How I Learned to Love Heavy Metal

Part 8 of "The Beginner's Guide to Heavy Metal"

Heavy metal has always been viewed with a bit of suspicion by mainstream audiences. I get it. The term itself doesn’t sound warm and fuzzy, and yes, the music does trend heavy, even aggressive. (Note: heavy is not the same thing as loud. Metal isn’t always loud, but it always has weight, a musical gravitas that sets it apart from most conventional rock.)

Then there are metal fans’ fashion choices, especially black leather and spikes. Don’t forget the band logos in blackletter script (often mistakenly referred to as “gothic”) with vaguely menacing embellishments. And of course, a preference for song titles full of dark, gory or violent imagery.

Despite that, lists of the 40 most popular recording acts of all time (by record sales) include the proto-metal band Led Zeppelin (#6 or 7, depending on the list), true metal bands Metallica and Iron Maiden, and the quasi-metal hard rock bands Guns N Roses and AC/DC. This is pretty impressive for something considered “niche”, considering the competition includes everyone from Sinatra to Swift. (In case you were wondering, the Beatles remain firmly ensconced at #1.)

Part of the broad appeal of these bands is that they leaven their diet of heavy, hard-driving songs with easily digestible melodies and accessible lyrics, and they throw in the occasional ballad. (There is nothing quite like a heavy metal power ballad.) Even if you aren’t a hard rock or metal fan, you’ve probably heard some of these bands without realizing who they were.

In my unscientific survey of friends who mainly listen to popular music, almost none of them could name a single Led Zeppelin song besides “Stairway to Heaven”. Those who had explored further, however, were drawn into a whole world of non-radio-friendly, but deeply engaging music, filled with classical and blues influences.

Something similar was true for Deep Purple. Their gateway song was the relatively primitive, riff-driven and radio-friendly anthem “Smoke on the Water”. It was nothing like the neoclassical compositions that are the real draw for their fans, but it was the song that got most people to listen in the first place. It was certainly the song that got me to listen, and opened the door to metal.

It’s like learning any new field, or another language. You start with the easier stuff and go from there. In the arts, most of us start with the mainstream, and then go roaming. Anyone who grew up hearing classical music already has a point of reference. Newcomers are often surprised to realize how closely related metal is to classical music.

The question is whether metal can be mainstream. I say, it depends. If “mainstream” means sounding like the other stuff on the radio, the answer is no. But if “mainstream” means stuff that can appeal to people who are not die-hard metalheads, the answer is clearly “yes”.

Now, some of the die-hard fans will scoff that being mainstream is tantamount to selling out. I suppose it depends on how rigidly you want to enforce genre boundaries. There have been cases of bands which completely changed gears, and pretty much lost their original fans.

Fleetwood Mac, though not a metal band, are the quintessential example. When Buckingham and Nicks joined, their original fans, myself included, left. For good. To us, that was crossing into sell-out territory. None of the bands I’m writing about here ever went that far. They just wrote music more of us could enjoy, while keeping their commitment to the “heavy” part.

This series is titled “A Beginner’s Guide to Heavy Metal.” We have covered a variety of topics, starting with Anthony Overs’ excellent overview in Part I. He introduced us to the field, touching on dozens of bands and 28 songs representing various branches of the metal family tree.

In this article I will focus on a handful of the most important bands from Anthony’s list. In his introduction, Anthony quite rightly said that his list could not possibly span the full variety of metal, and even 100 picks would not do it justice. So why look at only six?

Well, I wanted to go a little deeper into the history of each group, their place in the evolution of the genre, and their influences as well as who they influenced. 28 of these would be way too much, for me and for you.

I specifically picked groups that 1) are among the most successful artists of all time, metal or not; 2) draw audiences from all walks of life, not just metal fans; and 3) embody the core elements and the spirit of metal. As such, they are ideal on-ramps for people just getting to know the field.

These bands were all founded during metal’s early years. Interestingly, despite the reputations of rock stars for hard living and early burnout or premature death, each of these bands lasted four decades or more, and some are still touring. 

They all had mainstream success, yet remain respected and influential in the metal world. They inspired all the metal bands that followed, and are still inspiring new bands.

You might call them a Mount Rushmore of metal. Some of you will have other bands you think as deserving of that status, or more so. Please leave your picks in the comments (and be friendly!)

Deep Purple

Founded in 1968, Purple were metal before metal was a thing. They may in fact be the first group ever referred to in the press as “heavy metal”. Interestingly, they started off experimenting with funk-based and psychedelic rock, before an early change of lineup set them on course to eternal heaviness.

“Highway Star” may be THE archetypal proto-metal song. It features two elements that became almost requirements for metal in its first two decades. First, there are Ian Gillan’s soaring, almost operatic vocals. Gillan and his contemporaries Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) pioneered that vocal style in rock, and all four are still at it a half century later.

“Highway Star” also contains first true metal shred solo, by lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Prior to this, the only place you were likely to hear such acrobatic playing was in flamenco guitar. Blackmore remains one of the legends of metal, though he retired from the scene in 1997 to focus on classically-inspired folk-rock and acoustic guitar.

More than anyone else, Blackmore, and this song in particular, triggered the arms race in technicality and speed that has consumed several generations of electric guitarists since then. He himself has said he sometimes regrets his role in it, pointing to the many modern shredders who sacrifice expression for speed.

The song’s lyrics are hilariously retrogressive. It’s nominally a love song to a dude’s souped-up automobile (the “killer machine”), but it becomes clear he is singing about his girlfriend.

“Highway Star” (1972)

Black Sabbath

Like Deep Purple, Sabbath were founded in 1968. They were often seen as rivals to Purple, but there were also a lot of ties between the bands. Purple lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left the band in 1975 to found Rainbow with then relatively unknown vocalist Ronnie James Dio; Dio would then go on to become Sabbath’s lead singer, replacing Ozzy Osborne. Several other former Purple band-members would go on to do stints with Sabbath.

Many critics consider Sabbath the first true metal band. Where Purple went in a more experimental and neoclassical direction, Sabbath went straight for the hard stuff. If anyone is guilty of stoking the popular stereotype of metal being Satanic, it is these guys. The funny thing is that the band’s name was chosen almost randomly from among several options.

Ozzy’s demonic-sounding vocals, and the use of scary imagery, set the tone for most of metal since then. If you don’t like the darkness and menace of a lot of metal, blame it on them.

No, don’t. Actually, several studies have found that, for fans, metal relieves anxiety and serves as a catharsis. The proof is that metal concerts are actually filled with some of the kindest, nerdiest, most introverted people you’ll meet. Someone like Ozzy is simply channeling their inner ya-yas.

In my opinion, the best Sabbath album is their fifth, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. It is hard to describe how I felt when I first heard it. It gave me the shivers. And this is my favorite song from the album. The arrangement is fantastic — it’s both beautiful and demonic. The bass lines are mesmerizing; the use of the piano gives the last part a glorious, baroque sort of atmosphere.

And it’s a love song.

“Sabra Cadabra”

Judas Priest

Founded in 1969, Priest went through repeated lineup changes and stylistic experiments before settling into a more-or-less stable configuration in 1975 (they still were without a permanent drummer). None of their original members lasted more than a year, which makes is remarkable they managed to keep going.

They released several albums without a commercial breakthrough, until 1980, when they finally stabilized the lineup at every position, and released “British Steel”, which charted worldwide. That lineup lasted ten years, and is considered their “classic” period, when they did their best and most successful work.

Priest became key players in what was called the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal”, or NWOBHM, though they emphasized instrumental skills more than most. Lead singer Rob Halford has formal vocal training, and a three octave range. He has one of the most versatile voices in rock. He also throws in the occasional scream.

Priest have continued to evolve over time, outlasting most of their contemporaries and continuing to put out music that is both beautiful and brutal. From their 2008 album, “Nostradamus”:

“Alone”

*****

Motörhead 

Motörhead were founded in 1975 by three veterans of other English rock bands, led by bassist and singer Lemmy Kilmeister. With the exception of a couple of brief windows when they had two guitarists, they were a three piece band their entire career. That ended when Kilmeister died in 2015 after a brief battle with cancer.

With their straight-ahead, four-on-the-floor approach and Lemmy’s gravelly voice, they were a quintessential working-class band. They were considered pioneers of the NWOBHM, and pretty much stuck to that raw, DIY approach the whole time. They are unmistakably a party band.

Lemmy is one of the most beloved figures in the metal pantheon. One of the reasons is that he never took himself seriously. He wrote the band’s songs, and a lot of them are gleefully transgressive. The video for this clip was intended to parody middle-class pretensions. It is still hilarious despite the antiquated, almost cringe-worthy imagery.

It’s also hard to beat the title. Death can kill? Duh.

“Killed by Death” (1984)

Iron Maiden

Founded in 1975, Maiden were early members of the NWOBHM. They quickly transcended that niche, betting everything on euphonic compositions and guitar virtuosity. They took the rudiments of working-class metal, focused on melody and harmonies, and raised the bar on musicianship.

Maiden co-founded a school of metal known as “power-metal”, which is often about big or grandiose themes (existence, mystery, fantasy, loss, war, adventure etc.) Their songs contain a lot of passages in major keys and upbeat tempos. Their vocalist, Bruce Dickinson, is a living legend with a range that goes up into the soprano register. He and Ronnie James Dio are often held up as the gold standard for male rock vocalists.

The other signature aspect of Maiden’s sound is dueling and harmonized electric-guitars. This sound had a huge influence on the direction of metal and rock. The entire “Arena Rock” boom of the 80’s was probably more influenced by Maiden than by any other band to date. Bands like Journey and Boston took the basic concept, simplified the songwriting (making it more hook-based and less dark), added lots more hair and sound production, and for a time took over the airwaves.

Maiden outlasted them all. Most of those bands burst out of the gate with blockbuster early albums, but were creatively spent by their third album. Maiden continued evolving, developing, and just plain working hard. They have released over 40 albums of original material and 20 live concert movies, possibly more than any other band in history.

This is from their sixth album, and in a bit of irony, given their frenetic pace, it is a lament for lost time.

“Wasted Years”

Metallica

Metallica were founded in 1981 in San Francisco, of all places, and became the kings of “thrash” metal. Founder James Hetfield is their primary composer, songwriter and their rhythm guitarist. The other long-time members are Kirk Hammett, their lead guitarist, and Lars Ullrich, their drummer.

Early independent bands had been merging elements of hard rock, NWOBHM and punk into what became thrash metal. The biggest difference between NWOBHM and thrash was that thrash bands consciously emphasized instrumental virtuosity, where many of the earlier bands had not.

Metallica perfected the style, combining creative songwriting with technical skill to produce a polished sound quite different from the early thrash bands. One of their original members, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, was let go by the band and went on to found Megadeth, which has been one of Metallica’s main rivals ever since.

Metallica’s commercial fortunes took a big leap when they released their fifth album, dubbed the “Black Album” (official title “Metallica”). It contained some of their most melodic, moody songs yet, and made them crossover stars. In 2023 Metallica sponsored and published an entire collection of covers of songs from the Black Album.

This song is from the original Black Album, and is one of my favorites.

“The Unforgiven” (1991)

******

Metal has diverged and spawned dozens of styles and variants. None of the bands featured here uses “death” vocals, otherwise known as growls and screams, to any major extent. Purple, Sabbath and Priest all dabbled in screaming but never really went all in. The first major band to do so was Metallica’s thrash rival, Slayer.

Today, probably three quarters of metal bands use death vocals, sometimes exclusively. That has led to the stereotype that metal is all about screaming, but this is clearly not the case.

In any case, it is impossible to have a full understanding or appreciation for metal without knowing these bands. It would be like trying to understand classical music without Bach, Beethoven or Mozart.