As a lover of History, I often find myself tracing more recent phenomena to their source. And seeing as I am more of an extreme Metal fan it, regrettably, took me years to finally appreciate extreme Metal’s simpler roots. After Blues gave way to Rock n Roll, Rock music continued down a path of no return – it had to get heavier. But how did we get to Metal from the likes of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Little Richard? I argue that the road to Metal was paved mainly by Psych Rock and more oddball acts than the accepted “it was all Sabbath” narrative would have you believe.

The 70s saw an impressive explosion of Rock bands mainly hailing from the UK. While bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple certainly had a sizeable impact on the evolution of Rock into Metal, their commercial success did not necessarily endear them to the vinyl-junkies. Bands like Uriah Heep were far more the speed of youngsters like Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) and Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell (Darkthrone) who would later go on to Metal greatness. Seemingly haphazard solos and delightful, scratchy distortion defined Uriah Heep’s otherwise tight sound, and even a quick listen to records like “Sweet Freedom” and “Demons & Wizards” can give you a pretty good idea of where Rock was headed in terms of being raw and powerful. While on the other hand, bands like Hawkwind with their “Hall of the Mountain Grill” album set the groundwork for more ambitious and cerebral Rock music. England not only delivered quantity to the Rock scene of the 70s they also, and most crucially, delivered quality. But the Brits, by no means, had all the fun.

Long Island’s Blue Öyster Cult also got in on the Psych Rock scene and composed music that was, at times, rather macabre and certainly trippy. Like earlier American groups, such as 13th Floor Elevators, Blue Öyster were more about ambience than they were distortion and heaviness. Alice Cooper’s influence on Rock, if for no other reason than his showmanship, cannot be diminished either. Some even believe that it was Alice Cooper that defined the “Metal look” even before Rob Halford. Other bands like The James Gang, who had something of a Led Zeppelin meets CCR vibe, also showed that the Americans could simply rock. But when it comes to the principal influences in Metal the key culprits are, indeed, the English.

Jethro Tull is often credited with creating “Folk Rock,” the seemingly contradictory but completely powerful blend of traditional Folk with contemporary Rock music, which remains strong in Metal ‘til this day. Jethro Tull’s “Benefit” has the musicality of a Metal album except at a much slower pace and “Songs from the Wood” really rocks. Black Widow is the most obscure group I’ve to mention but they are one of the earliest instances of satanic lyrics and ritualistic drumming in Rock music. And then, of course, we have Black Sabbath, who lit the fire that became Metal music.

Sabbath hit the Rock world like an anvil. The country that gave the world the Stones and the Beatles had now given it something far more sinister. Starting with their eponymous debut in 1970, Sabbath, impacted by their guitarist’s loss of a finger (which has been discussed ad nauseum by everyone in the music world), laid the groundwork for later Doom Metal. The vibe was brooding, occult and heavy. Ozzy’s vocals were otherworldly and the rhythm section created music with purpose and dynamics. With the release of “Master of Reality” in 1971, Sabbath began to up their tempo and achieved a sound whose echoes can still be heard today in the repugnant Stoner Metal scene. Wherever there is heavy there is Sabbath and that can never be refuted but what can be argued is who did it better? The answer is Priest.

Priest began with a Blues drenched sound similar to Sabbath and, while Ozzy’s performances were enchanting, Halford’s were haunting and mesmerizing. The use of two guitars also gave Priest the edge insofar as creating Metal as a genre and it can be heard all throughout “Rocka Rolla” and “Sad Wings of Destiny” – the genre soon to be born. 1980’s “British Steel” forever solidified Priest’s place at the top of the hill, but in that very same year they’d face stiff competition.

Iron Maiden entered the Metal scene like a swordsman flamboyantly descending a balcony via a silk curtain. Elegant and refined, Maiden’s sound had all but completely shed the bluesy ways of the 70s, however, while Paul Di’Anno was still vocalist they had a rougher edge to their sound. But, in 1982, enter Bruce Dickinson, a pseudo-operatic vocalist with hair nicer than your mother’s, and thus Maiden’s sound was perfected. While the “first EP was the best” crowd waxes poetic about the Di’Anno era, Dickinson was the missing piece of the puzzle.

1980 also saw the release of Angel Witch’s self-titled debut which was the very definition of “ahead of its time.” Kevin Heybourne’s guitar work is to be hailed for it may very well be the origin of shred guitar. And so soon after the genre was created we have our first instance of a band pushing the envelope. Not to be outdone however, were fellow Englishmen, Venom who, in investing heavily in a more shocking look, profoundly perturbed the minds of stiff parents in England and beyond. Venom’s “Welcome to Hell” followed suit with Angel Witch’s more occult themes and chose to exaggerate them. “In League With Satan” is a perfect example of how blunt Venom opted to be. Venom saw no utility in euphemisms, the angel of death they spoke of was called Satan. 1982 saw the release of “Black Metal,” Venom’s most influential work that, a decade later, would create hysteria in Scandinavia. Also in 1982, we received Witchfinder General’s first record “Death Penalty,” which expanded upon the sound created on Sabbath’s Master of Reality and forged the Doom Metal genre. Fuzzy distortion, chuggy, low-tuned, bluesy riffs and howled vocals became a craze that spread all throughout the UK, but while England perfected Rock n Roll and created Metal, and now Doom Metal, others were bound to join the party.

Outside of England, Doom Metal first took root in the US with bands like St. Vitus and Trouble releasing self-titled records in 1984. A year later the esteemed Pentagram released their own self-titled record. But it wasn’t until the Swedes joined in that Doom Metal really got good. Candlemass is as synonymous with Doom Metal as Cannibal Corpse is with Death Metal and it all started in 1986 with “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.” While Epicus Doomicus Metallicus is my pick for worst album name of all time, it solidified Doom Metal as a genre and not just a cult of Sabbath wannabes. Doom Metal saw its own explosion in the early 80s, but while Doom was cropping up all around the world we also saw an increase in genuinely good Metal.

Denmark’s Mercyful Fate went all in with their 1983 debut “Melissa,” by drawing from the Satanism of Venom’s work and by employing vocals that made Halford’s range seem safe. King Diamond is one of Metal’s most beloved figures and this is where it all began. Falsetto shrieking and ominous guitar work marked yet another beginning: the darkening of Metal. 1984’s “Don’t Break the Oath” saw Mercyful Fate improve upon an almost perfect freshman effort, but the year gave rise to yet another cult classic.

Hellhammer’s debut EP, entitled “Apocalyptic Raids,” was released after several demos, and this Swiss outfit sought to make all other Metal bands in the early 80s sound more akin to Buddy Holly than their psychotic stylings. While Cronos of Venom certainly had a rasp to his vocals, Tom G. Warrior brought us one giant leap closer to the late 80s’ signature shrieking screams. Hellhammer also shied away from the rather clean distortion and musicianship of their genre-mates and brought us to yet another plateau in heaviness. In 1984, the same year that Apocalyptic Raids was released, Hellhammer disbanded but was almost immediately reinvented as Celtic Frost. Martin Ain and Tom G. Warrior kept the evil alive and released “Morbid Tales” which unlocked gates that nevermore would be closed. And so Thrash Metal was born.