SubLevel Records

Groove metal is a heavy metal subgenre defined by mid‑tempo, syncopated, and riff‑centric songwriting that prioritizes head‑nodding "groove" over sheer speed. Guitars are typically down‑tuned and palm‑muted, locking tightly to a punchy, backbeat‑driven drum feel and muscular bass lines. Vocals are usually aggressive shouts or barks with occasional melodic or anthemic passages, while lead guitars favor pinched harmonics, blues‑tinged bends, and compact, percussive phrases rather than long neo‑classical runs. Production tends to be tight and weighty, emphasizing a thick, modern rhythm‑guitar tone and precise drum transients. Stylistically, groove metal grew out of late‑’80s thrash and hardcore but slowed and widened the rhythms, borrowing the feel of funk metal’s syncopation and, in some cases, southern rock’s swagger.

Heavy metal is a loud, guitar-driven style of rock defined by heavily distorted riffs, thunderous drums, and powerful vocals. Its musical language emphasizes minor modes, modal (Aeolian, Phrygian) riffing, and energy over groove, often featuring virtuosic guitar solos and dramatic dynamic contrasts. Emerging from late-1960s blues rock and psychedelic experimentation, heavy metal codified a darker, heavier sound with bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin. The genre values weight, intensity, and grandeur—whether through plodding, doom-laden tempos or galloping, high-energy rhythms—paired with themes that range from personal struggle and social critique to fantasy, mythology, and the occult.

Metal (often used to mean heavy metal in its broad, umbrella sense) is a loud, guitar-driven style of rock defined by high-gain distortion, emphatic and often martial rhythms, and a dense, powerful low end. It foregrounds riff-based songwriting, dramatic dynamics, virtuosic guitar solos, and commanding vocals that range from melodic wails to aggressive snarls and growls. Harmonically, metal favors minor modes, modal color (Aeolian, Phrygian), chromaticism, and tritone-inflected tension, while thematically it explores power, mythology, the occult, social critique, fantasy, and existential subjects. While adjacent to hard rock, metal typically pushes amplification, distortion, precision, and thematic intensity further, forming a foundation for many specialized subgenres.

Progressive metal blends the ambition and extended song forms of progressive rock with the heaviness, timbre, and energy of heavy metal. It is characterized by complex arrangements, frequent time‑signature changes, virtuosic instrumental passages, thematic or concept‑driven albums, and a wide dynamic range from delicate, atmospheric sections to aggressive, high‑gain climaxes. Harmonically it draws on modal interchange, chromatic voice‑leading, and jazz‑fusion colors, while rhythmically it favors polymeters, polyrhythms, and metric modulation. Keyboards and layered production often add orchestral or cinematic scope.

Speed metal is a fast, precision-driven branch of heavy metal that crystallized at the turn of the 1980s. It emphasizes aggressive tempos, tightly synchronized riffing, and virtuosic lead guitar work, while generally retaining melodic, often clean or strident vocals. Compared with thrash metal, speed metal tends to be less percussive and more melodic, favoring galloping rhythms, twin-guitar harmonies, and classic verse–chorus structures. Drums often employ rapid double-time feels and double-bass patterns, while bass frequently mirrors the rhythm guitar to reinforce propulsion. Lyrical themes range from rebellion and street realism to fantasy, warfare, and sci‑fi.

Technical thrash metal is a highly intricate, precision-focused branch of thrash metal that emphasizes complex songwriting, demanding musicianship, and advanced rhythmic and harmonic ideas. It retains the speed and aggression of classic thrash, but layers in odd time signatures, frequent tempo shifts, syncopated riffing, contrapuntal guitar parts, and harmonically adventurous chord progressions. Bass and drums are foregrounded with independent, virtuosic lines, and guitar work often features rapid alternate picking, string-skipping, sweeping, and chromatic runs. Lyrically, the style favors cerebral or conceptual themes—technology, dystopia, science fiction, social critique—delivered with clear, assertive vocals ranging from gritty shouts to cleaner, piercing tones.

Thrash metal is a fast, aggressive, and riff‑driven style of metal characterized by high-tempo, palm‑muted downpicking; tightly synchronized rhythm sections; and abrasive, shouted or barked vocals. Songs typically sit in the 180–220+ BPM range, with rapid alternate picking, chugging power‑chord riffs, and precise double‑bass drumming. Harmonically, thrash favors minor tonalities, chromatic movement, tritone tension, and modal flavors such as Phrygian and Aeolian. Structures are riff-centric and often feature brisk tempo changes, sharp stops/starts, and technically demanding solos that draw on pentatonic, natural/harmonic minor, and modal runs. Lyrically, thrash is frequently anti‑authoritarian and socio‑political, addressing war, corruption, media manipulation, and personal alienation. Compared to speed metal, thrash is more percussive, staccato, and palm‑mute heavy; compared to death metal, vocals are generally less guttural and the riffing slightly less dissonant, but the intensity and precision remain core to the style.