The Evolution of Heavy Music: From Proto-Metal to Sludge

A look at how heavy music has evolved over the years, from its early beginnings in proto-metal and hard rock to its current incarnation in sludge and stoner metal.

Pre-Metal

Before there was metal, there was proto-metal. Proto-metal is a form of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by its heavy, distorted sound and its use of feedback and distortion.

Proto-metal

Proto-metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by its fusion of blues rock and psychedelic rock with elements of acid rock, hard rock, and heavy metal. proto-metal bands typically have a raw, aggressive sound that is heavier and louder than other forms of rock music.

Proto-metal bands such as Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond, Kick Out the Jams by MC5, and Steppenwolf’s Monster are often credited as being among the first to fuse elements of heavy metal with other genres of rock. However, there is no clear consensus on which band truly originated the sound. In any case, proto-metal developed out of the broader psychedelic rock scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and it was often influenced by drugs such as LSD and amphetamines.

Proto-metal bands typically featured distorted guitars played with feedback overdubbed with layers of background noise (such as sustain), giving their sound a raw, aggressive edge. They also often incorporated elements of acid rock, hard rock, and heavy metal into their music. While not all proto-metal bands were overtly political, some used their music to express their support for left-wing causes such as anti-racism and anti-warism.

Hard rock

While the exact origins of hard rock are up for debate, the genre first made its mark in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a slew of bands that took the heavier sounds of groups like Cream and Jimi Hendrix and cranked up the volume and intensity. This new breed of hard-rocking bands would lay the foundation for metal, punk, and countless other genres.

AC/DC, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Deep Purple, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montrose, Queen, Rainbow, Scorpions, UFO, Van Halen

Metal

It is often said that heavy metal is the music of the devil. This might be because of its dark, aggressive and sometimes satanic lyrics, or its associations with violence, drinking and drugs. Whatever the reason, metal has always been a controversial genre. It has also been one of the most popular genres of music for the last few decades.

Early metal

Metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by heavy, distorted guitars, thunderous drums, and aggressive vocals. Early metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin laid the foundations for the genre, while later bands such as Metallica and Megadeth pushed it to new heights.

The first wave of metal bands emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These bands, such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, laid the foundations for the genre with their dark, heavy sound. Sabbath’s self-titled debut album, released in 1970, is often cited as the first true metal album. It featured crushingly heavy riffs and dark lyrics that dealt with subjects like evil, war, and addiction. Zeppelin’s debut album, also released in 1970, was similarly heavy and featured apocalyptic lyrics. These early bands set the stage for the explosive growth of metal in the 1980s.

In the 1980s, metal reached new heights of popularity with bands such as Metallica and Megadeth. Metallica’s 1986 album Master of Puppets is considered a classic of the genre, while Megadeth’s 1988 album So Far, So Good…So What! introduced a new level of speed and technicality to metal. These bands helped solidify metal’s place as one of the most popular genres of rock music.

Today, metal is more popular than ever before. While early metal was defined by its heaviness and darkness, modern metal has embraced a wider range of styles. From black metal to death metal to sludge metal, there is a subgenre for every taste. Metal shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon; it remains one of the most popular genres in rock music today.

New wave of British heavy metal

New wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a period in the late 1970s and early 1980s when a number of bands from the United Kingdom began to mix the heavy metal genre with hard rock, creating a new, more aggressive sound. The DIY attitude of the bands led to a proliferation of independent record labels, each releasing several successful albums. Music journalists and fans of the genre often refer to the period as the “Golden Age” of heavy metal.

During this time, many of the most successful bands were unsigned or on small independent labels; these included Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon and Motörhead. Significant subgenres that emerged during this time include power metal and speed metal. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal followed in the footsteps of earlier rock movements such as pub rock and punk rock, which had disaffected many music fans. It created an audience for guitar-based music that was “loud, fast and uncompromising”.

The NWOBHM began as an underground phenomenon growing in parallel to punk rock without necessarily being directly influenced by it. Punk was an influence on some bands early in their careers; however, by 1980 most active bands had moved away from punk’s simplicity and instrumentation towards a more complex HM sound that retained elements of punk’s energy while adding layers of guitar SOLOS OVER POWER CHORDS ALONG WITH LONG INSTRUMENTAL INTROS/CODAS andoccasional synthesizers.

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that began in the early 1980s. It is characterized by its fast tempo and aggressive sound. Early thrash metal bands include Anthrax, Metallica, and Slayer. Thrash metal has since evolved into other subgenres, such as death metal and black metal.

Death metal

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, blast beat drumming, deep growling vocals, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes. Death metal developed in the late 1980s as one of a number of precursors to the genre. It initially embraced a more traditional heavy metal sound before evolving into the brutal, death-themed style that would come to be defined by bands such as Death, Obituary, and Morbid Angel.

Black metal

Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that originated in the 1980s. It is characterized by fast tempos, shrieked vocals, and heavily distorted guitars. Early black metal was often associated with Satanism and other forms of extreme violence. In the 1990s, black metal became more atmospheric, and its sound began to incorporate elements of folk music.

Black metal bands often dress in all-black clothing and wear face makeup to look more demonic. They also often use stage props such as inverted crosses and coffins. Black metal has been linked to a number of murders and church burnings committed by its fans.

Despite its dark image, black metal has been influential on a number of other genres of music, including death metal, doom metal, and even pop music. Some black metal bands have found success in the mainstream music industry, particularly in Scandinavia.

Post-Metal

Post-metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that began in the 1990s and is characterized by the use of slow tempos, genres typically associated with metal. The term “post-metal” was coined by music journalist Simon Reynolds in 1993 to describe the development of metalcore and sludge metal.

Sludge metal

Sludge metal is a genre that emerged from the hardcore punk and metal scenes in the 1980s. It is characterized by its unique Southern Gothic sound, which incorporates elements of doom metal, hardcore punk, and blues-rock. Sludge bands are typically slow and heavy, with distorted guitars and screaming vocals.

The genre was pioneered by such bands as the Melvins, Corrosion of Conformity, and Eyehategod. Sludge metal soon gained a cult following in the underground music scene, and by the 1990s, it had begun to gain mainstream attention. Today, sludge metal is considered to be one of the most influential genres in heavy music.

Doom metal

Doom metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that emerged in the 1980s. It is characterized by its slow tempo, dark atmosphere, and often gloomy or depressing lyrical themes.

Early doom metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, and Witchfinder General were influenced by traditional heavy metal of the 1970s as well as the emerging genre of punk rock. They Slowdive’s ground-breaking album Pygmalion in 1995, which saw the band experimenting with dream pop and shoegaze influences.

Drone metal

Drone metal, also known as drone doom, is a slow and heavy subgenre of metal. It is characterized by droning, trance-like riffs and use of feedback. Drone metal is sometimes considered a part of the post-metal genre.

Post-metal

Post-metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that began in the 1990s. It combines elements of metal withPost-rock and experimental music. Post-metal typically features long songs with slowly evolving structures, frequently shifting time signatures, and moody or atmospheric lyrics. The genre emerged from theFujiya & MiyagiI’m Dead, FuckYou All! experiments of bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh.