This is a list of avant-garde metal artists, regional scenes, and record labels. Avant-garde metal or avant-metal, also known as experimental metal, is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and characterized by the use of innovative, avant-garde elements, large-scale experimentation, and the use of non-standard and unconventional sounds, instruments, song structures, playing styles, and vocal techniques. It evolved out of progressive rock and various forms of metal, including extreme metal, particularly the extreme subgenre death metal. Some early examples are the King Crimson releases Larks' Tongues in Aspic and Red in 1973 and 1974 respectively, and the 1976 Led Zeppelin album Presence. The genre emerged in the early 1980s through the efforts of bands such as Celtic Frost and Voivod, who pioneered the genre.Wagner 2010, pp. 109, 117. Other pioneers of avant-garde metal include Boris, Earth, Helmet, maudlin of the Well,Wagner 2010, p. 308. Neurosis, Sunn O))), and Mr. Bungle. In the late 1990s, Misanthropy Records emerged as a promoter of Norwegian avant-garde metal until it folded in 2000,Wagner 2010, pp. 301–302. and, according to Jeff Wagner, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a so-called "new wave of avant-garde metal" was spearheaded by The End Records. Some other record labels which promote avant-garde metal are Aurora Borealis, The Flenser, Holy Records,Wagner 2010, p. 344. Hydra Head Records, Ipecac Recordings, Napalm Records, the Relapse Entertainment imprint of Relapse Records, Seventh Rule Recordings, and Southern Lord Records. In the United States, local avant-garde metal scenes have emerged in the San Francisco Bay Area, with bands such as Giant Squid, Grayceon, and Ludicra,; Boston, with bands such as Isis, Kayo Dot, and maudlin of the Well and Seattle. According to the New York Times, some regional scenes that developed in the mid-1990s included the cities of Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Oslo.
Record labels The End Records The Flenser Holy Records Hydra Head Records Ipecac Recordings Misanthropy Records Napalm Records Relapse Entertainment, imprint of Relapse Records Seventh Rule Recordings Southern Lord Records Sumerian Records
Regional scenes Norway Oslo Japan Tokyo United States Boston Los Angeles San Francisco Bay Area Seattle
Artists
0–9 81db
A Abstrakt Algebra Agalloch Age of Silence Ahleuchatistas Ai Weiwei Alarum The Algorithm Altera Enigma Amenra Animals as Leaders Antigama Arashk ArcturusChriste, Ian (2004). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. Harper Paperbacks. p. 253. . Retrieved 6 August 2011. Atheist Avenged Sevenfold
B Babymetal Mick Barr Behold the Arctopus Bethlehem Black Flag Blut Aus Nord The Body Boris Borknagar Boulder Breadwinner Buckethead Buried Inside
C Candiria Cave In Celtic Frost Cephalic Carnage Circle Cojum Dip Conelrad Coroner The Contortionist Cronian Chryst Cult of Luna Cynic
D December Wolves Devilish Impressions The Devin Townsend Project Devolved Diablo Swing Orchestra The Dillinger Escape Plan Dir En Grey Disharmonic OrchestraWagner 2010, p. 141. Dødheimsgard Dog Fashion Disco Doom Draconian
E Earth The End Envy Ephel DuathWagner 2010, p. 184. Ewigkeit Extol
F Fact Fantômas The Flying Luttenbachers Frantic Bleep From a Second Story Window
G The Gathering Genghis Tron Giant Squid Glassjaw God Godflesh Grayceon Green Carnation
H Hammers of Misfortune Hawk Eyes Head of David Hella Helmet Horse the Band Hortus Animae Hypno5e
I Imperial Triumphant Inhale Exhale Into Another "...alongside the drummer of an avant-garde/metal group (and former skinsman for a New York City straight-edge band)..." "...alongside... ...was former Into Another drummer Drew Thomas, who himself had recently watched his band dissolve, and whom Klahn had been aware of since the days when Thomas drummed for semi-legendary New York hardcore band Bold." Intronaut Jon Irabagon Isis Iwrestledabearonce
J Jane's Addiction Jesu
K Kayo Dot Kekal Khanate Khlyst Killing Joke King Crimson KK Null The KovenantWagner 2010, p. 254. Krallice Kylesa
L Lengsel Leprous Liturgy Living Colour Locrian Ludicra
M Made Out of Babies ManesWagner 2010, p. 279. The Mars Volta Master's Hammer Mastodon Maudlin of the Well MayhemWagner 2010, p. 252. The Meads of Asphodel Melvins Meshuggah Motograter Mr. Bungle Mudvayne Mushroomhead My Dying BrideWagner 2010, p. 245.
N Naked City Napalm Death Neurosis The Number Twelve Looks Like You
O O'Brother O, Majestic Winter The Ocean Old Opera IX Opeth Orthrelm Oxbow
P Painkiller Pain of Salvation Pan.Thy.Monium Mike Patton Peccatum Pelican Pinkly Smooth Pin-Up Went Down Planning for Burial James Plotkin Polkadot Cadaver Portal Praxis Primus Protest the Hero Psychofagist Psyopus
Q Queenadreena Queensrÿche Qui
R Ram-Zet Vernon Reid Russian Circles
S Saccharine Trust Samsas Traum SculpturedWagner 2010, p. 273. Shining (Norwegian band) Shining (Swedish band) SighWagner 2010, p. 305. Sikth Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Smohalla Solefald Sound of Urchin Spektr Stolen Babies stOrk Strapping Young Lad Sunn O))) System of a Down
T Talons Therion Thought IndustryWagner, p. xvii. Thrones Thy Catafalque Tiamat Today Is the Day Todd Smith Tomahawk Tombs The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza Tool Treponem Pal Triptykon Twelve Foot Ninja
U Ufomammut Ulcerate Ulver Unexpect
V Ved Buens Ende Vernon Reid Virgin Black Vintersorg Voivod
W Waltari Winds Wrench in the Works
Y Yakuza
Z Zoroaster Zeal & Ardor
See also List of progressive metal bands List of mathcore bands
Notes
References Wagner, Jeff (2010). Mean Deviation. Bazillion Points. .