The difference, by ear
Technical thrash is as demanding and aimed at dissonance and metre rather than at melody and classical form.
Technical thrash is shouted where neoclassical metal is sung cleanly, and a little faster: 160 to 240 bpm against 140 to 200. To hear the difference, play Yngwie Malmsteen next to Voivod. They share a root in heavy metal, and neoclassical metal came first, by four years. United States appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Neoclassical metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Neoclassical metal
In short
Bach and Paganini transposed onto a distorted guitar: harmonic minor scales, sweep arpeggios and three-minute solos.
How it sounds
- Harmonic minor and Phrygian dominant scales with diminished arpeggios.
- Sweep picking and legato technique at extreme speed.
- Structures borrowed from the baroque concerto: theme, variation, cadenza.
Key acts
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Racer X
- Cacophony
Start here
The pickYngwie Malmsteen - Far Beyond the Sun. Instrumental, six minutes, unplayable.
Full page →Technical thrash
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Thrash metal › Technical thrash
In short
Thrash with dissonant chords, odd meters and bass up front. The bridge between thrash and progressive metal.
How it sounds
- Dissonant chords and unusual intervals, with the bass in a contrapuntal role.
- Odd meters and structures that never repeat.
- Riffs assembled like puzzles, demanding high individual technique.
Key acts
- Voivod
- Watchtower
- Coroner
- Atheist
Start here
The pickVoivod - Nothingface. It includes a Pink Floyd cover that makes perfect sense.
Full page →