The Sub-Genre of Heavy Metal Music in the 1980’s

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Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

The sub-genre of heavy metal music in the 1980’s was characterized by its aggressive sound and dark lyrical themes. This type of metal was often criticized for its alleged links to Satanism and violence. However, many fans loved the music for its intensity and its ability to provoke strong emotions.

Introduction

The 1980’s was a decade that saw the rise of many different sub-genres of heavy metal music. This was due in part to the increasing popularity of the genre, as well as the increasing technical proficiency of musicians. As a result, there was a greater variety of sounds and styles to choose from.

The most common sub-genres of heavy metal in the 1980’s were: thrash metal, death metal, black metal, power metal, and hair metal. All of these sub-genres had their own unique sound and style, which helped to attract different fans to the genre.

Thrash metal was perhaps the most popular sub-genre of heavy metal in the 1980’s. This was due in part to the fact that it was one of the most aggressive and fast paced styles ofmetal music at the time. Bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer were all considered to be thrash metal bands, and they helped to popularize the genre with their catchy riffs and aggressive lyrics.

Death metal was another popular sub-genre in the 1980’s. This style was characterized by its dark and growling vocals, as well as its slow and heavy guitar riffs. Death metal bands such as Obituary and Cannibal Corpse helped to pioneer this style of music, and they continue to be some of the most popular death metal bands today.

Black metal is a sub-genre that is often associated with death metal. However, black metal typically has even darker lyrics and imagery than death metal. Black metal bands such as Venom and Bathory were some of the first to popularize this style of music, and they continue to be highly influential within the genre today.

Powermetal is a sub-genre that combines elements of both thrashmetaland traditional heavymetal . Powermetalbands are typically characterized by their useof clean vocals , twin guitar harmonies ,and grandiose lyrics . Some ofthe most popular powermetal bands include Helloween , Blind Guardian ,and Dragonforce .
Hairmetalis a term usedto describe a specific typeof heavymetalthat becamepopular in themid -1980s . Hairmetalbandsare usually characterizedby their useof flashy clothingand makeup , as wellas their focus on party anthemsand love songs . Bands such as Motley Crue , Def Leppard , poisonshowcase typical hairmetalsoundsand aesthetics .

Defining Heavy Metal

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 Beginnings of Heavy Metal

The sub-genre of heavy metal music began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. These bands brought a new sound to rock music, with heavier guitars and a more aggressive overall sound. In the 1980s, heavy metal became its own distinct genre, with bands such as Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. These bands defined the sound of heavy metal for a generation, with fast guitars, thundering drums, and high-pitched vocals.

The Development of Heavy Metal

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new type of rock music began to emerge that was heavier and louder than anything that had come before. This new style, which would come to be known as heavy metal, would have a profound impact on the course of rock music and would eventually spawn a number of subgenres, each with its own unique sound and style.

One of the earliest examples of heavy metal can be found in the band Blue Cheer, whose 1968 album Vincebus Eruptum is often cited as an influential early work in the genre. Other early metal bands include Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, all of whom released groundbreaking albums in the early 1970s that would help to define the sound of heavy metal.

In the 1980s, heavy metal evolved into a number of different subgenres, each with its own distinct style. These included hair metal, thrash metal, speed metal, doom metal, black metal, and death metal. Some of the most popular heavy metal bands of the 1980s included Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest.

While heavy metal has remained popular throughout the years, it has seen something of a decline in recent years. Nevertheless, there are still many fans who enjoy this type of music and there are sure to be many more classic heavy metal albums released in the years to come.

The Sub-Genre of Heavy Metal in the 1980’s

The sub-genre of heavy metal music in the 1980’s can be broadly described as music that is dark, aggressive, and often distorted. This style of music often drew on themes of alienation, nihilism, and apocalypse. The sub-genre of heavy metal in the 1980’s was often characterized by fast tempos, powerful riffs, and aggressive vocals.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a subgenre of heavy metal music that emerged in the late 1970s and into the early 1980s. The movement began in the United Kingdom as a response to the more commercial and polished sound of bands such as UFO and Scorpions.

The NWOBHM sound was characterized by raw, heavy guitar riffs, aggressive vocals, and fast tempos. It was also marked by a DIY ethic; many of the bands self-produced their demos and records.

The NWOBHM had a major influence on the development of later subgenres of heavy metal, such as thrash metal and power metal. It also spawned several successful bands, including Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, and Saxon.

Thrash Metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrash metal is characterized by its fast tempo, aggressive musicianship, and often graphic lyrical content. This musical style often features heavily distorted guitars, fast drumming, and shouting vocals. Common themes in thrash metal include violence, misanthropy, substance abuse, and social problems.

Death Metal

Death metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that emerged during the mid-1980s. It is characterized by its aggressive, fast-paced sound and graphic lyrical themes.

Death metal bands are often associated with Satanism and the occult, and their lyrics often deal with themes of death, violence, and destruction. The genre is also known for its use of growling or screaming vocals, blast beat drumming, and guitar riffs that are often down-tuned to create a heavier sound.

Death metal began to develop in the early 1980s, with bands such as Venom, Mercyful Fate, Slayer, and Metallica all releasing influential records. By the late 1980s, the genre had fully developed with the releases of albums such as Possessed’s Seven Churches (1985), Death’s Scream Bloody Gore (1987), and Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness (1989).

In the 1990s, death metal experienced a resurgence in popularity with the advent of “deathcore” bands such as Whitechapel and Suicide Silence. In recent years, the genre has continued to evolve with the rise of “progressive death metal” bands such as Gojira and Opeth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sub-genre of heavy metal music in the 1980’s was highly influential and played a significant role in the development of the genre as a whole. While there are many different styles of heavy metal music, the 1980’s was a particularly important decade for the genre, with many bands experimentings with new sounds and styles.

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