Metal music, a robust subgenre of rock, emerged in the late 1960s and has since evolved into one of the most diverse and influential musical movements.
The term "heavy metal" was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its roots lie in counterculture slang, where "heavy" meant profound or intense, and "metal" symbolized strength, durability, and raw power. Early references appeared in literature and music journalism before solidifying as the genre's name.
Metal grew out of blues rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock in the United Kingdom and the United States during the late 1960s. Bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple pioneered the sound with distorted guitars, dark themes, and thunderous rhythms. Birmingham, England, is often considered the birthplace of heavy metal due to the influence of Black Sabbath.
In the 1970s, heavy metal established itself with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden. During the 1980s, the genre diversified into thrash (Metallica, Slayer), glam (Mötley Crüe), and power metal (Helloween). In the 1990s, alternative and nu-metal (Korn, Slipknot) brought metal to mainstream audiences. From the 2000s to the present, extreme subgenres such as death metal, black metal, and progressive metal have flourished, while streaming has expanded metal's global reach.
The characteristics of metal include its instrumentation (distorted electric guitars, bass, drums, and powerful vocals), its sound (loud, aggressive, and often fast-paced, with an emphasis on riffs and solos), themes (darkness, rebellion, mythology, fantasy, social critique, and personal struggle), and unique culture (strong subcultural identity, leather, spikes, and intensity).
There are several subgenres of metal, with dozens of substyles, such as heavy metal (the classic form, exemplified in Black Sabbath and Judas Priest), thrash metal (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth), death metal (Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel), black metal (Mayhem, Darkthrone), doom metal (Candlemass, Saint Vitus), power metal (Helloween, Dragonforce), glam metal (Mötley Crüe, Poison), nu-metal (Korn, Slipknot, Linkin Park), progressive metal (Dream Theater, Opeth), symphonic metal (Nightwish, Epica), and metalcore/deathcore (Killswitch Engage, Bring Me the Horizon).
Some of the most iconic and influential metal bands and artists across history include Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, Motörhead, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Anthrax, Sepultura, Korn, Slipknot, System of a Down, Dream Theater, Nightwish, Opeth, Tool, Mötley Crüe, Dio, AC/DC, Scorpions, Rammstein, and Avenged Sevenfold.
Recommended Resources
Described as a collection of short subjective reviews rather than an authorized reference, the site consists of the author's personal views. It is a focused fan-driven site dedicated to thrash metal history, album discographies, band pages, and archival material, with a particular emphasis on original full-length studio albums, generally omitting live albums, demos, self-released mini-albums, singles, compilations, and splits. News, reviews, and links to other relevant sites are featured.
https://www.classicthrash.com/
Map of Metal is an interactive, visual history of heavy metal that maps influential bands and how subgenres connect and evolve. The website emphasizes exploration on desktop or tablet, offers purchasable prints to support the project, and notes mobile support is coming soon. To accomplish its goal, it uses a simulated geographical map where the features represent subgenres and other elements of the metal genre. The legend and a full-screen option are available.
https://mapofmetal.com/
Also known as Encyclopedia Metallum, the Archives is an online encyclopedia of musical artists who predominantly perform heavy metal music and its various subgenres. Launched in 2002, it features user-generated content, including a large list of metal bands, full discographies, an interlinked members list, and an active forum. The site features an increasing use of AI in compiling information, although it does not accept AI-generated music. Its rules are stated, and an online store is included.
https://www.metal-archives.com/
Founded in 2003, Metal Injection is a US-based online music publication focusing on hard rock and heavy metal. Initially established as a public-access television show, it soon transitioned into online video interviews and content. Owned by The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music, since 2022, the website features industry news, videos, playlists, and tour dates. Other resources include a subscription newsletter and an online store selling branded apparel and other items.
https://metalinjection.net/
Self-identified as Europe's leading independent heavy metal news publication, MetalTalk is a Europe-focused online platform for heavy metal music. Founded in 2008, the site covers industry news, interviews with heavy metal artists, album and gig reviews, festivals, and extreme metal features. Subject categories include News, Interviews, Metal Reviews, Gig Reviews, Festivals, Extreme Metal, MTTV, Gig Listings, and Venues. Promotional campaigns are also highlighted.
https://www.metaltalk.net/
Online since 2001, Metal Underground is a heavy metal newszine offering daily updates, album reviews, interviews, photo galleries, release calendars, and editorial columns focused on underground and mainstream metal scenes. The website brands itself as a long-running "underground" metal resource, with a staff section, a news submission form, and legal pages. It features news, reviews, interviews, exclusive stories, photos, bands, and live coverage of metal concerts and events.
http://www.metalunderground.com/
Run from Helsinki, Finland, Metalhead Community is an independent online news magazine focused on metal and adjacent genres. Established in Ukraine in 2016, the site mixes album and song reviews, artist interviews, culture pieces, and occasional non-metal coverage. Its tone is independent, enthusiast-driven, with descriptive, first-person review pieces and cultural commentary, and it offers international coverage with a leaning toward underground and independent artists from many countries.
https://metalheadcommunity.com/
