Free 1980’s Heavy Metal Music

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Defining Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has a thick, heavy sound that is created by distorted guitars and bass, as well as drums with a lot of power. The vocals are often growled or screamed, and the lyrics often deal with dark subject matter.

The Birth of Heavy Metal

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of bands created heavy rock sounds. Led Zeppelin’s sound was particularly massive, owing to singer Robert Plant’s powerful vocals and guitarist Jimmy Page’s innovative work with amplification and effects. Deep Purple also produced a very loud, dramatic sound. Iron Butterfly’s 1968 hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” featured a 17-minute drum solo by Ron Bushy that took up almost the entire second side of the band’s album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

Black Sabbath are often credited as the first heavy metal band. Their 1970 self-titled debut album featured crushingly heavy riffs and dark, Ozzy Osbourne-driven lyrics about personal fears and public turmoil. The album was an instant sensation, selling millions of copies worldwide, and Sabbath became one of the most popular bands of the early 1970s.

The Evolution of Heavy Metal

The music that would come to be defined as “heavy metal” developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It drew from a wide range of existing musical styles, including blues rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock, and fuse them together with high volume amplified guitars, dramatic stage performances, and shock lyrics. This aggressive new sound was christened “metal” by an influential British music weekly in the 1970s, and subsequent generations of metal fans and musicians would adopt the label for themselves.

Heavy metal is characterized by loud, distorted guitars played with power chords, booming drums, and shouted vocals. Most metal songs also feature complex arrangements and detailed musicianship, making them more difficult to play than other genres of rock music. As a result, metal bands often rehearsed for hours each day and toured relentlessly in order to perfect their craft and build a following.

Today, heavy metal remains one of the most popular genres of rock music. It has spawned numerous subgenres and inspired countless musicians around the world. Whether you’re a fan of classic bands like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, or you prefer more modern acts like Metallica or Slipknot, there’s a heavy metal band out there that’s sure to appeal to you.

The 1980’s Heavy Metal Scene

The 1980’s was a great decade for heavy metal music. Many of the bands that we know and love today got their start in the 80’s. This was a time when metal was truly breaking new ground and becoming its own genre. If you’re a fan of metal music, then you owe a lot to the bands of the 80’s.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s that spawned a new generation of British Heavy Metal (WHM) bands. The DIY attitude of the punk scene led young musicians to self-produce and promote their own records and concerts, without the support of record labels or the music industry. This meant that many NWOBHM bands were unsigned and unknown outside of their local scenes.

The NWOBHM also gave rise to the concept of the metal underground, with small fanzines and tape-trading circles springing up to support the new bands. This network would prove to be vital in later years as the metal scene evolved and grew.

The NWOBHM had a huge impact on metal music, with many of its bands going on to be highly influential in later years. Some of the most famous names from this movement include Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Diamond Head, Saxon, Venom, Judas Priest, and Motorhead.

The American Heavy Metal Scene

The American heavy metal scene of the 1980s was characterized by the rise of a number of bands who achieved widespread popularity and high sales records, including Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard. There was also a strong presence of power metal bands in the United States during the decade. In addition to the many US-based bands, there were a number of notable British heavy metal groups that toured America extensively, including Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard.

The Thrash Metal Movement

The 1980’s saw the rise of a new genre of heavy metal music, known as thrash metal. This style was characterized by its fast tempos, aggressive guitar work, and often highly political lyrics. Thrash metal bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer rose to prominence in the early 1980s, and helped to define the sound of heavy metal for the next generation.

Notable 1980’s Heavy Metal Bands

The 1980’s were a great time for heavy metal music. There were so many great bands that were really pushing the envelope and creating some incredible music. If you’re a fan of heavy metal, then you definitely need to check out some of the bands from this era. In this article, we’re going to list some of the most notable 1980’s heavy metal bands.

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is a British heavy metal band formed in Leyton, Essex, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The band’s first album, 1980’s Iron Maiden, was written primarily by Harris and vocalist Paul Di’Anno. keyboards player Dave Murray joined the band for their second album, 1981’s Killers. Murray and Harris have remained the band’s primary songwriting team throughout its history.

The band’s third album, 1982’s The Number of the Beast, featured new vocalist Bruce Dickinson and was their first release to reach number one in the UK. The subsequent world tour included their debut performance at Madison Square Garden. Dickinson was replaced by Blaze Bayley for 1995’s The X Factor before returning in 1999 for 2000’s Brave New World.

Iron Maiden has released forty-six singles, including sixteen UK top-ten singles, winning numerous awards over their forty-year career. They have been cited as influence to many subsequent rock and metal acts. Their discography has grown to thirty-nine albums, including sixteen studio albums, twelve live albums, four EPs, and seven compilations.

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, and has been based in San Francisco, California for most of its career. The group’s fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship placed them as one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Metallica’s current lineup comprises founding members Hetfield and Ulrich, longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarist Dave Mustaine (who went on to form Megadeth) was a member of the band from 1983 to 2002.

Metallica achieved substantial commercial success with their eponymous fifth album (commonly known as The Black Album), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. With this release the band expanded its musical direction resulting in an album that appealed to a more mainstream audience. The album was their best-selling album worldwide, selling over 30 million copies.

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. The group was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine’s expulsion from Metallica. A pioneer of the American thrash metal scene, the band is credited as one of the genre’s “big four” with Anthrax, Metallica and Slayer; responsible for its development and popularization. Megadeth plays in a distinctive musical style mixing heavy metal with speed metal, often employing complex arrangements and innovative instrumentation.

Mustaine is the only original member present in the band; having been joined by drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick in 2004, followed by bassist James LoMenzo in 2007; all of whom have since left Megadeth as well. The lineup is currently composed of Mustaine, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, bassist David Ellefson and guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Ricky Bejarano.

Megadeth has released fifteen studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, thirty-five singles, ten video albums, forty-one music videos, four EPs and thirteen box sets. They were ranked 43rd on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock program. The band has sold over 38 million records worldwide, with five of its albums certifying platinum and three more certificating gold in the United States; earning them numerous accolades including seven Grammy nominations (winning one). Megadeth won its first Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song “Dystopia” at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

Slayer

Formed in Huntington Park, California in 1981 by Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, Slayer’s first official lineup consisted of King, Hanneman, bassist/vocalist Jim Mitchell (who was quickly replaced by/vocalist Tom Araya), and drummer Dave Lombardo. They all had experience playing in hardcore punk bands prior to forming Slayer; in fact, Lombardo was a member of the famed punk group Suicidal Tendencies. Araya had originally been asked to play drums for the band, but declined and took on bass and vocal duties instead (he had previously sung lead for another local metal band, Exodus).

The band’s debut album, Show No Mercy (1983), was released on Metal Blade Records. It was produced by Brian Slagel (owner of Metal Blade) and featured a young Lombardo providing what would become one of his signature elements within the genre: lightning-fast blast beats. In the years that followed, Slayer released a series of groundbreaking albums that would help define not only the sound of thrash metal but also shape the very ethos of an entire subculture.

Anthrax

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal movement from the 1980s and is one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer; Anthrax is the only one of the four from the East Coast. As of 2016, the band has released 11 studio albums, including several gold and platinum-selling albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million.

The band has been active for over 35 years, releasing several albums and touring extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Anthrax’s current lineup consists of rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, bassist Jon Donais (who replaced Frank Bello in 2013), singer Joey Belladonna (who replaced John Bush in 2010), drummer Charlie Benante (who has been a member since 1983) and lead guitarist Jon Dette (who replaced Rob Caggiano in 2013). Originally having started as a hardcore punk band before evolving into a thrash metal band, Anthrax has achieved commercial success with several gold-certified albums including Spreading the Disease (1985), Among the Living (1987) and Persistence of Time (1990); as well as platinum-certified Worship Music (2011). For much of their career Anthrax was signed to Megaforce Records until 2014 when they switched to Nuclear Blast Records; Megaforce founder Johnny Zazula served as their first manager as well.

The band has had some lineup changes over its history; Ross The Boss Daley playedrhythm guitar for a short time before being replaced by Dan Spitz; Joey Belladonna sang lead vocals on most Anthrax albums until 1992 when he was replaced by John Bush; Rob Caggiano played lead guitar before leavingin 2013and being replaced by Jonathan Donais while Frank Bello switched from bass to rhythm guitarin 2016; Vinny Appice drums for them between 2007 – 2009 replacing Charlie Benante while he took leave for his wife’s successful cancer treatment but rejoined once she recovered. Overall Anthrax has had ten different members throughout their career with Scott Ian and Charlie Benante being the only constant members appearing on every album release.

The Legacy of 1980’s Heavy Metal

The Influence of Heavy Metal in Pop Culture

The 1980s was a highly influential decade for heavy metal music. The genre began to gain popularity in the early part of the decade, with bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Motörhead leading the way. These bands would lay the foundations for what would become known as the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal”, which would take the world by storm in the latter part of the decade.

The NWOBHM would give rise to some of the most iconic and well-loved heavy metal bands of all time, such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. These bands would go on to dominate the airwaves and MTV in the 1980s, and their influence can still be felt in pop culture today.

Heavy metal music has frequently been misunderstood and maligned by those outside of the fanbase. However, there is no denying its influence on popular culture. The 1980s was a highly influential decade for heavy metal music, and its legacy can still be seen and heard in pop culture today.

The Influence of Heavy Metal on Future Music Genres

The 1980s was a golden era for heavy metal music. Some of the most influential and groundbreaking bands of all time, such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden, released their best work during this decade. The popularity of heavy metal during the 80s led to the genre having a significant influence on the music that would come after it.

One genre that was directly influenced by heavy metal is grunge. Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the early 1990s. The style is characterized by its dark and often depressive lyrics, as well as its distorted and heavy guitars. Grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam would go on to have massive mainstream success in the 1990s.

Another genre that was influenced by heavy metal is extreme metal. Extreme metal is a broad umbrella term that encompasses various subgenres such as black metal, death metal, and doom metal. The extrememetal sound is characterized by its extremely fast tempos, heavily distorted guitars, growled or screamed vocals, and its often dark and aggressive lyrics. Some of the most popular extreme metal bands today include Metallica, Slayer, and Lamb of God.

Without the influence of heavy metal, it’s likely that neither grunge nor extreme metal would exist as we know them today. The legacy of 1980s heavy metal continues to live on in the music of today.