Heavy Metal



Heavy metal (often referred to simply as metal) is a genre of Rock Music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are generally associated with masculinity and machismo.

The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, though they were often critically reviled, a status common throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; Motorhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal had attracted a worldwide following of fans known as "metalheads" or "headbangers".

In the 1980s, glam metal became a major commercial force with groups like Motley Crue. Undergrounds scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive styles: Thrash Metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica, while other styles like Death Metal and Black Metal remain subcultural phenomena. Since the mid-1990s, popular styles such as Nu Metal, which often incorporates elements of Grunge and Hip-Hop; and Metalcore, which blends Extreme Metal with Hardcore Punk, have further expanded the definition of the genre.

Noteable 70's Heavy Metal Bands (Begining)

 * Black Sabbath
 * AC/DC
 * Led Zeppelin
 * Deep Purple
 * Aerosmith
 * Alice Cooper
 * Blue Oyster Cult
 * Judas Priest
 * Kiss
 * Rainbow
 * Scorpions
 * Thin Lizzy
 * Twisted Sister
 * Van Halen
 * Iron Maiden
 * Motorhead
 * Diamond Head
 * Venom
 * Saxon

Noteable 80's Heavy Metal Bands (Rise)

 * Metallica
 * Slayer
 * Megadeth
 * Def Leppard
 * Motley Crue
 * Whitesnake
 * Napalm Death
 * Dream Theater
 * White Zombie
 * Soundgarden
 * Europe
 * David Lee Roth
 * Queensryche
 * Ozzy Osbourne (Band)

Noteable 90's Heavy Metal Bands (Still Rising)

 * Pantera
 * Sepultura
 * Rammstein
 * Alice in Chains
 * System of a Down
 * Faith No More
 * Marilyn Manson (Band)
 * Down
 * Machine Head
 * Limp Bizkit
 * Rage Against the Machine
 * Guns N' Roses
 * Nine Inch Nails
 * KoRn
 * Deftones
 * Black Label Society

Noteable 20th Century Metal Bands (Not Declining)

 * Slipknot
 * Velvet Revolver
 * Heaven & Hell
 * Linkin Park
 * Disturbed
 * Avenged Sevenfold
 * Killswitch Engage
 * Trivium
 * DragonForce
 * Soulfly
 * Rob Zombie
 * Lamb of God
 * HIM
 * Pendulum
 * Cradle of Filth
 * DamagePlan

Noteable 21st Century Metal Bands (Staying on Top)

 * Bullet for My Valentine
 * 30 Seconds to Mars
 * Slash (Band)
 * Airbourne
 * Black Stone Cherry
 * Five Finger Death Punch
 * A Day to Remember
 * Bring Me The Horizon
 * Apocalyptica
 * Rise to Remain
 * Hellyeah
 * The Damned Things
 * Evile

Sub-Genres

 * Power Metal
 * Thrash Metal
 * Groove Metal
 * Death Metal
 * Nu Metal
 * Black Metal
 * Industrial Metal
 * Progressive Metal
 * Sludge Metal
 * Speed Metal
 * Stoner Metal
 * Symphonic Metal
 * Trad Metal
 * Viking Metal
 * Doom Metal
 * Southern Metal
 * Extreme Metal
 * Folk Metal
 * Glam Metal
 * Gothic Metal
 * Grindcore
 * Metalcore
 * Deathcore
 * Hardcore