After another long hiatus (this time caused by too many factors to mention – mostly other writing deadlines that I prioritized over blogging), I feel like I need another short, easy blog post to get myself into a groove. It seems like these ‘Is it Metal?’ posts are perfect for just such a thing.
This week’s challenger? Queen’s “Stone Cold Crazy.”
Wikipedia says: It’s not metal.
My take: Sorry, Wikipedia. For once, you’re dead wrong. This is pure, unadulterated metal. This song, released in 1974, preceded the emergence of speed metal (late 70’s) and thrash metal (early 80’s) by several years. It’s cited as a seminal influence in both genres, and was even described by Q Magazine as “thrash metal before the term had been invented yet.”
Don’t believe me? Listen to this Metallica cover of “Stone Cold Crazy” and tell me the original isn’t every bit as fast, intense, and powerful. If Metallica can’t make a song more metal than the original, that’s saying something.
A final note: Queen has to be one of the most versatile, most influential, and most creative bands in the history of modern pop music. They basically created whole genres without trying or even realizing it. Their influence will be with us for decades to come. Hats off to them!
Image credit: Featured image by Thomas Steffan (CC BY-SA 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons.