When discussing music, there are two genres that are viewed as “fringe” or “extreme.” Though they’ve widely been accepted into the mainstream nowadays, back when they first got off the ground, many were staunchly opposed to their proliferation. Of course, this made the two music categories all the more enticing to their followers.
Of course, we are talking about heavy metal and punk rock, two genres that came out of the classic rock’n’roll of the late 50s, 60s, and early 70s. But, what exactly is the relationship between punk and metal? The two genres have so much in common, which begs the question; are fans of these genres on good terms, and are the two music styles related?
The Convergence of Punk and Metal
Music experts will continue to debate the genesis of both punk and metal. However, fans broadly accept that Black Sabbath was the first metal band, while the Ramones were the first to do punk. The two styles could not be any more different, when looking at these two bands. The Ramones wrote short, punchy, and fast songs, while Black Sabbath’s music drones on, and is all about atmosphere.
So, how can the two genres ever be related? For that, we need to look at Motorhead. A band dedicated to living fast, loose, and on the edge, Motorhead wrote songs about drinking, gambling, and more. Anyone who has played slots at online casinos understands that the Ace of Spades is considered a symbol for gambling. Many modern fans will be familiar with betting and gambling thanks to Esports.gg and similar platforms that bring online betting to a modern audience.
There is no denying that Motorhead’s music was inspired by the punk rock subculture of the 70s. However, the heavy riffing, guitar solos, and drum work was much closer to heavy metal. Not to mention, Lemmy would constantly tour with metal bands, and even cover heavy metal songs. So, Motorhead was the first example of punk and metal converging. Of course, their success led to a revolution in underground, and even mainstream heavy metal.
The Emergence of Speed and Thrash Metal
In 1979, Motorhead released their second studio album, simply titled Overkill. The fast-paced, sonic assault showed how far the band had come from their initial release. Phil Taylor, the band’s drummer, kicked it up a notch, by trying his hand at the double bass drum, creating a sonic assault that is enough to get the blood pumping. With the album’s release, the band had unwittingly started a movement documented in a series created by Sam Dunn of Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, simply titled Metal Evolution.
The fast-paced, loud, and aggressive style of Overkill resonated with many metal fans, who tried to replicate the style themselves. Thus, the genre of speed metal was born. Speed metal’s creed was simple; fast, short, and aggressive songs. In other words, it was the style of metal, with the ethos of punk. Though the style of music was short lived, it did ultimately lead to the thrash metal renaissance, which took the 1980s by storm.
Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax are some of the biggest names in metal, and they all came out of the thrash metal scene, which in turn spawned from speed metal, which, as we said, was heavily inspired by Motorhead. In other words, it is difficult to say whether four of metal’s most legendary bands would be around, if it were not for punk music. But, metalheads were not the only ones getting inspiration from punk. The opposite was true as well.
Punk Inspired by Metal
The early punk bands, like The Ramones, The Clash, or the Sex Pistols, were fast and, in their own way, aggressive. However, music aficionados will certainly recognize the influence of pop music. Particularly the Ramones were hugely inspired by bubblegum pop, and similar genres, which can definitely be heard in their songs.
So, when the late 70s and early 80s rolled around, and metal had gotten a bit more extreme, the punks did not want to lag behind. Thus emerged the “hardcore” scene. Hardcore punk stripped the genre of all the “pop” sound, and introduced a heavier, more aggressive element to the music. In some ways inspired by the underground metal scene, hardcore punk distinguished itself with deeply political lyrics, and thrilling, aggressive shows.
But by the late 80s many of the underground hardcore punk bands had become praised and beloved by the mainstream. The sound was no longer challenging the status quo. Rather, it had become the status quo. Thrash metal largely went down the same road when Metallica released the now infamous Black Album.
The Extreme Sides of Punk and Metal
In the mid-to-late 80s, a Swedish metal fan decided to try his own hand in creating music. At the time, the performer was known only as Quorthon whose band took influence from heavy metal acts like Venom and Motorhead, as well as hardcore punk bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat. The genre that came out of Quorthon was dubbed “black metal,” and it remains a staple of the underground metal scene to this day.
Black metal was, at the time, distinct from any other style of metal. The low production value gave it an ethereal, otherworldly tone, which did not resonate with a lot of metalheads. However, it did instantly catch the attention of punks. After all, a huge mark of punk was the low production quality, and the in-your-face style, which black metal was known for.
A lot of punk bands attempted to fuse extreme metal with their own music. The result was the emergence of an extreme form of punk inspired by Bathory, Hellhammer, Motorhead, Black Flag, Minor Threat, and so much more. Bands like Amebix, Antisect, and Wolfbrigade were the standouts in this style. When it came time to give it a name, the practitioners of it decided on “crust punk.”
Crust punk developed alongside black metal, both leading to incredible changes in the world of extreme music. Without these two styles, we may not have really experimental styles like grindcore, sludge, or even noise pop, which is a unique blend of pop and extreme music.
