Chapter 15- Heavy Metal  The music of heavy metal did not dramatically change from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s.  What changed was the lyrics and extramusical factors (image and theatrics)  The trend: each band must be louder, grosser, more rebellious, and more shocking than its predecessors  Heavy metal music helped consumers act out their anger and frustration with all of the societal institutions that they felt had let them down.  Heavy metal elements: extreme volume, distorted timbres, screaming vocals, insistent and repetitive riffs, and screeching high-speed solos

British Heavy Metal Evolves  In Great Britain, heavy metal was an exaggeration of the hard rock side of mainstream rock developed from the blues-based bands  A prototype of British heavy metal: Deep Purple Led Zeppelin  When Yardbirds disbanded, Jimmy Page recruited Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones to create Led Zeppelin  They released their first album Led Zeppelin in 1969  Led Zeppelin II (#1 in 1969)  “Whole Lotta Love” made Top 5Whole Lotta Love  “What Is and What Should Be”- alternates between heavy metal and softer sectionsWhat Is and What Should Be  “The Lemon Song” is a 12-bar bluesThe Lemon Song  “Stairway to Heaven” from Led Zeppelin IV was never released as a singleStairway to Heaven

British Heavy Metal Evolves (cont) Black Sabbath  a quartet formed in England in 1969 with Ozzy Osbourne as lead singer  Black Sabbath released in 1970  “Black Sabbath”Black Sabbath  “Evil Woman”Evil Woman  Ozzy left in 1978 and was replaced by Ronnie James Dio Ozzy Osbourne (solo career)  Bark at the Moon (1983)  “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel” is a teenage anthemRock ‘n’ Roll Rebel  Other hit songs: “Mama I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train”

American Heavy Metal The early American “heavy metal” groups were not as consistent heavy as the British heavy metal groups. Steppenwolf  Formed in Toronto and moved to L.A.  “Born to Be Wild” (#2 in 1968)Born to Be Wild  They are considered heavy metal even though they were less prone to ultra-loud repetitive chords and riffs  They disbanded by 1972

American Heavy Metal (cont) Alice Cooper  Was the name of the band and lead singer, Vincent Furnier  The name was taken from a woman who was burned at the stake of witchcraft in the 1500s  Stage acts were known for tidbits of violence, occult, sadomasochism, and animal abuse  Love It to Death (1971)  “Eighteen” (#21)Eighteen  School’s Out (#2 in 1972)  “School’s Out” (#7)School’s Out  Billion Dollar Babies (#1 in 1973)  Was his first and only #1 album

American Heavy Metal (cont) Kiss  Their makeup and theatrics connected them to the heavy metal and glitter rock trend in England  Formed in 1972 by Gene Simmons  “Beth” (1976) was their only top 10 hitBeth  They used mock blood vomiting, fire breathing explosions and fireworks, rocket-firing guitars, etc  In the mid-1980s their music was explicitly sexual Rush  A Canadian power trio  “Finding My Way” from Rush (1974) typified their early heavy metal soundFinding My Way

1980s Heavy Metal Guns N’ Roses  A quintet based in L.A. with singer Axl Rose  Appetite for Destruction (#1 in 1988)  “Sweet Child o’ Mine” (#1)Sweet Child o’ Mine  Lies represents the sound of Guns N’ Roses before and after their rise to stardom  “Move to the City”Move to the City  “Patience”Patience

1980s Heavy Metal (cont) Van Halen  Eddie and Alex Van Halen were born in Holland and moved to the U.S. in 1968  They were trained in classical music  1984 (#2) was released in 1983  “Jump” (#1 in 1984)Jump  By 1985, singer David Lee Roth left the band  5150 (1986) was recorded with Sammy Hagar taking Ross’ place  “Dreams”Dreams

1980s Heavy Metal (cont) Metallica  Based out of California  Ride the Lightning (#100 in 1984)  Master of Puppets (#29 in 1986)  …And Justice For All (#6 in 1988)  “One” (#4)One  This was as close as a ballad as possible; typically heavy metal songs did not make the charts because they were not considered appropriate  “Dyer’s Eve”- represents all of Metallica’s characteristicsDyer’s Eve

1980s Heavy Metal (cont) Other American heavy metal bands:  Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, W.A.S.P., Quiet Riot, Queensryche, Ratt, Staind, and Slipknot Other British heavy metal bands:  Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Def Leppard Other countries:  AC/DC is from Australia  Krokus is from Switzerland  Scorpions are from Germany

1980s Heavy Metal (cont) Heavy metal required “macho” guitar playing; therefore “monster” guitarists have been developed:  Eddie Van Halen  Randy Rhodes  Jimmy Page (Led Zeppellin)  Steve Vai (with Frank Zappa)  Yngwie Malmsteen (Alcatrazz) Metal fragments were created:  Thrash metal sound- hardcore giving way to heavy metal-based spin off (typically new wave of British heavy metal)  Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, AC/DC  Speed metal- harder-driving version of thrash metal  Megadeth  Death metal- combined the tempo, volume, distortion of speed metal with graphic death and destruction images  Carcass, Cadaver, Napalm Death, and Slayer

Heavy Metal (cont) Nu Metal phenomenon  A combination of rap and heavy metal by white rappers  The lyrics were misogyny, homophobia, and aggression often aimed at women Examples:  Rage Against the Machine  The instrumentalists merged with Soundgarden to create Audioslave  Korn  Limp Bizkit  Kid Rock  Staind  System of a Down  Linkin Park

Meter in Heavy Metal Music  Style is generally simple and repetitive except for the changing of meters  Early heavy metal is typically quadruple meter with duple subdivision  Alice Cooper: “School’s Out”School’s Out  Black Sabbath: “Iron Man”Iron Man  As heavy metal music emerged, groups began freely manipulating the solid metrical foundation by using either:  Uncommon meters (not duple, triple or quadruple)  Not divisible by 2  Soundgarden: “My Wave” (5 beats per measure)My Wave  Tool: “Ticks & Leeches” (7 beats per measure)Ticks & Leeches  Complex metrical structures (frequently changing meters)  Tool: “Intolerance”Intolerance  Tool: “Schism”Schism  Soundgarden: “Mailman”Mailman