Heavy Music...

[Dragula219]

People always ask me what's the difference between different genres of heavy music, so I figured I'd explain it the best I can.

Hard Punk - Repeating Chord patterns (Major or Minor), Thrash drums, little to no half-timing, Often Scratchy Yelling for vocals, some singing, sometimes just intense talking. Often very basic musically. Lyrically, many bands are anti-governmental. Some are just whiny and bitch about everything. (Examples: Black flag, Circle Jerks, Against Me!)

Hardcore - Yelling vocals always, either high or low. Gang vocals often (when everyone sings) Sometimes they yell/growl, but if it doesn't have yelling vocals it's not real hardcore. Hardcore came from punk, so it has a lot of the same attributes. Thrash drums, Repeating Chord Patterns that tend to be minor intervals more often than punk. The biggest difference is the addition of the "Breakdown" which in old hardcore was either half timing or quarter timing the strum rhythm (and palm muting it), chord patterns, and drum beat. In new hardcore is doing the same thing, but dropping the chord pattern and playing the same note (mostly opens) with the same rhythm, still palm muting. Almost never any singing. Lyrics are often based around sticking up and staying loyal to friends and family, some bitch about everything around them, and some just talk about beating the **** out of kids at shows.(Examples: Old Style Hardcore - Kids Like Us, Comeback Kid, Guns Up, Blood for Blood. New Style Hardcore- First Blood, Stick to your Guns, Black my Heart, Hoods.)

Metal - Very broad genre, so I'll refer to recent metal. First genre (as far as I know) to use screaming vocals predominately. Fingering riffs are a lot more common, little to no strumming (although some do). A lot of Palm Muting, a lot of pentatonic scales, and a lot of high notes. Guitar solos very common. Minor or Major Intervals. Repeating notes often in the middle of riffs, but often simple rhythms. Drumming varies. Singing is common. Lyrics vary greatly from band to band, not a major part of identifying metal. Often Dark lyrics (Examples: Recent Metal - Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, Lamb of God)

Nu-Metal - ****. (Examples - Slipknot, I don't even know any others. Most metal they play on the radio all the time.)

Death Metal - closely related to metal. Major differences are Lyrical content (Often have to do with death, many times metaphorically, yet still extremely dark), vocals (Almost always Deep Growls), and always minor intervals. (Examples: Morbid Angel, Decide, Amon Amarth)

Metalcore - Though originally it was a combination of Hardcore and Recent Metal (basically taking metal and adding "Breakdowns" I talked about before), It has become something different from both. Excessive pull-offs are commonly used on guitar, with mostly major intervals. Although double kick was used in metal before metalcore, metalcore really started the idea of using your feet predominantly as a drummer. Breakdowns are often much faster rhythms than hardcore and most riffs involve 8th note triplets. Screaming and a type of vocal used almost exclusively in metalcore which is quite literally a "Yell-Scream" Dark Lyrics almost all the time, some meaningful some not. (Examples: As I Lay Dying, Unearth, I Killed The Prom Queen.)

Grind/Slam - Extremely distorted guitars, often playing 4 notes repeating each one several times on a minor scale while the second guitar plays the 3rd or 5th higher. First genre to use "Blast Beats" which are extremely fast rhythms (Double time of thrash beats) hitting a symbol snare and bass at the same time. Drums often have effects and generally lead the music. Instead of "Breakdowns" they use "Slams" which are where you slowly move move up and down 3-5 notes on a chromatic scale while palm muting and slowing the drums down considerably. Vocals often have no lyrics, and are mostly inhaling vocals coming from the diaphragm, not the vocal chords. (Examples: We Came with Broken Teeth, Gore****, Gutteral Engorgement.)

Deathcore - My personal favorite of the Bunch, truly combining all elements of metalcore, death metal and Grind. Mainly taking the Metalcore panatonic scales, death metal deep growl, adding a new type of vocals often called "Shrills" which are a very raspy high screams, and adding the "Blast Beats". Lyrics are often dark, but a lot more meaningful than Death metal lyrics. (Examples: All Shall Perish, Despised Icon, Bring Me The Horizon)

Skacore - THE FLAMING TSUNAMIS MOTHER****ER!

I'll add more genres later.