Question 1

Which of these genres are likely to feature a blast beat? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Death metal, Black metal - Black metal and death metal are known for their usage of blast beats. Doom metal is characterized particularly by its slow tempos, and while thrash metal certainly has fast tempos, blast beats weren't used until black/death metal hit the scene.

Question 2

Who was the first grindcore band?

Accepted Answer

Repulsion - While Napalm Death released their first full-length in 1987, two years before Repulsion released their own full-length, Repulsion is technically the first grindcore band. Repulsion were releasing demo tapes and playing live shows a couple of years before Napalm Death. Terrorizer is an awesome band but they weren't the first; Terrorizer's first demo tapes came out in 1987 and their full-length in 1989. Carcass is the first goregrind band, but not the first grindcore band.

Question 3

What is the first heavy metal subgenre?

Accepted Answer

Doom metal - Doom metal is the first heavy metal subgenre as Black Sabbath was making it in the 70s. Their style of doom metal is sometimes referred to as "Traditional Doom Metal."

Question 4

The "-core" suffix in several metal subgenres denotes the influence of what non-metal genre?

Accepted Answer

Punk - Grindcore, metalcore, deathcore, etc. are all different combinations of metal and hardcore punk.

Question 5

Sludge metal is the combination of what two genres?

Accepted Answer

Doom metal, Hardcore punk - Sludge metal is known for its thick, slow guitar tones (courtesy of doom metal) that invoke the mental image of thick, viscous sludge. Sludge metal also features vocals that are reminiscent of the shouting of hardcore punk.

Question 6

What term is often used to describe bands from the 1980's German thrash metal scene?

Accepted Answer

Teutonic thrash - Neue deutsche härte is a style of alternative/industrial metal that incorporates elements of electronic dance music (think Rammstein). I made up the answers to C and D. "Teutonic" refers to the Teutons, an ancient Germanic tribe.

Question 7

Which of these subgenres focuses on speed, melody, guitar harmonies, and epic guitar solos?

Accepted Answer

Power metal - Melodic black/death metal are certainly more melodic takes on the original black/death metal formulas, and speed metal focuses on, get this, speed, but power metal is known for its melody, harmonies, and epic guitar solos (as well as clean, dramatic vocals and fantasy lyrics).

Question 8

What subgenre almost always features tremolo picking and raw, lo-fi production?

Accepted Answer

Black metal - All of these subgenres make use of tremolo picking, but black metal is known for it as well as having lo-fi production.

Question 9

Which of these subgenres features "breakdowns" and screamed/shouted vocals?

Accepted Answer

Metalcore - Screamo isn't metal, and groove metal isn't known for feautring breakdowns. Slam death metal and metalcore both use breakdowns, but metalcore is also known for its screaming and shouting vocal style.

Question 10

Which guitarist famously lost two fingertips in an accident at a sheet metal factory?

Accepted Answer

Tony Iommi  - Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi famously lost two of his fingertips when he was 17, and Black Sabbath's distinct guitar style (and heavy metal as a result) can be somewhat accredited to Iommi's handicap. Heavy metal and all of its awful batshit subgenres happened because of this. Never underestimate the importance of workplace safety!

Question 11

Is Chuck Schuldiner a god? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Yes, Yeah

Question 12

Which of these albums is considered the first death metal album?

Accepted Answer

Possessed - Seven Churches  - Sepultura and Morbid Angel are both early death metal bands, but not the first. Whether the first death metal album is Seven Churches or Scream Bloody Gore is a highly debated subject, and it largely depends on whether you consider Seven Churches to be thrash metal or death metal. I consider it death metal.

Question 13

Which of these genres are weirdly obsessed with Lord of the Rings?

Accepted Answer

Black metal, Power metal - F***ing nerds

Question 14

Which of these bands are considered part of the "big four" of American thrash metal?

Accepted Answer

Anthrax, Slayer - The big four American thrash bands are Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer, and Anthrax.

Question 15

"War metal" is a combination of which two subgenres?

Accepted Answer

Black metal, Death metal - War metal is also sometimes referred to as "bestial black metal," as it derives heavily from the 1st wave of black metal while taking influence from death metal--particularly the vocals.

Question 16

Which of these subgenres is mostly likely to feature a drum machine?

Accepted Answer

Industrial metal - Industrial metal incorporates elements of post-industrial music, such as drum machines. Go listen to Streetcleaner!

Question 17

Stoner metal is a subgenre of __

Accepted Answer

Doom metal - Stoner metal, which often has heavy overtones of marijuana usage (shocker), is a variant of doom metal that takes inspiration from psychedelic rock and blues rock.

Question 18

Which of these bands established the sound of black metal?

Accepted Answer

Bathory - While Venom, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate, and Mayhem were all insturmental in the formation of black metal as a genre, Bathory is the 1st wave black metal band whose sound is closest and most influential to the sound of 2nd wave black metal.

Question 19

Which of these qualities is almost universal in progressive metal?

Accepted Answer

Complexity - Progressive metal is known for its complexity and eclecticism. Orchestral/symphonic elements are used most in symphonic metal but can certainly be included in progressive metal, but not universally. Post-metal focuses on texture/atmosphere over riffs. No metal subgenres are characterized by a particular political affiliation. NSBM and RABM are not genres.

Question 20

Which of these techniques are common in death metal?

Accepted Answer

Shrieking , Blast beats, Tremolo picking, Palm muting, Downtuned guitars, Growling - All of these techniques are employed in death metal. Death metal is known for palm muted, downtuned guitars as well as blast beats and "death growls," although death metal also makes frequent use of tremolo picking and shrieking.

Question 21

Which of these techniques are common in black metal?

Accepted Answer

Shrieking , Blast beats, Tremolo picking - Unlike death metal, black metal doesn't feature downtuned, palm muted guitars or "death growls." It's known for shrieked vocals, blast beats, tremolo picking, lo-fi production, and cold, gloomy atmosphere.

Question 22

Which of these make heavy metal different from hard rock?

Accepted Answer

Darker themes, Less blues influence , Distortion - The difference between hard rock and heavy metal can be confusing, as they're very similar. For one, the riffs, drumming, and vocals are all very similar (blast beats and harsh vocals don't appear until later in metal's history, I should add). Heavy metal is delineated from hard rock through more distortion and darker themes. Additionally, hard rock is heavily influenced by blues rock, while heavy metal is not. Heavy metal is faster, darker, more distorted, and less bluesy than hard rock.

Heavy Metal Subgenres Quiz

2) Who was the first grindcore band?

3) What is the first heavy metal subgenre?

4) The "-core" suffix in several metal subgenres denotes the influence of what non-metal genre?

5) Sludge metal is the combination of what two genres?

6) What term is often used to describe bands from the 1980's German thrash metal scene?

7) Which of these subgenres focuses on speed, melody, guitar harmonies, and epic guitar solos?

8) What subgenre almost always features tremolo picking and raw, lo-fi production?

9) Which of these subgenres features "breakdowns" and screamed/shouted vocals?

10) Which guitarist famously lost two fingertips in an accident at a sheet metal factory?

11) Is Chuck Schuldiner a god? Select all that apply.

12) Which of these albums is considered the first death metal album?

13) Which of these genres are weirdly obsessed with Lord of the Rings?

14) Which of these bands are considered part of the "big four" of American thrash metal?

15) "War metal" is a combination of which two subgenres?

16) Which of these subgenres is mostly likely to feature a drum machine?

17) Stoner metal is a subgenre of __

18) Which of these bands established the sound of black metal?

19) Which of these qualities is almost universal in progressive metal?

20) Which of these techniques are common in death metal?

21) Which of these techniques are common in black metal?

22) Which of these make heavy metal different from hard rock?