Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal, death metal, doom metal, thrash metal and sometimes speed metal, and groove metal.[1]
Though not very well known to mainstream music fans, as it is by definition counterculture, extreme metal has influenced an array of musical performers inside and outside of heavy metal.
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"Extreme" can be meant to describe any of the following traits: music (whether it is intended to be faster, more aggressive, abrasive or "heavier" than other metal styles), lyrics (dealing with darker, more sensational topics and themes), vocals (which often use guttural, harsh or abrasive singing), or appearance and stage demeanor (using corpse paint, Satanic or occult imagery). The "extreme" label is most commonly applied to bands whose music is extreme; for example, few would consider Kiss or Alice Cooper to be extreme metal, though they could be considered to employ "extreme" elements in their appearance and stage demeanor for their time.
According to ethnographer Keith Kahn-Harris[2], the defining characteristics of extreme metal can all be regarded as clearly transgressive: the "extreme" traits noted above are all intended to violate or transgress given cultural, artistic, social or aesthetic boundaries.
Given the vagueness of existing definitions and considering the limitations such definitions have, there are many artists for whom the usage of the term "extreme metal" is a subject of debate.[2] However, Kahn-Harris also notes that many musicians and fans see such debates over style and genre as useless and unnecessary, or at least as given undue attention.
Though songs in traditional heavy metal may be louder, harsher or more abrasive than rock music in general, the underlying elements of melody, harmony and rhythm are generally similar to those in rock and pop music. Conventional melodies – one of the key elements of popular music – are often of limited importance in extreme metal, if not absent entirely, although chord progressions are still present and important. Extreme metal songs rarely have the central focus of a melodic "pop hook," and when present, melodic elements more typically provide an instrumental backdrop rather than a central focus.
One of the more apparent characteristics of extreme metal is the vocals. Extreme metal singing includes various extended techniques; from harsh, guttural death growls (characteristic of doom and death metal) to high-pitched shrieking (characteristic of black metal). Thrash metal vocalists commonly employ a harsh or shouted vocal style. Extreme metal vocalists can use one or more techniques, and some bands have multiple singers, and in some black metal bands, even orchestral choir singing is used.
Extreme metal is also characterized by its unusual tempo, which may range from very fast-paced thrash, death and black metal (and can occasionally approach the extraordinary range of 300 beats per minute)[2] to the extremely slow, as in funeral doom and drone doom. Drummers often utilize double-kick, double bass and blast beats, though not all make use of these techniques. Kahn-Harris notes that many extreme metal drummers take great pride in creating and playing drum patterns that are complex and demanding.
Guitars in extreme metal are commonly distorted to create a thick or abrasive tone. Guitars are frequently tuned below the standard E: thrash metal and black metal guitarists usually tune a half or a whole-step down, while death metal and doom metal often tune even lower. Seven-string guitars (rather than the more common six-string guitars) are not unusual in extreme metal, particularly in death and doom metal. Drop tunings are common and sometimes open tunings are used as well. Kahn-Harris notes that extreme metal tends to defy the "riff-guitar solo" paradigm of heavy metal: Guitar solos are often of less importance in extreme metal than in other metal styles, and the chord progressions (or "riffs") in extreme metal are often unusual and sometimes complex and demanding.
Below is a basic summary explaining how the primary extreme metal genres evolved:
Heavy metal music was developed in the late 1960s as a louder, more emphatic form of blues-rock. Heavy metal pioneers like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple all had strong roots in blues-rock, and although heavy metal was harder and louder than its predecessor, it retained a strong blues feel. A noted precursor to extreme metal, Budgie, "was among the heaviest metal of its day".[4]
However, by the late 1970s, some heavy metal musicians were drifting away from the genre's blues roots. The most notable development was the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" (NWoBHM), which included groups like Iron Maiden, Saxon and Motörhead. These bands toned down the blues elements of earlier acts, increased the tempo, and adopted a harsher, tougher sound inspired by punk rock.
The NWoBHM group Venom are widely considered one of the most important groups in the creation of extreme metal. Though critics have often characterized Venom's musicianship as mediocre or worse,[2] the band was nonetheless influential. Their songs were among the fastest of their era, with harsh vocals and blatantly Satanic imagery. Their albums Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982) are regarded as foundational influences on extreme metal. Venom's members also adopted stage names intended to help create a menacing and mysterious persona. Though the practice is not universal, many extreme metal musicians have similarly adopted stage names, especially in black metal.
The early 1980s saw the development of speed metal and thrash metal, two distinct but nonetheless closely related styles that both drew influence from punk rock (particularly the emphasis on very fast tempos, 2/4 or implied 2/4 time, and brief songs found in hardcore punk). The "big four" of thrash metal (the American groups Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica) proved that extreme metal was a commercially viable force.
According to Kahn-Harris, the mid-to-late 1980s saw vital new developments: death metal and grindcore. Both genres are partly distinguished by their use of blast beats, down-tuned electric guitars and growled vocals. At the beginning of the 1990s, the Norwegian black metal scene emerged, which helped to define black metal as a distinct genre.
Extreme metal earned an unprecedented level of international mainstream attention in the early and mid-1990s. Pioneering record label Earache Records, for example, signed a distribution deal with major label Columbia Records. However, much of the attention towards extreme metal was negative and focused on arsons on Christian churches and murders associated with the early Norwegian black metal scene.
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