Who Invented Heavy Metal Music?

Many people believe that Black Sabbath created heavy metal music. However, there are a number of other bands that contributed to the genre.

The Beginnings of Heavy Metal

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It has its roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, and often incorporates elements of funk, glam rock, and punk rock. The first heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin created a sound that was heavier and louder than anything that had come before.

Hard Rock in the 1960s and 1970s

The term “heavy metal” was first used in the late 1960s to describe the louder, more aggressive sound of bands such as Cream and Led Zeppelin. These bands were inspired by the earlier blues-rock of the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, and they began to experiment with longer, more complex songs, heavier guitar sounds, and higher levels of volume. They also began to wear more outrageous clothes and stage makeup, which became another hallmark of the heavy metal style.

In the 1970s, a new wave of British bands such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest took heavy metal in a darker direction, with slower tempos, heavier guitars, and lyrics that dealt with occult themes and drug addiction. These bands were followed by a second wave of British metal bands in the 1980s, including Iron Maiden and Def Leppard. American bands such as Metallica and Megadeth also became extremely popular in the 1980s.Heavy metal music has continued to evolve since its beginnings in the 1960s and 1970s, but it has maintained its core elements of heavy guitars, strong rhythms, and aggressive lyrics.

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was a musical movement that started in the late 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. It was a reaction against the declining state of heavy metal music in the UK at the time. The NWOBHM bands were heavier and more aggressive than their predecessors, and they produced music that was faster and more intense.

Many of the NWOBHM bands went on to become some of the most influential acts in heavy metal history, such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard. The movement also gave rise to thrash metal, with bands like Slayer and Metallica taking the sound to new levels of intensity.

The Development of Heavy Metal

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new type of rock music started to develop that would later come to be known as heavy metal. This new genre was characterized by its loud, distorted sound and its aggressive, often dark lyrics. Heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin became increasingly popular in the 1970s.

The United States

The first recorded use of the term “heavy metal” in a musical context was in the song “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf, which was released in 1968. The term was also used in the liner notes of the Black Sabbath self-titled debut album, which was released in early 1970.

The development of heavy metal music in the United States is often traced back to two key events: the release of Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album and the concert at the Altamont Speedway on December 6, 1969. Black Sabbath’s music was heavier and more aggressive than anything that had been heard before, and their success paved the way for other bands to follow suit. The Altamont concert, which was marred by violence and death, showed that there was a market for this new type of music.

Heavy metal music soon became a mainstay of American popular culture, with bands such as Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth becoming household names. In the 1990s and 2000s, heavy metal experienced something of a resurgence, with bands such as Slipknot and System of a Down finding success both commercially and critically. Today, heavy metal is more popular than ever, with new bands continuing to emerge and old bands still touring and making new music.

Europe

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.

In 1968, three British bands—Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple—developed heavy metal’s signature sound. Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi created a style characterized by massive down-tuned power chords played with speed and precision by rhythm guitarist Geezer Butler while teamed with Iommi’s slide-rule precise lead work. Deep Purple popularized an even more overdriven electric guitar sound on their seminal hard rock anthem “Smoke on the Water.” Led Zeppelin expanded this more melodically complex approach to create “Whole Lotta Love.” Soon after this song’s release in 1969 it became an anthem of the emerging heavy metal subculture with its famous opening riff played by lead guitarist Jimmy Page.

The sound of these early bands had a profound influence on subsequent heavy metal artists such as Judas Priest, Diamond Head, UFO, Angel Witch, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Def Leppard; as well as on glam metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Ratt; thrash metal bands like Metallica and Megadeth; as well as power metal bands like Manowar.

The Popularity of Heavy Metal

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new style of rock music began to emerge. This music was characterized by its aggressive, often distorted sound, as well as its themes of rebellion and nihilism. This style would come to be known as heavy metal.

The 1980s

In the 1980s, metal music saw a surge in popularity with the rise of hair bands and glam metal groups like Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Bon Jovi. These groups combined the aggression and heaviness of metal with a more radio-friendly sound, resulting in some of the most iconic songs in heavy metal history.

The early 1990s brought with it a new wave of metal bands, including the likes of Metallica, Pantera, and Megadeth. These bands pushed the boundaries of what was considered to be heavy metal, incorporating elements from other genres like punk and thrash. This new breed of metal would come to be known as “extreme metal”.

Today, heavy metal is one of the most popular genres of music in the world. It has spawned countless sub-genres and inspired new generations of musicians.

The 1990s and 2000s

The 1990s and 2000s saw a renewed interest in heavy metal, with bands such as Pantera, Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth enjoying mainstream success. This was due in part to the popularity of the “big four” thrash metal bands, who were all active during this time. The big four – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax – are considered to be the most influential bands in heavy metal history.

The Future of Heavy Metal

Although its exact origins are heavily debated and often disputed, it is generally agreed that heavy metal began to take form in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This new genre of music emerged out of a combination of factors, including the increased popularity of rock music, the work of innovative musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, and the arrival of more powerful amplifiers and speaker cabinets.

Over the next few years, metal music would continue to evolve, with new bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Judas Priest helping to pioneer a heavier and more aggressive sound. In the 1980s, metal would reach new heights of popularity with the rise of acts like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Megadeth.

Today, heavy metal is one of the most popular genres of music in the world, with countless fans across all age groups. While some bands have moved away from traditional metal sounds in recent years, there is no doubt that this genre still has a bright future ahead.