Encyclopaedia Metallum HELP - How it works

The purpose of this site is to grow the largest and most complete database regarding heavy metal bands as possible. Since we cannot possibly know all the bands ourselves, especially the really obscure ones, we figured we should let the visitors contribute.

Of course, letting users enter information involves taking a certain risk; anyone who has ever used a service such as a message board knows that there are often users that have nothing better to do than troll and/or spam. So because of this, we took certain precautions, limiting the access to the site's database to registered users only. And even those do not have the same access as the more advanced users.

So we built interfaces for the users to be able to enter the information we wanted to have on the database, while still having full control of the data. We realize that some parts of the interfaces may be more ambiguous, especially for non-experienced Web users, so we wrote this help file, hoping to clear some questions some of you might have.

Anyone can browse through the site's content as they please. You must be a registered member only if you wish to contribute to something. All contributions are totally optional if you do register.

You can browse the band database by alphabetical order (by choosing a letter), by country or by genre lists. You can also browse through labels alphabetically, and through reviews, grouped by month and sorted by date or grouped by ratings. You can also see the newest additions and newest updates on the main page. More options might be added later.

You can search for bands by keyword on the following fields: band name, genre, themes.

You can search for albums or songs by title.

You can also search for label pages, artist pages, user profiles.

Lastly, you can use Google to search across the entire site.

Search features

Unlike the first version of the site, the search engine supports many powerful (and standard, really) search features.

Keyword matching

By default, a keyword search will return results containing the full keyword (or similar words). For example, searching for bands with the keyword hell will return all bands containing the word "hell", including bands such as "Hell Patrol" or "Black Hell". It also considers words with case-change as different words; that means "HellBorn" will also be returned in the results (since it treats the name as "Hell Born" internally), but not "Hellborn".

Multiple keywords

Separate all your keywords by spaces. The order of the keywords does not matter: searching for black death will also return results containing "death/black". By default, the boolean behaviour is AND, meaning that searching for black death will get results containing both "black" AND "death".

Searching phrases

If you want to match on an exact phrase, wrap it in quotes: searching for take me away (songs) will return the song "Take the World Away From Me", but searching for "take me away" (with the quotes) will only return song titles containing the actual phrase.

Wildcards

If you want to search for part of a word, use the * symbol as a wildcard. In the above example, searching for Hell will not return results containing the word "hellish". For that, you can search for Hell*. Likewise, searching for Hel* will return results containing "Hell", "Helm", "Helion", etc. Wildcards can be placed anywhere: searching for *iron will return both "Iron Maiden" and "Apeiron". Searching for *iron* will also return "Ironsword" and "Dramatic Irony".

Excluding keywords

Use the - operator to exclude terms from your search. Say you want to search for death metal bands, but want to exclude melodeath and deathcore, then you would search for death metal -deathcore -melodic.

Boolean operators

By default, searching with multiple keywords is treated as an AND operator. If you want results containing either "black" OR "death", use the || symbol. Searching for black death is the equivalent of black AND death, while searching for black || death is the equivalent of "black OR death".

Advanced search

You can also perform an advanced search, by combining several available filters. For example, you can view a list of all the thrash metal bands from Norway, or all the pagan black metal bands in Germany formed before 1995, or all the disbanded satanic power metal bands from Gothenburg, Sweden ;). New in v2: you can search by year of formation/active, and specify a year range. To search for all bands formed exactly in 1980, put the year in both fields; to search for all bands formed before (and up to) 1980, leave the first year blank and enter 1980 in the second field, and so on.

You can also perform an advanced search on albums. You can specify date ranges (year and month); like for band years, you can leave blanks for looser ranges.

New in v2: you can perform an advanced search for songs, including in the lyrics.

If you stumble upon a page (band, album, artist or label) that contains mistakes, out-of-date information, or missing information, that you cannot correct yourself (either because you are not a registered member, or because you don't have a high enough rank if you are), you can report the band/album/etc. via the relevant link on the band's page. You do not have to be a registered member to report a band, however if you are, you may get extra points if your report is considered helpful by the moderator.
You must enter the specific reasons for reporting the page (because if the moderator does not know the band/album/etc., s/he may not see what's wrong with the data).
You should also provide a source for your report, otherwise your report risks being closed immediately. The band will then be flagged and reviewed by another user or a moderator as soon as possible, who may then perform the necessary updates. More than one user can report the same item, and you can report the same item more than once so long as the reason is different each time.

When reporting, please choose the most fitting category for your report in the drop-down menu. This will make your report easier and faster to process.

Reports have different statuses:

New (unassigned)

These reports are still pending and haven't been handled by anyone yet.

Assigned

A user has started working on the report. Optional step; usually for reports that require lengthy corrections, to avoid conflicting edits with another user.

Resolved

A user has finished working on the report. The report can be closed by a moderator.

Closed

A moderator has determined that no more work is required on the report.

You can view all the currently opened reports and post additional comments if you have anything to contribute. If a report seems to be untreated for too long, it might need a moderator's attention: if so, feel free to check the box so that moderators can take a look (higher-ranked users only). But keep in mind the open report queue usually has hundreds of entries, so be patient.

If you ever stumble upon a persistent bug, by all means report it to us at moc/sevihcra-latem//retsambew or through the forum via this thread and we will do our best to fix it. PLEASE be specific; tell us where and how it happened (tell us anything that you might have done which could have triggered it); it'll help us greatly for fixing it, if possible.

To be able to access and manipulate the site's database in any way other than a reading/viewing mode, you must be a registered user. To register, click here.

If you decide to register as a member of Encyclopaedia Metallum, make sure you read the rules and guidelines at least once. As a member, you agree to follow the guidelines, or get your submissions rejected and possibly get banned from registering again if you choose to be a troll. You also agree to take responsibility for every submission under your name. If someone else uses your computer, it may not be a good idea to make the website remember your login information. Use your own judgment regarding your login preferences.

Except for your user name, you can change all the information in your profile whenever you wish. However, we will re-validate your email address every time you update your profile.

The personal information you submit to Encyclopaedia Metallum is kept safely in our database and is NOT given to any other parties. You can choose to keep your email address private from the other users if you prefer. You can also decide to receive (or not) any email whenever a moderator approves or rejects your submission.
However your email address must be valid, to prevent trolls from registering multiple accounts with false email addresses: when you register, you will receive an automatic email that will allow you to activate your account. You will not be able to use your privileges as a member if your account is not activated. This confirmation email is the only email that you are forced to receive as a member. We are absolutely against spamming and we will not send you any email you do not want in your mailbox. This email is also the only place your password will be visible. It is also possible that a moderator contact you personally, but in this case, it will not be an automatic spam email but a genuine communication.

As a member, you can

• submit new bands to the website
• add new data for already existing bands (includes albums, labels, line-up/artists, and links)
• write album reviews
• update your own reviews
• edit your profile
• add items to your metal collection
• edit your collection
• recommend a band similar to another band
• vote (for or against) a recommended band
• report a band, album, label or artist

When you get a higher rank (see the ranks section for more information), you can also

• update existing bands, artists and labels
• update data for existing bands (including albums, similar bands, and links)
• update line-ups for bands and albums

Lookie here.

If you wish to terminate your account permanently, please log into your account, go to your profile, and select the "Account Termination" tab. Or just click here (if already logged in). You can access the account termination page even if you have been banned.

As you participate as a member by submitting or updating data, you can earn points. Similar to many message boards where the member changes his "rank" by posting a certain number of messages, a member of this website can eventually change ranking by reaching a certain number of points. Only certain ranks can really make a difference.

Here are the number of points earned for each kind of contribution (only applies if they are approved, if need be):

Adding a band

10 pt(s). for a complete entry / 5 pt(s). if it's too incomplete (not counting albums or links) / 2 pt(s). if it's really minimal and ambiguous

Adding an album/release

5 pt(s).

Writing an album review

8 pt(s). for a detailed, well-written review / 5 pt(s). for an average review / 3 pt(s). for a bare-bone review.

Adding a link

1 pt(s).

Updating (general)

1 pt(s).

Reporting a band

1 pt(s).

Be warned: a moderator may choose to make you LOSE points (an amount of his/her choosing) upon rejection of a submission.

Here is the current rank list (rank names, such as "mallcore kid" or "metal god", are just for amusement and should not be taken seriously):

Rank name	Minimum pts	Maximum pts
Mallcore kid	0	0
Metal newbie	1	99
Metalhead	100	999
Veteran	1000	4999
Metal freak	5000	14999
Metal demon	15000	-

Here's a brief explanation of how ranks work:

• All members can add new data, regardless of rank.
• All ranks below Veteran have no significance and serve only for amusement, or monitoring each member's activity.
• Only members with a rank of Veteran or higher can update existing data, and with limits (see updates section).
• Only members with a rank of Metal freak or higher can update certain fields: artist aliases, label names, album titles.
• Only members with a rank of Metal freak or higher can delete album tracks, change categories of submitted reports, and ignore discography locks.
• Only members with a rank of Metal knight or higher can do higher housekeeping tasks such as closing reports or merging duplicates.
• Only members with a rank of Metal lord or higher can act as a moderator (accept or reject submissions, near-total data control).
• Only the admins (e.g. Metal Goddess) can post news messages, ban users or promote a user to a rank of Metal knight or Metal lord.
• Only the webmasters have complete control over the site's content.
• Earning or losing points will not change a member's rank if it's Metal knight or above.
• You cannot reach the rank of Metal knight, Metal lord or higher by simply earning points; these ranks are appointed by administrators.
• Do not ask us to become a moderator/Metal lord or even a Metal knight, especially if we don't know you.

To add a new band, login first, then look in the top left corner. A big shiny button should help. :)

To add new data (such as an album, link, etc), go to the band's page while being logged in and choose the relevant tab, then click the "add" button on the right.

For example, to add an album, select the discography tab, then click "Add".

All registered members can add a band to the database. However, all band entries are moderated. So unless the member has a rank of Metal lord or above, the newly entered band will not yet appear on the website.

Here is an explanation of band moderation statuses:

Draft

The band was just created by the user, and has not yet been submitted to the moderation queue. The user is still working on the band page. Draft bands are not visible by anyone other than the submitter and moderators.

Pending

The user has submitted the band to the moderation queue. The user cannot modify the band information (but can still send reports) at this time. Pending bands are visible by all, but only editable by moderators.

Rejected

The band submission has been rejected by a moderator and is returned to the submitter's draft. Unless the band has been blacklisted for being completely unacceptable, the submitter can still edit his submission and re-submit later (caution must be used when doing this!). Rejected bands are not visible by anyone other than the submitter and moderators.

Approved

The band has been approved by a moderator and is now listed publicly on the website.

The required information is shown in italic, so make sure those fields have complete and exact data.

Please note that all information must be neutral. Any non-neutral data will be promptly removed.

If you are not sure as to what we mean for each field, here's a brief explanation (though most of them are self-explanatory, but this is just in case it may be ambiguous):

Band name

Self-explanatory. For bands using non-Latin characters, use the character set they identify as; for example, Arkona (Russia) appears as "Аркона" on all their logos, so Аркона is the official band name; the Latin spelling is used in the alternate spelling field (see below).

Alternate spelling(s)

If the band name uses non-Latin characters, you may write a romanized version here to facilitate searching (see the Arkona example above).
If the band is an acronym, you can specify what it means. Separate each spelling by a comma. Example: for Stormtroopers of Death, we have SOD, S.O.D.. This can also be used for a band's former name(s) when the old name was similar (ex: Desperados/Dezperadoz). Note that this field is transparent and is used simply for the search engine.

Metal genre

This may be difficult if the band's discography spans many genres (like Amorphis), or if their own style mixes several common genres (like Children of Bodom). In this case, we suggest you include all keywords for the genres played altogether, separated by slashes, to optimize the search by genre.

Themes

If the band has an affinity for particular topics, ideas, concepts or styles in regards to their lyrics/artwork/titles/etc., describe it. If not, just leave it blank.

Origin

Where the founding band members hail from.

Location (city/state)

If you want, you can write the specific area, such as the state/province and/or town.

Formed in (year)

4-digit format. When the band was formed/created, or (for bands who changed name) since they've been active under that name.

Years active

For bands that split up, reunited and/or changed name, you can use these fields to enter the various periods of activity. Use one row per period/reunion. For each row, the fields are:

From [year of formation, YYYY format] to [year of disbanding, YYYY format] as ([optional band name]*, [optional band ID]**)

* if the band was known under a different name during that period
** if the band's other name is featured on the site, enter its page ID here

For bands that changed name, you can use the link icon Link to search for the corresponding band ID and link band pages that way. If the name change is minor, you don't need to enter an ID as it will lead to the same page.

Sorting: the periods will be sorted automatically by date on the band page. However, sometimes the years of creation, disbanding, or name change are not known, even if the order of the band names is known; in those cases, you can "force" the sort using approximate years by prefixing the years with a ~ symbol. Years prefixed with these symbols do not have to be accurate at all, and will not be displayed (a ? will appear instead); they are only used for sorting.

Use these examples as guides:

• Very simple case (no reunions): Iron Maiden | edit form
• Several reunions, no name change: Immortal | edit form
• Simple name change: Treblinka | edit form
• Multiple name changes, known dates: Rhapsody of Fire | edit form
• Multiple name changes, unknown dates: Mesentery | edit form

Important: do not use these fields for when band members leave to form new bands (such as Gorgoroth)! These rows are used to document a specific band's periods of activity and, when applicable, its previous incarnations.

Status

If the band is active (ex: King Diamond), on hold (ex: Mercyful Fate), split-up (ex: Bathory), has changed name (ex: Lucifer's Heritage) or unknown.

Label

The label on which the band is currently signed to (or was last signed to before splitting up). You will need to select an existing label (if the label is not in the database, you can add it) by first searching for it by name. You can choose "Unsigned/independent" if the band is, well, unsigned.

Photo

Max 250 kb. You can upload a picture of the band members if you have one. We don't link to external files, so if you find a picture on the Internet you can just save it and upload it. If the image is too large, it will be automatically resized (keeping the proportions).

Logo

Max 100 kb. You can upload an image of the band's logo. Same restrictions as photo.

Additional notes

Enter any additional information here. A mini-biography, a precision, a former name, anything relevant. You can also include something like "See also band X" if they are in some way related (you should also use the link syntax to link to other pages on this site). DO NOT add a hugely detailed biography, an external link or a discography here!

Once you have entered a band, you don't necessarily have to wait until it is approved to add more data! You can still add as many releases, line-up members or links as necessary and/or as you want (if you choose to do that, make sure the band follows the guidelines or doesn't already exist, or else you will just have wasted your time!). Of course, you don't have to enter all the discography at once, since the band will probably release more albums eventually anyway. When you're done, please make sure you click the "Send to the moderation queue" link on the page. Once you do that, you will not be able to modify the information you entered until your submission is approved.

Be warned: the moderator may feel the need to change some of the data. It could be to simply fill in a blank, or to correct a mistake.

All registered members can add a release to an existing band or a re-release to an already existing release. A release can, well, be any work the band has released: demo, EP, single, full-length album, live album, DVD, VHS, compilation, boxed set or a split album with other band(s). For more details, please see see here for how we define valid releases and valid release versions.

For each release, you will need to specify its format and tracklisting as well as at least the release year. Each version of a release with different format and tracklisting may warrant its own entry. For versions that have two sides (ex. vinyl, cassettes), you should specify which tracks are physically on each side (Side A, Side B). You may also specify which tracks are instrumental (no lead vocals) and bonus tracks (extras as noted on the release). When inputting each track, only the song title for each song is required, but if you know the song length, or if you can get the lyrics, then by all means add them (after all, we strive to be as complete as possible). Tracks can be added one-by-one or by specifying a number. Hint: You can drag each bar across the tracklist, thus quickly re-arranging the order of the songs. The same works for the B-side on vinyl/cassette.

Note: It is worth mentioning that a release's tracklist should be as close to the actual physical product as possible. For example, a vinyl album coming with a bonus-CD also containing said album should have both listed, even if the CD tracklist is completely identical to the material on the vinyl. However, for two-sided formats (tape, vinyl, etc.) with repeating material on both sides you should only add the material once and check the "same songs on each sides" box.

For boxed sets, you will not have to enter the tracklisting, but rather, the name of each disc, and their total playing time (optional as always). In place of the lyrics field, you can add notes about each disc (including the tracklisting, if the disc has some special tracks). Note that boxed sets should apply to bundles of previously released albums, and not special multi-disc compilations with assorted tracks that happen to be released in a box. E.g. this is a valid boxed set, but this is not.

ALBUM INFORMATION: here's a brief explanation for each field (italicized fields are required).

Band

You can choose under which band name a release was issued. Usually no modification is required, but in some instances the field can be useful for other versions of albums issued under a changed band name.

Title

Self-explanatory. If the title of a reissue varies from the album it's based on, make sure to change the title.

Release type

See the list mentioned earlier. This is what type of album the release is. Note: We generally go by what the band/its label consider the release to be NOT what Wikipedia or others define the format to be.

Release date

Only the year is required, the rest are optional. If you know the exact date though, please enter it; it will make the chronological sorting even more accurate.

Label

The label which published this specific version of the release. Like for bands, you must select an existing label in the database (you can add any missing labels). Choose "self-released/independent" for releases without a label. If the release was issued by multiple labels, include only one label and note the rest in the album's additional notes. Please do not create new entries for dummy "labels" such as "A Records / B Productions" in these cases.

Catalog ID

This is the designation number often given by a label to the specific release (ex. BM001). If the album is a co-release by two or more labels, please add all the mentioned IDs, separated by slashes. (ex. "SA01 / DR0023") Preferably start with the ID of the label entered into the label field.

Number of copies

If the specific release has a known amount of limited copies distributed, include that number here. Please don't add rough estimates as absolute numbers, add something like "approximately 30 copies made" to the additional notes instead.

Cover art

Max of 250 kb. You can upload the release's cover art. Same restrictions as band photo/logo. No image collages (each album version can have its own cover art) unless unavoidable/reasonable, e.g. two sides of a split.

Version description

A short description to help identify this version of the release, if applicable (ex. digipak, collector's edition, etc.). This field should be kept as concise as possible and clutter should be avoided. Understand that it fulfills two primary functions: 1) To provide a quick way to mark/distinguish a specific version amongst a release's version history (ex. Japanese edition, remaster, etc.) 2) To allow for elaborating on the format field, if needed (ex. white vinyl, digibook, etc.) Note that the two often go hand-in-hand and that less relevant and/or more complex details should be mentioned in the additional notes instead. (ex. multiple vinyl color limitation, included poster, hand-numbering, further packaging details, etc.)

Album line-up

If known, add the artists who played on the release, including guests and additional artists (if the version's line-up differs from the original version of the album). No guesswork, please.

Additional notes

Anything relevant to the album that's not specified in the other fields can be added here. Feel free to add information to further identify the specific version of the album or other notable details/trivia in general (ex. copyright, credits, composition process, etc.).

Identifiers

Any type of number or technical detail to identify the release should go here, such as barcode numbers, matrix codes, etc. Please enter one code per line, using the format "<type>: <identifier>". For example: "Barcode: 049275937594".

Recording information

Information about when/where/how the album was recorded/mixed/mastered/etc. goes in here. The responsible personnel should also be added to the misc. staff section of the album lineup.

TRACKLIST INFORMATION: since releases can have multiple discs or components of varying formats, the format-related fields are applied to each disc/tape/etc. in the tracklist section. Be warned: Depending on your rank, you may not be able to add tracks to an existing release: so please enter them all at once. If you have made a mistake or forgotten something, you can always make an appropriate error report on the release page, but it's of course always better to take care when adding an album in the first place.

Format

The form that the release was issued in (ex. CD, vinyl, digital, etc.). "Other" should not be used for when the format is unknown, only for unusual/exotic formats that are not accounted for elsewhere in the list (ex. USB-stick, LaserDisc, floppy disc, DualDisc, etc.) Detail the exact format in the "Version description" field mentioned earlier.

Title

If the disc/tape/component has a special title (e.g. "Live in Wacken '98", "Bonus Interview 2003", a bonus EP's title, etc.) you can specify it here. Leave blank otherwise. Only applies to multi-component releases. (Example 1, Example 2)

RPM

If you designate the release as "vinyl" you have the option to choose what RPM the vinyl runs on. If you are not sure about this, leave the field blank.

Size

If you designate the release as "vinyl" you have the option to choose the size of the vinyl: 7", 10" or 12". As with the RPM, leave blank if unknown/uncertain.

Side titles

If the release has 2 sides (vinyls and cassettes), each side will be marked "Side A" and "Side B" respectively. If the release has special side titles (example), you can specify them by clicking the Edit title edit icon next to the side name.

Song titles / Disc titles (boxed sets)

If you can't figure that one out...

Song lengths / Disc lengths (boxed sets)

00:00 format. If you know the length for each song, you can add them. Try to be consistent; if you specify the length for a song, do it for all the others.

Song lyrics / Disc notes (boxed sets)

You can click the scroll icon Edit lyrics to open a text box and write/paste the lyrics for the song there, or notes (including tracklisting) about the disc for boxed sets.

Adding a split album for more than one band is a little more complicated. When you choose "split album" or "split DVD/video" from the drop-down menu, additional options will appear, allowing you to include all the participating bands on the split (including bands not listed on the website!). Once you have all the participating bands, you must select which band performs on each song using the appropriate drop-down menus.

For all splits, there is a small caveat about release titles. If there is no official title for the split, please do not simply title it "Split". Rather title it by the order the bands appear on the split (eg. "Agathocles / Bad Acid Trip / Disgorge", with a space between the slashes). If each band has a separate title for their side of the split, use that instead. If the split as a whole has a single title, then use that. Priority always goes to choosing the most appropriate title.

You are encouraged to add other versions of releases listed in a band's discography, if they exist. The primary or parent release listed in the band's discography needs to be the original version of that release (i.e. the first version issued). To add a reissue of that release, select "Add another version" in the album's toolbar (by clicking the Add version icon). It will ask you to fill out information on that reissue... please fill it out as completely as possible. Each reissue of an album has its own album page, although some information (ex. reviews) is shared between all versions. All versions of an album will be linked together through the "Other Versions" tab on the album page.

Other versions of releases should be added when a version of that album is reissued in some form distinct from the original version (ex. under a different band name and/or title, on a different format, on a different date, through a different label, remastered, with additional material, etc.) Please do not add other versions of albums if the only thing that differs is purely aesthetic (ex. the color of the vinyl), superficial repackaging (ex. an unchanged CD album shrink-wrapped with another as a 2-in-1 bundle) or extremely minor in general (ex. a different matrix code). You are free to add versions of albums that are not official or have disputed authenticity; we consider it a service to our users to not only clarify which versions are authentic, but what versions of a legitimate release exist. If there is not enough information about a version to create an album page for it, just include whatever information you know about it in the "additional notes" of the original version. Maybe, someday, someone else will be able to find that info and add it.

This section should be self-explanatory. All registered members can add related links for each band, artist or label. Just enter the page's name, its URL and specify the type of site (fan site, official website, etc). You can enter as many links as you want, but don't spam with irrelevant links: make sure you follow the rules.

Examples of band external links: Darkthrone

Examples of label external links: Nuclear Blast

Examples of artist external links: Steve Harris

Use the {ID#} or {band ID#} syntax to add internal hyperlinks to band pages on this site. You can also add hyperlinks to label and artist pages. The syntax is as follows, where "xx" represents the ID:

• Bands: {band xx}
• Artists: {artist xx}
• Labels: {label xx}

Examples:

• {184} OR {band 184} renders as Bathory
• {artist 715} renders as Quorthon
• {label 38} renders as Black Mark Production

It is also possible to specify an alternate text to be used for the link instead of the band/artist/label name. This is done by using the {band ID#|text} syntax (replacing "band" with "artist" or "label" as needed, of course). For instance, "the artist's {band 1|former band}" would render as: the artist's former band.

You can use the link syntax in the following fields:

• Band: additional notes
• Release: additional notes, recording information
• Artist: biography, trivia
• Label: description, additional trivia

Each musician or artist has his/her own individual page, and can be added to the roster of a band and/or an album by user with the Veteran rank. Lower-ranked users can only edit the line-up of their draft bands.

To modify a band or an album line-up, click the "members" or "lineup" tab.

Here's a brief explanation for each artist field (fields in italics are required):

Artist name

The name or nickname the artist commonly uses. This is also the name that will be displayed on the artist page. Please use the artist's most common nickname or alias, if any, on this field. Example: "Bruce Dickinson", "Hellhammer", "Jon Schaffer", "King Diamond", etc.

Real name

The artist's full, real/birth name. To respect artist privacy, please only add this if the name is publicly known (e.g. credited under real name on album liner notes, use of real name on official website/Facebook/label page, etc.)

Date of birth

Self-explanatory.

Date of death

Self-explanatory. Cannot be changed by regular users: if the artist died, please file a report with the date of death.

Cause of death

Self-explanatory. Cannot be changed by regular users: if the artist died, please file a report with the cause of death.

Country of origin

Self-explanatory, but be careful: it may be different than current country of residence. For King Diamond, enter Denmark, not USA.

City of origin

See above.

Gender

Self-explanatory. For orchestra-type of artists, please select "other". For transgendered artists, please select the gender the artist identifies as, not his/her biological sex.

Photo

Max 250 kb. You can upload a picture of the artist if you have one and if the photo is publicly available (avoid posting private photos without the artist's consent!). We don't link to external files, so if you find a picture on the Internet you can just save it and upload it. If the image is too large, it will be automatically resized (keeping the proportions).

Biography

Biographic details about the artist's life can be added here.

Trivia (additional notes)

Interesting trivia, tidbits or notes about the artist can be added here.

Each label has its own individual page, and can be selected when adding or editing a band or album.

Here's a brief explanation for each label field (fields in italics are required):

Label name

Self-explanatory.

Status

If the label is still in business, choose "active", else choose "closed" or unknown.

Country

Where the label's main business/headquarter/founder is located.

Specialised genre

If the label has a speciality in certain music genres, list them here.

Description

A brief description of the label. Neutral information only.

Website

The label's homepage URL. If the label has more than one link, use the "External links" section to add the Facebook, Youtube, webstore, etc. (Example: Nuclear Blast Links)

Online shopping?

Check the box if the label website supports online shopping.

Founding date

Self-explanatory.

Logo

Max 100 kb. You can upload a picture of the label logo if you have one. We don't link to external files, so if you find a picture on the Internet you can just save it and upload it. If the image is too large, it will be automatically resized (keeping the proportions).

Address

The label's contact address (snail mail).

Phone number

The label's contact phone number.

Email

The label's contact email address.

Additional trivial

Interesting trivia, tidbits or notes about the label can be added here.

All registered members can write one review per release, provided they follow the rules for reviewing. You don't have to have contributed band data to be able to write a review, though. You can register only for writing reviews if you want.

To submit a review, go to the page of the album you wish to review, select the "Reviews" tab, then click "add" (you must be logged in). Alternatively, you can click on the Tools/wrench icon on the album page and click "Write a review".
Just enter a title for your review (usually a very brief summary of your review), a rating on a 0-100 scale (no decimals, shouldn't be necessary with that kind of scale), and the text for your review. Choose the version of the album that you are reviewing, if known. All reviews are moderated, just like for adding a band.

Draft

The review was just created by the user, and has not yet been submitted to the moderation queue. The user is still working on the review. Draft reviews are not visible by anyone other than the submitter.

Pending

The user has submitted the review to the moderation queue. The user cannot modify the review at this time. Pending reviews are visible only by moderators.

Rejected

The review has been rejected by a moderator and is returned to the submitter's draft along with an explanation for the rejection. The submitter can still edit his review and re-submit later (caution must be used when doing this!). Rejected reviews are not visible by anyone other than the submitter.

Approved

The review has been approved by a moderator and is now listed publicly on the website.

Note that moderators can also delete reviews at their own discretion. In those cases, the review will not be returned to the submitter's drafts and no message will appear. Deletions only occur in extreme circumstances, however, such as spam, blatant trolling, or repeated rejections (when the user can't take the hint that his/her review is unacceptable...).

If your member rank is Veteran or higher, you can modify all the fields except the band's name and its genre. You can change the pictures as well, but you cannot delete them.
Please don't be an asshole; don't delete or tear apart huge chunks of texts (for example, band bios) for whatever reason. Ignore this warning and you might very well get banned! Be reasonable in your editing - you CAN edit out useless information IF (and only IF) you are sure that the text breaks the rules (self-promotion, just enumerates the discography, is just pasted from the official website...). Thanks.

If your rank is lower than Veteran, you can only write in the optional missing fields. For example, if the band does not have a logo, you can upload it; if their themes are unspecified, you can add them; but you cannot change the actual logo or edit the themes if they have already been entered.

If your member rank is Veteran or higher, you can modify all the fields except the release's title. You can change the cover art but not delete it.

If your rank is lower than Veteran, the same restrictions for updating the bands apply: you can fill in missing data, but not change the current data.

If your member rank is Veteran or higher, you can modify or even delete any link. This is of course in case the link doesn't point to a page that's still active anymore; if the page's new URL cannot be found, you can simply delete it.

Members with a rank lower than Veteran cannot modify any link and can only add them.

If your member rank is Veteran or higher, you can modify the artist information (any field except the displayed name), as well as the line-up of a band or album. Next to the "members" or "lineup" tab, click "edit", then click "Add an artist" to search for an existing artist in the database (if not found, you can still add the artist name and the artist will be added automatically for the next time). Specify the role (instrument, or role such as producer, engineer, etc.). For band line-up, check the box if the artist is still a member (leave unchecked for past members), and you can also enter the years active.

For band line-ups, if the band member has left and returned multiple times, click the + to add more rows with each year range. If you do not see the + button, you lack the access to make the change; please use the Report button to submit the changes and a higher ranked user will change it.

If the artist used a special nickname or alias for the band or album (a different nickname than usual), enter this alias in the appropriate text field ("as ___"). For example, Bruce Dickinson was known as "Bruce Bruce" during his time with Samson.

Members with a rank lower than Veteran cannot modify any band or album line-up, except for their own draft bands. Like with bands and all the rest, they can only append missing information about the artists and cannot change the current data.

Found a duplicate artist? Don't spend so much time manually migrating the data from one artist to another! Moderators have access to merge tools for that. Just report the artist as a duplicate, and a moderator will merge them painlessly.

If your member rank is Veteran or higher, you can modify all the fields except the label name. You can change the logo but not delete it.

If your rank is lower than Veteran, the same restrictions for updating the bands apply: you can fill in missing data, but not change the current data.

Found a duplicate label? Don't spend so much time manually migrating the data from one label to another! Moderators have access to merge tools for that. Just report the label as a duplicate, and a moderator will merge them painlessly.

Regardless of rank, members can edit their own reviews whenever they want, through the "My reviews" link (left menu, when logged in). However, since the reviews are moderated, updates to existing reviews must be approved before they appear. So if you change anything in your own review (other than the rating or album version), it will become temporarily invisible to the visitors until a moderator re-approves it, regardless of the nature of the change! So it would be best if you proof-read your review before it is approved or else it will have to be re-approved again. It may be irritating if you just want to correct a typo, but it's a precaution we have to take.
Members can also delete their own review as they see fit, but it shouldn't be necessary since you can always just modify it.

All registered members can build their metal collections if they want to! They can also customize trade lists and wanted lists, and browse other members' collections in case they find something of interest.

Very simple: to add items to your collections, you just have to go to the band's page, find the release you want to add to your collection, and click the tool icon and click "add to your collection". If you don't have the album, you can add it to your wishlist by clicking the "add to your wanted list" link. You can add as many albums as you want. On your collection page, you may also specify which version of the album that you own or want.

You can further customize your collection by clicking the "My collection" link in the left menu (if you're logged in). You can add special notes for each albums, or add them to your trade list by ticking the checkbox. You can also choose the version of the album. Notes can be anything regarding details of the album version or its condition (important if you want to trade), or something else you wish to mention.
To move an album from your wanted list to your collection, use the checkbox and the drop-down, or just go to the album page and click the tool icon + "add to your collection". The album will be moved from your wanted list to your collection.

If you want to trade with other users, please take note of the following:

• There should be a way to contact you: either make your email address public in your profile, or use the forum.
• Encyclopaedia Metallum takes NO responsibility for the members' actions or trading activities. Which means, we offer the possibility for people to search for traders, but the rest is up to the members. The member's business is his/her own!

You'll note that you can no longer use the search engine for collections. However, this has become superfluous since you can now see the list of users who own the album (or have it on their wanted / trade list). Click the same tool icon you used to add items to your collection, and go to "See who owns / wants this album". You can also reach this list from within your collection by clicking the Owners person icon next to each album.

Think fans of Mercyful Fate would enjoy King Diamond due to similarities? Under the "Similar artists" tab on Mercyful Fate's page, click "Add". Search for King Diamond, then click the check mark to register your vote. If enough people also recommend King Diamond, it will appear under the "similar artists" for Mercyful Fate eventually. Easy!

You must be logged in to recommend bands and submit votes.

If you wanted to recommend King Diamond for fans of Mercyful Fate, but someone already beat you to it, you can agree with the vote (you must be logged in). Simply click the arrow pointing up, and your vote will be added, making the recommendation even stronger.
On the contrary, if you disagree with the recommendation, you can also click the arrow pointing down. Clueless newbies (or trolls) voted for Morbid Angel on Iron Maiden's page? No problem, if enough people vote against, the band will disappear from the list eventually.
You can also "cancel" your vote. If you voted to recommend (or if you voted against recommending) Venom on Darkthrone's page, and want to remove your vote without necessarily voting the other way, just click the highlighted arrow again to revert to a neutral state.

Not all votes are equal. A moderator's vote counts for 5 points; a regular user's vote counts for 1. Negative votes are the same; if a moderator disagrees with the similar band recommendation, the score will go down by 5 points.
To be displayed on the band's page, a recommended band must reach a score of 3. Up to 20 bands can be displayed at the time, but you can always click "see more" to see the full list.

We've had cases of users registering multiple accounts just for the purpose of sending more votes. We always, always catch these users, and not only do we ban them, but we wipe their entire voting records with the click of a button. So don't even try; we will know, and we will undo your effort in far less time it took you to register your sock puppet accounts and register all your votes.