I Like Old School Rock and Metal

A few things heavy metal is known for is its dark tone, how complex it can be and its reference to Satanism and the occult. These are some tracks that helped pioneer those tropes in metal.


Starts off with a gloomy, atmospheric mood before escalating to very heavy prog metal. It was hard picking one song from this band as they pioneered elements from several different metal styles on their only album, including thrash, doom and power metal.


An early example of dark and heavy prog. Its haunting melody starts off mellow but only grows louder and heavier as the song carries on, complimented by jazz influences and experimentalism.


Starts off with a cheery, psychedelic organ until the 3-minute mark when it takes a drastic change into menacing tune with deep, bellowing vocals and Satanic lyrics. One could say it's progenitor to harsh vocals.


Probably the least heavy song and band that will be featured in this series but this band's legacy lies primarily with them being an early inspiration to metal's dark, occult imagery. Despite not being metal, this is still arguably the darkest song yet with its unapologetic references to Satanism.


This band was like a Satanic Fleetwood Mac with their main body of music consisting of more ballady tracks, but they had a few rockers like this one. Their occult lyrics and heavy guitar work made them obvious metal influencers but they are also the first band to use the "sign of the horns" gesture in rock music.

If you missed the first two volumes, you can start with the first here:
https://similarworlds.com/9379409-I-Like-Old-School-Rock-and-Metal/3038628-Lost-Metal-Pioneers-Vol-I-1970-Dedicated-to

Share any thoughts and opinions you have down below and if you're still interested, keep watch for the next volume. Hope you enjoyed it!

Vol. IV:
https://similarworlds.com/9379409-I-Like-Old-School-Rock-and-Metal/3064285-Lost-Metal-Pioneers-Vol-IV-Heavier-Yet-Dedicated