Mapping the origins of heaviness between 1970-1995: A historical overview of metal music production

Metal music has been undergoing a remarkable sonic evolution. Pioneering releases of the early 1970s by Black Sabbath already contained all essential ingredients of metal’s sonic signature. The growing need for heavier sounds was satisfied through a rapidly growing recording technology, alongside exploring new production techniques and aesthetics. This chapter traces significant developments in metal music production from the 1970s to the 1990s by looking at key artists, albums and audio professionals to outline how heaviness in recorded form developed in the genre. Many of the analysed engineering practices were adopted, improved and have become standard in contemporary metal production. In this process, production was brought to the fore, making it the determining element of the music, even an art form in itself, and increasingly dictated compositions and performances. This evolution led to what has become metal’s standard hyper-real aesthetic, which in the ongoing and genre-defining quest for greater heaviness in the metal genre will undoubtedly continue being pushed forward.