Jump to content

Traditional heavy metal: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
No edit summary
m rm POV
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Unreferenced|date=January 2007}}
the legendary mark7532222 has owned mods, veterans, pretty much everybody on the discussion page. but the mods ignore his great points. this isn't a genre. if you think it is read the discussion page. the people got proved wrong by the great, mark753222 but they will not admit it. mark753222 could debate with the mods all day, own them all day but the mods just won't admit they're wrong. you egotistical bastards. now this edit will get erased since the mods are blind to greatness. they don't know what greatness is. greatness = this edit and the legendary mark7532222. so mods, you rotten pieces of garbage.. you make me sick. mark is the true wikipedia master, not you. now kiss my ass.. this site SUCKS!!!!!
{{Original research|article|date=September 2007}}
<!--This article is in Commonwealth English-->
{{genrebox|name=Classic metal
|color=#BB0022
|bgcolor=white
|stylistic_origins=[[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]<br />[[Hard rock]]
|cultural_origins=Late 1960s [[United Kingdom]] and [[United States]]
|instruments=[[Electric guitar]] - [[Bass guitar]] - [[Drum]]s
|popularity=High during 1979-1986
|derivatives=[[Glam metal]] - [[Power metal]] - [[Thrash metal]] - [[Speed metal]] - [[New Wave of British Heavy Metal]]
|regional_scenes=
|other_topics=[[Timeline of heavy metal]]}}

'''Classic metal''' (sometimes called '''[[heavy metal]]''') is a term used to refer to [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] bands from the 1970s and 1980s who peaked later than the late 1960s and early 1970s pioneers of the genre, yet before the era when mainstream and underground heavy metal became seriously divided. Classic metal bands are typically characterised by thumping fast basslines, not so fast, heavy, riffs, extended lead guitar solos, high pitched vocals and anthemic choruses. Classic metal is quite a loosely defined genre, and includes everything from [[glam metal]] bands ([[Mötley Crüe]]) and [[power metal]] ([[Helloween]]) to [[NWOBHM]] ([[Iron Maiden]], [[Motörhead]]) and aggressive [[speed metal|speed]]/[[thrash metal|thrash]] ([[Metallica]], [[Megadeth]]).

==History==
Classic metal artists were heavily influenced by [[hard rock]] and [[heavy metal music|metal]] artists of the same period. Artists like [[Black Sabbath]], [[Alice Cooper]], [[Deep Purple]], [[Van Halen]], [[U.F.O. (band)|U.F.O.]] and [[Led Zeppelin]] were seminal influences.

Classic metal was also influenced by 70s [[punk rock]] although the punk influences diminished over time. For example, [[Iron Maiden]] had many punk elements in their first two albums but then moved away from [[punk rock]] to embrace and define [[New Wave of British Heavy Metal]].

Classic metal enjoyed great worldwide success. [[Iron Maiden]] sold in excess of 58 million albums during the 80s{{Fact|date=February 2007}} and [[Dokken]] sold more than 16 million in the US alone. [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]] and [[Judas Priest]] sold out big arenas around the world. Some classic metal bands like [[Iron Maiden]] and [[Judas Priest]] still release successful new albums and tour world wide to this day. This is a testament to the influence that the bands still exert and their ability to keep old fans interested and attract new ones.

Classic metal bands influenced many metal genres including [[glam metal]], [[thrash metal]], and [[power metal]]. Classic metal bands were not as loud and had a greater sense of melody than the thrash metal bands such as [[Metallica]] and [[Anthrax (band)|Anthrax]] that they influenced. Often considered by some fans as the 'purest' form of metal, classic metal was popular for its combination of melody and aggression.

==Characteristics==
Classic metal evolved from varied genres like [[traditional metal]], [[punk rock]], [[hard rock]], and [[classic rock]]. The genre is related to [[heavy metal]], [[NWOBHM]] and [[speed metal]], and to a lesser extent [[glam metal]] and [[thrash metal]]. The wide variety of influences and similarities to other genres gives it a very wide appeal to many fans of heavy metal, but the genre still got quite a distinguishable sound.

Classic metal is typically characterised by thumping fast basslines, fast and crunchy riffs, extended lead guitar solos, clean, often high-pitched vocals and anthemic choruses. One of the most important and innovative concepts of classic metal was the use of the double lead [[guitar]] pioneered by classic metal bands like [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]] and [[Judas Priest]]. And although, this concept was sparingly used by earlier [[hard rock]] bands like [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]] and [[UFO (band)|UFO]], it was wholly developed as a heavy metal element during the classic metal era. This concept of dual lead guitars would reach more profound heights during the late [[1980s]] when other bands like [[Megadeth]] and [[Slayer]] would also use it. Another musical concept that evolved during the Classic metal era was that of the supposedly galloping basslines. Although, this bass style had its inception into music in the earlier rock n' roll era, it became highly evident in the Classic metal era, and was extensively used by [[Iron Maiden]]'s [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]], [[Dokken]]'s [[Jeff Pilson]] and others.

==Lyrical theme==
Classic metal is [[Lyrics|lyrically]] diverse, with a wide variety of lyrical [[Theme (literature)|theme]]s being written by the bands without a centralised prerequisite such as [[glam metal]]'s lyrics about love, sex, girls, and metal, [[thrash metal]]'s heavy political and war themes, and [[power metal]]'s high fantasy themed imagery. The themes in classic metal include: the occult, party and fun, fantasy, social themes, drug themes, and war themes. A single band can write songs based on various themes. For instance, [[Judas Priest]] writes songs on party (''Living After Midnight''), social themes (''Victim Of Changes''), love songs (''Prisoner of Your Eyes'') and [[fantasy]]/[[fiction]] (''Painkiller''). The classic metal bands who crossover with [[glam metal|pop metal]] almost exclusively write about party, sex, love and drugs, while bands who overlap with 'heavier' metal (such as Iron Maiden) having [[war]], [[history]], [[culture]], [[violence]], [[fantasy]] and [[religion]] as recurring themes.

==Decline==
[[Dokken]]'s ''[[Back for the Attack]]'' was one of the few classic metal albums to go [[platinum]] in the late [[80s]]. Classic metal's position as a popular time in metal music's history withered away in the late 1980s, especially in the 1986-1989 period. At this time newer bands emerged to extend thrash metal and glam metal, with each genre taking a quite different approach to their music. Gradually, public interest drifted away from classic metal onto the newer genres. Due to the hierarchy of classic metal splitting into individual parts and drifting away from each other, many classic metal bands came to their end at this time. Some joined one of the newly founded or extended genres, ([[Motörhead]]), while some bands experimented with aspects of other genres ([[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]), leaving others to carry on with typical classic metal stylings ([[Judas Priest]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Dokken]], [[Dio]]).

==Revival and influence==
Although classic metal went into regression as a commercially viable entity in the late 90s, there has been several bands who have tried to revive the feeling of the era, or alternatively have incorporated elements of classic metal into their music. Many bands, who came after the classic metal era had ended, played music akin to one genre, with heavy influence from classic metal. [[Iced Earth]], [[Warrior Soul]] and [[Stratovarius]] being prominent among them.

==Classic metal artists==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* [[Accept]]
* [[Alice Cooper]]
* [[Black Sabbath]]
* [[Blue Öyster Cult]]
* [[Deep Purple]]
* [[Def Leppard]]
* [[Diamond Head (band)|Diamond Head]]
* [[Dio]]
* [[Iron Maiden]]
* [[Judas Priest]]
* [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]]
* [[Led Zeppelin]]
* [[Manowar]]
* [[Metallica]]
* [[Michael Schenker]]
{{col-2}}
* [[Motörhead]]
* [[Ozzy Osbourne]]
* [[Queen (band)|Queen]]
* [[Queensrÿche]]
* [[Rainbow (band)|Rainbow]]
* [[Sinner (band)|Sinner]]
* [[Savatage]]
* [[Saxon (band)|Saxon]]
* [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]
* [[Thin Lizzy]]
* [[Trust (band)|Trust]]
* [[Trouble (band)|Trouble]]
* [[U.F.O. (band)|U.F.O.]]
* [[Whitesnake]]
* [[Yngwie J. Malmsteen]]
{{col-end}}

==Related genres==
* [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]
* [[Hard rock]]
* [[Power metal]]
* [[NWOBHM]]
* [[Speed metal]]
* [[Glam metal]]
* [[Thrash metal]]

==See also==
* [[Timeline of heavy metal]]

{{heavymetal}}

[[Category:Metal subgenres]]

[[ar:كلاسيك ميتال]]
[[cs:Classic metal]]
[[et:Klassikaline metal]]
[[de:Heavy Metal]]
[[fr:Heavy metal traditionnel]]
[[he:מטאל קלאסי]]

Revision as of 20:37, 22 November 2007

Classic metal (sometimes called heavy metal) is a term used to refer to heavy metal bands from the 1970s and 1980s who peaked later than the late 1960s and early 1970s pioneers of the genre, yet before the era when mainstream and underground heavy metal became seriously divided. Classic metal bands are typically characterised by thumping fast basslines, not so fast, heavy, riffs, extended lead guitar solos, high pitched vocals and anthemic choruses. Classic metal is quite a loosely defined genre, and includes everything from glam metal bands (Mötley Crüe) and power metal (Helloween) to NWOBHM (Iron Maiden, Motörhead) and aggressive speed/thrash (Metallica, Megadeth).

History

Classic metal artists were heavily influenced by hard rock and metal artists of the same period. Artists like Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Van Halen, U.F.O. and Led Zeppelin were seminal influences.

Classic metal was also influenced by 70s punk rock although the punk influences diminished over time. For example, Iron Maiden had many punk elements in their first two albums but then moved away from punk rock to embrace and define New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Classic metal enjoyed great worldwide success. Iron Maiden sold in excess of 58 million albums during the 80s[citation needed] and Dokken sold more than 16 million in the US alone. Scorpions and Judas Priest sold out big arenas around the world. Some classic metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest still release successful new albums and tour world wide to this day. This is a testament to the influence that the bands still exert and their ability to keep old fans interested and attract new ones.

Classic metal bands influenced many metal genres including glam metal, thrash metal, and power metal. Classic metal bands were not as loud and had a greater sense of melody than the thrash metal bands such as Metallica and Anthrax that they influenced. Often considered by some fans as the 'purest' form of metal, classic metal was popular for its combination of melody and aggression.

Characteristics

Classic metal evolved from varied genres like traditional metal, punk rock, hard rock, and classic rock. The genre is related to heavy metal, NWOBHM and speed metal, and to a lesser extent glam metal and thrash metal. The wide variety of influences and similarities to other genres gives it a very wide appeal to many fans of heavy metal, but the genre still got quite a distinguishable sound.

Classic metal is typically characterised by thumping fast basslines, fast and crunchy riffs, extended lead guitar solos, clean, often high-pitched vocals and anthemic choruses. One of the most important and innovative concepts of classic metal was the use of the double lead guitar pioneered by classic metal bands like Scorpions and Judas Priest. And although, this concept was sparingly used by earlier hard rock bands like Uriah Heep and UFO, it was wholly developed as a heavy metal element during the classic metal era. This concept of dual lead guitars would reach more profound heights during the late 1980s when other bands like Megadeth and Slayer would also use it. Another musical concept that evolved during the Classic metal era was that of the supposedly galloping basslines. Although, this bass style had its inception into music in the earlier rock n' roll era, it became highly evident in the Classic metal era, and was extensively used by Iron Maiden's Steve Harris, Dokken's Jeff Pilson and others.

Lyrical theme

Classic metal is lyrically diverse, with a wide variety of lyrical themes being written by the bands without a centralised prerequisite such as glam metal's lyrics about love, sex, girls, and metal, thrash metal's heavy political and war themes, and power metal's high fantasy themed imagery. The themes in classic metal include: the occult, party and fun, fantasy, social themes, drug themes, and war themes. A single band can write songs based on various themes. For instance, Judas Priest writes songs on party (Living After Midnight), social themes (Victim Of Changes), love songs (Prisoner of Your Eyes) and fantasy/fiction (Painkiller). The classic metal bands who crossover with pop metal almost exclusively write about party, sex, love and drugs, while bands who overlap with 'heavier' metal (such as Iron Maiden) having war, history, culture, violence, fantasy and religion as recurring themes.

Decline

Dokken's Back for the Attack was one of the few classic metal albums to go platinum in the late 80s. Classic metal's position as a popular time in metal music's history withered away in the late 1980s, especially in the 1986-1989 period. At this time newer bands emerged to extend thrash metal and glam metal, with each genre taking a quite different approach to their music. Gradually, public interest drifted away from classic metal onto the newer genres. Due to the hierarchy of classic metal splitting into individual parts and drifting away from each other, many classic metal bands came to their end at this time. Some joined one of the newly founded or extended genres, (Motörhead), while some bands experimented with aspects of other genres (Scorpions), leaving others to carry on with typical classic metal stylings (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Dokken, Dio).

Revival and influence

Although classic metal went into regression as a commercially viable entity in the late 90s, there has been several bands who have tried to revive the feeling of the era, or alternatively have incorporated elements of classic metal into their music. Many bands, who came after the classic metal era had ended, played music akin to one genre, with heavy influence from classic metal. Iced Earth, Warrior Soul and Stratovarius being prominent among them.

Classic metal artists

Related genres

See also