Chaps....
Would you mind explain the different "levels" heavymetal etc.? Just came across Hair Metal....WTF is that??
Hair Metal is just another name for Glam Metal from the 1980s such as Motley Crue, Bon Jovie, etc...
Here is a beginning, I will post some examples of each later.
Black Metal is an extreme form of Metal. With pagan, satanic or occult themes.
Example: Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Cradle of Filth, Siebenburgen
Death Metal is an extreme form of Metal that is generally distinguished by low-tuned guitar, low-pitched death grunt vocals, blast beats and erratic tempo and time signature changes. Lyrics typically revolve around themes of death, gore and violence, although some bands also address non-violent themes.
Example: Death, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse
Melodic Death Metal is more centered in the melody on songs. Guitarriffs are more like on thrash metal but the singing style is the same as on the actual death metal(low growling).
Example: In Flames
Doom Metal is highly atmospheric and typically features low-tempo, low-tuned and heavy guitar riffing, often exclusively. The music and lyrics often aim to convey a sense of darkness, despair and misery. It is strongly influenced by the early work of Black Sabbath, particularly songs such as "Black Sabbath", which are considered embryonic or prototypical doom metal songs.
Examples: Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble and Candlemass.
Folk Metal are influenced by folklore from various cultures and origins. Originally started as a mixture of folk rock, power metal and black metal, the term has progressed to encompass many folk-themed metal bands, that use folk based lyrical themes and composition, including instrumentation.
Examples: Finntroll, In Extremo
Glam metal (also called hair metal) was one of the most popular styles of metal during the 1980s. The sound, as the name suggests, lies somewhere between the heavy metal sound of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and the glam rock sound of Sweet and KISS. The bands were famous for their use of guitar solos, energetic frontmen and drummers that did not only have technical ability, but the ability to put on an entertaining show; as per Tommy Lee.
Examples: Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, W.A.S.P etc.
Gothic metal is a genre of heavy metal that originated during the early 1990s in Europe as an outgrowth of death/doom, a subgenre of doom metal. Musically it combines the guitar style of doom metal, black metal and death metal with its own unique use of heavy keyboard atmospherics, distorted guitars, romantic story like lyrics and dual vocalists.
Examples: Sirenia , Lacuna Coil and Silentium.
Groove metal is also known as neo-thrash or post-thrash, groove metal consists of slow or mid-tempo and down tuned thrash riffs, bluesy guitar solos, greatly emphasized drum work and harsh vocals.
Examples: Lamb of God, Machine Head and White Zombie.
Industrial metal fuses elements of heavy metal and industrial music or other electronic genres such as house music by using electronic instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines alongside more purely heavy metal instruments such as electric guitars and bass guitars, and a vocal style combining elements of both genres.
Examples: Ministry, Static-X, Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, and Fear Factory.
Metalcore combines elements of hardcore punk with heavy metal, thrash metal or extreme metal. Generally, metalcore guitarists use harmonized guitar riffs and solos, drummers use hardcore d-beats and double bass drums, and vocalists use a sing-along style. A distinguishing characteristic is the "breakdown", whereby the song is slowed to half-time and the guitarists play open strings to achieve the lowest-pitched sound.
Examples: Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Caliban
Neo-classical metal incorporates elements of classical music with the heavy metal sound; including instrument usage, scales (especially harmonic minor), and melodies.
Examples: Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Nu metal is a style that combines heavy metal with elements of alternative rock and funk, often with hip hop influence.
Examples: Korn, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, Linkin park, and P.O.D..
Post-metal takes influences from post-rock. Post-metal stresses emotion, contrasting the ambiance of post-rock with the weight and bombast of metal. Vocals are deemphasized or non-existent, and lyrics tend to be equally abstract: often thematic or philosophical in nature. It is a largely American phenomenon, but also includes some Japanese bands.
Examples: Cult of Luna, Isis, and Pelican
Power metal is more upbeat than most metal genres, taking heavy influence from heavy metal and speed metal. Power metal often emphasizes clean, melodic, high-pitched vocals, fast pacing that is mostly driven by double bass drumming and melodic lead guitar. The rhythm guitar is defined by straight power chord progressions. Power metal leans toward the positive, happy side of life, seeking to empower the listener and inspire joy and courage. Power metal lyrics usually involve fantasy or science fiction themes.
Examples: Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, Dio, and Sonata Arctica, Iced Earth, Kamelot.
Progressive metal is a fusion between progressive rock and heavy metal. It is one of heavy metal's more complex genres, due to its use of unusual and dynamic time signatures, long compositions, complex compositional structures, and virtuosic instrumental playing, where instrumental solos are detailed and extended. Vocals, if present, are melodic and lyrics are often philosophical, spiritual, and/or political.
Examples: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Fates Warning, and Queensrÿche.
Sludge metal combines the low-tempos, heavy rhythms and dark atmosphere of doom metal with the shouted vocal delivery and high-tempos of hardcore punk. The string instruments are heavily distorted and often use a high level of audio feedback to produce a sludgy sound. Lyrics are typically blue-collar in nature; reflecting on society, generally in a cynical or downtrodden manner. Sludge metal may also incorporate elements of southern rock and blues-rock.
Examples: Acid Bath and Eyehategod
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that uses traditional heavy metal song structures and riffing but with faster tempos and driving rhythms. It is usually as melodic as traditional heavy metal. Speed metal emerged when traditional heavy metal bands started writing an occasional fast song. It began as an established genre when bands wrote the majority of their songs in this style.
Examples: Motörhead, Annihilator and Accept
Thrash metal is often regarded as the first form of extreme metal. It is generally characterised by its high tempos, complexity and aggression. Thrash metal guitar playing is most notable for the "chugging" sound it creates through low-pitched palm muted riffs, and high-pitched shred guitar solos. Drummers often use double-bass drums and hardcore punk-influenced d-beats. Vocals are most often shouted or sung in an aggressive manner.
Thrash metal evolved from speed metal and NWOBHM at the beginning of the 1980s, although Black Sabbath's 1975 song "Symptom of the Universe" is often regarded as the earliest example of a thrash metal riff.But even thought that Sepultura keeps one of their encouraging bands a Finnish crust punk band Calle Terveet Kädet. And often one of the first bands who mixed up hardcore punk and heay metal was a band cakked Amebix.
Examples: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax
There are also another gazilliong different kinds but these above are the main sub genres.