Metallica are one of the most beloved and influential heavy metal bands in history, renowned for their fast playing style and thunderous rhythms.
They have been referred to as one of the “big four” thrash metal acts, joining Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer. Additionally, their music has gained a large fan base within underground music circles and earned critical acclaim with their first five albums.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a style of heavy metal that first emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This genre features heavy distortion, powerful drums, and extended guitar solos to produce an intense sound.
Thrash metal stands in stark contrast to hard rock, which tends to be more melodic and less intense. This genre of music appeals to those who appreciate fast tempos, powerful beats, and dark themes.
Thrash metal lyrics often express a nihilistic view of society and humanity. They may address topics such as isolation, alienation, corruption, injustice, addiction, suicide, murder, warfare and other ailments that impact human life.
Thrash metal guitars are often played rapidly with staccato and percussive sounds. The riffs often utilize advanced techniques such as sweep picking, legato phrasing, alternate picking, tremolo picking and two-hand tapping.
Thrash music is characterized by two bass drums or a double-bass pedal that creates an unstoppable, driving beat. Cymbal stops and chokes are often employed in this genre to transition between riffs or signal an uptick in tempo.
Thrash music stands out by its use of chromatic scales instead of traditional single-scale riffing. For instance, Metallica’s Master of Puppets intro riff is composed of chromatic descent followed by ascent, using tritone and diminished intervals as its basis.
Thrash bands often incorporate dual guitars into their music. Furthermore, many use palm muted guitar tones for a tighter sound and increased intensity in the music.
Thrash metal vocals can range from melodic to shrieked. Vocalists in this genre may be either male or female, but usually feature an aggressive tone.
Metallica is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal bands ever. They have earned their fans’ loyalty through their unique, explosive music and unfailing determination to keep evolving their style despite numerous obstacles. Indeed, Metallica’s music has inspired and guided numerous other metal acts throughout their career.
Speed metal
Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that emerged in the late 1970s. It’s distinguished by its fast pace, aggressive soundscape and technical difficulty.
Many speed metal songs are instrumental, featuring guitar solos or lengthy riffs. Some bands also incorporate growled vocals and explosive blast beats into their mix.
The genre known as “speed metal” was popularized by Deep Purple’s song, “Speed King”, recorded in 1969 – more than a decade before it became widely recognized as such.
In the early 1970s, this song set the standard for fast and technical music. Composed by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, it features an awe-inspiring solo.
Another key element in the song was its use of double bass drum, which helped develop a style of playing that would become iconic for many thrash bands in years to come. This instrument often had an aggressive sound and served to increase the tempo of the song.
Throughout the 1980s, speed metal gained popularity and Metallica became its iconic leader. They took its aggressive aesthetic away from other heavy metal bands’ party-hearty fantasies and turned it towards more apocalyptic themes like coercion and insanity.
This subgenre had a major influence on thrash metal and power metal. Notable bands that contributed to these genres included Metallica, Helloween, and Slayer.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, there emerged a heavy metal movement known as NWOBHM. This trend originated in Britain and evolved through rock, punk, and hard rock influences; toning down blues-based influences from earlier acts while adding elements from punk rock to create an aggressive sound.
They were renowned for the blistering guitar solos they would create on their music. This abrasive style of playing that they developed during the 1980s had a major influence on thrash and power metal music today.
Hard rock
Hard rock music is defined by intense vocals, distorted electric guitars and heavy bass guitar. It draws influence from blues rock as well as psychedelic rock influences. As a popular genre with numerous artists across different styles and sounds, hard rock continues to evolve over time.
Hard rock music began to emerge in the mid-1960s, when British bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin combined classic rock sounds with more hard-edged blues rock elements. This style of music gained momentum throughout the ’70s and became increasingly dominant throughout the ’80s.
This style of music is characterized by loud, distorted guitars, intense rhythms and dark themes. It is often associated with heavy metal or punk music but also found among alternative musicians.
Metallica are an American band that has been a fixture in the metal scene for many years. They are one of the heaviest bands worldwide and helped shape modern heavy metal’s sound.
They have achieved worldwide success, selling over 100 million records worldwide. Furthermore, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Their music is difficult to pin down, but they are a classic band with an iconic sound that everyone should appreciate. Their album Hardwired to Self-Destruct stands as a prime example of their style and is widely considered one of metal’s essential records.
This song is not only an excellent representation of their style, but it has an incredible amount of energy and power that’s truly remarkable. Not only is it enjoyable to listen to, but it’s a great choice for beginners looking to learn the fundamentals of metal music.
This song’s guitar is heavily distorted, while the drums are loud and clear. The vocals also sound distortion-ridden, with dark lyrics. Overall, this is an enjoyable listen that you will surely enjoy.
Metallica have been a globally beloved band since the 1980s. They are one of the heaviest bands and were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, making them instantly recognizable as one of music’s greatest acts.
Alternative rock
Alternative music is a type of rock that differs from what you would find on mainstream radio. It tends to be guitar-driven and inspired by older musicians, though it may not be as catchy or popular.
Some of the most renowned artists from this genre include Radiohead, MGMT, The Strokes, Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys. These groups often fuse multiple genres together to create an unmistakably unique alternative sound that’s hard to replicate.
Alternative music stands out from other styles due to its strong advocacy for political issues and social problems. This is because alternative bands often recognize how important these topics are and strive to address them head-on in their music.
This type of music often exudes anger and emotion due to its rebellion against societal norms and values.
Screams and screeching can be very loud, or they could also be more subtle or low-key. Doing this helps the music sound more genuine and less artificial.
Alternative music stands out due to its creative musical structure. This sets it apart from mainstream music which often recycles certain basic song structures repeatedly.
Another distinctive element of this style is its powerful bass and drums. This gives it a distinctive sound, and can also be utilized to emphasize certain lyrics within songs.
Alternative bands usually feature vocals that are unique and distinctive. This can be an advantage to an artist, as it increases their chances of standing out from competitors.
Alternative bands tend to feature more female singers, as they can express their emotions more openly than male vocalists can. This has allowed them to become more popular and successful within the industry.