Groove metal

Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder. At its core, groove metal takes the intensity and sonic qualities of thrash metal and plays it at a mid-tempo, with most bands making only occasional forays into fast tempo.

Influences
Pioneering groove metal bands such as Pantera and Sepultura (originally thrash metal) laid the foundations for nu metal and metalcore. Nu metal utilizes downtuned riffs, hip hop elements like rapping and turntablism and groove metal rhythms, while frequently lacking guitar solos and complex picking. Metalcore emphasizes general heavy metal characteristics as well as breakdowns, which are slower, intense passages that are conducive to moshing.

Bands
The style has been associated with bands such as Pantera, Lamb of God, Sepultura, Soulfly, Gojira,  Throwdown, Machine Head, Byzantine, Anthrax, Spiritual Beggars, Slipknot and Texas Hippie Coalition. Some bands have gone to some lengths to avoid being labelled a groove metal band. Veteran thrash metal band Annihilator left Roadrunner Records in 1993 specifically to avoid being caught up in the groove metal trend being promoted by the label. Subsequently, the Canadian band did not play in North America until July 2011 when they returned to play a sold-out show in Quebec City and appear on the Main Stage at the Heavy MTL Festival in Montreal.