post metal
what it is
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal, with roots in progressive rock, progressive metal, shoegazing, and industrial music. It is broadly characterized by distorted guitar, heavy atmospherics, gradual evolution of song structure, and a minimal emphasis on vocals. Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating the link with Avant-garde metal, by trying to move away from common metal conventions.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make post metal a playlist
turn these 13 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is post metal?
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal, with roots in progressive rock, progressive metal, shoegazing, and industrial music. It is broadly characterized by distorted guitar, heavy atmospherics, gradual evolution of song structure, and a minimal emphasis on vocals. Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating the link with Avant-garde metal, by trying to move away from common metal conventions.
What are good post metal albums to start with?
Try All Fours by Bosse-de-Nage, Ø (Disambiguation) by Underoath, Plan B by A Lot Like Birds, and Sol Eye Sea I by Irepress.
Who are some women making post metal?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/post-metal/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making post metal, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20