Heavy Metal Quiz

Question 1

Which band is widely credited as the originators of heavy metal with their 1970 debut album?

Accepted Answer

Black Sabbath

Answer

Deep Purple

Answer

Led Zeppelin

Answer

Judas Priest

Question 2

Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' (1986) is considered one of metal's greatest albums. What are its themes?

Accepted Answer

Drug addiction and the loss of control — the 'master' being the drugs controlling the user

Answer

Science fiction and space exploration

Answer

Norse mythology and Viking conquest

Answer

Political revolution and anti-government protest

Question 3

The 'Big Four' of thrash metal are Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and which fourth band?

Accepted Answer

Megadeth

Answer

Testament

Answer

Exodus

Answer

Pantera

Question 4

Iron Maiden is known for their mascot 'Eddie'. What is Eddie?

Accepted Answer

A skeletal zombie figure appearing on all Iron Maiden album covers and merchandise

Answer

The band's name for their lead guitarist's guitar

Answer

The nickname for lead singer Bruce Dickinson

Answer

A mythological figure from British folklore

Question 5

What is the 'devil's interval' or 'tritone' associated with heavy metal?

Accepted Answer

A musical interval of three whole tones — the flatted fifth — considered dissonant and historically called 'diabolus in musica'

Answer

A chord progression from major to minor

Answer

Playing at extremely high volumes

Answer

A guitar technique using artificial harmonics

Question 6

Ozzy Osbourne became infamous for an incident at a concert in Des Moines, Iowa in 1982. What happened?

Accepted Answer

He bit the head off a live bat thrown on stage by a fan

Answer

He set fire to the stage

Answer

He was arrested mid-concert

Answer

He fell off the stage and broke both legs

Question 7

Dimebag Darrell was the legendary guitarist of which metal band?

Accepted Answer

Pantera

Answer

Slayer

Answer

Sepultura

Answer

Machine Head

Question 8

Which Norwegian band's early 1990s black metal scene became notorious for church burnings and musician imprisonments?

Accepted Answer

Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Emperor

Answer

Enslaved, Immortal, Satyricon

Answer

Both groups were involved

Answer

It was primarily Swedish bands

Question 9

Judas Priest is credited with creating what aspect of metal's visual identity in the late 1970s?

Accepted Answer

The leather, studs, and biker aesthetic that defined 'heavy metal look'

Answer

Long hair and denim jackets

Answer

Face paint and theatrical stage performances

Answer

The 'devil horns' hand gesture

Question 10

Who popularised the 'devil horns' hand gesture at metal concerts?

Accepted Answer

Dio (Ronnie James Dio)

Answer

Ozzy Osbourne

Answer

Gene Simmons of KISS

Answer

Tony Iommi

Question 11

Tool's 'Lateralus' (2001) album title track is structured around what mathematical sequence?

Accepted Answer

The Fibonacci sequence — syllable counts and time signatures mirror the sequence

Answer

The Pythagorean theorem

Answer

Pi (3.14159...)

Answer

Prime numbers

Question 12

Which heavy metal subgenre features downtuned guitars, extremely slow tempos, and crushingly heavy sound — associated with bands like Sleep and Electric Wizard?

Accepted Answer

Doom metal

Answer

Death metal

Answer

Grindcore

Answer

Sludge metal

Question 13

Slayer's 'Reign in Blood' (1986), produced by Rick Rubin, is how long and why is that remarkable?

Accepted Answer

29 minutes — remarkably short for a metal album, yet devastatingly efficient

Answer

45 minutes — standard album length

Answer

62 minutes — a metal epic

Answer

12 minutes — an extended EP

Question 14

What is 'death metal' and which Florida city became its epicentre in the late 1980s?

Accepted Answer

An extreme metal subgenre with blast-beat drums, heavily distorted guitars, and guttural vocals; Tampa and Gainesville, Florida

Answer

A form of metal with horror film-themed lyrics; Los Angeles

Answer

A British metal movement using classical compositions; Birmingham, England

Answer

A Scandinavian movement; Bergen, Norway

Question 15

Metallica's self-titled 'Black Album' (1991) became one of the best-selling albums in history. How many copies has it sold?

Accepted Answer

Over 30 million

Answer

5 million

Answer

16 million

Answer

22 million

Question 16

Which British band released 'Paranoid' (1970), featuring 'War Pigs', 'Iron Man', and the title track?

Accepted Answer

Black Sabbath

Answer

Led Zeppelin

Answer

Deep Purple

Answer

Uriah Heep

Question 17

What is 'kvlt' in black metal culture?

Accepted Answer

A deliberate misspelling of 'cult' used to denote bands that are underground, raw, and uncompromisingly tr00 (true)

Answer

A Scandinavian word for guitar technique

Answer

A Norwegian term for blast-beat drumming

Answer

A specific recording technique using only analogue equipment

Question 18

Ronnie James Dio succeeded Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath. In which other band did he achieve fame before joining Sabbath?

Accepted Answer

Both Rainbow AND he then formed Dio

Answer

Rainbow

Answer

Dio

Answer

Whitesnake

Question 19

Which Swedish band's 1991 album 'Skydancer' essentially founded melodic death metal?

Accepted Answer

Dark Tranquillity

Answer

In Flames

Answer

At the Gates

Answer

Opeth

Question 20

Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam are associated with which Seattle-based genre that bridged metal and alternative rock?

Accepted Answer

Grunge

Answer

Nu-metal

Answer

Post-grunge

Answer

Stoner rock