The difference, by ear
Technical thrash is as fast and vastly more harmonically restless - if the riff keeps changing key and metre, it has left speed metal.
Technical thrash is shouted where speed metal is sung cleanly, and swings further either way: 160 to 240 bpm against 180 to 230. To hear the difference, play Motörhead next to Voivod. They share a root in heavy metal, and speed metal came first, by seven years. United States appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Speed metal
Where it sits
In short
NWOBHM with the throttle down, but the vocals still melodic. The missing link between heavy metal and thrash.
How it sounds
- Tempos of 180 to 220 bpm with galloping or two-beat drumming.
- Fast palm-muted riffing, but with vocals that stay melodic and high.
- Long solos with NWOBHM-school technique.
Key acts
- Motörhead
- Exciter
- Agent Steel
- Helloween
Start here
The pickMotörhead - Ace of Spades. Thirty-five minutes, constant speed, zero compromise.
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.
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