How to get into Metal Music: Part 2-History of Metal (Part 1)

Here I will discuss a brief history about metal music. Sound boring? Well in order to enjoy the music you have to enjoy where it came from. All genres of metal came from 2 genres of music. Blues Rock and Punk Rock.

Roots, bloody Roots: 

A lot of metal heads will argue about who started the Heavy metal movement, but some never look at the big picture. Metal music, just like most rock music, can find its blood, in non other than Blues. Blues had been around for decades before Heavy metal came on the scene, and with artists like BB KING who brought lower toned guitar playing to blues. 

This influenced many other artists to try their hand in faster playing Blues Rock in the late 60's. The time period ushered in the rise of drugs and free love. This fused Blues Rock genre mixed with the "sign of the times" style was formed to make a sub genre known as Psychedelic Rock. Many artists have been classified as this new genre such as GRATEFUL DEAD and PINK FLOYD. This genre of music contained the high amounts of blues, with low amounts of jazz and Folk music. 

However, during the time period of the Civil Rights movement, one artist stood out more than the rest and his name was JIMI HENDRIX. Jimi's style of Rock involved fast paced guitar riffs and more emphasis on the music rather than the vocals. This brought Psychedelic Rock to the mainstream of the counterculture. More bands started to follow in popularity such as JEFFERSON AIRPLANE and even BOB DYLAN. The creation of this style of music eventually went on to become known as Progressive Rock, which well known band PINK FLOYD ended up calling their "home" genre.

Now, I'm not saying JIMI HENDRIX created Psychedelic Rock, that can be traced back to THE BEATLES, but it's safe to say he was a major part in bringing it to a wider audience.

Jimi Hendrix

 

During the height of Jimi Hendrix's popularity, a band formed which took the Psychedelic Rock and added even faster guitar riffs and a much harder sound. BLACK SABBATH, is arguably the pioneers of the metal genre. Other bands have been said to be the pioneers such as DEEP PURPLE & LED ZEPPELIN, but Black Sabbath is most recognized as the creators. Although Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin are amazing bands and defiantly helped to shape Heavy metal, they did not bring the dark, anti culture, anti everything (haha) to genre which is seen heavily in the newer bands of today.

 

As Black Sabbath, gained high popularity with the already popular Jimi Hendrix, more bands started to see this new genre as intriguing and appealing while most saw it as blasphemous and pure evil. Bands started to get involved in Heavy Metal such as the much more heavier JUDAS PRIEST which became extremely popular in the late 70's and early 80's.

 

Black Sabbath

 

As time went on, Heavy Metal gained dedicated fans known simply as Metal Heads. These guys hated the world and escaped by using nothing but their music. These fans were more dedicated than any other genre of music fans (if that makes sense). These fans ended up becoming a show in their own and spawned a new counter culture.

 

I Am an Anarchist!

 

Around the Mid to late 70's, more underground music gained some spotlight. During this time bands started to experiment with pop music, disco music and even heavy metal. A new genre was created with this experimentation, known simply as Punk Rock. Punk Rock was a genre which sought to distant itself from any other genre that was popular, much like its anti establishment followers.

Bands during this period included SEX PISTOLS, THE CLASH and THE RAMONES. These bands brought intense shows which meant intense fans known as punk rockers or Punks. Their lyrics contained Anti Politics and anti government which also lead to the rise of Anarchy.

 

The Clash

 

 After Punk Rock and Metal enjoyed some devoted fans and popularity, a genre of music sought to take the sound of Punk and throw in the intensity of heavy metal. Hardcore Punk, became the basis for the new style of punk rock. The first and certainly most popular hardcore band BLACK FLAG, however they did not coin the term Hardcore, that can be traced to another main hardcore band: DOA. Many other hardcore bands started to pop up such as MINOR THREAT, CIRCLE JERKS and BAD BRAINS. Soon hardcore became more than just music, it became a lifestyle. This lifestyle included Straight Edge, which was started by the band Minor Threat, and sought to steer away from the partying lifestyle which was extremely popular in the early 80's.


Black Flag

 

 Pour Some Sugar on Me...

During the Rise of Hardcore Punk, and Heavy Metal. Bands started to experiment with the metal genre, and it came from a specific place, the UK. This specific "new Version" of heavy metal which contained much faster riffs and even early versions of blast beats (We will get into those later). These bands included the most popular Heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN. Others enjoyed just as much popularity, such as DIAMOND HEAD, DEF LEPPARD, and SAXON. These bands as well as the punk rock bands of the late 70's  eventually went on to help popularize 80's Pop Metal, known as Glam metal. Glam metal brought Metal to the main steam, which included much happier and fun sounding rather than the dark evil sound of regular heavy metal. Glam metal bands included BON JOVI, VAN HALEN, and the already seasoned ALICE COOPER. However, experimentation was not over yet, more genres popped up that were even more underground and much more evil sounding...

To be Continued.....