Black Sabbath (1970)

I disappear for over three months and come back with a no brainer, but at some point I would have to address this landmark in early metal music, so I may as well get back in the groove with an easy one. Most people call this the first heavy metal album, and while I think that is a bit simplistic, the fact is, the album is full of crushing riffs fairly unique for its era. Even to this day, Tony Iommi remains one of my favorite guitarists in terms of great riffs (I saw Heaven & Hell perform on every tour and own their album on both CD and vinyl), but it's important not to neglect the impact and skill of bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, each providing oomph to Sabbath's raw early sound. Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne is also fairly unrefined on this release, and I'm actually not in love with his voice on this first record.

There are a ton of hits on this album (three of the 8 tracks appeared on the compilation "We Sold Our Soul For Rock N Roll"), and I'll feature one of my favorite songs at the end of this post, but some of the lesser known tunes are a little more bluesy, reflective of their blues-based origins, of course. "Wicked World" best reflects these "other" songs, still heavy, but more in the Led Zep vein. "Evil Woman" is another track reminiscent of that period of time. The guitar distortion is clearly present, but there's a funky backdrop and a melodic chorus that could easily fit in with a more straight forward rock band of the late 60s.

Anyway, I don't think I need to spend much time with this record. It was a monumentally important album that many later bands were influenced by, from 80s doom bands to 90s grunge acts. I don't think Sabbath was the first to do heavy music or satanic lyrics, as many of the albums I will (or have) highlight(ed) will show, but Sabbath deserves its place in the pantheon of metal greats, and this album will be remembered for generations as a great start to a storied career.

Gift (1972)

From the hard driving opening track "Drugs," with searing licks and a thunderous rhythm section to the final song, "Bad Vibrations," featuring a deliciously evil riffs complemented by an accompaniment of bells, Gift's 1972 debut is not only one of my favorite heavy records from the formative days of metal, but easily a hidden treasure of the music world.

Hailing from Germany, the band started out as Phallus Dei before changing to the name Gift. Featuring Helmut Treichel on vocals, Rainer Baur on guitars, Uwe Patzke on bass, and Hermann Lange on drums, the band recorded this beast of an album in Munich. Given the year, this is really an uncompromising heavy metal album.

The songs are intense, well written, and catchy. The chorus guitar work of "Time Machine" always puts me in mind of the money riff from Megadeth's "Peace Sells (But Who's Buying?)." "Game of Skill" gets the blood pumping with an infectious groove and a sinister sound. I'd be remiss not to comment on the album cover, which has a killer logo dripping over a skull illusion. At risk of gushing like a school girl, Gift could stand with the elite of 70s metal. I give it my highest possible recommendation.

Fresh Cream (1966)

In my opinion, Cream does not get nearly the recognition it deserves for its contribution to the development of heavy rock. Combining blues and psychedelia into a crushing blend of powerful rock, Cream set the stage for the birth of heavy metal.

The trio of bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker was much anticipated, as all three were known as virtuosos of their respective instruments. They threw everyone a curveball with the release of a pop ditty single, "Wrapping Paper," but the arrival of their debut, "Fresh Cream," gave people what they were expecting, which was a powerful British interpretation of the blues.

Queerly, the UK release featured a song called ""Spoonful," a reinterpretation of a blues number first recorded by Howlin' Wolf (written by Willie Dixon, who also had a few of his tunes appear on Zeppelin's first record). "Spoonful" is notable for Bruce's harmonica and Clapton's lead guitar work, but most impressive of all is Baker's frantic playing, cymbals crashing over relentless drumming. Just look at Baker's performance during a live performance, a version you may have caught a glimpse of during Samm Dunn's "Metal Evolution" documentary on VH1. Live, Cream was not only apt to improvisation, but Clapton also ripped out some heavier riffs.

"Spoonful" was omitted from the US release, instead being replaced by "I Feel Free," a tighter, shorter song that was perhaps deemed better for the American attention span at the time. The song is more psychedelic in nature than the bluesy "Spoonful," but still retains Clapton's sharp guitar work over rhythmic piano.

The album is very heavily blues oriented, and your mileage may vary with that, but tunes like "Sweet Wine" and "N.S.U." showcase the heavy rock Cream would showcase in greater numbers in their subsequent albums. No discussion of the origins of heavy metal is complete without adding Cream to the mix.

Led Zeppelin (1969)

I'm cheating a bit here and discussing a well known album from one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970s, a group with songs that remain a staple of classic rock and FM radio (they even had their own satellite radio station on XM and Sirius from 2007-2008). However, despite being one of the mammoth hard rock groups in history, it is still important to discuss their first few albums in the develop of heavy rock and metal.

The members of Led Zeppelin came together when guitarist Jimmy Page sought to fulfill the touring obligations of the Yardbirds (performing as the New Yardbirds), as the previous incarnation had called it quits earlier. Following the tour, the group recorded a record, and, as Led Zeppelin, released their self-titled debut. From the devastating chords of the opening track, Good Times Bad Times, it was clear that something special was in the works.

Although the album had a number of blues songs as would be expected given Page's background, the protometal songs definitely stand out. The furious riffs of "Communication Breakdown" were famously compared with Black Sabbath's Paranoid over the ensuing decades, and the bombastic singing of Robert Plant clearly foreshadowed future acts like Van Halen and Aerosmith. The frenetic rhythm work of drummer John Bonham and John Paul Jones was certainly influential as well, and the debut shows a hardness to their work.

Rob Halford may have popularized the high and soaring vocal styling that many metal groups adopted over the decades, but he wasn't the first to do so, and Robert Plant's voice may have set the blueprint. Ballsy and earthy at lower registers, Plant could make his voice reach amazing heights, and the interplay with Page's licks and solos was impressive, both on the debut and on future releases.

With songs like "You Shook Me," a cover of a blues song first published by Earl Hooker with vocals by Muddy Waters, Zep's first release is a perfect bridge between the heavy blues of a Cream and the metal attack of a Judas Priest. The sonic salvo of "How Many More Times" was a promise of things to come.

I end this with "Dazed and Confused," which to my ears is a sinister sounding number and a great representation of the album as a whole.

Dead Forever... (1972)

Metalheads may be familiar with an 80s band called Rose Tattoo, a heavy rock bar band with some slick slide guitar (a favorite track of mine is "Branded"). The founding guitarist of that group, Peter Wells, was the bassist in a group called Buffalo. Hailing from Australia, Buffalo signed to Vertigo Record in the early 70s, joining other heavy acts like Uriah Heep, Warhouse and the soon to be legendary Black Sabbath.

Buffalo can best be described as a dark blues band with some slight country western elements, some of which produce songs I don't care much about, but others, like "I'm a Mover," demonstrate that hard edged blues sound with which Buffalo was tinkering. "Bean Stew" starts off with a not so unusual 70s jangle, but then introduces some hard driving guitar licks supported by a driving rhythm section.

Buffalo's debut is notable for some early heavy riffs, and certainly elements like the slide guitar on "Suzy Sunshine" set the album apart, but as a whole, I don't think the record is particularly memorable. This is certainly a solid start, but Dead Forever... is only a sampling of what was to come from Buffalo, with room to improve.