MUSC 113 Heavy Metal to Extreme Metal

for exam 3

black sabbath (song)

first heavy metal song; 1970; has intense tri-tone, church bells, and thunder that all contribute to an eerie theme

black sabbath (band)

founded in 1968 in birmingham - epicenter of deindustrialization; musically indebted to blues, jimi hendrix, led zeppelin, etc.; initially perceived and mocked as “downer rock” - sad psychedelia; addresses despair and doom symbolically, not as politics (unlike punk)

what makes metal “heavy”

lyrics/visuals - occult/sublime/doom; sources - horror films/religion/mythology/history; sound - distorted guitar riffs → distorted/low/loud/clear sound = big/heavy; power chords contribute to sound but also shaped by black sabbath member tony lommis’ disability

punk in 1980

got very fast and hardcore; led to british heavy metal

judas priest, iron maiden, motorhead

helped metal become mainstream; turned up the speed of heavy metal and turned down the blues

number of the beast

iron maiden example song played in class; heavy metal; has guitar solos and power chords

glam metal

involved shock antics, power ballads, and lots of hair spray; bands like poison, motley crue, and guns ‘n’ roses; had power ballads with marginal metal for MTV and radio play; hedonistic, androgynous, and sexual

LA glam metal’s big moment

in 1987 with guns ‘n’ roses “welcome to the jungle”; has varied timbres of voice; less aggressive than previous heavy metal

what drove the creation of extreme metal

the threat of bipartisan censorship from PMRC and satanic panic; all popular music sounding bigger and heavier; commercial success of glam metal; people responded by self marginalization with transgressive topics and sounds; turning up violence and stripping out irony; embracing the DIY - blank tapes, cheap recording, and mail networks

thrash metal

a “fundamentalist” reformation

U.S. thrash metal

concentrated on bay area; hardcore punk influence; thrasher skater scene; political lyrics; bands like metallica, megadeth, slayer, and anthrax

european speed metal

concentrated in germany

grindcore

grooving until you can’t; has a punk rawness but sped up and surrounded by groovy metal riffs; uses chaotic blast beats to make coordinated movement impossible; three themes - capitalist power, pro-vegan body horror, and grimdark space warfare; builds and then frustrates

death metal

chop and go/riff salads; jumps around between different tonics, rhythms, and phrase lengths; essentially gives you whiplash; lots of syncopation

black metal

feels like you’re lost in a blizzard; most satanic; resistance against death metal’s success/digital polish