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			{{Short description\|Subgenre of heavy metal music}}
	{{cleanup-date\|April 2006}}
			{{For\|the Transformers episode titled "Speed Metal"\|List of Transformers: Prime episodes}}
	{{totallydisputed}}
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=January 2024}}
	{{genrebox\|name=Speed metal
			{{EngvarB\|date=January 2024}}
	\|color=#BB0022
			{{Infobox music genre
	\|bgcolor=white
			\| name = Speed metal
	\|stylistic_origins=] - ]
			\| stylistic_origins = {{hlist\|]\|]\|]}}<!-- Please don't add unsourced genres -->
	\|cultural_origins=Early-Mid ], ]
			\| cultural_origins = Late 1970s and early 1980s, mainly in the United Kingdom
	\|instruments=] – ] – ]
			\| derivatives = {{hlist\|]\|]\|]\|]}}
	\|popularity=Moderate in the late 1970's, Slightly more popular until early 1990's, Underground ever since
			\| regional_scenes =
⚫	\|subgenrelist~~=List~~ of ~~thrash~~ ~~metal~~ ~~genres~~
		⚫	\| other_topics = {{hlist\|]\|]}}
	\|subgenres=] – ]\|
		⚫	\| subgenrelist =
	\|regional_scenes=] - ]
⚫	\|other_topics=]
	}}		}}

			'''Speed metal''' is a subgenre of ] that originated in the late 1970s from ] (NWOBHM) roots.<ref name="Extreme">K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), {{ISBN\|1-84520-399-2}}, p. 31.</ref> It is described by ] as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music.<ref name="allmusic" >{{cite web \|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/speed-thrash-metal-ma0000002874 \|title=Speed/Thrash Metal \|work=] \|publisher=] \|access-date=2 January 2017 }}</ref>
	'''Speed metal''' is a cross-genre reference to bands, mainly from the ] and ] genres. The term is mainly used to differentiate between bands of either genre who use tempos or beats that are faster than is normal for either genre, but also tends to refer to bands that combine aspects of the two genres. ''Thundersteel'' by Riot (CBS/Sony 1988) is widely considered to be a seminal speed metal album. Bands such as ] and ], although not typically cited as speed metal bands, are usually considered to be the main developers of the faster tempos common amongst speed metal bands.

			It is usually considered less abrasive and more melodic than ]. However, speed metal is usually faster and more aggressive than traditional heavy metal, also showing more inclination to ] soloing and featuring short instrumental passages between couplets. Speed metal songs frequently make use of highly expressive vocals, but are usually less likely to employ "harsh" vocals than thrash metal songs.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia\|url=http://heavymetalencyclopedia.com/genres/15-speed-metal \|title=The Best Speed Metal Albums \|encyclopedia=Heavy Metal Encyclopedia \|access-date=5 February 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110413031217/http://heavymetalencyclopedia.com/genres/15-speed-metal \|archive-date=13 April 2011}}</ref>
	Speed metal does not belong only to a genre of bands that possess a typical style ;for instance, some ] bands' and ] bands' songs can also be classified as speed metal. For example, titles like "Queen of the Reich" (]), "Slave to the Grind" (]), "Body Talk" (]), "Robotman" (]), "Paris is Burning" (]), "Live Wire" (]), "Tear it Loose" by (]), "Be Quick or Be Dead" (]), "Hell to Eternity" (]), "Badboys" (]), "Kill the King"' (]) and "Scream of Anger" (]) are speed metal songs.

			==Origins==
	Two of the earliest speed metal songs are ]'s "Highway Star" from their 1972 album '']'' and ]'s "Children of the Grave", from their 1972 album ''Master of Reality.'' Earlier efforts with a similar style include ]'s "Paranoid" (from the album of that name, 1970) and also Deep Purple's "Speed King" (from the 1970 ''In Rock'' LP) and "Fireball" (From the 1970 ''Fireball'' LP). However, it was "Highway Star" that introduced into heavy metal both the extreme speed of the single-note riffing and also the complex guitar and keyboard solos (performed by ] and ], respectively), borrowed from progressive rock of the '70s, but heavily influenced by ]. These features commonly went on to be associated with more modern ], but at the time, was typical of speed metal characteristics.

			===New wave of British heavy metal===
	Later speed metal includes ]'s ''Ill Kill You'' (1985), ]'s ''Walls of Jericho'' (1985), ]'s live album '']'' (1981), and the band ], who consider themselves as the "World's State-of-the-Art Speed Metal Band". Prior to joining Megadeth, ] colaborated with ] in the band ], who are often cited as speed metal.
			One of the key influences on the development of speed metal was the new wave of British heavy metal, or ]. This was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. NWOBHM bands toned down the ] influences of earlier acts, incorporated elements of ], increased the ], and adopted a "tougher" sound, taking a harder approach to their music.

			It was an era directed almost exclusively at heavy metal fans and is considered to be a major foundation stone for the ] genres.
	The term "speed metal" is still used to glorify and differentiate bands with high-speed playing, though the term is branching out to include bands from both ] and ] as well. Some believe that '']'' (1990), the last album Judas Priest released before the departure of singer ] (who would later return in 2004), has set a new standard for speed metal.

			The NWOBHM came to dominate the heavy metal scene of the early-mid-1980s. It was musically characterised by fast upbeat tempo songs, ], fast ] and melodic, soaring vocals. Groups such as ], ], ], ] and ] as well as many lesser-known ones, became part of the canon that influenced American bands that formed in the early eighties.

			===Other metal influences===
			] playing in 2005]]
			Motörhead is often credited as the first band to play speed metal in the mid-1970s.<ref>{{cite web\|url={{AllMusic\|class=artist\|id=p4965\|pure_url=yes}}\|title=Motörhead: Biography\|last=Erlewine\|first=Stephen Thomas\|author-link= Stephen Thomas Erlewine\|work=] \|publisher=] \|access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref> ] released "Sweet F.A." and "Set Me Free" in April 1974 which heavily influenced speed metal later in the decade. Some of speed metal's earlier influences include ]'s "]" and "]", ]'s "]" and ]'s "]" (the latter two were eventually covered by the ] band ]),<ref>{{cite web\|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xxhj\|title= Queen: ''Sheer Heart Attack'' Review\|last= Jones\|first= Chris\|date= 7 June 2007\|publisher= BBC Music\|access-date= 28 March 2009}}</ref> as well as certain ] songs such as "]", "]" and "]". The latter was called "early speed metal" by ] of speed metal band ].<ref>{{cite web\|date=16 March 2009 \|url=http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?id=1607080&vid=355015 \|title=Anvil On Deep Purple's "Highway Star" \|publisher=] \|access-date=8 April 2013 \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605044617/http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/355015/anvil-on-deep-purples-highway-star.jhtml#id=1607080 \|archive-date=5 June 2011}}</ref>

			==History==
			The origin of the genre's name is the aptly named "]" by ]. Recording on the song started in 1969 making it nearly a full decade ahead of the musical style being recognised. The song is not only very fast and technical but was also extremely loud creating noticeable distortion in the recording process. The ] for the band's next album, '']'', is a further refinement of the band's influence with drummer ]'s use of the ]. The way the double bass drum is played in "Fireball"—uptempo "]"—became a mainstay in many heavy, speed and thrash metal songs in the years that followed.

			This is the only Deep Purple song that employs the double bass drum, and the video from the band shows them actually bring out the second bass as needed to play the song. While speedy, technical playing did not dominate Deep Purple's music, they clearly were the inventors of ] that was fast, technical and loud. Those characteristics would become the hallmarks of speed metal. The name of the origin song, "Speed King" would have also played a role in the genre's naming. At the very least, the band acknowledged what they were doing which was a radical departure from all prior rock music.

			] are a British heavy metal band from ], England, and are often cited as one of the grandfathers of the genre. Though usually known for playing a fairly slow, sludgy tempo, "]" is a very up-tempo song with a much faster pace than other songs in their catalogue. Still in certain other songs such as "Electric Funeral", "]" and "Under the Sun (Every Day Comes and Goes)" there is a section in the middle of the song that shifts away from the core music and plays a much faster pace than in the rest of the song, then returns to the original melody. There are those who believe that their song "]" from their 1975 release '']'' album is the first true example of a speed metal song.

			] are a British heavy metal band, also formed in Birmingham, England, that often played faster than most rock groups of the time and brought a more "metallic" sound to the guitars. Some songs, such as 1978's "]", were groundbreaking for their sheer ferocity and speed; few, if any, bands exempting ] played with the same tempo.{{citation needed\|date=February 2018}}

			] (who took their name from the aforementioned Judas Priest song) is a Canadian speed metal band from ], Ontario, which was formed in 1978. They are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and a seminal influence of the thrash metal genre. ] are another Canadian speed metal band from ], Ontario, who also formed in 1978. To date, the band has released seventeen studio albums, and has been cited as having influenced many notable thrash metal groups, including ], ], ] and ].

			] is a German heavy metal band which played an important role in the development of speed and thrash metal, being part of the German heavy metal scene, which emerged in the early to mid-1980s. Of particular importance was their 1982 track "]".

			Speed metal eventually evolved into ].<ref name="allmusic"/> Although many tend to equate the two subgenres, others argue that there is a distinct difference between them. In his book '']'', ] states that "...thrash metal relies more on long, wrenching rhythmic breaks, while speed metal... is a cleaner and more musically intricate subcategory, still loyal to the dueling melodies of classic metal."<ref>* {{cite book \| last1 = Christe \| first1 = Ian \| author-link1 = Ian Christe \| title = ] \| work = !t Books \| publisher = ] \| year = 2004 \| location = New York City, New York \| isbn = 978-0-380-81127-4 \| page = }}</ref> However, on the very next page, Christe calls speed metal a "subset of thrash metal" and argues that "There was little intrinsic difference between speed metal and thrash metal. With the sudden boom of fast, raging bands, however, it sometimes helped to distinguish between the throbbing, rhythm-heavy thrash metal and something a bit cleaner and more melodic--dubbed speed metal."<ref>Christe 2004, p. 138.</ref>
			Some{{Who\|date=April 2024}} may argue that first wave ] bands such as ], ], and ] were speed metal and that black metal evolved as an extreme form of speed metal.{{Citation needed\|date=April 2024}} Speed metal also played a major role in formation of ], with ], one of the "big four" of power metal, first two albums being speed metal, or speed-metal adjacent, in the case of ].

			==Regional differences==
			Speed metal's sound varied between various regional scenes. European bands leaned towards the sound of bands like Venom and Motörhead. Japanese bands had a more melodic sound that resembled ]. North American bands had a faster, more aggressive sound that would later influence the thrash metal movement.<ref name="allmusic"/>

	==See also==		==See also==
	*]		* ]

			==References==
			{{Reflist}}

			== External links ==
	{{heavymetal}}
			* {{Commons category-inline}}

			{{heavy metal}}{{Hardcore punk}}{{Extreme metal}}
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Latest revision as of 11:30, 26 December 2024

Subgenre of heavy metal music For the Transformers episode titled "Speed Metal", see List of Transformers: Prime episodes.

Speed metal
Stylistic origins	New wave of British heavy metal heavy metal punk
Cultural origins	Late 1970s and early 1980s, mainly in the United Kingdom
Derivative forms	Neoclassical metal power metal thrash metal black metal
Other topics
Extreme metal shred guitar

Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots. It is described by AllMusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music.

It is usually considered less abrasive and more melodic than thrash metal. However, speed metal is usually faster and more aggressive than traditional heavy metal, also showing more inclination to virtuoso soloing and featuring short instrumental passages between couplets. Speed metal songs frequently make use of highly expressive vocals, but are usually less likely to employ "harsh" vocals than thrash metal songs.

Origins

New wave of British heavy metal

One of the key influences on the development of speed metal was the new wave of British heavy metal, or NWOBHM. This was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. NWOBHM bands toned down the blues influences of earlier acts, incorporated elements of punk, increased the tempo, and adopted a "tougher" sound, taking a harder approach to their music.

It was an era directed almost exclusively at heavy metal fans and is considered to be a major foundation stone for the extreme metal genres.

The NWOBHM came to dominate the heavy metal scene of the early-mid-1980s. It was musically characterised by fast upbeat tempo songs, power chords, fast guitar solos and melodic, soaring vocals. Groups such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Venom, Saxon and Motörhead as well as many lesser-known ones, became part of the canon that influenced American bands that formed in the early eighties.

Other metal influences

Motörhead is often credited as the first band to play speed metal in the mid-1970s. The Sweet released "Sweet F.A." and "Set Me Free" in April 1974 which heavily influenced speed metal later in the decade. Some of speed metal's earlier influences include Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave" and "Symptom of the Universe", Budgie's "Breadfan" and Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" (the latter two were eventually covered by the thrash metal band Metallica), as well as certain Deep Purple songs such as "Speed King", "Fireball" and "Highway Star". The latter was called "early speed metal" by Robb Reiner of speed metal band Anvil.

History

The origin of the genre's name is the aptly named "Speed King" by Deep Purple. Recording on the song started in 1969 making it nearly a full decade ahead of the musical style being recognised. The song is not only very fast and technical but was also extremely loud creating noticeable distortion in the recording process. The title song for the band's next album, Fireball, is a further refinement of the band's influence with drummer Ian Paice's use of the double bass drum. The way the double bass drum is played in "Fireball"—uptempo "four on the floor"—became a mainstay in many heavy, speed and thrash metal songs in the years that followed.

This is the only Deep Purple song that employs the double bass drum, and the video from the band shows them actually bring out the second bass as needed to play the song. While speedy, technical playing did not dominate Deep Purple's music, they clearly were the inventors of rock that was fast, technical and loud. Those characteristics would become the hallmarks of speed metal. The name of the origin song, "Speed King" would have also played a role in the genre's naming. At the very least, the band acknowledged what they were doing which was a radical departure from all prior rock music.

Black Sabbath are a British heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, and are often cited as one of the grandfathers of the genre. Though usually known for playing a fairly slow, sludgy tempo, "After Forever" is a very up-tempo song with a much faster pace than other songs in their catalogue. Still in certain other songs such as "Electric Funeral", "Into the Void" and "Under the Sun (Every Day Comes and Goes)" there is a section in the middle of the song that shifts away from the core music and plays a much faster pace than in the rest of the song, then returns to the original melody. There are those who believe that their song "Symptom of the Universe" from their 1975 release Sabotage album is the first true example of a speed metal song.

Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band, also formed in Birmingham, England, that often played faster than most rock groups of the time and brought a more "metallic" sound to the guitars. Some songs, such as 1978's "Exciter", were groundbreaking for their sheer ferocity and speed; few, if any, bands exempting Motörhead played with the same tempo.

Exciter (who took their name from the aforementioned Judas Priest song) is a Canadian speed metal band from Ottawa, Ontario, which was formed in 1978. They are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and a seminal influence of the thrash metal genre. Anvil are another Canadian speed metal band from Toronto, Ontario, who also formed in 1978. To date, the band has released seventeen studio albums, and has been cited as having influenced many notable thrash metal groups, including Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth.

Accept is a German heavy metal band which played an important role in the development of speed and thrash metal, being part of the German heavy metal scene, which emerged in the early to mid-1980s. Of particular importance was their 1982 track "Fast as a Shark".

Speed metal eventually evolved into thrash metal. Although many tend to equate the two subgenres, others argue that there is a distinct difference between them. In his book Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, Ian Christe states that "...thrash metal relies more on long, wrenching rhythmic breaks, while speed metal... is a cleaner and more musically intricate subcategory, still loyal to the dueling melodies of classic metal." However, on the very next page, Christe calls speed metal a "subset of thrash metal" and argues that "There was little intrinsic difference between speed metal and thrash metal. With the sudden boom of fast, raging bands, however, it sometimes helped to distinguish between the throbbing, rhythm-heavy thrash metal and something a bit cleaner and more melodic--dubbed speed metal." Some may argue that first wave black metal bands such as Venom, Sodom, and Bathory were speed metal and that black metal evolved as an extreme form of speed metal. Speed metal also played a major role in formation of power metal, with Helloween's, one of the "big four" of power metal, first two albums being speed metal, or speed-metal adjacent, in the case of Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I.

Regional differences

Speed metal's sound varied between various regional scenes. European bands leaned towards the sound of bands like Venom and Motörhead. Japanese bands had a more melodic sound that resembled power metal. North American bands had a faster, more aggressive sound that would later influence the thrash metal movement.

References

K. Kahn-Harris, Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge (Berg Publishers, 2007), ISBN 1-84520-399-2, p. 31.
^ "Speed/Thrash Metal". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
"The Best Speed Metal Albums". Heavy Metal Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Motörhead: Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
Jones, Chris (7 June 2007). "Queen: Sheer Heart Attack Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
"Anvil On Deep Purple's "Highway Star"". VH1. 16 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
* Christe, Ian (2004). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. New York City, New York: HarperCollins. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-380-81127-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
Christe 2004, p. 138.

External links

Media related to Speed metal at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Heavy metal
Subgenres and fusion genres	Alternative metal Avant-garde metal Beatdown hardcore Biker metal Black metal National Socialist Symphonic Unblack Blackened death metal Blackgaze Christian metal Crust punk Death metal Brutal Melodic Technical Death 'n' roll Deathcore Death-doom Funeral doom Djent Doom metal Drone metal Electronicore Extreme metal Folk metal Celtic metal Medieval metal Funk metal Glam metal Goregrind Gothic metal Grindcore Grunge Groove metal Industrial metal Kawaii metal Latin metal Mathcore Metalcore Melodic Progressive Neoclassical metal Neue Deutsche Härte Nintendocore Nu metal Pagan metal Pirate metal Pornogrind Post-metal Pop metal Power metal Progressive metal Rap metal Sludge metal Speed metal Stoner metal Symphonic metal Thrash metal Crossover thrash Viking metal
Musical elements	Bass Fuzz bass Drumming Blast beat Cymbal choke Gallop drumbeat Guitar Distortion Guitar solo Palm muting Power chord Shred guitar Lyrics Vocals Death growl Screaming
Notable scenes and movements	African heavy metal Argentine heavy metal Australian thrash metal Australian heavy metal Bangladeshi heavy metal Bay Area thrash metal Brazilian thrash metal Canadian heavy metal Chinese heavy metal Florida death metal Hungarian metal Indigenous metal music Japanese metal Les Légions Noires New wave of American heavy metal New wave of British heavy metal Early Norwegian black metal Palm Desert Swedish death metal Teutonic thrash metal Ukrainian metal
Culture	Bands Environmentalism Fashion Festivals Headbanging Heavy metal subculture Poseur Umlaut
Hard rock Category

Hardcore punk

Styles

Regional scenes

International	Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Greece Italy Japan United Kingdom Yugoslavia
United States	Boston California Chicago Minneapolis New York Washington, D.C.

v t e Extreme metal
Genres	Black metal National Socialist symphonic unblack death metal brutal melodic technical doom metal speed metal thrash metal
Fusion genres	Blackened death metal blackgaze crossover thrash crust punk death-doom funeral doom death 'n' roll drone metal grindcore goregrind pornogrind metalcore deathcore electronicore mathcore melodic Nintendocore progressive pagan metal sludge metal stoner rock Viking metal
Derivative forms	Avant-garde metal beatdown hardcore dungeon synth funk metal gothic metal groove metal grunge hyperpop neoclassical metal nu metal post-metal power metal
Notable scenes	Australian thrash metal Bay Area thrash metal Brazilian thrash metal Early Norwegian black metal scene Florida death metal Les Légions Noires Palm Desert Scene Swedish death metal Teutonic thrash metal
Other topics	Death growl hardcore punk heavy metal genres moshing New wave of British heavy metal screaming
List of bands