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This is a list of heavy metal artists from the formative years of the movement (formed between 1963 and 1981). For bands formed after 1981, please consult the lists for each heavy metal subgenre. In the late 1960s, a number of bands began pushing the limits of blues rock into a new genre which would be called heavy metal.
- Iron Maiden. 27,948 votes. One of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, this quintessential band managed to create an enduring legacy through their aggressive, melodic sound, and keen storytelling abilities.
- Black Sabbath. 25,281 votes. Often hailed as the pioneers of heavy metal as a genre, this legendary band introduced darker themes and innovative techniques, such as downtuned guitars, that have become essential elements of the metal sound.
- Metallica. 30,082 votes. Initially labeled as the "biggest underground band in the world," these trailblazers rose to fame thanks to their unique blend of thrash, speed, and progressive metal.
- Judas Priest. 19,807 votes. Hailing from Birmingham, England, this iconic band brought a distinct style and attitude to the world of heavy metal. Their unmistakable sound, characterized by soaring vocals, dual lead guitars, and a penchant for catchy hooks and anthemic choruses, cemented them as one of the genre's most influential and revered acts.
Jul 20, 2016 · Behemoth. The evolution of Polish blackened death metal heavyweights Behemoth is one of the most remarkable in extreme metal. From humble beginnings as a lo-fi black metal act, mainman Nergal...
Feb 18, 2020 · To celebrate 50 iconic years of heavy metal, we compiled a gallery of bands and musicians considered "proto-metal," who are credited for pioneering the genre.
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- Rolling Stone
- ‘Welcome to Hell,’ Venom. Blasphemy has been an effective attention grabber for centuries, but until 1981, heavy metal had never seen a band go as all-in on Satan as the three lads from Newcastle calling themselves Venom did.
- ‘Planets Collide,’ Crowbar. In the early Nineties, Crowbar established themselves as the gruffest act on the bustling New Orleans metal scene. But “Planets Collide,” the leadoff track from the band’s fifth album, 1998’s Odd Fellows Rest, showed that there was way more to guitarist-vocalist-bandleader Kirk Windstein than his bellowing, grimacing MTV visage suggested.
- ‘Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe),’ Power Trip. Everything about Power Trip screamed throwback — from their tasteful marriage of hardcore and thrash, building on the golden era of so-called “crossover,” right down to their 1987-style album-cover font.
- ‘43% Burnt,’ The Dillinger Escape Plan. Prog and hardcore punk once seemed like polar musical opposites, but by the late Nineties, a handful of innovative acts had found a way to combine the complexity of the former style with the fury of the latter.
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Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and ...
