Heavy Metal Music in Nashville
Contents
Join us as we explore the best heavy metal music clubs in Nashville. Get ready to headbang to some of the best metal bands in the country!
Origins of Heavy Metal
Though often associated with rebellion and counterculture, heavy metal actually has a long and complex history which can be traced back to the late 1960s. Let’s explore the origins of this genre of music.
Defining heavy metal
So what is heavy metal? There are as many opinions out there as there are sub-genres, but in general, it can be described as a form of rock music that is characterized by distorted guitars, hard and fast drumming, and aggressive lyrics. This sound is often created by using amplification and electric instruments.
Heavy metal first emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Since then, it has continued to evolve and grow, giving rise to new sub-genres like thrash metal, death metal, and black metal. Today, heavy metal is enjoyed by fans all over the world.
Nashville has always been a hotbed for country music, but in recent years it has also become a hub for heavy metal. Nashville is home to many successful metal bands, including Lamb of God, All That Remains, andotis person Buggy Wagon All-Stars. These bands have helped put Nashville on the map as a destination for heavy metal fans.
Early heavy metal bands
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple introduced a new sound that was heavier and louder than anything that had come before. This new style of music, which came to be known as heavy metal, was characterized by its aggressive guitar playing and its use of distorted sounds.
Heavy metal quickly became popular with young people, who were attracted by its energy and its rebellious attitude. In the 1980s, metal bands such as Metallica and Megadeth took the music in a more aggressive direction, creating a subgenre known as thrash metal. Meanwhile, other bands such as Iron Maiden and Def Leppard began to experiment with more melodic sounds, resulting in a style known as power metal.
Today, there are many different subgenres of heavy metal, each with its own distinct sound. Some of the most popular include death metal, black metal and doom metal. Heavy metal music continues to be hugely popular around the world, attracting fans of all ages.
The Nashville Scene
Nashville is known for country music, but there is a thriving heavy metal scene as well. Heavy metal music is a subgenre of rock music that typically features aggressive, fast-paced music and distorted guitars. The Nashville scene is home to many different heavy metal bands, and there are several venues that host metal concerts. If you’re a fan of heavy metal music, you’ll definitely want to check out the Nashville scene.
The early years
The heavy metal music scene in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, was established in the early 1980s. Although the city is more widely known for country music, Nashville has produced a number of metal bands and musicians over the years. Early metal scenes developed in other southeastern cities such as Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia, before moving to Nashville in the early 1980s.
The first metal show in Nashville is believed to have taken place in 1982 at a club called The Exit/In. This show featured the bands Zebra (band) and Stryper. By 1983, there were a number of small clubs hosting metal shows including The autO-da-Fé, The Blow-Up Doll House loft series, Ground Zero (club) and others. These clubs were often all-ages venues that allowed underage fans to experience live music.
The bands that played these early shows were mostly local acts such as Impulse Manslaughter, Sudden Death (4), Razormaze (2), Sacred Blade, Bombshell (5), Killer Instinct (2), Screaming Mimis, code 18 and many others. In addition to local talent, these clubs also featured touring metal bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. The metal scene in Nashville continued to grow throughout the 1980s with the opening of new clubs such as Tutsi’s nightclub and later Clubhouse Music Venue which became one of the city’s premier rock clubs.
Nashville’s metal scene continued to evolve in the 1990s with the rise of death metal and black metal bands such as Immortal Suffering, Diabolic Intent and numerous others. In recent years, indie rock bands like JEFF The Brotherhood and Pujol have brought renewed attention to Nashville’s rich musical history.
The rise of metalcore
Metalcore is a genre of music that combines elements of heavy metal and hardcore punk. It first emerged in the early 1990s, and was initially associated with bands such as Earth Crisis, Integrity and Botch.
In the 2000s, metalcore began to gain traction in the mainstream, with bands such as Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying and Bullet for My Valentine achieving commercial success. The genre further diversified in the 2010s, with groups such as Bring Me the Horizon and Architects incorporating electronic music and pop sensibilities into their sound.
Today, metalcore is one of the most popular genres of heavy music, and Nashville is home to a thriving scene. Bands such as Wage War, To Speak of Wolves and Wildowl are keeping the genre fresh and exciting, and helping to propel it into the future.
Today’s metal scene
The metal scene in Nashville is booming. With new bands popping up all the time, there’s always something new to check out. And with a number of great venues in the city, there’s always a metal show to catch.
Whether you’re into black metal, death metal, doom metal, or anything in between, you’ll find a home in Nashville’s metal scene. So come on down and check it out!
Notable Nashville Metal Bands
Nashville is not only the country music capital, but also home to a thriving metal scene. Nashville metal bands have been influenced by the likes of Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most notable Nashville metal bands.
Lamb of God
Lamb of God is an American groove metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994 as Burn the Priest, the group consists of bassist John Campbell, vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, and drummer Chris Adler. The band is considered a significant member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement. Since their formation, Lamb of God has released eight studio albums. Their eighth album, Resolution (2012), debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to become the band’s second highest-selling album in the United States.
Lamb of God has toured with Slayer, Megadeth, and Metallica on The World Magnetic Tour. They have also headlined multiple North American and European tours, as well as several festivals worldwide. The band has received three Grammy nominations for songs from their 2006 album Sacrament; “Redneck” won Best Metal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007.
Mastodon
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2000. The group is composed of guitarist Brent Hinds, bassist Troy Sanders, drummer Brann Dailor, and guitarist Bill Kelliher. All four members perform vocals on their albums.
Mastodon has released seven studio albums, as well as a number of other recordings. The band’s debut album, Remission, released in 2002, garnered significant critical acclaim for its unique sound. Mastodon’s second album, Leviathan, is a concept album based on the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Three magazines awarded the record Album of the Year in 2004: Revolver, Kerrang! and Terrorizer.
The band’s third album, Blood Mountain (2006), was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song “Colony of Birchmen”. Blood Mountain was followed by Crack the Skye in 2009 and The Hunter in 2011; both albums reached the top five of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Once More ‘Round the Sun (2014) peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 chart in the US while its title track topped both Mainstream Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts. Emperor of Sand (2017) was nominated for Best Rock Album at both the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and 24th Annual Loudwire Music Awards; it also peaked within the top five of several music critics’ year-end lists including number three on Consequence of Sound’s 2017 list and number two on Kerrang!’s 2018 list.
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster is a southern metal band from Birmingham, Alabama, formed in 2004. The band’s current lineup consists of lead vocalist Dallas Taylor, guitarists Keenan Wayne Mitchell and Roman Hill, bassist Garrett Webster, and drummer Chad Huff. The band has released five studio albums, with their most recent being III (2015).
The group’s debut album, II (2006), was recorded in Nashville with producer Jay Joyce. It was followed by Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (2009), which featured the singles “Step Up (I’m On It)” and “Memories of the Grove”. The band’s third album, fire without fear EP (2012), charted on the Billboard 200 at number 73.
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster has been described as southern metal, metalcore, and hardcore punk.