Metal Genres

Browse all 20 genres — click any card to explore the playlist for that genre. Or see the top-rated albums, ranked by member ratings.

Alt./Nu-Metal

15 tracks

Groove-driven fusion of metal, hip-hop and alternative rock with downtuned riffs and raw emotion.

Avant-Garde Metal

13 tracks

Experimental metal pushing genre boundaries.

Black Metal

142 tracks

Dark atmosphere, raw sound, and intense emotional expression.

Death Metal

110 tracks

Heavily distorted guitars, blast beats and deep growled vocals.

Deathcore

10 tracks

A brutal mix of death metal intensity and metalcore breakdowns.

Doom Metal

66 tracks

Slow tempos, thick riffs and an oppressive atmosphere.

Folk Metal

26 tracks

Metal blended with traditional folk instruments and mythology.

Gothic Metal

21 tracks

Dark romantic atmosphere blending metal and gothic rock influences.

Hard Rock

54 tracks

Riff-driven rock with big hooks and arena energy.

Heavy Metal

77 tracks

The classic roots of metal with powerful riffs and driving rhythms.

Industrial Metal

10 tracks

Mechanical rhythms and distorted electronic textures.

Metalcore

28 tracks

Metal riffs fused with hardcore breakdowns and modern aggression.

Post-Metal

16 tracks

Atmospheric metal inspired by post-rock dynamics.

Power Metal

39 tracks

Epic melodies, soaring vocals and fantasy themes.

Progressive Metal

60 tracks

Complex song structures and technical musicianship.

Sludge Metal

8 tracks

A filthy fusion of doom metal heaviness and hardcore aggression.

Stoner Rock / Metal

14 tracks

Fuzzy guitars, psychedelic grooves and desert-rock heaviness.

Symphonic Metal

19 tracks

Metal combined with orchestral arrangements and cinematic soundscapes.

Thrash Metal

52 tracks

Fast, aggressive riffs combining hardcore punk energy with metal precision.

Viking / Pagan Metal

9 tracks

Epic metal inspired by Norse mythology, history and folklore.

Browse by Tag

The 20 most worn

Sub-styles and cross-genre tags, ranked by how many bands carry them — click any card for that tag’s own page, or filter the playlist straight from the card.

Atmospheric 122 tracks

Texture and mood before aggression — metal built to envelop rather than assault.

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Melodic 58 tracks

Melody carries the song, whatever the surrounding heaviness.

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Speed Metal 58 tracks

High-tempo metal bridging the classic heavy sound and thrash.

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Symphonic Metal 56 tracks

Metal wedded to orchestral arrangement and cinematic scale.

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Traditional Heavy Metal 55 tracks

The classic 80s template — twin guitars, clean power, NWOBHM roots.

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Melodic Death 53 tracks

Death metal with strong melodic hooks, rooted in the Gothenburg sound.

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Epic 48 tracks

Long-form and grand in scope: battle, myth and the sweep of history.

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Technical Death 48 tracks

Death metal defined by extreme instrumental precision and shifting time.

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Groove 40 tracks

Mid-paced and syncopated, built on riffs that move the head rather than the pulse.

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Traditional Doom Metal 39 tracks

Slow, heavy and mournful, descended directly from early Black Sabbath.

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Progressive Metal 36 tracks

Complex structures and technical playing borrowed from progressive rock.

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Heavy Metal 33 tracks

The foundation: powerful riffs, driving rhythm, everything since.

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Old-School Death 32 tracks

Death metal in the late-80s and early-90s mould: murky, riff-first, no polish.

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Hard Rock 31 tracks

Riff-driven rock with big hooks and arena instincts.

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Blackened 30 tracks

Another style put through black metal — the frost, the rasp, the tremolo.

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Brutal Death 29 tracks

Death metal at its most extreme — blast beats and guttural vocals.

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Pagan 29 tracks

Pre-Christian myth and ritual as subject matter, and often as instrumentation.

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Power Metal 28 tracks

Soaring vocals, galloping tempos and unashamed fantasy.

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Psychedelic 27 tracks

Rooted in 60s and 70s experimentation — swirling, warped and hypnotic.

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Stoner Rock / Metal 26 tracks

Fuzz-drenched riffs and desert-rock groove, played loose and loud.

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