Re: Origin of the term "Heavy Metal" music
baky@lasalle.edu
Wed, 13 Aug 1997 10:57:30 -0400
No music historian I, but I always had the impression that "heavy metal"
came from the fact of the hyper-powered super amplified electric steel
(hence "metal") guitars used in the post-Hendrix era. However, I never
associate "heavy metal" with Hendrix or late sixties, early seventies music
of any kind. I, and an overwhelming number of undergraduates polled in a
wholly unscientific survey, associate heavy metal with groups like Van
Halen, White Snake, Anthrax, Megadeth, Deaf Jam, etc. The other
association with heavy metal is the realm of comic books from the late
seventies and early 80's. I guess, though, that comics entitled Heavy
Metal end up being the dilemma of chicken and egg.
There are at least two "historys" of the genre, probably now out of print.
What have they said?