Extreme metal

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Extreme metal
Stylistic origins Heavy metal
Cultural origins United States and Europe, late 1970s to late 1980s
Typical instruments Electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, vocals, occasionally keyboards
Derivative forms Groove metal, gothic metal
Symphonic black metal, Viking metal, pagan metal, war metal, melodic black metal, melodic death metal, technical death metal, traditional doom, drone metal, funeral doom, stoner metal, epic doom
Fusion genres
Black/doom, blackened death metal, death/doom, crossover thrash, crust punk, grindcore, deathgrind, goregrind, metalcore, deathcore, mathcore, melodic metalcore, sludge metal, death 'n' roll, experimental metal
Regional scenes
Australia - Brazil - Denmark - Finland - Germany - Italy - Japan - Norway - Poland - Sweden - United Kingdom - United States

Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like thrash metal, black metal, death metal, and doom metal.[1]



"Extreme" can be meant to describe any of the following traits: instrumentation (whether it is intended to be faster, more aggressive, abrasive or "heavier" than other metal styles), lyrics (dealing with darker, more 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). 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.

According to ethnographer Keith Kahn-Harris,[2] 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.

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.[2] 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.


Below is a basic summary explaining how the primary extreme metal genres evolved:

Extreme metal genres[edit]

Primary genres[edit]

Primary sub-genres[edit]

Fusion genres[edit]

Fusions between extreme metal styles[edit]

Fusions with other metal styles[edit]

Fusion with hardcore punk and punk rock styles[edit]

Fusion with southern rock[edit]

Fusion with hard rock[edit]

Fusion with multiple musical styles[edit]

Derivatives of extreme metal genres[edit]

Derivatives of primary genres[edit]

Derivatives of fusion genres[edit]


  2. ^ a b c d e Kahn-Harris, Keith, Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge, Oxford: Berg, 2007, ISBN 1-84520-399-2.
  3. ^ Doom metal at Allmusic
  4. ^ Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann: War Black Metal: Die Extremsten der Extremen. Was bleibt, ist Schutt und Asche. In: Rock Hard, no. 279, p. 71-73.
  5. ^ Hayes, Craig. "Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction Review". About.com. Retrieved 15 March 2012. 
  6. ^ Newshound, Terrorizer. "ITALIAN BLACKENED DOOMSTERS FORGOTTEN TOMB PLAN RELEASE review". Terrorizer Online. Retrieved 29 January 2009. 
  7. ^ Marsicano, Dan. "Ordo Obsidium - Orbis Tertius Review review". About.com. Retrieved 29 January 2012. 
  9. ^ Brown, Jonathon (2007-09-06). "Everything you ever wanted to know about pop (but were too old to ask)". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-06-16. 
  12. ^ Huey, Steve. "Eyehategod". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-14. 
  13. ^ Cosmo Lee. "Stylus magazine review". www.stylusmagazine.com. Retrieved 2008-07-18. "“Death ’n’ roll” arose with Entombed’s 1993 album Wolverine Blues ... Wolverine Blues was like ’70s hard rock tuned down and run through massive distortion and death growls." 
  • Crocker, Chris (1993). Metallica: The Frayed Ends of Metal. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-08635-0.