The Birth of Heavy Metal

The Birth of Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal is a genre of music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was born out of a fusion of blues rock and psychedelic rock, with bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple leading the way. These bands introduced a heavier and more aggressive sound, characterised by distorted guitars, powerful vocals, and thunderous drums.

The birth of heavy metal can be traced back to Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album, released in 1970. This album is often regarded as the first true metal album, with its dark and ominous lyrics, heavy riffs, and haunting atmosphere. Songs like "Black Sabbath" and "N.I.B." set the template for what would become the signature sound of the genre.

I like smoke and lightning

The term itself comes from a lyric in Steppenwolf's 1968 hit "Born to be wild",

"I like smoke and lightning... Heavy metal thunder!"

Several musicians have had a significant impact on the development and popularity. One of the most influential figures is Tony Iommi, the guitarist of Black Sabbath. Iommi's heavy and riff-driven playing style became the blueprint for countless metal guitarists to come. His use of power chords and dark, downtuned guitar tones set the standard for heavy metal guitar playing.

Other influential guitarists in the formative period included Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, who combined blues and folk influences with heavy guitar riffs, and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, known for his innovative use of classical elements.

The New Wave

The mid-70s saw a sub-genre emerge known as "Glam Metal". This has been regarded as a fusion of heavy metal with punk rock and was known for it's wild aesthetics with musicians performing in elaborate costumes, full face make-up and heavily styled hair. While the musicianship and songwriting of bands such as Kiss and Twisted Sister, was never in doubt, some fans were a little unsure about the widespread use of make-up in what was generally perceived as a masculine form of music.

The late 1970s saw the emergence of the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" (often shortened to NWOBHM). While many bands contributed to this sound, none came close to the profound influence of London-based Iron Maiden. Quickly becoming the biggest metal band in the world, they brought the focus away from the hairspray and high heels of glam and back to the music.

Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast," was released in 1982. This album catapulted Iron Maiden to international fame and solidified their status as one of the pioneers of the NWOBHM. The album features epic songs like the title track and "Hallowed Be Thy Name," with their soaring melodies and intricate guitar harmonies. The dark imagery led to accusations of devil worship from extreme christian groups although this was nothing new, and had started in the days of Black Sabbath.

Some bands embraced this connotation, leading to sub-genres such as "Black Metal" and "Dark Metal". Some simply dismissed it. The fans didn't seem to care either way, and the hand symbol known as 'Devil's horns', popularised by Ronnie James Dio was adopted as the gesture of salutation amongst metalheads worldwide.

Fight fire with fire

While Iron Maiden are still widely regarded as the very definition of heavy metal, the US was to respond with a band who would take the genre onto the next step.

1983 saw the debut album of California's Metallica, the group who popularised a whole new genre known as "Thrash Metal." The main difference of thrash was an even more aggressive sound. The speed increased and the focus shifted slightly away from melody and more towards heavy guitar riffs, reinforced with solid bass to create walls of head-banging noise.

One of the world's most iconic albums, regardless of musical genre was released by Metallica in 1986. "Master of Puppets" is often regarded as one of the greatest metal albums of all time, and the embodiment of thrash. With its complex song structures, aggressive riffs, and thought-provoking lyrics, songs like "Battery," "Master of Puppets," and "Orion" showcase the band's technical prowess and songwriting skills.

Thrash metal became largely the most popular form of heavy metal music. Bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax ('The Big Four") pioneered this aggressive and fast-paced style of metal, characterised by rapid guitar riffs, complex song structures, and politically charged lyrics. Pantera (originally a Glam Metal band) found their feet in the 1990s, establishing themselves as peers of The Big Four.

The Nu- New wave

When Thrash Metal began to wane slightly in the early noughties, a new sub-genre emerged known simply as "Nu-Metal" and was exemplified by bands such as Limp Bizkit, Korn, Slipknot and Linkin Park. Drawing influences from metal, punk and even hip-hop, the musicians continued to push the boundaries of music and brought a whole new generation of fans into the arms of metal. Still filling stadiums and headlining metal festivals around the world, nu metal has perhaps become the norm, certainly the sound of 21st century metal.

The skills to pay the bills

One of the defining characteristics of heavy metal is the technical ability of its musicians. Many metal guitarists are renowned for their virtuosic playing and extraordinary technique.
Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker and Marty Friedman are but a few of the electric guitar masters to emerge from the world of metal.

The persistence of time

Heavy metal has evolved from its humble beginnings to become one of the most influential and diverse genres of music. With its heavy riffs, powerful vocals, and technical prowess, it continues to captivate audiences around the world. Occupying the harder, heavier end of the rock spectrum it's longevity in the realm of music proves it's popularity and appeal to the people of the world who like their music edgy.

Drummers in the genre are also known for their speed and precision. Double bass drumming, blast beats, and complex polyrhythms are common techniques used by metal drummers to create a powerful and intense sound. Musicians like Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, Dave Lombardo of Slayer and Gene Hoglan of Death are revered for their technical prowess behind the drum kit.