Necessary genres of metal

[Manic Ferocity]

Since there are a ridiculous amount of sub-genres, it is hard to say which ones are actually necessary when classifying a metal band. What genres do you guys think are necessary and which ones are pointless (aka IMO viking metal, battle metal, folk metal, etc.)?

Without going into anything "-core" based:
Heavy
Power
Thrash
Black
Doom
Death

IMO necessary but not widely used like the above:
Sludge
Progressive
Gothic
Speed

 

[Hell Awaits Us All]

Heavy
Speed Metal (AKA thrash - this is my opinion - don't argue please)
Death Metal
Grindcore
Black metal
Progressive
Power
Doom
Sludge
Symphonic
gothic

 

[ThisIsACoolName]

I won't deny that I'm less knowledgable that many of the other posters here, so I suppose opinion on this subject might not seem very insightful, but I'll give it anyway.

I think the "big" sub-genres are necessary. Traditional, Thrash, Death, Black, Power and I guess Doom. I suppose the other sub-sub-genres could all be classified under one of the "big" sub-genres. Things like "brutal / technical death, etc., seem a bit overly analytical.

Again, though, I could be totally off base here.

 

[Mort Divine]

Black
Death
Doom
Thrash
Heavy
Progressive
Power
Speed
Folk
Viking
Gothic
Metalcore

EDIT: Forgot prog

 

[Hell Awaits Us All]

speed and thrash don't need to be separate genres

 

[ThisIsACoolName]

Yeah, I've never quite understood the distinction. I guess thrash implies a more agsressive sound? I don't know.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Speed is more closely tied to traditional roots whereas thrash has a more punk feel to it.

 

[Hell Awaits Us All]

"speed metal" is just a more aggressive and faster version of heavy metal, but its still heavy metal

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Heavy
Power
Thrash
Death
Progressive
Doom
Black

Bonus words to use before "metal" or in combination with the above in order to best describe something: epic, speed.

That's it.

 

[Mort Divine]

"speed metal" is just a more aggressive and faster version of heavy metal, but its still heavy metal

No.

Helloween - Walls of Jericho is not heavy metal.
Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear is not heavy metal.

Speed metal is a real subgenre.

 

[Matt]

Everything else isn't actually a genre.

O Rly!

 

[Matt]

Not a Metal genre. Grindcore isn't Metal, Metalcore isn't Metal. Gothic is not Metal, Gothic Metal is a hybrid of Gothic and Metal. Progressive is a descriptive term, not a genre. Etc., etc.

Why wouldn't grindcore be a genre?

Also progressive - adjective
prog - genre

 

[Hell Awaits Us All]

Not a Metal genre. Grindcore isn't Metal, Metalcore isn't Metal. Gothic is not Metal, Gothic Metal is a hybrid of Gothic and Metal. Progressive is a descriptive term, not a genre. Etc., etc.

eh, I don't know about that

prog metal is a hybrid of prog rock and metal, thus making it metal

besides your logic is flawed anyways, thrash was a hybrid of heavy metal, 70s hard rock, and punk

so I guess thrash isn't a metal genre either??

 

[Mort Divine]

Not a Metal genre. Grindcore isn't Metal, Metalcore isn't Metal. Gothic is not Metal, Gothic Metal is a hybrid of Gothic and Metal. Progressive is a descriptive term, not a genre. Etc., etc.

You're actually wrong.

Metalcore can be either metal or not, depends on the extent of the metal influence. Zao isn't metal. The Red Chord is.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Progressive is a descriptive term, not a genre. Etc., etc.

As is "speed" by the way, a lot more than "progressive". The name "Progressive metal" (or prog..whatever) is one of the most indisputable metal sub genres, with tons of bands that defined it and/or cannot be classified anywhere else.

 

[Hell Awaits Us All]

Prog is a bullshit terms that basically means light power metal and Dream Theatre ripoffs.

where does opeth fit in here??

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Prog is a bullshit terms that basically means light power metal and Dream Theatre ripoffs.

You really should not talk about things you don't know

 

[ThisIsACoolName]

NProgressive is a descriptive term, not a genre. Etc., etc.

This makes sense to me. Since progressive can pretty much be applied to the various sub-genres (Progressive Power Metal, etc.), wouldn't Prog. metal that doesn't fall under a sub genre just be Progressive Heavy Metal?

 

[Mort Divine]

Metalcore is never strictly Metal by definition, this doesn't have to fucking be addressed.

Yes it does actually, saying metalcore isn't metal while disreguarding the plethora of metalcore bands that ARE metal just shows ignorance on your behalf. Metalcore has two faces, the bands that are more hardcore influenced like Zao and The Number Twelve Looks like you and the more metal influenced ones like Animosity and Heaven Shall Burn.

The latter branch of bands ARE metal.

 

[Hell Awaits Us All]

prog metal = progressive rock + metal

this is fact, stop arguing