Explainers

Eddie Van Halen playing live at the Rainbow Theatre, London, October 1978, fretting hand gripping the neck of his striped guitar

What Is Drop D Tuning?

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Mar 15, 2026

Ulver performing live on stage

Atmospheric Black Metal

Eirik Solvang · Mar 14, 2026

Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister and Phil Campbell performing live at the Gods of Metal festival, Idroscalo, Segrate, Italy, 3 June 2006

Heavy Metal vs Punk

Declan Rourke · Mar 13, 2026

The seven members of the reunited Helloween line-up posed together in a studio, some seated on a red armchair and a crate, others standing behind them

How Helloween Wrote the Power Metal Rulebook

Julien Vasseur · Mar 13, 2026

The Odd Fellows Rest album sleeve by Crowbar

Is Crowbar Sludge Metal?

Ilse Brandt · Mar 13, 2026

Ritchie Blackmore playing his Fender Stratocaster onstage with Rainbow

The Riff, the Tritone and the Tuning: How Heavy Metal Is Built

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Mar 12, 2026

Overkill on stage at Trees in Dallas in 2023

Thrash Metal Myths, Debunked

Declan Rourke · Mar 11, 2026

The five members of Edguy standing together on a dark stage under blue spotlight beams

What Makes a Song Power Metal

Julien Vasseur · Mar 11, 2026

Possessed performing live on stage

When Did Death Metal Start?

Rafael Quintero · Mar 10, 2026

James Hetfield singing into a microphone stand and playing guitar on a dark club stage

Why Is It Called Power Metal? From a 1982 Demo Tape to a Genre

Julien Vasseur with Declan Rourke · Mar 10, 2026

Autopsy, Chris Reifert second from the left, backstage

What Does OSDM Mean?

Rafael Quintero · Mar 9, 2026

Accept playing an open air stage, the singer crouched at the microphone in a camouflage top, two guitarists either side of him and the drummer on a riser behind

Where Did Power Metal Originate?

Julien Vasseur with Declan Rourke · Mar 9, 2026

The five members of Jag Panzer in black leather, seated and standing in front of stacked flight cases for a studio portrait

When Did Power Metal Start?

Julien Vasseur with Declan Rourke · Mar 8, 2026

The four members of Elder standing in overgrown parkland in front of a ruined classical colonnade

Psychedelic Doom Metal

Ilse Brandt · Mar 8, 2026

Dimmu Borgir performing live on stage

Black Metal Subgenres Explained

Eirik Solvang · Mar 7, 2026

Gorguts performing live on stage

Technical Death Metal Explained

Rafael Quintero · Mar 7, 2026

Phil Anselmo and Zakk Wylde performing with the reformed Pantera lineup, OVO Arena Wembley, London, 25 February 2025

Was Pantera a Glam Metal Band?

Declan Rourke with Saint Sylveszter · Mar 7, 2026

Manilla Road playing a small club stage, a lit sign with the band name hanging above the drum kit, guitarist and bassist either side of it

Who Invented Power Metal?

Julien Vasseur with Declan Rourke · Mar 6, 2026