--- title: "Avant-Garde Metal" type: "MusicGenre" url: "https://themetalnet.com/genre/avant-garde-metal" parent: "Metal" bands: 176 era: "late 1980s" --- # Avant-Garde Metal **Avant-Garde Metal** is a metal sub-genre, formative in the late 1980s. TheMetalNet maps 176 bands and 643 albums under it. Avant-garde metal is the experimental fringe of metal, defined by unconventional song structures, unusual instruments and sounds, strange vocals, and a restless urge to break the rules. Growing from extreme and progressive metal, acts like Norway’s Arcturus, Japan’s Sigh, and Canada’s Devin Townsend fold in jazz, classical, electronics, psychedelia, and theatrical drama. Often called the hardest metal genre to define, it prizes surprise and imagination over any fixed template. Expect the phantasmagoric and the surreal. ## Facts | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Genre | Avant-Garde Metal | | Level | Sub-genre | | Parent genre | Metal | | Formative era | late 1980s | | Bands | 176 | | Albums | 643 | | Formation span | 1960 to 2024 | ## Notable bands (top 60 by prominence) - [Steve Vai](https://themetalnet.com/band/steve-vai) (United States, 1960) - [Dog Fashion Disco](https://themetalnet.com/band/dog-fashion-disco) (United States, 1995) - [Arcturus](https://themetalnet.com/band/arcturus) (1990) - [Mr. Bungle](https://themetalnet.com/band/mr-bungle) (United States, 1985) - [Shining](https://themetalnet.com/band/shining) (Norway, 1999) - [Dave Lombardo](https://themetalnet.com/band/dave-lombardo) (United States, 1965) - [Igorrr](https://themetalnet.com/band/igorrr) (France, 1984) - [Thy Catafalque](https://themetalnet.com/band/thy-catafalque) (Hungary, 1998) - [Diablo Swing Orchestra](https://themetalnet.com/band/diablo-swing-orchestra) (Sweden, 2003) - [Fantômas](https://themetalnet.com/band/fantomas) (United States, 1998) - [Kekal](https://themetalnet.com/band/kekal) (Indonesia, 1995) - [SUBMASQ](https://themetalnet.com/band/submasq) (Israel, 1997) - [Behold… the Arctopus](https://themetalnet.com/band/behold-the-arctopus) (2001) - [Khanate](https://themetalnet.com/band/khanate) (United States, 2000) - [maudlin of the Well](https://themetalnet.com/band/maudlin-of-the-well) (United States, 1996) - [筋肉少女帯](https://themetalnet.com/band/band-2b4e9867) (Japan, 1982) - [Kelly Moran](https://themetalnet.com/band/kelly-moran) (1988) - [Ram-Zet](https://themetalnet.com/band/ram-zet) (Norway, 1998) - [Ephel Duath](https://themetalnet.com/band/ephel-duath) (Italy, 1998) - [Orthodox](https://themetalnet.com/band/orthodox) (Spain, 2004) - [Stolen Babies](https://themetalnet.com/band/stolen-babies) (United States, 2002) - [Atrox](https://themetalnet.com/band/atrox) (Norway, 1990) - [Unexpect](https://themetalnet.com/band/unexpect) (Canada, 1996) - [Polkadot Cadaver](https://themetalnet.com/band/polkadot-cadaver) (United States, 2007) - [Spastic Ink](https://themetalnet.com/band/spastic-ink) (United States, 1993) - [Trepalium](https://themetalnet.com/band/trepalium) (France, 2001) - [Alamaailman Vasarat](https://themetalnet.com/band/alamaailman-vasarat) (Finland, 1997) - [Jazkamer](https://themetalnet.com/band/jazkamer) (Norway, 1998) - [Pryapisme](https://themetalnet.com/band/pryapisme) (France, 2000) - [Sleepytime Gorilla Museum](https://themetalnet.com/band/sleepytime-gorilla-museum) (United States, 1999) - [Todtgelichter](https://themetalnet.com/band/todtgelichter) (Germany, 2002) - [Umbrtka](https://themetalnet.com/band/umbrtka) (Czechia, 1999) - [Vampire Rodents](https://themetalnet.com/band/vampire-rodents) (1988) - [Gnaw Their Tongues](https://themetalnet.com/band/gnaw-their-tongues) (Netherlands) - [Shaolin Death Squad](https://themetalnet.com/band/shaolin-death-squad) (United States, 2001) - [Akphaezya](https://themetalnet.com/band/akphaezya) (France, 2002) - [Amber Asylum](https://themetalnet.com/band/amber-asylum) - [Gargoyle](https://themetalnet.com/band/gargoyle) (Japan, 1987) - [Hypno5e](https://themetalnet.com/band/hypno5e) (France, 2003) - [Nuclear Rabbit](https://themetalnet.com/band/nuclear-rabbit) (United States, 1989) - [Pin‐Up Went Down](https://themetalnet.com/band/pin-up-went-down) (France, 2006) - [Carnival in Coal](https://themetalnet.com/band/carnival-in-coal) (France, 1995) - [Peccatum](https://themetalnet.com/band/peccatum) (Norway, 1998) - [Zeal & Ardor](https://themetalnet.com/band/zeal-ardor) (2013) - [Maladie](https://themetalnet.com/band/maladie) (Germany, 2009) - [Regardless of Me](https://themetalnet.com/band/regardless-of-me) (Italy, 2007) - [Kid Indigo](https://themetalnet.com/band/kid-indigo) (1991) - [Red Ankh](https://themetalnet.com/band/red-ankh) (1988) - [Super Junky Monkey](https://themetalnet.com/band/super-junky-monkey) (Japan, 1991) - [Black Engine](https://themetalnet.com/band/black-engine) (Italy, 2006) - [Ideamen](https://themetalnet.com/band/ideamen) (United States, 2006) - [Mord’A’Stigmata](https://themetalnet.com/band/mord-a-stigmata) (Poland, 2004) - [Damned Spirits' Dance](https://themetalnet.com/band/damned-spirits-dance) (Hungary, 2002) - [Candy Cane](https://themetalnet.com/band/candy-cane) (Finland, 1995) - [Hefeystos](https://themetalnet.com/band/hefeystos) (Poland, 1994) - [Peach](https://themetalnet.com/band/peach) (United Kingdom, 1992) - [Troldhaugen](https://themetalnet.com/band/troldhaugen) (2008) - [Öxxö Xööx](https://themetalnet.com/band/oxxo-xoox) (France, 2006) - [The Great Discord](https://themetalnet.com/band/the-great-discord) (2014) - [The Wicked](https://themetalnet.com/band/the-wicked) (Finland, 1999) ## Where it is played - [United States](https://themetalnet.com/country/us): 32 bands - [France](https://themetalnet.com/country/fr): 17 bands - [Finland](https://themetalnet.com/country/fi): 7 bands - [United Kingdom](https://themetalnet.com/country/gb): 7 bands - [Norway](https://themetalnet.com/country/no): 7 bands - [Italy](https://themetalnet.com/country/it): 5 bands - [Poland](https://themetalnet.com/country/pl): 4 bands - [Germany](https://themetalnet.com/country/de): 4 bands ## Bands formed by decade | Decade | Bands formed | | --- | --- | | 1960s | 2 | | 1980s | 9 | | 1990s | 35 | | 2000s | 45 | | 2010s | 34 | | 2020s | 7 | --- Source: [TheMetalNet https://themetalnet.com/genre/avant-garde-metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/avant-garde-metal). Catalog data from MusicBrainz and Metal Archives. Full site index: https://themetalnet.com/llms.txt