What's the difference between punk and heavy metal?

Question

They both tend to be fast and they both sound angry. What are the technical differences between the two?

Answer 1

Punk is simpler with songs having only a few chords and a minimal drum setup. It rarely contains any solos. The vocals are usually shouted and the lyrics are about social and politial issues.

Heavy Metal mainly focuses on two guitar tone harmonies, aggressive riffs, and powerful clean vocals with emphasis on the upper range (but could be a little rougher sometimes). Lyrics could be about anything from women, drinking, motorcycles, mythology, history, or glorifying metal itself.

Answer 2

I think one of the biggest differences is attitude. Wiki for "Sex Pistols", one of the real first punk bands (yes, the Ramones are considered the first punk band, but I think the Sex Pistols better epitomize what it meant to live "punk"). The original punk bands were rebelling against everything...the prevailing music of the era (disco), social convention, man just about everything. They weren't so much interested in making music than venting their frustrations and flipping the middle finger to anyone and everyone who was bothering to listen. In some ways, metal is similar, but there's a lot more emphasis on musical talent and song construction. Punk is usually pretty simple, where as metal can be borderline theatrical.

Answer 3

Punk metal was a term used in the 1980's to describe the first wave of bands that mixed hardcore punk and thrash metal. (Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion Of Conformity, and Stormtroopers Of Death)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_metal

Heavy metal is a subgenre of rock music that emerged as a defined musical style in the 1970's... mixed blues and rock music to create a hybrid with a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterised by the use of highly-amplified distortion. (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metal#Origins_.281960s_and_early_1970s.29

Answer 4

Punk is a lighter type of metal, example- punk is like pink floyd and the ramones, metal is like underoath and slipknot.metal has more screaming and punk is more about the lyrics; though they often both have interesting lyrics.
tis kind of hard 2 explain, hope this helped.

Answer 5

Metal is more technically exact, punk is intentionally a little sloppy.

Answer 6

Oh come On!Please,anyone can tell the difference between those two!

Answer 7

Dirty Catholic says it right. :)

Punk is a lot more..tuney. Metal is kinda really loud.

Answer 8

look these bands up and youll see the difference

MxPx-punk
maylene and the sons of disasters-metal

great bands by the way

Answer 9

punk is more whiny, metal more angry