Heavy metal and thrash rock has been around for a few decades, and it is generally agreed that the genre had it’s beginnings in the 1960s and 1970s. Trash metal is an off-shoot of the heavy metal genre, and its foundations come from the underground metal scene in the 1980s. Heavy metal is known for its ‘heavy’ sound, which is derived from thick, distorted guitar riffs and loud, incessant drums. Most heavy metal songs are energetic, frenetic and inescapable, and they have lyrics which often refer to social issues, sub-cultures, and the often nihilistic views of the band members. Sex, violence, and the occult were popular themes.
Originally, heavy metal used quite theatrical techniques to entertain fans – gigs would see dramatic stage sets, unusual costumes, and special effects. You only have to think of some of the famous early heavy metal bands – such as Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple – to understand what an effect the heavy metal music, combined with the dramatic performances, could have on the audience. Overnight, heavy metal became a phenomenon which confused the older generations and enthralled the younger.
A particularly significant period for the heavy metal genre was the late 1970s, when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBHM) took the world by storm. It was this era that really saw the hay-day of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and made the bands (and their more famous songs) household names. Today the genre extends to include several sub-genres – trash, alternative metal, industrial metal, black metal, and more, and its followers are often branded ‘thrashers’ and ‘headbangers’.
Originally, heavy metal used quite theatrical techniques to entertain fans – gigs would see dramatic stage sets, unusual costumes, and special effects. You only have to think of some of the famous early heavy metal bands – such as Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple – to understand what an effect the heavy metal music, combined with the dramatic performances, could have on the audience. Overnight, heavy metal became a phenomenon which confused the older generations and enthralled the younger.
A particularly significant period for the heavy metal genre was the late 1970s, when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBHM) took the world by storm. It was this era that really saw the hay-day of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and made the bands (and their more famous songs) household names. Today the genre extends to include several sub-genres – trash, alternative metal, industrial metal, black metal, and more, and its followers are often branded ‘thrashers’ and ‘headbangers’.