Being a metal fan in this world is a daunting task. Most people hear My Chemical Romance or Nickelback and lump them both into the metal category – both of which are not, and would insult any metal fan. So, before you go and tell that scary tattooed guy that works in the mail room that you think Creed is the heaviest band ever, read up…it might save you a trip to the ER.

Thrash Metal:
Style – Thrash metal is characterized by fast pace guitar riffs, rapid double bass and aggressive vocals. Ah, can’t forget the blazing guitar solos either!
Bands – Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer

Death Metal:
Style – Take the musical elements of thrash, slow it down from time to time, detune the guitars really low, add in “cookie monster” vocals, and you have yourself a recipe for death metal.
Bands – Lamb of God, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel

Power Metal:
Style – Power metal is best described as a mix of traditional metal with a hint of speed and most often, melodic vocals. Power metal is often interchangeable with traditional metal.
Bands – DragonForce, Hammerfall, Iced Earth

Doom Metal:
Style – Describing doom can be done with one word – slow. Doom is brutal, slow heavy riffs with melodic vocals, generally evoking a sense of despair, dread or…impending doom. Arguable fathers of metal, Black Sabbath, are also said to be the main influence of doom.
Bands – Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass, Iron Man

Progressive Metal:
Style – “Prog” is complex compositional structures, odd time signatures and very operatic type vocals. Some bands in this genre are also heavily-influenced by jazz fusion and classical. This is a more “intellectual” type of metal – aka Nerd Metal.
Bands – Dream Theater, Symphony X, Fates Warning

Metalcore:
Style – An interlacing of death metal type vocals with “clean” melodic singing on top of either thrash or melodic death metal-type music. Some bands will feature two vocalists to handle the trade off of vocal duties. It’s pretty popular right now with the younger metal crowds.
Bands – Trivium, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying

Traditional Metal:
Style – This is a label you put on bands that simply play straight ahead, traditional, heavy metal. Of course, this is all relative as many bands can fit this bill and slip into another category as well.
Bands – High on Fire, Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne

Now you know the basics of metal…just the tip of the iceberg really. Hopefully, for the time being, this will at least save you from looking like a tool at the next Tool show.