Heavy Metal Wear

“Out of my own, out to be free

  One with my mind, they just can't see

  No need to hear things that they say

  Life is for my own to live my own way”

Heavy Metal music is a culture in itself. You can see head bangers in strange costumes and hairstyles that reflect their love for metal. With the rise of heavy metal during late 1960s and early 1970s, styles that earlier seemed taboo were being widely accepted and became the primary choice of people and for commercials. Now wearing jeans was not a poor grade wear but a top fashion style. Wearing chains was not inappropriate but a coveted style. Thanks to metal music.

Heavy metal fashion wear includes leather jackets, Kutte vests, camouflage pants, blue or black skin tight jeans, hi-top basketball shoes and Denim jackets often adorned with badges. Judas Priest and its singer Rob Halford are known for promoting strange Metal costumes. Rob Halford used to wear leather costumes on stage as early as 1978. He also appeared with roaring motor bikes on stage. Soon the whole band followed his style and millions of metalheads got inspirations from them. Paul Di'Anno from the band Iron Maiden wore leather jackets and studded bracelets. Motörhead introduced bullet belts whereas Saxon displayed spandex.

 

Metal Music Clothing

During New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement in the early 1980s, metal fashion wear earned huge popularity. Circumstantial political situations also influenced heavy metal wear. During Vietnam war, Thrash metal bands in 1980s including Destruction, Megadeath and Metallica performed live shows wearing bullet belts around their waists. Udo Dirkschneider from German band Accept performed live shows by wearing 1982 military pants.

There may be slight differences in costumes of different metal genres.

Black metal wear :

Black metal bands performed live shows with facial make up of corpse paint, a black-and-white makeup style. In the style, a person’s face is masked with white layer and black details on top resembling a cross sign.

Power metal wear :

Power metal bands and their fans can be seen wearing tight brown or black leather trousers and colorful wide sleeved, buttonless shirts. The costumes refresh the memories of Renaissance and the Middle Ages. The power metal band ‘Rhapsody of Fire’ is recognized for promoting such costumes.

Glam metal wear :

Glam metal fans can be seen having very long, teased hair, and dressed in leather jackets and spandex pants. People also use some makeup items such as eye shadows, lipsticks, and tonal creams to enhance their looks. You can identify glam metal bands by their instruments shaded with extravagant colors. Guitars in pink rose color; Microphones standing with leopard or silk scarfs; Drumkits with some artistic designs etc.

Stoner metal wear :

Stoner metal bands are known for retro-style costumes wore during 1960s and 1970s. The costumes are inspired by psychedelic rock and cannabis culture. The costumes include retro style bell-bottom jeans, boot-cut, headbands and colorful shirts.

Nu Metal wear :

Nu Metal costumes inspired by Hip-Hop culture include cargo shorts, baggy pants with spiked hairs or dreadlocks.

Other Heavy metal wears :

Gothic, Doom and Stoner metal bands have performed wearing dark business suits that were followed by their fans.

Viking metal, Folk metal, Power metal and Black metal fans can be seen with long grown thick hair and beards while wearing Thor's Hammer pendants and other pagan symbols. Metal bands from these genres such as Moonsorrow and Turisas often wear animal skins, chain mails and military costumes.

Conclusion:

In Heavy metal costumes, you can see reflection of many great value historic cultures such as Saxon, Celtic, Chivalric and Viking. As Heavy metal music is famous for open thoughts, progressive and destructive emotions, independence, going beyond boundaries, aggression and madness, the metal costumes truly reflect the spirit of metal music. 

Evolution of Heavy Metal Music: The Saga of Human Carte Blanche

The development of Heavy metal music took place when Western civilization was suffering from agony of fascism and jingoism. Heavy metal is a genre of rock music with its roots placed in UK and US. It was the period of 1960s when the evolution of Heavy metal begun that provided relief to citizens ailing from strict social life set by fascist rulers. Heavy metal music endowed people with liberal and progressive thoughts and helped people to improve their social and political life.

The credit of development of pro-metal music goes to first generation after WWII. The music overturned the old social system, rules, and knowledge that were being followed from ancient times. It was like an awakening to enter future age with more liberation and determination to end the evils of old social system. It was like going beyond boundaries and rediscovering yourself, nature and the world around you. The music portrayed the sufferings of war and called for liberal and peaceful world.

The Origin of Heavy Metal Music:

During 1960s, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were the first music bands to create heavy metal music that included lengthy guitar solos, highly amplified distortion, massive sound, emphatic beats and aggressive loud voice. Other music bands that played significant role in development of heavy metal music include Psychedelic rock, Blues rock and Deep Purple. In January 1968, San Francisco band ‘Blue Cheer’ launched a cover of Eddie Cochran's classic "Summertime Blues" from their debut album ‘Vincebus Eruptum’, that people consider as the first true heavy metal recording.

The Saga from 1970 to till date:

During the mid-1970s, Judas Priest created heavy metal music devoid of Blues influence. Heavy Metal bands from Britain namely Saxon and Iron Maiden followed the same style. Soon, a large population in UK and US became fan of heavy metal music. The metal fans are known as ‘metal heads’ or ‘headbangers’.

In 1980s, composition and production of heavy metal took commercial form and many groups such as Poison, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer emerged as successful bands. Apart from commercial stream, many subgenres of heavy metal evolved that received both acclaim and criticism from audience and concurrent musicians. The subgenres can be classified into five major categories: Death metal, Thrash metal, Power metal, Black metal and the subgenres of Doom and Gothic meta. Musicians started experimenting with Heavy metal and blended it with hardcore punk, nu metal, grunge and hip hop.

In April 2010, the Welsh band ‘Bullet for My Valentine’ released the album ‘Fever’ that bagged 3rd position on the Billboard 200 and 1st position on Billboard's Rock and Alternative charts. Today’s most popular heavy metal music bands include: Kiss, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Motor head and many others. There are many metal bands, which are playing significant role in reviving metal music. The list of such metal bands include ‘The Sword’ from Texas, ‘High on Fire’ from California, ‘Witchcraft’ in Sweden and ‘Wolfmother’ in Australia. These metal bands are recognized as ‘retro-metal’.

With optimistic or pessimistic views on life, metal bands are still unleashing the charm of heavy metal and rocking the world with vibrant music. The optimists invent the airplane and the pessimists arrange parachute. Music flows with life and always sets new definitions of life. Heavy metal music has yet to offer many new experiences to audience.

Is Heavy Metal Dead?

Is Heavy Metal Dead? This question might shock many headbangers. Since the metal music originated in 1960s the music genre has gone through many ups and downs and added many subgenres during its journey. In the late 70s and early 80s, when metal music was experiencing a slowdown, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) revived the music genre. During this movement, new subgenres of Heavy Metal came into existence that include ‘Thrash metal’, Black metal, Power metal, Death metal, and the subgenres of Doom and Gothic metal.

During 1990s and early 2000, some metal bands shattered, some new trends came and disappeared very soon. Critics went on to say that the Heavy metal is dead. At present, the Retro metal is reuniting the shattered bands to prove that the spirit of metal can never die. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, the pioneers of Metal music are still active and entertaining audience with their latest albums and live performances. Let us have a look on present condition of different metal subgenres.
* Metalcore: This is the most successful Metal genre that has still maintained its luster. To name a few popular Metalcore bands, we can include ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ and ‘Bullet For My Valentine’ that gained huge commercial success in the last 10 years. In April 2012, at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ received the award for ‘Best Live Band’. ‘The poison’ first album from ‘Bullet for My Valentine’ was released in October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine’s day in 2006 in the US. It stood at number 128 in the Billboard 200 and grabbed 11th position on the Independent albums chart.

* Thrash metal: During 1980s, Thrash was the most respected genre from Metal community. Thrash is a blend of ‘New Wave Of British Heavy Metal’ sound with the aggression and speed of Punk, Hardcore and other genres. Popularity of the genre was on peak during the latter half of the 80's. When 1990s was at the end Thrash bands including DESTRUCTION, EXODUS, ONSLAUGHT and DEATH ANGEL continued to release new albums that kept the charm of Thrash metal alive. At present, ‘Thrash’ is observing a revival movement.

* Death metal: The Death metal bands are trying to get more brutal, technical and conscious to attract crowds. Popular Death metal bands of present time include Krypts, Morbus Chron, Disma, Blaspherian, Shroud of the Heretic, The Wakedead Gathering and others. Death metal is all set to make a stormy return with older bands putting forward new albums and newer bands developing music that received high applauds from audience in the past.

* Black metal is also on the progressive move. The Black bands are trying to offer some different, complex and diverse music by leaving behind the orthodox themes based on Satan.

* Groove Metal: Viewing the commercial success of ‘Lamb of God’, we can say the music genre is still popular among audience and it is worth to consider the Groove metal band ‘Lamb of God’ as Metallica of the decade.

* Nu metal: The music genre has lost its popularity and seems to be disappeared in the last few years. With the success of Korn’s ‘Remember who you are’, ‘The path of totality’ and Evanescence's self-titled album at first position on the Billboard 200, Nu Metal has hope of revival.
The Retro movement is trying to return the charm of Heavy metal genres. Will the Retro movement will be as popular as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) that started in Britain during late 1970s? The retro bands in different countries are storming the minds and setting free the souls of audience. The top 10 retro bands include: Baroness (Georgia, US), Priestess (Quebec, Canada), Sideburn (Switzerland), Wolverine (Sweden), Sodom (Germany), Scorpions (Germany), Motorhead (UK), Epidemia (Russia), Destroyer 666 (Australia), Saratoga (Spain). The collective European tour by KREATOR/TANKARD/ SODOM/ DESTRUCTION in 2012 is observed as a part of Retro Thrash movement.
In just past few months, dozens of metal albums did good business. Some of them are Behemoth - 'The Satanist' (Metal Blade), Truckfighters - ‘Universe’ (Fuzzorama), Mantar – ‘Death By Burning’ (Svart), TrenchRot – ‘Necronomic Warfare’ (Unspeakable Axe) and many others. As Metal is known for raising voice on contemporary issues. In the coming few years we expect to see metal music based on Nihilism, Ethno nationalism, Environment, Anti-moralism and Heroism banging the heads of metal fans.