Heavy Metal's 40th Birthday?!

[HessianObscura]

If I've got my facts right, the 20th of this month should mark 40 years since the first Black Sabbath DEMO was recorded, meaning the first time that a work which could genuinely be called Heavy Metal was committed to tape.

Does this sound like the most appropriate date for Heavy Metal's 40th birthday (rather than waiting for February 2010. Feels like (I)NDoS was months ago!).

If so, I suggest everybody work on whatever kind of commemorative media you can and press releases that build up to this event or are ready to go live on the day. YouTube videos, articles, posters and flyers. Web leaders (Deathmetal, Hessian, DLA, Metaleros...) could work on content related to the focus of their site.

I hope that all didn't sound too insane. What are your thoughts?

[Conservationist]

If I've got my facts right, the 20th of this month should mark 40 years since the first Black Sabbath DEMO was recorded, meaning the first time that a work which could genuinely be called Heavy Metal was committed to tape.

Glad you brought that up. We should commemorate the year, if nothing else. In another ten years, we're pretty much a permanent genre -- although that can be a curse for quality.

[hard]

If I've got my facts right, the 20th of this month should mark 40 years since the first Black Sabbath DEMO was recorded, meaning the first time that a work which could genuinely be called Heavy Metal was committed to tape.

How about when the DEMO was released, wouldn't that be more approriate?  Also it would be nice to get some sort of hard proof backing up this claim, something to shove in people's faces.

[Umbrage]

Eh... I hate to break it to the kind people here but Black Sabbath most likely did not release a demo in July 1969. Metal-Archives has that demo listed in the Black Sabbath discography but they are wrong (quite a refreshing change) The review says:

If you are very interested in the history behind heavy metal. This is a must check out demo. The song is found on "The Ozzman Cometh"

The Ozzman Cometh is a greatest hits album with some bonus tracks released by Ozzy Osbourne in 1998 (remastered in 2002) There are four early Black Sabbath tracks on that cd: Black Sabbath,  War Pigs, Fairies Wear Boots and Wicked World. The exact date of these recordings is April 26, 1970 and they were recorded during the John Peel sessions and broadcasted on BBC radio (according to rateyourmusic two bootlegs exist: Live 1970 and John Peel's Sunday Show Radio Session) If you'd like to hear it you can download the John Peel sessions here. I have no idea why M-A picked July 1969 as a release date. As far as Black Sabbath demos I am not aware of the existence of any that predate their debut album, only Earth demos and apparently there are a lot of fake recordings among those too (or so I've heard, I'm not an expert on Black Sabbath) The Peel Sessions do not predate their debut which was released on Friday the 13th, February 1970.

With that misunderstanding out of the way I'll say that I do like the idea of a "Black Sabbath Day" but I think it would be better to pick the date of their debut release as a day to celebrate since way more people actually have that album and thus will be able to identify more with the celebration. Then again I can already hear some people bitching that Paranoid would be more worthy of celebrating... It's the same thing with Slayer Day, a lot of people don't seem to understand that it's basically meant to celebrate all of metal and reply with "but I think band X is better" and the message is lost on them (having a day off to listen to metal all day, possible local festivities that may include live acts and metal markets, etc) Maybe it just needs to be called Metal Day for those dummies... But that's kind of sad really, "Metal Day" sounds really stupid and I can obviously imagine people including their favorite worthless acts in the equation.

Anyway, for the sake of this thread: any suggestions or ideas concerning a "Black Sabbath" day? I do think a Black Sabbath Day will find more widespread support and acceptance, but then Black Sabbath is half a rock band really...

[HessianObscura]

Thanks for the research. I see your point about how focusing on Sabbath rather than Metal as a whole would better ensure that people wouldn't be able to throw their own bullshit into the fray.

Anyway, we're just better prepared now!

[Sammaellofi]

If you were to celebrate a Black Sabbath day, it should actually be the day that their first album was released for two reasons.  First, it was the day the music was released to the world, in a complete form, as it is quite amazing how brilliant that album turned out, and second, because it is a thirteenth (it was Friday the 13th in 1970, I believe) which will make it easier to catch on.   Food for thought.


Not that I see the importance.

[Umbrage]

Except that it was Friday the 13th of February this year and the next Friday the 13th of February will be in 2015. At least that gives you plenty of time for planning...

But why not invest this energy into something that already exists: Slayer Day? I think Slayer Day needs more "real world" activities such as local festivities for it be taken more serious. People like the idea but that's usually all that happens "Hey great idea, but I'll sit on my ass because I think band X is better" Better to drop the petty individual differences and simply arrange a Black Sabbath tribute night on Slayer Day. For instance have a local band perform Black Sabbath covers while there's also some documentaries and horror movies shown in a separate room, add a good DJ to the mix and everyone should love you. Win. Next year focus on a different band. Seems a lot more constructive to me. Screw people that lose themselves over the name Slayer Day, they simply lose... International Day Of Slayer promotes the idea globally, it's up to people themselves to make it work locally.

[HessianObscura]

Disregard the above comments, they all suck cocks.

It's nearly midnight here, so it's basically the 40th anniversary of Heavy Metal...shit...TOMORROW.

[Devamitra]

The unhallowed night is now so let Heavy Metal burn away all the illusions and electrify the senses with the vitality of nature and its lord Satan!

[HessianObscura]

Anniversarituals can begin!

[Noumenon]

Thing is, I don't think it can ever be said that each genre has an absolute true beginning. Genres evolve "naturally" from combinations of other genres and bands taking other bands styles further and further into extremes. There were lots of heavy bands around in the late 60s, though most people point towards Sabbath being the first true metal band. They're probably right too, and I feel that Black Sabbath were the first truely heavy metal band in the fact that they had the whole package - the lyrics, the heavy riffs, dark anti modern themes and songs that were not all just verse-chorus-verse. Other bands had elements of this but never put it all together.

Either way I have assumed for the last few years that Metal is roughly around 40 years old, and began late 60s early 70s.