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Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock
music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With roots in
blues-rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal
developed a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterized
by highly amplified distortion and fast guitar solos. The All Music Guide
states that "of all rock & roll's myriad forms, heavy metal is the most
extreme in terms of volume, machismo, and theatricality."
Heavy metal has long had a worldwide following of fans known as
"metalheads" , "headbangers" and "Metalians". Although early heavy metal
bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple attracted large
audiences, they were often critically reviled at the time, a status common
throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s, Judas Priest helped
spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; the
New Wave of British Heavy Metal followed in a similar vein, fusing the
music with a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed.
Heavy metal became broadly popular during the 1980s, when many
now-widespread subgenres first evolved. Variations more aggressive and
extreme than metal music of the past were mostly restricted to an
underground audience; others, including glam metal and, to a lesser
extent, thrash metal went on to mainstream commercial success. In recent
years, styles such as nu metal have further expanded the definition of the
genre.
Heavy metal is traditionally characterized by loud distorted guitars,
emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound, and vigorous vocals. Metal
subgenres variously emphasize, alter, or omit one or more of these tropes.
The typical band lineup includes a drummer, a bassist, a rhythm guitarist,
a lead guitarist, and a singer, who may or may not be an instrumentalist.
Acoustic keyboards were popular with early metal bands—especially the
organ and occasionally the mellotron—but they are now uncommon. Electronic
keyboards are often featured today by bands in a variety of styles,
including progressive metal, power metal, and symphonic metal.
The electric guitar and the sonic power that it projects through
amplification is historically the key element in heavy metal. Guitars are
often played with distortion pedals through heavily overdriven tube
amplifiers to create a thick, powerful, "heavy'" sound. In the early
1970s, some popular metal groups began cofeaturing two guitarists. Leading
bands such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden followed this pattern of having
two or three guitarists share the roles of both lead and rhythm guitar. A
central element of much heavy metal is the guitar solo, a form of cadenza.
As the genre developed, more intricate solos and riffs became an integral
part of the style. Guitarists use sweep-picking, tapping, and other
advanced techniques for rapid playing, and many subgenres emphasize
virtuosic displays.
The lead role of the guitar in heavy metal often collides with the
traditional "frontman" or bandleader role of the vocalist, creating a
musical tension. Metal vocals vary widely in style, from the multioctave,
theatrical manner of Judas Priest's Rob Halford and Iron Maiden's Bruce
Dickinson, to the intentionally gruff approach of Motörhead's Lemmy and
Metallica's James Hetfield, to the straight-out screaming and growling of
Lamb of God's Randy Blythe and At the Gates' Tomas Lindberg, to the
phlegm-clogged, possessed style of black metal singers such as Mayhem's
Dead. The bass guitar plays an important role in most metal bands,
providing the low-end sound crucial to making the music "heavy." In
addition, the bass is often distorted and modified by a variety of effects
pedals. Metal bassists frequently use picks instead of their fingers to
get a stronger articulation. The drum setup is generally much larger than
with other forms of rock music. Aside from the standard toms, bass drum,
snare, and hi-hat, ride, and crash cymbals, there is often a double bass
drum, additional toms and cymbals (e.g., "splash" cymbals), and other
instruments such as a cowbell.
In terms of live sound, volume is considered vital. Following the lead set
by Jimi Hendrix and The Who—which once held the distinction of "World's
Loudest Band" in the Guinness Book Of World Records—early heavy metal
bands set new benchmarks for volume. Dick Peterson of Blue Cheer says, "We
had a place in forming that heavy-metal sound. Although I'm not saying we
knew what we were doing, 'cause we didn't. All we knew was we wanted more
power." Tony Iommi, guitarist for the pioneering Black Sabbath, is among
the numerous heavy metal musicians to suffer substantial hearing loss due
to the volume of their live performances. Heavy metal's volume fixation
was mocked in the rockumentary spoof This Is Spinal Tap in which guitarist
"Nigel Tufnel" reveals that his Marshall amplifiers have been modified to
"go to eleven." |
