> I'm still a bit confused how this counts as "metal", though. I think I mostly associated metal with, er, death metal I guess it's called? What exactly counts as metal then?

It's quite a large genre that likes to borrow from other genres and infuse local influences. Death metal is just one sub genre of metal and itself has multiple styles.

> What exactly counts as metal then?

https://mapofmetal.com/

A bit odd to see punk genre's included, and for sludge to be so far away from hardcore punk. Also seem disconnected, which wouldn't be right since sludge is often described as doom metal + hardcore punk (although their have been plenty of bands with other influences as well)

Black metal is shown as a branch of hardcore punk when the description clearly states that it is a branch of thrash (And is obvious to fans of BM and metal in general.) Though many black metal bands have incorporated punk elements into their work, e.g. Darkthrone's F.O.A.D.

Power metal? Check out Unleash the Archers. Excellent band.

Saw them live a few months ago - fantastic performance.

Also, for anyone who is checking them out I'd generally recommend starting with the Apex/Abyss albums - their earlier stuff (like Time Stands Still) is absolutely worth listening to, but their most recent work is a big step up.

I came here to express disappointment that Unleash the Archers wasn't included here. They definitely express nerdy themes, especially in the last two albums, and they rank pretty high on the kickassery scale in my opinion as well!

Can't upvote this enough - absolute favourite band right now. On the theme of Canadian Power Metal another level of obscurity down is Ravenous EH based out of Calgary, Alberta. I really enjoy them as well.

If you look into how Metal came about you’ll realize that Power Metal sounds more like classic Metal than Death or Black.

A preponderance of power chords is usually a good indicator that it's metal, especially non-extreme metal like power.

I would say an affinity for tempo changes, non-traditional song structures, and influences from classical music, the selections of which chords and scales to use.