The Heavy Metal Appreciation Thread

[Jason]

Yes, now is the time to spew about how metal was once in the command of the greats (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Venom, Metallica) and go on about how it has been taken over by corporate America.

[I. Spaceman]

Blue Cheer, baby, Blue Cheer.

[Jason]

Blue Cheer, baby, Blue Cheer.

Please tell me you consider them the first metal band.

[I. Spaceman]

After Link Wray, absolutely.

[Jason]

Boo-yah skeedaddy! I agree 100%

[Boxer Monkey]

I love Link, but metal? I don't hear it.

I think Jimi Hendrix probably did more than any single person to lay the groundwork for metal, but he did it with such naturalness that few bands were able to follow through with any of the subtlety or nuance that he displayed, hence the mega-affected bombast of Zeppelin, Sabbath, etc.

Lester Bangs nailed it when he called Blue Cheer "sub-Hendrix." (Everybody was, is.)

[Jason]

I love Link, but metal? I don't hear it.

His use of power chords is a metal trademark.

I think Jimi Hendrix probably did more than any single person to lay the groundwork for metal, but he did it with such naturalness that few bands were able to follow through with any of the subtlety or nuance that he displayed, hence the mega-bombast of Zeppelin, Sabbath, etc.

Absolutely.

Lester Bangs nailed it when he called Blue Cheer "sub-Hendrix." (Everybody was, is.)

It's probably not a coincidence that the beginning of Summertime Blues sounds like the main riff to Foxey Lady.

[I. Spaceman]

Also, my people Bob Dylan and Pete Townshend called Link the beginning of hard rock/metal. I agree with them.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Blue Oyster Cult's early stuff was pretty powerful. Buck Dharma is vastly underrated...

[I. Spaceman]

Yep, the first 2 BOC albums are prime examples of metal greatness.

[tony p]

i love Opeth. Damnation is one of my fav albums of all time (though its not 'metal', theyre essentially a metal band)

also love me some Electric Wizard

 

[stack-o-tracks]

My favorite metal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ha1vaG1EA

[Aum Bop Diddit]

Yes!  The Amazing Blue Oyster Cult are one of my very favorite bands, but although they have metal aspects, they go far beyond what for me is a restricting genre term (much like say "Blues").  BOC can be soft and melodic and subtle -- as well as fierce.  I also know they cultivated the heavy metal connection for commercial reasons -- to the point of doing a joint tour with Black Sabbath.  Anyway, one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated groups ever -- kinda like the Beach Boys really!

I would consider Black Sabbath the first "official" heavy metal group.  Deep Purple, Zep, even Blue Cheer I'd term hard rock.  Maybe it's just semantics.  Names I hear come up regularly as early influence include Wray as well as Dick Dale, and of course the Kinks' early hits and Hendrix.  I think the Beatles and Who contributed also.  But it was Sabbath that really defined it.

[Alex]

I loves me the Poison, Warrant, Whitesnake, Stryper, and Extreme! Throw in some Korn, Limp Bizkit, Orgy, Linkin Park, Disturbed, and Tool and I`ll be golden!

In all seriousness, though, while I`m hardly a metal fan, I`m glad to see that there are people out there who realize that metal is decsended from early rock and roll. I sometimes see idiots on the internet claiming metal is "classical based", acting like snobs, and basically being ignorant of their own music`s roots.

[Jason]

Alex, it depends on the metal. Metal grew out of a combination of psychedelia, blues, and European folk music. Later groups experimented with the sounds by adding indigenous folk and classical influences. For all intents and purposes, not much metal is based off of the old "verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus" setup. Even Black Sabbath didn't work like that. In that respect, they do claim influence from classical and folk songcraft.

[Newguy562]

the only bands i consider metal that i listen to are iron maiden,metallica,megadeth,korn(if you wanna consider that metal),slipknot,stonesour,deftones,marilyn manson,system of a down,murderdolls. i was a heavy metal fan before anything even a beach boy's fan and classic rock fan.

[stack-o-tracks]

Alex, it depends on the metal. Metal grew out of a combination of psychedelia, blues, and European folk music. Later groups experimented with the sounds by adding indigenous folk and classical influences. For all intents and purposes, not much metal is based off of the old "verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus" setup. Even Black Sabbath didn't work like that. In that respect, they do claim influence from classical and folk songcraft.

Pure lies up in here. Metal was descended STRAIGHT FROM HELL.

[Alex]

Alex, it depends on the metal. Metal grew out of a combination of psychedelia, blues, and European folk music. Later groups experimented with the sounds by adding indigenous folk and classical influences. For all intents and purposes, not much metal is based off of the old "verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus" setup. Even Black Sabbath didn't work like that. In that respect, they do claim influence from classical and folk songcraft.

I wasn't claiming that there are no classical influences in metal. Just pointing out that it is descended in some way, shape, or form and is, in many respects, a subgenre of "rock" (with many subgenres and variants of its own), and not an entirely separate genre, as some internet metal snobs would have you think.

[Amazing Larry]

The first few albums by Iron Maiden are top tier metal. Same with Judas Priest.