Speed metal

Speed metal is a loosely defined sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the mid-late 1970s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music

Speed metal is a loosely defined sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the mid-late 1970s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music template set forth by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple while keeping their melodic ideas. Speed Metal can find its significant beginnings with NWOBHM bands.

Many speed metal bands also ostensibly fall within the categories of other heavy metal sub-genres, typically Thrash metal and Power metal. This is mainly due to the influence speed metal had on the development of these genres, although it should also be mentioned that Speed metal was used by some Glam metal and NWOBHM groups during the 1980s.