F E A T U R E

New Maximum Metal Column: Reminiscing on The Golden Age of Heavy Metal
1/26/2015 6:17:12 PM by Frank Hill






Heavy metal cut its teeth (and fingers) in the steel mills and factories of Birmingham, England in the 60s. Metal clanging and hammers banging echoed through the industrial parks and streets as our godfather, Tony Iommi, created and perfected metallic excellence in one fell swoop.

Out of the 60s, the highway star burned, elevated by the sad wings of destiny on through the night. From the mid-70s, bands like Saxon, Maiden and Raven etched their hallowed names in that NWOBHM movement. The 80s beckoned big hair and loud mouths, the prerequisite for anyone patrolling downtown Strips at Sunset. It's so easy to place bands, styles and movements in little baskets through metal's first three decades. Anyone can do it; create charts and graphs and even documentaries about metal's triumphant decades of decadence.

But the 90s...oh the dreadful 90s…that is when things got extremely dense. Gone are the easy categories, metal's Dewey Decimal System of easily finding rock, metal, country and pop in the record and CD bins under said genre. The insurgence of grunge and alternative superimposed itself on metal's OCD grouping of the denims, leathers and polyesters. Now we have a whole new level of excitement, along with a new level of groans from the die-hard traditionalists.

Metal wasn't so easy now.

Read Eric's thoughts on 40+ years of metal here…[Full Column Link]



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RANDOM ACTS OF METAL
· Cathedral· In Flames
· Lost Horizon· Sinner
· Slipknot· Karaboudjan
· Misery Index· Disturbed
· Perzonal War· Narziß
· Deranged· Twisted Tower Dire
· Symphorce· Skullview
· Seven Witches· Helloween
· Warhorse· Seether
· Nazareth· Rawhead Rexx
· Liege Lord· Manowar
· Cage· Vyndykator
· Led Zeppelin· Hammerwhore
· H.I.M.· Inner Rage of Emotion
· Morbid Angel· Victory
· Savatage· Attacker
· Primal Fear· Brides of Destruction
· Body Count· Secret Sphere
· Iron Savior· Tesla
· Fear Factory· Killik
· Devil To Pay· Ebony Ark
· downBleed· UFO
· Leash Law· Madison Paige
· W.A.S.P.· Kingcrow
· Amityville Whore· Dragonspoon
· De Lirium's Order· Insomnium
· Joey Belladonna· Vox Tempus
· Unleashed· After Forever
· Wintersun· Nashville Pussy
· Theocracy· Megadeth
· I.C.E.· Polterchrist
· Arch Enemy· Overlorde
· Avenue F· Creed
· Triumph· Napalm Death
· Motley Crue· Bloody Sign
· Cradle To Grave· The Apocalyptic Riders
· Entombed· Crionics
· Impaled· Marduk
· Alex Skolnick Trio· Chastain
· Thunderblast· Gizmachi
· Callenish Circle· Slumber
· Green Carnation· Defleshed
· Blind Stare· Subterranean Masquerade
· Testament· Voyager
· Monolithe· Horna
· Supagroup· Frameless Scar
· Flotsam & Jetsam· The Scourger
· Painmuseum· Black Majesty
· Pagan's Mind· Russell Allen
· ASG· Overloaded
· Ignarus· Barcode
· Mabon· Ewigkeit
· Damnation· Balatonizer
· Thrones· Crystal Ball
· Gorefest· Machina
· Taunusheim· Pile of Heads
· Katatonia· Wolves in the Throne Room
· Thyrane· Scum
· Steep· Ampast
· Hate Profile· Stormcrow
· Smohalla· Azure
· Dendura· Sahg
· Agalloch· Mouth of the Architect
· Shadows Within· Vicious Rumors
· The Ruins of Beverast· Pretty Maids
· Pump· Setherial
· Belphegor· Teeth of the Hydra
· Audrey Horne· Escape The Fate
· Winger· Middian
· Deicide· Kotipelto
· Steve Cone· Centinex
· Gaza· The Gathering
· Threat Signal· Dream Theater
· Warbringer· Crescent Shield
· Old Man's Child· Marc Sasso
· Almah· Textures
· Since the Day· Kruger
· Ulcerate· Hearse
· Temple Of Blood· Night Ranger
· Ost Est Ima· Father Befouled
· Witchfinder General· Straight Line Stitch
· To-Mera· Moonshine
· Bullet For My Valentine· Deadsea
· Kiuas· Son of Eric
· Place Of Skulls· Coffins
· Battleroar· Raven
· Dark Castle· Earthen Grave