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Metal music evolved from hard rock and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its development was also influenced by other genres such as blues rock and psychedelic rock. Bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin are often credited with being among the first to play heavy metal. Their music was characterized by hard-driving rhythms, loud, heavy guitar, and often dark, deep, or strenuous vocal timbres. The genre has since evolved into many sub-genres, but these early bands are generally recognized as the pioneers of metal music.