http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Metal_Summary.html Metal is a music genre that has its roots in heavy metal and derives from electric blues and rock. This genre is characterized by using distorted guitars, loud bass and wah-wah. Two of the main features of this music are distortion and amplification. Within this genre, other subgenres are included: Thrash, Doom Metal, Melo-Death, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Death Metal, among many others. Finally, Some of the artists that represent this genre are Iron Maiden, Atreyu, Hurt, Avenged Sevenfold, and 311. en-us http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7294.html Fri, 07 Apr 2006 03:51:59 CST Black Sabbath, or sometimes simply Sabbath, is a famous British heavy metal band. Its original members were Ozzy Osburne in the vocals, Tony Iommi in the guitar, Geezer Butler in the bass, and Bill Ward in the drums. Black Sabbath formed in the late 60’s in Birmingham, England, with the initial name of Polka Tulk Blues Band, then “Earth Blues Company”, “Polka Tulk”, and later Earth.

The band Earth was originally a blues band, but it started to turn darker when Butler, fan of the black magic novels of Dennis Wheatley, wrote a song with an occultist feel called “Black Sabbath” (a name possibly adapted from a horror movie of Boris Karloff of the year 1963). The band adopted the name later on in order to avoid confusion with other local band also called Earth. Black Sabbath started playing songs with darker themed lyrics and a slower and more threatening style, until becoming one of the classic heavy metal bands. Black Sabbath was a very versatile band, with many distinctive sounds, and which influence on rock and metal has been compared to Led Zeppelin’s, Deep Purple’s, and Judas Priest’s. Some even regard them as the creators of the genre, as well as of a number of subgenres such as doom metal, death metal, and stoner metal.
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7293.html Fri, 07 Apr 2006 03:37:05 CST Led Zeppelin is a British rock music band founded in 1968 by guitarist Jimmy Page. John Paul Jones joined the band as the bassist, and Page already knew him for his previous work with The Yardbirds. The vocalist position was taken by Robert Plant, and the soon the drummer John Bonham joined the group, both had been in The Band of Joy previously, and with all these members Led Zeppelin was born, one of the most influencing bands in the history of rock and the band that set the first stones upon which the hard rock and even the heavy metal was to be created. In fact, Led Zeppelin is considered as the first heavy metal band by many, although most of their fans were not exactly fans of the metal genre.

Led Zeppelin’s first album was edited in 1969, the album was also called Led Zeppelin. It was an amazing success, as their second album, Led Zeppelin II, also was, settling the band and reaching the first positions in the British and US charts. Their next album featured four strange symbols as its title, but it is commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV. After that album, the band released Houses of the Holy, an innovative approach incorporating new music genres into their music.
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7278.html Fri, 07 Apr 2006 10:39:57 CST Limp Bizkit is a famous and successful American nu-metal band. Together with KoRn and Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit is regarded as one of the pioneers of the nu-metal genre and credited with the popularization of this music style. Limp Bizkit is signed to Interscope Records.

Limp Bizkit consists of five members, the vocalist Fred Durst, the bassist Sam Rivers, the drummer John Otto, who was recently replaced by Sammy Siegler, and DJ Lethal. Two of the band members, John Otto and Sam Rivers, are cousins. The guitarist Wes Borland, who was with them for the first three albums and designed the covers of the last two records, left the group in the year 2001. Borland was substituted by Mike Smith, who formerly played in the group Snot. However, in August 2004, Wes Borland returned to Limp Bizkit and Mike Smith left the band for unknown reasons.

Additionally, in the recording of Limp Bizkit’s latest record “The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)”, John Otto left the band to receive rehabilitation and was replaced by Sammy Siegler, who recorded the drums in all the tracks of the album, except the song “The Channel”, which was recorded by Otto.

Among their most popular songs are "Nookie" and "Break Stuff", both from the album Significant Other, released in 1999. Other famous Limp Bizkit songs are "My Generation", "Rolling", "Faith", "Counterfeit", "My Way", and "Home Sweet Home".
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7263.html Thu, 06 Apr 2006 04:49:52 CST Linkin Park is an American nu-metal and rapcore band from Los Angeles, California. It is presently signed to Warner Brothers Records. Linkin Park is one of the most famous and commercially successful bands of the nu-metal genre, for the most part due to their debut album in the year 2000, “Hybrid Theory”, which sold more than 19 million copies worldwide.

Linkin Park was born in a small studio of MC Mike Shinoda, where he together with Brad Delson recorded the first material of the band in 1996. Later Shinoda placed an ad and Chester Bennington joined the band. At that time, the group’s name was “Hybrid Theory” referring to the mix of rock and rap. However; due to copyright issues with a group called Hybrid, they were forced to change the name. Bennington suggested the name “Lincoln Park”, but as the band could not afford the domain “lincolnpark.com”, they changed the spelling to Linkin Park.

The members of the band are Chester Bennington (also known as Chazy Chaz) in the vocals; Mike Shinoda also in the vocals, MC, sampling, beats, guitar, and keyboard; Joe Hahn (also known as Mr. Hahn) mixing, sampling, and he has also directed many music videos for the band; Brad Delson (also known as Big Bad Brad) playing the guitar; the drummer Rob Bourdon; and the bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7255.html Thu, 06 Apr 2006 04:07:45 CST KoRn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California. In fact, many people say KoRn are the responsible for the genesis of the nu metal genre. KoRn certainly influenced and inspired a wave of alternative metal and rap metal bands in the mid 1990’s and early 2000’s, Limp Bizkit being one of the most famous bands that had KoRn as a mentor.

Since their debut in 1994, KoRn has sold over 15 million records in the United States, and more than 10 million albums in the rest of the world, making KoRn the best selling metal act of the last decade. Their most famous songs include Freak on a Leash, Got the Life, Here to Stay, and Blind. KoRn has also made a cover for Pink’s Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall”.

KoRn’s musical style is characteristic for Davis’s particular singing (series of whines, grunts, and scat singing) and his lyrics, which are often inspired by the child abuse he himself suffered as well as personal experiences such as David’s job in a morgue and as a coroner assistant. Their music is influenced by bands such as Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Mr. Bungle, Hemet, Primus, and Metallica.

The current members of KoRn are the vocalist Jonathan Houseman “HIV” Davis, the bassist Reginald Quincy “Fieldy” Arvizu, the drummer David Randall “Wally Balljacker” Silveria, and he guitarist James Christian “Munky” Shaffer.
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7248.html Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:26:40 CST Metallica is a heavy metal band from the United States. Formed in October 1981, the band has since then sold more than 57 million albums in the United States, and over 40 million albums in the rest of the world, summing up to approximately 100 million sales worldwide. Their most successful album was Metallica, released in 1991, and that together with other big successes in their career has made them one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands in history.

It all started in 1981, when a Danish boy named Lars Ulrich came up with the idea of placing an ad in Recycler Magazine asking for a guitarist to form a band with influences of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, similar to Diamond Head, Motorhead, or Iron Maiden. A young fellow named James Hetfield answered his ad, and they gathered to play eventually forming a group. The name of the band was “stolen” by Brian Slager, who fiddled with “Metalmania” and “Metallica” as possible names for his music magazine, although he was more likely to choose the second one. Lars liked the name “Metallica” so much that he quickly recommended the first one with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Currently, the members of the band are the vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield, the drummer Lars Ulrich, the guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the bassist Robert Trujillo. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7220.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 04:53:09 CST Iron Maiden is one of the best and most renowned British heavy metal bands and is popular among listeners of all metal genres. Iron Maiden was formed in East London in 1975 by the bassist Steve Harris, who previously played in other bands such as Gypsy’s Kiss and Smiler. With more than 60 million albums sold worldwide, Iron Maiden is one of the most successful bands in the heavy metal movement; it has also influenced many metal groups with their particular music style. So far, Iron Maiden has released 13 studio albums, 4 compilations of their best songs, 9 live albums, and 4 limited boxed-sets.

Eddie, Iron Maiden’s mascot, is a recurring character in the album covers of the band and live shows. The original drawing of Eddie was by Derek Riggs, but since then, many other incarnations of Eddie have arisen by Melvyn Grant. The character Eddie has even featured in a videogame called “Ed Hunter”.

Iron Maiden’s particular style of melodic metal has earned it international fame. Their music mixes heavy metal with highly melodic riffs, including other elements such as thrash metal. Iron Maiden adds to that their wise lyrics which are easily recognizable, and at the final result is what can only be described as art.
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7211.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 04:31:17 CST Judas Priest is a famous heavy metal band that has influenced many other bands with their particular music style. It was formed in 1969 in Birmingham, England, lead by K.K. Downing and Ian Hill. The original members of the band consisted of Rob Halford, the vocalist, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton in the guitars, and Ian Hill playing the bass. Judas Priest personifies the classic heavy metal genre, especially the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement (NWOBHM). Their popularity and influence over hundreds of other bands and musicians have earned them the nickname “The Metal Gods”.

 Judas Priest is one of the progenitors of heavy metal as we know it, the band’s style is best known for its guitar sound and the intricate guitar duets of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing together with Rob Halford’s high-pitched, screaming lead vocals. In addition, Judas Priest is known for its dual rhythm guitar, the riff, which plays an important role in heavy metal and other hard rock genres.

 As mentioned above, Judas Priest is one of the most influential bands in the music of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Musicians and bands along these three generations have Judas Priest as its most important influence, these include: Accept, Metallica, Megadeath, Manowar, Dokken, Helloween, Stratovarius, Iced Earth, Primal Fear, Tyran Pace, Saxon, and Pantera, among others.

 The current members of the band are the vocalist Rob Halford, the guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, the bassist Ian Hill, and the drummer Scott Travis.
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7200.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 09:37:02 CST Deep Purple is a British hard rock band, considered by many one of the fathers of heavy metal together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, among others. Deep Purple was formed in the year 1968 with the name “Roundabout”, a project imagined by the singer Chris Curtis a couple of years before, keeping the keyboardist post for his floor mate Jon Lord and the guitarist post for an old friend of his, Ritchie Blackmore, who in that time was living in Germany. A short time thereafter, the bassist Nick Simper joined the group. Simper had worked before with other bands together with Ritchie Blackmore, but Curtis’s ideas didn’t fit well with them, and the band’s managers decided to dismiss him and continue with the rest of the band, finding new posts for the drums and the vocals. A few months thereafter, and after singing a contract with Tetragammatron in the United States, Canada, and Japan, and with EMI for the rest of the world, the band changed its name to Deep Purple, in honor to Ritchie Blackmore’s grandmother’s favorite song.

The current members of the band are Ian Gillan, who is the vocalist, Steve Morse in the guitars, Roger Glover playing the bass, Don Airey the keyboardist, and Ian Paice in the Battery.
http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_7186.html Tue, 04 Apr 2006 05:04:33 CST Deftones is a renowned United States alternative metal band from Sacramento, California. The Deftones are often considered disciples of Korn, but they have actually been around for a similar time. They were one of the first groups in alternating heavy riffs with screamed vocals, hushed singing, and ethereal music. A combination that became pretty popular afterwards.

Deftones is one of the most innovative rock bands that have arisen in the latest years, differentiating themselves from other bands of the turn-of-the-century Nu Metal genre. Their influence includes bands like Tool and KoRn, but Deftones always seem to be innovating, including new as well as traditionally revered rhythms like DC hardcore and dream pop into their southern California alternative metal music.

The band is currently composed of 5 members. Chino Moreno in the vocals and guitars, Stephen Carpenter also in the guitars, Abe Cunningham playing the drums, Chi Cheng the bass, and Frank Delgado, the turntablist, keyboardist, and sampler of the band.

Deftones formed in Sacramento, California when a group of high-school students, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham, and Chino Moreno started to jam together. Quickly, the band began making presentations locally, and had many bassists who came and went, until finally finding Chi Cheng and settling as a popular band.