Bands of this nature featured double bass pedals on drums as well as heavy guitar distortion, resulting in fast tempos, extremely fast guitar solo's and loud, obnoxious, growling vocals. The pioneers of this style, most refer to as speed or thrash metal, were Slayer, Metallica, and Megadeth. They were in for a long stay in the world of heavy metal, with their success helping spawn more new raw styles.
Albums such as Hellhammer's Apocalyptic Raids signified the beginning of a new extreme, death metal (Silveyra 4). And later bands such as Morbid Angel and Sepultura carved the style in stone. Death metal is a dark style consisting of extremely heavy guitar riffs, double bass driven drumming, and growling, almost incoherent vocals. .
The late "80s also brought on the extended use of synthesizers in heavy metal music. The result was a strange type of music called Industrial Metal. This style was less instrumentally oriented, but vocally similar to death metal. Ministry was the first and most influential member of this genre. They are also one of the only originators still in existence.
At the beginning of the 1990's, metal was going down the drain. Pop metal was no longer considered a legitimate type of music and thrash metal bands like Slayer and Megadeth were being ignored, especially after co-pioneers Metallica released a self titled album that incited screams of "sellout" from fans of every kind because of its softer, slower musical interior. But right away, saviors were born. Formerly a glam rock band, Pantera emerged from the ashes of thrash metal, creating intense, guitar driven heavy metal, garnering a diehard fan base reminiscent of Black Sabbath in the 1970's. The heavy metal world rose to their feet to welcome Pantera as a legitimate act.
But, once again, pop music invaded the heavy metal world. This time it came if a front called grunge. A band called Nirvana exploded onto the scene, creating a scene of their own.
