Ok, I'm a black metal reviewer, so I think I can give some info on the different genres as well. The guy in the first post didn't have it all covered and was missing some things. Some bands were in the wrong place as well.
0. Nu-metal
Basicly not metal at all, the Marduk (overrated nrosecore band by the way) guy got it pretty much covered. Pantera with their "groove metal" played large a role in it. I haven't met a selfrespecting metalhead yet that lowers himself to listening to it, but there might be some underground stuff that is not that bad, although I doubt it. For example, about EVERY Papa Roach song had ripped of lines and parts of Iron Maiden songs. Eventually, most sane people will grow over nu-metal. By the way, Slipknot is mallcore.
Then there are some genres that I will not discuss since my knowledge of them lacks. I'm sure others will give elaborate comment on them.
1. Speed Metal
2. Power Metal
3. True Metal
4. Gothic Metal (kinda obvious this is, it does not include Nightwish by the way, who are symphonic metal with gothic vocals)
5. Symphonic Metal
6. Progressive Metal
7. 80s Hair Metal
8. Folk Metal
9. A bunch of others that assumably slipped my mind for the moment
10. Death Metal
There is a large gap between death and black metal. Death metal is mainly oriented on heavy and fast riffs, and possibly a lot of chuggah chuggah guitarplay (American style) or melodic passages with extreme groove and bouncy wildness and chaos (Swedish school). Vomitory and Dismember are good examples of Swedish death if people haven't heard about the term. Brutal death metal is a subgenre of death metal, and moves more in the direction of goregrind. BDM is simply extremely brutal death metal, Cannibal Corpse was inportant here, but kinda sucks. Later Behemoth, Vader, Cryptopsy (close to grind), Vital Remains and Nile are the most popular examples. It can contain surprisingly melodic passages as well, especially Nile and Vital Remains excel here (for the popular bands that is, in which I also left a huge bunch, Malevolent Creation etc etc etc etc). Ofcourse one can make crossovers between the genres, Amon Amarth is an example of DM with viking lyrics. Examples of DM-pioneers were Morbid Angel, Possessed and Death.
11. Thrash Metal (NOT Trash Metal)
Real thash metal is pure aggression. Metallica is considered important for thrash, but basicly ripped their sound off of Satan. Megadeth is an example of semilame thrash. Slayer recently was influenced/intoxicated with nu-metal or metalcore influences, but the old stuff is quite good. For good thrash, try bands like Vio-Lence, Coroner and Kreator. My knowledge of thrash is strictly limited.
12. Melodic Death Metal, Melodeath and Gothenburg
Many claim there is difference between the first two. Melodeath would be related to the typical Gothenburg sound (a city), that is slowly dying. An extremely melodic form of metal with poppy song structures yet remaining fairly complex. Examples are In Flames (sold their soul to nu-metal), Soilwork (sold out to metalcore), Skyfire and Dark Tranquillity (Still kicks huge amounts of ass). Melodic death is considered what you'd expect, a more melodic form of death metal. Nightrage, At The Gates etc. Children Of Bodom are powermetal with harsh vocals. Many consider these genres to be the popcompromise of thrash metal, but they can be extremely enjoying if you are getting into metal. Opeth is melodic death metal with lots of acoustic passages, this may sound original but with more knowledge of underground, it is not. If you like Opeth, try Agalloch (dark metal), Woods of Ypres (demo is black metal, debut is dark metal) or Klabautamann (progressive nature oriented melancholic black metal).
13. Doom Metal
Doom is slower metal, usually extremely depressive. popular examples are My Dying Bride, Katatonia etc. But know that I'm really not into this stuff. Funeral Doom is a form of doom with harsher vocals, a more rawer form of doom, also referred to as Doomdeath. Sludge doom is even slower than doom, you can almost drink a beer between two snare beats.
14. Viking, Heathen Or Pagan Metal
Mostly nature oriented music, that show ancient power and a lot of pride. Usually battlish, but also with a focus on the sad aspects of it. Works great with (melancholic) black metal. I'm not really into this scene either, but I can recommend Falkenbach.
15. Mainstream, Symphonic Black Metal And Norsecore.
When you start listening to black metal, you usually kick off with bands like Cradle Of Filth, that aren't black metal at all (anymore) or Dimmu Borgir, who are symphonic/mainstream BM. Although some of it is not bad (Emperor), most of it is soulless and can't be compared with real BM. Another Example is Anorexia Nervosa. Norsecore is a lame rip off from the norwegian second wave scene, but only the surficial ellements were ripped off: the blasting parts and riffs, yet the soul remained uncopied. One usually goes through this on the move to real BM. Dissection is usually calculated to this group as well, but is an example of fairly strong melodic black metal. Try Sacramentum if you like this band but are looking for something better in the same style.
16. Dark Metal
Lies between Black and Doom metal, examples are Agalloch, Forgotten Tomb, Rotting Christ etc.
17. (True) Black Metal
My specialty and the only genre I consider myself knowledgable enough in to write reviews. Black metal is one of the genres of metal that totally steps away from classic chorus verse song structures. A lot of black metal is extremely cold. Here are the subgenres:
a. Brutal/agressive BM
b. Suicidal BM
c. Atmospheric BM
d. Melancholic BM
e. Pagan BM
f. NSBM (National Socialistic Black Metal)
g. Raw BM
h. Nature Oreinted BM
The best bands are always underground, moreover in black metal. Most albums I buy are released on vinyl only, and limited to 100 to 1000 copies. I listen to most of the listed subgenres, but don't really mind about the brutal and aggressive stuff. Keep in mind for all music genres: The lesser it is known, the larger the chance it'll own! Forefathers of BM are Bathory, Hellhammer, Venom, Celtic Frost etc. Many will claim Black Metal to be dead, however, it's usually those people who listen to their popular second wave metal that is indeed slowly dying, because bands get old. The underground is as vital and strong as never before, and this material is far greater and refressing than any BM before. Basicly MOST of it descends form a couple of bands: Ulver, Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthorne, Ildjarn and the early South American scene. Mayhem and the South American scene basicly resulted in the evil and violent stuff, Darkthrone was responsible for a LOT of rip offs and has a huge influence when it comes to riffs and dark atmosphere. Ulver is great when it comes to melancholic and raw nature oriented or viking influenced BM (only Bergtatt and Nattens Madrigal albums). Ildjarn is roots for extremely raw, bouncy and nature oriented black catchyness. Burzum is highly nature oriented as well, and gave birth to more atmospheric, melancholic and hypnotising black metal. Nargaroth further develloped this sound into something sad yet victorious.
a. Brutal/Aggressive BM
To my grief, this covers a rather large part of BM and is often quite souless. Descends from Mayhem and South American Scene as well as from Darkthone in certain cases. Good bands are Krieg and Funeral Fog.
b. Suicidal BM
As depressing and gloomy as possible, try bands like Xasthur and Krohm.
c. Atmospheric BM
Burzum offspring! Usually nature oriented and incorporating sheer beauty and acoustic parts. Try Paysage D'Hiver, Darkspace, Lunar Aurora, Velvet Cacoon, Drudkh and Hate Forest (last two see also NSBM). This genre can be combined with Melancholic BM and Raw BM easily. Repetitive as hell, but if you are into this scene (as I am) you enjoy this.
d. Melancholic BM
Mostly indirectly descendant from Burzum. The Finnish, French and especially German scene excel here. Pure beauty is combined with agony, melancholy and desperate hate, mostly raw. More emotion in one tone you cannot find. Nargaroth was one of the pioneering bands here. In the French Scene some of the Legiones Noir bands were important. Try Noenum, Baptism, Forest Of Fog, Mystic Forest, Forest (the russian one), Drudkh, Aichmophoba, Angmar, A Ravens Forest, Mütiilation, Vlad Tepes, Odium Immortalis, Nachtmystium, Interritus, I actually can go on forever with this...
e. Pagan BM
More viking or heathen oriented, victorious and sometimes with a good sense of melancholy as well. Woodtemple, XIV Dark Centuries. A lot of this music is ruled by pride.
f. NSBM
A lot of people reject this for the disgusting ideology behind it, I too reject this ideology, but not the music. The genre contains some of the most moving music created, although a lot of it is rubbish. Graveland must be the most well known band in the genre, though not the best. In France the NSBM scene is very strong, try Seigneur Voland and Sombre Chemin for example. Other good NSBM bands are Drudkh, Blodulv, Forest (the russian one) and Hate Forest. If you are looking for music where sheer beauty, melancholy, hate and pride can exist in extreme forms in the same melody, NSBM is recommended. I hope people can see that listening to this stuff has nothing to do with agreeing with the message, because that message is often hidden in undecipherable screams of slavic languages.
g. Raw BM
About all true black metal is raw, but some of it is extremely raw, this is when the addition shows up. Black metal and good production don't go well together, it NEEDS to be raw. Look at it as if you were to see a horror movie where everything is completely visible and sharp and coloured, it would take away the essence.
h. Nature Oriented BM
As stated, A lot of BM is nature oriented, especailly NSBM, Pagan BM, Atmospheric BM and Melancholic BM. Ulver, Burzum and Ildjarn were pioneers here. Good examples are these bands and bands like Drudkh, Odium Immortalis, Taake, Forest Of Fog, Trollskogen, Klabautamann, Lunar Aurora, Vinterriket, Paysage D'Hiver and I could mention more of needed.
If anyone has question or comments, don't hessitate to ask. I hope I cleared some things up here, it took a while to typ out so it's easily possible that I made a some mistakes etc.
