Experimental (Avant-Garde) Metal

This week we are going to be getting a bit experimental. That’s right! It’s time to talk about experimental metal, also known as avant-garde metal. The terms “experimental metal” and “avant-garde metal” are usually interchangeable with fans of the subgenre, and each band of the subgenre has a preference of how they wish to be described. For the sake of the blog post, I will simply refer to the subgenre as experimental metal. 

Experimental metal is basically the subgenre for bands that no one knows how to describe. Metal bands that use unusual sounds, instruments, song structures and/or playing techniques all are labeled as experimental metal bands because they don’t fall into any other subgenre. Progressive metal bands also use unusual song structures and playing techniques, which may cause confusion about how they should be labeled. It’s important to keep in mind that progressive metal bands always use standard heavy metal instrumentation and that they rely more on technicality than real experimentation. The difference between the subgenres is huge and anyone who has experience listening to them both can easily identify how a band should be labeled. 

It’s fairly unclear where experimental metal originated from, but the subgenre definitely made its first appearance in the 1990s. Bands such as Neurosis, Boris, Earth, Maudlin of the Well and Sunn O))) all started to experiment with conventional heavy metal music, which led to the formation of many experimental metal groups. Some other notorious experimental metal acts include Ulver, Arcturus, Unexpect, Fantomas, Sigh, The Ocean, Diablo Swing Orchestra and Dog Fashion Disco.

In recent years, experimental metal has become more popular than ever before. Record labels such as The End Records, Hydra Head Records, Southern Lord Records, Profound Lore Records and Misanthropy Records are all known for releasing notorious modern experimental metal records. The internet has really popularized the idea of experimenting with normal heavy metal standards, and now there is a large niche of fans of the experimental metal subgenre. The future of experimental metal is a bright one with limitless possibilities.