The roots of Pakistani hard rock and metal can be traced back to the first wave of bands from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The bands Final Cut and Barbarians are considered the earliest Pakistani heavy metal bands. Although they were short-lived, they influenced many other musicians. The second wave of heavy metal artists, including bands such as Dhun, which is Fawd Baloch's more conventional metal project. Later bands like Mizraab, a band led by Faraz Anwar that is considered to be Pakistan's first progressive metal band, have also played a significant role in promoting the growth of metal music in Pakistan. Furthermore, bands such as Messiah and Black Warrant are examples of significant metal bands that have surfaced in the past five years.
More recently Death Metal and Progressive Metal have experienced a rise in popularity in the underground Pakistani music scene. Newer bands comprising of mostly university students have taken a huge step in taking the heavy metal scene of Pakistan forward. Bands like Berserker, Black Warrant, Cardinal Sin, Elegy, Communal Grave, Dementia, Odyssey, Reckoning Storm, Ruin and Soul Vomit among others have already made their mark in Pakistan.
