Question: why is metal music called "metal"?

[E V I L]

Anyone know exactly about the origins of the title?

I figure it has something to do with the tone color of distorted guitars... but the metaphor still seems a bit strange.

Thanks.

 

[warsofwinter]

Yeah ,, alot of people say it goes along with the music ,, but it's only in certain case's ,,, I still never call Opeth metal ,, it's too good for Metal

 

[luke]

apparently the term comes from a reported who described Jimmy Hendrix's music as sounding like "heavy metal falling from the sky"

 

[Achernar]

tHAT'S RIGHT lUKE...

 

[Sadistik]

I actually thought it came from a book (some beatnik) who described a motorcylist's music as "heavy as the metal on his bike" or something like that...

 

[RETIREDTrapped]

fucked if i know.

 

[Melancholia]

Originally posted by warsofwinter
I still never call Opeth metal ,, it's too good for Metal

oooh,come on....what do you mean by "it's too good for metal"???

 

[tintin]

I think it's from Steppenwolf's late 60's song "Born to be Wild", when they sing "Get out on the highway, Heavy metal thunder, Looking for adventure, In whatever comes your way"

The term was originally about motorcycles but just stuck to the music....

 

[Opet]

I think if you search and search and search you'll come up with maybe three different bands that contributed to the term. "Sounds like heavy metal falling from the sky." is one I thought was attached to Led Zeppelin music.

I think it's from all of (or one) of either Zeppelin, Hendrix and I can never remember the third band. I think it may have been Steppenwolf. I've heard people swear it came from Black Sabbath but I think it was before Sabbath.

I don't know. "Heavy metal falling from the sky." is what I got from it.

"Under a watching autumn eye,
Contorted trees are spreading forth the message of the wind."

 

[Jim LotFP]

Originally posted by warsofwinter
Yeah ,, alot of people say it goes along with the music ,, but it's only in certain case's ,,, I still never call Opeth metal ,, it's too good for Metal

Opeth is the greatest band on Earth, but will never be greater than heavy metal itself.

 

[MacMoney]

Originally posted by warsofwinter
Yeah ,, alot of people say it goes along with the music ,, but it's only in certain case's ,,, I still never call Opeth metal ,, it's too good for Metal

This has got to be one of the stupidest statements ever. Opeth are great but beyond metal? Not bloody likely!