History Main / AvantGardeMetal

+ Extreme metal (DeathMetal, BlackMetal, ThrashMetal PowerMetal, {{Grindcore}}), AlternativeMetal, ProgressiveMetal, Post-Metal, {{Jazz}}, ClassicalMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Grunge}}, IndustrialMetal, AlternativeRock

* IdolSinger: Arguably a staple in Japanese avant-garde/experimental metal, thanks to BABYMETAL.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness[=/=]UnbuiltTrope: Early avant-garde or experimental metal bands are usually just either ProgressiveMetal or extreme metal with a bit more unconventional style. More and more bands added bigger and bigger elements from other musical genres until avant-garde metal becomes a distinctive genre of its own flesh instead of mere dialect of prog metal. What remains of earlier avant-metal bands are considered nowadays as either ProgressiveMetal, AlternativeMetal or extreme metal.

Avant-garde metal, also called "art metal" or "avant-metal", is a subgenre of HeavyMetal defined by the liberal use of innovative, AvantGardeMusic elements such as unconventional instruments, song structures and playing styles. It evolved out of ProgressiveMetal with influences from JazzFusion, classical, and extreme metal, and is primarily characterized by extreme musical virtuosity, a near-abandonment of heavy metal standards and a highly polished, technical sound. Avant-garde artists often seek to create an unusual, dynamic, and highly varied sound, in the same vein as most ProgressiveMetal artists. The two genres often overlap and may sound confusing to some listeners, but the main difference is that avant-garde metal artists usually take an additional step beyond and strive to push the boundaries of what's musically possible within heavy metal.

+ Extreme metal (DeathMetal, BlackMetal, ThrashMetal PowerMetal, {{Grindcore}}), AlternativeMetal, ProgressiveMetal, Post-Metal, {{Jazz}}, ClassicalMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Grunge}}, IndustrialMetal

+ ProgressiveMetal, DoomMetal, SludgeMetal, SymphonicMetal, Avant-Garde Metal, FolkMusic, Free Jazz, IndustrialMetal, PostHardcore, HarshNoise, {{Ambient}}, PostRock, ClassicalMusic, ElectronicMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Shoegazing}}

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Perhaps the only idea that can describe the entire genre in a nutshell, at least for the average metalhead.

* AwesomeButImpractical: The genre may be this to more 'purist' metalheads, due to sheer weirdness avant-garde metal can become.

* Music/{{Meshuggah}} (TropeCodifier for experimental metal, actually both)

+ ProgressiveMetal, DoomMetal, SludgeMetal, SymphonicMetal, Avant-Garde Metal, FolkMusic, Free Jazz, IndustrialMetal, PostHardcore, HarshNoise, {{Ambient}}, PostRock, ClassicalMusic, ElectronicMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Shoegazing}}, {{Synthwave}}

+ ProgressiveMetal, DoomMetal, SludgeMetal, SymphonicMetal, Avant-Garde Metal, FolkMusic, Free Jazz, IndustrialMetal, PostHardcore, HarshNoise, {{Ambient}}, PostRock, ClassicalMusic, ElectronicMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Shoegazing}}

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Early avant-garde or experimental metal bands are usually just either ProgressiveMetal or extreme metal with a bit more unconventional style. More and more bands added bigger and bigger elements from other musical genres until avant-garde metal becomes a distinctive genre of its own flesh instead of mere dialect of prog metal.

An offshoot of avant-garde/experimental metal is post-metal, which offsets the darkness and intensity of extreme metal with an emphasis on atmosphere, emotion, and even "revelation", developing an expansive but introspective sound variously imbued with elements of {{ambient}}, [[HarshNoise noise]], psychedelic, progressive, and ClassicalMusic. Songs are typically long, with loose and layered structures that discard the verse–chorus form in favor of crescendos and repeating themes. The sound centres on guitars (subjected to various effects) and drums, while any vocals are usually screamed or growled and resemble an additional instrument.

+ ProgressiveMetal, DoomMetal, SludgeMetal, Avant-Garde Metal, FolkMusic, Free Jazz, IndustrialMetal, PostHardcore, HarshNoise, {{Ambient}}, PostRock, ClassicalMusic, ElectronicMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Shoegazing}}

* Music/NakedCity (experimental, overlaps with {{Grindcore}})

* TropeMaker: Either Voivod or Music/CelticFrost, for avant-garde (though the latter is usually seen as the UrExample). The origins of experimental metal are a little less definite, though Music/{{Meshuggah}}, Music/{{Korn}} and Music/MrBungle are arguably safe bets.

+ Extreme metal (DeathMetal, BlackMetal, ThrashMetal PowerMetal, {{Grindcore}}), AlternativeMetal, ProgressiveMetal, Post-Metal, {{Jazz}}, ClassicalMusic, AvantGardeMusic, {{Grunge}}

* Music/{{Metallica}} (experimental, their infamous collaboration album with Music/LouReed, ''Lulu'', mixed ThrashMetal with PostRock, SpokenWord and NoiseRock)

* Music/{{Metallica}} (experimental, their collaboration album with Music/LouReed, ''Lulu'', mixed thrash metal with post-rock, spoken word and noise rock)

* WidgetSeries: The genre literally ''thrives'' in Japan, where some of the biggest and most recognizable acts (Music/XJapan, Music/DirEnGrey, Music/SoundHorizon, Music/{{Sigh}}, Music/{{Babymetal}} etc.) are based.

* Music/{{Metallica}} (experimental metal, their collaboration album with Music/LouReed, ''Lulu'', mixed thrash metal with post-rock, spoken word and noise rock)

* DoingItForTheArt. Many of these bands feature very educated or technically skilled musicians, sometimes both, with a strong artistic grounding at least for some members.
** This artistic foundation often shows itself in live shows and studio playthroughs, with members sometimes covering elaborate classical or jazz compositions and even playing such works in an entirely different instrument, such as when Yoshiki of X Japan converted a Rachmaninoff piece into drums.

* PopularityPolynomial: The genre got off to a strong start in TheNineties when several of its [[Music/{{Korn}} most]] [[Music/MrBungle influential]] [[Music/{{Meshuggah}} acts]] first emerged out of the underground scene and into the mainstream, conveniently riding the wave of creative musicianship that later gave rise to NuMetal. However, this path to success nearly led to the genre's extinction when its more mainstream counterpart fell from grace, and all but the most extreme avant-garde/experimental bands saw their fanbases dwindle as the genre was written off as pretentious and derivative. Several attempts to rehabilitate the genre were done by bands such as Enter Shikari and The Dillinger Escape Plan, but the genre was largely overshadowed in the West by the then-emerging djent scene which derived heavily from it. It took almost a decade of being a dumping ground for bands too weird to be classed as alternative, djent, or mathcore until avant-garde metal regained popularity in TheNewTens, beginning with Korn's comeback album ''The Path of Totality'' which combined GrooveMetal and NuMetal stylings with modern ElectronicMusic. A similarly huge push came from foreign, mostly Japanese, musical acts, such as {{Music/Babymetal}} and their eclectic, mainstream-friendly brand of "kawaii metal", and Music/{{Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas|Band}}, which took the electronica-infused style of Enter Shikari and pushed it to absurd extremes. The genre's ethos of DoingItForTheArt proved to be a valid statement for a growing number of metal bands [[ArtistDisillusionment dissatisfied with an increasingly derivative industry]] of retro-metal pandering and soundalike "mallcore" bands, and these same bands began pushing the envelope of what is possible within HeavyMetal, bringing back much-needed diversity to the genre and appealing to a broader audience, with many avant-garde and experimental acts producing both radio-friendly but still recognizably metallic hits, as well as exceedingly technical and extreme productions that have garnered critical acclaim. In the 2020s social climate of faster-paced musical trends, convention-challenging creativity, and artists prioritizing authenticity over industry money, it would be safe to say that avant-garde metal is back in vogue.

Avant-garde metal, also called "art metal" or "avant-metal", is a subgenre of HeavyMetal defined by the liberal use of innovative, AvantGardeMusic elements such as unconventional instruments, song structures and playing styles. It evolved out of ProgressiveMetal with influences from jazz fusion, classical, and extreme metal, and is primarily characterized by extreme musical virtuosity, a near-abandonment of heavy metal standards and a highly polished, technical sound. Avant-garde artists often seek to create an unusual, dynamic, and highly varied sound, in the same vein as most ProgressiveMetal artists. The two genres often overlap and may sound confusing to some listeners, but the main difference is that avant-garde metal artists usually take an additional step beyond and strive to push the boundaries of what's musically possible within heavy metal.

* Music/{{Portal}} (avant-garde death metal)

So you think ProgressiveMetal isn't technical, "smart" or experimental enough? Does it sound boring to you? Do you find its musical rules too limiting? Why not make prog metal even more prog, more wacky, up the unorthodoxy, and throw in all the faux-classical/jazz/folk/electronic/new wave/whatever you can find? And that, my friends, is how you get avant-garde metal.

+ ProgressiveMetal, {{Metalcore}}, Post-Metal, AlternativeMetal, NuMetal, {{Grunge}}, NoiseRock, ElectronicMusic, {{Reggae}}, {{Ska}}, FolkMusic, WorldMusic, PostGrunge, PostPunk, PostHardcore, NewWaveMusic and many other genres