I got curious and did some research. What are the top 10 subgenres in Heavy Metal?

I got curious and decided to dig into subgenres in heavy metal. This is something that I don’t usually think too much on, since I don’t really stick the labels on bands too often, and when I describe them to other people I tend to describe just the band versus using the assumption of a genre it might fit into.

Without surprise, heavy metal being a diverse genre with numerous sub-genres, each offering a unique sound and style. Here are ten of the top sub-genres of Heavy Metal that I managed to collect:

Thrash Metal:

• Fast tempo and aggression
• Prominent bands: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax

Death Metal:

• Growled vocals, heavily distorted guitars, and blast beat drumming
• Prominent bands: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel

Black Metal:

• High-pitched shrieking vocals, tremolo picking, and dark themes
• Prominent bands: Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone

Power Metal:

• Melodic, fast-paced, and often features fantasy themes
• Prominent bands: Helloween, Blind Guardian, DragonForce

Doom Metal:

• Slow tempos, thick sound, and melancholic lyrics
• Prominent bands: Black Sabbath, Candlemass, My Dying Bride

Progressive Metal:

• Complex song structures, time signature changes, and virtuosity
• Prominent bands: Dream Theater, Opeth, Symphony X

Symphonic Metal:

• Combines heavy metal with symphonic elements like orchestras and choirs
• Prominent bands: Nightwish, Epica, Within Temptation

Glam Metal:

• Catchy hooks, anthemic choruses, and a focus on appearance and theatrics
• Prominent bands: Mötley Crüe, Poison, Twisted Sister

Nu Metal:

• Incorporates elements of other genres such as hip hop, grunge, and industrial
• Prominent bands: Korn, Linkin Park, Slipknot

Folk Metal:

• Combines heavy metal with traditional folk music instruments and themes
• Prominent bands: Finntroll, Ensiferum, Eluveitie

Of all these, after reading probably a dozen articles on subgenres, I realized I was missing some of the key subgenres that I listen to these days.

Deathcore and metalcore are both distinct subgenres of heavy metal that combine elements from other genres to create their unique sounds. While they weren’t listed in the top 10 previously, they are significant subgenres within the metal community. Here’s where they fit:

11. Deathcore:

• Description: A fusion of death metal and metalcore, characterized by heavy breakdowns, death growls, and blast beats.
• Prominent Bands: Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Carnifex

12. Metalcore:

• Description: Combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, featuring breakdowns, melodic riffs, and a mix of clean and screamed vocals.
• Prominent Bands: Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine

While deathcore draws heavily from death metal’s brutality and complexity, metalcore incorporates more melodic and hardcore punk elements, making each subgenre distinct yet closely related to the broader metal family. Specifically here are some of the top bands I’ve had on my playlists and their respective subgenres that I could sort out for each.

Enterprise Earth:

• Subgenre: Deathcore
• Description: Known for their heavy breakdowns, aggressive vocals, and technical instrumentation.

Inferi:

• Subgenre: Technical Melodic Death Metal
• Description: Combines complex, technical guitar work with melodic elements and death metal intensity.

Novelists:

• Subgenre: Progressive Metalcore
• Description: Incorporates progressive metal elements with metalcore’s breakdowns and clean/screamed vocals.

Erra:

• Subgenre: Progressive Metalcore
• Description: Blends progressive metal’s technicality and melody with metalcore’s heaviness and dynamics.

Architects:

• Subgenre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
• Description: Known for their melodic yet heavy sound, incorporating both metalcore and post-hardcore elements.

Monuments:

• Subgenre: Progressive Metal/Djent
• Description: Features complex rhythms, technical guitar work, and a blend of clean and harsh vocals, characteristic of djent.

Periphery:

• Subgenre: Progressive Metal/Djent
• Description: Pioneers of the djent movement, known for their polyrhythmic patterns, technical proficiency, and progressive songwriting.

Make Them Suffer:

• Subgenre: Symphonic Deathcore
• Description: Combines deathcore’s brutality with symphonic and orchestral elements, creating a unique soundscape.

Polaris:

• Subgenre: Metalcore
• Description: Known for their energetic metalcore sound, combining melodic and heavy elements with both clean and harsh vocals.

Born of Osiris:

• Subgenre: Progressive Metalcore/Deathcore
• Description: Blends technical and progressive elements with metalcore and deathcore influences, featuring synths and complex arrangements.

Up until I got back into collecting music again (i.e. back around this post) I’d not paid one iota to the subgenres and classifications of these bands. As far as I was concerned I listened to “heavy” music with a “progressive” tilt. Ohhh boy I was surprised then, for example, to find out that some of these bands are “Post-hardcore” (WTF?) or “progressive metalcore”. Those always just sounded nonsensical to me, but whatever, I guess they fit once you add in the nuanced characteristics of each of the genres.

Of all these my top 3 area easily

1. Deathcore
2. Technical Melodic Death Metal
3. Metalcore

Oh yeah, I’ve become one of *those people* that are into the *core genres! 🤣

Whatever the case, that’s my little synopsis that I regularly rotate in my listening queue. Keep thrashing, and catch ya later. 🤘🏻