Tag Archives: heavy-metal

Metal and classical music, two genres that thrive on grandiosity, virtuosity, and a certain kind of unabashed awesomeness, are a natural fit. Metallica’s S&M series proved that on a mass scale, but the styles are also meshing in the underground. You’ll rarely see the metal/classical affinity demonstrated so plainly as …

Before the world recognized Black Sabbath as heavy-metal forefathers, the band members wrote a song that gave them the chills. “We knew instantly that ‘Black Sabbath’ was very different to what was around at the time,” guitarist Tony Iommi says of the piece that gave the group its name. “We …

Back in 1986, a Connecticut band called Fates Warning released Awaken the Guardian, their third LP and a cornerstone of what would come to be known as progressive metal. With its labyrinthine song structures and John Arch’s wildly expressive vocals — which combined swooping, acrobatic range with bizarre melodic invention …

It’s hard to pinpoint who exactly invented the blast beat, the relentless, piston-like rhythm that defines grindcore, death metal and related underground styles. Napalm Death drummer Mick Harris apparently coined the term and executed the technique to primitive perfection on that band’s 1986 debut, Scum. But in a 2005 interview, …

In metal as in many other styles, retro reigns. Bands and labels are falling all over themselves to evoke the Heavy Metal Parking Lot golden age via studiously old-school production values and cover art that screams 1987, right down to the cheesy font choices. A lot of the results look the part …