[di-ag]

The term “heavy metal” to describe this genre of music emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is believed to have been derived from the massive, powerful sound that these bands were capable of producing with their amplified instruments. The term “heavy” was used to describe anything that was powerful or intense. When applied to music, it denoted a sound that was more forceful and louder than what was generally considered mainstream. The “metal” part of the term could have been a reference to the fact that some of the early exponents of this sound, like Led Zeppelin, were fond of using imagery and language that was inspired by science fiction and fantasy, which often involved metal in some form. The term has stuck ever since.