Early Metal

Certif1ed · 09-13-2009, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Unfan

This might be a bit of a stretch but I've always thought this song had a metal vibe to it.

It's a fine line between Hard/Heavy Rock and Metal;

Yes, "Helter Skelter" has that kind of vibe and even some of the aggression of metal; I've always thought that "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (the song) has a metal vibe too, as has much of Cream's music and the heavier moments of Pink Floyd. For me, the first really "heavy" song is "Keep on Running" by the Spencer Davis Group (1965, IIRC).

The thing that's generally missing (except in Floyd) is the dark, nihilistic aspect. Metal is generally "down" music, while practically everything the Beatles did is "up". Musically, The Who and The Animals both had a darker side which is close to metal - and few can deny the influence of The Kinks, even though musically, they were quirky and eccentric more than heavy.

If you listen to the Spooky Tooth vid I posted on the previous page, you can clearly hear where Black Sabbath got their influences from.

I think that the metal sound of the late 1970s/1980s started with UFO and/or the Scorpions around 1974. Again, see UFO vid on previous page. I'll have to dig up an earlier one of the Scorps - maybe "Speedy's Coming" would be a good one. I think it's the right time.

The "New" metal sound is pretty clear in several albums from 1980;

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Motorhead - Ace of Spades
AC/DC - Back in Black
BOC - Fire of Unknown Origin

I'm not talking about favourites here, but albums which have a distinctly "crisper" and "crunchier", more metallic and far less 1970s hard rock sound than previous albums (by any band).

almauro · 09-14-2009, 08:17 PM

From 1973...some proto-Metal and my favorite Trower riff.

You can't leave out Montrose and Paper Money from 1974. Check Ronnie's foot work.

Queen often gets over-looked as early metal. In 74', Freddie had that dark aura in spades.

Dio, Blackmore and Cozy Powel on the early Power Metal epic classic.

Certif1ed · 09-15-2009, 01:26 AM

The alternate picked riff of "Stone Cold Crazy" sounds like a kind of proto-thrash - I'd forgotten about that great tune!

Unknown Soldier · 09-15-2009, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Certif1ed

The "New" metal sound is pretty clear in several albums from 1980;

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Motorhead - Ace of Spades
AC/DC - Back in Black
BOC - Fire of Unknown Origin

I'm not talking about favourites here, but albums which have a distinctly "crisper" and "crunchier", more metallic and far less 1970s hard rock sound than previous albums (by any band).

You could add Accept`s Balls to the Wall here as well.

Certif1ed · 09-15-2009, 07:54 AM

Not really - BTTW wasn't released until 1983, by which time loads of bands had the sound.

From the archives (and definitely no modern sounds here), Mythra, thrash gods;

Voltz - folk metal heroes

Marquis de Sade - prog metal pioneers

Trespass - melodic metal maestros

Mantas - Death Metal Demons (warning, very low quality audio, but great quality thrash/death metal from the time of "Kill 'Em All" and "Show No Mercy").

(had to be done really!)

almauro · 09-15-2009, 08:33 PM

Not to restate the obvioius, but Slayer was Mother Effin Badass.

1970 Leslie West, one loud shouting, heavy mutha.

1974 King Crimson. The double trio configuration in action.

Certif1ed · 09-16-2009, 02:18 AM

Good selections - I really dig both bands, especially King Crimson.

"Nantucket Sleigride" is, rather predictably I'm afraid, my fave Mountain track - but Leslie West is a guitar God!

Here are some 1970s bands that teeter on the borderline between hard rock and metal (deliberately avoiding Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Sabbath);

Funk Metal anyone?

Finally, a coupla CLASSICS

Karen0193 · 09-20-2009, 04:03 PM

Black Sabbath
Metallica
Megadeth
Venom

snagglepuss · 09-23-2009, 10:19 AM

Check out Budgie and Sir Lord Baltimore. Blue Cheer is cool too.

Certif1ed · 09-23-2009, 12:43 PM

I'm not convinced about Blue Cheer's credentials as an early metal band - they had the volume, but that's about it.

Their cover of Summertime Blues is too close to The Who's to be an original idea - but that said, both "Vincebus Eruptum" and "Outside Inside" are well worth a listen. The latter is better than the former, which isn't particularly hard, musically speaking, and carries the interesting story that they basically blew up the recording studio whilst recording side 1, so had to carry on in a nearby field with a mobile recording studio in order to complete the album. Rumour has it that after just these 2 albums, guitarist Leigh Stephens left the band because of deafness.

It was said of Blue Cheer at the time that you could hear them 10 miles away, and they turned the air around them into methedrone and cotton wool (or something like that!).

Praise indeed!

09-14-2009, 08:17 PM	#22 (permalink)
almauro Way Out There Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 850	From 1973...some proto-Metal and my favorite Trower riff. You can't leave out Montrose and Paper Money from 1974. Check Ronnie's foot work. Queen often gets over-looked as early metal. In 74', Freddie had that dark aura in spades. Dio, Blackmore and Cozy Powel on the early Power Metal epic classic. __________________ rock n music blog Last edited by almauro; 09-14-2009 at 08:43 PM.

09-15-2009, 08:33 PM	#26 (permalink)
almauro Way Out There Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 850	Not to restate the obvioius, but Slayer was Mother Effin Badass. 1970 Leslie West, one loud shouting, heavy mutha. 1974 King Crimson. The double trio configuration in action. __________________ rock n music blog

09-20-2009, 04:03 PM	#28 (permalink)
Karen0193 Groupie Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 14	Black Sabbath Metallica Megadeth Venom __________________ Now We've Rewritten history, the only we've found out, sweet taste of vindication, it turns to Ashes in your Mouth

09-15-2009, 01:26 AM	#23 (permalink)
Certif1ed Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 194	The alternate picked riff of "Stone Cold Crazy" sounds like a kind of proto-thrash - I'd forgotten about that great tune!

09-15-2009, 07:54 AM	#25 (permalink)
Certif1ed Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 194	Not really - BTTW wasn't released until 1983, by which time loads of bands had the sound. From the archives (and definitely no modern sounds here), Mythra, thrash gods; Voltz - folk metal heroes Marquis de Sade - prog metal pioneers Trespass - melodic metal maestros Mantas - Death Metal Demons (warning, very low quality audio, but great quality thrash/death metal from the time of "Kill 'Em All" and "Show No Mercy"). (had to be done really!)

09-16-2009, 02:18 AM	#27 (permalink)
Certif1ed Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 194	Good selections - I really dig both bands, especially King Crimson. "Nantucket Sleigride" is, rather predictably I'm afraid, my fave Mountain track - but Leslie West is a guitar God! Here are some 1970s bands that teeter on the borderline between hard rock and metal (deliberately avoiding Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Sabbath); Funk Metal anyone? Finally, a coupla CLASSICS

09-23-2009, 10:19 AM	#29 (permalink)
snagglepuss Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: PA Posts: 136	Check out Budgie and Sir Lord Baltimore. Blue Cheer is cool too.

09-23-2009, 12:43 PM	#30 (permalink)
Certif1ed Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 194	I'm not convinced about Blue Cheer's credentials as an early metal band - they had the volume, but that's about it. Their cover of Summertime Blues is too close to The Who's to be an original idea - but that said, both "Vincebus Eruptum" and "Outside Inside" are well worth a listen. The latter is better than the former, which isn't particularly hard, musically speaking, and carries the interesting story that they basically blew up the recording studio whilst recording side 1, so had to carry on in a nearby field with a mobile recording studio in order to complete the album. Rumour has it that after just these 2 albums, guitarist Leigh Stephens left the band because of deafness. It was said of Blue Cheer at the time that you could hear them 10 miles away, and they turned the air around them into methedrone and cotton wool (or something like that!). Praise indeed!