Metal is a genre characterised by heavy distortion, down-tuned guitars, powerful drums, and intense vocals — ranging from clean singing to extreme growls and screams.

What are the subgenres of metal?

Major metal subgenres include thrash, death metal, black metal, doom, progressive metal, djent, power metal, symphonic metal, and metalcore.

Where can I listen to metal radio for free?

Cloud Atelier streams metal radio stations free, no ads, no signup required.

GENRE

METAL
MUSIC

The heaviest sound on Earth. Born when Black Sabbath tuned down and turned up in 1969, metal has never stopped getting heavier. From thrash to death metal, from doom to djent — a global community united by distortion, technical mastery, and uncompromising intensity.

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The Sound of Metal

ORIGIN

Birmingham, UK & United States

ERA

Late 1960s – present

BPM RANGE

80–220+ BPM

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Heavy distortion · Down-tuned guitars · Double bass drums · Extended solos · Extreme vocals · Technical precision

Key Artists

ARTISTS THAT DEFINE METAL

BLACK SABBATH

BIRMINGHAM · PIONEERS

The originators. Tony Iommi's detuned riffs on Paranoid and Master of Reality invented heavy metal.

METALLICA

LOS ANGELES · THRASH

Master of Puppets, ...And Justice for All — Metallica brought thrash metal to stadiums worldwide.

TOOL

LOS ANGELES · PROGRESSIVE

Lateralus, Fear Inoculum — Tool's polyrhythmic complexity redefined what heavy music could achieve.

MESHUGGAH

UMEÅ · DJENT

obZen, Koloss — the Swedish pioneers whose polymetric precision spawned an entire subgenre.

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SomaFM Metal, Metal Devastation and more — the heaviest radio stations free on Cloud Atelier.

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METALMUSIC

The Sound of Metal

Key Artists

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METAL
MUSIC

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