Metal music, which left its mark on the 1970s, has continued to develop and increase its mass without losing speed since then. Metal music genre, which continues to exist with many sub-genres today, seems to be in our lives for a long time.
Well, what is this metal music that is so popular, how did it reach so many people? In this article, we answer the question of how the metal music that left its mark on the 1970s emerged, and examine its history and genres.
What is metal music, how did it originate? History of metal music:
Let’s start with the basics, what is metal music?
The first detail we need to know about metal music is that it is a branch independent of rock music. Many people think of metal as a sub-branch of rock. But that’s not exactly how the situation works. Just as rock differed from blues, metal branched out from just rock.
Metal music is a musical genre known for heavy drum sounds, aggressive vocals, gaping bass notes, and distorted guitar chords. Since it consists of only a few basic components, it is known as a musical genre that is easy to learn and get used to in general. Except for the musicians to increase the tempo of the song with their own interpretations or the guitar solos, there is not much going out of the basic components.
The word ‘metal’ is said to be rooted in hippie movements. However, the accuracy of this situation is not fully known. In addition, the origin of the term is said to date back to the famous novelist William Burroughs. Some genres of metal really emerge by blending rock and metal. But other than that, it cannot be said that there is much similarity between the two species. In fact, rock has more in common with blues than metal.
The history of metal music, the first examples of which date back to the mid-1960s:
The birth of metal music:
The metal music movement, which tried to make itself known in the mid-1960s, of course, was not very popular in the early days. In the mid-1960s, popular British bands such as Cream, Yardbirds, and Jeff Beck Group began to introduce the style that separated heavy metal from rock or blues-based music. People liked this new style and heavy metal continued to improve until 1970.
This emerging genre was used frequently by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath in the 1970s. In guitar and drum solos, bands such as Kiss, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper revealed their own style. Nearly all of these bands toured non-stop throughout the 1970s, gaining a large fan base.
The period of stagnation and rise of metal music:
Heavy metal’s popularity took a heavy blow in the late 1970s. Because the 1980s were approaching, and this meant the emergence and even peak of the popularity of disco. Metal music, which remained in the background for a while, took off again in the 1980s when Def Leppard, Iron Maiden and Saxon led the new wave of British metal. In 1983, a new metal music frenzy began in Los Angeles. This wave, which was described as “Glam”, had a worldwide impact and many popular bands such as Posion and Guns N’ Roses came to Los Angeles to get a share of this wave.
The 1980s was also a period when metal music began to divide into subgenres (like lite metal, death metal, christian metal). In response to the metal of more glam-themed bands such as Bon Jovi and Whitesnake, smaller underground bands began to develop in harder styles. In addition to these, bands such as Metallica and Megadeth became the pioneers of thrash metal with their fast tempo, aggressive attitudes, and critical or sarcastic lyrics. By the 1990s and throughout the 90s, many bands had now found the theme they wanted to turn to, and heavy metal was less popular in many places than it used to be.
Metal music genres:
- Death Metal
- PowerMetal
- Thrash Metal
- Glam Metal
- Black Metal
- metalcore
Death Metal
Death metal is a rather loud subgenre of metal that relies heavily on irregular distorted notes and loud drums. It was heavily influenced by Black metal and emerged through Thrash metal. Thrash metal and Death metal are confused by many people. But the difference between them is quite obvious. While Thrash metal uses more catchy sounds in its tracks, Death metal hosts distorted notes and harsh vocals.
PowerMetal
Power Metal is metal music combined with fantastic elements as much as possible. Dragons, mythical creatures… Whatever comes to mind. The lyrics focus on such themes and combine with metal music and Power metal emerges. This subgenre of metal has a more regular and undistorted sound compared to other types. His vocals are quite loud. It may be the most melodic subgenre because of the fantastic elements it contains.
Thrash Metal
Thrash metal is one of the most distinctive and popular subgenres of metal. Of course, the influence of supporter groups of this genre in the progress of the situation in this way is also quite large. Megadeth and Metallica-style bands have a large share in the growth of Thrash metal. The genre gets a pretty intense sound, especially with its critical, sarcastic lyrics and complex guitar chords.
Glam Metal
Glam metal is a genre that doesn’t exist today. The existing part also has an alternative name. “Hair” metal. Bands that support this type of metal are usually at the forefront with their eye-catching looks and aesthetics. In fact, their music was quite good, but its soft tone, unlike black metal, which embraces controversial topics, or thrash metal, which speaks critically, caused it to fall back in popularity.
Black Metal
Black metal may be the most erratic and unstable version of the genre. When you listen to this kind of song, you feel the disorder in your veins. Screaming vocals, fast-paced tempos, and excessive noise are components of the genre. Since the themes of their songs are usually religious beliefs and iconoclastic ideology, it cannot be said that they are on good terms with the media.
metalcore
Metalcore, which emerged from the combination of extreme versions of metal and Hardcore Punk, is a genre that attaches great importance to technical guitar playing. Song software consisting of aggressive and melodic choruses is also common in the Metalcore genre. The double bass drum is usually the dominant side and can range in theme from personal to political issues.
Some famous metal music groups:
- Metallica
- Iron Maiden
- Led Zeppelin
- Judas Priest
- Megadeth
Metallica
American heavy metal band Metallica was formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The band, who spent most of their golden age in San Francisco, became one of the four major founding bands of thrash metal with their fast tempo, aggressive musicianship and instrumental instruments.
Iron Maiden
Founded in 1975, Iron Maiden is a British heavy metal band. One of the pioneers of the British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden achieved its first success in the early 1980s. In 1982, the band experienced a turning point in their careers with their album The Number of Beast and made Iron Maiden one of the important bands of heavy metal.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, formed in London in 1968, was an English rock band. But he is cited as one of the forefathers of rock and heavy metal, with their heavy guitar-focused music and songs that touch on a variety of themes, including blues and folk music. Lep Zeppelin also played a large part in the development of album-oriented rock.
Judas Priest
Judas Priest is an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. Although regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative metal bands of all time, they had a lot of commercial trouble for some of their careers. But British Steel, which they released in 1980, was a great commercial success and made the name of the group even higher.
Megadeth
American heavy metal band Megadeth was formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Known for its intricate guitar theme, Megadeth is one of the big four of American thrash metal. At the same time, it has a great share in the development and popularization of the thrash metal genre.
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