Metal Tempo by Subgenre: Average BPM Across 150 Songs | MetalForge
Average, median, and max BPM for thrash, death, black, and 12 other metal subgenres, computed across the 150 songs in MetalForge’s tempo database, plus the 200+ BPM "hall of speed."
Average Tempo by Subgenre
Rank Subgenre Songs Avg BPM Median BPM Range
1 Thrash Metal 22 164.9 170 80-230 2 Heavy Metal 20 129.9 125.5 76-180 3 Groove Metal 16 117.9 119 82-148 4 Progressive Metal 16 121.3 117.5 91-170 5 Nu Metal 15 123.3 127 75-165 6 Death Metal 14 163.5 152 95-245 7 Metalcore 11 135.6 132 95-165 8 Djent 9 111.9 115 78-140 9 Progressive Death Metal 6 105.5 92.5 75-150 10 Doom Metal 5 59.4 60 55-65 11 Black Metal 4 178.8 182.5 150-200 12 Alternative Metal 3 101 98 95-110 13 Blackened Death Metal 3 150 160 115-175 14 Deathcore 2 117.5 117.5 110-125 15 Progressive Sludge Metal 2 117.5 117.5 110-125 16 Symphonic Black Metal 2 160 160 155-165
The 200+ BPM Club
Rank Song Band BPM Genre Drummer
1 Kafir! (2009) Nile 245 Death Metal George Kollias 2 Lashed to the Slave Stick (2005) Nile 240 Death Metal George Kollias 3 War Ensemble (1990) Slayer 230 Thrash Metal Dave Lombardo 4 Raining Blood (1986) Slayer 225 Thrash Metal Dave Lombardo 5 Sacrifice Unto Sebek (2002) Nile 220 Death Metal Tony Laureano 6 Angel of Death (1986) Slayer 212 Thrash Metal Dave Lombardo 7 Master of Puppets (1986) Metallica 212 Thrash Metal Lars Ulrich 8 Chainsaw Gutsfuck (1987) Mayhem 200 Black Metal Manheim 9 Creeping Death (1984) Metallica 200 Thrash Metal Lars Ulrich 10 Immortal Rites (1989) Morbid Angel 200 Death Metal Pete Sandoval
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