Heavy metal is one of the most misunderstood genres of music in our day. In the attempt of remaining as objective as possible I would like to add a few to your list as Metal started prior to the 80's.

The first outbursts came from the Kinks with "You Really Got Me" and the Who with "My Generation" around 1964. As for the first heavy metal artist, that position arguably belongs to Alice Cooper, whose band was founded in 1965 under the name The Spiders. Heavy metal, however, was not to truly flourish until the year of 1967, and Alice Cooper was to become embedded in the collective mind of the world until 1971 with the classic Love It To Death.
During 1967, bands like Golden Earring (formed in 1965), Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin (guitarist Jimmy Page formerly of The Yardbirds), Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Free, Uriah Heep, Mountain, Humble Pie, Bloodrock, MC5, Black Widow, Atomic Rooster, Cactus, and Black Sabbath came to being between 1966 and 1970, and struck the world with what both Iron Butterfly and Steppenwolf would first baptize "heavy metal".
Besides the the legendary guitarist Eric Clapton, please don't forget Rush or Van Halen, Savoy Brown, Foghat, Bad Company, the ferocious Budgie, the legendary UFO, Jeff Beck, Nazarath, Montrose or Motorhead.

The 70's brought us the Blue Oyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Queen, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Kiss. You also had the influences of Jethro Tull, Yes, and King Crimson, Kanas, Styx and Ted Nugent (formerly of the Amboy Dukes).

So while I'm on the subject let me list a few more from the 70's that where excluded starting with Truimph, Starz, Scorpions, Saxon, Riot, Rainbow, Sammy Hagar, Gamma and Iron Maiden.

My vote is still for Alice!

Written by Empress on 18.12.2006 at 01:43

Heavy metal is one of the most misunderstood genres of music in our day. In the attempt of remaining as objective as possible I would like to add a few to your list as Metal started prior to the 80's.

The first outbursts came from the Kinks with "You Really Got Me" and the Who with "My Generation" around 1964. As for the first heavy metal artist, that position arguably belongs to Alice Cooper, whose band was founded in 1965 under the name The Spiders. Heavy metal, however, was not to truly flourish until the year of 1967, and Alice Cooper was to become embedded in the collective mind of the world until 1971 with the classic Love It To Death.
During 1967, bands like Golden Earring (formed in 1965), Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin (guitarist Jimmy Page formerly of The Yardbirds), Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Free, Uriah Heep, Mountain, Humble Pie, Bloodrock, MC5, Black Widow, Atomic Rooster, Cactus, and Black Sabbath came to being between 1966 and 1970, and struck the world with what both Iron Butterfly and Steppenwolf would first baptize "heavy metal".
Besides the the legendary guitarist Eric Clapton, please don't forget Rush or Van Halen, Savoy Brown, Foghat, Bad Company, the ferocious Budgie, the legendary UFO, Jeff Beck, Nazarath, Montrose or Motorhead.

The 70's brought us the Blue Oyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Queen, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Kiss. You also had the influences of Jethro Tull, Yes, and King Crimson, Kanas, Styx and Ted Nugent (formerly of the Amboy Dukes).

So while I'm on the subject let me list a few more from the 70's that where excluded starting with Truimph, Starz, Scorpions, Saxon, Riot, Rainbow, Sammy Hagar, Gamma and Iron Maiden.

My vote is still for Alice!

Nice to see someone mentioning Cream, Black Sabbath had one or two riffs which were uncannily similar to some of Cream's riffs.
As for Golden Earring... well always had a soft spot for those guys since they are dutch although their vocalist is orinally from the US. Little known fact is that Golden Earring was first called The Golden Earrings for a couple of years at the start of their career, I don't why they dropped the 's' but they did.
And reading the list of names you mentioned I can't disagree with you, although I think I would add Budgie as well, bu that's just a liitle fav of mine.

I love some of the older metal, with Golded Earring my fav is Twilight Zone and I still listen to Styx, Kansas and Tull. Truimph did a song I think was called the "Blinding Light Show" that was way beyond the standards at that time as well adn Rik Emmett was an incredable guitarist. If you mix them into the new current music on the MP3 player you would never really know that they were 20 year old songs as many where fabulous musicians.

I think 'True' metal is just for describing bands that you wont get made fun of for listening to, thus Slipknot, HIM, and all that crap probably wont be used in the same sentence as the word 'True'.

People use the word true in vain alot, thus I barely use it.

Written by Paganblood on 16.12.2006 at 08:04

Written by [user id=18486] on 11.12.2006 at 18:56

Hm, I think the term 'true metal' is pretty pathetic imho. I think it's a term of people who want to be cool by listening metal and everyone else who doesn't listen the type of metal they classify as 'true' is stupid from their point of view. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm certainly not trying to offend people who like to say 'true metal', but this is just the way I know it from my experience...

Calling some person 'true metalhead' would mean that he really likes metal and does not just pretend to do so.
I don't know what only 'true metal' means, but calling any particular genre 'true' would mean the form of that genre when it originated.For example, black metal was first played by bands like Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone,Burzum, and many other black metal bands like Dark Funeral , Immortal etc. have this type of sound. This music was named black metal; but later, bands like arcturus played their kind of music(and this was called avantgarde black metal), which, I think sounded much different from that original black metal. So, the first type is 'true' whereas the second type is 'untrue'.
This is how I have understand 'true' and 'untrue'.You should see the explanation of those who use the term 'true' and then make up your mind about it.

I have heard the explanation of the people who call it 'true' and unfortunately, like I said, my experience is that most of the time it's just people who think they're great because of listening to 'true' metal and everything else is just shit and the people who listen that shit are shit too. Of course, the 'true' metal they mean is the metal like it was made in the begining, mostly referring to the NWOBHM-style, but what I was trying to say is that the word is often misused in its context. Of course nothing's wrong with true metal itself, but a lot of people just use it shitty. (Good to see that most people in this topic don't, btw)

Written by [user id=18486] on 27.12.2006 at 19:21

Written by Paganblood on 16.12.2006 at 08:04

Written by [user id=18486] on 11.12.2006 at 18:56

Hm, I think the term 'true metal' is pretty pathetic imho. I think it's a term of people who want to be cool by listening metal and everyone else who doesn't listen the type of metal they classify as 'true' is stupid from their point of view. Maybe I'm wrong and I'm certainly not trying to offend people who like to say 'true metal', but this is just the way I know it from my experience...

Calling some person 'true metalhead' would mean that he really likes metal and does not just pretend to do so.
I don't know what only 'true metal' means, but calling any particular genre 'true' would mean the form of that genre when it originated.For example, black metal was first played by bands like Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone,Burzum, and many other black metal bands like Dark Funeral , Immortal etc. have this type of sound. This music was named black metal; but later, bands like arcturus played their kind of music(and this was called avantgarde black metal), which, I think sounded much different from that original black metal. So, the first type is 'true' whereas the second type is 'untrue'.
This is how I have understand 'true' and 'untrue'.You should see the explanation of those who use the term 'true' and then make up your mind about it.

I have heard the explanation of the people who call it 'true' and unfortunately, like I said, my experience is that most of the time it's just people who think they're great because of listening to 'true' metal and everything else is just shit and the people who listen that shit are shit too. Of course, the 'true' metal they mean is the metal like it was made in the begining, mostly referring to the NWOBHM-style, but what I was trying to say is that the word is often misused in its context. Of course nothing's wrong with true metal itself, but a lot of people just use it shitty. (Good to see that most people in this topic don't, btw)

Anything other than what is known as 'true' metal certainly must not be called 'shitty' unless it is composed with serious efforts, because a music composer certainly puts in his best effort to give good music.And yes, the word 'true' is often misused.

True metal to me is metal which I like (haha)
i.e Metal with a certain atmosphere which gives off feelings of nihilism/romanticism , which disregards the current value system.

true metal can be only Viking ,pagan,folk and battle metal.
Ensiferum,Vintersorg,Finntroll,temnozorj,Turisas=)

Its kinda nice to see at least one interesting thread in this forum. True metal is every metal style that exists within the original metal genres: heavy, speed, thrash and power. Symphonic, progresive, gothic, and that kinda stuff is obviously based more on other music genres than metal, and bands that play this style consist of musicians that are leaning towards those other music genres, what makes them not true.

Written by [user id=20774] on 17.02.2007 at 04:12

Its kinda nice to see at least one interesting thread in this forum. True metal is every metal style that exists within the original metal genres: heavy, speed, thrash and power. Symphonic, progresive, gothic, and that kinda stuff is obviously based more on other music genres than metal, and bands that play this style consist of musicians that are leaning towards those other music genres, what makes them not true.

You're in a way correct. You mean to say that the genres that eveolved in the beginning in the history of metal.. well, I agree with you.

I don't believe any metal is 'true' metal. I mean we have older genres that have created other members of the metal family but I don't think that age necessary dictates what is 'true'.

Well I agree with Steel Tiger and Paganblood about how "true metal" is metal that originated from heavy metal, but i also believe that "true metal" should sound like just the band playing with no sound effects or crap like that. I've seen a lot of new aged metal bands that have been doing that and its just, crap.

The only true metal for me, is NamowaR (of Steel) !!!
All the rest are just... untrue!!!

Written by [user id=18784] on 02.01.2007 at 00:43

true metal can be only Viking ,pagan,folk and battle metal.
Ensiferum,Vintersorg,Finntroll,temnozorj,Turisas=)

why do you say that?

Yeah, that confused me a lot.

maybe some ppl try to say that the New Wave of Heavy Metal are the True Metal, like Iron Maiden, Manowar, etc...

thats what i conclude, but i never call a metal true, cos the others would need to be false, whats complicated to say... lol..

maybe it can have another interpretation: there's a difference between true music and what i like to call "lazys" music. the true music is played with passion for what ure doing, with real instruments, real ppl. the fake music or lazys music is not played, but made, i mean like techno etc...
maybe that a comparising that is made between 2 kinds of metal too, cos one maybe considered more loyal to the heavy metal laws, and the other is just i dunno, different?

this is just a theory, cos i completly disagree about the true metal tag...

Written by Empress on 18.12.2006 at 01:43

Heavy metal is one of the most misunderstood genres of music in our day. In the attempt of remaining as objective as possible I would like to add a few to your list as Metal started prior to the 80's.

The first outbursts came from the Kinks with "You Really Got Me" and the Who with "My Generation" around 1964. As for the first heavy metal artist, that position arguably belongs to Alice Cooper, whose band was founded in 1965 under the name The Spiders. Heavy metal, however, was not to truly flourish until the year of 1967, and Alice Cooper was to become embedded in the collective mind of the world until 1971 with the classic Love It To Death.
During 1967, bands like Golden Earring (formed in 1965), Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin (guitarist Jimmy Page formerly of The Yardbirds), Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Free, Uriah Heep, Mountain, Humble Pie, Bloodrock, MC5, Black Widow, Atomic Rooster, Cactus, and Black Sabbath came to being between 1966 and 1970, and struck the world with what both Iron Butterfly and Steppenwolf would first baptize "heavy metal".
Besides the the legendary guitarist Eric Clapton, please don't forget Rush or Van Halen, Savoy Brown, Foghat, Bad Company, the ferocious Budgie, the legendary UFO, Jeff Beck, Nazarath, Montrose or Motorhead.

The 70's brought us the Blue Oyster Cult, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Queen, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Kiss. You also had the influences of Jethro Tull, Yes, and King Crimson, Kanas, Styx and Ted Nugent (formerly of the Amboy Dukes).

So while I'm on the subject let me list a few more from the 70's that where excluded starting with Truimph, Starz, Scorpions, Saxon, Riot, Rainbow, Sammy Hagar, Gamma and Iron Maiden.

My vote is still for Alice!

I disagree with nearly everything you said. Most of those bands aren't even metal. Alice Cooper? LOL. I'm not saying that Alice sucks, but he sure ain't metal. Alice is whatever is popular at the time. In the early 70s hard rock was popular, so Alice played hard rock. In the late 70s disco was popular so Alice played...yup.. DISCO. In the early 80s new wave was popular so Alice played new wave. In the late 80s glam was popular so Alice played glam....

Written by Doc G. on 30.03.2007 at 08:56

Written by [user id=18784] on 02.01.2007 at 00:43

true metal can be only Viking ,pagan,folk and battle metal.
Ensiferum,Vintersorg,Finntroll,temnozorj,Turisas=)

why do you say that?

Don't pay attention on her...
Anyway, That true metal term is nothing but a bad joke, everyone is using that word for everything and in reverse, un true. Like, some say Manowar is true cause they are singing about: steel, blood, metal, pride... some people find it gay, but Manowar is just a metal band. Same like Burzum, they are true because they frontman burned few churches and kill some guy... totaly stupid.
If someone ask me what is true metal I would answer that it is Heavy Metalfrom late 70' and early 80' but that don't mean that it is true like tr00, you know already... Anyway that term is only stupid trend of some complexed people who want to show their 'superity' among others cause they have better Burzum t-shirt or they have 50Gb of true Black Metal on their PC... like this Loreley..

Written by [user id=22887] on 05.04.2007 at 02:44

I disagree with nearly everything you said. Most of those bands aren't even metal. Alice Cooper? LOL. I'm not saying that Alice sucks, but he sure ain't metal. Alice is whatever is popular at the time. In the early 70s hard rock was popular, so Alice played hard rock. In the late 70s disco was popular so Alice played...yup.. DISCO. In the early 80s new wave was popular so Alice played new wave. In the late 80s glam was popular so Alice played glam....

i pretty much agree with you, not that i don't like alice cooper....but u can't really classify him as metal! hard rock is closer to the truth...as for the whole "true metal" issue...i'm a heavy/thrash fan and even though i'm not really a big fan af death metal i'd never go as far as to say that it isn't real/true metal!!! if the right instruments are being used(drums,bass, guitar) in the right way (not just bloody strumming) then i think that it considered metal! some metal is a lot faster/heavier/more brutal than others but all in all they all originated from the same seedand objective....people trying to express their feelings by music! whether its by screaming vocals like judas priest or roaring barks like children of bodom or perfect like my hubbie dave mustaine:) its all reaching out to different people who respond to different levels...by levels i mean genres! we can't all respond to a single song in the same way...i mean have u ever found any1 who has watched "the wall" and had the exact same response as you did the 1st time you watched it?? i must say one thing tho... i really do agree with whoever it was that said it that slipknot are just a god damn joke!!!

well from what ive gathered bands like trivium, killswitch engage, staitc-x are not troo metal, but bands like burzum, manowar, ensiferum are troo metal. from what i can tell, bands that are easily assesable to the public or mainstream crowd tend to not be troo metal, or bands that you can say their name in a random group of people and they know who you are talking about. for instance you say "disturbed" everyone goes of coarse ive heard of disturbed. but you say "wintersun" everyone goes wtf? who are they? so maybe that is a part of it. also maybe it has to do with the emotion or ideas that get stirred up with music. take burzum for instance, varg isn't exactly what you'd call a guitar genious, none of his music is that complex as far as the amount of skill it takes to play it, but the way he contructs it insights certain feleings and moods within the listeners that hits deep inside. whereas something like slipknot gets people pumped up and enrgized, but i guess it lacks that deep, emotional connection, and therefore its not troo. personally, everytime i listen to dark tranquillity's "character" at night(i feel their music is more powerful at night), i get compeltely absorbed in the music, and see images of a futeristic world in detail. it makes that big of an impact on me. and i will listen to killswitch engage, like it, enjoy it, but its just not as powerful to me, its decent music, but doesn't have the same force or emotion or power behind it. so maybe troo metal is simply the great emotional power it has on us, and i guess alot of metalcore bands lack that. maybe i've totally missed my mark, but does anyone see my point?

Written by APOHAKC on 05.04.2007 at 11:28

Written by Doc G. on 30.03.2007 at 08:56

Written by [user id=18784] on 02.01.2007 at 00:43

true metal can be only Viking ,pagan,folk and battle metal.
Ensiferum,Vintersorg,Finntroll,temnozorj,Turisas=)

why do you say that?

Don't pay attention on her...
Anyway, That true metal term is nothing but a bad joke, everyone is using that word for everything and in reverse, un true. Like, some say Manowar is true cause they are singing about: steel, blood, metal, pride... some people find it gay, but Manowar is just a metal band. Same like Burzum, they are true because they frontman burned few churches and kill some guy... totaly stupid.
If someone ask me what is true metal I would answer that it is Heavy Metalfrom late 70' and early 80' but that don't mean that it is true like tr00, you know already... Anyway that term is only stupid trend of some complexed people who want to show their 'superity' among others cause they have better Burzum t-shirt or they have 50Gb of true Black Metal on their PC... like this Loreley..

Nah, true metal is purely relative, it depends on your peers, whatever bands you wont get made fun of for listening to are considered tr00. Thats why 12 year olds may consider Limp Bizkit tr00 metal....or whatever terrible band pre-pubescent wannabe metalheads are listening to these days...

Written by villain on 30.12.2006 at 17:42

True metal to me is metal which I like (haha)
i.e Metal with a certain atmosphere which gives off feelings of nihilism/romanticism , which disregards the current value system.

yea same here...lol... i hate how people hafto label metal with subgenres... metal is metal....

No doubt, the most true metal band in the world are Nanowar Of Steel... Just kidding... I think that word 'true' is mostly used with black (and heavy metal) bands and it actually become cliche nowdays... But I think that bands which claim that they are 'true' are actually the opposite of that. They need to use this word because they cannot prove that with music. Well it doesn't count if fans say that one band is 'true'. Then they certainly are.

Written by Silent Creeper on 12.04.2007 at 20:53

No doubt, the most true metal band in the world are Nanowar Of Steel...

Yeah man!!!

I agree 100% with that assessment.

There are none more true than NanowaR of Steel.

We can make a clan here

Written by Doc G. on 11.04.2007 at 02:03

Nah, true metal is purely relative, it depends on your peers, whatever bands you wont get made fun of for listening to are considered tr00. Thats why 12 year olds may consider Limp Bizkit tr00 metal....or whatever terrible band pre-pubescent wannabe metalheads are listening to these days...

I seriously doubt that people like that would have heard the term 'true metal', let alone use it.

Written by Hyvaarin on 14.04.2007 at 07:02

Written by Doc G. on 11.04.2007 at 02:03

Nah, true metal is purely relative, it depends on your peers, whatever bands you wont get made fun of for listening to are considered tr00. Thats why 12 year olds may consider Limp Bizkit tr00 metal....or whatever terrible band pre-pubescent wannabe metalheads are listening to these days...

I seriously doubt that people like that would have heard the term 'true metal', let alone use it.

Youd be surprised, I couldve sworn I heard some kid who looked like he was 14 wearing a Slipknot hoodie on the bus use that phrase, probably a kid who listens to what his older sibling(s) tell him to.

Written by Doc G. on 14.04.2007 at 07:08

Written by Hyvaarin on 14.04.2007 at 07:02

Written by Doc G. on 11.04.2007 at 02:03

Nah, true metal is purely relative, it depends on your peers, whatever bands you wont get made fun of for listening to are considered tr00. Thats why 12 year olds may consider Limp Bizkit tr00 metal....or whatever terrible band pre-pubescent wannabe metalheads are listening to these days...

I seriously doubt that people like that would have heard the term 'true metal', let alone use it.

Youd be surprised, I couldve sworn I heard some kid who looked like he was 14 wearing a Slipknot hoodie on the bus use that phrase, probably a kid who listens to what his older sibling(s) tell him to.

Christ...that is disgusting.