METAL- No, Not Steel and Copper
Metal History
Metal is the grueling, intense child of rock, biding its time in the 1960s to solidify its heavy and aggressive tone. In the 1970s, bands Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath took the experimental steps that shaped metal as its own creature, with “intense, distorted guitar riffs, unique drum patterns, and aggressive vocals” (Ghost 2019). With the rise of loud vocals and dark attitudes came the need to put a name to the characteristics of metal. Heavy metal derives its title from Steppenwolf's 1968 song “Born to Be Wild” (Patria 2023), a song about freedom and motorcycles.
Subgenres of metal emerged, carrying the same ethos of melodic lyrics and raw, ferocious attitudes. Doom metal was derived in the 80s from Black Sabbath’s riffs, as well as his themes of “isolation, depression, questioning life and purpose, love lost and other dark emotions…” (DiVita 2022). In the late 90s to 00s, nu metal integrated heavy metal with the popular genres of punk and alternative rock. With electric beats and syncopated, distorted riffs, artists like Korn and Slipknot earned an array of new listeners. Even the genre kawaii metal gained traction with a “combination of Japanese pop, power metal and thrash metal” (Barbler 2017). The female singers in the male-dominated industry in goth Lolita, school girl uniforms distinguishs bands like BABYMETAL from other metal bands, their songs targeting topics of love and joys of life, but not without screaming, deep vocals, and electric guitar riffs.
Like many of the sweeping waves of music genres before it, metal was a rebellion against dominant music trends, allowing its listeners an outlet to air out their emotions, changing the fans' way of life completely.
Sources:
https://loudwire.com/top-doom-metal-albums/
https://metalheadcommunity.com/history-of-heavy-metal/
https://theconcordian.com/2017/03/a-beginners-guide-to-kawaii-metal/
https://www.ourmusicworld.com/archives/4391
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