The History of Heavy metal
(See also)
hard rock,
grunge,
gothic rock,
gothic metal,
nu metal,
Heavy metal or metal as it is currently called started back
in the late ‘60’s. Heavy metal found its roots in the blues and psychedelic
music genres, and got its inspiration in the misery of daily life in
industrialized cities combined with a fascination for mysticism and the occult.
The stereotypical metal song combines heavy thudding drums sounds (often with a
double bass) with thickly distorted guitar riffs, screaming vocals and 16th
notes played over a standard 4/4 beat.
Some people imagine metal as songs with furious guitars
played at breakneck speed but this is a variation of the style that happened
fairly early. In the beginning bands like Black Sabbath founded the
genre with
songs with a slow tempo and tuned down guitars (to accommodate guitarist Tony Iommi’s injury; he lost a finger while working in a metal shop). The guitar is
the driving force in heavy metal even more so than other genres. Heavily
distorted tube amplifiers and distortion pedals give the music its classic
“sonic dirt”. Most articles on heavy metal play up the importance of guitar
solos in heavy metal music but a careful examination reveals that the solo was
just an extension of the styles focus on musical excellence. Solos were not the
key aspect of the style but just another weapon in the metal arsenal. Other key
features that were sometimes used were the bass solo, layered keyboards,
harmonized guitars, power chords, classical and exotic musical scales,
tri-tones, palm muting, bass distortion, unusual percussion, and unbelievably
loud live shows combined with dramatic theatrical elements. Another thing that
set heavy
metal music apart was the lyrical content, which usually had an
escapist quality to it. They cover diverse concepts like sex, fantasy,
mysticism, literature, poetry, violence, war, politics, nuclear weapons, death,
the occult, and other topics too extreme for the other genres of the time.
Heavy metal did not form overnight and elements of heavy
metal began to show themselves early in bands like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin,
the Jeff Beck Group, Cream, the Yardbirds, Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf, Iron
Butterfly and even in certain Beatles songs like "Revolution" and “Helter
Skelter.” Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Black Widow and Uriah Heep would expand on
these themes and make them their own.
There is much disagreement about who was the first metal
band and which bands are true meta
l bands and which aren’t. Obviously there is
no definitive answer to this question since it is based on differing opinions
with no one right answer. There is very little disagreement that Black Sabbath
was one of the first bands that truly made the genre popular and are considered
the “grandfathers” of modern heavy metal.
In the early ‘70s, bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden,
or “Priest” and “Maiden” as fans typically call them integrated two guitars into
the style giving it an even more complex stylistic dimension. This wave of
“British Metal” was a bit faster and less ominous that it’s former incarnation
and developed a loyal following.
Heavy metal became less popular in the late ‘70s as punk,
disco, and hard rock gained ground. Heavy metal bands continued to make the
music they loved and put out self produced independent albums to their devoted
and enthusiastic fanbase. Suddenly the press took notice and “the New Wave of
British Heavy Metal" became better known outside the metal community. Bands like
Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Venom, Diamond Head, and Saxon were
gaining notice in the mainstream. While British metal was growing across the ocean another
metal scene began to develop in the Los Angeles club scene during the late ‘70s.
Speed metal bands like Metallica competed with glam influenced metal bands such
as Quiet Riot, Ratt, and Mötley Crüe, for dominance.
In the 80’s MTV began airing some of the more commercial
bands videos making mega-stars out of bands like Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot,
Scorpions, Ratt, and Def Lepard. People who bought these albums started
discovering less mainstream bands as a result and the popularity of metal began
to grow. The heavy metal bands of the 70’s like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden,
Motorhead, and others became hugely popular in the 80’s. This was the height of
metals mainstream popularity. It wasn’t long before major record companies
decided to get in on the trend. They began to transform non metal bands into
cookie cutter pseudo-metal bands commonly known after the fact as “hair metal”
bands. These “pseudo-metal” trends lead to a backlash that contributed to the
genres decline in popularity in the late eighties and early nineties.
Heavy metal has been criticized heavily as harmful to its
listeners and in some cases demonized as “devil music”. This came to a head
during the ‘80s when the Parents Music Resource Center petitioned the United
States Congress to help regulate the music industry. Heavy metal music was made
the central focus of the campaign and most people blamed metal for the
situation. It was in reality started by the wife of then congressman and future
vice president Al Gore who’s wife Tipper has inadvertently bought her daughter
the Prince “Purple Rain” album and became hysterical after her daughter began to
sing the words to “Darling Nicky.”
Heavy metal fans also known as "headbangers" or "metalheads"
are some of the most enthusiastic fans of all the music genres. While critics
have never loved or understood metal music this core base of fans have kept the
genre alive and kicking for almost 40 years and it is still going strong today
although the genre has fractured into other sub-genres like nu-metal, death
metal, gothic metal, alternative metal and speed metal. It has influenced many
other genres like grunge, hardcore punk, gothic rock, and mainstream rock to
name just a few.
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