Heavy metal music is an extremely varied musical genre that boasts an enthusiastic following among its many enthusiasts, creating a sense of community within the genre. According to UCL Anthropology student Lindsay Bishop’s study on metalheads (also known as metalheads), they exhibit strong social bonds as well as having their own code of conduct including mosh pit etiquette.
Origins
Heavy metal music owes its existence to several factors. Rock n Roll, blues, psychedelic music, classical music, British Invasion bands of the 60s, as well as pioneering musicians like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple all influenced its development through energetic performances, rebellious attitudes, use of distorted guitar riffs and powerful drum beats by these bands, which gave birth to this genre.
“Heavy metal” is an amalgamation of lead’s weight (an ingredient essential to iron and steel production) and counterculture slang used by hippies during hippie counterculture, applied to slower, amplified versions of standard pop songs. Sandy Pearlman, founding manager, producer, songwriter of Blue Oyster Cult band created it and used an alchemical symbol for lead to give them their visual presence. He coined this term in 1970 to refer to their music.
Early metal musicians were inspired by British blues-rock acts like the Yardbirds, Animals and Rolling Stones; and American psychedelic rock acts like Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and Cream. Later bands like Iron Maiden would adopt power trio arrangements with more complex guitar solos than its predecessors.
American bands modified heavy metal into more accessible forms during the 1970s, such as Alice Cooper and Kiss’ raw, sleazy sound and shock rock; Aerosmith and Van Halen’s blues-rooted rock; thrash metal’s increased intensity by pitching lyrics higher and adding complex guitar riffs/soloing; today there are numerous subgenres of heavy metal each possessing its own individual traits and styles.
Characteristics
Heavy metal music emerged as an independent genre in the 1970s. Combining elements of blues and hard rock into an immersive sound centered around distorted guitars and drums, heavy metal’s performers employ elaborate stagecraft and provocative stagecraft to defy boundaries and provoke audiences while singing lyrics about madness, horror, violence, death, unrestrained hedonism, occult practices or similar topics; its loud volume and tempos often provoke crowds into moshing or slam dancing.
Early metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin defined its core traits: high-gain amplified tone distortion; fast tempos; and dark, violent or fantastical themes. These groups tended to address social injustices with highly provocative yet often politically incorrect lyrics that challenged popular perception.
Metal music achieves its heavy sound primarily through harmonic distortion, composition and performance (CitationMynett). Guitarists utilize palm muting techniques and octave bending to produce rapid and complex guitar tones; vocalists layer whispers, growls and screams to increase tonal range and intensity while other techniques like double vocals or blending different articulations to add an air of menacing depth and power are used by vocalists.
Metal’s combination of heavyweight-increasing strategies gives it a distinct harsh and unnerving quality, further enhanced by lyrics dealing with darkness, evil, power, and the end times. Popularity had decreased during the 1980s until an upsurge in “glam metal,” led by bands such as Def Leppard and Iron Maiden revived it; its rise continued into this millennium with Metallica and MegaDeth leading the genre globally.
Influences
Heavy metal has made a monumental mark on music history. Its rebellious, defiant spirit has inspired millions to go beyond social norms and question authority, leading them to question everything from fashion, literature and even sexuality – the latter influences can even extend to its popularity among “headbangers”. Metal has grown increasingly popular over time becoming a global phenomenon attracting devoted followers known as “headbangers.”
Heavy metal has its origins in blue-collar factory towns of Britain during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At this time of economic decline, unemployment increased and heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Saxon and Judas Priest arose out of these environments; their distinctive sounds and images helped cement their place among working-class youths as a popular form of music.
Historians credit Black Sabbath with pioneering the genre of heavy metal music. Historians describe its sound as loud and angry, as guitarists such as Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward employed distortion to produce its distinctive metal tone while downtuned guitar riffs, dark lyrics and powerful vocals came together to produce something truly engaging in sound and lyrics.
Heavy metal has its roots in 1960s psychedelic rock music, as evidenced by bands like Cream, Jimi Hendrix and The Yardbirds using unconventional techniques to craft their sounds. Classical music also left its mark; guitarists Ritchie Blackmore and Jimmy Page utilized classical composition techniques when playing. This gave heavy metal its signature themes of darkness, evil and power that is signature of this genre.
Styles
Metal music continues to flourish and evolve over time, as evidenced by bands such as Gojira, Strapping Young Lad, Nile and Mastodon creating their own distinct styles. This is thanks to metal bands drawing inspiration from previous musical genres as well as creating their own distinct sound through amalgamating elements from many sources into their repertoires – thus making their signature style all their own.
Heavy metal was first pioneered in the 1970s by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath; their signature guitar riffs and drum beats came to characterize this style from other blues-based rock music genres. Drawing upon influences such as African American gospel music, rhythm & blues music and fantasy themes associated with psychedelic rock; they also introduced complex song structures, odd time signatures and virtuosic instrumental performances into this genre of rock music.
Heavy metal music is an international subculture that empowers its listeners, building resilience and rebellion against social norms. Furthermore, metal’s dark themes offer a positive outlet for suppressed emotions such as horror or madness – something the genre’s critics often fail to grasp. Defenders maintain that metal’s exploration of these topics doesn’t lead to depression and suicide but rather provides an effective release.
Heavy music’s distinctive heaviness can be defined in various ways; musicians have described its characteristics as weight, density, loudness, aggression, energy and emotion. Guitar has often been the vehicle behind this aesthetic; according to CitationHerbst the primary means by which its heavyness can be attained is through downtuning (CitationHerbst “Historical”). This technique increases overall volume while maintaining crisp sound quality; other characteristics associated with heavyness may include distortion power intensity (CitationHerbst “Historical”)
Bands
Heavy metal music has come to encompass an expansive variety of styles and subgenres over time. All share some characteristics such as distorted guitar riffs and an atmospheric, menacing atmosphere; various artists such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were instrumental in shaping these subgenres into what they are today; though one cannot pinpoint an exact band as having invented heavy metal music, without these pioneering bands today would not exist!
Early examples of metal were produced during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some of its most iconic bands, including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple formed during this time frame – taking rock and blues music to new levels while producing distinctive sounds that often left critics misinterpreting their music.
Heavy metal music relied heavily on electric guitar amplification and distortion effects in order to produce its signature sound, something not present in earlier forms of rock such as classical or jazz music. This allowed musicians to create powerful songs with epic lyrics while translating apocalyptic themes and images into musical equivalents was believed to be essential in creating its signature sound.
Heavy metal bands with some of the greatest success have embraced the darker aspects of heavy metal music by including themes of death, devil worship and religious doctrine in their music. Although these aspects contribute to its popularity and have garnered widespread fan attention, these themes also caused controversy and led to censorship issues within their genre.
Some bands have utilized music as a form of social commentary, encouraging listeners to stand up for what they believe in and stand up for their rights. Others, like Brazilian band Sepultura, have used their songs as a means of projecting an idealized image of Brazil and its culture through song.