You’d probably have to be an aficionado of the music to
appreciate the differences between the musical genres called Heavy Metal and
Hard Rock, and probably would have to have listened to quite a bit of the music
to even begin to describe the differences between them. Many folks I know don’t
hear any differences, but I think they are there, and here’s my take on it. Let
me say, up front, that I love both genres and am not trying to make the point
that one is better than the other.
Let me start off by naming some of what I consider
representative albums in the two genres.
Heavy Metal
1. We Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll – Black Sabbath
2. Screaming for
Vengeance – Judas Priest
3. The Number of the
Beast – Iron Maiden
4. Shout at the Devil
– Motley Crue
5. Master of Puppets –
Metallica
6. Peace Sells…But
Who’s Buying – Megadeth
7. Vulgar Display of
Power – Pantera
Hard Rock
1. Highway to Hell –
AC/DC
2. Machine Head –
Deep Purple
3. Tres Hombres – Z Z
Top
4. Free-For-All – Ted
Nugent
5. Gold and Platinum
– Lynyrd Skynyrd
6. Van Halen – Van
Halen
7. Aerosmith – Rocks
Some folks might dispute the inclusion of Motley Crue in the
Heavy Metal list. The Crue were one of the progenitors of the subgenre known as
Glam Metal. But there was no such thing as the Heavy Metal subgenre explosion
when the Crue put out Shout at the Devil,
and it is very heavy and one of my favorite albums of all time.
In the same way, Z Z Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd are often called
southern rock or blues rock rather than Hard Rock, but I think those are
subgenres rather than reflecting significant differences. And while Van Halen
is sometimes called Heavy Metal, they don’t quite cross the metal line as I see
it.
So what is that line? What are the differences?
First, there is the sheer heaviness of the music. Put on “Leper
Messiah” by Metallica and compare it to “Gimme Back My Bullets” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Both are rocking songs, but there is a density in the Metallica song that just
isn’t there in the Skynyrd. That doesn’t make it better or worse. It is
different. Heavy Metal must have a denseness that Hard Rock does not require. Sometimes
a Hard Rock Band will cross over that line with a song or two. “Ain’t Talking
about Love” by Van Halen does that.
“Saturday Night Special” by Lynyrd Skynyrd does. But the average denseness is less in Hard
Rock than Heavy Metal.
Second, there is a lyrical approach to the music that is
different. Hard Rock lyrics are much more about having a good time, about
partying (alcohol and drugs), and about sex, than is the case with Heavy Metal.
Metal lyrics are about death, about violence and war, and, more often, about
historical or even current affairs. Metal lyrics are more often anti-Christian
(although there are certainly exceptions), and more explicitly talk about evil.
(Note that for most bands this is not because they actually worship Satan.)
Consider AC/DC’s songs like “Girls Got Rhythm, “Walk All
Over You,” “Touch too Much,” “Beating around the Bush,” and “Love Hungry Man.”
Although this album is entitled Highway
to Hell, suggesting a more metal type of lyrics, the songs are primarily
about partying and sex. Van Halen is largely the same way on their self-titled
album, although there is variety in their lyrics. “Ice Cream Man” is a good
example, and later Van Halen albums were even more about Hard Rocking sex than
about Metal themes.
On the other hand, look at Master of Puppets, by Metallica, with songs like the title song,
and “Leper Messiah,” “Sanitarium,” “Disposable Heroes,” and “The Thing That
Should Not Be.”
Here’s where we could have some debate about the band Motley
Crue. The Crue have many songs about sex on their Shout at the Devil album, such as “Ten Seconds to Love,” “Too Young
to Fall in Love,” and “Looks that Kill.” They also, however, have songs like “Shout
at the Devil,” which is pretty damn evil, as well as “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid,” and
the remake of the Beatles “Helter Skelter.” This puts it in a kind of
between-land, but in my judgment the album is more metal in its lyrics than
Hard Rock. I will say, though, that some of Motley Crue’s later albums really
cross more into Hard Rock territory with their lyrics, especially on songs such
as “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and “Dr. Feelgood.” I could see the Crue as being put into either
camp and there could be good arguments either way. I think there’s much less
room to argue for bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden on the metal side,
and Z Z Top on the rock side.
There’s certainly room for debate on this issue. Ultimately,
this post is about how I feel about the music I listen too. Your opinions are welcome, of course.
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