A GENRE I JUST DON'T GET

It's easier to use wiki to describe it:-


Heavy metal (often referred to as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and in the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are generally associated with masculinity and machismo.

The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, attracted large audiences, though they were often derided by critics, a status common throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads" or "headbangers". 

During the 1980s, glam metal became a commercial force with groups like Mötley Crüe and Poison. Underground scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive styles: thrash metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, while other styles of the most extreme subgenres of metal like death metal and black metal remain subcultural phenomena. Since the mid-1990s, popular styles such as nu metal, which often incorporates elements of grunge and hip hop; and metalcore, which blends extreme metal with hardcore punk, have further expanded the definition of the genre.

I suppose it my lack of understanding for heavy metal comes down to the closing words of the opening paragraph above.  I can't tolerate too much amplified distortion, guitar solos and performance styles associated with masculinity and machismo. But I have to confess there's a handful of metal songs in the collection:-

mp3 : Teenage Fanclub - Metal Baby
mp3 : SPK - Metal Dance
mp3 : Siouxsie & The Banshees - Metal Postcard
mp3 : Cornershop - Born Disco, Died Heavy Metal

I know it's a lazy posting but cut me some slack.   I'm listening to loads of old LPs just now whittling the list down to 50.

PS : Last night, I got myself along to a 'secret' gig by Franz Ferdinand at the miniscule but legendary Nice'n'Sleazy's in Glasgow.  It was only £5 to get in as it was a gig to showcase new material.  And on the basis of what I heard, the boys have returned to full form....Big thanks to Aldo for sorting it all out.