Origins of Heavy Metal

ultmetal wrote:

I remember reading in one book on the History of Heavy Metal that the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" was on of the earliest "metal" songs. Not sure I agree, but I can see where that opinion might be valid.

"Helter Skelter" has been covered by many metal bands and it *is* one of their harder-rocking tunes so I can kinda understand that sentiment.

I had a friend in high school who was a Beatlemaniac and he would constantly tell me that their "Paperback Writer" was the first "metal" song. Now that's an odd pick.

get_the_firehouse wrote:

Bands like Zeppelin, MC5, Cream, the Doors,
the Yardbirds, etc, were highly influential for their louder, more
distorted, more aggressive compositions,

Good list. The Kinks would deserve a mention as well.

Laugh all you want, but if you ask me, the first metal songs were written by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. They just played them on piano sans distortion. But the same energy is in alot of their work that is in metal. Except for the corpse paint and rubber-banded goatees, of course.

spectrefate wrote:

Laugh all you want, but if you ask me, the first metal songs were written by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. They just played them on piano sans distortion. But the same energy is in alot of their work that is in metal. Except for the corpse paint and rubber-banded goatees, of course.

I won't laugh at that, I think you may be onto something there.

Very tough, I'm torn between JUDAS PRIEST and DEEP PURPLE.

Not a bad list at all though Scott. The only other band I think I'd include in this is DIAMOND HEAD, as I really do consider them to be the basis for thrash.

My favorite band on the list is Judas Priest. Can't say what band is the inventor of metal.

Tall Tyrion wrote:

get_the_firehouse wrote:

Bands like Zeppelin, MC5, Cream, the Doors,
the Yardbirds, etc, were highly influential for their louder, more
distorted, more aggressive compositions,

Good list. The Kinks would deserve a mention as well.

Do you own MC5's debut album Kick Out The Jams? Actually, for anyone who doesn't own it, you need to check it out. It's a live album (never heard of anyone else with a live debut album) of proto-punk/rock'n'roll/proto-metal excellence. Very raw, yet powerful recording. Very short, too.

I voted for Priest, but I have to say that imho Sabbath was the heaviest from the get go. Both Priest and DP took a few albums to become very heavy (for the time period, anyway). I know that's not the only criteria, which is why I didn't vote for them. I believe Priest really refined and defined the true heavy metal sound.

spectrefate wrote:

Laugh all you want, but if you ask me, the first metal songs were written by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. They just played them on piano sans distortion. But the same energy is in alot of their work that is in metal. Except for the corpse paint and rubber-banded goatees, of course.

I'd agree with your statement and add that several of the early Rockabilly guys had the same attitude. Gene Vincent (of Be Bop a Lula fame) comes to mind. Take a listen to Race With the Devil sometime!

Priest and Sabbath may be more "metal" on Ult's list but I did what was requested and selected my favorite band on the list and that is UFO.

QuothTheRaven wrote:

I'd agree with your statement and add that several of the early Rockabilly guys had the same attitude. Gene Vincent (of Be Bop a Lula fame) comes to mind. Take a listen to Race With the Devil sometime!

So true. Gene Vincent had a metal attitude. He may have been crazier than JLL.

I think Iron Butterfly maybe.

I do not think any ONE band "invented" heavy metal. It just slowly evolved from all the new bands imitating their idols and simply taking things a step further.
Although I am too young to remember the origins of metal (late 60's-early 70's), as I understand it, the term "Heavy Metal" used to be considered derogatory, and as such, most bands chose to distance themselves from it. It was Judas Priest who first embraced the term and came out and said, "We are a heavy metal band." I supose, in that sense, you could consider Judas Priest the first heavy metal band. I could be wrong, though as I read that on the internet. We all know how reliable information on the internet is.

zepp, fav off the list

I'm not gonna get into the metal issue agin', but a far as quantum leaps in riff rock I would say the following, taking it from Chuck Berry etc:

1964- The Kinks "You Really Got Me"
1967- Hendrix "Are You Experienced" (or Cream?)
1970- Black Sabbath- S/T
1976- Judas Priest- "Sad Wings"
1978- Judas Priest- "Stained Class"
1983- Metallica- "Kill' 'Em All"

The Stooges were heavy and original enough, but turned out to be more of an influence on Glam & Punk than metal I'd say. I didn't list Zeppelin, Motorhead, or Venom because they were all Rock N' Roll powered up to new levels. They were just building on something that had already been done (great bands though). I suppose Slayer or C. Frost would be next on this list, but you guys know more about that decade than I do.

Wrong. You're all wrong.






















I like reading everyone's thoughts. Interesting.

BEETHOVEN

Black Sabbath. no one played as heavy before they did

Zeppelin for me.

:montypython:

I went with Deep Purple they definitely had their part in early metal rise.

IMO each band on that poll had a part in what metal is today so you can't really single anyone of those bands out some did it differently!

Wargod48

Black Sabbath, but I could also said Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin. All three of these bands were extremely heavy for their time and pretty much defined what would become heavy metal.

Priest didn't invent metal, they just improved it. I voted Iron Butterfly

SAHB Healer wrote:

I'm not gonna get into the metal issue agin', but a far as quantum leaps in riff rock I would say the following, taking it from Chuck Berry etc:

1964- The Kinks "You Really Got Me"
1967- Hendrix "Are You Experienced" (or Cream?)
1970- Black Sabbath- S/T
1976- Judas Priest- "Sad Wings"
1978- Judas Priest- "Stained Class"
1983- Metallica- "Kill' 'Em All"

The Stooges were heavy and original enough, but turned out to be more of an influence on Glam & Punk than metal I'd say. I didn't list Zeppelin, Motorhead, or Venom because they were all Rock N' Roll powered up to new levels. They were just building on something that had already been done (great bands though). I suppose Slayer or C. Frost would be next on this list, but you guys know more about that decade than I do.

1980- Diamond Head- Lightning To The Nations

You forgot one

Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild, which includes the line "... Heavy Metal Thunder."

Great band.

Some people even consider Grand Funk Railroad to be one of the first "Heavy Metal" groups also, so who knows.

Out of all those bands, the Yardbirds. But that's my anglophile R&B preference showing. Although i'd take The Pretty Things, Stones, Kinks, Small Faces over them.


One band that should be talked about is Seattle's the Sonics. 1965 they were singing about Witches, drinking Strychnine etc. Like Chuck Berry 10 times too far gone. They even punched holes in the amplifiers to distort themselves more. Really important to any fast, heavy, loud rock that came since.