What is up with these subgenres in metal like screamo, emo, punk, CORE etc.? Why is metal so ****** up; nowadays? Why can we turn back the clocks to the days of classic thrash real metal like slayer, exhorder, anthrax, pantera, sepultura, Meshuggah, metallica (before St. Anger), Judas Priest, Exodus, etc. Now that's true music.
'Symphonic Metal' is referring to music that using like operatic (usually) female vocals, and sometimes uses orchestrated instruments... Band example: Epica 'Melodic Metal' is pretty similar to Symphonic Metal. A metal band that has melodic, 'pretty' sounding instruments compared to other metal. Band example: Stratovarius [maybe] 'Melodic Death Metal' is metal music, with death, screaming/growling vocals with very melodic sounding instruments to go with it. Band Example: Norther. 'Symphonic Death Metal' never really heard that specific genre, but I suppose it's pretty similar to Melodic Death Metal. here's a not too great answer: I would say that the main difference is the vocal styles that belong to the genre. The two most opposing genres are 'Melodic Death Metal' and 'Symphonic Metal' I would say, because of the completely different vocal arrangements they have in their music.
Dead By Dawn pretty much has it. 'Melodic metal' isn't so much a genre as a description. Mostly applied to traditional, power, prog and symphonic metal bands, it doesn't mean much other than metal that is particularly melodic. All music is melodic to a degree, but in this context it's metal with flowery solos, catchy choruses, soaring vocals, etc... Melodic death metal on the other hand is a distinct subgenre as DBD described. It's also called Gothenburg metal. Edit: Yes, Stratovarius are a power metal band, but their music could also be described as melodic. I'd say the easiest way of thinking about it is that most metal can be divided into melodic (above genres) and extreme metal (black, thrash, doom, death etc) this isn't a firm line, and things like melodeath take a bit of both, but I think it helps illustrate roughly what they mean.
Symphonic metal is metal with orchestral instruments, such as violins and cellos. Also, usually an operatic singer Melodic metal is basically traditional metal Melodic death metal is traditional metal with death metal vocals Symphonic death metal is symphonic metal, but instead of operatic vocals, you have death metal vocals
death metal vocals are usually growls where regular metal is pretty clear to understand. So yes there are different degreesof these types of metal
Symphonic metal and melodic metal are metal in the more traditional sense (ie: think Judas Priest, but more technical). Symphonic death metal and melodic death metal are just like symphonic metal and melodic metal, just applied to death metal (i.e: think Cannibal Corpse, but more technical.)
