Heavy metal music
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heavy Metal is a loud, aggressive style of Rock and roll music. The bands who play heavy-metal music usually have one or two guitars, a bass guitar and drums. In some bands, electronic keyboards, organs, or other instruments are used. Heavy metal songs are loud and heavy-sounding, and have strong rhythms that are repeated.
Heavy metal bands usually dress in jeans, leather jackets, and leather boots, and wear long hair. Heavy metal bands behave in dramatic way when they play their instruments or sing. A well-known band from the late 1970s is Motörhead. A well-known band from the 1980s is Metallica.
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[edit] History
[edit] 1970s
In the 1970s, Rock and Roll turned into a harder, louder form of music called Rock. In the 1970s, Rock music bands played huge, loud concerts in outdoor stadiums. In the early 1970s, many rock bands played psychedelic rock, a type of rock music which had words that described illegal drugs and drug use. Many bands from Britain played blues music mixed with rock music, such as the Kinks, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, the Jeff Beck Group.
In the 1970s, a harder form of rock music called "Heavy Metal" was invented in Britain. Bands from Britain such as Cream and Led Zeppelin played loud, heavy rock music based on blues music. Heavy metal music was mostly based on the sounds of the electric guitar. The electric guitar in Heavy metal is always amplified through powerful amplifiers so that it has a loud, distorted, angry sound. Other bands such Deep Purple and Black Sabbath] played even louder, harder forms of heavy metal rock music.
Next, the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" came along. This style of Heavy Metal, including bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead playing faster and with more anger in the music. Heavy metal bands from the United States made heavy metal music popular in the late 1970s. Bands such as Alice Cooper, Kiss. Aerosmith, and Van Halen put on big shows and had many fans.
[edit] 1980s
In the 1980s, a new type of heavy metal band became popular, called glam metal rock. Bands such as Mötley Crüe, W.A.S.P. and Ratt became popular. Glam metal rock bands had long hair and the men wore make up (lipstick and eyeshadow) and tight leather pants and boots. Many glam metal songs were about sex, illegal drug use, and drinking alcohol. In the late 1980s, groups such as Guns N' Roses were very successful.
Another type of heavy metal in the 1980s was called "Thrash Metal" or "Thrash." Thrash metal bands played a faster, more aggressive type of heavy metal rock. Thrash metal bands such as Metallica and Megadeth had many fans.
[edit] 1990s
In the 1990s, a new form of heavy metal developed, called alternative metal. Alternative metal combined thrash metal and grunge rock with hip-hop music and industrial music.
Two other styles of heavy metal music, "death metal" and "black metal" played very angry, fast music. Death metal and black metal music are strange-sounding, and the lyrics (words) talk about sad things, such as death, suffering and pain. A lot of people listen to death metal or black metal.
