Extreme metal is an umbrella term, somewhat loosely defined, for a number of related heavy metal subgenres that have developed since the 1980s. An umbrella term is a word that provides a Superset or grouping of related concepts also called a Hypernym. Though the term does not refer to any specific style or sound, it most commonly refers to music which is either a member, or incorporates elements of, genres such as thrash metal, speed metal, black metal, death metal, grindcore, metalcore, and arguably doom metal. A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Speed metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music originating in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was the direct musical progenitor of Thrash metal. Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics For the fictional character with this name see Grindcore (Transformers. Metalcore is an umbrella term used to describe fusion genres that incorporate elements of the Hardcore punk and heavy metal genres Doom metal is a form of Heavy metal music that typically employs very slow Tempos low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal
Though not well-known to mainstream music fans, extreme metal has influenced an array of musical performers inside and outside of heavy metal, and thrives in various intensely devoted subcultures. For the term in biology see Subculture (biology. For the song by New Order see Sub-culture (song. Despite having harsh vocals and low piched guitars, nu metal is not a type of extreme metal, since it tends to be more popular than the other types of metal. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Nu metal (sometimes named new metal or nü metal) is a musical genre that emerged in the mid 1990s which fuses influences from grunge and Alternative
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Definitions
"Extreme" can be meant to describe any of the following traits: music (whether it's intended to be faster, more aggressive, abrasive or "heavier" than other metal styles), lyrics (dealing with darker, more salacious or sensational topics and themes), vocals (which often use guttural, harsh or abrasive singing), or appearance and stage demeanor (using corpse paint, satanic or occult imagery). cf Death rattle, a sound sometimes made by the dying A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, gutteral vocals Corpse paint (sometimes spelled corpsepaint) is a style of black-and-white or just white Makeup used extensively by Black metal bands during live The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" In general, the "extreme" label is most commonly applied to bands whose music is extreme; for example, few would consider Kiss or Alice Cooper to be extreme metal, though they could be considered to employ "extreme" elements in their appearance and stage demeanor for their time. Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer songwriter and musician whose career spans five
According to ethnographer Keith Kahn-Harris,[1] the defining characteristics of extreme metal can all be regarded as clearly transgressive: the "extreme" traits noted above are all intended to violate or transgress given cultural, artistic, social or aesthetic boundaries. Ethnography ( Greek ethnos = people and graphein = writing is a genre of writing that uses Fieldwork to provide a descriptive Transgressive art refers to Art forms that aim to transgress i
Given the vagueness of existing definitions and considering the limitations such definitions have, there are many artists for whom the usage of the term "extreme metal" is a subject of debate. Generally the term is used to describe bands that incorporate elements of thrash, black, speed and death metal, but defy the ability to be put in any of these or, alternatively thrash bands who took on a more brutal approach to their music. A good example would be Celtic Frost, who despite being heavily rooted in thrash and speed metal, also incorporated elements of doom metal and would later go onto inspire early death and black metal. Celtic Frost were an influential heavy metal band from Zürich, Switzerland.
While Kahn-Harris somewhat describes doom metal as an extreme metal sub-type,[2] it is unusual in comparison with the other genres listed. Doom metal is a form of Heavy metal music that typically employs very slow Tempos low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal Traditional doom metal draws no influence from speed metal or thrash metal, is markedly slower than all other extreme metal styles, and is influenced by heavy metal from before the NWOBHM emerged.
Characteristics
Structure
Though songs in traditional heavy metal may be louder, harsher or more abrasive than rock and roll in general, the underlying elements of melody, harmony and rhythm are generally similar to those in rock and pop music. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός - rhythmos, "any measured flow or movement symmetry" is the variation of the length and accentuation of
However, extreme metal tends to depart from these structures so drastically that Kahn-Harris notes that to the uninitiated, extreme metal can seem like incomprehensible, overwhelming noise despite the presence of recognizable vocals and instruments. Melody -- one of the key elements of popular music -- is often of less importance, or absent entirely. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or Extreme metal songs rarely have the central focus of a melodic "pop hook," and when present, melodic elements more typically provide an instrumental backdrop. A hook is a Musical idea, often a short Riff, passage or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a Song appealing and to "catch the
Vocals
Perhaps the most important identifying characteristic of extreme metal is the vocals. Singers in extreme metal utilize various extended techniques to create vocals that can be very rough, guttural and bestial (the "death grunt" or "growl"), or can be a high-pitched shrieking. Extended techniques are performance techniques used in Music to describe unconventional unorthodox or "improper" techniques of Singing, or of cf Death rattle, a sound sometimes made by the dying A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, gutteral vocals Some vocalists also use relatively conventional singing (called "clean vocals"), though just how "clean" these vocals are varies widely. Usually if clean vocals are used they consist of harsh shouts and snarls. Vocalists can use one or more techniques, and some bands have multiple singers, each specializing in one type of vocal.
Tempo
Extreme metal is also characterized by its unusual tempo, which may range from very fast-paced -- death metal and black metal can occasionally approach the extraordinary range of 300 beats per minute[3] -- to the extremely slow, as in funeral doom and drone metal. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Beats per minute ( BPM) is a unit typically used as either a measure of Tempo in music or a measure of one's Heart rate. Doom metal is a form of Heavy metal music that typically employs very slow Tempos low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal Drummers often utilize double bass drumming and blast beats, though not all make use of these techniques. A bass drum is a large Drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with Grindcore, although its usage predates the genre and has spread to many other forms of Extreme metal. Kahn-Harris notes that many extreme metal drummers take great pride in creating and playing drum patterns that are complex and demanding.
Guitars
Guitars in extreme metal are commonly distorted to create a thick, heavy tone, similar to industrial metal. Industrial metal is a Musical genre that draws from Industrial music and heavy metal. Guitars are frequently tuned below the standard E: thrash metal and black metal usually tune a half or a whole-step down, and death metal and doom metal often tune even lower. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Doom metal is a form of Heavy metal music that typically employs very slow Tempos low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal Seven-string guitars (rather than the more common six-string guitars) are not unusual in extreme metal, particularly in death and doom metal; the seventh string is often tuned to a very low B-note. A seven-string guitar is a Guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six Kahn-Harris notes that extreme metal tends to defy the "riff-guitar solo" paradigm of heavy metal: Guitar solos are often of less importance in extreme metal than in earlier metal styles, and the chord progressions (or "riffs") in extreme metal are often very fast, unusual, complex and demanding. In Music, a riff is an Ostinato figure a repeated Chord progression, pattern refrain or melodic figure, often played by the Rhythm Guitar solos are a melodic passage section or entire piece of music written for an Electric guitar or an Acoustic guitar. The word paradigm ( Greek:παράδειγμα (paradigmacomposite from para- and the verb δείχνυμι "to show" as a whole -roughly- meaning "example" Guitar solos are a melodic passage section or entire piece of music written for an Electric guitar or an Acoustic guitar. A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order
History
Below is a basic summary explaining how the three primary extreme metal genres evolved:
- Heavy metal (early 1970s)
- New Wave of British Heavy Metal (late 1970s)
- Speed metal (early 1980s)
- Thrash metal (early 1980s)
- Black metal (mid 1980s)
- Death metal (mid 1980s)
- Thrash metal (early 1980s)
- Speed metal (early 1980s)
- New Wave of British Heavy Metal (late 1970s)
Origins
Heavy metal music was developed in the late 1960s as a louder, more emphatic version of blues rock. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (frequently abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a heavy metal music movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain, and achieved Speed metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music originating in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was the direct musical progenitor of Thrash metal. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Blues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining Bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended Boogie jams with Rock Metal pioneers like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple all had strong roots in blues rock, and though heavy metal was often harsher than its predecessor, it often retained a strong blues feel, frequently covering well-known blues songs. Led Zeppelin were James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Black Sabbath are an Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertfordshire in 1968
By the 1970s, some musicians in metal were drifting away from the music's blues roots, like Judas Priest and Motörhead. Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1970 in Birmingham. The most notable development was the so-called "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" (NWOBHM), with groups like Iron Maiden, Saxon, and others refining and further developing metal. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (frequently abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a heavy metal music movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain, and achieved For other uses see Iron maiden. The music often still used blues-inspired chord progressions, but the instrumental techniques and vocal styles had a severely reduced blues feel. A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order
Early 1980s
The NWOBHM group Venom are widely considered the single most important group in the creation of extreme metal. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (frequently abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a heavy metal music movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain, and achieved Venom are an English Though critics have often characterized Venom's musicianship as mediocre or worse[4], the band was nonetheless hugely influential: their songs were among the fastest of their era, with harsh vocals and blatantly Satanic imagery. For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context Their albums Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982) are widely regarded as foundational influences on extreme metal. Welcome to Hell is the 1981 debut album by the British heavy metal band Venom. Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Venom's members also took on stage names intended to help create a menacing persona. A stage name, also called a screen name, is a Pseudonym used by Performers and Entertainers such as Though the practice is not universal, many extreme metal musicians have similarly taken on stage names.
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the development of speed metal and thrash metal, two distinct but nonetheless closely related styles that both drew influence from punk rock (particularly the emphasis on very fast tempos, 2/4 or implied 2/4 time, and brief songs found in hardcore punk), along with a strong NWOBHM influence. Speed metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music originating in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was the direct musical progenitor of Thrash metal. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s The "big four" of thrash metal (the American groups Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica) proved that extreme metal was a commercially viable force. Anthrax is a New York City -based heavy metal band that released its first full-length album in 1984 Megadeth is an American heavy metal band led by founder front man guitarist and songwriter Dave Mustaine. Slayer is an American Thrash metal band founded by Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King in Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. Slayer's Hell Awaits and Reign in Blood are considered important for the birth of extreme metal, in particular for death metal and Teutonic thrash metal. Hell Awaits is the second Studio album by the American Thrash metal band Slayer, released through Metal Blade Records in 1985 Reign in Blood is the third Studio album and major label debut by the American Thrash metal band Slayer. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Teutonic thrash metal is a form of Thrash metal music that originated during the 1980s in Germany
Mid 1980s and beyond
According to Kahn-Harris, the mid-to-late 1980s saw vital new developments: death metal and grindcore. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics For the fictional character with this name see Grindcore (Transformers. Though rooted in earlier styles of extreme metal, grindcore and death metal both are partly defined by ragged, "growled" vocals that can be incomprehensible, particularly to those unfamiliar with the music. These vocal techniques had little precedent, and at least partly marked deliberately anti-commercial stance. Black metal developed slightly later, and is characterized by shrieking, high-pitched vocals. Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking,
Extreme metal earned an unprecedented level of international mainstream attention in the early and mid-1990s. Some of the attention was positive, expanding the music's audience (Earache Records secured a now-defunct distribution deal with Columbia Records; MTV increased the number of extreme metal music videos they played), but other attention was negative: most notably when some of the Norwegian metal community were implicated in a variety of violent crimes. For the medical condition known as "earache" see Otalgia. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics [5] There were a string of arsons, with dozens of centuries-old Norwegian Christian churches damaged or destroyed; musician Varg Vikernes killed fellow musician Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth; Mayhem vocalist Dead killed himself; and drummer Bård Faust of Emperor killed a homosexual man. Varg Vikernes (varg 'vikeɳes born Kristian Vikernes on February 11 1973 near Bergen, Norway) is a Black metal musician convicted murderer Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. Per Yngve Ohlin ( January 16 1969 – April 8 1991) better known by his stage name Dead, was a Swedish Black Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991
As of 2007, extreme metal has been used to describe a wide array of performers and music styles. There are a dizzying variety of sub-genres, often defined by very subtle differences that are not always apparent to novice listeners. Kahn-Harris notes[6] that the use of the term "extreme metal" can sometimes be contentious among fans, and a particular band's or style's categorization can be hotly debated: for example, deathcore and crossover thrash, while influenced by extreme metal, are often thought of as being closer to hardcore punk or metalcore than extreme metal. Deathcore is an amalgamation of two musical styles Metalcore and Death metal. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression However, Kahn-Harris also notes that many musicians and fans see such debates over style and genre as useless and unnecessary, or at least as given undue attention.
Extreme metal genres
Primary genres
Primary sub-genres
- Sub-genres of black metal
- Sub-genres of death metal
- Sub-genres of doom metal
Fusion genres
Fusions between extreme metal styles
Fusions with punk and hardcore styles
See also
References
- ^ Kahn-Harris, Keith, Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge, Oxford: Berg, 2007, ISBN 1845203992
- ^ Kahn-Harris, 2007, passim
- ^ see Kahn-Harris
- ^ see Kahn-Harris, 2007, and the main Venom page for more information
- ^ see Moynihan, Michael and Didrik Soderlind Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground Feral House: 2003
- ^ Kahn-Harris, 2007
- ^ Kahn-Harris, 2007
- ^ Kahn-Harris, 2007
- ^ Kahn-Harris, 2007
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