Why is the term "heavy rock" rarely used?

I do too(sometimes at least). I'm glad to see I'm not the only one although we definitely seem to be in the minority. Definitely a grey area and I'm rather surprised that some of the other music people on here can't see it(or hear it).  For example I've been listening to the early Van Halen albums lately(to honor the late great EVH) and for me I don't really hear hard rock. I hear something beyond it. Something almost metallish(actually it was at least metallish and in fact wikipedia classifies them as both heavy metal and hard rock). Someone on here implied that it can't be metal because it would have to be as heavy as Black Sabbath. That's nonsense. In that case everything in the eighties couldn't be metal if it's not as heavy as slayer and then iron maiden wouldn't be HM. Lot's of stuff that is considered metal was not as heavy as BS even in the eighties. Regardless, I'm not saying VH were metal but they came pretty close in the early days(imo)and were definitely heavier than standard hard rock. To call something like Queen's "stone cold crazy" just plain old hard rock is a bit off the mark too. 

I do too(sometimes at least). I'm glad to see I'm not the only one although we definitely seem to be in the minority. Definitely a grey area and I'm rather surprised that some of the other music people on here can't see it(or hear it).  For example I've been listening to the early Van Halen albums lately(to honor the late great EVH) and for me I don't really hear hard rock. I hear something beyond it. Something almost metallish(actually it was at least metallish and in fact wikipedia classifies them as both heavy metal and hard rock). Someone on here implied that it can't be metal because it would have to be as heavy as Black Sabbath. That's nonsense. In that case everything in the eighties couldn't be metal if it's not as heavy as slayer and then iron maiden wouldn't be HM. Lot's of stuff that is considered metal was not as heavy as BS even in the eighties. Regardless, I'm not saying VH were metal but they came pretty close in the early days(imo)and were definitely heavier than standard hard rock. To call something like Queen's "stone cold crazy" just plain old hard rock is a bit off the mark too. 

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"Heavy Metal" + "Soft Rock" ÷ "Hard Rock" = Heavy Rock!