British Heavy Metal ?
British Heavy Metal? We created it and we perfected it, and then Metallica took it to the next level in the United states. Who can knock them? They have the heart and the passion that us Brits possess to take music to that next level, to that extremity that nobody else ever could do. That is why Metallica reign at the top of the greatest Metal bands of all time, but when you talk BRITISH heavy metal? That is a simple list that can be scratched from the top of any true Metal head's...Head!1) Black Sabbath - Easily, the most influential Heavy Metal band of all time. They reached critical acclaim and success on their self titled Album, Black Sabbath, which was released in 1969. This sparked off a huge fan-base for the foursome who hail from Birmingham, England. This fan-base however, was different from any fan-base that had ever been seen on a music stage. This fan base were Metal Heads and pure rockers, the exact images of their role models standing on stage. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. The four men who tore up every stage in Great Britain from the slums of back-street Birmingham to the giant stages in the likes of the Wembley Arena and all around London. Next stop - World domination! Black Sabbath is a must listen for any Metal fan. They combine the funk of the 60's and blend in a total new sound of darkness, chaos and down-right hell. Mixing in dark lyrics perfectly written by Tony Iommi ans blending them in with real life situations and hallucinations, the band was simply unstoppable. They bought light to the meaning of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll quickly became sex, drugs and METAL at the hands of Black Sabbath. Still to this day, Sabbath reign supreme as the kings of the metal stage. Whether it be with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Martin, Glenn Hughes or Ronnie James Dio. The legacy still remains, the legacy will always reign. Black Sabbath are Britain's IMMORTALS.
2) Iron Maiden - What metal head hasn't heard of Iron Maiden? Come on! It's likely that more people have heard of Maiden than they have of Sabbath! The band, fronted by Bruce Dickinson, experienced their first rise to fame in the 'Sabbath era' of metal. 1979 and the early 80's to be exact, with the success of their Self titled album 'Iron Maiden' they quickly earned fame on the rapidly growing metal scene standing tall with the likes of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Who would have known that twenty years down the line, Iron Maiden would be one of the greatest and most well known heavy metal bands of all time? Maiden have captivated audiences from all country's, from all walks of life and even all genres of music. Unlike Sabbath, who jump from genre to genre to meet the mood, Maiden stay specifically in the metal Genre, which makes them a must listen for any metal fan. Pure classic head-banging ANTHEMS is all you expect from Maiden, and thats exactly what you get. They never fail to impress, NEVER.
3) Judas Priest - So you've heard me natter on about Judas Priest in the other two, and by now you are wondering, who are Judas Priest? Well, Judas Priest broke into the metal scene in 1969, the same year of Sabbath, but it wasn't until later on in the early to mid 70's that Judas Priest rose to phenomenal and unmatched fame among the ever growing metal community. The difference behind Judas Priest's specific genre of metal was that it appealed to the Bikers of the world, the likes of the Hell's Angels to be specific. This sparked off the brand new metal craze, which promoted the band to start donning the biker gear, the heavy leather jacket, big beards and biker chains were what Judas Priest became known for, and what they are most known for today. Their hugely powerful beats and songs with amazing vocal work and easily some of the most influential riffs and beats of all time are what seal their name in the permanent slate of darkness. ROCK ON!
4) Motorhead - Motorhead were one of the Metal bands formed later on in the Metal Era in the mid 70's after the success of the aforementioned three bands. Easily capitalizing on the current music scene, the man known as Lemmy, the lead singer of Motorhead, bought a new look to the scene. Donning the leather and the cowboy gear, he bought the most unique voice onto the metal scene of all time. His vocal work is simply un-matched in terms of power, it just goes with the metal, there is no other way to describe it. you hear it - you head bang. Thats the law of Motorhead, you have no other choice, it becomes a sixth sense! Motorhead became famous in Britain, then quickly took off to capitalize in America, bringing a relatively unknown scene of music across the pond and making it famous in the way that only Motorhead can do. Wrestling fans will know Motorhead for their work with the World Wrestling Entertainment, both their appearances and their vocals for Triple H.
Easily, the top four British Metal bands of all time - coming from a true British metal head, born and raised in Brum, the spawn of Sabbath!
Written by Wayne K. Wilkins
