Chronology of Metal

Metal: A Headbanger's Journey is a 2005 documentary directed by Sam Dunn with Scot McFadyen and Jessica Wise. The film follows 31-year-old Sam Dunn, a Canadian anthropologist, who has been a heavy metal fan since the age of 12. He sets out across the world to uncover the various opinions on heavy metal music, including its origins, culture, controversy, and reasons it is loved by so many people. The film made its debut at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released as a two-disc special edition DVD in the US on September 19, 2006.

The film discusses the traits and originators of some of metal's many subgenres, including the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, power metal, glam metal, thrash metal, black metal, and death metal. Dunn uses a family-tree-type flowchart to document some of the most popular metal subgenres. The film also explores various aspects of heavy metal culture. Notable segments include Dunn taking a trip to the Wacken Open Air festival, an interview with Dee Snider providing an analysis of the PMRC attack on heavy metal music, and an interview with several Norwegian black metal bands, many of whom are satanists.

"Definitive metal family tree"

The chart from the film documents Dunn's view on the progression of 24 subgenres of metal that have spawned over time, while also attempting to list the prime examples of bands that fall into each category. Below is a typed version of that chart, which can be found on the second disc of the film's special edition DVD package.

The film's flow chart of metal genres

Early metal (1966−1971)
- Cream - Jimi Hendrix - Blue Cheer - Deep Purple - Led Zeppelin - MC5 - Mountain - The Stooges - Black Sabbath

Original hard rock (1974−1979)

- Thin Lizzy - Blue Öyster Cult - Aerosmith - Ted Nugent

Shock rock (1968−1983)
- Arthur Brown - Alice Cooper - New York Dolls - Kiss - Ozzy Osbourne - W.A.S.P.

Early punk (1976−1979)
- The Ramones - The Damned - Sex Pistols - The Clash - The Dead Boys

Power metal (1976−present)
- Scorpions - Judas Priest - Rainbow - Accept - Manowar - Dio - Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Helloween - Blind Guardian - HammerFall - Primal Fear

New Wave of British Heavy Metal (1979−1983)
- Motörhead - Saxon - Iron Maiden - Angel Witch - Girlschool - Tygers of Pan Tang - Diamond Head

Progressive metal (1970−present)
- Uriah Heep - Rush - Queensrÿche - Savatage - Fates Warning - Voivod - Dream Theater - Meshuggah - Symphony X - Evergrey

Glam metal (1973−1990)
- Slade - Sweet - Hanoi Rocks - Mötley Crüe - Twisted Sister - Poison - Cinderella - Skid Row

Pop metal (1978−present)
- Quiet Riot - Van Halen - Whitesnake - Def Leppard - Europe - Dokken - Lita Ford - Ratt - Guns N' Roses - Winger - Warrant - Doro - The Darkness

Stoner metal (1982−present)
- Witchfinder General - Trouble - Candlemass - Cathedral - Kyuss - Today is the Day

Original hardcore (1980−1986)

- Agnostic Front - D.O.A. - The Exploited - Bad Brains - Misfits - GBH - Discharge - Dead Kennedys - Minor Threat - Black Flag

Thrash metal (1983−present)
- Metallica - Slayer - Anthrax - Megadeth - Exodus - Overkill - Kreator - Destruction - Sodom - Testament - Nuclear Assault - Death Angel - Pantera - Sepultura - Children of Bodom

First wave of black metal (1981−1986)
- Venom - Bathory - Mercyful Fate - Celtic Frost

Norwegian black metal (1990−present)
- Mayhem - Darkthrone - Immortal - Gorgoroth - Emperor - Satyricon - Enslaved - Dimmu Borgir - Cradle Of Filth (UK)

Grindcore (1987−present)
- Napalm Death - Carcass - Repulsion - Exhumed - Extreme Noise Terror - Cephalic Carnage - Brutal Truth

Death metal (1985−present)
- Possessed - Death - Morbid Angel - Obituary - Deicide - Cannibal Corpse - Immolation - Autopsy - Nile - Dying Fetus

Swedish death metal (1990−present)
- Grave - Entombed - At the Gates - Unleashed - Dismember - Arch Enemy - Soilwork - In Flames - Dark Tranquility - The Haunted

Metalcore (1985−present)
- Corrosion of Conformity - Suicidal Tendencies - Dirty Rotten Imbeciles - Machine Head - Stormtroopers of Death - Hatebreed - The Dillinger Escape Plan

Grunge (1988−1993)
- Green River - The Melvins - Soundgarden - Mudhoney - Nirvana - Alice in Chains - Mother Love Bone - Stone Temple Pilots - Pearl Jam

Goth metal (aka Doom metal ) (1990−present)
- Paradise Lost - Tiamat - Therion - Type O Negative - My Dying Bride - Anathema - Theatre Of Tragedy - Katatonia - Opeth

Industrial metal (1988−present)
- Ministry - White Zombie - Godflesh - Nine Inch Nails - Fear Factory - Marilyn Manson - Static-X

Hard alternative (1985−present)

- Faith No More - Jane's Addiction - Prong - Living Colour - The Smashing Pumpkins - Rage Against the Machine

Nu metal (1994−present)
- Biohazard - KoЯn - Slipknot - Limp Bizkit - Godsmack - Coal Chamber - System of a Down - Disturbed - Kittie

New Wave of American Metal (2000−present)
- Shadows Fall - Lamb of God - Darkest Hour - Chimaira - Killswitch Engage - Unearth - God Forbid