Hard ROCK MUSIC & 666
Rock music for years has propagated the number 666 — the Mark of the Beast!
For their rock is not as our Rock,. . .
They DIE in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
‘Rock is back’ and here I am, writing an article for all the rock lovers ! The next one printed here itself on my blog will be dedicated to an entire genre of rockers but this one is solely for Hard rock and Heavy metal……..
Heavy metal is one of the most misunderstood genres of music in our day.
In no way is this a heavy metal band list or an attempt to include every detail, important or not, within the genre's history, but I believe it is a fairly comprehensive guide. I have included bands that have been influential, prominent, representative, or successful throughout their careers !
After all, heavy metal is something of an acquired taste. With no further comments, I leave you to read my take on the history of heavy metal. I hope you will enjoy it and maybe learn a little from it (and with any luck, you won't find it boring at all ;-)
When did heavy metal begin? It's hard to say. According to most metal annals, the first outbursts came from the Kinks with "You Really Got Me" and the Who with "My Generation" around 1964. As for the first heavy metal artist, that position arguably belongs to Alice Cooper, whose band was founded in 1965 under the name The Spiders.Bands like Golden Earrin, Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin , Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Free, Uriah Heep, Mountain, Humble Pie, Bloodrock, MC5, Black Widow, Atomic Rooster, Cactus, and Black Sabbath came to being between 1966 and 1970, and struck the world with what both Iron Butterfly and Steppenwolf would first baptize "heavy metal”! Until 1973 the kings of heavy metal were undoubtedly “ Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath ” !
The 3 were bands with a technical prowess and passion unseen before, which coalesced into the hardest music existing during those times.Moreover, the era also marked the beginning of Satanic imagery and of spectacular, energetic live shows in heavy metal. The Satanic imagery came courtesy of two English bands: Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.It was, however, until 1970 that Black Sabbath inaugurated what many consider the "true" spirit and essence of heavy metal. Gloomy, crunching, and foreboding, albums like Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality demonstrated the wicked musical direction of guitarist Tony Iommi and band members Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler through classic songs like "N.I.B.," "Paranoid,"&"Children of the Grave."
Meanwhile, brought back the mystic imagery of heavy metal while pounding out some of the heaviest riffs of its time in albums like Killers, Piece of Mind and Powerslave. The band was to remain the heaviest to rule the arena hard-rock circuit for years until the advent of Metallica. Venom was to become the most intense band of its time and would inspire, along with Motorhead, Judas Priest's Stained Class and Riot's distinguishable and energetic musical outbursts, young bands such as Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, and Mantas (which would later become Death) to start making their own brand of fast, aggressive music.
Guns n' Roses was what the pop metal scene needed. Appetite for Destruction was a searing, raw, and aggressive affair, featuring Slash's bluesy guitar licks and Axl Rose's hanging-on-to-dear-life vocals. Guns n' Roses took the spotlight with its mix of the Hanoi Rocks the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and previous acts with songs like "Welcome to the Jungle,"Night Train,"and"My Michelle,"while showing its softer side on "Sweet Child O' Mine."
Metallica began combining multiple riffing, snarling vocals, and a wide use of double-pedals in drumming to produce music that was totally uncompromising and ferocious, therefore being shunned by MTV and commercial radio stations. Shortly after, bands like Mercyful Fate and the crunching Exodus were increasing their presence to back up Metallica and bring the harder metal fans together again.
At this time, three other thrash metal bands took over along with Metallica: Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Megadeth, founded by ex-Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine, created what would be later known as techno-thrash, characterized by numerous tempo changes and complex riffs, which backed Mustaine's sharp snarl.
Motley Crue and Guns n' Roses still ruled the music world along with Metallica, in the absence of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi.
Death and doom metal had already revived, but speed and glam needed a savior.
Then Nirvana exploded upon the world with their song "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Its mixture of accessibly simple vocal melodies and punk angst quickly drew hordes of fans eager to listen to something new. Kurt Cobain's depressed lyrics attracted millions of Generation X teenagers who felt as if the old stars of glam metal had nothing to do with their lives; flash and sex just weren't reality anymore, or so everyone thought. Until the death of Cobain in 1994, the members of Nirvana were MTV darlings
After the wake of Nirvana, several bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains with its dark, broody music and Pearl Jam quickly attained fame status.The alternative metal scene quickly grew!Later came bands like Stone Temple Pilots, which evolved from a poor man's Pearl Jam to a force of its own, the punk-turned-alternative Soul Asylum, the unique My Sister's Machine, the acclaimed Saigon Kick, Blind Melon, Big Chief, Candlebox, Dinosaur Jr., Moist, and Sponge, all with different degrees of success.
Only a couple of bands kept breaking new ground, such as the musically simple Helmet and the sometimes psychedelic Smashing Pumpkins. Relatively new punk bands like the Offspring, Green Day, and Rancid lacked musical fierceness when compared to older punk bands which eventually contributed to their own downfall.The hardcore Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and NOFX, the latest of punk bands to reach wide media exposure after several years of existence. But nowadays the matter of true punk rock surviving in commercial circles for much longer is rather questionable, the scene being taken up by comparably weak and unoriginal outfits such as Blink 182.
Ever since the second half of the Nineties, heavy metal seems to constantly be on the verge of coming back!Initially, the reunion and comeback tours of acts such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Riot, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Poison, and several other bands were responsible for leading to such a belief, but it only took a couple of years before it became apparent that most of these events were nothing but mere business or flashes in the pan without true staying power.
Rage Against the Machine truly hit it big when it turned into what is now called nu-metal. Pioneered without a doubt by Korn and Deftones, and ridiculed by some who consider it not to be metal, the style owns many of its characteristics to Faith No More and that band's song "Jizzlobber." Limp Bizkit and Coal Chamber have been quick to exploit the scene. Linkin' Park stands accused of being the nu-metal equivalent of bands such as Silverchair and Nelson, and others like Papa Roach shamelessly ripping off Iron Maiden!
What lies in the future of heavy metal? History cannot and should not be predicted!By now, the return of glam metal has proven to be nothing more than hype, alternative metal would be dead if it weren't for Creed's unabashed ripping off of Pearl Jam, power metal keeps thriving in Europe and Japan, and Iron Maiden has come back in full force with Brave New World. Moreover, The Gathering keeps releasing album after album of progressive and awe-inspiring atmospheric beauty, Neurosis is still exploring abrasive sonic territory, bands such as Tiamat and Opeth break the limits that were once set upon them, Therion delivers its unique mixture of metal and classical music, In Flames continues taking over the world, stoner rock seems to be making major waves, and Nevermore takes American power metal to levels of heaviness previously unthought of, honoring the tradition that some of its members had once established with Sanctuary.
What's next? Pardon the naive and jaded cliche', but only “Time will Tell”!!!
