Top 10 Characteristics of Extreme Metal

1Extreme instrumentation, i.e. faster, heavier, more aggressive, more abrasive


2Emphasis on technical control and fast tempos


3Less focus on melody


4High levels of distortion that also include vocals (grunting, screaming)


5Extreme types of vocals (guttural, harsh or abrasive singing)


6Blast Beats


7Tremolo picking


8The instrumental part may be more melodic than the vocal line


9Palm muting


10Music may be Lo-Fi (sometimes on purpose)


11Darker lyrics (death, war)


12Visual transgression (weaponry, bloody or horrific artwork)


13Focusing more on rhythm guitar