Did Jimi Hendrix invent Heavy Metal?

Did Jimi Hendrix invent Heavy Metal?

The Jimi Hendrix Experience's debut album, Are You Experienced (1967), was also highly influential. Hendrix's virtuosic technique would be emulated by many metal guitarists and the album's most successful single, "Purple Haze", is identified by some as the first heavy metal hit.

Contrary to what some people think, bands like Black Sabbath, or Led Zeppelin didn’t just wake up one day and invent Heavy Metal music. It came about slowly throughout the 1960s through a series of landmarks that changed the style, and sound of music. One of those landmarks was almost 50 years ago when the world was introduced to a guitar player that came out of nowhere, and had the effect of a brick going through a glass window. His name was Jimi Hendrix, who along with his bandmates Mitch Mitchell, and Noel Redding would change the course of Rock And Roll music forever with the release of the now Legendary album “Are You Experienced ?” A record released a full two years before any Zeppelin music, and three years before any Sabbath album, but just as essential to what Heavy Metal music has become. - Metal Mofos’ Editor in Chief Jesse Vejar

The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Voodoo Child), provided the soundtrack for a generation increasing disaffected by social injustice and the escalating war in Vietnam.  What differentiated these acts from their predecessors was technological advances that enabled new heights in sonic disruption(Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues).  These acts were markedly louder not only in volume, but in weaving of brutally blunt social commentary into their lyrics. Heavy Metal began to take shape... - Jeffrey Pearlin

Hendrix's progressive thinking allowed him to merge rock with genres it had never touched. Pioneers of heavy metal and hard rock frequently cite "Purple Haze" and "Voodoo Chile" as first songs of the genre. - Tom Barnes

I grew up in the 70's and didn't discover Jimi Hendrix until 1980, which by that time I'd heard countless imitators. Now listening, to some of Jimi's heavier songs, it seems like he invented the Hard Rock sound. Occasionally he even dabbled with what later became known as "Heavy Metal."

His use of feedback, the wah wah pedal, unique chord structures and incendiary soloing were ahead of their time and still sound timeless 40 years later. I think he was obviously the pioneer and every other rock and metal guitarist has simply expanded on what he started back in 1966. Most electric guitar solos I hear from other well known guitarists have a touch of Hendrix in there somewhere.

Of course The Experience were one of the loudest band at the time of Jimi's death. On top. I believe Jimi was one of the main reasons, if not sole, things got so amplified, fuzzed and later distorted.

I was too young in the 60s but to me Jimi's guitar sound must have come across the airwaves as huge in comparison to just about everything when he first hit, even when you compare something like Creams Disraeli Gears or Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Vida to Are You Experienced you just notice how heavier, punchier and ballsy Jimi's album is.

Time and again, bands and guitarists like The Kinks (You Really Got Me), Iron Butterfly (In-A-Gadda-Vida), Link Wray (Rumble), Dick Dale (Miserlou), Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are mentioned as founders of Heavy Metal. The truth is, these bands, until 1970, had only a few songs that I would describe as "heavy". - Baphomet

Sources: Wikipedia.org, triptykon.net, metalmofos.com, metal.mit.edu, m.mic.com