Articles

When you hear the term "heavy metal," the first association that springs to mind is certainly Iron Maiden, perhaps alongside Metallica, and not without reason. After all, the band has consistently been one of the most successful bands in the genre since the early 1980s and is one of the most famous in the genre. Even outside the metal scene, every child knows the band's mascot, Eddie the Head. This success, however, was anything but foreseeable when the maidens were founded in 1975 by Paul Day…

Def Leppard were formed in England in 1977 by Joe Elliot (vocals & guitar), Pete Willis (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), and Tony Kenning (drums). Joe soon left the guitar, and Steve Clark was hired. There were also changes on drums before Rick Allen joined. "On Through the Night" was released in 1980. They played heavy metal with hard rock and some glam influences. Unfortunately, they took a soft approach and weren't entirely convincing, but they delivered a decent album and gained a foothold…

When metal first emerged in the 1970s, the majority of bands were primarily based in England; other countries played a minor role at that time. It was in Solingen in 1971 that a band was formed that would spread this music beyond the UK's borders and help the German metal scene achieve its current size. Their name: Accept.

But the road to global fame was long. The first lineup, consisting of Udo Dirkschneider (vocals), Michael Wagener (guitar), Dieter Rubach (bass), and Birke Hoe (drums),…

Running Wild was founded in 1976 by Rock 'N' Rolf Kasparek (vocals & guitar), Uwe Bendig (guitar), Carsten David (bass), and Hasche Hagemann (drums) as Granite Heart. After changing their name and replacing Uwe and Carsten with Preacher Warnecke and, after some back and forth, Stephan Boris, they recorded "Gates To Purgatory" in 1984. The album was strong, and its speed metal with black metal influences attracted attention.

Preacher then left the band and was replaced by Majk Moti. Thus,…

Arguably one of the biggest and most well-known Finnish bands of all time, Nightwish was founded in 1996 by Tarja Turunen (vocals), Emppu Vuorinen (guitar & bass), and Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards). They were joined by drummer Jukka Nevalainen and Sami Vänskä, who took over from Emppu on bass, before recording their debut album, "Angels Fall First," in 1997. The album offered a relatively typical keyboard-heavy power metal sound and would hardly have been special if Tarja's voice, the band's…

Black Label Society is an American heavy metal band founded in 1998 by Zakk Wylde, former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde is not only the founder, but also the creative force and figurehead of the band—as singer, lead guitarist, and main composer, he has a decisive influence on the musical and visual image of Black Label Society.

Style and musical direction

Musically, the band combines classic heavy metal with southern rock, blues, and doom influences. The result is a powerful, uncompromising…

One of the biggest and most important US death metal bands was founded in 1984 under the name Executioner by John Tardy (vocals) and his brother Donald (drums). However, after realizing that a band with that name already existed, the band initially renamed themselves Xecutioner and later Obituary. While there had been several member changes at the beginning of their career, their debut album, "Slowly We Rot," featured a lineup that, in addition to the Tardy brothers, consisted of Allen West and…

One of the most controversial metal bands of all time is certainly Sonata Arctica, founded in 1996 in Finland under the name Tricky Beans under mastermind Tony Kakko (vocals and keyboards), Tommy Portimo (drums), Pentti Peura (bass), Jani Liimatainen, and Marko Paasikoski (both guitars). Some like the band's highly melodic style, while others condemn its lack of heaviness. However, it cannot be denied that, despite all the controversy, the Laplanders have developed into one of the most…

Europe is a Swedish hard rock band that was formed in 1979 in Upplands Väsby, a suburb of Stockholm. The band is one of Sweden's most internationally renowned rock groups and celebrated its greatest commercial success in 1986 with the global hit "The Final Countdown." With this song and the album of the same name, Europe achieved cult status and became a fixture of 1980s rock.

Early years and name change

The band was originally founded under the name Force by singer Joey Tempest (born Rolf Magnus…

Uriah Heep is a British hard rock legend formed in London in 1969. The band's name comes from a character in Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield—the sleazy and conniving office assistant Uriah Heep—which lent a certain theatricality to the band's name from the very beginning. As one of the most influential rock bands of the 1970s, Uriah Heep stands alongside greats like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath—particularly when it comes to the early pioneers of hard rock and…

Def Leppard were formed in England in 1977 by Joe Elliot (vocals & guitar), Pete Willis (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), and Tony Kenning (drums). Joe soon gave up guitar, and Steve Clark joined the band instead. There were also several changes on drums before Rick Allen took over. Their debut album, "On Through The Night," was released in 1980 with this lineup. It featured heavy metal with strong hard rock and even some glam influences, albeit in the background. Unfortunately, they sometimes took…

Guns N' Roses is an influential American hard rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985. With their energetic sound, which combines hard rock, punk, and blues rock, they had a decisive influence on rock music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band is one of the most commercially successful rock acts in music history, with around 100 million records sold worldwide, including over 42 million in the US alone.

In April 2012, Guns N' Roses was inducted into the prestigious…

In 2008, guitarist Scott Holiday, drummer Michael Miley, and bassist Robin Everhart formed the band Rival Sons after their previous project, Black Summer Crush, which they had run with Thomas Flowers (lead singer of the band Oleander), had broken up.

While searching for a suitable frontman, they came across Jay Buchanan, whose voice had already impressed Miley. After an initial unsuccessful attempt, the band finally managed to contact Buchanan via MySpace—and ultimately recruited him as the…

The Pretty Reckless is an American rock band from New York City, whose musical style is primarily alternative rock, post-grunge, and hard rock. The band was founded in 2009 by singer and frontwoman Taylor Momsen, who had previously gained notoriety through her acting career, including appearances on the television series Gossip Girl, and as a model. The band was originally called The Reckless, but for trademark reasons, the name had to be changed to The Pretty Reckless.

The band formed a…

Lordi is a Finnish hard rock and heavy metal band formed in 1992. They are known for their unusual stage costumes, which depict zombies and monsters. Similar to Kiss, Twisted Sister, Accept, Zodiac Mindwarp, W.A.S.P. or Alice Cooper, but with modern elements such as electronic sounds.

It is remarkable how Lordi combines elements of classic heavy metal with modern influences such as electronic sounds to create a sound that is both nostalgically familiar and fresh and contemporary. This artistic…

It was 1989 when the Swedes Robert Sennebäck (guitar & vocals), Fredrik Lindgren (guitar), Johnny Hedlund (bass & vocals), and Anders Schultz (drums) founded the band Unleashed. However, Robert left after just a year, and Tomas Olsson took over on guitar. Another year later, their first album, "Where No Life Dwells," was released, featuring a real hit, "For They Shall Be Slain." The band's logo, featuring an upside-down cross, certainly caused a bit of a stir, but musically, Unleashed…

Napalm Death were formed in 1991 by singer and bassist Nik Bullen and drummer Miles The Rat. Among a host of other lineup changes, Miles was quickly replaced by Mick Harris, and they also found a guitarist in Justin Broadrick. This lineup recorded fourteen songs in one session in 1986, including the now-iconic "You Suffer," which lasts just one second. However, since the other songs were also extremely short, they could only fit on one side of the LP. This led to disputes within the band, which…

Enslaved is an influential Norwegian metal band formed in Haugesund in 1991 and is now considered one of the defining bands of Viking metal and progressive black metal. Their name, which translates as "enslaved," was suggested by Demonaz (Immortal) – inspired by the Immortal song "Enslaved in Red."

Foundation and Musical Roots

Enslaved was founded by Grutle Kjellson (bass, vocals) and Ivar Bjørnson (guitar, keyboards), who previously played together in the death metal band Phobia. Disappointed…

Stratovarius formed in Finland in 1984, back then still under the name Black Water. Lineup changes were frequent in the early days, but by the time their debut album, "Fright Night" – by then retitled Stratovarius – was released in 1989, the lineup consisted of Timo Tolkki (vocals and guitar), Jyrki Lentonen (bass), Antti Ikonen (keyboards), and Tuomo Lassila (drums). The album offered power metal, which could be understood as a watered-down version of Black Sabbath, enriched with all sorts…

Linkin Park is a band founded in Los Angeles in 1996, which is mostly classified as crossover or nu metal. High chart positions in the US and Germany, among other countries, massive airplay, various music awards, and ongoing support from the mass media and fans are the reasons why Linkin Park is now considered one of the best-known and best-selling rock bands. Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson knew each other from high school. A concert they attended together in 1991 by the thrash metal band Anthrax…