Heavy metal (often referred to simply as metal) is a genre of
rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s,
largely in England and the United States. With roots in blues-
rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal
developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly
amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and
overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are
generally associated with masculinity and machismo. Early heavy
metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple
attracted large audiences, though they were often critically
reviled, a status common throughout the history of the genre. In
the mid-1970s, Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by
discarding much of its blues influence; Motörhead introduced a
punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands
in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden
followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy
metal had attracted