Explainers

Bolt Thrower on stage at Tuska in 2013

Death Metal Meaning: What the Words Actually Describe

Rafael Quintero · Sep 7, 2026

Charlie Benante of Anthrax playing drums live

Thrash Drumming: Double Bass and the Skank Beat

Declan Rourke · Sep 5, 2026

James Hetfield playing his Flying V with Metallica live in London, 5 July 2026. Photo: Brett Murray

Downpicking

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 3, 2026

Slade at Reading Festival, 1980. Photo: Barry Plummer

Gang Vocals and Crowd Chants

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Sep 1, 2026

James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica playing guitar

Thrash Guitar: Downpicking, the Gallop and the Dive Bomb

Declan Rourke · Sep 1, 2026

Fenriz and Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone

Anti Commercialism and the Limited Press

Eirik Solvang · Aug 30, 2026

Extol in a black and white band portrait

Christian Death Metal

Rafael Quintero · Aug 27, 2026

Paul Di'Anno singing with Iron Maiden in their early years

Is Iron Maiden Thrash Metal?

Declan Rourke · Aug 27, 2026

Justin Hawkins of The Darkness at OVO Arena Wembley, London, 29 March 2025. Photo: Robert Sutton

Falsetto vs Full Voice

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Aug 26, 2026

Moonspell's Wolfheart and Under Satanae with Paradise Lost's One Second

Black Metal and Gothic Metal: The Border

Ilse Brandt · Aug 25, 2026

Napalm Death, Barney Greenway and Shane Embury at the centre

What Is Death Metal Music? A Plain Answer

Rafael Quintero · Aug 25, 2026

Autopsy, the death metal band whose 1989 Severed Survival logo the article opens on, photographed in 2023. Photo: Nancy Reifert, courtesy of Secret Service Publicity, via Blabbermouth.

The Death Metal Logo: Why You Cannot Read Any of Them

Rafael Quintero · Aug 24, 2026

Matt Cameron of Soundgarden drumming live, early 1990s. Photo: Ross Halfin

Odd Time Signatures in Metal

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Aug 22, 2026

Dimmu Borgir on stage at the Motocultor festival in August 2025.

Is Dimmu Borgir Still Black Metal?

Eirik Solvang · Aug 21, 2026

Tom Araya of Slayer singing live

Thrash Vocals: From Baloff's Bark to Chuck Billy's Roar

Declan Rourke · Aug 21, 2026

A hooded crowd in front of a lone guitarist at an underground show

North Korean Black Metal: The Story Behind the Search

Eirik Solvang · Aug 20, 2026

Bloodbath band portrait

Why Death Metal Vocals Sound Like That

Rafael Quintero · Aug 20, 2026

Epica at Hellfest, Clisson, 2025. Photo: Ryan Hildrew

Operatic Singing in Heavy Metal

Declan Rourke with Julien Vasseur · Aug 19, 2026