Hard rock evolved in the late 1960s, pushing past traditional rock and blues and turning up the volume. Hard rock is simple, loud, and macho, but it retained a bit of bluesy swing. That's where metal broke off. Metal has no swing, just plenty of guitar and pounding rhythms. Metal eliminated that blues influence, leaving the powerful, loud guitar riffs. Representative Artists: Black Sabbath, Metallica.
2026 note
Read more: the ListenSmart article on this style.