Black
Raw textures and a darker atmosphere. Venom opens the British branch through Black Metal. Follow its coarse rhythmic pulse, then compare the sharper thrash arrangements elsewhere in the archive.
FOLLOW THE SOUND.
Different kinds of heavy. One place to start listening.
Death
Weight, precision and a rhythm section that refuses to stand still. Compare Cannibal Corpse’s concentrated attack with the raw death/thrash edge of Possessed. Follow the drums beneath the guitars.
Heavy
Melody, weight and a riff worth returning to. Move between Iron Maiden’s Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Follow the guitar lines and hear how scale changes the shape of the music.
Speed
Fast-moving guitars and a direct rhythmic drive. Start with Venom, then follow the links into thrash and hear how a change in attack reshapes the same sense of momentum.
Thrash
A sharp attack, fast turns and riffs built for forward motion. Start with Slayer, then follow the German branch through Sodom and Kreator. Listen to the space between phrases as closely as the speed.