How to Get into Metal: Part 2 - History of Metal (Part 2)

         During the Early 80's, Metal had saw a significant increase in popularity, as well as Hardcore punk. This gave rise to even more experimentation...


And Their name Was NBM.

Europe saw the rise and fall of its metal scene, as stated before, with NWOBHM. A particular band from the UK started a new style which brought back the darkness of Black Sabbath, mixed with the fast paced intensity of Punk. VENOM, gave at that sound then threw in a little twist of their own, adding not only Heavy Metal, and punk sound, but also added faster guitar riffs, which brought even more speed to the sound, which was appropriately named speed metal. MERCYFUL FATE, added even more intensity and darkness to this new sound. This darkened version of metal became known as Black Metal, and it spread to a particular part in the world like a virus.

  

Venom

Norway was home to extreme temperatures (all in the cold) and its rich history. Norway is also very known as being the home to Black Metal (although Venom was from the UK). Bands kept the same formula formed by Venom, but intensified the sound with growled vocals. The Norwegian black metal became more than just music, it became a lifestyle like its cousin, Hardcore Punk. Norwegian black metal bands were notoriously anti Christian, and often lashed out by burning churches and adding inverted crosses to all their apparel. Notorious Black Metal band MAYHEM, even put a picture of their band mates suicide on their album cover. Black metal gained high popularity in Norway, but was also looked down upon by others in the metal scene (as well as any normal human beings). Metal needed a boost that did no involve the burning of churches, but rather a lighter faster paced form...

Master of Thrash...

During this time, a California based band listened to Mercyful Fate, in their garage and decided to play some music dedicated in their honor. However, they did not care about the darkness but concentrated more on the partying. They took the sound of Speed metal and Hardcore punk to help create what is known simply as Thrash Metal. This band was known as METALLICA. The bay area based thrash metal band gave rise to even more thrash metal bands such as ANTHRAX, EXODUS, OVERKILL, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, and the one and only SLAYER. After Metallica enjoyed some time in the spotlight with their debut historical album "Kill em' All", guitarist Dave Mustaine, was kicked out (or quit, no one really knows for sure). Dave went on to form the successful band MEGADETH.  Thrash metal sought to put glam metal (which was becoming highly popular with the "trendy" public) to shame. There was, you could say, a Metal civil war.


Metallica

The Thrash movement saw popularity, with most bands but only 4 stood out more than any of them. METALLICA, ANTHRAX, SLAYER & MEGADETH became known simply as the Big 4. Slayer in particular saw an underground movement of fans which took everything that Thrash metal had, and decided to experiment with vocals... harsh growling, killing vocals...

THRASH Til' DEATH

Growling vocals added to Thrash metal became known as Death Metal, and it did not take off in popularity at all, but enjoyed more loyal fans than any other metal genre. POSSESSED has been said to be the first band to form the death metal genre, however the band was short lived and only released 2 albums. More death metal bands started to pop up everywhere and they had loyal fans. Bands such as CARCASS, MORBID ANGEL & SEPULTURA. This sound evolved to not only more growled vocals but more intense drumming known as blast beating which became the most distinct sound of extreme forms of metal. Death metal eventually made its way to Norway where they incorporated it into their infamous black metal, to create a new form of black metal.


Morbid Angel (C. 1986)


Popularity of death metal took a minor rise with 2 of the most famous death metal acts, DEATH and CANNIBAL CORPSE. Jim Carrey even asked Cannibal Corpse to be in his film Ace Ventura.
It was safe to say death metal  was here to say and Glam metal was on its way out.

During the Mid 80's Hardcore punk started to Die off (as some would argue) but bands refused to see it go, so fans decided to add some Thrash treatment to the genre and started another revolution which became 25 years in the making...

To Be Continued....