How Classical Music Influenced Heavy Metal

How Classical Music Influenced Heavy Metal – Many people don’t know that some of the most famous heavy metal songs were inspired by classical music.

Classical Music’s Influence in the Early Days of Heavy Metal

It is no secret that Classical music has had a profound influence on Heavy Metal. In the early days of Heavy Metal, bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin were all heavily influenced by Classical music. Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album even featured a cover of Classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”.

The Beatles

While The Beatles are not a classical music group, they are influential in the development of heavy metal. In the early days of heavy metal, bands would often cover Beatles songs. This is because The Beatles were one of the few rock groups that were popular in both the United States and the United Kingdom. As a result, they had a broad appeal and their music was easy to imitate. Many of the early heavy metal bands, such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, drew inspiration from The Beatles.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was one of the first and most influential rock bands of the heavy metal genre. The band’s sound was rooted in blues music, but they incorporated elements of classical music into their songs as well. This classical influence can be heard in the band’s use of guttural vocals, extended guitar solos, and dramatic musical changes.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is often cited as one of the most influential bands in the history of heavy metal. They formed in 1975 and released their debut album in 1980. Their metal is characterized by twin lead guitars, galloping rhythms, and soaring vocals. But what many fans may not know is that Maiden’s sound was heavily influenced by classical music.

Maiden’s bassist and founder, Steve Harris, is a self-proclaimed “metalhead” who grew up listening to classical music. He has cited composers such as Wagner, Holst, and Bach as major influences on Maiden’s sound.Harris has said that he wanted to create a “metal symphony” with Maiden’s music. And indeed, many of Maiden’s songs are based on classical themes or adaptations of classical works.

For example, the song “Flight of Icarus” is based on the Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with wings made of wax and feathers. The song “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is based on the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. And the song “To Tame a Land” is based on Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune.

Maiden isn’t the only metal band to be influenced by classical music. Other notable examples include Metallica, Megadeth, and Dream Theater. So if you’re a fan of heavy metal, you might want to give classical music a try! You might just be surprised at how much you like it.

Judas Priest

Heading back to the 1970s, we find one of the most influential bands in the history of heavy metal: Judas Priest. Hailing from Birmingham, England, Judas Priest is often credited with helping to pioneer the “new wave of British heavy metal” movement. The band’s sound was a perfect blend of the heaviness of Black Sabbath and the speed and precision of Motörhead. But there was one other major influence on Judas Priest’s sound, and that was classical music.

The band’s guitarist, K.K. Downing, was a classically trained musician. He would often incorporate classical influences into his solos, giving them a unique sound that helped set Judas Priest apart from other heavy metal bands of the time. Downing’s classical training also helped him to develop a more complex songwriting style, which can be heard on many of the band’s classic albums such as “Unleashed in the East” and “British Steel”.

So next time you’re headbanging to some Judas Priest, take a moment to appreciate the classical influences in their music. You might just find yourself enjoying it even more!

The American Influence

It is evident that classical music has had a profound influence on the development of heavy metal. This is most apparent in the work of American bands, who have been able to take the basic foundations of classical music and adapt it to create their own unique sound. Many of the early heavy metal bands were influenced by the work of classical composers such as Bach and Beethoven.

Metallica

Formed in 1981 by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s initial release was the song “Hit the Lights” on the Metal Massacre compilation. After finding a permanent bassist in Cliff Burton, the band released its first album, Kill ‘Em All, in 1983. Ride the Lightning followed a year later and was Metallica’s first album to be commercially successful. The band’s 1986 album Master of Puppets is considered a classic in the metal genre, and its cover art has been denounced by Tipper Gore of the Parents Music Resource Center as “666 – The Number One Heavy Metal Album of All Time”. With sales of almost 10 million copies worldwide, it is also Metallica’s best-selling album to date.

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 technical style, featuring fast rhythm sections and complex arrangements. Themes of death, war, politics, and religion are prominent in the group’s lyrics.

In 1985, Megadeth released its debut album Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!, which received a favorable response from critics. The album sold poorly due to low promotion by the label. In 1986, the band released its major label debut Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?, which received a certified platinum critical and commercial success. It was followed by a string of successful albums: So Far, So Good… So What! (1988); Countdown to Extinction (1992); Youthanasia (1994); Cryptic Writings (1997); Risk (1999); The World Needs a Hero (2001); andThe System Has Failed (2004). The band has achieved commercial success with five consecutive gold albums; including two Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance—one in 1990 for “This Was My Life”, the second in 1992 for “Symphony of Destruction”. Megadeth parted ways with founder Dave Mustaine in 2002 due to creative differences. A year later, opening a new chapter in their career, Megadeth recruited jazz musician Jimmy DeGrasso as drummer to replace Mangini who had left earlier that year due to personal reasons during recording sessions for their upcoming tenth studio album The System Has Failed; this would also be their first album without Mustaine contribution on songwriting since 1986’s Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?
After searching for a new singer to complete touring activities while working on material behind-the-scenes during 2003–2004,Mustaine settled on raising his 17-year-old son Justis as his replacement guitarist/vocalist after finding out that music was not his top priority at that moment in time.[64] In November 2004 Mustaine officially announced that he had reunited with originalMegadeth drummer Lou Brown after 15 years apart and that they had already recorded three songs together

The Modern Era

It is interesting to note how much Heavy Metal music has been influenced by Classical music. For example, many of the early Metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were inspired by Classical composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven. In fact, Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album features a cover of Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.”

Slipknot

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. The band was founded in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan and drummer Joey Jordison. Since the band’s formation, Slipknot has released six studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, and two video albums. The band is well known for their elaborate stage performances, which feature masks and costumes that relate to their song lyrics and albums. Slipknot is one of the most popular metal bands of all time, selling over 30 million records worldwide.

Slipknot’s musical style has been described as a fusion of alternative metal, death metal, black metal, nu metal, and hardcore punk. The band’s songs are often aggressive and dark, with occasional moments of light relief. Slipknot is also known for their use of polyrhythms and syncopation in their music.

System of a Down

System of a Down is an American rock band from Glendale, California. The band was formed in 1994 by vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, and bassist Shavo Odadjian. They have released five studio albums: Toxicity (2001), Mesmerize/Hypnotize (2005), Toxicity II (2005), Mezmerize (2005), and System of a Down (1998).