When I talk about Thrash Metal I often like to equate it to McDonald’s. It’s great when you’re younger because it’s all the same and gets you hyped but, as you grow older, it’s just sad and even starts to hurt. Thrash is often the gateway to Metal for many of those not already in the scene. It’s fast, energetic and often “stands for something.” However, much like McDonald’s, Thrash was once a great thing but is now just making a mockery of itself by still being around. It’s sister genre, Speed Metal, is inherently more timeless as a genre for the shred will never die. Speed has brought much musical greatness to the world and, contrary to Thrash, it has given us fewer disappointments. The two genres evolved from plain, old Heavy Metal simultaneously, but where Thrash attempted to push boundaries and break necks, Speed sought to simply take Heavy Metal’s recipe for success and add some wank to it.

Thrash, I argue, began in 1984 with Hellhammer’s “Apocalyptic Raids” which was swiftly followed by Celtic Frost’s “Morbid Tales.” What Celtic Frost did in Switzerland could not be undone and, in fact, would spread unlike any subgenre in Metal history. Thrash truly became a worldwide phenomenon and the first European act, of import, to join Celtic Frost was Sweden’s Bathory. Bathory’s eponymous debut, also released in 1984, and its 1985 follow-up “The Return…” emphatically showed the world that Thrash was here to stay. Bathory, through Quorthon’s devilish vocals, fiendish guitar work and pounding drums, created a unique sound that would forever leave its mark on the Scandinavian metal scenes to come.

The next country in Europe to follow suit was Germany. Germany’s Trinity was composed of Destruction, Kreator and Sodom. Destruction is probably the most unsung of the three and, marginally, the least aggressive, but established itself by releasing three crushing records between 1985 and 1987. Sodom was the darkest of the three and thus endeared itself to those who later created Death Metal, and some even consider Sodom to be Death Metal – I am not one of those people. “Obsessed by Cruelty” was a punishing debut and was followed by the cult classics “Persecution Mania” and “Agent Orange.” Sodom’s shrieked vocals have even led some to say they were an early form of Black Metal, and while I do agree they share certain musical qualities, Black Metal began in 1992. Kreator was the most technically gifted and most commercially successful of the three. Kreator’s 1985 debut, Endless Pain, was raw and reckless but they consistently tightened up their sound and released the incredible “Pleasure to Kill” in 1986. 1990’s “Coma of Souls” was, in Metal terms, a commercial success and though it was still a great record, it was largely devoid of the Thrash edge that made Kreator such instant favorites.

Not to be outdone by the Europeans, the South Americans also got in on the budding Thrash scene in 1985. Sepultura’s “Bestial Devastation” sent the message that when it came to anger and the desire to frighten no one could match a Brazilian. “Morbid Visions” followed in 1986 but it was with two masterful records, 1987’s “Schizophrenia” and 1989’s “Beneath the Remains,” that Sepultura forever cemented their place in Metal history. Max and Igor Cavalera formed a duo unlike any other in the Metal scene. And when it came to delivering the goods they never disappointed until they decided to suck, which I still claim was a deliberate choice by two humble men exhausted by being so good. Sepultura might have been the first, and best, but Brazil’s Thrash scene went far beyond just one or two noteworthy bands.

Thrash, for whatever reason, struck a chord with Brazilians who took the genre and perfected it. Vulcano joined Sepultura with their 1986 release “Bloody Vengeance,” a brilliant piece of sloppy Thrash that makes up for what it lacked in precision with incomparable atmosphere. Holocausto (Brazil’s wannabe Nazis like fellow idiots Slayer and Graveland) released their cheap attempt at shock value, “Campo de Extermínio in 1987. 1987 – the best year for Thrash Metal – also saw the release of Sarcófago’s “INRI” which may very well be the most influential record in South American Metal history (which is one heck of a qualified statement). Sarcófago sought to terrify the world’s largest Catholic population by running around cemeteries with early “corpsepaint,” and what they couldn’t achieve with image alone they certainly did musically. INRI is a Thrash masterpiece for it has all that which makes the genre great. It’s gritty, aggressive and crude and all without compromising pace. Attomica also released their self-titled debut in 1987 which was very much a textbook attempt at Thrash, not bad but not great. Psychic Possessor showed true potential with their 1988 debut “Toxin Diffusion,” before they opted to become a Hardcore Punk band. The Mist hit the scene in 1989 with “Phantasmagoria,” a devastating brand of Thrash and even covered a Psychic Possessor track on their 1991 record “The Hangman Tree.” Chile also made its mark with Pentagram’s “Fatal Prediction/Demoniac Possession,” a stellar EP that warranted a sequel (that came way too late).

Then, of course, we have the California Thrash scene, which actually predates Celtic Frost for it was in 1983 that it all began. Slayer’s “Show no Mercy” showcased a sound that was far more like traditional Heavy Metal, but when “Hell Awaits” was released two years later it was clear that Thrash had arrived in the States. Slayer further solidified their Thrash credentials with 1986’s “Reign in Blood,” which is as popular as an extreme Metal album can get. Slayer would then release a slew of mediocre records before releasing a slew of terrible ones which is where we find ourselves today. Slayer were the first but by no means the best in the Golden State Thrash scene.
In the same year as Hell Awaits (1985) we saw debut records from: Possessed, who coined the term “Death Metal” via a track on “Seven Churches”; Exodus who released “Bonded by Blood”; and Dark Angel, who “cleverly” began with their record “We Have Arrived.” California brought us a lot of Thrash but nothing particularly remarkable outside of Dark Angel’s 1986 release “Darkness Descends” and Sadus’ 1988 record “Illusions.” And much of the scene went the “Crossover” route (a more Hardcore-styled version of Thrash), Cryptic Slaughter being the most esteemed of such acts. Crossover saw increased popularity with acts like Voivod and Suicidal Tendencies, and even produced some gems like Mayhem’s (Portland, OR) “Burned Alive,” but no one really cares save for those with oversized Reeboks and flat-brimmed caps.

Thrash, in its later stages, saw the rise of truly exceptional acts that were not contented with maintaining the status quo in Thrash. One such act that began to push the envelope was New York’s Nuclear Assault which broke through Thrash’s original speed barrier with their 1986 album “Game Over.” Bands like Norway’s Mayhem (1987 “Deathcrush) and Hungary’s Tormentor (1989 “Anno Domini) gave Thrash a fiendish makeover. Anacrusis created something of a thinking man’s Thrash Metal, displaying musicality and techniques unknown to other bands in the genre. Morbid Saint, who released their debut record “Spectrum of Death” in 1990, was a standard opener for Florida’s own Death and thus they’re often considered a Death Metal band but their music is pure Thrash.

Thrash was absurd, scary and fast but it did not have the exclusive rights to rapid paced Metal, for while Thrash was unfolding so was Speed. The Speed Metal genre is where California really made its mark on the Metal world. Metallica, a band that it almost hurts to compliment for how insufferable they’ve become, set the standard for Speed Metal. Beginning with 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All,” Metallica performed a more sophisticated brand of Metal. A mixture of iconic riffs tinged with Classic and Punk Rock overtones, shouted vocals and impressive songwriting maturity made a sound that’d take Metallica to fame of Led Zeppelin-esque proportions. Metallica’s subsequent releases, “Ride the Lighting” and “Master of Puppets,” were nothing short of perfection with songs as catchy as they were ingenious but the death of bassist Cliff Burton saw the band lose its way.

Another person who takes credit for the demise of Metallica’s overall sound was Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. An early member of Metallica, Mustaine’s writing can be heard throughout Metallica’s first two records, though not as strongly as Dave might think. As whiny as Mustaine may be, he was able to stop crying about his ousting from Metallica long enough to produce some quality records. While many Metal bands start off strong, Megadeth took a while to hit their stride. Once Mustaine quit trying to make Megadeth the new Metallica he struck songwriting gold with 1990’s “Rust in Peace” which is as much a guitar clinic as it is a Metal masterpiece thanks, in no small part, to Marty Friedman.

The Bay Area trinity was completed by Testament who dropped their first record in 1987 (“The Legacy”). Alex Skolnick, easily the most talented guitarist of the massive legion of California Metal bands, set Testament apart through his stunning playing. While he had the sensibility of a Smooth Jazz player, he could shred like Yngwie and crush like Schuldiner. But when it came to all-around musical perfection in the genre there was only one name: Helstar.

Texas’ Helstar spectacularly utilized classical training in composing music that’d make Bach proud. While so much that bears the name “neo-classical” is as dull as it is tedious to listen to, Helstar was innovative, dynamic and exciting. Culminating in what is one of the best records of all time, Helstar released their grand symphony “Nosferatu” in 1989. Helstar perfected the shred so it’s certainly a shame that they’re so unsung, but they’re no more obscure than Sweden’s Proud.

Proud came and went like a shooting star in the Metal world, releasing just one album in 1984 (“Fire Breaks the Dawn”). Proud showcased such promise that it is baffling to consider what might have been had they been able to follow up such a wonderful debut. Proud displayed expert musical prowess and songwriting ability on their sole LP which was certainly ahead of its time. Shredding like that achieved by Proud, and Helstar, paved the way for Speed Metal bands to come and they showed that Metal could have as much technique as any other genre of Music. And for musical magicians like Jeff Waters of Annihilator, technique was paramount in crafting higher caliber Speed Metal.

Annihilator’s first record, “Alice in Hell,” was a late-comer but that made it no less groundbreaking. Jeff Waters’ mastery of the riff was evident in the two-minute shred session that preceded the vocals in almost every song. Annihilator secured their place in the non-existent Metal Hall of Fame with 1990’s “Never, Neverland,” which is one of the finest examples of guitar-focused Metal ever. Speed became a showcasing of skill for guitarists, and determined not to be outdone by American and Canadian guitarists was Denmark’s Andy Larocque.

Andy Larocque, of King Diamond fame, is the only guitarist capable of outshining King Diamonds insane vocals. And it is because of Andy’s playing that the band King Diamond was capable of eclipsing the greatness achieved by Mercyful Fate, King Diamond’s earlier band. On classic albums like “Abigail” and “Them” Larocque’s immaculate guitar work was always front and center no matter how high King’s falsetto got. Thus it’s no shock that the infamously “difficult to work with” Chuck Schuldiner enlisted Larocque for 1993’s “Individual Thought Patterns.” Speed Metal wasn’t at all old before it too began to evolve and it was only in the late 80s that we saw the formation of a new brand of Speed Metal created by the German greats Blind Guardian.

Power Metal is nothing more than a flamboyant and bombastic interpretation of Speed Metal. Power has technique galore, speed and finesse and in place of gang vocals it has choirs, and there is no better choir than Hansi Kürsch. Blind Guardian’s vocals are their biggest strength, even when they were more on the raw side on their 1988 debut “Battalions of Fear.” Kürsch’s trademark one-manned choir, done by overlaying several vocal tracks performed by Hansi himself, is one of the staples of Blind Guardian’s sound. The other most important signature is the guitar duo of André Olbich and Marcus Siepen which is the most underrated guitar duo of all time.

Thrash and Speed took the groundwork layed by Heavy Metal in the 1970s and early 1980s and substantially upped the tempo. Thrash tossed in elements of horror films and Punk Rock aggression to make music that’d scare your grandma. Speed implemented Classical melodies and virtuoso musicianship in making music that would annoy your neighbors. But the late 80s saw the birth of something far scarier and far more annoying to common folk: Death Metal.

As a lover of History, I often find myself tracing more recent phenomena to their source. And seeing as I am more of an extreme Metal fan it, regrettably, took me years to finally appreciate extreme Metal’s simpler roots. After Blues gave way to Rock n Roll, Rock music continued down a path of no return – it had to get heavier. But how did we get to Metal from the likes of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Little Richard? I argue that the road to Metal was paved mainly by Psych Rock and more oddball acts than the accepted “it was all Sabbath” narrative would have you believe.

The 70s saw an impressive explosion of Rock bands mainly hailing from the UK. While bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple certainly had a sizeable impact on the evolution of Rock into Metal, their commercial success did not necessarily endear them to the vinyl-junkies. Bands like Uriah Heep were far more the speed of youngsters like Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) and Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell (Darkthrone) who would later go on to Metal greatness. Seemingly haphazard solos and delightful, scratchy distortion defined Uriah Heep’s otherwise tight sound, and even a quick listen to records like “Sweet Freedom” and “Demons & Wizards” can give you a pretty good idea of where Rock was headed in terms of being raw and powerful. While on the other hand, bands like Hawkwind with their “Hall of the Mountain Grill” album set the groundwork for more ambitious and cerebral Rock music. England not only delivered quantity to the Rock scene of the 70s they also, and most crucially, delivered quality. But the Brits, by no means, had all the fun.

Long Island’s Blue Öyster Cult also got in on the Psych Rock scene and composed music that was, at times, rather macabre and certainly trippy. Like earlier American groups, such as 13th Floor Elevators, Blue Öyster were more about ambience than they were distortion and heaviness. Alice Cooper’s influence on Rock, if for no other reason than his showmanship, cannot be diminished either. Some even believe that it was Alice Cooper that defined the “Metal look” even before Rob Halford. Other bands like The James Gang, who had something of a Led Zeppelin meets CCR vibe, also showed that the Americans could simply rock. But when it comes to the principal influences in Metal the key culprits are, indeed, the English.

Jethro Tull is often credited with creating “Folk Rock,” the seemingly contradictory but completely powerful blend of traditional Folk with contemporary Rock music, which remains strong in Metal ‘til this day. Jethro Tull’s “Benefit” has the musicality of a Metal album except at a much slower pace and “Songs from the Wood” really rocks. Black Widow is the most obscure group I’ve to mention but they are one of the earliest instances of satanic lyrics and ritualistic drumming in Rock music. And then, of course, we have Black Sabbath, who lit the fire that became Metal music.

Sabbath hit the Rock world like an anvil. The country that gave the world the Stones and the Beatles had now given it something far more sinister. Starting with their eponymous debut in 1970, Sabbath, impacted by their guitarist’s loss of a finger (which has been discussed ad nauseum by everyone in the music world), laid the groundwork for later Doom Metal. The vibe was brooding, occult and heavy. Ozzy’s vocals were otherworldly and the rhythm section created music with purpose and dynamics. With the release of “Master of Reality” in 1971, Sabbath began to up their tempo and achieved a sound whose echoes can still be heard today in the repugnant Stoner Metal scene. Wherever there is heavy there is Sabbath and that can never be refuted but what can be argued is who did it better? The answer is Priest.

Priest began with a Blues drenched sound similar to Sabbath and, while Ozzy’s performances were enchanting, Halford’s were haunting and mesmerizing. The use of two guitars also gave Priest the edge insofar as creating Metal as a genre and it can be heard all throughout “Rocka Rolla” and “Sad Wings of Destiny” – the genre soon to be born. 1980’s “British Steel” forever solidified Priest’s place at the top of the hill, but in that very same year they’d face stiff competition.

Iron Maiden entered the Metal scene like a swordsman flamboyantly descending a balcony via a silk curtain. Elegant and refined, Maiden’s sound had all but completely shed the bluesy ways of the 70s, however, while Paul Di’Anno was still vocalist they had a rougher edge to their sound. But, in 1982, enter Bruce Dickinson, a pseudo-operatic vocalist with hair nicer than your mother’s, and thus Maiden’s sound was perfected. While the “first EP was the best” crowd waxes poetic about the Di’Anno era, Dickinson was the missing piece of the puzzle.

1980 also saw the release of Angel Witch’s self-titled debut which was the very definition of “ahead of its time.” Kevin Heybourne’s guitar work is to be hailed for it may very well be the origin of shred guitar. And so soon after the genre was created we have our first instance of a band pushing the envelope. Not to be outdone however, were fellow Englishmen, Venom who, in investing heavily in a more shocking look, profoundly perturbed the minds of stiff parents in England and beyond. Venom’s “Welcome to Hell” followed suit with Angel Witch’s more occult themes and chose to exaggerate them. “In League With Satan” is a perfect example of how blunt Venom opted to be. Venom saw no utility in euphemisms, the angel of death they spoke of was called Satan. 1982 saw the release of “Black Metal,” Venom’s most influential work that, a decade later, would create hysteria in Scandinavia. Also in 1982, we received Witchfinder General’s first record “Death Penalty,” which expanded upon the sound created on Sabbath’s Master of Reality and forged the Doom Metal genre. Fuzzy distortion, chuggy, low-tuned, bluesy riffs and howled vocals became a craze that spread all throughout the UK, but while England perfected Rock n Roll and created Metal, and now Doom Metal, others were bound to join the party.

Outside of England, Doom Metal first took root in the US with bands like St. Vitus and Trouble releasing self-titled records in 1984. A year later the esteemed Pentagram released their own self-titled record. But it wasn’t until the Swedes joined in that Doom Metal really got good. Candlemass is as synonymous with Doom Metal as Cannibal Corpse is with Death Metal and it all started in 1986 with “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.” While Epicus Doomicus Metallicus is my pick for worst album name of all time, it solidified Doom Metal as a genre and not just a cult of Sabbath wannabes. Doom Metal saw its own explosion in the early 80s, but while Doom was cropping up all around the world we also saw an increase in genuinely good Metal.

Denmark’s Mercyful Fate went all in with their 1983 debut “Melissa,” by drawing from the Satanism of Venom’s work and by employing vocals that made Halford’s range seem safe. King Diamond is one of Metal’s most beloved figures and this is where it all began. Falsetto shrieking and ominous guitar work marked yet another beginning: the darkening of Metal. 1984’s “Don’t Break the Oath” saw Mercyful Fate improve upon an almost perfect freshman effort, but the year gave rise to yet another cult classic.

Hellhammer’s debut EP, entitled “Apocalyptic Raids,” was released after several demos, and this Swiss outfit sought to make all other Metal bands in the early 80s sound more akin to Buddy Holly than their psychotic stylings. While Cronos of Venom certainly had a rasp to his vocals, Tom G. Warrior brought us one giant leap closer to the late 80s’ signature shrieking screams. Hellhammer also shied away from the rather clean distortion and musicianship of their genre-mates and brought us to yet another plateau in heaviness. In 1984, the same year that Apocalyptic Raids was released, Hellhammer disbanded but was almost immediately reinvented as Celtic Frost. Martin Ain and Tom G. Warrior kept the evil alive and released “Morbid Tales” which unlocked gates that nevermore would be closed. And so Thrash Metal was born.

Too often I hear people say that Metal is dead and, to be honest, they have a point. I, for one, believe that there are certain subgenres in Metal that ought to be dead but tragically are not. Death Metal seems to not be doing itself any favors by banging on, and the worst culprits are the bands that refuse to die (looking at you: Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, At the Gates, Morbid Angel, Immolation, Suffocation, Vader, Decapitated, and others). Then there are the subgenres that have (d)evolved or been co-opted by those from without. Black Metal has been disfigured and/or bastardized by those with deep roots in the genre (Alcest, Nuit Noire, Satyricon, The Kovenant) and those with no understanding of the genre whatsoever (Krallice, Bosse-de-Nage, Lonesummer). Then there are those things that should not be like Djent and whatever-the-fuck is going on with Metalcore right now, not that it was ever good.

The decision to call it quits at the right time is always a controversial one and it seems that only Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David ever got that decision right. And it also appears that the only way to stay together and remain fruitful is to constantly reinvent your sound (Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Opeth, and only Doom Death Metal Bands apparently). And thus change in and of itself is not a bad thing in Metal. Heavy gave way to Speed which gave way to Thrash which gave way to Death, but the more modern takes on Metal, even when good, seem to miss the boat on the scene they wish to represent. Drawing from the most commonly used Metal “techniques” such as blast beats, tremolo and shrieking might seem to yield Metal but mastering that alone does not a Metal band make.

I always seem to be the bearer of bad news when I enlighten people about what is and isn’t Metal. Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana and even Black Sabbath (gasp!) were never Metal bands, but why? The simple answer is the “riff.” The riff is what makes Metal music Metal. Metal is a guitar-centric musical style that is built upon a solid rhythmic structure that is guitar and drum heavy with little to no bass required (but delightful when prevalent). That is why so many bands in Metal have two guitarists and, sometimes, no bassist. But why is “Welcome to the Jungle” not a metal song and “Aces High” is? Slash is a stellar guitar player but if you slow down a GNR song you’ll get a Blues song and if you slow down a Maiden track you’ll get something more along the lines of a Baroque piece (see Nylon Maiden by Thomas Zwijsen), not the best Classical period but good stuff nonetheless. But it isn’t just the breaking away from pentatonic scales that sets metal apart, for metal certainly has some bluesy influences. Metal also heavily relies on the power chord, but it is the sequencing, tempo and phrasing of Metal riffs that make them so unique.

As my “Exhibit A” for the first ever Metal riff I bring you the main riff from “Deceiver” from Judas Priest’s “Sad Wings of Destiny” released in 1976. It showcases one of Metal’s most beloved guitar picking patterns, the gallop. Though Zeppelin came close with “Immigrant Song,” and Sabbath, obviously, came much closer though they never quite got there insofar as reaching the speed or having the chug, or downstroke, that defines the Metal genre. It wasn’t until Judas Priest that Metal was truly born. Even if Priest didn’t have the legendary duo of K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford’s falsetto was more than enough to spearhead the Metal movement. And once Maiden released their eponymous debut in 1980 we had ourselves the first ever, full-fledged Metal scene.

And now, what can we make of this four decade old genre? Priest is still playing, as is Maiden. Most of the Bay Area Thrash bands are still going, though not strong at all. And yet these relics are what many believe to be the closest you can come to seeing a Metal band these days, outside of unbearable local bands. What I see as a major problem is the “revivalist” Metal movement. Municipal Waste, Warbringer, Violator and Deathhammer are just a few of the Thrash revival bands which to me are not even a step above cover bands. The music of these bands is so derivative that all I can say about these bands is that they are great parrots, spitting back Thrash not exactly how you remember it but pretty close. The Black Metal revival bands might be even sadder in their desperate attempts to conjure up some of the old glory of the 90s. Watain is a poor man’s Dissection meets a poor man’s Dark Funeral, Glaciation is just a joke and I can’t think of a word offensive enough to describe what Carach Angren is trying to achieve. Death Metal revivalists are no different from Thrash and Black Metal. Bloodbath is the most perplexing for it was created by people who actually partook in the phenomenal 90s Doom Death Metal scene but it’s still garbage. So now the question becomes, is there ANY good metal still being released? There sure is but not a lot of it.

Black Metal is having quite the time with the brilliant acts of Mgla, Batushka and Obsequiae putting their unique spins on the classic sub-genre. Mgla has given Black Metal a ferocity that it has never had, while Batushka has beautified and injected Black Metal with the in vogue 8-string guitar and done so masterfully, and Obsequiae has trail-blazed a path that brilliant melodic metallers Dissection might have gone down if they had been able to. Though all three are indeed Black Metal, and Obsequiae perhaps being the most derivative, they all offer something fresh and new to the genre. In the Death Metal sphere I posit the greatness of relatively new Portal. The technicality of Portal’s music is expertly utilized in creating an air of madness instead of just being wanky for the sake of wanking. And Thrash should honestly stay dead. So, as far as traditional metal genres go there isn’t much of any worth going on, but what about new genres?

Experimental Metal, a vague term I know, is on the rise and hybridization seems to be the thing to do right now. Full of Hell are fusing Noise, Grindcore, Hardcore and Death Metal into a tornado of unintelligible swill. Dragged Into Sunlight’s modernized Death Metal has a lot of sampling and Doom influences but doesn’t have the edge of a Metal band to me – quite frankly too angsty with horrid attempts at screams. Meanwhile the likes of bands like Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega continue to reinvent themselves and create music that is nearly impossible to describe – much approved, by the way. Then you have the Emo Black Metal movement lead by Deafheaven, who I’m not embarrassed to admit I actually like. Their music appeals to the 11-year-old emo kid in me and their live show appeals to the Iggy Pop and the Stooges fan in me, but you won’t EVER hear me call Deafheaven Metal, because they aren’t. Alcest is also creating some enticing music that I absolutely love and even they wouldn’t call what they do Metal. Then you have the oddballs like Zeal and Ardor and Panopticon fusing things like mock plantation hymns and bluegrass with Black Metal of all things – the music is certainly Metal but not necessarily good. Factor in the oppressive wave of stoner bands that recently emerged in the wake of Mastodon and Baroness’ success and my diagnosis of Modern Metal would have to be: not good.

There are modern bands worth listening to as a Metal fan (Mgla, Obsequiae, Batushka, Portal) and some older bands that are still going strong (Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega) but as a scene there is much to be desired. The whole “pick an odd genre and blend it with Black Metal” scene needs to die. And plenty of bands that are from the Metal world have decided to move on to pursuits in other genres (Alcest, Anathema, Katatonia). Quite simply put, most of the good music being made right now either isn’t Metal at all or only loosely related to it. And while the creators of some of the most extreme music grew up listening to seemingly incompatible genres like Soul, Psych Rock and Folk music, the recent wave of Emo and Hardcore kids trying to play Metal has completely done extreme music a disservice. I think that what once made Metal so unique was the incorporation of what came before into a brand new style, but there may just be nowhere left to go. Metal as a scene is dying and those who continue to produce brilliant Metal are the last in what is an endangered species, so rather than concerning yourself with what’s going on now, go back and listen to what already happened. Don’t worry though, I’ll tell you where to start.

As a metalhead since the age of 13, I’ve been in the scene for quite some time. I made the Metal scene my home and through it forged friendships and an identity. I love Metal music. In its exquisite complexity and transparent aggression, Metal is truly a full body experience. However, all I see now is Metal displayed on the racks of mainstream clothing stores and as staple programming on streaming services, but for all the wrong reasons.

Metal is music, and so to get into it for any other reason is to completely miss the point. Metal is so much more than polemical fodder for absurd News stories, clickbait websites and mini-documentaries. Metal is powerful enough to frighten, revive and unite and yet now few seem to truly understand, value and appreciate the world’s most enigmatic music scene. Within the actual metal scene (Metal Hipsters not included) you have two poles of opposition. On one extreme you have the “Trolling Elite,” who through their websites, positing the evils of modernity, view Metal not as a catalyst for change, but rather an agent of regression. And on the other extreme you have the “Extremeheads” who care not at all for substance or quality, they only care for fast, heavy, “brutal” music. While I do not consider myself the happy medium – I often find myself sympathizing more with the trolls than the airheads – I consider myself a fan who “gets it.”

Metal grew exponentially in the 80s and 90s and created music so ingenious that it still baffles me that you have to qualify yourself as a metalhead and not simply a music lover. To love Metal is to love music, for it is Metal that has taken up the mantle from the once great, now dead, classical composers (Gustav Holst would have most certainly been a metalhead). I’m not a musicologist or musical theorist but I have an ear for quality – I know bullshit when I hear it. And while there is certainly epic amounts of bullshit in the Metal world (Nu-Metal, Metalcore, Technical Metal, Djent) there is a strong vein of genius throughout the entire Metal realm.

From hearing the mind blowing drumming of Les Binks (Judas Priest), to marvelling in a James Murphy (Obituary, Death) solo, to feeling yourself crushed by the weight of Renato Gallina’s (Disembowelment, Trial of the Bow) guitar, to finding yourself running scared while listening to Moëvöt at night. Metal has always been about showmanship, competition and pushing boundaries and while there is indeed some exceptional Metal still being produced, scenes are largely a thing of the past. With this website I hope to unravel the mysteries of Metal from its beginnings to its current state. I will be discussing albums, bands, the scene in general while utilizing my own personal experiences and research. Metal can live again in the hearts of those who once loved it and not just as a home for the lost and the lame, it can be the home for the adventurous and circumspect once again, you just need to start listening.