Reigning Metal

One of the most controversial ,misunderstood ,condemned stereotyped genre of music as we all might be aware of  is “METAL” music.

But how did this genre of music became so popular and larger than life and most of all, when did it all begin?

Origins:

Metal music is categorized as a sub genre of hard rock/psychedelic rock music in the early 1970’s.The metal scene originated majorly from Europe.

The foundation of the genre or this new wave of music , “metal”,  was put up by legendary bands like LED ZEPPELIN and DEEP PURPLE. Though they had a lot of influence from jazz and classic rock, they had something new, something different than the rest. Their tracks like stairway to heaven, Kashmir and smoke on water are literally worshiped by several musicians. JIMI HENDRIX, an American born hard rock and blues guitarist is one of the major influences for most of the lead guitarists from around the world. Along came JUDAS PRIEST, the first ever band who trademarked the genre metal by their sheer appearance. Leather outfits and metal studs. They bought masculinity and machismo into the genre. Rob Halford, frontman of the band had this “in your face” strong voice that connected with the audience.

People already liked this new sound of music when somewhere in Birmingham, UK, bassist Geezer Butler with frontman and vocalist Ozzy Osborne together with lead guitarist tony Iommi and drummer bill ward formed BLACK SABBATH. Their music had a heavier and more devilish sound which appealed to the early metallers .This was the beginning of a new era, this was the beginning of NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL.

Sound of the beast:

What separated BLACK SABBATH from the rest was their tuned down guitars and excess use of the tritone or “the diminished fifth”. Their self titled track “black Sabbath” was in fact mostly composed of the tritone which gave the track a creepy and devilish feel. Tritone was banned in the early centuries because it was believed that playing the tritone summoned “the beast” .This too became one of the main reasons that metal music is still condemned by the masses.

The diminished fifth is now one of the key notes used in this genre and was bought extensively bought in use by bands like BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN.

The metal horns:

The bands were doing their part in contributing new styles and variation in the music, but it was Ronnie James Dio who was a part of bands like DIO, RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH for a brief period who immortalized and trademarked metal by symbolizing it with “\m/” the metal horns. A type of hand gesture which is made by extending the index and little fingers there by holding middle and ring fingers with the thumb. Ronnie James Dio quotes “I was in Sabbath at the time. It was a symbol that I thought was reflective of what that band was supposed to be all about. It's NOT the devil's sign like we're here with the devil. It's an Italian thing I got from my Grandmother called the "Malocchio". It's to ward off the Evil Eye or to give the Evil Eye, depending on which way you do it. It's just a symbol but it had magical incantations and attitudes to it and I felt it worked very well with Sabbath. So I became very noted for it and then everybody else started to pick up on it and away it went”. He incorporated and stylized it into metal music and now the metal horns are a definitive and an inseparable part of the genre itself

The fall of metal:

The metal music industry was doing really good in terms of making music that suited and glorified its name when out of nowhere there was this weird genre that was taking shape, “GLAM METAL”, the cheesiest side of metal. Glam metal was discovered in Los Angeles. Bands like MOTLEY CRUE, KISS and TWISTED SISTER are considered pioneers of this genre. Men would dress like women and wear thick make-up onstage and their songs would be generally related on sexuality. Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden had seemed to have lost their charm in this glitz and glamour lime light of glam metal, people who despised metal started liking this genre purely because of its theme, because it was glamorous. Slowly but steadily the bands started indulging in drugs and alcoholism so much that it affected their work. The fall of metal or the final nail in coffin was hammered when tracks from KISS band were played in discotheques.

The four thrashmen:

In the early 80's, there were young blood who refused to stand this atrocious blend of music that people called GLAM METAL. Who rebelled and rebelled it so strongly that glam metal was nearly washed away from the history of metal. Lars Ulrich, the legendary drummer of the band METALLICA posted an advertisement in a local newspaper that he needed a bassist and guitarists for jamming and that is how METALLICA was formed in LOS ANGELES .Frontman James hatefield, Dave mustaine (of megadeth) rhythm guitarist who wrote most of the songs for the band and bassist cliff burton together changed the course of the metal music by releasing their debut album KILL EM’ ALL in the year 1983 and  thus giving birth to the sub-genre called  THRASH METAL. The sub gene got its name because of the way it sounded, speediness of the rhythm guitar with complex guitar riffs and heavy drumming that would make a person go nuts.

Metallers from all around the world were going crazy as they couldn’t get enough of this fresh new addictive sound of music. This was evident from the fact that since its release, it has been certified 3× platinum by the RIAA, having sold over three million copies alone in the United States.

After firing Dave mustaine for his aggressive behavior and drug related issues, Metallica hired Kirk Hammett from another band named EXODUS. Cliff burton’s death in a road accident was a terrible loss to the band as he was one of the most skilled and talented bassist of that time. He was replaced by Jason newstead later. Metallica became the pioneers of thrash metal, Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath was recorded saying “thank god for Metallica, they were the best thing in the 80’s I had heard and they brought back the spirit of Sabbath” (black Sabbath). The band indeed took the genre of metal to new heights and has been and is still an inspiration to budding bands across the world.

Brave new world:

Bands from around the world carried the torch forward that Metallica had ignited, Bands like KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and SODOM from Germany, Europe helped the music spread its wings. SEPULTURA opened the gates of metal for the people from South America. This was the new dawn of metal. New sub-genres were getting discovered, from the softest sub-genre called alternative metal to the most sinister sound of music, Black metal, new styles in playing were being explored and new themes were getting developed.

Themes:

The main theme of the whole genre has been aggression; some people misread it as hate, which is totally unjustified. Metal music has always tried to target social issues. Metallica’s album “and justice for all “is mainly based on corruption and war.

Sepultura wrote songs on the same lines. Kreator stood apart from the lot by writing songs on war corruption and related religion and atheism with it

The band that stood apart in the matters of theme was SLAYER, this band was very vocal about its anti-religious preferences and wrote about inhuman practices in abundance, their song “seasons in the abyss” is a literal meaning that hell is here on earth itself, “disciple” another song from their album “god hates us all” made the listener clear how mankind has been clinging on to hypocrisy by preaching hate, war and religion at the same time.

There is a vast platform on which the themes and sub-genres of metal are based upon, some of them are:

1.     Thrash metal : the theme is generally based upon social issues, religion, war and corruption

Bands: metallica, slayer, megadeth , anthrax etc.

2.  Death/ melodic death metal : as the name suggests, the theme is based upon death and the mysticism that surrounds it

Bands: children of bodom, Death, carcass, arch enemy etc.

3.     Viking metal: this theme is intended to glorify the Viking warriors and the Norse gods.

Bands: Amon amarth, Ensiferum, tyr etc.

4.    Folk/Celtic metal: this theme is generally based upon the folklore and stories from the medieval time. It’s a fusion of heavy metal and traditional folk music.

Bands: eluveitie , cruachan, korpiklaani etc.

5.  Black/Norwegian black/doom metal: this is the most controversial sub-genre and it has generated quite an uproar in the music industry and outside it simply because of its anti Christianity, satanic and blasphemous themes.

Bands: Mayhem, gorgoroth, burzum, cradle of filth etc.

Current scenario and the future:

Currently there are ‘gazillion’ numbers of bands from all around the world. The sub-genres in the earlier days

could be counted on fingers but in the present day there is a sub-genre to every sub-genre.

 Musicians are exploring a totally new realm of metal music, some of them have even started to experiment mixing metal with totally different genre which by the way would never appeal an ardent metalhead. Some of the bands have totally lost their touch with their own genre and that have cost them millions of fans.

There is this new genre called “new wave of folk metal” which is being appreciated by the masses because of its melodic tunes of folk music instruments blended with the brute sound of guitars and drums.

India too is making its presence feel in the arsenal of metal, Bands like the down troddence, devoid, zygnema and demonic resurrection are famous with their international counterparts for their lyrical themes and playing technique.

Concerts like ‘wacken open air’, which is held in Germany every year is playing a big role in keeping this big family together. The metal scene is slowly but gradually spreading its wings, and with increasing ‘tribesmen’ in this out casted tribe of music, I’m sure there’s much more headbanging for the metalheads in the future.

Outro:

Metal music was and is still stereotyped, misunderstood and condemned for what it is. Metal music is honest to itself and it is not afraid to touch the topics that are sensitive to the society. People were there to judge and they are going to be there in the future. Call it the genre of the rebel or the genre of the out castes, because with over 50 million metalheads from around the world, we are doing just fine.