Heavy Metal Music

rock music · electric guitars · loud and proud · 1960s invention

Distorted guitars rule. Heavy metal bands make their guitars sound thick, fuzzy, and intense by cranking up the distortion, creating a totally different sound from regular rock music.

Born from the blues. Heavy metal grew out of blues rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock, taking the loudest and most powerful parts of those styles and turning them up to eleven.

UK and US creation. Heavy metal started in the late 1960s and early 1970s, mainly in the United Kingdom and United States, where bands wanted to make music that was heavier and more thunderous than anything before.

Epic, emphatic beats. The drumming in heavy metal is strong and powerful, with extended guitar solos that let musicians show off their incredible skills for minutes at a time.

Loudness as a weapon. Volume is a huge part of heavy metal's sound, because the sheer loudness creates intensity and power that you can feel in your chest.