The History of Heavy Metal Music dates back as far as nineteen eighties in the United Kingdom. A band called Black Sabbath emerged from London, United Kingdom and began touring the world. They attracted a lot of attention because of the songs like,” Sabbath Arrangement” and “Bills From The Bar”. Within a few years the band was signed by Parlophone and they went on to make four full length albums and one double album. Their lyrics and music were very unique, so much so that they attracted people like lead singer, guitar player, Stephen Graham.
The United Kingdom had a major influence on the development of death metal bands. There were several bands like Priest, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper and others that came out of this country. The United States also had several bands that made a mark on the history of heavy metal music. Some of these are Metallica, Motley Crew, Black Sabbath, Black Label Society and finally Motley Crue. This article will cover the early United Kingdom influences on the genre.
The birth place of this genre can be traced back to the late 1960s. This is the era when a British band called Queen formed, which became one of the biggest names in the world. The group went on to create hit songs like, “We Will Rock You”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, “We Are The Champions”. Queen’s lead guitarist, Freddie Mercury, is responsible for popularizing the use of the guitar in heavy metal music.
The United Kingdom had a major influence on the formation of the new wave genre. When the Beatles came to the country, they helped to popularize the use of synthesizers and different sounds. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were joined by other popular members such as John Entwistle, Richard James, Ringo Starr and John Paul Jones. The band’s popularity increased with their popularity, as well as the lyrics and instrumentals they were able to come up with. The Beatles ended up touring in many different countries, including the United States.
Some of the bands from the United States who were influenced by Queen and the Beatles are Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. The band Iron Maiden was formed by singer, vocalist and guitarist, Bruce Dickinson and bass player, Rob Drain. Iron Maiden’s guitar player at the time, Jim Burrell, went on to play with such acts as Cream, Aerosmith and Megadeth. Bruce Dickinson would go on to become a successful solo artist and would go on to tour with such artists as KISS, Testament and Skid Row.
Another group from the United States that made an impact on the development of heavy metal bands were the Von Rhajos and Motley Crew. They were a trio who hails from California. These groups played early 1970s influenced songs, which were known as alternative style. Their songs featured things like heavy metal anthems and were not unlike the stuff they heard on the radio.
Over the years, as these various styles of music began to evolve, some were left behind while others took on new fashions. One of the biggest influences in the genre was what was known as blues oriented metal. This came from groups such as Motley Crew, who incorporated an American-influenced style of blues into their music. Over the years, blues based heavy metal has gone through many changes. One of the major changes was the addition of keyboards to the musical instruments. There have been many bands who have made a career out of playing on keyboards, including Metallica, Megadeth and LambZA.
During the late seventies and early eighties, there was what is known as doom metal. This was a type of metal that had a more distorted tone and was definitely harder than the other styles of metal. During this time there were not nearly as many recording artists, but these new bands who emerged from this time period became popular overnight. Some of the early albums that were considered to be doom metal had some influence from Black Sabbath. Other acts that emerged during this time period that also had extreme appeal included Black Sabbath, Priest, Black Label Society, etc. The growth of these new bands helped them create not only a new sound for metal but helped them create a new commercial image for themselves.
Dan is a musician who plays at local bars and perform small concerts with his band. He also writes and produces their own music. He also gives lessons on playing guitar and piano.