The Ancestors

It seems like a fitting way to begin by introducing some of the bands that helped start the fire that would develop into heavy metal. Taking cues from the blues, rock and roll, classical music, and other genres, these bands were some of the heaviest, loudest, and darkest of their time.

Deep Purple - The classic incarnation of Deep Purple produced many great tunes that will never be forgotten, and that can be viewed as direct precursors to heavy metal. Ritchie Blackmore, playing a heavy blend of blues and classical music, wrote some of the most memorable riffs rock music has ever seen. Ian Gillan tore through songs with the unprecedented aggression and versatility. From haunting moans to banshee screams, Gillan provided an unforgettable voice to the metal machine of Deep Purple. Roger Glover and Ian Paice supplied a forceful rhythm section that drove the beast, while the influence of Jon Lord's keyboard can still be seen today in the darkest recesses of metal.
Mandatory Metal: Child In Time, Pictures Of Home, Burn, Lazy, Black Night, Highway Star

Led Zeppelin - Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Jimmy Page made up arguably the biggest rock band of all time throughout the 1970's. Incorporating strong blues influences, the foursome turned up the volume and brought blues-rock to a new level of popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Jimmy Page, one of the finest guitarists in rock history, turned blues guitar into a full orchestra through groundbreaking production techniques and geniune skill. Robert Plants soaring vocal style certified him as a true bluesman, while John Paul Jones created mini symphonies on keys and drove the beat on bass. John Bonham, gone before his time, was one of the most powerful and dextrous drummers the world has ever seen, and his style will never be duplicated. In between bluesy numbers, straightforward rockers, and forays into funk and reggae, the mysticism and occult interests of Led Zeppelin (particularly Jimmy Page) let the band venture into dark territory.
Mandatory Metal: Kashmir, Stairway To Heaven, Dazed And Confused, Communication Breakdown, No Quarter, Immigrant Song

Black Sabbath - Without a doubt the darkest band of the three mentioned, Black Sabbath went to new levels of occult and evil imagery to become one of the first acts to define the heavy metal aesthetic. Tony Iommi's powerful riffs were as evil as possible, while still retaining firm blues roots. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince Of Darkness himself, provided devilish moans and shrieks that brought the dark lyrics to life. Later, Sabbath would also feature another metal master on vocals, the diminutive gremlin Ronnie James Dio. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on bass and drums respectively powered Black Sabbath into the depths of the protometal caverns. Today, bands from all genres of metal list Black Sabbath as an influence, from the icy reaches of Norwegian black metal to the stoner metal of the American southwest.
Mandatory Metal: War Pigs, NIB, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Wheels Of Confusion, Paranoid