Although not nearly as mainstream as pop and rap, the popularity of metal music has only been increasing since its emergence in the 60s.
This increasing trend has only been getting boosted by recent bands like Deftones, Sleep Token, and Bad Omens as well as classics such as Linkin Park, Metallica, System of a Down, Slipknot, and many more. Giant venues in the GTA such as the Rogers Stadium and Scotiabank Arena continuously get sold out not just by mainstream artists but metal bands as well, demonstrating its significant influence in modern society. In this short article, I’ll go over the history of metal music including its origins, immersion of popular sub-genres, and its continuous impact on society.
The birth of metal took place in the late 60s to early 70s, as English rock bands experimented with the blues, classical music, and psychedelic rock, fostering the first steps of metal music as a whole. The notable English pioneers of metal include the bands Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. Common lyrical themes explored drug culture, the supernatural, rebellion, and transgression, while common musical themes included salient bass riffs, heavy drumming, and a loud, highly distorted guitar sound. Now where did the term metal, or more specifically “heavy metal” come from?
The classic 1967 rock song “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf first pioneered the term through the following lyrics: “I like smoke and lightnin’, heavy metal thunder,” and the term was further reinforced in a Rolling Stones magazine. The resulting domino effect created multiple metal sub-genres including glam metal, thrash/power metal, death metal, alternative metal, and nu metal. Many related musical genres followed suit with the pathway made by metal music, including punk rock, grunge, alternative rock, and pop-punk. It’s significant to note that metal music, particularly heavy metal, is prominent across many cultures including Japan, Scandinavia, Latin America, and more.
The evolution of metal is ongoing, with the integration of progressive rock, jazz, and rap into new interpretations of metal music. A few more recently-birthed metal genres, that also happen to be my favourite genres, include metalcore and progressive metal. It’s important to note that the metal scene also gave rise to the punk and hardcore scene, which is becoming increasingly popular in the underground scene and seeping influences in mainstream culture through politics and fashion.
Overall, metal music encompasses a broad range of history, involving continuously branching off genres, born from the adaptation of traditional metal to modern context.