1980s heavy metal explosion: a guide to sub-genres

1515/15

Where next for metal?

Those monks habits mean it can only be cult drone outfit, Sunn O)))

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Conclusion

When metal shattered and splintered in the furnace of the early '80s, it crystalisedinto a few niche sub-genres. Over the last 25 years, these scenes have grown-up, transformed and split, creating countless new metal-infused styles.

'80s metal showed that it was versatile enough to mix with prog, hip-hop and pop, and appealing enough to get under the skin of Christians and devil worshipers alike.

And metal’s still changing and making its presence felt.

The 1990s saw the rise of everything from funk metal to metalcore to viking metal whilst the recent acceptance of drone and noise by the hipster indie scene is changing the make-up of metal crowds as we type.

Metal’s broad and relentless influence on contemporary music as well as its mercurial ability to slip between genres and find a home in all of them proves that it's here to stay.

So where next for metal? From the genres we've covered and the countless ones we haven't, only one thing's for sure - metal's going wherever the hell it likes!