How the metal was forged ('67-'80)

Okay, I've been thinking about this one for a while:

I'm doing a mixed tape (CD actually) of proto-metal-related songs. They doesn't have to be songs that actually influenced heavy metal - but they must resemble metal in a way - be it sinister riffage, deep chugging, dark atmosphere, gruesome lyrics, growling/screaming vocals, slowed-down tape effects for a horror movie impression, and so on.

What I really want to do is to hear someone with moderate musical knowledge saying "OMG, they did it in 1971?!?"


The CD will bear a sticker "This product is Deep Purple/Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath/Steppenwolf free", because they're too obvious choices. And because I want to impress someone, too.

I would like to start the compilation with late sixties, the age when rock started experimenting with amplification and everything, and conclude it with 1980, when NWOBHM was more or less defined. But the older the better. Obscurity welcome, but not necessary. All genres welcome.

The title would be How The Metal Was Forged :I really need a headbanging smiley here:

I'm not sure if there are any relevant rock songs before mid sixties - unless I add Link Wray.

Some candidates are:

of course, The Beatles Helter Skelter (1968)
then...I don't know...
Jefferson Airplane The House At Pooneil Corners (1968)
maybe even The Doors L'America (1971)
and The Bonzo Dog Band Mr. Apollo (1969)
Pink Floyd The Nile Song (1969)
The Who Boris The Spider (1966) (death metal growls in '66, beat that)

I'm sure there are many more,both ones I cannot recall right now and ones I don't know. Recently I saw a video on YouTube (someone on PA forum posted it) of some weird, slow, avantgarde gothic hippy stuff. Unfortunately I forgot the name.

There must be plentiful of songs in the era of drug-induced music depicting the gore of  Vietnam War, I guess. Please let me know.

In the 70's, there must be even more songs fitting the compilation: first thing that springs to my mind is the brutal bass riff intro on ELP's The Barbarian, Queen's Ogre Battle (Beeb Version), Great King Rat and The Prophet's Song. Even Genesis' The Knife (as many other their songs of the era) resembles Iron Maiden epic monstrosity, but that might be a bit of a stretch. The compilation would end with, let's say, Rainbow's Still I'm Sad (which is originally The Yardbirds' tune from the 60's, IIRC). I was even thinking of Tin Huey's debut album material (1979) which is avant/punk/jazz, but vocal timbre, delivery and melodies are resembling System of a Down so strongly one might think Serj was joking with a time machine

Oh, and did I mention King Crimson...?

clarke2001 wrote: Oh, and did I mention King Crimson...?

I was preparing a witty post about the first prog-metal track ever (21st Century Schizoid Man) when I saw you already knew that.

Maybe you can do a short edit of Hendrix's Machine Gun?

For Hendrix's studio album I think the only one coming close is Spanish Castle Magic.