--- title: "Groove Metal" type: "MusicGenre" url: "https://themetalnet.com/genre/groove-metal" parent: "Thrash Metal" bands: 423 era: "early 1990s" --- # Groove Metal **Groove Metal** is a metal sub-genre, formative in the early 1990s. TheMetalNet maps 423 bands and 878 albums under it. Groove metal keeps thrash’s heavy, downtuned riffing but slows it down and locks it into hypnotic, syncopated, mid-paced grooves built for headbanging. Pantera pioneered it in the early 1990s with brutal precision and hoarse, shouted vocals, and Machine Head, Sepultura, and White Zombie expanded it through the decade. The riffs are chunky and rhythmic, the tempo bouncing rather than blasting. It became one of the defining metal sounds of the 90s. ## Facts | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Genre | Groove Metal | | Level | Sub-genre | | Parent genre | Thrash Metal | | Formative era | early 1990s | | Bands | 423 | | Albums | 878 | | Formation span | 1961 to 2025 | ## Notable bands (top 60 by prominence) - [Pantera](https://themetalnet.com/band/pantera) (1982) - [Soulfly](https://themetalnet.com/band/soulfly) (United States, 1997) - [DevilDriver](https://themetalnet.com/band/devildriver) (United States, 2003) - [The Haunted](https://themetalnet.com/band/the-haunted) (Sweden, 1996) - [Prong](https://themetalnet.com/band/prong) (United States, 1986) - [Ektomorf](https://themetalnet.com/band/ektomorf) (Hungary, 1994) - [Chimaira](https://themetalnet.com/band/chimaira) (United States, 1998) - [Pro‐Pain](https://themetalnet.com/band/pro-pain) (United States, 1992) - [Dagoba](https://themetalnet.com/band/dagoba) (France, 1997) - [Dry Kill Logic](https://themetalnet.com/band/dry-kill-logic) (United States, 1995) - [Dave Lombardo](https://themetalnet.com/band/dave-lombardo) (United States, 1965) - [Diablo](https://themetalnet.com/band/diablo) (Finland, 1999) - [Raunchy](https://themetalnet.com/band/raunchy) (Denmark, 1994) - [Carnal Forge](https://themetalnet.com/band/carnal-forge) (Sweden, 1997) - [Zakk Wylde](https://themetalnet.com/band/zakk-wylde) (United States, 1967) - [A.N.I.M.A.L.](https://themetalnet.com/band/a-n-i-m-a-l) (Argentina, 1991) - [Skinlab](https://themetalnet.com/band/skinlab) (United States, 1994) - [24‐7 Spyz](https://themetalnet.com/band/24-7-spyz) (United States, 1986) - [Farmer Boys](https://themetalnet.com/band/farmer-boys) (Germany, 1994) - [Mnemic](https://themetalnet.com/band/mnemic) (Denmark, 1998) - [Morgana Lefay](https://themetalnet.com/band/morgana-lefay) (Sweden, 1989) - [Byzantine](https://themetalnet.com/band/byzantine) (United States, 2000) - [Channel Zero](https://themetalnet.com/band/channel-zero) (Belgium, 1990) - [Profane Omen](https://themetalnet.com/band/profane-omen) (Finland, 1999) - [Exhorder](https://themetalnet.com/band/exhorder) (United States, 1985) - [A Life Once Lost](https://themetalnet.com/band/a-life-once-lost) (United States, 1999) - [Merauder](https://themetalnet.com/band/merauder) (United States, 1990) - [Warrel Dane](https://themetalnet.com/band/warrel-dane) (United States, 1961) - [Burn the Priest](https://themetalnet.com/band/burn-the-priest) (United States, 1994) - [Horcas](https://themetalnet.com/band/horcas) (Argentina, 1988) - [Bad Wolves](https://themetalnet.com/band/bad-wolves) (United States, 2017) - [Save](https://themetalnet.com/band/save) (Russia, 1999) - [Tyrant of Death](https://themetalnet.com/band/tyrant-of-death) (Canada, 2010) - [Grip Inc.](https://themetalnet.com/band/grip-inc) (United States, 1993) - [Extrema](https://themetalnet.com/band/extrema) (1986) - [Stigmata](https://themetalnet.com/band/stigmata-f5fbb9b8) (United States, 1989) - [The Defaced](https://themetalnet.com/band/the-defaced) (Sweden, 1995) - [Watch My Dying](https://themetalnet.com/band/watch-my-dying) (Hungary, 1999) - [Dymytry](https://themetalnet.com/band/dymytry) (Czechia, 2003) - [Lazarus A.D.](https://themetalnet.com/band/lazarus-a-d) (United States, 2005) - [Asspera](https://themetalnet.com/band/asspera) (Argentina, 2000) - [Drone](https://themetalnet.com/band/drone) (Germany, 2004) - [Frankenbok](https://themetalnet.com/band/frankenbok) (1997) - [Mark Morton](https://themetalnet.com/band/mark-morton) (United States, 1972) - [Overcast](https://themetalnet.com/band/overcast) (United States, 1991) - [Acrassicauda](https://themetalnet.com/band/acrassicauda) (Iraq, 2001) - [Butcher Babies](https://themetalnet.com/band/butcher-babies) (United States, 2010) - [Damageplan](https://themetalnet.com/band/damageplan) (United States, 2003) - [Altar](https://themetalnet.com/band/altar-edf935ab) (Romania, 1991) - [Graveyard BBQ](https://themetalnet.com/band/graveyard-bbq) (United States, 2003) - [Thy Will Be Done](https://themetalnet.com/band/thy-will-be-done) (United States, 2005) - [Malevolence](https://themetalnet.com/band/malevolence-736680eb) (2010) - [Rise of the Northstar](https://themetalnet.com/band/rise-of-the-northstar) (France, 2008) - [Second to Sun](https://themetalnet.com/band/second-to-sun) (Russia, 2011) - [4Arm](https://themetalnet.com/band/4arm) (Australia, 2004) - [Droid](https://themetalnet.com/band/droid-88eacfeb) (United States, 2003) - [The Defiled](https://themetalnet.com/band/the-defiled) (United Kingdom, 2008) - [Enemy of the Sun](https://themetalnet.com/band/enemy-of-the-sun) (Germany, 2006) - [Malón](https://themetalnet.com/band/malon) (Argentina, 1995) - [Super Junky Monkey](https://themetalnet.com/band/super-junky-monkey) (Japan, 1991) ## Where it is played - [United States](https://themetalnet.com/country/us): 76 bands - [Argentina](https://themetalnet.com/country/ar): 27 bands - [Germany](https://themetalnet.com/country/de): 19 bands - [Sweden](https://themetalnet.com/country/se): 11 bands - [United Kingdom](https://themetalnet.com/country/gb): 10 bands - [Australia](https://themetalnet.com/country/au): 9 bands - [Brazil](https://themetalnet.com/country/br): 8 bands - [Belgium](https://themetalnet.com/country/be): 7 bands ## Bands formed by decade | Decade | Bands formed | | --- | --- | | 1960s | 3 | | 1970s | 2 | | 1980s | 16 | | 1990s | 68 | | 2000s | 82 | | 2010s | 128 | | 2020s | 34 | --- Source: [TheMetalNet https://themetalnet.com/genre/groove-metal](https://themetalnet.com/genre/groove-metal). Catalog data from MusicBrainz and Metal Archives. Full site index: https://themetalnet.com/llms.txt