How can you determine, what kind of music a band plays

[Mr_Music90]

Okay, sorry if the titel is a bit misleading. Don't really know how to discripe it

Thing is, I'm always wondering how you can decide what kind of music bands play.

One thing I always mix up, is Symphonic Metal and Power Metal. There are some differences here and there of course, but I heared some other people confuse other several (sub) genre's with each other.

So, is there a way how you can sort of say, what kind of music a band makes?

[letsrumble]

Go to metal-archives.com, search under their name, and look under "genre"? Wikipedia works for non-metal bands.

[mjac28]

There are only two kinds of music the kind that makes you "wiggle" and the kind that doesn't.

[two fingers]

Just ask one of the band members. To be sure they'll be offended if you call them screamo when they're really doom...... er whatever.....

[ShredderMaximus]

Originally Posted by two fingers

Just ask one of the band members. To be sure they'll be offended if you call them screamo when they're really doom...... er whatever.....

This annoys me to no end. I've broken down the word "screamo" more than a few times to different people, as in "screamo= screaming + emo." Call me petty but dagnabbit its infuriating when someone comes up to me while I'm listening to some masterful tech death or some old school black metal, and calls it screamo, I find it very insulting. YMMV, IMO, blah blah blah.

@OP:

Listen more. You'll start hearing more and more traits that are signature to different genres. Just don't get too caught up in it, it really doesn't matter, imho. As long as it gets her head bangin or brain thinking, its all good.

[One Drop]

Who decides this stuff? Is there a panel that meets every six month who defines each genre and set out the criteria!

Hilarious.