I never thought of Led Zeppelin or Iron Butterfly as being what became heavy metal. I simply noted the names. Yes, Metallica fits the bill very well. As does, of course, the fictional epitome of the genre, the unforgettable Spinal Tap.

To me, the first band that sounded like what came to be known as heavy metal was MC5 playing its anthem "Kick Out the Jams." There is/was a documentary about them released/withdrawn with the past two weeks.

I can't go into what they meant by "jams" in polite company.


am my replies winding up online someplace? I intend them to, but am ignorant about the technology, among many other things. I've never done this before.