Heavy Metal - A Chronological Review
Those that have been paying attention over the past week would probably be aware that I've made a couple of fairly bold claims in these chronological review threads thus far. Firstly, I've stated that I don't think that the "heavy metal" sound was the first metal subgenre to be developed which is in direct contrast to the accepted consensus. In fact, I've already posted two stoner metal & three traditional doom metal tracks that came before any heavy metal saw the light of light day. The lack of any Black Sabbath material at the top of this new thread also proves that I don't think there is anything that fits comfortably into what we now know as the "heavy metal" genre on Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album. So, when & where did heavy metal actually begin then? Well, I'm about to share my opinion on that so strap yourself in.
English hard rockers Deep Purple's fourth album "Deep Purple In Rock" was released on 3rd June 1970 & its second track "Bloodsucker" has enough metal in its main riff to qualify as heavy metal. Just listen to that palm-muted bottom-string chugging & compare it to the main riff from Judas Priest's 1976 classic "Victim of Changes" if you don't believe me as I don't think there's any doubt that Priest drew on it as the inspiration for that song. The other half of "Bloodsucker" possesses more bluesy hard rock swagger than it does metal but that main riff is so dominant in the holistic outcome of the song that I feel confident in making the claim that "Bloodsucker" was the earliest song that truly fit the modern-day understanding of the heavy metal tag (along with another that we'll examine tomorrow).
I get what you are saying here Daniel and I would definitely agree that the main riff is a heavy metal riff, but the rest of the track contains an overwhelming amount of blues and rock to call it an actual heavy metal track. I wouldn't deny that it is a very early example of a heavy metal riff used in a song, but would be reluctant to make any bigger claim for it than that.
This is one of those cases where multiple primary tags can be applied to the two genres taking turns in an artistic fashion rather than being combined.
I get what you are saying here Daniel and I would definitely agree that the main riff is a heavy metal riff, but the rest of the track contains an overwhelming amount of blues and rock to call it an actual heavy metal track. I wouldn't deny that it is a very early example of a heavy metal riff used in a song, but would be reluctant to make any bigger claim for it than that.
I don't disagree that the rest of the song is hard rock but that main riff makes up at least half the runtime (i.e. all of the verses & the solo section) so a dual tagging is the only accurate option in my opinion. It would seem wrong to simply go with hard rock when the song is built around a metal riff after all.
Also on 1970's "Deep Purple In Rock" album we find closer "Hard Lovin' Man" which I don't think will create as much debate. Just listen to that galloping main riff which utilises palm-muted bottom-string triplets to create pure heavy metal fire. Iron Maiden were clearly listening closely.
Just prior to the release of their sophomore album "Paranoid" in September 1970, Black Sabbath released this single for a song that was very much an afterthought & manufactured purely to provide their label with a song that was suitable for the 7" single format. It would go on to become one of the defining song in the entire history of heavy metal music with its fast pace & focus on palm-muted bottom-string bar chord down-picking:
November 1970 would see the release of the classic self-titled debut album from Germany's Lucifer's Friend, a record that I'd suggest sits somewhere between hard rock & heavy psych overall. The opening track "Ride The Sky" is another story altogether though with its driving bottom-string chug riff putting it comfortably into head-banging heavy metal territory. It sounds a hell of a lot like Deep Purple's more metallic moments but also sports the obvious Led Zeppelin plagiarism in the horn part which replicates the theme from "Immigrant Song".
5th July 1971 would herald the return of the legendary Black Sabbath following their world-changing 1970 sophomore album "Paranoid". On this day they'd release the "Children of the Grave" single which would present the world with a taster from their upcoming third album "Master of Reality". Unlike many of Sabbath's early classics, "Children of the Grave" showcases that classic mid-paced, galloping chug riff that would in no small part go on to defines what heavy metal music is to this day.
Brooklyn-based hard rock trio Sir Lord Baltimore released their self-titled sophomore album in August 1971 &, as with their debut 1970 "Kingdom Come", it wasn't a metal record as such but it did include one clear metal song. Closer "Caesar LXXI" is built on a classic Tony Iommi-style heavy metal riff that reminds me of Black Sabbath songs like "Supertzar".
Now let's go a little deeper with a track by the name of "Love Me Hard" from short-lived New York hard rockers Dust. It was released as the main single from Dust's highly regarded self-titled debut album which was released in September 1971 & sees them offering up very much a hard rock/heavy metal hybrid sound with the main riff being a driving, high-octane heavy metal chugger. See what you think.
I certainly wouldn't disagree that the main riff is indeed a metal riff and a pretty good one at that. I quite like Dust as it happens and I have a double CD reissue of their two albums. The cover of second album, Hard Attack, is the type of cover that has graced many a metal album since, even up to the present day - compare it to the covers of Smoulder's albums, for example.
That would be a Frank Frazetta painting, so yes, very metal indeed!
Mind you, Frazetta's work was also a favourite for 70s and 80s rock artists, such as Molly Hatchet...
I remember those covers well from way too many hours spent in record shops, flicking through endless racks of vinyl albums back in the day. It's a pity Molly Hatchet's music never lived up to the quality of the covers.
This morning we're going to take a look at the title track from Deep Purple's 1971 fifth album "Fireball" which possesses a classic chugging, palm-muted, tremolo-picked bottom-string heavy metal riff with highly influential double-kick work from drummer Ian Paice. This track was clearly influential on a young Judas Priest.
This morning we take on a track that I feel kinda sits right in the midpoint where heavy metal & stoner metal meet in Flower Travellin' Band's "Kamikaze" which was included on their 1972 third album "Made in Japan" but first saw the light of day on a 7" single that was released a lot earlier in January 1971. There's a truckload of psychedelia here along with a doomy atmosphere but the riff structures err towards the chuggier heavy metal variety. See what you think.
The self-titled album from Philadelphia trio Bang was released in February 1972 & opened with this number that sits somewhere between heavy metal & hard rock:
The 24th March 1972 would be a significant day in rock music with Deep Purple releasing arguably their heaviest & best record in their illustrious sixth full-length "Machine Head". It kicks off with a belter of a heavy metal track too in the driving headbanger "Highway Star" which has gone on to become an iconic inclusion in the band's back catalogue over the years:
Also taken from Deep Purple's 1972 "Machine Head" album, we find this heavy metal chugger "Pictures of Home". Just listen to that driving chugger of a metal riff from the bass & guitars which manages to overcome some fairly swinging drumming to qualify as legitimate metal in my opinion.
On 8th December 1972 Deep Purple released their "Made in Japan" live album which included this version of their influential heavy metal anthem from the "Machine Head" album:
This morning we take a look at another one of heavy metal's deeper cuts, this time being taken from the one-off 1972 album "Mournin" from German progressive/hard rock outfit Night Sun. "Living With The Dying" combines a dark & eerie atmosphere with a chuggy headbanging pulse & proggy keyboards. It's great shit & is thoroughly deserving of its metal status in my opinion.
This morning we examine the A side from one of only two 7" singles released by a Belgian trio by the name of Load Control. Interestingly given its title, 1972's "Scotland" showcases some exotic Eastern-based influences as well as a fair bit of heavy psych but the main riff is rooted in heavy metal so I feel that it fits best here (even if there is probably a case for a stoner metal tag):
1st off. This thing fucks! 5/5 track!
For me everything about that riff and guitar tone are metal. It uses the Phyrigian mode of the major scale which can be though of as a minor scale with a flat 2nd. It's often chosen for it's threatening characteristic (think the Jaws theme). Kicks ass! OHHHHH SCOTLAND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TRACK!
The self-titled album from Philadelphia trio Bang was released in February 1972 & opened with this number that sits somewhere between heavy metal & hard rock:
Bang! is metal enough to open for Pentagram and hold there ground. Frank Ferrara (Bass and vocals) is the salt of the earth and will talk to you on facebook if you reach out to him. All in on Metal here if you need it cemented check out the doomy offerings on the track "Last Will and Testament" or consider the odds of anything as dark as "The Queen" getting classic rock airplay-not a chance. Killer album
Well, yes there's a couple of metal tracks on the Bang album but I don't think the record as a whole qualifies as metal. It sits much more comfortably under hard rock for mine. I've got "Last Will & Testament" pegged as psychedelic rock & "The Queen" as hard rock personally.