History of Heavy Metal

    

      Most knowledgeable veterans of the music world have said

to begin your education into the history of Heavy Metal music

they simply need to pick up one album to start their journey.

The common belief is that Stephenwolf’s growl of "Heavy

Metal thunder" in "Born to be wild"was just that. This was

really just the descriptive power for the sound of their hogs

from their biker enthused lyrical minds. Of course this can

be argued until your voice goes hoarse. The real history

of Heavy Metal was born across the pond in Birmingham,

England. With the pivotal question of

"What is this that strands before me?" the rock world

was split a-thunder. Released ironically on a Friday

the 13^{th  1970 the namesake album of Black Sabbath}

^{would be the bed stone in the history of heavy metal}

^{group's & its ever spawning sub genres.}

          

 

From the end of the 60's the love generation’s pacifist

ideals & drug addled accomplishments were left a group

of disillusioned youth. With the deaths of Joplin, Morrison

& Hendrix in less than a year time & the assassination

of change in King & the Kennedy brothers a new

generation were looking for answers. Ozzy, Geezer,

Tony & Bill would supply some answer with Heavy

Metal. Beared into war-torn 1940's England with little

chance for advancement other than crime, these details

would help to invent a new counter culture in the

history of music known as Heavy Metal.

        

Now obviously Sabbath is not the only group credited

with the creation of Heavy Metal music. History shows

many shared in the growth of this genre. Groups

like Led Zeppelin with Pages innovative style, Plants

screaming vocal’s & Bonham’s thunderous percussions

or Deep Purple with its moody riff driven melodies

shared a huge credit. It would take artists like

Motorhead & Judas Priest to help propel it even further.

 

    Though the 70's were anything but accepting to

this genres first steps into history, heavy metal

music would grow a strong underground movement

through the Disco / Punk era of the 70's. Once

 Disco was officially declared dead though & Punks

heroin laced squandering leading to its demise

(temporarily) change was around the corner. The

80's would be a Decade of Decadence thanks to

groups like AC/DC, Kiss, Aerosmith & Blue Oyster

Cult to help keep the history of heavy metal music

moving forward.  

           

       By the end of the 70's the counter culture of Heavy

Metal influenced music was making waves on both coasts.

Metal was set to shove its boot up the anal of music

histories ass & enter the mainstream. With groups like

 Van Halen, Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister and

 Ozzy having a new weekly platform on MTV, the music

 industry was forced to raise the white flag & leach onto

 anything with long hair that resembled heavy metal as

 they had throughout history.

           

They would have a veritable treasure trove & crap  wagon

 to pick from. They could choose from the Speed /Thrash

 metal styles of Metallica, Anthrax & Pantera. The Dark,

 gothic or Satanic realms of Slayer, Venom & King Diamond.

 Straight through to the Glam, Pop, hair bands like Poison,

Cinderella & Dokken. The second decline of western civilization

 had begun & the question of "Could this be the end my friend?"

 would scream back an answer of "NO!!!" The history of Heavy

 Metal music would anchor its battleship in the tides of time

 & continue to Pearl Harbor the competition.

 

Back to the Top