Heavy Metal Music: The Notes You Need to Know

Whether you’re a fan of metal music or just want to learn more about this genre, it’s important to know the basics. In this blog post, we’ll cover the most essential notes when it comes to heavy metal music.

What is Heavy Metal Music?

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, though they were often derided by critics. At the same time, the heavy metal fans became a key target market for the emerging punk rock scenes. This resulted in songs such as Iron Maiden’s “Wrathchild” (1980), Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” (1980), Megadeth’s “Anarchy in the U.K.” (1986) Sewer grate seen during a live performance of Motörhead in 1980 In the 1980s, Hollywood metal scenesters such as David Lee Roth and Van Halen brought hair metal into the mainstream, with groups such as Mötley Crüe and Ratt becoming global superstars. The development of Southern rock also contributed to hair metal’s rise. Bands such as Cinderella, Poison and Bon Jovi helped bring hard rock to mainstream audiences in North America by combining their MTV-friendly popmetal sounds with a more hard-edged guitar tone.

In 1991, Nirvana ended the dominance of hair metal with their breakthrough album Nevermind, which was highly influential on subsequent generations of alternative metal musicians. Seattle grunge band Pearl Jam rose to prominence shortly afterwards; Alternative Rock band Stone Temple Pilots also released their debut album Core in 1992. In 1994 Alice In Chains released their third studio album Jar Of Flies which debuted at number one on Billboard 200 making it the first ever EP or “mini album” to do so.

Over the next few years Nu Metal music would gain immense popularity with bands such as Korn becoming mainstream successes due largely to their appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live show daily from 1998 until 2003 where they became one of only three Nu Metal bands to ever achieve this along with Linkin Park & Limp Bizkit.”

The Different Types of Heavy Metal Music

There are many different types of heavy metal music. Some of the more popular ones are death metal, black metal, and thrash metal. Each type of metal has its own unique sound. Death metal is characterized by its fast tempo and aggressive lyrics. Black metal is characterized by its dark, distorted sound. Thrash metal is characterized by its high energy and fast-paced riffs.

Death Metal

Death metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that emerged in the 1980s. It is characterized by fast tempos, brutal riffing, and highly aggressive vocal styles. Death metal bands often have lyrics that deal with topics like death, violence, and the occult.

The origin of death metal lies in the speed and heaviness of thrash metal. Early death metal bands such as Possessed and Death helped to pioneer the sound. In the 1990s, death metal experienced a resurgence in popularity with bands like Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, and Obituary.

Death metal has been accused of being satanic and anti-Christian. However, many death metal bands actually have positive messages hidden within their lyrics. For example, the band Atheist has been known to promote reason and skepticism through their music.

Thrash Metal

Thrash metal is a genre of heavy metal music that originated in the 1980s. It is characterized by its aggressive, fast-paced sound and its often shouted or screamed vocals. Thrash metal songs typically have short, simple lyrics about topics such as violence, war, and drug use.

The first thrash metal bands were Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. These bands became known as the “Big Four” of thrash metal. They were all very popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. Thrash metal fell out of favor in the late 1990s, but has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years.

Some of the most popular thrash metal bands today include Lamb of God, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Metallica.

Black Metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an emphasis on atmosphere. Artists often appear dressed in black with corpse paint and implement ninjutsu-inspired stagecraft and guerilla tactics.

Black metal typically rejects overt commercialism, entertains satanic or pagan lyrical themes, and searches for aesthetically transgressive elements to provoke an audience. Many bands also adopt pseudonyms to increase the mystique surrounding the music.

The subgenre developed during the late 1980s in Europe – particularly Norway – as a reaction to the burgeoning death metal scene; it was strongly influenced by early Norwegian black metal artists such as Mayhem and Burzum.

Doom Metal

Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much “thicker” or “heavier” sound than other heavy metal genres. Both the music and the lyrics intend to evoke a sense of despair, dread, and impending doom. The genre is strongly influenced by the early work of Black Sabbath, who formed a prototype for doom in the late 1960s and early 1970s with songs such as “Black Sabbath”, “Children of the Grave”, “Electric Funeral” and “Into the Void”. During the 1980s, a number of bands defined doom metal as a distinct genre including Saint Vitus, Trouble, Candlemass, ATMOSFEAR (later Cathedral), Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema and Pitchshifter.

Early pioneers of doom metal include Sleep, Electric Wizard, Witchfinder General,[6] Pentagram[7] and Saint Vitus.[8][9] Since its inception, doom metal has spawned a plethora of subgenres including drone doom,[10] funeral doom,[11] sludge metal,[12][13][14] stoner rock[15][16][17] and black-doom.[18][19][20]

The History of Heavy Metal Music

The first ever heavy metal song is widely considered to be “Blue Cheer’s” 1968 cover of “I’m Alright” by Mose Allison. The song was significantly faster, louder, and heavier than anything that had come before it. From there, the genre of heavy metal music exploded in popularity. Bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden quickly gained followings of millions of metalheads around the world.

The Early Days

The early days of heavy metal were characterized by a harnessing of the power of electric guitars and double bass drums, creating a sound that was both loud and aggressive. This new style of music quickly found a home among those who were looking for something different from the mainstream offerings of the day. The first heavy metal song is generally considered to be “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix, which was released in 1967.

While there are earlier examples of music that could be classified as heavy metal, it was in the 1970s that the genre truly began to take shape. This was the decade that saw the formation of some of the most important and influential bands in metal history, including Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Motorhead. These bands would go on to lay the foundation for the many different subgenres of metal that exist today.

The 1980s were a significant decade for heavy metal, as it was during this time that many of the genre’s most popular subgenres emerged. These included thrash metal, glam metal, and death metal. The decade also sawmetal music gain a wider global audience thanks to the advent of MTV and other music television channels.

The 1990s saw heavy metal continue to evolve, with new subgenres such as black metal and nu-metal gaining popularity. The 2000s have seen a further expansion of the genre, with bands such as Tool and Metallica remaining at the forefront of the scene while newer groups like Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium have also found success.

The Rise of Heavy Metal

Heavy metal music has its roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, and emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1970s with bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Metal music is characterized by distorted guitars, pounding drums, and lyrics that often deal with themes of violence, sex, and the occult.

During the 1980s, metal music became increasingly popular, with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax achieving widespread success. In the 1990s and 2000s, metal music continued to grow in popularity, with bands such as Slipknot, Tool, System of a Down, and Lamb of God achieving mainstream success.

Today, heavy metal music is enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.

The Golden Age

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the birth of heavy metal music. Originally a offshoot of blues rock, heavy metal music quickly became its own distinct genre. And while it was initially met with criticism from older generations, it soon found an audience among young people who were looking for music that was louder, faster, and more aggressive than anything that had come before.

During the Golden Age of heavy metal music, some of the most influential and iconic bands in the genre were formed, including Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. These bands would go on to lay the foundation for the sound of heavy metal music for decades to come.

Despite its growing popularity, heavy metal music was still largely underground during this era. It wasn’t until the release of Judas Priest’s album British Steel in 1980 that the genre finally began to break into the mainstream. From there, heavy metal music only continued to grow in popularity, with bands like Metallica and Megadeth becoming household names by the end of the decade.

Today, heavy metal music is more popular than ever before. And while it may have lost some of its edge over the years, it remains one of the most popular genres of music in the world.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a musical movement that started in the late 1970s, and reached its peak in the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction to the declining state of mainstream hard rock music, and was associated with a new generation of metal bands who rejected the excesses of the previous decade.

The NWOBHM is often credited with revitalizing heavy metal music and inspiring such later movements as glam metal, thrash metal, and black metal. It also had a significant impact on rock music in general, with several leading bands emerging from the movement and going on to achieve mainstream success.

The Key Players in Heavy Metal Music

If you’re new to heavy metal music, you might be wondering who the key players are. In this article, we’ll give you a brief introduction to some of the most important names in the genre. We’ll also talk about what makes them so important to the heavy metal scene.

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981 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 includes founding members Hetfield and Ulrich, longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarist Dave Mustaine was a member of the band from 1981 until 2002. As of May 2016[update], Metallica is the world’s sixth-biggest band by album sales with over 150 million albums sold worldwide.[1] Metallica ranks as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time; having sold 110 million records worldwide as of 2018[update]. They have released ten studio albums, three live albums, five extended plays (EPs) and 26 singles.

The band enjoyed success in the 1980s with their first four albums; Kill ‘Em All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), Master of Puppets (1986) and …And Justice for All (1988). They have since released five more studio recordings; Metallica (1991), Load (1996), Reload (1997), St. Anger (2003) , Death Magnetic(2008) , Hardwired… to Self-Destruct(2016). Their eponymous fifth album topped the Billboard 200 for 31 weeks; making it the longest-running album by a hard rock or heavy metal band ever. Metallica produced five singles that topped Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart: “One”, “Enter Sandman”, “The Memory Remains”, “Fuel” and “Whiskey in the Jar”. In 2000 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on their first ballot appearance.[2] In 2009 they were ranked No. 61 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time.[3][4] In 1996 they were voted 9th Best Heavy Metal Band Of All Time by MTV.[5][6] In 2014 they were ranked 3rd on VH1’s 70 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Of All Time.[7]

Slayer

Slayer is an American metal band founded in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, who recruited vocalist and bassist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the “big four” thrash metal bands, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.Since its debut album in 1983, the band has released fifteen studio albums, two live albums, a box set, six video albums and thirty-nine music videos. Four of the band’s studio albums have received gold certification in the United States. The band has received five Grammy nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song “Eyes of the Insane” and one in 2008 for “Final Six”. Hanneman and King are the only members of Slayer who have performed on every album.

Lombardo was replaced by Paul Bostaph prior to recording God Hates Us All (2001) after tensions mending the relationship between him and Araya boiled over during live performances; he rejoined prior to recording Christ Illusion (2006) after leaving Testament during 2002. Chris Adler had drummed during sessions for Repentless until joining Megadeth that same year; he was not officially announced as Lombardo’s replacement until December 2015. Gary Holt has been filling in for Hanneman on live shows since 2011 due to his continued absence from touring due to medical issues; Holt became an official member of Slayer following Hanneman’s death in 2013.

On May 2, 2018, Slayer was announced as one of the headlining acts for Download Festival 2018 taking place at Donington Park from June 8–10. This will be their final UK performance before going on an extended hiatus following their farewell tour which is expected to last for two years.

Megadeth

Formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, Megadeth went through several lineup changes before settling on the classic quartet of Mustaine, guitarist Marty Friedman, bassist David Ellefson and drummer Chris Adler. Over the course of their 35-year career, they have released 15 studio albums, five live albums and six compilations.

Megadeth’s debut album ‘Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!’ was released in 1985 to critical acclaim. The band’s 1986 follow-up ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’ included the fan favorite tracks ‘Peace Sells’ and ‘Devil’s Island.’

The band experienced worldwide success with their fourth album ‘Rust In Peace,’ which was released in 1990 and featured the singles ‘Holy Wars… The Punishment Due’ and ‘Hangar 18.’ Megadeth went on to release a string of successful albums throughout the ‘90s and 2000s including ‘Countdown to Extinction,’ ‘Youthanasia,’ and ‘The World Needs a Hero.”

Their most recent album ‘Dystopia’ was released in 2016 to critical acclaim and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart. Megadeth is currently on tour in support of the album.

Anthrax

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by 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 band from the Big Four to have continued uninterrupted with the same lineup. As of 2016, the band has released 11 studio albums, several other compilation and live albums, and 26 singles.

The band began in Queens, New York with a lineup that consisted of Ian (guitars), Lilker (bass), singer/songwriter Neil Turbin (vocals), and drummer Greg D’Angelo. Lilker soon left after being replaced byroadie Frank Bello; this lineup lasted only a couple of months before Turbin was fired and replaced by Joey Belladonna in August 1982. Ians May 1983session at Slash Studios withproducer Carl Canedy resulted in a four-song demo titled “Soldiers Of Metal”, which led to Anthrax’s deal with Megaforce Records.

The group released its debut album Fistful of Metal in January 1984 on Megaforce. Produced by Jon Zazula, it was also released on Megaforce’s UK label Music for Nations as well as Roadrunner Records for Europe. The album was a underground hit among metal fans in the United States. A second guitarist, Danny Spitz, was added soon afterwards; he would play on all ofAnthrax’s subsequent releases.

The follow-up record to Fistful Of Metal was largely influenced by Speedmetal pioneer Motörhead. Among other tracks included on Spreading The Disease were “Medusa”, “Caught In A Mosh” and “Auf Wiedersehen”. The lyrical content touched upon such topics as Armageddon (“Madhouse”)and nuclear war(“Indians”). The music video for “Indians” received some rotationon MTV’s Headbangers Ball program in early 1986

Heavy Metal Music Today

Though it may seem like the angry genre of music, heavy metal is actually quite intricate. The notes played are often fast and furious, but if you take a closer listen, you’ll start to pick out the different melodies. Whether you’re a fan of the newer, heavier bands like Slipknot, or you prefer the more classic metal of Metallica, there’s a lot to appreciate in this genre. So, let’s take a look at some of the different notes that make up heavy metal music today.

The New Wave of American Heavy Metal

The New Wave of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM) is a movement in the late 20th and early 21st centuries in the United States metal scene characterized by bands with a more modern approach to the genre.

The origins of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal can be traced back to the 1990s when bands like Pantera and Machine Head began to experiment with elements of groove metal and thrash metal to create a more aggressive sound. This new approach quickly caught on with other bands and soon there was a whole new crop of American metal bands that were influenced by this sound.

Groups like Lamb of God, Mastodon, trivium, Five Finger Death Punch, Killswitch Engage, and Avenged Sevenfold would all go on to become leaders in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. These bands would help to bring metal back into the mainstream spotlight in the early 21st century and propel the genre forward into new and exciting territory.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in the United Kingdom, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. NWOBHM bands characteristically possess a strong mainstream appeal, balancing out their heavy metal influences with catchy hooks, melodic riffs and zoning in on particular aspects of pop culture.

The genre would go on to influence an entire generation of metal bands, both in the UK and internationally, and would establish the template for what would become known as power metal. While there are many different subgenres of metal that NWOBHM bands helped to pioneer, some of the most notable include speed metal, thrash metal and death metal.