Topic: First Metal Band

Who began heavy metal?

I saw the BBC's 'Seven Ages Of Rock' programme at the weekend and they started with Black Sabbath. Yet isn't Led Zeppelin the ultimate metal band and Page first played 'Dazed & Confused' with the Yardbirds. Then we have Steppenwolf, 'Born To Be Wild' actually mentions 'heavy metal thunder'...

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'

2 (edited by patrickjacques 2007-06-11 14:05:35)

Re: First Metal Band

I never considered zepplin or steppenwolf to be heavy metal. to me they fell into the hard rock catorgory. please correct me if I am wrong

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: First Metal Band

Hey Patrick, I too would consider Zepplin  and Steppinwolf to be Hard Rock as well and maybe Classic Rock. More on the Heavy Metal side would be bands like, Twisted Sister, Slade,
Molly Hatchet ,and of course Matallica. Zepplin could belt out some good blues as well.

Have a good day....Badeye.

one caper after another

Re: First Metal Band

hey badeye, I totally agree, exept wouldn't molly hatchet fall int the southern rock slot along with skynard

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: First Metal Band

Your right Patrick. Hey I just was on your "Blues Songbook". Its great man.

Badeye.

one caper after another

Re: First Metal Band

Gee thanks badeye, If you get a chance check out my country book

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: First Metal Band

I tend to go along with the consensus here that Led Zep are not a metal band

- however cytania is right to point to Zep as a ancestor because black sabbath were influenced by led zep but wanted a "heavier" sound. Certainly 'dazed and confused' is a riff often copied in early metal 

Ironbutterfly also played a part in defining the bass line - In da gadda da vida could have appeared  on any sabbath album

as to other forerunners - no one's mentioned hendrix - hendrix more than anyone else invented (almost single handedly) the lead  guitar style that underpins heavy metal.

finally deep purple must share some of the credit (or perhaps some  of the blame).

Re: First Metal Band

I think one of the reasons that Heavy Metal is so hard to pin down, is that so many try to define it from 'outside'.  Remember, the first Grammy for Heavy Metal was awarded to Jethro Tull. ( A descision that embaraced everyone quite equally )

BTW... I admit that I'm an outsider as well, I like some of it but not enough to buy a concert ticket or ( God forbid! ) come within a 1/4 mile of a mosh pit. I guess I shouldn't vote...

Re: First Metal Band

Led Zeppelin would more than likley be clasified as a Bules/Rock band as most of their stuff is blues (believe me I am not complaining smile ). As mentioned Black Sabbath is probly the most mentioned band name when it comes to the start of "heavy metal". Alot of the sixties music had distorted big muff fuzz boxes that latter became today's distortion pedals. All rooted is the blues.

Bootlegger.

Re: First Metal Band

Where is THE WHO??? tatatalk about my generation: if this is not VERY "heavy metal" style, I don't know it anymore. I do agree 100% with the musicians I could read in this topic.
Has somebody heard the music of the easybeats? You can't say for 100%: this is heavy metal? You can put some songs in this category, but they fit maybe better in hard rock, which bring me to the question: what is "today" the difference between hardrock and heavy metal?
Metal is a word that contains too the sub-categories: trash, death, nu metal, in this kind of music, the singer sings with a voice sounding like deep, more shouting than singing, like sepultura.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: First Metal Band

Gitaardocphil:
I agree with you in regards to all the sub genre in Metal music. My thought is that in the early metal you were more concise in your leads and song structure. You understood the lyrics to the song. I can't say that I listen much to the new metal groups that are out now. But that is just my opinion others will disagree and that's fine also.

Bootlegger.

Re: First Metal Band

All I can say is "heavy Metal Thunder" born to be wild Steppenwolf.... form my point of view Heavy Metal is a very generic term that cover everything from Big Hair (80's rock like Bon Jovi et al) to the classic 60-70's stuff like Led Zeppelin...make up your own mind I guess, but there is good and bad in all of these bands

Re: First Metal Band

It's nice to see The Who and Jethro Tull getting a mention, they're always overlooked in this debate in my opinion. Although, I would put them in the Blues/Hard Rock category myself. Sabbath is  definetely up there as well as they developed there sound from the pounding of the steel mills, hence the metal conotations there. But again, I'd place them in the Blues/Hard Rock area. AC/DC are worth a mention but again probably a Blues/Hard Rock band.

Heavy Metal? Hard to really define the begining I reckon and I'm certainly no expert, but what about Judas Priest?

Craig.

Blind acceptance is a sign, of stupid fools who stand in line.  John Lydon.

'Mod' is a shorter word for 'young, beautiful and stupid' - we've all been there." - Pete Townshend.

Re: First Metal Band

in my opinion the first heavy metal bands would be prolly Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Death. Zepplin, Steppenwolf, and those others mentioned here i would put into the hard rock/classic rock/blues category.

Have you ever thought of a world with no hypothetical situations??

Re: First Metal Band

I agree with you firefly

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: First Metal Band

I get more and more the impression that every decade has produced their own "heavy metal/hardrock" bands. WILD THING (Troggs) is a quit heavy song, but NOT WRITTEN by the troggs. It is written by a certain CHIP TAYLOR, brother of JOHN VOIGHT and Angelina Jolie's uncle There are not many people who know this, at least in Europe.
I compare the heavy metal music with the beginning of the rock and roll, coming from the blues
Sixties: some groups: kinks, the who, and others. Take "you really got me", start playing it faster and with some distortion, and you will have a different song. I think it is just an evolution by playing faster, heavier, continued in early seventies by groups like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin.. and later motorhead, aerosmith. So there is always an evolution, even during disco time, and early eighties, the New Wave. I have a problem with all the sub categories: trash, death, nu metal. Punk is in my eyes also a heavy metal style.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]