We accept the following non-metal bands in certain cases (these exceptions can be ambiguous and debatable - scroll down for details):
* Side-projects of metal band members (ex: Pain, Wongraven, Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's)
Note that side-projects will only be eligible if they have at least one release on a label with worldwide distribution (to avoid a flood of bedroom/MySpace bands).
* Bands that are no longer metal, but are/were still generally recognized as metal bands (ex: Burzum, Metallica)
* Grindcore if it's close enough to death metal (ex: Carcass, Napalm Death)
We do NOT accept the following (this is our decision, please don't argue this):
* Mallcore, also known as "nu-metal" by some (ex: Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Drowning Pool, Slipknot)
* Metalcore, unless it's clearly more metal than core (e.g Shadows Fall, The Red Chord, Mastodon are OK: Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Bullet For My Valentine are NOT). If you are uncertain, best avoid metalcore bands altogether.
* Glam rock (ex: Poison, Whitesnake, KISS)
* Classic rock (ex: Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep)
* Progressive rock (ex: Yes, King Crimson, The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard)
* Hard rock (ex: Guns 'N Roses, AC/DC, Alice Cooper)
* Hardcore (ex: Earth Crisis, Converge)
* Grindcore (and all its variants; noise, crust, etc) with little to zero metal influence (ex: Anal Cunt, Libido Airbag)
* Punk (ex: The Misfits, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols)
* Gothic rock (ex: Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Fields of Nephilim)
* Industrial (ex: Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, KMFDM, N17)
* Cover/tribute/gimmick bands (ex: The Iron Maidens, Catch the Rainbow), unless they start as such and eventually write their own music