. They sound it to me. Some say Cannibal Corpse is thrash, sorry I don't see how.

Most Sub-genres are created by either by the Record Execs or the Band themselves, trying to seperate them from the rest of the flock.

 

[no country for old wainds]

hm....I'd still like to know differences between, say, black and death....because it seems to me like everyone pretends to know when they actually haven't got a fucking clue....

 

[Weapon X]

Let me be the first to admit I haven't got a clue.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Heh, well, I think of thrash as the really fast shit, death and black to be similar except black is perhaps darker...maybe slower...growlier (not sure if thats a word)....actually I have no fucking idea....oh well....

 

[Desert Armada]

i think that death is more atmospheric, and i find that most black metal bands have shittiter recording (generally)

 

[MacMoney]

If you don't like 'em, don't use 'em and be done with it.

 

[nergal_S]

Weal i will explain to it you since there is a huge diffrence in black metal and death metal. Almost like comparing Jazz with Blues. THe main Black metal bands are Emperor, Mayhem, Bathory, Abigor, and there are many sub genres in black metal like old school black metal, epic black metal, raw black metal. Each style of black metal is very diffrent from the other. For example old school black metal i would say Bathory and Venom fit in here perfectly, they have a very thrash influanced sound but carry the ocult and satanic (some nationalist, Bathory) topics most black metal bands are based around today. Epic black metal is Summoning, Burzum, Bal Sagath est.. this is more atmophric but still stay with in the genre. And there are more raw bands like Mayhem, Abigor, old Emperor, Zyklon - B est.. very fast music with alot of growls and very techniqule drums and guitar. Black metal is mostly based In Norway and in the past the U.K. death metal started in Flordia and Sweden and there is alot of sub genres of death metal like Brutal Death Metal nile, Inncontation, Pesmist, Canibal Corpse, est.. this is very fast and tecnhniqule but sounds very diffrent from black metal. There is doom metal witch is slower death metal but still with the technique and very romace based bands include my dying bride, novembers doom est. and melodic death metal, i dont realy care for this style but it is very comerical sounding and easy to listin to bands like In Flames, Dark Tranquility, and Arch Enemy. Hope this helped

 

[Draxx]

www.allmusic.com

 

[no country for old wainds]

Haha, so there's sub-sub genres....great....thanks for the help though. That site looks useful too.

 

[frigidpony]

goregrind
porngrind
deathgrind
grind!

 

[MacMoney]

Originally posted by nergal_S
Black metal is mostly based In Norway

This is totally wrong. Norway has just gotten most publicity because of the non-musical things that took place in there. Most of the bands coming out of Norway suck majorly anyway and copy the innovators. Black metal started out with Venom and has surfaced in many parts of the world ever since.

death metal started in Flordia and Sweden

The first three death metal bands were from San Francisco, Florida and Toronto so no it didn't exactly start in Florida and definitely not in Sweden. Sweden and Florida were just the places where death metal got more popular than in other places.

 

[~UlvedaL~]

The difference is in the vocals, composing and structure...

 

[SoulVomitor]

Myrkskog described themselves as "Extreme Metal" in a recent interview. Whatever that is.....all I know is it's fuckin' brutal!!!

 

[Voice of God]

Somebody should make a FAQ about the genres, so that this topic wouldn't pop up every other month.

 

[Weapon X]

The problem with sub-genres is that everyone can't decide the true definitions, because there is to much interpretation.

 

[nergal_S]

if you want to know more about it go to www.anus.com and go to the music section

 

[Wandrail]

I agree with Chuck Schuldiner's ethic that it simply must be heavy metal. Its either metal or its not, and within that, its either good and worthwhile, or bad and a waste of time. Sub-subgenres and pigeonholing are half of what's wrong with metal today. Everyone's concerned with fitting into a pre-defined "scene" and few are inspired to innovate and write. Bah!

 

[The Deathrace King]

The only people who bitch about the existence of the genres are the one's too dense to differentiate.

You cannot possibly tell me that bands like Prostitute Disfigurement should be in the same subgenre as His Hero is Gone or in the same subgenre as Cattle Decapitation.