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Originating Location: UK

Originating Era: late 1960s

Genre Description

Heavy metal, usually abbreviated to metal is a bit of a blanket term for many different flavors of music, Metal is most known by its loudness, distortion, intricacy and often its lyrical themes of alienation, war, the occult, myth, and other theatrical themes. Early metal acts had a lot of base in a neo-Blues sound, though as metal progressed, prog seemed to take over as a larger influence on the sound. Metal was most popular in the 1980s thanks to the glam metal scene, which had a considerable presence on the radio and MTV. Glam metal's presence in the mainstream, often introduced people into the other metal subgenres. In the 1990s metal still remained popular, and often more underground -- though a form of metal, called nu-metal, had re-emerged into the mainstream, one that is a bit more pop like and also borrows from rap. In the 90s many metal artists emerged from the saturation of grunge artists, especially in the USA. They set out to distance themselves from the grunge image, too popish and one which many bands at the time were copying.

Key Artists

Pioneers of Heavy Metal as a Whole

1. Cream

2. Jimi Hendrix (Especially Hendrix because he ultimately started the Heavy Metal sound)

3. Led Zeppelin

4. Rainbow

Pioneers of Black Metal

1. Bathor

2. Darkthrone

3. Gorgoroth

4. Mayhem

Pioneers of Death Metal

1. Arch Enemy

2. Death

3. Possessed

Pioneers of Doom Metal

1. Black Sabbath

2. Pentagram

Pioneers of Glam Metal

1. Aerosmith

2. Motley Crue

3. Queen

4. Van Halen

Pioneers of Power Metal

1. Dio

2. Helloween

3. Judas Priest

Pioneers of Progressive Metal

1. Deep Purple

2. Dream Theater

3. Rush

Pioneers of Thrash Metal

1. Anthrax

2. Exodus

3. Iron Maiden

4. Megadeth

5. Metallica

6. Slayer

Key Albums

• Black Sabbath - Paranoid (album)
• Dio - Holy Diver
• Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
• Metallica - The Black Album

Other artists in this genre

• <a class="new" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Darediablo%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Darediablo%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDarediablo%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/index.php?title=Darediablo&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Darediablo (page does not exist)">Darediablo</a>
• <a class="new" data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Fant%5Cu00f4mas%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Fant%5Cu00f4mas%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BFant%5Cu00f4mas%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/index.php?title=Fant%C3%B4mas&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Fantômas (page does not exist)">Fantômas</a>
• <a class="new" data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22The%20Sword%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22The%20Sword%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BThe%20Sword%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/index.php?title=The_Sword&action=edit&redlink=1" title="The Sword (page does not exist)">The Sword</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Coulier%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Coulier%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BCoulier%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Coulier" title="Coulier">Coulier</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22HORSE%20The%20Band%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22HORSE%20The%20Band%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BHORSE%20The%20Band%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/HORSE_The_Band" title="HORSE The Band">HORSE The Band</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Fl%5Cu00e9au%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Fl%5Cu00e9au%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BFl%5Cu00e9au%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Fl%C3%A9au" title="Fléau">Fléau</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Primus%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Primus%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BPrimus%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Primus" title="Primus">Primus</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Bran%20Barr%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Bran%20Barr%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBran%20Barr%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Bran_Barr" title="Bran Barr">Bran Barr</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Devil%20In%20The%20Kitchen%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Devil%20In%20The%20Kitchen%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDevil%20In%20The%20Kitchen%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Devil_In_The_Kitchen" title="Devil In The Kitchen">Devil In The Kitchen</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Despond%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Despond%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDespond%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Despond" title="Despond">Despond</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Doom%20Engine%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Doom%20Engine%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDoom%20Engine%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Doom_Engine" title="Doom Engine">Doom Engine</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Axegrinder%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Axegrinder%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAxegrinder%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Axegrinder" title="Axegrinder">Axegrinder</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Dean%20Ween%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Dean%20Ween%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDean%20Ween%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Dean_Ween" title="Dean Ween">Dean Ween</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Gene%20Ween%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Gene%20Ween%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BGene%20Ween%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Gene_Ween" title="Gene Ween">Gene Ween</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22All%20Shall%20Perish%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22All%20Shall%20Perish%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAll%20Shall%20Perish%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/All_Shall_Perish" title="All Shall Perish">All Shall Perish</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Pagan%20Sun%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Pagan%20Sun%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BPagan%20Sun%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Pagan_Sun" title="Pagan Sun">Pagan Sun</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Archgoat%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Archgoat%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BArchgoat%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Archgoat" title="Archgoat">Archgoat</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Astriaal%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Astriaal%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAstriaal%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Astriaal" title="Astriaal">Astriaal</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Engine%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Engine%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BEngine%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Engine" title="Engine">Engine</a>
• <a class="new" data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22GWAR%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22GWAR%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BGWAR%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/index.php?title=GWAR&action=edit&redlink=1" title="GWAR (page does not exist)">GWAR</a>
• <a class="new" data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Spinal%20Cord%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Spinal%20Cord%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BSpinal%20Cord%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/index.php?title=Spinal_Cord&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Spinal Cord (page does not exist)">Spinal Cord</a>
• <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Scars%20On%20Broadway%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Scars%20On%20Broadway%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BScars%20On%20Broadway%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Scars_On_Broadway" title="Scars On Broadway">Scars On Broadway</a>

• Dissection

• Nile

• Vader

• In Flames
• [Killswitch Engage]
  <a data-rte-instance="84-7818496494e0b303149a59" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Cbr%20data-rte-washtml%3D%5C%221%5C%22%20%5C%2F%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Scars%20On%20Broadway%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BScars%20On%20Broadway%7C%3Cbr%20%5C%2F%3E%5D%5D%22%7D" href="/wiki/Scars_On_Broadway" title="Scars On Broadway">
  </a>

Labels in this genre

• 5RC
• Enigma
• Solid State Records
• Roadrunner
• EMI

Further Reading

• Wikipedia page