Heavy Metal

Heavy metal on vinyl: from Black Sabbath to Metallica

In short: Heavy metal emerged around 1970 from hard rock and blues rock – even heavier, darker and louder. Black Sabbath from Birmingham are regarded as its pioneers; around 1980 a new wave followed in Britain, and in the eighties the fast thrash metal of Metallica and Anthrax. The Vinyl Room currently has 23 heavy metal records.

What is heavy metal?

Deep, distorted guitar riffs, thundering drums and big voices: Black Sabbath are represented with “Paranoid”, “Master Of Reality”, “Black Sabbath Vol 4” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. Metallica with their 1991 album “Metallica” and – unusually – together with Lou Reed on “Lulu”.

Plus Anthrax, Running Wild from Hamburg with “Under Jolly Roger” and Volbeat from Copenhagen.

What to look for

Classics such as Black Sabbath exist in pressings from many countries and decades; label and catalogue number help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Black Sabbath · Hard rock · Rock on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is heavy metal? Heavy, loud rock music with distorted guitar riffs, born around 1970 from hard rock and blues rock.

Who is regarded as a pioneer? Above all Black Sabbath from Birmingham.

What is thrash metal? A fast, hard variety of the eighties, with Metallica and Anthrax among others.

Is there metal from Denmark? Yes – here, for example, Volbeat from Copenhagen.