noise rock
Dissonant guitar genre
Noise rock is a style of rock music that foregrounds abrasive sounds—distortion, feedback, dissonance, and unconventional song structures.
Emerging in the 1980s from punk and no wave, it prizes texture and intensity over melody: Sonic Youth and Big Black pioneered noise rock.
The genre ranges from chaotic and unlistenable to hypnotic and propulsive.
Distortion-heavy ethereal rock
- post-punkExperimental rock after '77
- industrialOf factories and production
- grungeAccumulated dirt or filth
- punkRaw, fast rock genre
alternative · sludge · hardcore · experimental · avant-garde · psychedelic · garage
Twisting from original state
- feedbackReturned response data
- dissonanceLack of harmony
- cacophonyHarsh, clashing sounds
- abrasiveRough enough to erode
harsh · loud · earsplitting · deafening · amplification · fuzz · volume · piercing
Imperfect audio quality, informally
- rawIn original state
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
- confrontationalInclined toward hostile encounters
- visceralArising from deep instinct
aggressive · unpolished · primal · cathartic · intense · nihilistic · transgressive · angular
Amateur home projects
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- indieProduced outside majors
- zineSelf-published small periodical
- fanzineAmateur enthusiast publication
basement · subculture · counterculture · cult · scene · bootleg · obscure · unsigned
Fretted stringed instrument
- pedalsFoot-operated levers
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
- four-trackRecording with separate channels
- overdriveEfficiency mode at speed
shoegaze
Distortion-heavy ethereal rock
- post-punkExperimental rock after '77
- industrialOf factories and production
- grungeAccumulated dirt or filth
punk · alternative · sludge · hardcore · experimental · avant-garde · psychedelic · garage
distortion
Twisting from original state
- feedbackReturned response data
- dissonanceLack of harmony
- cacophonyHarsh, clashing sounds
abrasive · harsh · loud · earsplitting · deafening · amplification · fuzz · volume · piercing · clamor
lo-fi
Imperfect audio quality, informally
- rawIn original state
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
- confrontationalInclined toward hostile encounters
visceral · aggressive · unpolished · primal · cathartic · intense · nihilistic · transgressive · angular · jagged
DIY
Amateur home projects
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- indieProduced outside majors
- zineSelf-published small periodical
fanzine · basement · subculture · counterculture · cult · scene · bootleg · obscure · unsigned
guitar
Fretted stringed instrument
- pedalsFoot-operated levers
- amplifierSignal-strengthening electronic device
- four-trackRecording with separate channels
overdrive · clipping · gain · detuning · tremolo · delay · reverb
Swans
Large graceful waterfowl
- genresaction, comedy, detective fiction, fantasy, horror
- rock genresheavy metal, metal, punk, grunge, Britpop
- Alt Rockalternative metal, grunge, post-grunge, post-punk, new wave
- Experimental RockSonic Youth, Velvet Underground, Wire, Faust, Swans
- microgenresmicrogenre, subgenre, chillwave, vaporwave, synthwave
- rock musicelectric guitar, guitar solo, guitar riff, guitar riffs, power chords
noise rockeasy listening
Undemanding melodic audio
muzak · soft rock · smooth jazz · ambient music · yacht rock
noise rockpower pop
Hook-laden melodic rock genre
pop rock · bubblegum pop · baroque pop · Americana · singer-songwriter
noise rockacoustic
Relating to sound
unplugged · folk music · chamber music · a cappella · minimalist music
rock, noise, noisy, noises, noisily, noisemaker, noisier, noisiest, noisiness