Due in large part to the frequent lack of melodic-harmonic correspondence and unique harmonic syntax of popular music, scholars have engaged phrase structures differently from those in classical music (e.g., Everett 1999, Attas 2011, Robins 2017). A number of these methodologies favor melodic material over harmonic material. For music without pitch-based melodies, even more specialized work has been undertaken in the realm of hip-hop studies (e.g., Adams 2020, Duinker 2021). Still untapped, however, is the repertoire of metal music, which features unpitched "melodies" of a different nature in the form of screams, growls, and shrieks ("harsh vocals") that require unique treatment. In this paper, I demonstrate how riffs and non-pitch factors like rhythm, timbre, metric placement, and lyrics shape phrases in metal music. In so doing, I engage the repertoire on its own terms, a critical goal of contemporary music theory.