While we talk about K-Pop and K-Rock very frequently here at The Kraze, one genre we don’t really touch on as much is K-Metal. It may not be as popular as J-Metal, but there are still plenty of great Korean metal bands.

Synsnake

We talked about Synsnake back in 2021 in a Surprise of the Week article, but they deserve mentioning once again. The band released Fluxus back in May 2021, but have been active on their YouTube channel with covers (including a KILLER cover for “Kingslayer,” by Bring Me The Horizon featuring BABYMETAL) as well as a new music video for Fluxus track “Flip.” I love a metal band that features a female vocalist, and Synsnake’s blend of soft, sweet vocals alongside heavy metal screams makes them the perfect K-Metal band for fans who enjoy the heavier K-Pop and K-Rock songs to check out first.

Clownus

Though Clownus have only released three tracks on their Spotify account, the group’s tracks are heavy. Lead vocalist IROHANA is a force to be reckoned with. An incredible screamer that can also belt out beautiful vocals when singing? Sign me up. That’s always been one of my favorite things about many metal screamers – their ability to go from screaming to singing in a flash. With only a few tracks and a handful of covers on their YouTube account, it will be interesting to see what Clownus releases next!

DIABLO

DIABLO released an album in 2010 and then were on a seven-year hiatus until 2020, when they released their singles “Unheard Answer,” “300,” and “Nothing (To die for).” Sadly, their YouTube channel hasn’t uploaded a new video since 2021, and their Spotify account hasn’t had a new song since 2020 when the group released “Nothing (To die for).” While that’s not necessarily a sign that they’re no longer together, it does make my heavy metal-loving heart sad to not have even more DIABLO releases to check out.

Madmans Esprit

Madmans Esprit may just be my favorite group on this list. I’m a huge fan of Japanese Visual Kei groups, and Madmans Esprit embraces that aesthetic and brings it to Korea. The group is the solo project of South Korean singer Kyuho, and the operatic way Kyuho sings at times reminds me of Japanese Visual Kei vocalist KAMIJO. Madmans Esprit blends so many different styles of rock and metal, it’s impossible not to find at least one song to enjoy. The group debuted in 2018 and have been releasing music steadily ever since.