Metal Music Expert Blog

The Inspiration of Darkthrone

2012-01-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

Darkthrone all started back within the Eighties in a small Norwegian town. Having the inspiration of Celtic Frost, Darkthrone was album to product their first album Soulside, with the help of a small independent record company. The starting of their music was near a death metal sounds with a number of black metal parts mixed together.

The release of Soulside Journey was the beginning of their career. They started to embrace the black metal community. Other black metalers like Fenriz and Zephyrous had been experiementing with corpsepaint with their bands. Darkthrone began to embrace this style in their band. In August of 1991, they might file their second full-size album, A Blaze in the Northern Sky, which contained the bands first black metal recordings and would later grow to be, with two other albums, part of the band’s so-known as unholy trinity of recordings. Their black metal style was additionally a priority with their document label. Mainly as a result of the opposite artists that they had on file wasn’t something like Darkthrone. Because of all of these problems and inventive variations they only launched 2000 copies. However later Peaceville Records produced extra in 2003.

In the early summer of 1992 Darkthrone recorded Below a Funeral Moon, the band’s final with guitarist Zephyrous. But dropping their guitarist didn’t slow them down they later released Transilvanian Hunger which is labeled their greatest album to date. This album also had other black metalers similar to Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. Together the albums A Blaze within the Northern Sky, Underneath a Funeral Moon, and Transilvanian Hunger would come to be recognized by followers because the Unholy Trinity, essentially the most influential and well-recognized albums in the style black metal.

The last album Darkthrone did that was fully black metal was Sardonic Warth. In 06 they launched a seminal album entitled The Cult is Alive. This was produced and recorded in Peaceville Records. The album was the band’s first in a new type that while incorporating some black metal had rather more crust punk characteristics. And this present day and age is what the band continues to play. There have been three different albums F.O.A.D., Black Flags and Circle the Wagons that have been released in 07, 08 and 10. There music nonetheless have the fundamental constructing block and types that they began with. But with each release there's an increasing number of of a change.

With their current change of music style, Darthrone will all the time be remembered for their black metal music. Darkthrone is still considered some of the finest black metal music created.

Read more on norwegian black metal bands and metal bands at this site. They cover all types of heavy metal music and news in heavy metal.

darkthrone, black metal, death metal, heavy metal music, metal music

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

2011-11-02T20:23:00.001-07:00

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal is also called NWOBH. The heavy metal bands involved on this movement have been, because the title suggests, primarily British. The major focus of NWOBHM bands have been getting heavy metal back into the spot light. Feast beasts, complicated guitar solos and fast cross songs were born. NWOBHM has always had a tuff look and picture to the heavy metal community. The most popular look that went hand and hand with NWOBHM was lengthy wavy hair and dark black leather-based clothing.

Perhaps most notable of all NWOBH bands in Iron Maiden. Even though there have been other bands like Judas Priest and Saxon included in the NWOBH creation, Iron Maiden is just probably the most well known. The style has got here down in recognition and most bands have migrated to a traditional metal sound. NWOBH was replaced by glam metal, then glam metal was replaced by thrash metal, which is the only genre to remain alive.

New Wave of British Heavy Metal remains to be around, but is small groups. There are still cowl bands and remakes of songs to keep the style alive. This, actually, has been the case for a lot of of heavy metal's "forgotten" genres that have appeared to have some form of resurgence in the 2000's due to followers means to achieve out.

Although ignored by common tradition, NWOBHM remains considered one of heavy metals most notable and influential sub-genres. Many of the early greats of the style like Iron Maiden, Saxon, Grim Reaper, Battleaxe, and Motörhead proceed to attract fans and launch albums today.

Here is some more information about Norwegian Black Metal Bands and Heavy Metal from the Beginning.

Amon Amarth History

2011-07-22T10:59:00.001-07:00

Sweden, 1988 3 musicians from the city of Thumba formed what was then a grindcore band, referred to as Scum. Not lengthy after this band fashioned, Johan Hegg, a vocalist from the realm, took Mäkitalo's place and the band that may become realize as Amon Amarth began began as one of the top metal bands.
Scum modified their title to Amon Amarth in 1991 after recording only one demo. Then, in 1993 launched the first demo, Thor Arise, beneath the band's new a much better name. When the band changed their name, additionally they changed their lyrical center of attention and musical course too adoption a extra melodic and loss of life metal influenced sound together with Viking and mythological impressed lyrics. The band consisted of Ted Lundström on bass, Olavi Mikkonen on guitars, Anders Hansson also on guitars and Nico Kaukinen on drums. After one other demo (The Arrival of the Fimbul Wintry weather) and an EP (Sorrow All through the Nine Worlds 1996), the band singed to the record label that may be residence from this point on, Metal Blade, and released their debut full size, Once Sent from the Golden Hall.

While preparations have been being made for Amon Amarth's largest tour ever, their guitarist Anders Hansson left and was replaced by way of Johan Soderberg. The excursion went on as scheduled which showcased Amon Amarth opening for Deiced with Six Feet Beneath and Brutal Reality in tow. After the excursion the band lost yet one more member, Martin Lopez, to Opeth. Fredrik Andersson, ex drummer for A Canorous Quintet, used to be quickly found to replace him. These final two departures and replacements have been the bands solely because then.

With Oden On Our Facet, the band's 2006 full-length, is perhaps Amon Amarth's so much severely well received. This album was once the band's first to enter the Billboard charts peaking at quantity 15 on the Top Heatseekers, and number 26 at the Independent Albums chart. The cover artwork for the record is considerably of a departure for the band, the place they usually have busy, painted covers with Vikings or Viking imagery, and as a substitute includes a simple rendering of the Norse God Odin riding on his horse, Sleipnir with the Valknut symbol within the background. The art was once impressed by the well-known Tjängvide stone. In [[0]] on Amon Amarth's new album, titled Surtur rising, they coated a complete of three tracks. Accept's Balls To The Wall, Kiss' Struggle Maching or even Aerials by means of Gadget of a Down. Amon Amarth's solely different enterprise into masking bands was on 2002's Verses the Global once they coated a Black Sabbath tune.

Amon Amarth use imagery of and Viking inspired lyrics and so are often fallacious for Viking metal. The band has refuted this declare many occasions mentioning that they do not see themselves as making pagan song or Viking metal, instead, they are a dying metal band with Viking lyrics.

Amon Amarth's legacy is that of a hard-operating, dedicated band that releases persistently nice information and has prompted a generation of bands that followed them. With all Amon Amarth's accolades, many albums, music videos and appearances in metal magazines, they're going down in history but show no sign of slowing. Cheers!

Additional References
Metal Music News
Viking Metal Genre
Thrash Metal Genre

Viking Metal History

2011-03-03T15:28:00.001-08:00

If you dip down deeper in heavy metal you will find a genre called Viking Metal. Viking Metal is another heavy metal sub genre that you will find in heavy metal. You will find elements of death, black and folk metal inside these metal bands. This is a fairly exciting and new genre of music. You will find strong dramatic atmospheres, fast pace beats and keyboard features. Viking metal writers use mythology and fantasy themes within their music. Heavy metal has also had a satanic feel about them, but Viking metal has nothing to do with Satanism. The music usually consists of many dark sounding riffs, melodies and evils sounds. There are no songs that talk about the devil of Satan.

In countries like Norway and Finland, Viking metal has strong roots. The accordion, harp and panflute are some of the most influenced instruments used in Viking metal. In Viking metal you will find their vocals consist of roars and deep growls. Viking metal does give a gray and dark feeling behind the music. Often this type of music is found in Black metal, but those fans that tend to follow this genre of music can to have a positive outlook.

Viking metal has been traced to references of gods in warfare. Led Zeppelin had songs that were the earliest signs of Viking metal. Led Zeppelin wrote songs that includes some gods and famous Vikings. Song containing choir vocals became prominent for the style of Viking Metal. Black Sabbath was one of the first ones to do this. The first heavy metal band that combined and wrote all elements of Viking metal into a song was Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force. "I am a Viking" was release by Yngwie J. Malmsteen in 1985, the next trace of a full Viking metal song. The first band to be considered Viking metal was Bathory. Bathory then experimented with some Black metal and Viking metal. Further on they released an album called "Hammerheart" which had a Viking metal style with the incorporation of folk instruments. This is probably one of Bathory's strongest abums recorded.

Most Viking metal is a reference to pagan culture. Viking metal bands usually are formed in northern Europe. Countries in northern Europe have most Viking metal bands. Black metal is often a starting point for most Viking metal bands. Music is often dramatic, epic and mythological. Pull Viking metal apart you will find elements from Traditional, Black and Folk. Bands often seemed in English language which gives them a wider audience in the European area.

Check out this list for Viking metal bands. You will find that most of these Viking metal bands have a different genre background. Equilibrium, Amon Amarth, Manowar, Ensiferum, Vanaheim, Bathory and Enslaved.

Viking metal is going on for more than 20 years in the heavy metal community. This is still one of the smallest and underground heavy metal genres to the metal community. Bands like Amon Amarth, Enslaved, Ensiferum and Bathory have continued to create albums. Some of these bands listed have created a strong community and fan base. Viking metal will continually grow and become more known within the metal community as time goes on.

Additional Reference
Heavy Metal Forum
Heavy Metal Blog

The Doom Metal Tree

2010-10-04T16:40:00.001-07:00

Even this genre could be broken down into other sub genres. Some have a small twist from the original and some are combined with other metal genres. If Doom metal isn't your thing you can listen to some of types of heavy metal songs. This list is the most popular sub genres of doom metal.

Traditional Metal

This is where doom metal all started out. With doom metal starting in the 90's most bands today still belong to this sub category. This metal music has heavy distortion along with a slower tempo with heavy distortion. This style of doom metal often has clean singing, growls and screams.
Some bands that fall into this category are Witchcraft, Reverend Bizarre and Ogre.

Epic Metal

Epic and Traditional Metal is quite comparable in style. With the music being similar the style of vocals is what sets it apart. You'll discover more clean singing vocals in Epic. Bands that fall into this group are Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Solstice and Doomsword.

Stoner Doom Metal

This is also called Psychedelic Metal. The music is called this because of the psychedelic features that bands include with it. Watch for plenty of effects with guitar pedals and synthesizers when listening to this style of music. The guitar effects may be fuzz, flanger and phaser. There have been many Stoner metal bands that use different effects. Pay attention to Sons of Otis, Acid King, Electric Wizard, Kyuss and Sleep for some stoner metal music.

Sludge

Sludge has a bit of southern rock inside it, plus styles from metal and hardcore punk. A fast tempo is extremely common in this style of music. With guitars having a sluggish sound and the drum kits using double bass to create fast beats, this is simply not typical for doom metal bands. Everyone sings about something different but a trendy topic is drugs, society and politics.
Acid Bath, Eyehategod, Grief and Crowbar are a couple of examples of Sludge metal bands.

Death

You'll discover slow tempos and lots of distortion within this sub genre. The most important distinction you will find may be the deep growling and snarls in the vocals. Death Doom metal has more double bass pedal drumming than the typical doom metal style. There have been many ties with bands like Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. Winter, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Asphyx and Autopsy are some popular Death Doom metal bands.

Black Doom Metal

Whenever you combine the elements and styles of Black and Doom metal, you will get something called Black Doom metal. You will see plenty of high pitched scream with a lot of raw distortion. They also play with a slower tempo or rate with their music.
To find out more about Black Doom investigate Ajattara, Dolorian, Gallhammer and Nortt.

Doom Metal Grows

The above of a few of the other sub groups of doom metal. You can even find more than these. Even today there are new bands and it is growing. Doom metal isn't in the public eye as much as it had been, but it won't die.

Additional Reference:
Doom Metal Forum
Other Areas of Doom Metal
The Beginning of Thrash Metal

Sub Genres and Genres of Doom Metal

2010-06-16T16:49:00.003-07:00

Doom Metal is a sub genre of metal music. You will find that many metal music is identical. The difference is the the development, instruments and style of the music. The guitar tuning, speed and also the distortion is what separates doom metal from any other metal music. Doom metal melodies and lyrics have a lot to do with death, fear and misery. Most doom metal bands are all about keep the structure of metal music.

Most Popular Vocals

The majority of the doom metal vocals possess a clean feel. Some band will give out a scream here and there in their music. Bobby Lebling and Ozzy Osbourne are a couple of the best vocalists that have incorporated this style within their music. There have been other styles that are contained in the doom metal family. Most doom metal has screams, but some bands will go with some growls.

Most lyrics that doom metal band members write are nothing particularly. They write mostly about inspirations in their life. Doom metal lyrics will often have a sense of depression, death, fear, anger and sorrow within their music. There are other aspets that doom metal artists take. Bands also write about religion, inspiration from literature and symbolism.

Doom Metal Instruments

Most bands are established exactly the same way and doom metal isn't different.. It will have bass guitar, drums and electric guitars. And every once and awhile in a band or even a song they will incorporate a keyboard. Their guitars and bass guitars would be tuned really low to get more bass sound. The low notes and high bass would give them more distortion sound. The bass guitar would have a thicker sounding bass to its sound. Adding more bass to the music gives it more of a dark sound. The drummer would add to this. Playing a double bass pedal or double bass drums for the mix.

Doom Metal Sub Genres

There are plenty of various sub categories of doom metal. Having some different strategies and features in the music will creative another type of genre. This is a list of the various sub categories of doom metal music.

Traditional Doom Metal
Epic Doom Metal
Stoner
Sludge
Death Doom
Black Doom Metal

I'm going to be posting another post about the doom metal sub genres soon. There is a lot of inspiration and imagination in every one of the various genres in metal music. They have been developed by others and will continue to change.

Additional Reference:
Metal Music Bands
What is Death Metal
Power Metal Music Genre

Power Metal Music Genre

2010-05-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

Power Metal belongs in the top genres for metal music bands. Power metal has heavy metal features, but more speed like today's metal. Speed metal was really the start of power metal in America. These new metal music songs were a big change from the typical metal that everyone was use to. This opened the door for a lighter and more melodic music style.

Musical Elements and Lyrics

Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Ronnie James Dio (Dio) are some of the most prominent power metal vocalists. Higher notes slowly became a brand new wave with this genre of metal music. Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Michele Luppi (Vision Divine) and Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius) started to push this style into their music.

Most power metal songs are about mythology and fantasy. But there will always be bands to sing about politics and religion. Most bands that do incorporate this still included a fictional idea or feeling to it. Artists like Symphony X, DragonForce, Hammer Fall and 3 Inches of Blood. Band also singed about hope and positive things like Helloween, Gamma Ray and Lost Horizon. Iced Earth, Sabaton, Manowar and Firewind sang a lot about dark and evil situations.
Quick Note on Power Metal's Playing Technique
You can even through a keyboard in the mix every once and awhile. Power metal is know for some intense crazy fast guitar solos within the breakdowns of their music.

Most Power Metal drummers use a dual bass drums or double bass pedal in their style of music. This is a common trait for most heavy metal. This style is no different than other style of heavy metal.

Bands such as Nightwish and Rhapsody use keyboards to enhance their sound. Keyboards are used for small accents in music to full melodies.

Other Aspects of Metal Music

In the early 90s, American started to try out Power Metal. It was something they grew through the branches of thrash metal, speed metal and heavy metal. American power metal is faster than European power metal. If you wish to see more about American power metal take a look at Manowar, Iced Earth and Savatage.
You will find more melodic metal in European countries. Folk metal inspirers a lot of metal bands. This is why there are more of a melodic feel to their music. Less distortion in their music, clean vocals and more palm mutes is a very common trait for European power metal. Power metal has grown to become one of the most popular metal genres.

Additional References
Metal Music Forum
Death Metal Community
Metal Music Genre - Black Metal

Progressive Metal

2010-03-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Prog Metal or Progressive Metal is another sub genre of metal music. Prog Metal Music Bands have some features from jazz and rock that are mixed into metal music. Powerful singing and guitar riffs from metal are still the main features. Most progressive metal bands were from a jazz or classical background. These two types of genres have been known to start the revolution of progressive metal. This small metal genre has less fans and popularity than other metal genres. With more bands entering in, it could find its way to the mainstream of the metal community.

Where Progressive Metal Came From

This metal genre traces back to the 1960's and 1970's. There was one band called High Tide that was one of the first bands to bring out some of these elements. Other bands started to follow the trend. King Crimson and Rush was another band to take some of the features of other music genres and mix them. There was three bands that could really push progressive metal to what it has become today. Fates Warning, Dream Theater and Queensryche all had the same type of expertise in metal music. Each of these bands brought something new to the table for progressive metal. These three bands really had some progressive rock influences that gave them a more edgy and extreme metal sound.

Progressive Metal into the Community

In the early 1990's progressive metal started to breakout into the community. When there was a release from Queensryche called Silent Lucidity that became very popular on MTV and on the radio. This song really helped other progressive metal bands get noticed and out to the public. With the road paved now bands like Opeth, Threshold, Pain of Salvation, Symphony X, Tool and Ayreon now were getting more publicity. All these bands had their own unique style that made them a new popular progressive metal band.

New Styles and Trends

More and more bands started to go with this trend. The new bands in progressive metal Dark Suns, Conscience and Disillusion were became the new leaders of this metal genre. Bands like Pain of Salvation, Opeth, Tool, Green Carnation and Anathema were some of the most influenced bands of their time.

Progressive Metal Structure

Progressive metal's structure is more like heavy metal with some elements of progressive rock, jazz and classical music. There are even more metal genres within this metal genre. There are bands like Opeth and King's X that are probably the most popular progressive metal bands which could be referred as progressive death metal. Devin Townsend, Shadown Gallery and Symphony X are some bands that can fit in traditional progressive metal. Between the Buried and Me, Pestilence and Meshuggah are known as jazz/fusion death metal.

New Age of Progressive Metal Bands

With new bands emerging in the genre there are certain styles that will come with them. With some staying with tradition and some changing it will be interesting what will happen. The music genre will continue to change and continue to be influenced by jazz, classical, thrash, metal and its own music. The metal community will also have progressive metal, giving the community some type of new and exciting genre of music.

Additional Reference
Metal Music Bands
Nu Metal Music Genre
Metal Music Genre - Black Metal

Folk Metal Music Genre

2010-03-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Folk Metal has been around sense the 1990's. The earliest band that created this genre of music had to be Skyclad. They had an offshoot of heavy metal that included folkish instruments and folk singing. More bands are experimenting with folk metal as the years go by. It has become more popular now than it ever has before. Europe is very popular with folk metal music bands, probably because of the style, history and inspiration that the region reflects. A lot of folk metal style tends to fall into pagan beliefs and romanticism culture.

Like all other metal genres, there are always subgenres included. Some of the more popular ones that fall into folk metal are Viking, Celtic and Oriental metal. Celtic metal was really the backbone of what folk metal is today, coming from some standard folk music from Ireland and throwing some black metal elements into the mix. Some other bands that are responsible for folk metal are Primordial and Waylander.
Orphaned Land started making Arabic and Jewish style of folk music. This brought some media attention to the folk metal community in the early 90's. This started of a new subgenre of music, Oriental Metal. Where at times has been to incorporate different distinctive styles from the Middle East.
In the early 1990's a Swedish band named Bathory started pioneering with flutes, clean vocals with some death metal growls into their music. This was the start of the genre Viking metal. This made Bathory style the standard for all Viking metal. Viking metal will give you a healthy dose of Nordic paganism and mythology that are combined with powerful ballads. There are other bands that have taken this Viking metal style and put to death metal. Amon Amarth is one band that has death metal music with Viking themed lyrics. A Swedish Viking metal band called Ensiferium has put them on top of the list for Viking metal.

Folk metal will show a strong sense of masculinity and nationalism. There are a few bands that label themselves part of the NSBM or Nationalism Socialism Black Metal. These are usually not very popular or accepted by the metal community. Most bands will have publicly denounced racism within their music because of this.

There are many festivals for folk metal, where they have a large group of die-hard fans. Noctis Valkyries, Heathen Fest and Notably Paganfest Metal Festival. As the genre becomes more popular, so will the festivals. They have been hosted in the cold northern lands of which they came from and starting to come over to the States.

Folk for the future has been known to be a 'passing fad', but not likely. Some will appreciate the style of the music and the powers of each generation of musicians have passed on. For the metal community, folk metal will always have its place for those fans that want a different and unique style of metal music.

Additional Reference

Metal Music News
Nu Metal Music Genre
What is Nu Metal?

Death Metal Community

2010-02-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

In all the genres of metal music there is one called Death Metal. This falls into the different style or attitude of metal music. Within death metal, it too has different categories. Heavy metal songs with complex song structures, various tempo changes, double bass drumming, deep growling vocals and heavy distorted guitars will give you the basic building block of death metal. This began the new metal music genre.

Where did Death Metal Come From?

Thrash metal was the starting point for death metal. The mid 80s is when bands were becoming noticed in the metal community. Death metal was started by three bands, Slayer, Celtic Frost and Kreator. There has been one man that has been concidered to be "the father of death metal" and that mans name is Celtic Frost. In the late 1980s and early 1990s bands like Morbid Angel and Possessed began to rise up from the underground community.

Complex Metal Music

Death Metal music usually has 5 people to a band, two guitarists, bass guitarist, drummer and singer. They all have different styles of play. The guitarists have downturned guitars and the drummer has a double bass pedal or kick drums. This music style is very complex piece of music. With snarls, grunts and growl vocals will overlap the fast tempo and complex structure of death metal music. This different style of music has always been portrayed to noise, which is completely an expression to them.

Death Metal and the Devil

Death metal has always been tied with dark meaning or with the devil. People have taken the gory and violent style of death metal and assumed that they were part of Satanism worship. Death metal songs are about various topics in life, which have nothing to do with the devil. Songs about love, hate, happiness or sadness have all been written by various artists.

Other Types of Death Metal

Listed are other categories that death metal can be a part of.

Melodic

A growled vocal, double bass drumming and crazy guitar riffs fits this at home with the death metal community. Bands like At the Gates, In Flames and Dark Tranquillity have made this famous.

Technical

Technical Death Metal is a break off of progressive rock and classical music. It has its own song with lots of harmonies and melodies. The different feature you will find is their uncommon time signatures. Bands like Opeth, Edge of Sanity and Cryptosy fit into this category.

Doom Death

This death metal style is a combination of doom metal and death metal. Meaning they will have a slow tempo from doom metal, with a growling voice and double kick drumming from death metal. Bands like Winter, Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride helped this genre become more popular.

Blackened

Bands like Behemoth, Blasphemy and Zyklon have brought out this fairly new subgenre of music called Blackened Death Metal. These bands have both features from the black metal world and the death metal world, so they called it Blackened Death Metal.

Goregrind

This is probably the fast tempo death metal music category. They have very complex intensity and speed in their music. Circle of Death Children, Cephalic Carnage and Brujeria have kept the growling singing to stay in the death metal family.

Deathcore Death Metal

Salt the Wound, Job for a Cowboy and Suicide Silence are some of the bands that have created this new sub genre of music called deathcore. Keep the fast intensity as of deathgrind, but giving you more death metal elements like deep growling vocals.

Whats Next for Death Metal

Death metal has changed to various different genres sense the beginning. But this will only draw in new crowds and fans of death metal. Try to listen to the different styles and genres to see if any style fits you.

Additional References:
Metal Music
Black Metal Music Missed Understood
Metal Music Genre - Black Metal

Thrash Metal Genre

2010-01-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

Metal music has multiple genres included in the culture, including thrash metal. Thrash metal is more fat riffs, drum beats and rage. Having loud singing and distortion with lots of bass have been know in thrash metal. "The Big Four" created the thrash metal genre. The four bands that fit into this group are Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer. These four bands are the creators of thrash metal music which was created in the late 1970's to early 1980's.

In the late 70's and early 80's there was series of popularity of British metal music bands. Expanding from punk rock and hardcore metal, thrash metal found its own style and technique. Thrash Metal gave the metal community more options with guitars, deeper bass guitars, faster drums and loud singing.

Trash metal is a combination of long intros, long solos and long endings. The technique of high speed solos was called shredding. Shredding is a way to play notes quickly during your solos. Using techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs. For the metal community and having these new styles being played was a great movement for the typical styles.

Metallica, Anthrax, Overkill and Slayer all released albums in 1984 that opened up thrash metal music to society. All of these different bands brought something new to trash metal, usually competing in making the heaviest and fastest music. This became a new world and genre in the metal community and open pathways for society to recognize thrash metal.

Into the 1990's there was a change in the style of music and how the bands kept on releasing albums. The same bands were still rocking the thrash metal and were releasing very successful albums, but the style had alternated. With Metallica new albums "Load" and "Reload" released, the thrash metal they were know for turned into a heavy metal or hard rock. Megadeath took a different style on their new albums, "Countdown to Extinction" was toned down from their earlier albums.

To the year 2000 thrash metal isn't as popular as it was in the early 80's. There are still bands that make their mark in thrash metal, Municipal Waste, Gama Bomb and Evile are to name a few. Other than that The Big Four still release new albums, but not like what they were in 1970's. Thrash metal will still be around for metal music and will be know because of "The Big Four."

Additional Reference
Metal Music Bands
Start and End of Nu Metal
Start and End of Nu Metal

What is Nu Metal?

2010-01-13T20:19:00.001-08:00

Nu Metal is a sub category of the heavy metal music genre. Nu Metal has been known to blend different styles of music elements and styles into their music, such as Grunge, Hip Hop and Punk. Nu metal bands commonly used melodic singing, aggressive vocals and forms of hardcore punk.

The term "nu metal" was introduced in Spin magazine as the "new metal." Through time and presented in the end of the "Get Thrashed" movie it slimmed down to nu metal. This metal genre was introduced by Korn in 1990 and has grown through the 90's into the year 2000.

In 1998 Korn released their third album "Follow the Leader" which sold for 9 million copies worldwide, this was the start in bringing nu metal to the community. More and more Metal Music Bands were helping the nu metal community grow. With Korn's explosion of success, this opened the doors to other nu metal bands and helps bring the public aware of the nu metal community.

The nu metal bands popularity grew and so did the community. Bands like Coal Chamber, Limp Bizkit and Staind sold albums and became popular after the release of Korn's "Follow the Leader." The start of nu metal bands came from the Los Angeles scene, like Static-X, Spineshank and Coal Chamber. Bands like Godsmack, Soufly, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, Sevendust and Slipknot starting making an impact on the nu metal community. All of these bands have had the opportunity to play in huge metal tours like Family Values Tour, Lollapalooza, Ozzfest. The biggest tour for the nu metal bands was the 30th anniversary of Woodstock.

The number of bands grew with time in the nu metal genre. Nu metal bands started releasing albums that earned the status of platinum, like Linkin Park, Papa roach, P.O.D and System of a Down. Nu metal was at its high in 2001 when nu metal was the most popular American metal music. Record tables were signing a majority of nu metal bands that approached them. With nu metal bands getting signed easily, this brought bad quality to the community.

Into the early years of 2000 nu metal's popularity died down and bands that started the wave wasn't selling their new albums as well as their previous ones. Nu metal came down from being at the top and metal lovers moved to a pop and emo punk metal. Most nu metal bands are still playing a similar style of music and staying in the genre, others have moved on.

Additional Reference

Ultimate Metal Forum
What is Nu Metal?
What is Nu Metal?

What is Black Metal?

2009-11-15T14:32:00.001-08:00

This has evolved from the roots of old old school thrash metal in waves, this is often misinterpreted genre. Many Metal Music Bands are included in this genre. From its origin, black metal has often attracted to wary and disillusioned youth looking for an exit for internal struggles with religion and so-called popular culture. This group has aligned themselves with National Socialism and have intended crimes of homicide and church burnings.

Differences in Black Metal Beliefs

The most favorite Black Metal group is Mayhem and VargVikernes. In 1993 Vikernes was convicted of the murder of owner of record label Deathlike Silence Øystein Aarseth (know in the band as Euronymous). Impacting as it may have been, the anti-religious and Nazi views of Vikernes should not be confused as an expression of the thoughts of the musical genre as a whole. The black metal culture has many disputes, views and beliefs that any culture would have.

Variants in Black Metal Music

Bathory and Cruachan, a Viking lore and mythology group, pioneered out to the metal community and made a great impact for black metal. These "folk" and "viking" metal bands use more traditional folk instruments to compliment the common eltectric guitar, drums and bass rather than the natural norms and opts. Black Metal variants include bands with an ambient, symphonic and doom metal sound have been experimented. Old 80's punk movement (know as crust) to gothic or even industrial influences have some further sounds that some black metal bands have experimented with.

Black Metal Lives

Black metal will proceed to develop as long as there are fans and a world to express themselves, for the band and for the fans. Glamorized or demonized black metal has had a lasting impression on the metal genre for indivdualism. With metal bands such as Venom and Celtic Front to the present and future. Black metal will become stronger, more shocking and will continue to be experimental.

Additional Resources:

Black Metal Music
Metal Music
Metal Music Genre - Black Metal