80s Heavy Metal Rock

  

    Guns n Roses, Van Halen, Metallica, Def Leppard, Motley Crue are all great examples of heavy metal rock from the 1980s. Heavy metal rock was born in 1970s, giving a taste of blues and rock music together, creating the hard rock we now know today. These bands create their instrumentals through heavy, thick guitar playing along with drums. Heavy metal in the 1980s wasn't as lyrical extreme as in the 70s, having violence outbreaks spark more often in the 70s with bands like Black Sabbath and MegaDeth. The band Black Sabbath lead by Ozzy Osbourne was a music sensation in the 1980s, coming out with hits left and right. Songs like Lady Evil and Heaven and Hell.  In the 1980s we are introduced to a different, more socially conscious era of heavy metal bands. Taking a step into our first band that will be talked about is in the rock hall of fame, Guns n Roses. Guns n Roses came about in 1985, born in Los Angeles by Rose and Stradlin (Rose was the lead singer, Stradlin is the rhythm guitarist). The band gained popularity quickly, rising in the charts to become one of the greatest rock bands of the era, and today being in the rock hall of fame as previously stated. The album Appetite for Destruction put them on the map, with over 17 million in sales. Putting some of their best songs known to date, Sweet Child O' Mine, Welcome To The Jungle, and Paradise City. Guns n Roses were quickly dogged by the media for their upbringing, being pinned for inciting violence at concerts, substance abuse, and allegations of racism and homophobia from their one hit song One in a Million. Guns n Roses were known for their gritty sounds and rebellious attitudes at concerts, creating an environment where those kind of people show up to their concerts. Creating their own sort of crowd at their earlier shows. 

    Metallica is the next band we will discuss. They were born in the heart of Los Angeles by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich and has also been based in San Francisco for the majority of their career. In 1982 Metallica started off playing gigs in clubs and quickly gained attention from their peers of the underground metal environment. Their debut album Kill'Em All, which came out in 1983, is considered to be a pioneering album for the metal genre. The album is fast-paced, aggressive songs with complex guitar sounds with strong, powerful lyrics. In 1984 they released the album Ride the Lightning, which this album did them some justice, but didnt put them on the map entirely. This album introduces more complexed musical structures along with some darker lyrics. In 1986, they release one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, Master of Puppets. Songs like Master of Puppets and Orion are some of their greatest hits on the album. Master of Puppets has the aggressive drumming along with the fast paced guitar play. The song Orion is a pure instrumental of ups and downs on the guitar and drums, creating a musical masterpiece to where its a constant head bop. Metallica had a huge impact on the heavy metal rock genre, popularizing the thrash metal and also set new standards for song writing for other bands. Towards the end of the 1980s, Metallica solidified their spot in what is known as the Big Four, bands like Black Sabbath, Slayer, and MegaDeth are listed to be on this list as well. 

    

    Up next we got Def Leppard. The band comes about in 1977 from Sheffield, England, by Joe Elliott (lead singer), Pete Willis (guitarist), Steve Clark (guitarist), Rick Savage (bass), and Rick Allen (drummer). They dropped their first album in 1980 and it was called On Through the Night, which this album was just their first so it didnt gain vast public attention yet, but was a stepping stone. Their next album came out in 1981 and was called High'n Dry. This album was more successful because it gained attention from not only the United Kingdom, but the United States as well. Released in 1983, Pyromania was a breakthrough album and it incorporated a polished production style of rock, and featured hit singles from the band like Photograph and Rock of Ages. Their next album created an era of heavy metal from 1984 through 1987. This era is known as the Hysteria Era, coming out with their album Hysteria in 1987, but the album took years to come out because their lead drummer Rick Allen got into a car accident, which sadly lead to the amputation of his arm. In the whole scheme of things, the album Hysteria is by far Def Leppards best album, with iconic songs like Pour Some Sugar On Me, Love Bites, and Hysteria. Def Leppard left a huge impact on the rock genre as a whole. Giving fans fully polished production techniques with pure glam on stage gave other bands someone to look up to who were on the come up. They left a standard for others to follow in the heavy metal world.  

    Last but not least we have Motley Crue. Born in Los Angeles in 1981 by Nikki Sixx (bass), Tommy Lee (drums), Vince Neil (vocals), and Mick Mars (guitar). In their early stages they were known for their rebellious lifestyle, which ends up defining their image. Their debut album in 1981, Too Fast for Love, was released independently and quickly gained attention in their home town of Los Angeles. Shout at the Devil was released in 1983 and marked a step forward on the ladder of heavy metal success. This album had hits like Looks That Kill and Shout at the Devil. Theatre of Pain released in 1985 and includes the hit song Home Sweet Home. This album has a more glam influenced structure in its music. The album Girls, Girls, Girls was released in 1987 and helped solidify the bands positioning amongst other heavy metal bands during the era. Dr. Feelgood released in 1989 and is arguably the bands most commercially successful album, featuring the massive hits singles Dr Feelgood and Kickstart My Heart. The bands were notorious for their energetic performances and elaborate stage set ups. They were also known for their over the top music videos which was staple of MTV during the 1980s. 

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