Heavy metal music has left an indelible mark on society. It transcends borders and norms, impacting fans as well as musicians alike.
But what is heavy metal music, exactly? What sets it apart from hard rock or psychedelic music, and where did its name originate? All these questions may lead us back to Birmingham, England as the center of heavy metal.
Origins
No one knows exactly when heavy metal music first emerged, though most experts agree it stemmed from hard rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Cream, who used distortion effects to increase the power of their electric guitars without altering pitch or volume.
Defined characteristics of metal include louder, harder and faster music; an aggressive, distorted sound; the use of riffs over long chord progressions; tempo is usually much quicker than traditional rock and blues; vocals often shouted/sung with distinctive accents in high pitched voices with unique accents; fashion/image also plays a large role; musicians typically sport jeans/T-shirts/combat boots or sneakers as well as crewcut-style haircuts when performing metal music.
Black Sabbath and Judas Priest exemplified the darker side of heavy metal with their subdued guitar riffs and themes that conjured madness and horror, drawing widespread criticism from social and academic groups who blamed heavy metal for everything from substance abuse to murder and suicide.
Iron Maiden led the charge in developing metal music during the 1970s. Their name alluded to its roots; the band came out of England’s steel-making Midlands region where iron is forged and melted; their song titles and album covers also displayed alchemical symbols associated with lead, one of the heaviest elements.
Heavy metal has since grown to encompass numerous subgenres, each with their own distinct sounds and styles. Heavy metal also influenced other genres like punk and grunge which adopted similar heavy sounds and dark themes.
Due to the rise of these subgenres, “heavy metal” as an umbrella term for all rock has decreased over time. Instead, this term is increasingly being reserved for more extreme music such as death metal and black metal which have their own styles and influences; for the rest of us who still appreciate hearing epic riffs or mesmerizing dirges it seems likely that the joy will only grow stronger with time!
Influences
Although many have speculated on its source, rock critic Lester Bangs offers us more definitive clues as to its genesis. In his February 1970 Rolling Stone review of Steppenwolf’s debut album, Lester coined the term “heavy metal robots.” Since then, this name has stuck and been in common usage ever since.
Heavy metal bands found their inspiration from many sources. Early classic and hard rock works that featured riff-driven songs such as Link Wray’s instrumental “Rumble” or The Kingsmen’s cover of Louis Armstrong’s “Cotton Crop Blues” helped launch the genre; progressive bands like Cream or the Jimi Hendrix Experience, who often employed heavily distorted guitar tones, may also have contributed some elements that would later define heavy metal music.
Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin began experimenting with more intense distortion effects during the 1960s, leading to their sound becoming much heavier and more powerful – eventually leading to bands creating an epic, multifaceted metal sound based on various musical influences; such as Black Sabbath. Led Zeppelin also flirted with occult themes which caused fundamentalist Christians to accuse these bands of Satanism.
Black Sabbath and Deep Purple pioneered neoclassical metal music through their incorporation of classical compositions into their work, leading to its development into progressive metal. Guitarists Ritchie Blackmore and Randy Rhoads (who both played for Black Sabbath) brought ideals of virtuosity into this subgenre of metal.
At one point, an American heavy metal band called Def Leppard and Metallica were responsible for initiating an explosion of new musical style known as thrash metal that featured faster, leaner and more aggressive guitar sounds than anything before it. This subgenre remains popular today.
Modern bands continue to experiment with new sounds and techniques. This includes creating neoclassical and progressive metal genres, which blend classical elements with more complex modern song structures – often considered among the most innovative forms of heavy metal. Furthermore, streaming services encourage artists to compose short songs that can be consumed within 60-second increments; this presents heavy metal artists with the unique challenge of writing lengthy complex songs which demand sustained effort both from them as musicians as well as from fans alike.
Styles
Heavy metal music spans an expansive spectrum of styles. Ranging from thrash metal to progressive metal, bands have taken the sound of heavy metal and made it their own; some bands such as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, and Dio have achieved unparalleled success due to this musical genre’s wide appeal and their signature sounds and fashion choices – while also helping create its culture through clothing fashions or stage presence. Even its name itself has become part of society – theories about its origin are widespread.
Heavy metal music’s roots date back to British Invasion bands of the 1960s, which featured loud electric guitars accompanied by punchy and distorted bass guitar. Their songs often addressed darker topics like fear, mistrust, paranoia and anger – an approach far removed from hippie culture of peace and love at that time. Metal musicians created an alternate culture centered on darkness, power and apocalypse during that era.
American metal music took on an aggressive form with the rise of thrash metal in the 1980s. Bands such as Metallica and Exodus flourished within an underground music scene in San Francisco’s Bay area that encouraged them to push musical excellence even further. Their music features fast drumming, intense guitar work, loud vocals with sometimes offensive tones and fast drumming that is punctuated by lightning fast drumming.
Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck were two American rock guitarists whose work had an important influence on heavy metal music, helping bridge the gap between African American blues music and European rockers. These musicians used amplified, distorted electric guitars typical of heavy metal bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath that would go on to define heavy metal genre.
Recently, several new subgenres have surfaced within established genres. Nu metal is one such emerging sub-genre, which blends elements of alternative and hip-hop music with heavy metal sounds. Other styles emerging within this sub-genre are groove metal, technical death metal and folk metal – each having their own distinct sound that continues to innovate over time.
Bands
Heavy metal music originated during the British Invasion rock scene of the 1960s. Groups like Blue Cheer, Black Sabbath and the Yardbirds utilized distorted electric guitar based on traditional blues riffs for greater volume and power. Meanwhile, musicians like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix further experimented with distorting their instruments further for increased volume and power; ultimately forming the basis of heavy metal music today.
Progressive bands such as King Crimson crafted an intricacy of sound that combined blues-rock with psychedelia in an unconventional mix, featuring heavy distortion and discordant guitar work. Their songs frequently dealt with contemporary issues; an excellent example is 21st Century Schizoid Man from their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King (1969).
Metal first made its mark worldwide during the 1980s. The San Francisco Bay Area in California emerged as a key center for metal, with bands like Metallica, Exodus and Testament giving metal an entirely new sound; their influence led to subgenres like thrash and glam metal being widely played today.
Metal remains at the core of modern musical expression, with bands continually pushing musical expression to its limits and pushing metal’s heavy, rapid style further. Some critics have even accused heavy metal music for contributing to violence and suicide as well as drug use and depression in society.
Heavy metal is often shortened to “metal or hard rock”, encompassing an expansive selection of contemporary rock music genres that share certain characteristics – much like punk, teen rock or Seattle rock are used to refer to diverse subgenres that share similar traits.
Metal music musicians consider themselves part of an important cultural movement, knowing their fans and music will always remain influential no matter what critics may try to tell them otherwise.