Image via Complex Original
If you are a rap fan—and of course you are—you have likely already listened to metal. Maybe it was Slayer guitarist Kerry King's riffage on Licensed to Ill, or that punishing Slayer "Angel of Death" sample (Jeff Hanneman this time) on Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel Zero!?" or the Anthrax-fueled remake of PE's "Bring the Noise." Or maybe it was the Judgment Night soundtrack, which again featured Slayer—no surprise, since they were once signed to Def Jam and produced by Rick Rubin—this time teamed with Ice T, who has his own metal band, Body Count. Or maybe it was Nonphixion, whose "The CIA Is Still Trying to Kill Me" namedrops more metal acts than this piece will.
Rap and metal were both spawned on music's fringes, sharing everything from driving beats to PARENTAL ADVISORY stickers. And both have roots in strife, namely late '60s working-class England and late '70s inner-city New York. Much like rap too, metal has grown tremendously and has much greater depth than a cursory examination would reveal. A band like, say, Meshuggah, who rely on near mathematical precision, bear little similarity to a glammed-up Mötley Crüe or a truly evil Norwegian "band" like Burzum, yet they are all considered metal.
Fans of both rap and metal were on the fringes as well, although they started on opposite sides. Metal was decidedly white, rap decidedly not so much. The Levi's and leather jackets of metal fans were taboo to sportswear-obsessed rap fans. If they shared anything stylistically, it was expensive basketball sneakers. It wasn't until the mid to late '80s where there was some sense of crossover, when Anthrax performed in Public Enemy shirts and Run-DMC broke in on Aerosmith in "Walk This Way." It's funny seeing ripped jeans and leather jackets become so accepted amongst rap fans and rappers, even if the jeans are Balmain. And those Wes Lang Yeezus shirts wouldn't have been out of place at any metal show of the past 30 years.
A quick and dirty history of metal would begin in the late '60s in Birmingham, England, where Black Sabbath was founded. Some credit should also be given to Led Zeppelin, founded around the same time, in London. The sound then spread to the West Coast of America in the late '70s via 'The New Wave of British Heavy Metal,' led by acts like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Diamondhead. The music was characterized by high-pitched vocals, screaming guitar (often with dual leads), and furious drumming.
Once in California, metal splintered into glam (think Mötley Crüe, basic riffage and semi-elaborate costumes) and thrash (think Metallica and Slayer, denim and leather and guitar-based music played as loud and fast as possible). The evolution continued after the pivotal year of 1986, which served up Slayer's Reign in Blood and Metallica's Master of Puppets—Pantera's skull-crushing Vulgar Display of Power released in 1992—but that was more or less the pinnacle. The less said about so-called "nu-metal," the better.
[A brief note on "black metal." This is not metal made by black people, rather a Norwegian offshoot of heavy metal who actually took the over-the-top "Satanic" imagery of early '80s bands like Venom seriously. So while bands like Mayhem and Emperor may not be as heavy as American acts like Slayer or early Metallica, they and their ilk have actually burned down churches and murdered people (including, but not limited to, each other). The book Lords of Chaos is essential reading on this phenomenon.]
Motörhead, perhaps the best of the proto-metal bands (and still going nearly 40 years after their founding), coined the term "Everything Louder Than Everything Else," which would serve as a fitting epitaph for metal. But, like rap, metal will never die. Here's your primer.
Essential Album #1: Slayer, "Reign in Blood"
If there is such thing as a perfect metal album, Slayer's Reign In Blood is it. Clocking in at just 29 minutes, its 10 tracks blaze past in a fury of finely tuned aggression. Producer Rick Rubin (yes, that Rick Rubin) took all the rage and thrash already present in Slayer's sound and distilled it down to its murderous essence, creating a record—Slayer's first for Def Jam—without a single wasted second. Think of it as metal's Yeezus, apocalyptic rage translated through Kerry King's and Jeff Hanneman's dueling lead guitars, Tom Araya's demonic vocals and driving bass, and, most importantly, Dave Lombardo's epic drumming. It kicks off at full speed with Araya's blood-curdling scream at the start of "Angel of Death," and barely relents until the thunder and rain that trail off at the end of "Raining Blood" (which also features one of metal's heaviest breakdowns—which was sampled for Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel Zero!?"). Reign in Blood came out in 1986, and remains the standard. Everyone should own a copy of this.
Essential Album #2: Iron Maiden, "The Number of the Beast"
Part of the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" that arrived on American shores in the early '80s, Iron Maiden combined a flair for theatrics with some truly outstanding musicianship. It didn't hurt that their grisly album covers by Derek Riggs, featuring an animated corpse named Eddie, stood out even amongst other metal fare.
Founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, the band didn't truly hit their stride until 1981, when lead singer Paul Di'Anno was replaced by Bruce Dickinson. Iron Maiden's first album with Dickinson, 1982's The Number of the Beast, would prove the switch to be the correct move. With songs driven by Harris' bass—which nearly served as a third lead guitar—and lifted skyward by Dickinson's operatic vocals, The Number of the Beast kicked off with the frantic "Invaders" (at 3:24, the shortest song on the album) and peaked on the title track, one of metal's most epic (and opaque) tales. The album ends with "Hallowed Be Thy Name," a saga of a criminal about to be hanged that would be mainstay on Maiden setlists for the next 30 years.
Aside from Maiden's obvious musicianship, their strength was in their storytelling — a strength any rap fan should be able to appreciate. Although their stories were a bit different from, say, Slick Rick's.
Idol: Lemmy Kilmister
When 29-year-old Lemmy Kilmister was fired from "space-rock" band Hawkwind in 1975, very few could have predicted what would come next. What happened was he founded Motörhead. A precursor to both metal and punk, Motörhead was, and is, essentially rock and roll at its dirtiest and loudest—a motorcycle gang with instruments. The lineup has changed throughout the years, but Lemmy has remained the constant, his throbbing bass and skyward yowl (thanks to an upward-angled mic stand) creating one of the most primal sounds in rock. Lemmy abides. As Ozzy Osbourne devolved into pure camp, Gene Simmons became a business, man, and other metal stalwarts either stayed in the background or died, Lemmy emerged as the patron saint of all things metal, its Biggie and Pac. (And for the record, Lemmy was up on "Ace of Spades" long before Jay Z.) Kilmister will turn 69 on Christmas Eve, but Motörhead soldiers on, as loud and unforgiving as ever. Can Lemmy outlive God? Trick question—Lemmy IS god.
Essential Artist #1: Black Sabbath
To put it as simply as possible, there is no heavy metal without Black Sabbath. Much of metal's doom sound, the dark tone, even the bleak imagery started here. Founded in Birmingham, England in 1968 (the same year fellow progenitor Led Zeppelin formed in London), Sabbath was literally dirge-like compared to what was being produced by the Beatles and the Stones. And instead of psychedelia, they relied on slowed-down rhythms and detuned guitars, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne's mournful wails washing over Tony Iommi's guitar, Geezer Butler's bass, and Bill Ward's drums.
The initial Sabbath lineup would produce six albums (seven, if you include 1975's Technical Ecstasy, which also included keyboardist Gerry Woodruffe) and countless heavy metal track archetypes from "War Pigs" to "Paranoid" to "Children of the Grave." When Osbourne quit the band in 1976, he would be succeeded by several other accomplished vocalists, including Deep Purple's Ian Gillan and pint-sized terror Ronnie James Dio, but Osbourne's Sabbath remained the gold standard. The original band, with the exception of Ward, re-formed in 2011, and is still touring.
Despite the relatively small output of that first incarnation of Black Sabbath, the songs (and riffs) have spread far and wide, including into rap. Rick Rubin—of course—sampled "Sweet Leaf" for the Beastie Boys' "Rhymin' and Stealin'," the first track on License to Ill. And while Seattle's grunge bands pillaged Sabbath's general sound, Seattle rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot teamed with fellow Seattlites Metal Church to do a cover version of "Iron Man" for his 1988 debut, Swass.
Essential Artist #2: Metallica
Metallica has endured much over the years—James Hetfield's addictions, Bob Rock's production, Lars Ulrich's general existence—but no single episode has been nearly as tragic as the bus accident in 1986 that claimed the life of 24-year-old bassist Cliff Burton. Burton, who joined the band in 1982 and actually convinced them to relocate from Southern California to the Bay Area, was a major part of their pioneering sound and a big reason why Metallica stood out amongst a sea of similar acts. Seeing that Burton left his previous band, Trauma, in part because they were "starting to get a little commercial," it's hard to imagine him remaining in a band that went on to win nine Grammies and sell 50 million records. But ironic or not, there's no denying that his early contributions helped Metallica eventually become the biggest metal band in the world.
It didn't seem like that's where Metallica's early trajectory would take them however. Their debut, Kill 'Em All, featured a relentlessly heavy sound, raw production, and a literally bloodsoaked album cover. The follow-up, 1985's Ride the Lightning, didn't stray far from that model. But their third album, 1986's Master of Puppets, represented a huge step. Featuring cleaner, crisper production and some of their heaviest material yet (namely the galloping "Battery" which opened side one and "Damage, Inc." which closed out side two), Master of Puppets established Metallica as one of the most powerful bands in metal, and stood alongside Slayer's Reign In Blood as one of the best releases of the year. The eventual follow-up, ...And Justice For All, with Flotsam & Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted replacing Burton, made them megastars.
The sprawling ...And Justice wasn't Metallica's most accessible record, with long tracks, intricate solos, and difficult (for metal, certainly) subject matter, but it also produced their first mainstream success, with "One." If Sabbath was the band who birthed metal to the world, Metallica was the band who spread it. It wouldn't be out of line to compare Metallica to Run DMC, as both contributed heavily to the worldwide acceptance of their style of music, and set the stage for all to come.
The Hang Out: The Rainbow Bar & Grill, Los Angeles
Los Angeles wasn't the birthplace of metal, but it's where it flourished. Many styles were perfected in Southern California, from Slayer's thrash to Mötley Crüe's glam. And the gathering point for much of it was on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, whose bars and strip clubs and concert venues (the Whiskey A Go Go, the Roxy) served as both showcases and proving grounds for local talent of all kinds. The Rainbow Bar & Grill, located on the Beverly Hills end of the strip, was where everyone ended up. Parts of MTV's Headbanger's Ball were filmed there, and as far as we know there is still a table reserved at all times for Lemmy. (And if he's not there, Cypress Hill's B Real is often at one of the tables out front.) Metal will always live at the Rainbow—and the food is pretty good, too.
Essential Clothing Item: Denim Vest
Heavy metal style has changed tremendously over the years, but always seems to return to the basics: denim and leather. None of that fancy denim and leather either, but that leather on the Fonz. And Levi's. Super-basic stuff. The classic bit of heavy-metal apparel, aside from a worn-in tour Tee's, is a Levi's denim jacket with the sleeves torn off. It can be layered over (or under) a leather jacket, covered in patches or airbrushed/painted with album covers or band logos. Over time, a denim vest can become as personalized and as cherished as any Hell's Angel's colors. Your favorite rapper has probably even already worn one, provided your favorite rapper is Wiz Khalifa.
Overrated: KISS
Yes, KISS was one of the earliest metal bands, and their theatrics, kabuki-style makeup and pyrotechnics paved the way for any number of descendants. Many, many bands (and fans) can trace their roots to hearing ALIVE! or ALIVE II, and nearly everyone of a certain age had a KISS poster on their wall. And you know what? They sucked. Their riffs were primitive, their lyrics insipid. They were The Village People with worse songs, Insane Clown Posse with a bigger fanbase. Outside of "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City" it is virtually impossible to name one KISS song that has had any staying power. When it became clear that without makeup they were just a middling, middle-aged hard-rock band of no distinction, they put it back on. And Gene Simmons's money-hungry behavior, which has plastered the KISS logo on anything and everything, and made original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss (responsible for two of the group's best songs, "Shock Me" and "Beth" respectively) nothing more than wage laborers—has done nothing to burnish the group's reputation. They're a more shameless—and admittedly more influential—version of MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice, a tremendously successful commercial band wishing desperately for critical acclaim that will never, ever come.
Festival: Wacken Open Air
The premier metal festival for years was Ozzfest, a grand tour organized by and centered around (natch) Ozzy Osbourne. But as it seems to have been mostly discontinued, there is need to travel to Europe for the big metal festivals. The one held at Castle Donington in England has been home to some epic performances, but the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany has traditionally had more of a focus on modern metal—Hypocrisy recorded a live album there in 1998—rather than revival (or survival) acts (although both Motörhead and Anthrax played there last year). Book tickets now, it's in July and will feature acts from Arch Enemy to Emperor to Carcass, as well as Motörhead once again. Or, if you prefer to catch a metal act amongst other genres, there's always the Vans Warped Tour or even Bonnaroo (check out Mastodon and Meshuggah).