The difference, by ear
Alternative metal is where the habit of splicing metal to something incompatible starts, and it does it within one band rather than across a production team.
Alternative metal is part sung, part screamed where kawaii metal is sung cleanly, and slower: 90 to 140 bpm against 140 to 200. To hear the difference, play Babymetal next to Faith No More. Both grew out of heavy metal, alternative metal first and kawaii metal 22 years after.
In figures
Kawaii metal
Where it sits
In short
Serious instrumental metal under J-pop idol vocals and choreography. It reads like a joke on paper and works perfectly live.
How it sounds
- Metal instrumentation played by session musicians of a very high standard.
- J-pop idol melodies and vocals with synchronised choreography.
- Dense production built on the deliberate contrast between sweet and brutal.
Key acts
- Babymetal
- Ladybaby
- Band-Maid
Start here
The pickBabymetal - Gimme Chocolate!! The video that convinced half the internet.
Full page →Alternative metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Alternative metal
In short
Metal weight without the dress code or the scene rules: unconventional structures and influences from post-punk, funk or shoegaze.
How it sounds
- Metal weight with structures and textures borrowed from post-punk, funk or shoegaze.
- Low tunings and thick guitar tone, often with no solos at all.
- Variable vocals: sung, spoken, whispered, screamed, sometimes in one song.
Key acts
- Faith No More
- Tool
- Helmet
- Deftones
Start here
The pickTool - Ænima. Complex without showing off, heavy without insisting.
Full page →