Metal Storm (also known as MetalStorm.net, MetalStorm.ee, MetalStorm.eu or just MS) is a webzine specializing in various forms of

heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a ...

. It is based in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

, Estonia, but caters to an international audience, symbolically recognized by the acquisition of an EU domain in 2008. As of June 2013, the website hosts 7,812 band profiles, 7,800 reviews, 553 interviews and 16,753 news items.

Community

Members

Metal Storm users can register for free and create a custom profile based on their specific preferences. The comprehensive profile format allows for users to display detailed information about their musical taste, activity on the site, and other miscellaneous information, including up to three photos. "Community Points" are awarded to users for contributing forum reports, band info, lyrics, news, events, reviews, and articles, with the number awarded depending on the value of the contribution. Users may also add albums to their "Collection," an interactive list of albums acquired, of which statistics can be graphically visualized in the form of

pie chart A pie chart (or a circle chart) is a circular Statistical graphics, statistical graphic, which is divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportion. In a pie chart, the arc length of each slice (and consequently its central angle and are ...

s broken down by style and country. These lists, along with the favorite bands and ratings categories, are analyzed to compare users and match those with similar musical tastes in the "Neighbours" area of the ''Collection'' tab.

Forum

Metal Storm has a

forum Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses * Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

available to all registered members. The forum is divided into many categories, including sections for discussing specific metal styles, non-metal music, general discussion and community-related topics. All comments for publications on the site are also incorporated into the forum for the purpose of convenience. The forums are moderated for

spam Spam may refer to: * Spam (food), a canned pork meat product * Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages ** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages ** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ( ...

and illegal content such as

pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

and

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...

but are otherwise uncensored. This has caused issues with a number of posters including at least one staff member engaging in both racist and misogynistic comments, including Islamophobia.

Tradelist

In each member's Collection section, they have the option of making the album part of their regular collection, their wishlist or part of their tradelist. Members can then browse other member's tradelists and privately negotiate the trade of albums. Metal Storm states that the trading of albums is to be done at the member's own risk and that the site won't be responsible for any outcomes.

Bands database

Metal Storm features a database of metal bands, with each band having a detailed profile including such information as a biography, discography, lineup, genre categorization, photo, logo and more. All registered members are able to edit the database and submit information that is missing. Before being published, community edits are moderated by members of the staff.

Genre categorization

Heavy metal is divided into three broad sub-categories on Metal Storm. Bands that fall in between two sub-categories are usually allocated based on what elements are historically more prominent in their music though there is no strict enforcement of any rules.

Melodic metal

This sub-category includes the heavy metal genres such as heavy metal,

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

, progressive metal, glam metal,

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

gothic metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...

folk metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for exampl ...

speed metal Speed metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It ...

and

symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitar ...

Extreme metal

This sub-category includes the heavy metal genres such as

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

, and

groove metal Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...

. Extreme

bands are also included in this sub-category.

Alternative metal

This sub-category includes the heavy metal genres such as

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

, stoner metal,

sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...

, post-metal,

rap metal Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables. History Origins and early ...

industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...

avant-garde metal Avant-garde metal (also known as avant-metal, experimental metal, and experimental) is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and innovative, avant-garde elements, including non-standard and unconventional soun ...

and drone metal.

Accepted content

Metal Storm is known for its relatively relaxed attitude towards accepting bands that are not unquestionably categorized as metal. The database allows for 'invisible' profiles, which is a term used for profiles that are either incomplete or of bands that do not have enough metal elements to have them featured on the site. These profiles are still publicly accessible; however, they are not promoted as much as those of bands that are unquestionably metal. Nevertheless, Metal Storm still has visible profiles for stylistically ambiguous bands such as Slipknot, Candiria and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

. Moreover, there are many reviews of stylistically ambiguous bands on the site, most commonly from the genres of

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...

industrial music Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

, AOR and

darkwave Dark wave (also typeset as darkwave) is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as be ...

. This attitude is rationalized as being an attempt at promoting open mindedness amongst metal fans. Though this seems contradicted by

Nu-Metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal ...

bands being deliberately excluded from the site.

Rating system and reviews

Members have the option to rate featured albums on a scale of 1-10, with the total votes from all members producing an average rating. Studio albums with over 200 votes are eligible to be included in the "Top 200 albums" list, while others that accumulate 20 votes are eligible for more specific lists including "Top 20 albums by year", "Top albums by style", and "Bottom albums" (The lowest-on-average user rated albums). Live albums and DVDs are also eligible for their respective lists after receiving 20 votes. Metal Storm has a team of official reviewers who receive albums from labels and bands and then post official reviews of them on the front page of the website. Nevertheless, all registered users are able to submit reviews of albums, provided that they are of music that has been released for at least 3 months. If accepted by the editors, these reviews are then posted as "Guest Reviews" with an appropriate disclaimer attached to them. As such quality of reviews vary in terms of writing style, subjectivity and even standards of spelling and grammar. This is especially the case with past reviews. The number of reviews on the website has declined in recent years with much of the emphasis being on promoting staff favorite bands as opposed to providing a more broad outlook. An event is considered a "Supported Event" by Metal Storm if the organizers allow for Press Accreditation for an official reviewer from the website. The event then receives an official review with photographs. Like album reviews, concert reviews are also accepted from users; however, such events are not considered Supported Events.
In 2008 MetalStorm became one of the official partners of the French festival

Hellfest Hellfest (), also called Hellfest Summer Open Air, is a rock festival focusing on heavy metal music, held annually in June in Clisson, France. Its high attendance makes it the French music festival with the largest turnover. It is also one of ...

and a number of the interviews conducted by MS staff on the festival will feature on the upcoming HellFest DVD. The partnership is continued in 2009.

Metal Storm Awards

Metal Storm hosts an annual award, where they appoint the album of the year for the different genres of metal. The official 10 nominees of each category are decided by the staff members and receives a brief description and if available a link to an official MetalStorm review. In additions to the official nominees, the users have the opportunity to supply "write-in" votes for bands not officially nominated. There has been some controversy in how the official nominees are chosen with staff deliberately trying to steer voting away from releases by popular bands in favour of their own preferences. This has included putting albums in incorrect categories. For example 2015 awards saw the official nomination of Tribulation's ''

The Children of the Night "The Children of the Night" is a 1931 short story by Robert E. Howard, belonging to the Cthulhu Mythos. It was first published in the pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in the April/May 1931 issue. Howard earned $60 for this publication.

'' album in

category despite the album not having any of the stylistic components associated with death metal. There is also a special award each year called "Best drama". It's given to the band, who is considered to have provided a good drama the year in question. The drama award is generally only in sarcasm and not considered a "serious award". In 2007, the award was given to Gorgoroth for the fight over the rights to the name Gorgoroth. In 2008, the award for best drama went to "Metal Storm vs. Wikipedia," or, as the nomination reworded it, the conflict between "the staff of Metal Storm and the uberposeurs of Wikipedia." This revolved around the "drama" with the conflict about Metal Storm's Wikipedia page reaching Wikipedia's standards of notability. It was the first year that this award has been able to be voted for by Metal Storm users, with various dramas listed as nominees. In the past the Metal Storm staff have just chosen the drama award themselves. Every year Metal Storm contacts all the bands nominated for awards in each category and a lot of bands post their nomination and award wins as news on their official websites. Regarding the 2008 awards, news of

Oceans of Sadness Oceans of Sadness was a progressive metal band from Belgium. History Oceans of Sadness were featured in 1996 with a ''Demo of the Month'' in the Dutch metal magazine '' Aardschok'' . They released their first album, ''For We Are'', in 2000. On ...

' victory in the

category was printed in the Belgian/Flemish newspaper "Gazet Van Antwerpen." The online version of the newspaper also published it. The Metal Storm Awards in 2008 was the fourth year that the awards have been running.

References

External links

* {{Official website
Metal Storm European Domain
Heavy metal publications Internet properties established in 2000 Online music magazines Magazines established in 2000 Estonian music websites Mass media in Tallinn 2000 establishments in Estonia