What is "doom metal"

n. a subgenre of heavy metal characterised by a slow (l/en: tempo) and low-tuned guitars, often emphasizing lyrics of despair.

Doom metal is an extreme style of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres. Both the music and the lyrics intend to evoke a sense of despair, dread, and impending doom. The genre is strongly influenced by the early work of Black Sabbath, who formed a prototype for doom metal with songs such as " Black Sabbath", " Children of the Grave", " Electric Funeral" and " Into the Void". During the first half of the 1980s, a number of bands from England ( Pagan Altar, Witchfinder General), the United States ( Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble) and Sweden ( Candlemass, Count Raven) defined doom metal as a distinct genre.