Doom metal is the metal genre characterized by slow tempos and bleak, heavy riffs.
The style draws heavily on the early work of Black Sabbath, especially songs built around low-tuned guitars, deliberate pacing, and ominous moods. Doom metal bands often emphasize sustained chords, thick distortion, and a sense of weight rather than speed.
Its lyrics may explore death, despair, mythology, isolation, or the supernatural. Different branches include traditional doom, death-doom, funeral doom, sludge metal, and drone metal, each using the core atmosphere in a different way.
Doom metal is not simply any slow metal song. The term usually refers to a sustained stylistic approach centered on heaviness and atmosphere. Candlemass, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, and Trouble are frequently cited as important acts in the genre's development.