Definition

1. Noun:
   • A genre of rock music: A loud, aggressive style of rock music characterized by amplified distortion, emphatic rhythms, dense guitar-and-bass sound, powerful vocals, and often featuring virtuosic guitar solos. Lyrics frequently explore themes of fantasy, mythology, social issues, or darker subjects.
   • A type of chemical element: A metal with a high density (typically greater than 5 grams per cubic centimeter) or a high atomic weight. Many heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, are toxic to living organisms even at low concentrations.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Music):
  • The concert featured several classic heavy metal bands from the 1980s.
  • He is a guitarist who specializes in heavy metal riffs and solos.
• Noun (Chemistry):
  • Industrial waste must be treated to remove heavy metals like arsenic and chromium.
  • The water was tested for heavy metal contamination.

Advanced Usage

• "Heavy metal" as an adjective (attributive noun): Used to describe things related to the music genre.
  • He has a large collection of heavy metal albums.
  • The festival had a strong heavy metal lineup this year.

Variants and Related Words

• Metal (noun): The broader genre of rock music that includes heavy metal, thrash metal, death metal, etc.
  • He listens to various subgenres of metal.
• Heavy (adjective): Used informally to describe something intense, serious, or profound, which influenced the naming of the music genre.
  • They had a heavy conversation about the future.

Synonyms

• For Music: Hard rock, metal (as a broader category).
• For Chemistry: Toxic metal, dense metal.

Related Phrases

• "Headbanging": A type of dance associated with heavy metal music where participants rhythmically shake their head.
  • The crowd was headbanging to the fast beat.
• "Power chord": A simplified, amplified chord structure fundamental to much heavy metal and rock guitar playing.
  • The song is built on a simple, driving power chord.

Noun

1. loud and harsh sounding rock music with a strong beat; lyrics usually involve violent or fantastic imagery
2. a metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead)