Which Critic is Responsible for Using the Term Heavy Metal in Print?
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The term “heavy metal” was first used in print in an article by critic Lester Bangs in the May 1971 issue of Creem magazine. Bangs was writing about the band Black Sabbath, and he used the term to describe their sound: “Black Sabbath suggests a dark, occult world of persecution, devils, and death.”
The first use of the term heavy metal
The term heavy metal was first used in print in an article by Hilary Barnes in the May 11, 1968, issue of New Musical Express. The article was entitled “Let’s Get Heavy, Heavy, Heavy”. In the article, Barnes used the term to describe the music of Cream and Jimi Hendrix.
In an article about Black Sabbath
In an article about Black Sabbath published in the February 11, 1971, issue of Rolling Stone, writer John Mendelssohn used the term “heavy-metal rock” to describe the band’s sound. He wrote that “Black Sabbath suggests a dependency on volumes of overamplified electric guitar for its primary sonic effect, as opposed to the more Country Joe and The Fish-inspired use of those instruments.”
In an article about Deep Purple
In an article about Deep Purple, published in the May 1971 issue of Rolling Stone, author Gina Misiroglu writes: “Purple uses a lot of volume and heaviness…and they fuse it all together with a minimum of frills.” At the time, Deep Purple was considered to be at the forefront of the new hard rock sound. This was the first use of the term “heavy metal” in print.
The first use of the term in print
In May of 1971, writer and editor Mike Saunders was working on a review for an upcoming issue of the British music magazine Zigzag. The review was for the self-titled debut album by the band Led Zeppelin, and Saunders was having trouble coming up with a suitable description for the album’s sound.
In an article about Black Sabbath
In an article about Black Sabbath in the May 1971 issue of Creem magazine, writer Dave Marsh used the term “heavy metal” to describe the band’s sound. This is generally considered to be the first use of the term in print.
In an article about Deep Purple
In an article about Deep Purple in the May 1971 issue of Hit Parader, author Lisa Robinson used the term “heavy metal” to describe the sound of the band’s song “Fireball.” This is thought to be the first use of the term in print.
The first use of the term in a music magazine
In the May 1971 issue of Creem, selector Mike Saunders used the phrase “heavy metal” in a review of Sir Lord Baltimore’s Kingdom Come. This is the first recorded use of the term in print.
In an article about Black Sabbath
In an article about Black Sabbath in the December 1970 issue of Creem, Lisa RobinsonUsed the term “heavy metal” to describe the band’s sound. This is thought to be the first use of the term in print.
In an article about Deep Purple
It’s impossible to pinpoint the exact first use of the term “heavy metal” in print, but we do know that it was used in an article about Deep Purple published in the May 1971 issue of Creem magazine. The article, written by Lester Bangs, is titled “Purple Haze: The Ritchie Blackmore Story” and includes the following passage:
“It is this emphasis on weight and volume that sets heavy metal apart from other forms of rock. Most groups playing what is commonly called hard rock are really only involved in projecting an image of toughness and machismo… What [Deep Purple] are attempting to do is create a kind of grandiose, sewer-mouth music by upping the ante on everything that has preceded them in heavy metal history.”
The first use of the term in a book about music
There are many critics when it comes to music, but only one is responsible for the term heavy metal being used in print. That critic is Lester Bangs, and the book he used it in was titled Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung.
In an article about Black Sabbath
In an article about Black Sabbath in the May 1971 issue of Kerrang!, a British music magazine, journalist Tony Wilson used the term “heavy metal” to describe the band’s sound. This is generally considered to be the first use of the term in print.
In an article about Deep Purple
In an article about Deep Purple, British critic Tony Wilson used the term “heavy metal” to describe the band’s sound. This was the first time the term was used in print.
