This is the metal thread.. 'heavy metal or no metal at all.. wimps and posers leave the fucking hall!'
I'm going to attempt to explain in some detail the different 'types' of metal that there are for those willing to understand. If you're not interested then don't bother with this thread, otherwise sit back, relax and let D3 talk you through it all..
There are many different forms of metal, although many people will have you believe that metal is just one genre they'd be wrong. Here are some of the common forms with example bands, I've included google links to provide you with instant information should you wish to read into them further:
Heavy Metal
The most common form of metal, full of lots of heavy but often melodic riffs and clean vocals or slightly 'rusty' vocals with plenty of solos.
Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Preist.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Power Metal
Like heavy metal except with higher pitched vocals and songs about slaying dragons and metal in general. The solos in power metal can sometimes be very long and do (as far as I'm concerned) take the piss a bit because they're so damn long!
Man'O'War, Blind Guardian, Hammerfall
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Goth Metal
Melodic metal often played along with other instruments such as a keyboard or violin, covering songs about witchcraft, death and the like.
Theatres Des Vampires, Type 'O Negative, Paradise Lost (Early material)
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=goth+metal&meta=
Folk Metal
Metal that mixes in folk themes of the old centuries such as a flute or harp, often possessing a mixture of clean and growling vocals.
Cruachan, Ensiferum, Finntroll
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=folk+metal&meta=
Viking Metal
Just like folk metal, only leaning towards parts of history when the vikings invaded the lands.
Bathory (later), Enslaved (Old), Amon Amarth
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Black Metal
Dark, harsh metal that deals with anti-christian beliefs and lifestyle. To understand the genre better, you'd really need to look into the Internet or pick up the book 'Lords Of Chaos', although many BM artists slate this publication as being full of lies. BM began with the release of english band; Venom's 'Black Metal' album and the progression of Sweden's Bathory, from there the music evolved through Norway to what it is today. Fast, sometimes melodic featuring harsh screaming vocals, it can only be described as evil, nasty music, even though a good 70% of it isn't serious.
Darkthrone, Emperor, Mayhem, Bathory (early), Celtic Frost, Immortal, Marduk, Nagaroth, Carpathian Forest, Venom
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Thrash Metal
Fast, heavy metal, possessing rusty vocals and hard constant drumming. The most well know thrash band would be Slayer, also one of the most overrated but still equally as important as any other. Solos are common in Thrash to break up the heavy riffs, but not as much as Power Metal.
Kreator, Slayer, Testament
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Death Metal
Back in the 1980s, whilst Slayer were leading the thrash front, a band known as Possessed took it one step further but failed to turn much attention to the factor. It wasn't until 'Death's Scream Bloody Gore' album came out that DM took off properly giving birth to a whole new genre. Fast, harsh and brutal with growling or screaming vocals and short solo bursts, this really tests those who are actually metal fans or just people listening to whatever is pretending to be metal in the mediocrity. In short DM isn't for everyone and plenty will always avoid it like the plague, along with BM.
Cannibal Corpse, Carcass, Death, Morid Angel, Suffocation, Nile.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Melodic Death metal
Some bands play Death metal whilst mixing aspects of keyboard and piano work and other more 'melodic instruments'. The metal itself is as heavy as standard DM, but is hidden by the use of other instrumentals which makes it easier to listen to.
Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy, In Flames, Opeth
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Glam Metal
Heavy metal that posseses a very 'glam camp' image made famous by bands such as Motley Crue and Kiss, who first introduced the idea of wearing makeup on stage. Songs are mostly about sex, drugs and rock n' roll with few exceptions.
Motley Crue, Kiss, Warrant.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=glam+metal&meta=
Doom Metal
Although most metal is fast music, at the opposite end of the spectrum there is the slow metal. After Black Sabbath's Doom formula took hold of people's imagination, some bands expanded on that to other heights and so Doom metal was born. Often very slow with as little as 4 or 5 drum beats a minute and slow, crushing guitar riffs. Some songs as a result are often very long and can stretch as far as 10-60 minutes long.
My Dying Bride, Khanate, Esoteric.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=doom+metal&meta=
Sludge Metal
This is Black Sabbath progression going the other way from Doom. Fast, brutal and not excepting any time for even I'm not a fan of this stuff..
EyeHateGod, Iron Monkey, Acid Bath
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... etal&meta=
Grindcore
Not strictly metal, grindcore sometimes draws references from punk. This is extremely fast music, the opposite of Doom where songs can sometimes be just a few seconds long and very rarely go above the 3 minute mark.
Napalm Death, Discordance Axis, Anal Cunt
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=grindcore&meta=
Female Fronted Metal
This isn't actually a genre, but it's the best way to describe the music, often reffered to as 'Goth metal' there's nothing remotely Goth about it,
it's just that a lot of publications and tv shows like to pigeon hole music into something that it isn't. Very melodic, with clean female vocals that can sometimes to compared to operatic pieces.
Nightwish, Within-Temptation, Lacuna Coil
For more in-depth information about ALL genres, you can look here;
http://www.metalcrypt.com/genresframe.php
Very informative, but text heavy and it doesn't cover everything.
I'm bound to have missed some, but that's most of the genres for you.
