Metal Mania

The early 1970s saw heavy metal explode and become dominated by the likes of British acts Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.

The 1980s saw the genre explode and flourish whilst drawing a wide range of influences. Out went the bluesy sound and in came a more dynamic guitar and bass sound tinged with Punk and showmanship that would make the Glam rockers shake in there 10 inch heels. As the decade progressed many different types of genres increased as Metal became more mainstream to the public, it was no longer a kept secret.

The catalyst for the change in Metals fortunes was the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) which emerged along side punk in the late 1970s. Leading the charge were Northern English bands such as Iron Maiden, Saxon and Def Leppard. They fed of the punk energy with a more grittier guitar sound and these bands caught the attention of the media and the public alike.

Another leading beacon was AC/DC whose high octane sound fed soundly into the early 1980s metal but the leader of the headbanging group was Lemmy who fronted the speed driven group Motorhead. Lemmy thunderous bass playing inspired Metals approach to 'How low can you go' in reverence to the deep frequencies. Guitar and bass were to plat an important part in Metal along with the banging of the drums.

At the other end of the chime was Eddie Van Halen distinctive tapping guitar sound which encouraged the infamous Air Guitar generation, Showmanship at its finest. Also David Coverdale who inspired a Whitesnake revival with there ballad fused metal and the sassy video promo to go with it. The image of metal singers covered by scantily clad girls was the norm.

As post punk faded, Metal took over and made an assault on all fronts. Def Leppard crossed the pond and took the MTV route to ultimate success and Metallica spearheaded the more speed or thrash metal depending on who you talk to. Also Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth played there part in defining the speedster section.

Ultimately any genre is determined by continued success in the mainstream. The guys that emerged on top of the pile were Bon Jovi, Guns N'Roses and Metallica that established themselves as the premier rock forces of the 1980s. Also from a British perspective Def Leppard and Iron Maiden enjoyed success in terms of records sold and sell out concerts and festivals.

Metal has continued it's success well into the 21st Century and although the old guard played there part, the next generation have continued the work and proof is the metal concerts and festivals that exist along with the plethora of groups that now exist.


Heavy Metal classics