Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, featuring double kick and blast beat techniques; minor keys or atonality; abrupt tempo, key, and time signature changes; and chromatic chord progressions. The lyrical themes of death metal may include slasher film-style violence, political conflict, religion, nature, philosophy, true crime and science fiction.
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness.
Thrash metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work.
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contrast with the heaviness and dissonance prevalent in, for example, extreme metal. Power metal bands usually have anthemic songs with fantasy-based subject matter and strong choruses, thus creating a theatrical, dramatic and emotionally "powerful" sound.
A number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times, heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, but they can be identified by a number of traits. They may differ in terms of instrumentation, tempo, song structure, vocal style, lyrics, guitar playing style, drumming style, and so on.
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual transgression".
Mortification is an Australian Christian death metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals. By 1990, in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, they were renamed as Mortification with the line-up of Rowe, Michael Carlisle on guitar and Jayson Sherlock on drums. Mortification has released fourteen studio albums, three compilation albums, three extended plays, six live discs, one demo album, one box set, and several videos on major record labels such as Nuclear Blast. As one of the earliest internationally successful Christian death metal bands from Australia, they served as an inspiration for later similar groups.
Discharge are an English hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The band is known for influencing several sub-genres of extreme music and their songs have been covered by some of the biggest names in heavy metal and other genres. The musical sub-genre of D-beat is named after Discharge and the band's distinctive drumbeat.
Matt Bachand is an American guitarist. He has strong death metal and thrash metal influences. He is rhythm guitarist and clean vocalist for the metalcore band Shadows Fall, and the bassist for Act of Defiance.
Solitude Aeturnus is an American epic doom metal band from Arlington, Texas. Founded by John Perez in early 1987, the original lineup consisted of Perez on guitar, vocalist Kristoff (Christopher) Gabehart, guitarist Tom Martinez, drummer Brad Kane, and Chris Hardin on bass. The name Solitude was chosen to pay homage to the bands Black Sabbath and Candlemass, both of whom had songs bearing the name "Solitude". Solitude Aeturnus released their debut album "Into the Depths of Sorrow" in 1991 with John Perez and Edgar Rivera on guitars, Robert Lowe on vocals, Lyle Steadham on bass and John Covington on drums. Solitude Aeturnus played with Candlemass in Texas in 1991. Their second and most progressive album "Beyond the Crimson Horizon" was released in 1992. "Through the Darkest Hour" the band's landmark album was released in 1994. "Downfall" the band's 4th studio album was released in 1996. "Adagio" which was released two years later in 1998 featured Steve Moseley on bass who replaced Lyle Steadham. Lyle Steadham was the main lyricist of the band until then. The band's final album "Alone" was released in 2006 once again with a different line up as James Martin took over bass duties, Steve Moseley moved to lead guitar replacing Edgar Rivera and Steve Nichols replaced John Covington on drums. Following a few concerts in Europe, Solitude Aeturnus went into a long hiatus as singer Robert Lowe took over singing duties in Candlemass.
Theli is the fifth studio album by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion. While Theli stays true to the band's roots in that it has a very dark sound, it is a major turning point in their history. Set, Egyptian god, is shown on the front cover. This was the last album on which Christofer Johnsson sang until 2004's "Lemuria". A music video was filmed for the song "To Mega Therion". The song To Mega Therion appears in the shockumentary film Traces of Death IV.
Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. Heavily influenced by thrash metal, groove metal features raspy singing and screaming, down-tuned guitars, heavy guitar riffs, and syncopated rhythms. Groove metal is usually slower than thrash. Pantera are often considered the pioneers of groove metal, and the genre expanded in the 1990s with bands including White Zombie, Machine Head, and Sepultura. Successful groove metal acts of the 2000s include Lamb of God, DevilDriver, and Five Finger Death Punch.
James LoMenzo is an American musician, currently the bassist for thrash metal band Megadeth. LoMenzo was a member of White Lion, performing with them from 1984 to 1991. He was later the bassist for Black Label Society, Slash's Snakepit, David Lee Roth and John Fogerty. LoMenzo was the bassist for Megadeth from 2006 to 2010, and rejoined the band as a touring member in August 2021, before becoming a permanent member again in June 2022. Outside music, he is known for being a contestant on the 21st season of the reality television series The Amazing Race.
Enthrone Darkness Triumphant is the third studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released on 30 May 1997 through Nuclear Blast. It was the band's first release through Nuclear Blast. This is the last release to feature keyboardist Stian Aarstad and the first with bassist Nagash.
Believer is an American technical thrash metal band from the late 1980s and early 1990s, that plays a hybrid of thrash and progressive metal. Believer is known for its innovative use of symphonic elements in thrash metal, featuring some of the earliest examples of symphonic metal. Their lyrics deal with topics of philosophy, theology and social issues.
Anthology is a 2001 greatest hits album by American death metal band Obituary. It contains songs recorded during the band's early career, from 1989's Slowly We Rot to 1997's Back from the Dead. The compilation also contains two previously unreleased tracks, recorded in 1998 before the band separated.
Damaged was an Australian deathgrind band from Ballarat, Victoria, active from 1989 to 2004.
Soulscraper were an Australian alternative electronic-rock band based in Melbourne. The band formed circa 1991 by ex-members of an alternative / industrial influenced band called The Prostitutes.
Morphia was a Dutch symphonic death/doom metal band formed in 1995. Having performed concerts with groups such as After Forever, Epica, Autumn, Orphanage and Imperia, Morphia established themselves as one of the more prominent symphonic doom metal bands in the Netherlands. Signed to Dutch Fear Dark Records, Morphia has released 3 studio albums, musically evolving from death metal to gothic doom over the years. The band name comes from morphine, a medical drug used to relieve pain, but it is also a reference to Morpheus, the principal god of dreams in the Greek mythology.
Sacred Steel is a German heavy metal band.
