Metal 

Heavy Distorted Guitars

• high levels of gain and overdrive to produce thick, aggressive tones. 

• create the genre’s signature “wall of sound"

Powerful and Fast Drumming

• speed, precision, and power, double bass drumming 

• rapid, machine-gun-like beats

Dark and Intense Themes

• focus on existential themes of death, suffering, and the afterlife 

• address issues like war, corruption, and societal injustices

• ​inner turmoil, rebellion, and emotional pain

Tuning and Key Choices

• use drop tuning or down-tuned guitars, which lower the pitch of the strings and create a deeper, heavier sound

• cho effects to create a distant, cold, or haunting sound.