Big names Metal legends Iron Maiden are still going strong, as are Motorhead and Ozzy Osbourne.

Rising stars Welsh five-piece Funeral For A Friend were named best British newcomers at Kerrang! magazine's recent awards and the energetic InMe have also been hotly tipped.

Who listens? Ageing fans still worship the 1970s and 80s golden age, while a new generation of angry or alienated teenagers are devoted to the new breed.

Evolution As the Swinging Sixties withered, a creative crop of groups – including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath - set the blueprint for heavy metal, characterised by heavy guitar riffs, satanic imagery and wild live shows. They enjoyed commercial success and, in the 1970s, elements of the metal style were taken on by hit groups like Thin Lizzy and Queen.

In the 1980s, groups like Def Leppard and Whitesnake softened the edges to make a radio-friendly version but the style took second place to the new US style grunge in the 1990s.

Metal has made a comeback in recent years - mainly thanks to new US bands, some of whom have found a mass market by playing pop songs in a metal style. Metal album sales in the UK tripled between 1998 and 2002.