The real history of metal...

[Super Mahrio]

well....this is something that many have been arguing lately..(not really here at UM but at other places) My account of it isnt as accurate from what others say so does anyone know the real history of metal and how the main subgenres were created?
(i figured this board would be the best place to ask, due to the amount of older metalheads here)

 

[Stun]

You want to know the history of metal? The history of any music is incredibly complex, let alone an entire genre, esp. one as varied as metal. I don't think anyone person knows. I used to know about a site that had lots of info on different genres of metal, and how they started, and who pioneered it and shit... but I lost the link. Anyone know what I'm talking about (not much to go on, I know)? It was really great, talked about the early influences like Sabbath and shit and moved on through the years.

 

[Deadly Embrace]

Since I'm an Old Timer.........I think Metal started for me at least with bands like........Ted Nugent(first self titled)...UFO (Phenomenum)........Sabbath(early).......Aerosmith.....AC/DC......BTO.........Zeppelin......Lynyrd Skynyrd.......
Montrose.........etc......and its seems that it just got heavier & faster as time went on.......those are the bands that started me down the path......I just took right turns off the beaten commericial path as I was traveling.......But I think these bands & others helped pave the way........like making that transistion from the 60's & 70's hippie Music......and getting harder & for me better.......after that period........bands like Van Halen.........etc...busted out & took it further, I remember first hearing VH 1......and thinking wow this is so heavy!......Ah growing up, life was easier & less complicated back then, you younger board members enjoy......cause the road gets rockier.......and time moves faster as you get older.........off topic advice!

 

[Officer Nice]

IMO, you should check out this link

www.brutalmetal.com

http://www.nwobhm.com/

there's lots of info on this page and you can check out tons of bands.
There's a big A-Z on all kinds of different styles and such and it could
point you in the right direction. The british overall were very influential
in the birth and early years of Heavy Metal. American Rock wasnt doing
a whole lot for Heavy Metal in the 70's and 80's. Van Halen, yes.
Aerosmith, maybe. Nugent, not really. REO Speedwagon, Kansas, Skynyrd,
Allmans, Montrose, Boston - not really. All the big action was in England
with Priest, Maiden, Zeppelin and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
and all those bands that Metallica always talked about like Def Leppard,
Tygers of Pan Tang, Def Leppard, Angel Witch, Venom, Sweet, Sweet
Savage, Diamond Head, Rainbow, Deep Purple, UFO, Saxon, etc...

Ammended...

And the germans had bands like Scorpions (since 72) and Warlock (lke 84)
and Helloween (like 85) and the Swedes had Hellhammer which became
Celtic Frost later....

 

[pest666]

"where were you in 79?" Saxon....

I think that yes, there were some metal bands back in the 70s, but the true movement of what we now know as "Heavy Metal" started with the NWOBHM, and hasn't looked back.

That's not meant in any way to discount the early proto metal bands, because there was a lot o good stuff going on (I myself love 70s Aerosmith and early Sabbath), but since the NWOBHM, there has really been a change so to speak......

 

[HemiGTX]

I'll throw my two cents into this. I think it started with the blues, specifically Muddy Waters. Who impressed Jimmy Page so much, that his style was very heavy, but in a different way.

However, I think Jimmy Hendrix was a great innovator, the first to use distortion and other effects to create a heavier sound. (My opinion...I think he was a great leader as far as guitarists go)....then Iommi nabbed the technique, made it his own, and that's Black Sabbath. The turning point. There were many good 70's bands (Old ass Scorpions will trip you out!), but many were light weight, as far as the evolution. But, I believe that metal had it's roots firmly planted in the blues, and took it a heavier route. Blending Rock n' Roll, etc...

NWOBHM is next, almost at the same time as speed metal, which was short lived, and became thrash. Although thrash was a seperate entity at the time too....hair metal a few years after that. Death Metal in the late 80's took nods from speed/thrash, and made it their own. Gore/Grind is actually quite early (Napalm Death...not a fan, just saying), taking sludgish riffs, and the brutality of Death Metal...Carcass was the kings of that, imho. Black Metal evolved out of Death metal to an extant. That was a whole nother world, which was the late 80's that the evolution started....(Venom is your key band).

What was the question again?

metal is a maple tree. Chop it down, you get five new limbs which become trees. Chop it down again, you get 20 new limbs. Etc.

Now there's so many different hybrids, that I've decided that labels suck. I try not to use them anymore. It's a good band, according to me, or I don't like them. The only way genres and labels are helpful is telling someone "they sound like". My point is, after about 88-89...absolutely nothing is clear cut. Lotsa crossover. It's hard to describe music to people when you start talking in terms of styles, especially if they aren't familar with that style.

 

[The saYer]

try and pinpoint the place were they named it. That is probably the most official, although
those bands probably are hard rock by today's standards.

 

[Super Mahrio]

wasnt it uhhh...Steppenwolf that came up with the term Heavy Metal?

 

[metalmaiden]

There is actually a book written about the history of heavy metal by Ian Christe. It's called Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. To my surprise it was actually well written and had a good detail regarding bands and times and things that happened in the world of metal. The book started with Black Sabbath and from what I recall ended with Metallica and Nabster. It also as a tribute section too all the great heavy metal musicians who have passed on. I found this book about a year ago when I was at a book store in Downtown Disney in Anaheim. You can buy it online at Amazon too.

DE since your an old timer like me I think you should read this and let you know what you think.

 

[Deadly Embrace]

Shes very right about Metal deriving from the Blues.......it took hold going from Blues into Rock....and the Rock got heavier.......Jimmy Page sure did play Metal, mostly Blues based...........and before him Jimmy Hendrix sure took Acid Rock into a Metal direction......early UFO........took us more in the right direction.......
And of course The Scorpions, Aerosmith & Ted Nugent.......got heavier as time went on..........

 

[Valofvalhalla]

Since I'm an Old Timer.........I think Metal started for me at least with bands like........Ted Nugent(first self titled)...UFO (Phenomenum)........Sabbath(early).......Aerosmith..........BTO.........Zeppelin......Lynyrd Skynyrd.......
Montrose.........etc......and its seems that it just got heavier & faster as time went on.......those are the bands that started me down the path......I just took right turns off the beaten commericial path as I was traveling.......But I think these bands & others helped pave the way........like making that transistion from the 60's & 70's hippie Music......and getting harder & for me better.......after that period........bands like Van Halen.........etc...busted out & took it further, I remember first hearing VH 1......and thinking wow this is so heavy!......Ah growing up, life was easier & less complicated back then, you younger board members enjoy......cause the road gets rockier.......and time moves faster as you get older.........off topic advice!

And don't forget Led Zep

 

[Deadly Embrace]

And don't forget Led Zep

I listed them.............

 

[Testament Legions]

N.W.O.B.H.M. definitely started the ball rolling...

I still have my vinyl LPs of Angel Witch, Tygers of Pan Tang, Praying Mantis, Raven etc.!

 

[MindInsane]

wasnt it uhhh...Steppenwolf that came up with the term Heavy Metal?

Yep..you are 100% correct. "Heavy Metal Thunder!" That was the first time that phrase was used..and it stuck! I do believe they were talking about Harley Davidson motorcycles, but I'm glad someone coined the phrase! Thanks for posting this because I was talking to a friend today about this and couldn't remember who it was!



On a side note...the Kinks were the first band to use distortion. They did it by ripping little sections in their speakers they were playing through. Kinda innovative huh?