Heavy metal branch
First wave
Heavy metal › Black metal › First wave
- Emerged
- 1981
- Origin
- UK / Sweden / Switzerland
- Subgenres
- None
The bands that supplied the name and the themes, while still playing speed or thrash metal. Venom released the album that christened the genre.
- Heaviness
- 8
- Speed
- 8
- Melody
- 5
Key acts
- Venom
- Bathory
- Hellhammer
- Mercyful Fate