Was Heavy Metal Once Folk Music?

A look at how heavy metal has its roots in folk music and how the two genres have influenced each other over the years.

Origins of heavy metal

Heavy metal is a genre of rock that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has its roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, and is often described as a more aggressive and harder-edged version of these genres. Let’s take a look at the origins of heavy metal.

Where did heavy metal come from?

Heavy metal music is a type of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by aggressive, driving rhythms and sounds, as well as amplified distorted guitars.

The origins of heavy metal are uncertain, but it probably developed out of hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. Early heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin were all influenced by these earlier genres.

Heavy metal has also been associated with violence and rebellion. In the 1980s, the British government even tried to ban the music in an attempt to stem the tide of youth crime. Today, heavy metal is still popular among young people, although it has become more mainstream and less underground than it was in its early days.

The first heavy metal bands

Despite its bad reputation, heavy metal has a long and complex history that can be traced back to the early days of the blues. In the early 20th century, artists like Lead Belly and Robert Johnson were playing a new style of music that was influenced by both the blues and African-American folk music. This new style would eventually come to be known as heavy metal.

The first heavy metal bands began to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Judas Priest are often credited as being some of the first heavy metal bands. These bands took the basic sound of early rock and roll and added elements of African-American folk music, creating a unique new sound.

Heavy metal continued to evolve in the 1970s and 1980s with bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Megadeth pushing the genre in new directions. Heavy metal remains popular today with young audiences and continues to evolve with each new generation of musicians.

The influence of folk music on heavy metal

It is widely known that heavy metal has its roots in rock and roll. But what is less known is that heavy metal was once folk music. In the early days of metal, bands would take old folk songs and amplify them. This gave birth to a new genre of music that was louder and faster than anything that had come before.

The influence of folk music on metal lyrics

Heavy metal lyrics are often based on fantasy and the macabre, and they’re not usually thought of as being particularly influenced by folk music. However, many of the themes and motifs found in metal lyrics can be traced back to older folk songs.

For example, many metal songs deal with topics like death, monsters, and the Devil. These are all common themes in folk songs as well. In fact, some of the most famous metal songs, such as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” are based on traditional folk melodies.

Folk music has also had a significant influence on the sound of heavy metal. Many metal bands have incorporated folk instruments into their music, particularly in the early days of the genre. For example, Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” features a sitar, which is a traditional Indian instrument. Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” features an electric violin, which gives the song a distinctly folky sound.

While the influence of folk music on heavy metal may not be immediately obvious, it is clear that the two genres have more in common than one might think.

The influence of folk music on metal instrumentation

In the early days of metal, folk music was a big influence on metal instrumentation. Metal bands would often use traditional folk instruments like acoustic guitars, mandolins, and even accordions in their music. This gave metal a unique sound that was different from anything else at the time. Folk metal is still around today, and many modern metal bands continue to be influenced by folk music.

How heavy metal has changed over time

Though it’s hard to imagine now, heavy metal once had its roots in folk music. In the early days of the genre, bands would often play acoustic guitars and sing about personal, sometimes political topics. Over time, however, heavy metal has become louder and more aggressive, with electric guitars and drums taking over. While there are still some folk-influenced metal bands around, the genre has largely moved away from its roots.

The evolution of metal subgenres

The sound of heavy metal has evolved over the years, branching out into a number of different subgenres. Early heavy metal was influences by blues and psychedelic rock, giving birth to genres like hard rock and protometal. As metal became more popular in the 1970s, bands began to experiment with new sounds and styles, leading to the development of genres like glam metal, thrash metal, and black metal.

In the 1980s and 1990s, metal experienced something of a renaissance as new subgenres like death metal, doom metal, and nu metal emerged. The 2000s saw a continued diversification of the genre, with bands experimenting with everything from post-hardcore to electronic music. Today, heavy metal is more diverse than ever before, encompassing everything from traditional sounds to cutting-edge experimentalism.

The influence of other genres on metal

Though it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of heavy metal, we can see the influence of other genres on its development. For example, early metal was heavily influenced by blues music. This is evident in the work of early metal pioneers like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, who incorporated blues elements into their sound.

As metal developed, it began to take on elements from other genres as well. For example, we can see the influence of punk in the work of British band Motörhead. Punk was a major influence on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which was a major movement in metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We can also see the influence of disco in some metal from the same period, as bands like Kiss incorporated disco-influenced beats into their songs.

Today, we can see the influence of all sorts of genres in heavy metal. Metalcore bands likeKillswitch Engage incorporate elements of hardcore punk into their sound, while deathcore bands like Suicide Silence mix death metal with hardcore punk and brutal aspects of death grindcore. As we can see, heavy metal has been influenced by a wide variety of genres over the years, and it continues to evolve as new genres emerge.

The future of heavy metal

Many believe that heavy metal was once folk music. While the two genres share some similarities, they are quite different. Heavy metal is often seen as aggressive and dark, while folk music is seen as peaceful and light. However, there are some who believe that heavy metal can be both aggressive and dark, and peaceful and light.

The influence of metal on other genres

Heavy metal music has had a profound influence on other genres of music. hip-hop, punk, and even pop musicians have been inspired by the sounds and attitude of metal. In fact, manymetal bands have incorporated elements of other genres into their music, expanding the boundaries of metal even further.

Asmetal continues to evolve, it is sure to have an even greater impact on the world of music. Who knows what new genres will be created in the years to come, thanks to the influence of heavy metal?

The continued evolution of metal

Metal has always been a genre in flux, with new subgenres and subcultures emerging all the time. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of “djent” (a progressive metal style characterized by heavy rhythms and complex riffs), as well as a renewed interest in classic metal styles like NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) and power metal. It’s safe to say that metal is currently experiencing a renaissance, with younger fans embracing the genre’s more extreme styles while still appreciating its rich history.

Looking to the future, it’s hard to say what direction metal will go in. Will we see the rise of new subgenres, or will existing ones continue to evolve? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: metal is here to stay.