Power metal and thrash metal, both stemming from the NWOBHM and maintaining much of its ethos, were gaining critical acclaim and commercial success in the second half of the 1980s with their even faster and heavier sound.
O power metal e o thrash metal, ámbolos dous partindo do NWOBHM e mantendo gran parte dos seus valores, comezaron a gañar a aclamación da crítica e éxitos comerciais na segunda metade dos anos 1980 practicando un son aínda máis rápido e pesado.