Rock & Metal covers guitar-led styles with power, distortion and stage presence. Browse versatile gear for heavy live and studio use.
- 30 topics
- 139 articles
- Music Genres
Inside Rock & Metal
All 30 topicsThe 12 most-searched of 30 topics. The full index is at the foot of the page.
Emo
emo is emotional, guitar-led rock with confessional lyrics, dynamic arrangements and punk-rooted intensity.
Nu Metal
Nu metal fuses heavy riffs, groove and crossover influences for modern rock and metal players.
Glam Rock
Glam rock combines theatrical style, sharp hooks and powerful guitars. Explore the sound, look and legacy of this Britis...
Progressive Rock
Progressive rock uses complex structures, technical playing and layered arrangements for ambitious compositions.
Soft Rock
Melodic, radio-friendly rock with clean guitars, strong vocals and broad mainstream appeal.
Alternative Rock
Alternative rock is a broad guitar-led category covering indie, grunge-influenced and experimental styles. It suits UK m...
Math Rock
Technically complex rock with odd metres, intricate guitars and tightly coordinated rhythmic patterns.
Folk Rock
Versatile gear for folk rock, balancing acoustic texture, electric drive and strong songwriting focus.
Pop Punk
Pop punk mixes punk energy with pop hooks, fast tempos and singalong choruses.
Post Punk
Post punk blends angular guitars, tension and experimental energy into a dark, driving style.
Happy Hardcore
Discover happy hardcore, the fast and euphoric rave style known for bright melodies, vocals and big energy.
Stoner Rock
Fuzzy, riff-heavy rock with psychedelic atmosphere, downtuned guitars and a hypnotic, groove-led feel.
Articles on Rock & Metal
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A Beginner's Guide to Folk Rock
Folk's storytelling, plugged in and given a rock band's backbeat — here's what folk rock actually is and where it came from.
Glam Rock Subgenres, Explained
Glam rock was never one sound wearing different outfits — here's the honest breakdown of its distinct strands, and the metal genre people confuse it with.
The Best Symphonic Metal Artists to Know
From Nightwish's operatic grandeur to Within Temptation's accessible anthems and Epica's progressive density — these are the artists who define what the genre sounds like.
The Best Coldwave Artists to Know
Forget the reading lists. Here's the honest rundown of the bands who actually built coldwave, and why each one still matters.
The Best Glam Rock Songs Right Now
Not a chart list — a case for the glam rock songs that still sound essential every single time, decades on.
Soft Rock for Newcomers: Where to Start
You don't need to know a single band name to start enjoying this stuff. Just ten quiet minutes and a willingness to let a song be gentle.
A Beginner's Guide to New Wave
Not sure where new wave begins and ends? Here's the reassuring, jargon-free version: what it is, where it came from, and who's worth hearing first.
A Beginner's Guide to Garage Music
Garage rock, garage house and UK garage are three different traditions sharing one confusing name — here's how to tell them apart.
Art Pop for Newcomers: Where to Start
Half the intimidation around art pop comes from how it gets written about, not the records themselves. Here's the honest, no-homework way in.
Essential Folk Rock Albums Explained
The genre's whole story, told through six records — here's what to play, and in what order.
Art Pop Subgenres, Explained
Say art pop to five people and you get five different mental playlists — here's how its neighbouring styles actually differ from each other.
The History of Pop Punk
From the Ramones' first hooks to the streaming era, here's how pop punk actually developed across five decades of scenes, labels and landmark records.
The History of Coldwave
From Marquis de Sade's Rennes basements to a 2020s reissue revival — the actual, verifiable timeline of how coldwave developed.
The Best Industrial Metal Artists to Know
The Best Art Pop Artists to Know
None of these artists set out with a genre checklist — they just refused to leave the interesting ideas outside the recording booth.
Stoner Rock Subgenres, Explained
The genre covers a significant spread from accessible groove-rock to extreme doom. Here is how the main branches work and what distinguishes each one.
The History of Post Punk
From punk's fading shout to Joy Division, Gang of Four and beyond — the real timeline of how post-punk came together, spread and splintered.
Essential Soft Rock Albums Explained
These are the records that actually built the genre, not just the ones that happened to chart. Six albums, six different sides of what "soft" could mean.
The Best Math Rock Artists to Know
Slint's tension, Don Caballero's precision, American Football's crossover appeal: here are the artists who actually built this genre.
Essential Glam Rock Albums Explained
Seven records, five years, one enormous cultural moment — the essential glam rock albums explained, and where to start.
Folk Rock for Newcomers: Where to Start
No homework required — just a gentle, six-album path into a sound that's been rewarding new listeners for sixty years.
The Best Nu Metal Songs Right Now
"Right now" is a funny phrase for a genre whose defining moment happened a quarter of a century ago. Here's an honest list of the songs that still hit exactly as hard.
The History of Folk Rock
One electric guitar plugged into a folk song in 1965 changed everything that followed — here's the whole story, in order.
Folk Music Subgenres, Explained
A solo singer with a guitar and a full electric band playing centuries-old ballads are both folk music. Here's how the genre's branches actually differ.
Rock & Metal overview
Rock & Metal brings together two of the most influential guitar-led families in popular music. The category covers everything from classic rock melody and stadium-sized hooks to the heavier, more aggressive end of metal, making Rock & Metal a useful destination for musicians who want power, distortion and a strong live identity.
Sound and equipment
Rock & Metal generally places guitars, bass and drums at the core, with amplification and effects shaping much of the character. Clean headroom, high-gain precision, durable hardware and responsive monitoring are all important, whether the style leans towards classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal or more modern hybrid sounds. Rock & Metal players often need versatile gear that can move from rehearsal to stage with ease.
For UK musicians
In the UK, Rock & Metal spans pub gigs, arena tours and studio projects, so the right setup depends on how loud and how refined the music needs to be. From pedals and pickups to drum kits, interfaces and vocal mics, Rock & Metal benefits from equipment that supports both clarity and force. The category suits players who want a rugged, expressive and performance-ready sound.
