There’s no question that there has been a plethora of great metal bands over the years. Bands ran-ging from as old as Black Sabbath to as recent as Beartooth have left a print on the music industry to shape the genre that we know and love. The question is, however, how did these bands come about? What led up to the creation of that heavy-hitting, jaw-breaking tone that has cemented itself as metal’s trademark? How has this sound evolved over the years?
The genre’s roots can be traced all the way back to the early and mid-1960’s. Around this time, hard rock bands were making their way towards the front line of the music industry. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Cream, and the obligatory Rolling Stones helped shape the tone associated with rock as it’s known today: Raw, loud, unpredictable, rebellious. That kind of tone that people walk away from bruised and battered, their adrenaline pumping and their hands chenched in fists. It’s these bands that helped lay the foundation for an even harder tone, and it wouldn’t be long before another band came
The (Brief) Evolution of Metal
by Brandon Brorby
Original members of Black Sabbath. From left to right: Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward