From Black Sabbath to Gojira, we have focused on the activism and veganism of metal artists:
Heavy metal’s dark themes were born from the harsh realities of working-class Birmingham, and Black Sabbath’s early lyrics openly reflected that world.
The Dark World Reflected in Music
Let us now listen to the story of the birth of heavy metal music through the memories of Geezer Butler:
“In 1969, we wrote our first song, Wicked World, at The Railway Pub in Birmingham. We only had one chance, and the pub owner was not very fond of our loud music. Our song, which spoke of the dark and grim aspects of life, had absolutely nothing to do with the trendy ‘Flower Children’ and their music of the time:
The world today is such a wicked place
Fighting going on between the human race
People go to work just to earn their bread
While people just across the sea are counting their dead.
Video Games and Metal Music
There is an interesting connection between games and metal music; both are known for pushing boundaries and trying the unconventional. Especially when the adrenaline-filled scenes of action games combine with the intense riffs of metal music, an unforgettable experience is created. Both games have contributed greatly to metal music, and metal music has also had a significant impact on games. In this content, we will look at a few games that are closely related to metal music.
Gottfried Helnwein: The Artist of Pain and Provocation
Gottfried Helnwein is an Austrian-Irish visual artist renowned for his striking and provocative works that explore themes of pain, violence, and the human condition. Using hyper-realistic painting, photography, and mixed media, Helnwein creates unsettling images often focused on the innocence of children as a metaphor for societal anxieties. Born in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, Helnwein deeply understands the traumas inflicted on society by the war. His works, characterized by taboo subjects, are both frightening, disturbing, and mesmerizing.
David Bowie is more than a legendary musician; he’s a chameleon of popular culture. Throughout his career, Bowie adopted a series of personas, each reflecting a distinct phase of his life, music, and the broader cultural zeitgeist. These identities weren’t just costumes he wore—they were integral to his artistry and storytelling, making Bowie a pioneer of constant reinvention.
Heavy metal did not only begin in Birmingham — it began in Aston, the working-class neighborhood where Black Sabbath grew up and formed their sound.
“Understanding the music Black Sabbath makes, begins with understanding Aston.” Güzin Paksoylu
Aston: The Neighborhood Where Black Sabbath Is Born
All the members of the Black Sabbath band are from the low-income blue-collar factory workers neighborhood of Aston in Birmingham. The texture of the neighborhood where Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler would invent heavy metal music, permeates the sound of Black Sabbath, their album covers and their lyrics. Understanding the music Black Sabbath makes, begins with understanding Aston.
Heavy metal emerged in Birmingham because the city’s post-industrial soundscape, working-class environment and mechanical rhythm shaped the earliest sound of bands like Black Sabbath.
Decoding Birmingham
Birmingham. The industrial and musical city of the United Kingdom, where the first fire of the Industrial Revolution burned, where the Watt Steam Engine was invented, where many fields of science such as physics, chemistry and biology flourished and where many genres of music emerged including heavy metal. It is a city to which I feel an unusual feeling of belonging, where I followed the footsteps of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, the greatest storyteller of all time, linguist and literary figure, creator of the legendary Lord of the Rings myth, who grew up in Birmingham and created an entire mythology.
In October, I have met with Birmingham Music Archive Founder and Director Jez Collins in Birmingham. We have spoken about music which characterizes the city, another important factor that defines Birmingham, apart from industry,
“MelancHoly, Melancholia/ Will you wash my sins away?
Melancholia, Melancholia/ All these days are here to stay
MelancHoly, Melancholia/ Will you chase the sun away?
My melancholia/ I need you to stay”
Metal Oda spoke with Arka’n Asrafokor, the only heavy metal band from Togo.
You are the only heavy metal band from Togo, Africa. Kindly introduce us your band and its members.
I am Rock, founder and leader of the band. I play the guitar and do lead voice and screams, my brother Elom does the rapping and growls; Francis plays the bass, Mass the African percussions and Siko, the drums.
On the evening of September 12, 2024, a name that evoked a whirlwind of indescribable emotions passed through Istanbul: IAMX. This solo music project, founded in London in 2002 by Chris Corner—formerly of the British trip-hop band Sneaker Pimps—draws on the experimentalism of visual arts while encompassing various musical genres such as electronic rock, dance, burlesque, and ballads.