80s Hair Metal Bands - Retrospective

[indecks]

criminally under-rated film "Hot Rod"

As soon as I started reading your comment about Europe, I started thinking of Hot Rod. It's a brilliant movie.

[BurningDoom]

Was Hair Metal more a fashion statement or a genre of music? I think the line is a bit blurry.

While fashion was a big part of it, there was a definitive music style too:
-High pitched vocalist
-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.

[Retrodude]

You mean this kind of ballad?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_RKO5ozLVo

[Luke]

Was Hair Metal more a fashion statement or a genre of music? I think the line is a bit blurry.

While fashion was a big part of it, there was a definitive music style too:
-High pitched vocalist
-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.

For POISON you've got most of that right, but Brett doesn't sing falsetto and most of their lyrics are pretty tame. They covered Your Mama Don't Dance for instance.

I kind of see Metallica being in the same boat as Bon Jovi (also doesn't sing falsetto) as Arena Bands, same with Poison.

Eh, I could be in the minority, but I see most "Hair Bands" more of "Arena Rock".

I don't think QUEEN would be labeled as a hair band, but by your definition, QUEEN would be THE hair band.

[AppleQueso]

Was Hair Metal more a fashion statement or a genre of music? I think the line is a bit blurry.

While fashion was a big part of it, there was a definitive music style too:
-High pitched vocalist
-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.

For POISON you've got most of that right, but Brett doesn't sing falsetto and most of their lyrics are pretty tame. They covered Your Mama Don't Dance for instance.

I kind of see Metallica being in the same boat as Bon Jovi (also doesn't sing falsetto) as Arena Bands, same with Poison.

Eh, I could be in the minority, but I see most "Hair Bands" more of "Arena Rock".

I don't think QUEEN would be labeled as a hair band, but by your definition, QUEEN would be THE hair band.

Metallica was never part of the "Hair Metal" schtick. They were a thrash band, pure and simple, at least until the 90s hit.

[Ack]

Metallica was never part of the "Hair Metal" schtick. They were a thrash band, pure and simple, at least until the 90s hit.

True. And after that, they were crap.

[Luke]

Metallica was never part of the "Hair Metal" schtick. They were a thrash band, pure and simple, at least until the 90s hit.

True. And after that, they were crap.

They did all of this, with a lot of long hair:

-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.


I say Arena rock is Arena rock whether every lyric ends with a Trey Parker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiXaT_1I-vw[url]"mwaaaah!"[/url] or not.

[aaron]

Metallica was never part of the "Hair Metal" schtick. They were a thrash band, pure and simple, at least until the 90s hit.

True. And after that, they were crap.

They did all of this, with a lot of long hair:

-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.


I say Arena rock is Arena rock whether every lyric ends with a Trey Parker "mwaaaah!" or not.

sorry dude, you are completely incorrect. unless you think Fade to Black or Escape count as ballads, or you think songs like Disposable Heroes or Trapped Under Ice are "catchy, radio-friendly tunes" with cliché "rebellious lyrics."

first three 'tallica records are flawless thrash, if a little formulaic at times. even justice has its moments. after that, i completely agree with you, but there's no reason to lump cliff burton into the same category as vince neil, c.c. deville, et al.

i mean, slayer were playing arenas by 1990 and i wouldn't consider them a hair-metal band. ian anderson has long hair and i don't think jethro tull could ever be considered a hair-metal band, despite the grammy win.

[BurningDoom]

Metallica was never part of the "Hair Metal" schtick. They were a thrash band, pure and simple, at least until the 90s hit.

True. And after that, they were crap.

They did all of this, with a lot of long hair:

-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.


I say Arena rock is Arena rock whether every lyric ends with a Trey Parker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiXaT_1I-vw[url]"mwaaaah!"[/url] or not.

Catchy, radio-friendly tunes really doesn't fit Metallica until the 90s. They don't have the high-pitched vocals. And they definetly don't have the fasion style of the hair metal scene. And they have a definite heavier, thrash style to their music than hair metal bands.

I would say, however, that Queen probably heavily influenced A LOT of the hair metal bands. If they came out a few years later, I wouldn't be surprised if they became a hair metal band. They definetly have a very flashy and flamboyant style.

[AppleQueso]

Metallica was never part of the "Hair Metal" schtick. They were a thrash band, pure and simple, at least until the 90s hit.

True. And after that, they were crap.

They did all of this, with a lot of long hair:

-High emphasis on guitar-driven tunes with excessive solos.
-Catchy, radio-friendly tunes.
-Rebellious lyrics
-And every album has to have at least one ballad.

Aside from the fact that I don't really agree with BurningDoom's definition of what constitutes a hair band... Kill 'Em All had no ballad at all. Metallica also wasn't considered very radio friendly until the black album hit.

Metallica's 80s output sits alongside Exodus, Megadeth, Overkill, Slayer, etc. Not next to Cinderella and Poison.

Besides, the hair metal "fashion" involved makeup and looking flamboyant. Metallica were just a bunch of dirty hairy guys in ripped jeans.