Overview
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, several British and American bands brought increasing diversity to heavy metal. This new approach to heavy metal still had the weight and riff-based sound of earlier heavy metal, but it was infused with the speed and anger of punk rock. In this lesson, we will trace several major developments in heavy metal, beginning with the second generation of British heavy metal musicians and then observing a number of subgenres of American heavy metal.
Objectives
- Recall the new developments in heavy metal music that occurred in the mid-1970s in the music of bands such as Motörhead
- Identify several significant American and British heavy metal bands from the early 1980s
- Recall the major subgenres of heavy metal, including hair metal and thrash metal, and discuss the stylistic characteristics of each
Introduction
The development of heavy metal music stalled temporarily in the early and mid-1970s when groups like Black Sabbath first changed their styles and then changed their lineups. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, several British and American bands returned to the sounds and styles of heavy metal but brought more diversity to the genre. This new approach to heavy metal still had the weight and riff-based sound of earlier heavy metal, but it was infused with the speed and anger of punk rock. In this lesson, we will trace several major developments in heavy metal, beginning with the new wave of British heavy metal and then observing a number of subgenres of American heavy metal, including the virtuosic style of Van Halen, the glamorous, pop-oriented style of Mötley Crüe, and the thrash metal of Metallica.
“My biggest influences were 1980s punk and metal. Metallica were my biggest influence because they were good at everything - riffs, energy - but with such an ear for melody, it was hard not to get pulled into it and become a fanatic.”
