Metal BPM Range

100 — 160 BPM

40 80 120 160 200+

Typical midpoint: 130 BPM (Allegro) — 462 ms per beat

About Metal Tempo

Metal spans a wide tempo range from 100 to 160 BPM and beyond, with subgenres like doom metal playing slower (60-80 BPM) and thrash metal pushing much faster (160-220 BPM). Heavy riffs and powerful drumming define the genre. Most modern metal anchors around 120-140 BPM, balancing groove and aggression. Black metal and death metal often exceed 200 BPM during blast-beat sections.

Characteristics

Heavy, distorted guitar riffs
Complex drumming including double bass pedal
Wide dynamic range from slow breakdowns to blast beats
Technical proficiency and virtuosic playing

Metal Subgenre BPMs

Subgenre	BPM Range	Note
Doom Metal	60-80	Slow, heavy, sludgy
Thrash Metal	160-220	Fast, aggressive, technical riffing
Death Metal	150-250	Blast beats, growled vocals
Power Metal	130-170	Melodic, fantasy themes, soaring vocals
Djent / Progressive	100-140	Polyrhythmic, low-tuned, complex time signatures

Example Metal Songs and Their BPMs

Song	Artist	BPM
Master of Puppets	Metallica	212
Iron Man	Black Sabbath	70
Painkiller	Judas Priest	184
Walk	Pantera	110

BPM values are approximate and may vary based on the version or remix. Use our tap tempo tool to verify any track.

Production Tip

Down-tune to drop-D or lower for modern metal. 140 BPM is a good groove-metal anchor. Trigger samples on the kick for double-bass clarity.

Want to check if your track matches the typical Metal tempo?

Use the Tap Tempo Tool