Codes and conventions of Heavy Metal Sub Genres

The Seattle Sound "Grunge"

 

• Started late 80's
• Influenced by early heavy metal, hardcore punk and indie bands.
• Key Bands : Nirvana , Alice in chains and Soundgarden.
• A lot of Grunge supergroups
• Defining album was Nirvana's Nevermind.
• Was seen to combat Glam Metal. 
• A lot of mainstream success
• The genre still moving with all the main bands still together accept Nirvana.

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun:

• Narrative/Performance
• Controversial theme
• Colour filters
• High Budget

Pearl Jam - Jeremy:

• Narrative
• Extended intro
• Flashing images, text
• Colour filters
• Nazi salute used. Controversial

Alice in Chains - Them Bones:

• Performance
• Cave/Desert setting
• Flashing images
• Camera colour filter
• Shots of all band, no emphasis on singer

Power Metal

• Combination of traditional metal & speed metal
• Mid 80s germany
• Fantasy & mythology theme
• Popular in Europe
• 80s fluffy hair
• bright clothes (no make up)
• modern gothic, long/scruffy hair and plain black tops

Gamma Ray - Into the storm

• Performance
• normal c + c of metal
• disused train station

Amaranth - Nightwish

• Performance and concept
• based on a village and some fallen angels
• Unusual power metal female singer
• Jumping zooms and flashing lights focusing on lead singer

Christian Metal

• Also known as white metal
• Started in 1970's USA
• Evanesence - were christian metal band but not now.
• Stryer - Christian glam metal band , performance music videos and thier records were removed from christian music stores.

Underoath

• mostly concept and performance videos

Hardcore

• 1977
• Bands such as Glassjaw, Misfits, Gallows, Dead Swams, The ghost of a thousant
• 1970s boston, new york and new jersey
• Small genre
• High earning bands
• Gallows - grey britian was voted best album of decade
• very aggressive
• Lyrics of voilence

Gallows - Abandon ship

• Performance, small gig/venue
• lots of stage presence
• shaky dutch angles
• breakdown with a long take
• normal shot variation of a heavy metal video.

Your Demise - Burnt Tounges

• Performance / Narrative
• focuses on front man

Viking Metal

• Came from viking folk music
• then heavy metal adopted it
• Heavy on keyboards
• Very bleak
• Lots of norse mythology.
• Key bands - Amon Amarth and Barthory

Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

• Lots of vikings headbanging
• Women countertypes
• band members in normal clothes
• Viking battle during video
• Amon Amarth - The Pursuit Of Vikings

Turias - To holmgard & beyond

• Viking Mise en scene
• Viking way of life
• Modern Performance

Thrash Metal

Thrash Metal