Because one riff is never enough, and neither is one label.
🎤 What’s Occurring, Metalheads?
Ask ten metal fans how many types of metal there are, and you’ll get twenty answers… plus an argument that ends in a dodgy circle pit in the car park. 😂 Metalheads love subgenres more than they love patch jackets, and trust me, that’s saying something.
From denim-clad Sabbath worshippers to corpse-painted forest goblins, from power metal knights to nu-metal Adidas tracksuit warriors — there’s a flavour of metal for everyone. The question is: how deep down the riff rabbit hole are you willing to go?
Let’s break it down, butt.
⚒️ The Foundations – Where It All Began
Heavy Metal
Bands: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden. The Vibe: The Big Bang of metal. Doom-y riffs, soaring vocals, lyrics about devils, wizards, and sometimes unions (cheers Ozzy). Festival Spotting: Everywhere. You literally can’t have a festival without at least one “classic” metal act.
NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal)
Bands: Saxon, Diamond Head, Def Leppard, Angel Witch. The Vibe: Late 70s/early 80s revival that sped up the Sabbath formula and added leather & studs. How to Spot Fans: Denim jackets with way too many patches.
⚡ Fast & Raging – Thrash, Speed & Crossover
Thrash Metal
Bands: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax (“The Big Four”). The Vibe: Breakneck riffs, political rage, pits that turn into human blenders. Festival: Bloodstock, Download, Hellfest — you’ll always see at least one thrash legend.
Speed Metal
Bands: Helloween (early), Exciter, Running Wild. The Vibe: Pre-thrash but faster than NWOBHM. Like Motörhead after too much espresso.
Crossover Thrash
Bands: Suicidal Tendencies, Municipal Waste, D.R.I. The Vibe: Metal meets hardcore punk. Shorter songs, skateboard vibes, party thrash energy.
💀 Extreme Chaos – Brutality Turned Up to 11
Death Metal
Bands: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel. The Vibe: Growls that sound like clogged drains, riffs tuned lower than your nan’s bingo voice. Festival: Brutal Assault, Obscene Extreme.
Melodic Death Metal (Melodeath)
Bands: In Flames, Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth. The Vibe: Death metal’s angry cousin who also learned guitar harmonies.
Black Metal
Bands: Mayhem, Emperor, Darkthrone. The Vibe: Cold, grim, frostbitten. Lo-fi production, corpse paint, dodgy church-burning history. Fan Uniform: Spikes, bullet belts, bad WiFi in the forest.
Doom Metal
Bands: Candlemass, Saint Vitus, Electric Wizard. The Vibe: Slow, crushing riffs. Feels like being trapped in molasses while stoned.
Sludge Metal
Bands: Crowbar, Eyehategod, Acid Bath. The Vibe: Doom but filthier. Born in the swamps.
Grindcore
Bands: Napalm Death, Carcass. The Vibe: Songs under 30 seconds. Blink and you’ve missed the album.
🎹 Epic & Over-the-Top – Nerd Heaven
Power Metal
Bands: DragonForce, Blind Guardian, HammerFall. The Vibe: Swords, dragons, endless solos. Feels like Skyrim but faster.
Symphonic Metal
Bands: Nightwish, Epica, Within Temptation. The Vibe: Orchestras, choirs, opera singers belting it out with pyro everywhere.
Progressive Metal
Bands: Dream Theater, Tool, Opeth. The Vibe: 10-minute songs, weird time signatures. Smartest nerds in the pit.
🤘 Modern Mayhem – Core & Nu
Nu-Metal
Bands: Korn, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park. The Vibe: Downtuned riffs, DJs, baggy jeans, and teenage angst in spades.
Metalcore
Bands: Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, Architects. The Vibe: Breakdowns, breakdowns, and more breakdowns.
Deathcore
Bands: Suicide Silence, Whitechapel. The Vibe: Death metal + breakdowns heavy enough to snap your spine.
Djent
Bands: Meshuggah, Periphery, Tesseract. The Vibe: “Chug chug” guitar tone. Nerdy prog meets gym-bro energy.
Groove Metal
Bands: Pantera, Lamb of God, Machine Head. The Vibe: Heavy, mid-tempo riffs that slap harder than your mam’s wooden spoon.
🌍 Folk, Pagan & Regional Madness
Folk Metal
Bands: Korpiklaani, Eluveitie, Finntroll. The Vibe: Accordions, fiddles, beer-soaked chants. Festival beer tent soundtrack.
Viking Metal
Bands: Amon Amarth. The Vibe: Growling about Odin while rowing an inflatable longship through the crowd.
Celtic Metal
Bands: Cruachan, Waylander. The Vibe: Irish folk instruments meet heavy riffs.
Oriental Metal
Bands: Orphaned Land, Myrath. The Vibe: Middle Eastern melodies fused with metal crunch.
🏭 Industrial, Weird & Wonderful
Industrial Metal
Bands: Rammstein, Ministry, Fear Factory. The Vibe: Cold, mechanical, pyros so hot you lose your eyebrows.
Avant-Garde Metal
Bands: Igorrr, Arcturus, Mr. Bungle. The Vibe: Metal meets jazz, opera, and sometimes chickens. (Yes, really).
Post-Metal
Bands: Isis, Cult of Luna, Pelican. The Vibe: Atmospheric, moody, builds like post-rock but with riffs.
Blackgaze
Bands: Alcest, Deafheaven. The Vibe: Black metal meets shoegaze = “sad but beautiful screaming.”
💄 Glam, Party & WTF Genres
Glam Metal
Bands: Mötley Crüe, Poison, Ratt. The Vibe: Hairspray, spandex, songs about partying with strippers.
Shock Rock / Horror Metal
Bands: Alice Cooper, GWAR, Rob Zombie. The Vibe: Blood, guts, latex monsters. Every gig is Halloween.
Pirate Metal
Bands: Alestorm. The Vibe: Rum, sea shanties, inflatable rubber ducks in the pit.
Nintendocore
Bands: HORSE the Band. The Vibe: Hardcore + chiptunes. Like Mario in a mosh pit.
🎧 Playlists for the Brave
Classic & NWOBHM: “Wrathchild” (Maiden), “Denim and Leather” (Saxon). Thrash: “Raining Blood” (Slayer), “Peace Sells” (Megadeth). Death/Black: “Hammer Smashed Face” (Cannibal Corpse), “Freezing Moon” (Mayhem). Power/Symphonic: “Through the Fire and Flames” (DragonForce). Nu/Metalcore: “Duality” (Slipknot), “My Curse” (Killswitch Engage). Weird Stuff: “Du Hast” (Rammstein), “Very Noise” (Igorrr).
🎪 Festival Finder – Where to Hear It Live
Download (UK): Nu-metal, Metalcore, Classic, Thrash. Bloodstock (UK): Death, Black, Doom, Pagan. Steelhouse (UK): Classic, NWOBHM, Bluesy Hard Rock. Wacken (Germany): Power, Folk, literally everything. Hellfest (France): The ultimate smorgasbord of ALL genres.
🎲 QUIZ – Which Metal Subgenre Are You?
Love dragons and can’t stop singing in falsetto? → Power Metal. Covered in tattoos and only wear black? → Metalcore. You own a hurdy-gurdy and drink mead? → Folk/Viking Metal. Your Spotify Wrapped is just blast beats? → Death/Black Metal. You still own Adidas popper trousers? → Nu-Metal.
🍻 Outro
So how many types of metal are there? The safe answer is 20–30 core genres, but let’s be real, mun — metalheads have created over 100 micro-genres. If someone plays a banjo over blast beats in a basement gig tonight, there’ll be a new subgenre on Metal Archives by tomorrow.
That’s the beauty of metal: it refuses to stay in one box. It just keeps splintering, mutating, and coming back louder than before.
Now excuse me while I go start my new band: Celtic Post-Industrial Vikingcore Featuring Triangle. Tidy! 🏴🤘
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
