Heavy Metal: The Definitive Sound of the 70s

If you’re a fan of heavy metal music, then you’ll want to check out this blog post. We take a look at the definitive sound of the 70s and how it influenced the genre as a whole.

The Birth of Heavy Metal

Hard Rock and Psychedelia

The roots of heavy metal can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when a number of bands began pushing the boundaries of rock music.Hard rock, which featured a heavier sound and was sometimes described as “heavy blues,” emerged with bands such as Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Led Zeppelin. This new sound was often characterized by extended guitar solos, powerful vocals, and a focus on showmanship.

At the same time, another subgenre was emerging that would have a significant impact on the development of heavy metal: psychedelia. Psychedelic rock incorporated elements of Eastern music, drug-induced states of consciousness, and extended improvisation. Bands like Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane were at the forefront of this new sound.

While hard rock and psychedelia were both influential in the development of heavy metal, it was the combination of the two that gave birth to the genre as we know it today. Bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were able to take the best elements of both styles and create a new sound that would eventually come to define an entire generation.

The British Invasion

While many people think of the British Invasion as being led by the Beatles, there were actually a number of British bands that were hugely popular in the US in the 1960s. The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin all had a major impact on the development of heavy metal. These bands took the basic elements of rock and roll and amplified them, both in terms of sound and attitude. They also added elements of blues and jazz, which gave their music a more complex sound. Their success inspired a new generation of American bands to start experimenting with this heavier sound.

The Pioneers of Heavy Metal

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It largely consists of hard rock and blues rock. Early heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple were laying the foundations for the genre. These bands were innovators who created a new sound that would go on to influence countless other artists.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin is often credited as being one of the pioneers of heavy metal music. Formed in 1968, the band quickly rose to prominence with their debut album, which is often considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time. Led Zeppelin’s musical style was a mix of hard rock, blues, and folk, and their live performances were legendary. The band was enormously successful, selling more than 300 million records worldwide, and they remain one of the best-selling bands of all time. Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is often cited as the pioneers of heavy metal. The band was formed in 1968 in Birmingham, England, and consisted of Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Bill Ward on drums. Black Sabbath’s debut album, self-titled “Black Sabbath”, was released in early 1970. The album featured the now-classic song “Iron Man”, which remains one of the most iconic heavy metal songs of all time.

Deep Purple

Deep Purple was one of the earliest innovators of heavy metal, fusing hard rock and blues rock to create a sound that would influence generations of metal bands. Formed in 1968, the band released their debut album, Shades of Deep Purple, later that year. The album featured the band’s signature song, “Smoke on the Water,” which would go on to become one of the most well-known heavy metal songs of all time.

Deep Purple continued to produce groundbreaking metal albums throughout the 1970s, including Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), and Burn (1974). The band’s lineup changed several times over the years, but they always maintained their status as one of the most influential metal bands of all time. Deep Purple was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Golden Age of Heavy Metal

The 1970s was a golden age for heavy metal music. This was the decade when the genre truly came into its own, with bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden releasing some of their best work. The sound of heavy metal in the 70s was raw and powerful, and it had a huge impact on the music scene.

Judas Priest

Formed in Birmingham, England in 1969, Judas Priest is often credited as being one of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal history. With their 1970 debut album “Rocka Rolla,” the band established themselves as one of the pioneers of the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” movement. But it was with their 1976 release “Sad Wings of Destiny” that Judas Priest truly began to make their mark on the Heavy Metal world. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, “Sad Wings of Destiny” showcased the band’s unique blend of twin-guitar harmonization, thumping bass lines, and Rob Halford’s powerful vocal delivery. From there, Judas Priest went on to release a string of classics throughout the 1970s and 1980s including “Sin After Sin” (1977), “Stained Class” (1978), “Unleashed in the East” (1979), “British Steel” (1980), “Screaming for Vengeance” (1982), and “Defenders of the Faith” (1984).

With their trademark leather-and-spikes image, Judas Priest helped to define the look and sound of Heavy Metal in the 1970s and beyond. They continue to be a force in the Metal world today, with a new album scheduled for release in 2018.

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, 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. Wiltshire-based guitarist Dave Murray provided the band’s compositions for their second album, 1981’s Killers. Bruce Dickinson would replace Di’Anno as lead vocalist for 1982’s The Number of the Beast and would go on to be a central creative figure in the band over the next three decades.

With Murray and Dickinson now on board, Iron Maiden released a series of groundbreaking and hugely successful albums in the 1980s: 1982’s The Number of the Beast, 1983’s Piece of Mind, 1984’s Powerslave, 1985’s live album Live After Death, and 1986’s Somewhere in Time. These albums established Iron Maiden as one of the most popular heavy metal bands in the world, with a sound that combined Harris’ punishing bass-driven rhythms with Murray and Adrian Smith’s twin guitar harmony leads and Dickinson’s powerful operatic vocals.

In 1988, Janick Gers replaced Smith as the band’s third guitarist, resulting in 1989’s No Prayer for the Dying; Dickinson left the band mid-tour in 1993 due to disagreements with its management over promotional activities surrounding 1992’s Fear of the Dark; he was replaced by Blaze Bayley for 1995’s The X Factor and 2000’s Brave New World. After Bayley was sacked in 1999, Dickinson rejoined Iron Maiden for 2000–2002 world tour (promoting Brave New World) before leaving again to pursue his solo career; he was replaced by Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger for 2003–2004 world tour (promoting Dance of Death).

Motorhead

Motorhead is often credited as being one of the Pioneers of Heavy Metal. Formed in 1975 by bassist/singer Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, the band rose to prominence in the late ’70s and early ’80s with their unique brand of hard-edged rock n’ roll. With hits like “Ace of Spades” and “Overkill”, Motorhead helped to define the sound of heavy metal and influenced countless other bands in the process. Though Kilmister passed away in 2015, the legacy of Motorhead continues on through their music.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a musical movement that began in the late 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. It was a reaction to the declining state of the heavy metal scene in the UK at the time. Bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard rose to prominence with their unique sound and style.

Def Leppard

Formed in 1977 in Sheffield, England, Def Leppard is one of the most successful and enduring bands of the British heavy metal scene. With a string of hits including “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” the band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide and continues to tour and record to this day.

Saxon

Saxon is one of the original British heavy metal bands. Formed in 1976, they released their self-titled debut album in 1979. Since then, they have released nineteen studio albums, ten live albums, and numerous singles and compilations. Saxon is considered one of the pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and have been influential to many subsequent metal bands.

Diamond Head

Founded in 1976, Diamond Head are one of the first and most influential British heavy metal bands. Their sound was a major influence on the development of the genre, and their debut album, Lightning to the Nations, is considered a classic of the genre. Diamond Head continue to perform and record to this day, and are an important part of the heavy metal history.

The Legacy of Heavy Metal

Metallica

Metallica is one of the most popular and influential heavy metal bands of all time. Formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, the group was originally composed of singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Metallica’s first two albums, Kill ‘Em All (1983) and Ride the Lightning (1984), were groundbreaking works that established the band as one of the leading exponents of the new thrash metal sound. With the release of 1986’s Master of Puppets, Metallica firmly cemented their status as metal superstars, and went on to become one of the most commercially successful and iconic bands in rock history.

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. The group was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson following Mustaine’s departure from Metallica. Along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, Megadeth is one of the “Big Four” of American thrash metal. Their music features complex arrangements and fast rhythm sections, and lyrical themes of death, war, politics, and religion. Megadeth has sold 50 million records worldwide, earned platinum certification in the United States for five of its fifteen studio albums, and received twelve Grammy nominations. Megadeth won its first Grammy Award in 2017 for the song “Dystopia” in the Best Metal Performance category.

Slayer

Slayer is a Grammy-winning American metal band formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. With a career spanning four decades, Slayer has released twelve studio albums, two live albums, and a box set. The band’s musical style involves fast tremolo picking, double bass drumming, and shouting vocals. Slayer’s albums have had a wide influence on many heavy metal subgenres.

Slayer’s best-known songs include “Raining Blood”, “Angel of Death”, “South of Heaven”, and “War Ensemble”. The band has also been credited with helping to shape the sound and style of extreme metal. They received five Grammy nominations, winning one for the song “Eyes of the Insane” in 2007. Hanneman died in 2013, and King is the only remaining original member of the band.