131-586: Bloodstock Open Air is a British heavy metal festival held annually at Catton Hall in Walton-on-Trent , Derbyshire , since 2005. Originally held indoors for one day with two stages, the festival started in 2001 at the Derby Assembly Rooms and expanded over the years. It became an outdoor event in 2005. By 2019, it had five stages and a capacity of 15,000, and as of 2023, it welcomed 20,000 metalheads . Originally on one stage only,
262-558: A staccato attack created by using a palm-muted technique on the rhythm guitar. Brief, abrupt and detached rhythmic cells are joined into rhythmic phrases with a distinctive, often jerky texture. These phrases are used to create rhythmic accompaniment and melodic figures called riffs , which help to establish thematic hooks . Heavy metal songs also use longer rhythmic figures such as whole note - or dotted quarter note-length chords in slow-tempo power ballads . The tempos in early heavy metal music tended to be "slow, even ponderous". By
393-435: A 1988 article, The New York Times critic Jon Pareles wrote, "In the taxonomy of popular music, heavy metal is a major subspecies of hard-rock—the breed with less syncopation , less blues, more showmanship and more brute force." The typical band lineup includes a drummer, a bassist, a rhythm guitarist, a lead guitarist and a singer, who may or may not be an instrumentalist. Keyboard instruments are sometimes used to enhance
524-469: A combined use of high volumes and heavy fuzz . For classic heavy metal guitar tone, guitarists maintain gain at moderate levels, without excessive preamp or pedal distortion, to retain open spaces and air in the music; the guitar amplifier is turned up loud to produce the "punch and grind" characteristic. Thrash metal guitar tone has scooped mid-frequencies and tightly compressed sound with multiple bass frequencies. Guitar solos are "an essential element of
655-548: A full-time member after 13 years as Blind Guardian's session bassist. On January 27, 2012, Blind Guardian released a compilation album titled Memories of a Time to Come , featuring re-recorded and remixed songs from their entire discography. Almost exactly one year later, on January 28, 2013, they released a box set titled A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time , which included all of the band’s studio, live, and compilation albums from 1988 to 2004, along with some previously unreleased material. On July 11, 2012, Hansi posted on
786-473: A heavy metal direction. A few commentators – mainly American – argue for other groups, including Iron Butterfly , Steppenwolf , Blue Cheer , or Vanilla Fudge , as the first to play heavy metal. In 1968, the sound that would become known as heavy metal began to coalesce. That January, San Francisco band Blue Cheer released a cover of Eddie Cochran 's classic " Summertime Blues " as a part of their debut album, Vincebus Eruptum , and many consider it to be
917-527: A heavy-metals blues sound". In January 1970, Lucian K. Truscott IV , reviewing Led Zeppelin II for the Village Voice , described the sound as "heavy" and made comparisons with Blue Cheer and Vanilla Fudge . Other early documented uses of the phrase are from reviews by critic Metal Mike Saunders . In the 12 November 1970 issue of Rolling Stone , he commented on an album put out the previous year by
1048-428: A major influence on heavy metal since the genre's earliest days, and that metal's "most influential musicians have been guitar players who have also studied classical music. Their appropriation and adaptation of classical models sparked the development of a new kind of guitar virtuosity [and] changes in the harmonic and melodic language of heavy metal." In an article written for Grove Music Online , Walser stated that
1179-402: A major overhaul and the opportunity was given to unsigned bands to upload their videos. Following public voting, Costa Rican band Sight Of Emptiness won and were invited to open the main stage on Thursday. The three mainstage headliners were Testament (Thursday), Lacuna Coil (Friday) and In Flames (Saturday). BOA 2007 took place from Thursday 16 August to Saturday 18 August. The line up
1310-491: A massive, heavy sound from unison riffing between guitarist Eric Clapton and bassist Jack Bruce , as well as Ginger Baker 's double bass drumming. Their first two LPs – Fresh Cream (1966) and Disraeli Gears (1967) – are regarded as essential prototypes for the future style of heavy metal. The Jimi Hendrix Experience 's debut album, Are You Experienced (1967), was also highly influential. Hendrix 's virtuosic technique would be emulated by many metal guitarists, and
1441-490: A motorcycle accident only weeks before the show. The full line-up was: Saxon Blaze Power Quest 5th Man Down Biomechanical Nightwish Paradise Lost Edguy Masterplan Saracen DragonForce Illuminatus Mercury Rain Biomechanical F.U.L.C. Waylander Fourwaykill Invey Bates Motel Ninedenine Cruel Humanity Bumsnogger 2004 saw continued growth in attendance with
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#17328010196931572-527: A new live album, Live Beyond the Spheres , which was released on July 7, 2017. When asked in July 2017 about the next Blind Guardian studio album, Kürsch stated, "We haven't done too much songwriting for the next regular Blind Guardian album, but still, we've made some steps at least, and I can sense a strong change in comparison to what we did on the last album. There's one song called 'Architect of Doom,' which
1703-540: A notable and successful band and as pioneers of the power metal movement. In 1996, Kürsch ceased to act as the band's bassist to focus on vocals, with various session musicians filling in, primarily Oliver Holzwarth. However, in 2005, Stauch left the band, expressing disapproval of Blind Guardian's shift toward a more complex progressive sound with heavy backing vocals, and was replaced by Ehmke. Most of Blind Guardian's albums have been well received by fans and critics alike: Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), Imaginations from
1834-671: A party without limits ... [T]he bulk of the music is stylized and formulaic." Music critics have often deemed metal lyrics juvenile and banal, and others have objected to what they see as advocacy of misogyny and the occult. During the 1980s, the Parents Music Resource Center petitioned the U.S. Congress to regulate the popular music industry due to what the group asserted were objectionable lyrics, particularly those in heavy metal songs. Andrew Cope stated that claims that heavy metal lyrics are misogynistic are "clearly misguided" as these critics have "overlook[ed]
1965-925: A refund on their ticket or to roll it over to the 2021 festival which saw three stages expanded to include an extra day. Bloodstock has hosted numerous metal bands from the following countries/dependencies: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland (including Shetland Islands), Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela, Wales, and Guernsey. Bloodstock originally began as an indoor festival held in Derby Assembly Rooms which ran for six years, 2001 to 2006. In order to associate
2096-510: A returning Saxon and the second by Nightwish whom like Blind Guardian the year before were playing their first UK show. Paul and Gregory had gone on tour with Saxon the previous year and it was then that Vince first saw Nightwish which convinced them they should be booked for the Bloodstock festival. This year also featured Edguy 's first UK show as they were drafted in to replace HammerFall after guitarist Oscar Dronjak broke his arm in
2227-1120: A second stage called simply "Unsigned Stage". This was to showcase new unsigned acts to a wider audience like the indoor festival did previously to on their second stage. Now backed by Wacken Open Air , the festival was able to attract more European metal bands to the line-up which was headlined by Edguy (Friday) and Stratovarius (Saturday). It was the last year which had both the indoor and outdoor festivals running together. Edguy Metal Church Atheist Nocturnal Rites Rage Pyramaze Evile Kingsize Blues Headless Cross Pitiful Reign Nephwrack Stratovarius Turisas Bal-Sagoth Ensiferum Callenish Circle Gorilla Monsoon Season's End Ashtar 19th Century Deadweight Sicfelt State of Serenity Nekkrosis Kyrb Grinder Spitting Blood Beyond All Reason Isaiah Deadeye Solace Luna Pin Phat Jerusalem Cycle VI Black River Project Bloodstock Open Air 2007 brought further growth for
2358-695: A significant impact, particularly concerning the choir arrangements and harmonies, an effect most notable on A Night at the Opera . Singer Hansi Kürsch expressed the band's attraction to 1970s progressive rock , citing early Genesis , Gentle Giant , and ELP as key influences. However, regarding the genre, he sees more direct influences in progressive metal bands, particularly Fates Warning , Queensrÿche , and Savatage . The folkloric influences on Nightfall in Middle-Earth primarily stem from British rock band Jethro Tull . Along with Jon Schaffer ,
2489-794: A trippy, distorted haze". During the late 1960s, many psychedelic singers, such as Arthur Brown , began to create outlandish, theatrical, and often macabre performances that influenced many metal acts. The American psychedelic rock band Coven , who opened for early heavy metal influencers such as Vanilla Fudge and the Yardbirds, portrayed themselves as practitioners of witchcraft or black magic , using dark – Satanic or occult – imagery in their lyrics, album art and live performances, which consisted of elaborate, theatrical " Satanic rites ". Coven's 1969 debut album, Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls , featured imagery of skulls, black masses , inverted crosses , and Satan worship, and both
2620-503: A true concept album, many of the lyrics explored common themes of religion and the relationships between human and divine powers. This was followed by a live album in 2003 and a DVD, Imaginations Through the Looking Glass , in 2004, which was the last recorded Blind Guardian material featuring Thomen Stauch on drums. He departed from the band due to musical differences and was replaced by Frederik Ehmke. The first album with Ehmke
2751-475: Is a key player in the German heavy metal scene that emerged in the mid-1980s. The band was formed in 1984 as Lucifer's Heritage by Kürsch (who also played bass at the time), Olbrich, fellow guitarist Markus Dörk, and drummer Thomas Stauch . Dörk and Stauch left the following year and were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively, who also departed before the year ended. In 1987, Siepen joined
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#17328010196932882-442: Is a truly heavy track. Very powerful. Very thrashy at points. And there's another song called 'American Goth,' which is kind of what you would expect from Blind Guardian, but the way we maintained the drums and the orchestra—this song features orchestral elements—makes it feel distinctly different. I'm pretty sure that you will notice a significant change when you listen to these two albums, and from that point of view, yes, Live Beyond
3013-506: Is considered vital. In his book, Metalheads , psychologist Jeffrey Arnett refers to heavy metal concerts as "the sensory equivalent of war". Following the lead set by Jimi Hendrix , Cream and the Who , early heavy metal acts such as Blue Cheer set new benchmarks for volume. As Blue Cheer's Dick Peterson put it, "All we knew was we wanted more power." A 1977 review of a Motörhead concert noted how "excessive volume in particular figured into
3144-426: Is emphatic, with deliberate stresses. Weinstein observes that the wide array of sonic effects available to metal drummers enables the "rhythmic pattern to take on a complexity within its elemental drive and insistency". In many heavy metal songs, the main groove is characterized by short, two- or three-note rhythmic figures – generally made up of eighth or 16th notes . These rhythmic figures are usually performed with
3275-428: Is perhaps Blind Guardian's most triumphant" work. A concept album based on J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Silmarillion , the music on Nightfall demonstrated some folk rock influence while also featuring heavy use of Queen -style layered backing vocals. Following the release of Nightfall , bass duties were taken over by session member Oliver Holzwarth, allowing Hansi to focus entirely on vocals. This album also marked
3406-557: Is speculation as to who started the phenomenon. Attendees of metal concerts do not dance in the usual sense. It has been argued that this is due to the music's largely male audience and "extreme heterosexualist ideology". Two primary body movements used are headbanging and an arm thrust that is both a sign of appreciation and a rhythmic gesture. The performance of air guitar is popular among metal fans both at concerts and listening to records at home. According to Deena Weinstein , thrash metal concerts have two elements that are not part of
3537-439: The 13th Floor Elevators epitomized the frenetic, heavier, darker, and more psychotic psychedelic rock sound known as acid rock, a sound characterized by droning guitar riffs, amplified feedback, and guitar distortion, while the 13th Floor Elevators' sound in particular featured yelping vocals and "occasionally demented" lyrics. Frank Hoffman noted that "[Psychedelic rock] was sometimes referred to as 'acid rock'. The latter label
3668-724: The Aeolian and Phrygian modes . Harmonically speaking, this means the genre typically incorporates modal chord progressions such as the Aeolian progressions I-♭VI-♭VII, I-♭VII-(♭VI), or I-♭VI-IV-♭VII and Phrygian progressions implying the relation between I and ♭II (I-♭II-I, I-♭II-III, or I-♭II-VII for example). Tense-sounding chromatic or tritone relationships are used in a number of metal chord progressions. In addition to using modal harmonic relationships, heavy metal also uses " pentatonic and blues-derived features". The tritone, an interval spanning three whole tones – such as C to F# –
3799-458: The minor third , major third , perfect fourth , diminished fifth or minor sixth . Most power chords are also played with a consistent finger arrangement that can be slid easily up and down the fretboard . Heavy metal is usually based on riffs created with three main harmonic traits: modal scale progressions, tritone and chromatic progressions, and the use of pedal points . Traditional heavy metal tends to employ modal scales, in particular
3930-443: The perfect fifth , though an octave may be added as a doubling of the root . When power chords are played on the lower strings at high volumes and with distortion, additional low-frequency sounds are created, which add to the "weight of the sound" and create an effect of "overwhelming power". Although the perfect fifth interval is the most common basis for the power chord, power chords are also based on different intervals such as
4061-485: The "1980s brought on ... the widespread adaptation of chord progressions and virtuosic practices from 18th-century European models, especially Bach and Antonio Vivaldi , by influential guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore , Marty Friedman , Jason Becker , Uli Jon Roth , Eddie Van Halen , Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen ." Kurt Bachmann of Believer has stated that "if done correctly, metal and classical fit quite well together. Classical and metal are probably
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4192-434: The "holiest of heavy metal communions". The metal scene has been characterized as a "subculture of alienation" with its own code of authenticity. This code puts several demands on performers: they must appear both completely devoted to their music and loyal to the subculture that supports it; they must appear uninterested in mainstream appeal and radio hits; and they must never " sell out ". Deena Weinstein stated that for
4323-510: The 1980s and 1990s, heavy metal hair "symbolised the hate, angst and disenchantment of a generation that seemingly never felt at home", according to journalist Nader Rahman. Long hair gave members of the metal community "the power they needed to rebel against nothing in general". The classic uniform of heavy metal fans consists of light-colored, ripped, frayed or torn blue jeans, black T-shirts, boots, and black leather or denim jackets. Deena Weinstein wrote, "T-shirts are generally emblazoned with
4454-418: The 1980s, glam metal became popular with groups such as Bon Jovi , Mötley Crüe and Poison . Meanwhile, however, underground scenes produced an array of more aggressive styles: thrash metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica , Slayer , Megadeth and Anthrax , while other extreme subgenres such as death metal and black metal became – and remain – subcultural phenomena. Since
4585-586: The Blind , were more in the style of speed metal compared to their subsequent works. Beginning with their third album, Tales from the Twilight World , Blind Guardian gradually started to write more intricate compositions, placing less emphasis on speed. By the time of their sixth album, Nightfall in Middle Earth , Hansi Kürsch ceased playing bass to concentrate solely on vocals. At this juncture,
4716-466: The British band Humble Pie : " Safe as Yesterday Is , their first American release, proved that Humble Pie could be boring in lots of different ways. Here they were a noisy, unmelodic, heavy metal-leaden shit-rock band with the loud and noisy parts beyond doubt. There were a couple of nice songs ... and one monumental pile of refuse." He described the band's latest, self-titled release as "more of
4847-416: The British bands Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath , with American commentators tending to favour Led Zeppelin and British commentators tending to favour Black Sabbath, though many give equal credit to both. Deep Purple , the third band in what is sometimes considered the "unholy trinity" of heavy metal along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, fluctuated between many rock styles until late 1969 when they took
4978-702: The British record label Earache Records , in an "unsuccessful attempt to prosecute the label for obscenity". In some predominantly Muslim countries, heavy metal has been officially denounced as a threat to traditional values, and in countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and Malaysia, there have been incidents of heavy metal musicians and fans being arrested and incarcerated. In 1997, the Egyptian police jailed many young metal fans, and they were accused of "devil worship" and blasphemy after police found metal recordings during searches of their homes. In 2013, Malaysia banned Lamb of God from performing in their country, on
5109-1061: The Garden Humanity Seven Years Dead Rezin 69 2005 was the first year which saw both the indoor and outdoor festivals running. HammerFall were booked to play, now with a headline slot on the first day, and Within Temptation headlined the second day. The full line-up was: HammerFall Stormwarrior Metalium Reckless Tide Conquest of Steel Warchild Deliverance Zillah Within Temptation Amon Amarth After Forever Bob Catley Raven Iron Savior Suidakra Season's End Rise to Addiction Cathedral Soliloquy Balance of Silence Jesus Fix Kingsize Blues Kyrb Grinder Dreadnought Mfkzt Pro-jekt Osmium † Kyrb Grinder were not originally booked to play, but
5240-483: The Other Side (1995), and Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998) are particularly regarded as influential works. The music is primarily composed by Kürsch and Olbrich together, while the lyrics, penned by Kürsch, draw inspiration from the works of fantasy authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien , Michael Moorcock , Stephen King , George R. R. Martin , and Robert Jordan , as well as traditional legends and epics . Over
5371-711: The Red Mirror and The God Machine , Kürsch reiterated that the band will "keep [their] focus on regular songwriting" after their upcoming tour. Regarding a possible release date, he stated, "I don't know—I would be very surprised to find out that there's no new Blind Guardian album before '27, which is an accomplishment already, but I'm hoping for either late '25 or '26." The musical style of Blind Guardian has been described as power metal , symphonic metal , progressive metal , speed metal , heavy metal , thrash metal , and neoclassical metal . Blind Guardian's first two albums, Battalions of Fear and Follow
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5502-516: The Red Mirror , was released on January 30, 2015. The first single, "Twilight of the Gods," was released on December 5, 2014. On January 28, 2015, two days before the release of Beyond the Red Mirror , Blind Guardian announced Barend Courbois as their new session/live bassist on their official Facebook page. The band recorded live shows during the 2015 European leg of the Beyond the Red Mirror tour for
5633-600: The S-tan snake featured instead. The first year was a one-day event headlined by Saxon , whom Paul Gregory had known personally since being commissioned to do the artwork for their 1984 Crusader album. Attendance for the festival topped 700 people and, despite taking an (expected) financial loss, a second festival was arranged for the following year. Saxon Glenn Hughes Blaze Skyclad Primal Fear Dirty Deeds Area 54 Shadowkeep Orange Goblin Return to
5764-589: The Sabbat Freebase Consumed Underule Evoke Occupational Hazard Bloodstream 2002 saw Blind Guardian headlining, again a band Paul Gregory knew through producing their artwork, which was their first UK show. Bringing metal acts to the UK for the first time become a regular occurrence for Bloodstock and the stronger line-up which also included Gamma Ray as second billing doubled
5895-480: The Spheres is the end of an era." He also mentioned that they were working on an orchestral album, which was originally scheduled to be finished and released in 2016, but was now due for release in 2019, followed by a "heavy album" slated for release in 2020. The band's long-awaited orchestral album, Legacy of the Dark Lands , was released on 1 November 2019, after Olbrich and Kürsch had conceived and written
6026-454: The Twilight World (1990), showcased a much more melodic and "epic" sound, incorporating elements of choir and classical music. Blind Guardian signed with Virgin Records in 1991 and released their fourth studio album, Somewhere Far Beyond , in 1992, followed by the live album Tokyo Tales in 1993. In 1994, Flemming Rasmussen , the former producer for Metallica , began working with
6157-545: The album A Long Time Comin' by U.S. band Electric Flag : "Nobody who's been listening to Mike Bloomfield —either talking or playing—in the last few years could have expected this. This is the new soul music, the synthesis of white blues and heavy metal rock." In the 7 September 1968 edition of the Seattle Daily Times , reviewer Susan Schwartz wrote that the Jimi Hendrix Experience "has
6288-617: The album At the Edge of Time was released on July 30, 2010. To promote the album, the band embarked on "The Sacred Worlds and Songs Divine Tour 2010," with opening acts including Enforcer and Steelwing for European dates, while Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms opened for the U.S. shows. The band also announced they would perform at Wacken Open Air in 2011. On July 21, 2011, Hansi Kürsch revealed on Blind Guardian's official website that they were working on an orchestral album. On September 1, 2011, Oliver Holzwarth joined Rhapsody of Fire as
6419-418: The album artwork and the band's live performances marked the first appearances in rock music of the sign of the horns , which would later become an important gesture in heavy metal culture. Coven's lyrical and thematic influences on heavy metal were quickly overshadowed by the darker and heavier sounds of Black Sabbath . Critics disagree over who can be thought of as the first heavy metal band. Most credit
6550-526: The album's most successful single, " Purple Haze ", is identified by some as the first heavy metal hit. Vanilla Fudge , whose first album also came out in 1967, has been called "one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal," and the band has been cited as an early American heavy metal group. On their self-titled debut album, Vanilla Fudge created "loud, heavy, slowed-down arrangements" of contemporary hit songs, blowing these songs up to "epic proportions" and "bathing them in
6681-434: The audience for whom they're playing – engage in headbanging , which involves rhythmically beating time with the head, often emphasized by long hair. The il cornuto , or "devil horns", hand gesture was popularized by vocalist Ronnie James Dio during his time with the bands Black Sabbath and Dio . Although Gene Simmons of Kiss claims to have been the first to make the gesture on the 1977 Love Gun album cover, there
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#17328010196936812-473: The band began to incorporate substantial orchestral arrangements and utilized the technique of overdubbing , heavily influenced by the English rock band Queen . Blind Guardian's music features the staccato guitars and double bass drumming characteristic of power metal, along with the use of overdubs and numerous backing vocals to create a rich and dense sound. This proved significant on all albums after
6943-1031: The band members were working at the festival and delays in the running of the Darwin stage left a gap, so they played a short sell to fill in the gap. 2006 was the last year an indoor festival was hosted allowing for full focus on the outdoor festival from then on. Primal Fear headlined day one with My Dying Bride headlining day two and thus being the last ever band to play at Bloodstock as an indoor festival. The full line-up was: Primal Fear Axel Rudi Pell Savage Circus Majesty Marshall Law To-Mera Eden Steel Tormentor Captive Audio Awaken My Dying Bride Deathstars Onslaught Brainstorm Machine Men Omnium Gatherum Sworn Amongst Spellblast Illuminatus Vanden Plas Deadfall Enemy Unknown Died Smiling Tourettes Syndrome Beyond Afterlife Agankast Mael Mórdha Isaiah H.O.S.T.I.L.E. The Boy Will Drown † Tourettes Syndrome had originally been booked to play
7074-426: The band's impact". Weinstein makes the case that in the same way that melody is the main element of pop and rhythm is the main focus of house music , powerful sound, timbre and volume are the key elements of metal. She argues that the loudness is designed to "sweep the listener into the sound" and to provide a "shot of youthful vitality". Heavy metal performers tended to be almost exclusively male until at least
7205-430: The band's twelfth album was announced as The God Machine , along with a release date of 2 September 2022. In a February 2024 interview with Australia's Subculture Entertainment, Kürsch revealed that Blind Guardian will commence "real songwriting" for their thirteenth studio album in 2025. When asked that same month if there would be "a shorter turnaround time" for the album, following a seven-year gap between Beyond
7336-516: The band, producing their fifth studio album, Imaginations from the Other Side , released in 1995, as well as The Forgotten Tales , an album that featured a mix of covers and original material, released in 1996. In 1998, Blind Guardian released their epic album Nightfall in Middle-Earth . Described by Allmusic 's Vincent Jeffries as "complete with anthemic choruses, spoken word storylines, and plenty of bombastic power metal punctuating every dramatic turn," he stated that "Nightfall in Middle-Earth
7467-523: The band’s official website that they would cease touring after their performance at the Rockharz festival in Ballenstedt , which occurred two days later. In his announcement, he mentioned the desire to focus on a new record before returning to the road by 2014. He also expressed a wish to perform songs they had never played live before their next tour. In October 2013, Blind Guardian was announced as
7598-466: The blues rock drumming style started out largely as simple shuffle beats on small kits, drummers began using a more muscular, complex and amplified approach to match and be heard against the increasingly loud guitar. Vocalists similarly modified their technique and increased their reliance on amplification, often becoming more stylized and dramatic. In terms of sheer volume, especially in live performance, The Who's "bigger-louder-wall-of- Marshalls " approach
7729-469: The capacity of this stage was increased and it became the festival's second stage. Bloodstock Open Air was conceived as an extension of the original Bloodstock indoor festival which ran from 2001 until 2006 at Derby Assembly Rooms. After an amicable parting in 2006 with his business partner Vince Brotheridge, in 2006 Paul Gregory brought his daughters Vicky Hungerford, Rachael Greenfield and son Adam Gregory on board as directors. In 2010, Heaven & Hell
7860-429: The components of the term mean in " hippiespeak ": "heavy" is roughly synonymous with "potent" or "profound", and "metal" designates a certain type of mood, grinding and weighted as with metal. The word "heavy" in this sense was a basic element of beatnik and later countercultural hippie slang , and references to "heavy music" – typically slower, more amplified variations of standard pop fare – were already common by
7991-409: The digital era and its endless possibilities. Oh, and the album title. There is one, but I won't tell you yet. This would be giving away far too much right now." In July 2022, Jon Van Stratum replaced Barend Courbois as a session member. Despite persistent belief among some fans that he became a permanent member, Hansi Kürsch confirmed that he is only a live session member. In May 2022, the title of
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#17328010196938122-536: The emergence of an intense, exclusionary and strongly masculine subculture. While the metal fan base is largely young, white, male and blue-collar, the group is "tolerant of those outside its core demographic base who follow its codes of dress, appearance, and behavior". Identification with the subculture is strengthened not only by the group experience of concert-going and shared elements of fashion, but also by contributing to metal magazines and, more recently, websites. Attending live concerts in particular has been called
8253-651: The era. Bands like The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds developed blues rock by recording covers of classic blues songs, often speeding up the tempos . As they experimented with the music, the U.K. blues-based bands – and in turn the U.S. acts they influenced – developed what would become the hallmarks of heavy metal (in particular, the loud, distorted guitar sound). The Kinks played a major role in popularising this sound with their 1964 hit " You Really Got Me ". In addition to The Kinks' Dave Davies , other guitarists such as The Who 's Pete Townshend and The Yardbirds' Jeff Beck were experimenting with feedback. Where
8384-418: The fans themselves, the code promotes "opposition to established authority, and separateness from the rest of society". Musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie observed, "Most of the kids who come to my shows seem like really imaginative kids with a lot of creative energy they don't know what to do with" and that metal is "outsider music for outsiders. Nobody wants to be the weird kid; you just somehow end up being
8515-477: The festival expanded to incorporate a second stage in 2006. Known simply as The Unsigned Stage, it was designed to provide a platform for the next generation of metal talent to reach a wider audience. In 2010 it was renamed The New Blood Stage. 2007 saw further expansion with the addition of a third stage, originally called The Lava Stage, which in 2009 became the Sophie Lancaster Stage. In 2010
8646-448: The festival roots with Derby, where founder Paul Gregory lives, the festival's mascot/logo was based on the tale of The Derby Ram; a beast so large that, when a butcher finally slaughtered it, he drowned in the Ram's blood. A competition was run to name the beast and 'S-tan' was selected, he has appeared on almost all Bloodstock artwork since only missing from the first three BOA festivals when
8777-487: The festival selling out and brought Gamma Ray back to headline the first day and Children of Bodom headlined the second day. The full line-up was: Gamma Ray Threshold Sinergy Illuminatus Infobia Season's End Invey Liquid Sky Super Massive Object Children of Bodom Sonata Arctica Primal Fear Balance of Power Evergrey Edenbridge Panic Cell Intense Fourway Kill Cruachan The Prophecy Gutworm Nowhere Near
8908-551: The festival which now ran over three days and included three stages. The additional stage was named the Lava Stage and allowed more established but smaller acts to perform at the festival. Following a stronger marketing campaign which included advertisement within HMV and greater coverage in music media, attendance at the festival more than doubled from the previous year exceeding 5000 people. The festival's website also went through
9039-526: The festival's attendance to approximately 1500. Blind Guardian Gamma Ray Diamond Head Threshold Balance of Power Freedom Call Biomechanical Return to the Sabbat Bal-Sagoth Elvenking Primordial Enemymaker 888 Twelvepointhead Infobia 2003 brought the first of many expansions to the festival as it stretched across two days. The first day was headlined by
9170-881: The first true heavy metal recording. The same month, Steppenwolf released their self-titled debut album , on which the track " Born to Be Wild " refers to "heavy metal thunder" in describing a motorcycle. In July, the Jeff Beck Group , whose leader had preceded Page as The Yardbirds' guitarist, released its debut record, Truth , which featured some of the "most molten, barbed, downright funny noises of all time", breaking ground for generations of metal ax-slingers. In September, Page's new band, Led Zeppelin , made its live debut in Denmark (but were billed as The New Yardbirds). The Beatles ' self-titled double album , released in November, included " Helter Skelter ", then one of
9301-598: The first two, but most particularly on A Night at the Opera . Another defining feature of Blind Guardian's music is the frequent use of folk tunes and instruments, especially in power ballads such as "Lord of the Rings," "The Bard's Song," "A Past and Future Secret," "Skalds and Shadows," and "Curse My Name," among others. The band was initially inspired by their fellow countrymen Helloween , and in its early releases, it also displayed influences from Iron Maiden and Metallica . According to guitarist Marcus Siepen, during
9432-633: The foundation of heavy metal and greatly influential in the transformation of acid rock into heavy metal. Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld , West Germany . They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Nine musicians have been part of the band's lineup throughout its history, which currently includes singer Hansi Kürsch , guitarists André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen , and, since 2005, drummer Frederik Ehmke. Blind Guardian
9563-476: The fullness of the sound. Deep Purple 's Jon Lord played an overdriven Hammond organ . In 1970, John Paul Jones used a Moog synthesizer on Led Zeppelin III ; by the 1990s, synthesizers were used in "almost every subgenre of heavy metal". The electric guitar and the sonic power that it projects through amplification has historically been the key element in heavy metal. The heavy metal guitar sound comes from
9694-466: The gap between now and the album release in late 2022 is painfully long. Neither we nor our label could defy the current worldwide economic crisis. A long story short: There is no one to blame for this situation... Talking about anticipation, even though 'Violent Shadows' and 'Deliver Us From Evil' are indisputably fantastic tracks, rest assured: We won't let you wait another ten months with only two songs. I promise you, you will always be blown away—cheers to
9825-413: The general population. For many artists and bands, visual imagery plays a large role in heavy metal. In addition to its sound and lyrics, a heavy metal band's image is expressed in album cover art, logos, stage sets, clothing, design of instruments and music videos . Down-the-back long hair is the "most crucial distinguishing feature of metal fashion". Originally adopted from the hippie subculture, by
9956-458: The genre's most famous pioneers – British bands Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath and Deep Purple – were founded. Though they came to attract wide audiences, they were often derided by critics. Several American bands modified heavy metal into more accessible forms during the 1970s: the raw, sleazy sound and shock rock of Alice Cooper and Kiss ; the blues-rooted rock of Aerosmith ; and the flashy guitar leads and party rock of Van Halen . During
10087-517: The ground opening up and little dwarves coming out riding dragons! You know, like bad Dio records." Heavy metal's quintessential guitar style, which is built around distortion-heavy riffs and power chords, traces its roots to early 1950s Memphis blues guitarists such as Joe Hill Louis , Willie Johnson and particularly Pat Hare , who captured a "grittier, nastier, more ferocious electric guitar sound" on records such as James Cotton 's " Cotton Crop Blues " (1954). Other early influences include
10218-429: The grounds that the "band's lyrics could be interpreted as being religiously insensitive" and blasphemous. Some people consider heavy metal music to be a leading factor for mental health disorders, and that heavy metal fans are more likely to suffer poor mental health, but a study from 2009 suggests that this is not true and that fans of heavy metal music suffer from poor mental health at a similar or lower rate compared to
10349-433: The group, and Stauch returned; this lineup, which lasted 18 years (the longest in the band's history), led the band to change their name to Blind Guardian and release their debut album, Battalions of Fear , in 1988. They have since released ten more studio albums, including an orchestral album released under the name Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra. Through their discography, Blind Guardian has established themselves as
10480-413: The harmonic analysis done by metal players and teachers is "often very sophisticated". In the study of heavy metal chord structures, it has been concluded that "heavy metal music has proved to be far more complicated" than other music researchers had realized. Robert Walser stated that, alongside blues and R&B, the "assemblage of disparate musical styles known ... as ' classical music '" has been
10611-689: The headliner for the Out & Loud Festival in Geiselwind on May 31, 2014. On October 18, 2013, Hansi shared an update via the official website, stating he expected the new record to be fully produced by May 2014. He confirmed that the album was progressing well and mentioned nine new songs by name: Irish Hill (later titled Grand Parade ), Encrypted Time , Prophecies , Holy Grail , Winter's Coming , The Throne , The Ocean , and Outcast , along with two others with uncertain titles, Song 9 and Midtempo Song . The tenth Blind Guardian album, titled Beyond
10742-610: The heaviest-sounding songs ever released by a major band. The Pretty Things ' rock opera S.F. Sorrow , released in December, featured "proto heavy metal" songs such as "Old Man Going" and "I See You". Iron Butterfly 's 1968 song " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida " is sometimes described as an example of the transition between acid rock and heavy metal or the turning point in which acid rock became "heavy metal", and both Iron Butterfly's 1968 album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and Blue Cheer's 1968 album Vincebus Eruptum have been described as laying
10873-436: The heavy metal code ... that underscores the significance of the guitar" to the genre. Most heavy metal songs "feature at least one guitar solo", which is "a primary means through which the heavy metal performer expresses virtuosity". Some exceptions are nu metal and grindcore bands, which tend to omit guitar solos. With rhythm guitar parts, the "heavy crunch sound in heavy metal ... [is created by] palm muting "
11004-403: The influence of 'art traditions.' An example is Walser's linkage of heavy metal music with the ideologies and even some of the performance practices of nineteenth-century Romanticism . However, it would be clearly wrong to claim that traditions such as blues, rock, heavy metal, rap or dance music derive primarily from "art music.'" According to David Hatch and Stephen Millward, Black Sabbath and
11135-605: The intricate patterns" used in heavy metal. A characteristic metal drumming technique is the cymbal choke , which consists of striking a cymbal and then immediately silencing it by grabbing it with the other hand (or, in some cases, the same striking hand), producing a burst of sound. The metal drum setup is generally much larger than those employed in other forms of rock music. Black metal, death metal and some "mainstream metal" bands "all depend upon double-kicks and blast beats ". In live performance, loudness – an "onslaught of sound", in sociologist Deena Weinstein 's description –
11266-454: The last time Blind Guardian worked with producer Flemming Rasmussen. Four years later, the band released A Night at the Opera , named after the Queen album. On this album, the band's sound largely departed from their original speed metal influences, instead embracing power and progressive metal with over-the-top orchestral backing and consistent vocal and guitar layering throughout. While not
11397-423: The late 1950s instrumentals of Link Wray , particularly " Rumble " (1958); the early 1960s surf rock of Dick Dale , including " Let's Go Trippin' " (1961) and " Misirlou " (1962); and The Kingsmen 's version of " Louie Louie " (1963), which became a garage rock standard. However, the genre's direct lineage begins in the mid-1960s. American blues music was a major influence on the early British rockers of
11528-438: The late 1970s, however, metal bands were employing a wide variety of tempos, and as recently as the 2000s, metal tempos range from slow ballad tempos (quarter note = 60 beats per minute ) to extremely fast blast beat tempos (quarter note = 350 beats per minute). One of the signatures of the genre is the guitar power chord. In technical terms, the power chord is relatively simple: it involves just one main interval , generally
11659-466: The leader and founder of Iced Earth , Kürsch was a member of Demons & Wizards , where he served as the lead singer until its disbandment in early 2021 due to Schaffer's involvement in the January 6 US Capitol attack . Frederik Ehmke was a founding member of the band Sinbreed , in which Marcus Siepen was initially a session member. Later, in 2012, Marcus became a full member of the band. Following
11790-436: The lineup that would remain consistent for the next 18 years. After Lucifer's Heritage signed a contract with No Remorse Records , the band changed their name to Blind Guardian to avoid any speculation regarding Satanism . In their biography, the band noted that they also wanted to distance themselves from the black metal movement, as their demos had been placed alongside black metal albums in local record shops. The new name
11921-471: The logos or other visual representations of favorite metal bands." In the 1980s, a range of sources – from punk rock and goth music to horror films – influenced metal fashion. Many metal performers of the 1970s and 1980s used radically shaped and brightly colored instruments to enhance their stage appearance. Fashion and personal style was especially important for glam metal bands of the era. Performers typically wore long, dyed, hairspray-teased hair (hence
12052-496: The low-end sound crucial to making the music "heavy". The bass plays a "more important role in heavy metal than in any other genre of rock". Metal basslines vary widely in complexity, from holding down a low pedal point as a foundation to doubling complex riffs and licks along with the lead or rhythm guitars. Some bands feature the bass as a lead instrument, an approach popularized by Metallica 's Cliff Burton with his heavy emphasis on bass solos and use of chords while playing
12183-528: The main stage. However, their flight was delayed and they did not arrive in time. Sworn Amongst were bumped up from their scheduled Darwin Stage slot to fill the gap, and Tourettes Syndrome played on the Darwin Stage later in the day when they eventually arrived. Bloodstock Open Air is the outdoor venture for the festival after selling out the indoor festival which had a maximum capacity of 2500. Catton Hall
12314-491: The mid-1960s, such as in reference to Vanilla Fudge . Iron Butterfly 's debut album, which was released in early 1968, was titled Heavy . The first use of "heavy metal" in a song lyric is in reference to a motorcycle in the Steppenwolf song " Born to Be Wild ", also released that year: "I like smoke and lightning / Heavy metal thunder / Racin' with the wind / And the feelin' that I'm under". An early documented use of
12445-585: The mid-1970s, Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence, while Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Beginning in the late 1970s, bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein. By the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as " metalheads " or " headbangers ". The lyrics of some metal genres became associated with aggression and machismo , an issue that has at times led to accusations of misogyny. During
12576-409: The mid-1980s, with some exceptions such as Girlschool . However, by the 2010s, women were making more of an impact, and PopMatters' Craig Hayes argues that metal "clearly empowers women". In the power metal and symphonic metal subgenres, there has been a sizable number of bands that have had women as the lead singers, such as Nightwish , Delain and Within Temptation . The rhythm in metal songs
12707-422: The mid-1990s, popular styles have expanded the definition of the genre. These include groove metal and nu metal , the latter of which often incorporates elements of grunge and hip-hop . Heavy metal is traditionally characterized by loud distorted guitars, emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound and vigorous vocals. Heavy metal subgenres variously emphasize, alter or omit one or more of these attributes. In
12838-456: The mid-Seventies". "The term 'heavy metal' is self-defeating," remarked Kiss bassist Gene Simmons . "When I think of heavy metal, I've always thought of elves and evil dwarves and evil princes and princesses. A lot of the Maiden and Priest records were real metal records. I sure as hell don't think Metallica 's metal, or Guns N' Roses is metal, or Kiss is metal. It just doesn't deal with
12969-502: The more extreme side of the psychedelic rock genre, frequently containing a loud, improvised, and heavily distorted, guitar-centered sound. Acid rock has been described as psychedelic rock at its "rawest and most intense", emphasizing the heavier qualities associated with both the positive and negative extremes of the psychedelic experience rather than only the idyllic side of psychedelia. In contrast to more idyllic or whimsical pop psychedelic rock, American acid rock garage bands such as
13100-523: The name Lucifer's Heritage, alongside Markus Dörk (guitar) and Thomen Stauch (drums). The band briefly expanded into a quintet with the addition of a second lead vocalist, Thomas Kelleners. However, after three months, Kelleners left the band by mutual agreement. Lucifer's Heritage released two demos in 1985 and 1986, despite undergoing chaotic lineup changes: Dörk and Stauch were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively. Finally, in 1987, Marcus Siepen joined, and Stauch returned to form
13231-535: The nickname "hair metal"); makeup such as lipstick and eyeliner; gaudy clothing, including leopard-skin-printed shirts or vests and tight denim, leather or spandex pants; and accessories such as headbands and jewelry. Pioneered by the heavy metal act X Japan in the late 1980s, bands in the Japanese movement known as visual kei , which includes many non-metal groups, emphasize elaborate costumes, hair and makeup. When performing live, many metal musicians – as well as
13362-456: The numerous heavy metal bands that they inspired have concentrated lyrically "on dark and depressing subject matter to an extent hitherto unprecedented in any form of pop music." They take as an example Black Sabbath's second album, Paranoid (1970), which "included songs dealing with personal trauma—' Paranoid ' and ' Fairies Wear Boots ' (which described the unsavoury side effects of drug-taking)—as well as those confronting wider issues, such as
13493-431: The other metal genres: moshing and stage diving , which "were imported from the punk/hardcore subculture ". Weinstein states that moshing participants bump and jostle each other as they move in a circle in an area called the "pit" near the stage. Stage divers climb onto the stage with the band and then jump "back into the audience". It has been argued that heavy metal has outlasted many other rock genres largely due to
13624-430: The overwhelming evidence that suggests otherwise". Music critic Robert Christgau called metal "an expressive mode [that] it sometimes seems will be with us for as long as ordinary white boys fear girls, pity themselves, and are permitted to rage against a world they'll never beat". Heavy metal artists have had to defend their lyrics in front of the U.S. Senate and in court. In 1985, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider
13755-727: The periodic table organizes elements of both light and heavy metals (e.g., uranium). An early use of the term in modern popular culture was by countercultural writer William S. Burroughs . His 1961 novel The Soft Machine includes a character known as "Uranian Willy, the Heavy Metal Kid". Burroughs' next novel, Nova Express (1964), develops the theme, using "heavy metal" as a metaphor for addictive drugs: "With their diseases and orgasm drugs and their sexless parasite life forms—Heavy Metal People of Uranus wrapped in cool blue mist of vaporized bank notes—And The Insect People of Minraud with metal music." Inspired by Burroughs' novels,
13886-592: The phrase in rock criticism appears in Sandy Pearlman's February 1967 Crawdaddy review of the Rolling Stones ' Got Live If You Want It (1966), albeit as a description of the sound rather than as a genre: "On this album the Stones go metal. Technology is in the saddle—as an ideal and as a method." Another appears in the 11 May 1968 issue of Rolling Stone , in which Barry Gifford wrote about
14017-592: The project since 1996. It features only Kürsch as a performer, along with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra , and is credited to the "Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra" rather than the band's regular name. In November 2021, it was announced that a new single, "Deliver Us From Evil," would be released on 3 December 2021, and that the band's forthcoming twelfth album would be released in September 2022. Kürsch told Nuclear Blast, "We know that
14148-473: The same 27th-rate heavy metal crap". In a review of Sir Lord Baltimore 's Kingdom Come in the May 1971 edition of Creem , Saunders wrote, "Sir Lord Baltimore seems to have down pat most all the best heavy metal tricks in the book." Creem critic Lester Bangs is credited with popularizing the term via his early 1970s essays on bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Through the decade, "heavy metal"
14279-499: The self-explanatory ' War Pigs ' and ' Hand of Doom .'" Deriving from the genre's roots in blues music, sex is another important topic – a thread running from Led Zeppelin's suggestive lyrics to the more explicit references of glam metal and nu metal bands. The thematic content of heavy metal has long been a target of criticism. According to Jon Pareles , "Heavy metal's main subject matter is simple and virtually universal. With grunts, moans and subliterary lyrics, it celebrates ...
14410-435: The songwriting for Follow the Blind , they also listened to Bay Area thrash metal bands, such as Testament and Forbidden , resulting in a somewhat heavier sound. Starting with their third album, Tales from the Twilight World , and continuing through Somewhere Far Beyond and Imaginations from the Other Side , Blind Guardian gradually incorporated more influences from progressive and classical music. Queen had
14541-410: The strings with the picking hand and using distortion. Palm muting creates a tighter, more precise sound and it emphasizes the low end. The lead role of the guitar in heavy metal often collides with the traditional "frontman" or bandleader role of the vocalist, creating a musical tension as the two "contend for dominance" in a spirit of "affectionate rivalry". Heavy metal "demands the subordination of
14672-714: The term was used in the title of the 1967 album Featuring the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids by Hapshash and the Coloured Coat , which has been claimed to be its first use in the context of music. The phrase was later lifted by Sandy Pearlman , who used the term to describe the Byrds for their supposed "aluminium style of context and effect", particularly on their album The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968). Metal historian Ian Christe describes what
14803-478: The terms "heavy metal" and "hard rock" have often been used interchangeably, particularly in discussing bands of the 1970s, a period when the terms were largely synonymous. For example, the 1983 edition of the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll includes the following passage: "Known for its aggressive blues-based hard-rock style, Aerosmith was the top American heavy-metal band of
14934-434: The two genres that have the most in common when it comes to feel, texture, creativity." Although a number of metal musicians cite classical composers as inspiration, classical and metal are rooted in different cultural traditions and practices – classical in the art music tradition, metal in the popular music tradition. As musicologists Nicolas Cook and Nicola Dibben note: "Analyses of popular music also sometimes reveal
15065-434: The voice" to the overall sound of the band. Reflecting metal's roots in the 1960s counterculture, an "explicit display of emotion" is required from the vocals as a sign of authenticity. Critic Simon Frith claims that the metal singer's "tone of voice" is more important than the lyrics. The prominent role of the bass is also key to the metal sound, and the interplay of bass and guitar is a central element. The bass provides
15196-475: The weird kid. It's kind of like that, but with metal you have all the weird kids in one place." Scholars of metal have noted the tendency of fans to classify and reject some performers (and some other fans) as " poseurs " "who pretended to be part of the subculture, but who were deemed to lack authenticity and sincerity". The origin of the term "heavy metal" in a musical context is uncertain. The phrase has been used for centuries in chemistry and metallurgy, where
15327-438: The years, a theme has developed that personifies the band members as traveling storytellers, leading fans to affectionately refer to them as "The Bards." Blind Guardian has been described in one article as one of the "big four" bands of power metal, alongside Helloween , Sabaton , and DragonForce . Blind Guardian was formed in 1984 in Krefeld , West Germany , by Hansi Kürsch (vocals, bass) and André Olbrich (guitar) under
15458-414: The bass in the early 1980s. Lemmy of Motörhead often played overdriven power chords in his bass lines. The essence of heavy metal drumming is creating a loud, constant beat for the band using the "trifecta of speed, power, and precision". Heavy metal drumming "requires an exceptional amount of endurance", and drummers have to develop "considerable speed, coordination, and dexterity ... to play
15589-706: Was A Twist in the Myth , released in 2006. Blind Guardian contributed to the soundtrack for the In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale fantasy film directed by Uwe Boll , which was released in 2008. The band also recorded a theme song for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel , a role-playing video game and the sequel to Sacred . " A Voice in the Dark " was the next single from Blind Guardian, released on June 25, 2010. Following this,
15720-406: Was applied to a pounding, hard rock variant that evolved out of the mid-1960s garage-punk movement. ... When rock began turning back to softer, roots-oriented sounds in late 1968, acid-rock bands mutated into heavy metal acts." One of the most influential bands in forging the merger of psychedelic rock and acid rock with the blues rock genre was the British power trio Cream , who derived
15851-592: Was as follows: Testament Firewind Head On Kiuas Sight of Emptiness Chris Slade Heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal ) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock , psychedelic rock and acid rock , heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos , emphatic beats and loudness . In 1968, three of
15982-586: Was asked to defend his song " Under the Blade " at a U.S. Senate hearing. At the hearing, the PMRC alleged that the song was about sadomasochism and rape ; Snider stated that the song was about his bandmate's throat surgery. In 1986, Ozzy Osbourne was sued over the lyrics of his song " Suicide Solution ". A lawsuit against Osbourne was filed by the parents of John McCollum, a depressed teenager who committed suicide allegedly after listening to Osbourne's song. Osbourne
16113-493: Was considered extremely dissonant and unstable by medieval and Renaissance music theorists. It was nicknamed the diabolus in musica – "the devil in music". Heavy metal songs often make extensive use of pedal point as a harmonic basis. A pedal point is a sustained tone, typically in the bass range, during which at least one foreign (i.e., dissonant) harmony is sounded in the other parts. According to Robert Walser, heavy metal harmonic relationships are "often quite complex" and
16244-576: Was inspired by the Fates Warning album Awaken the Guardian . They released their debut album, Battalions of Fear , in 1988, which was essentially a speed metal album heavily influenced by Helloween . These two German bands had close ties, and Helloween founder Kai Hansen made a guest appearance on Blind Guardian's second LP, Follow the Blind (1989), where the band revealed some thrash metal influences. Their third LP, Tales from
16375-501: Was not found to be responsible for the teen's death. In 1990, Judas Priest was sued in American court by the parents of two young men who had shot themselves five years earlier, allegedly after hearing the subliminal statement "do it" in the band's cover of the song " Better by You, Better than Me ". While the case attracted a great deal of media attention, it was ultimately dismissed. In 1991, U.K. police seized death metal records from
16506-410: Was often used interchangeably with "heavy metal" and " hard rock ". "Acid rock" generally describes heavy, hard or raw psychedelic rock. Musicologist Steve Waksman stated that "the distinction between acid rock, hard rock, and heavy metal can at some point never be more than tenuous", while percussionist John Beck defined "acid rock" as synonymous with hard rock and heavy metal. Apart from "acid rock",
16637-419: Was one of the earliest terms used to describe this style of music and was applied to acts such as Sabbath and Bloodrock . Classic Rock magazine described the downer rock culture revolving around the use of Quaaludes and the drinking of wine. The term would later be replaced by "heavy metal". Earlier on, as "heavy metal" emerged partially from heavy psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock , "acid rock"
16768-469: Was scheduled to headline Bloodstock Open Air, but pulled out due to the death of singer Ronnie James Dio . The main stage at the festival was subsequently renamed as the "Ronnie James Dio stage" in tribute to him. The 2020 festival was planned to be a celebration of "20 years of Bloodstock" however the festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Ticket holders were given the option either to have
16899-499: Was selected as the venue to allow growth in size without losing the festival's established friendly atmosphere and also maintained its link to Derby. The festival featured only one stage which was headlined by Sebastian Bach (Friday) and Children of Bodom (Saturday). Sebastian Bach Mostly Autumn Breed 77 Gotthard Panic Cell Children of Bodom Paradise Lost Edguy Masterplan Evergrey Humanity Fourwaykill Bloodstock Open Air 2006 brought in
17030-435: Was seminal to the development of the later heavy metal sound. The combination of this loud and heavy blues rock with psychedelic rock and acid rock formed much of the original basis for heavy metal. The variant or subgenre of psychedelic rock often known as "acid rock" was particularly influential on heavy metal and its development; acid rock is often defined as a heavier, louder, or harder variant of psychedelic rock, or
17161-413: Was used by certain critics as a virtually automatic putdown. In 1979, lead New York Times popular music critic John Rockwell described what he called "heavy-metal rock" as "brutally aggressive music played mostly for minds clouded by drugs" and, in a different article, as "a crude exaggeration of rock basics that appeals to white teenagers". Coined by Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward , "downer rock"
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