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Its Heavy....That's Why it's Called Metal


 It’s Heavy… That’s Why It’s Called Metal!

Exploring the loud, the proud, and the underrated B-Sides that shook the foundations of rock.

Metal. The genre that rattled your bones, upset your parents, and gave the world guitar solos that sound like they were forged in the fiery pits of Mount Doom. But beneath the thunderous riffs and rebellious anthems lies a layer often overlooked — the B-sides, the hidden gems, the tracks that never made it to the mainstream but deserve to shake the walls just the same.

Today, we crank it up, flip the record, and dive deep into the heavy B-side world of metal — because it's heavy… that’s why it’s called metal!


Metal Was Never Meant to Be Subtle

From the moment Black Sabbath dropped that eerie first chord back in '70, metal was destined to ruffle feathers. But while albums like Paranoid, Master of Puppets, and British Steel grabbed headlines, it's often the B-sides that show a band's raw, untamed edges.

The songs that never made the radio. The riffs too gnarly for MTV. The deep cuts that true fans treasure like sacred relics.


Why Metal Mattered

Metal didn’t just make noise — it made history. It gave rock music its sharpest edge, pushed boundaries in sound engineering, and set the stage for countless subgenres. Thrash, grunge, alt-rock, even elements of modern hip-hop’s aggressive beats owe a debt to the heaviness metal brought. It proved music could be both technically masterful and unapologetically raw, inspiring generations of musicians to turn up the volume and play without fear of breaking the rules.


B-Sides That Prove Metal's Weight

💿 Judas Priest — "Turn On Your Light"

(B-side to "Turbo Lover", 1986)

Amidst the glossy production of Turbo, Priest tucked away this surprisingly melodic B-side. A slower burn, with Rob Halford’s vocals proving metal doesn’t always have to scream to hit hard.

💿 Metallica — "So What"

(B-side to "Sad But True", 1993)

A filthy, tongue-in-cheek cover of Anti-Nowhere League's punk anthem. Crude? Yes. Controversial? Absolutely. But undeniably metal in its middle-finger attitude.

💿 Black Sabbath — "Evil Woman" (Don't You Play Your Games with Me)

(B-side to "Wicked World", 1970)

Before the Ozzy era became legend, Sabbath were already experimenting with the bluesy, doomy foundations of metal. This cover track has all the sinister swagger you'd expect.

💿 Pantera — "The Badge"

(B-side to "5 Minutes Alone", 1994)

A ferocious cover of Poison Idea's hardcore punk track. Dimebag's riffs turn it into a snarling metal beast — raw, aggressive, unapologetic.


Why B-Sides Matter in Metal

Metal thrives on rebellion. The B-side is rebellion. It's the track that didn’t fit the polished album narrative. The song too dark, too wild, too experimental. It’s where bands take risks — and fans find the purest form of their sound.

Because the best metal isn’t always on the A-side… sometimes, you’ve got to flip the record to feel the real weight.


Turn It Up — B-Side Metal Playlist

Want to feel the heaviness? Here’s your essential B-side metal starter pack:

🎸 Judas Priest — Turn On Your Light

🎸 Metallica — So What

🎸 Black Sabbath — Evil Woman

🎸 Pantera — The Badge

🎸 Iron Maiden — Mission From 'Arry (B-side to 2 Minutes to Midnight) — a bizarre but classic behind-the-scenes argument caught on tape — proving even chaos is heavy in metal!

Listen on Spotify 

Listen on YouTube 


Final Riff

Metal isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s loud, proud, and refuses to sit quietly in the corner — just like the B-sides we celebrate today. So next time you think you've heard it all… flip the record.

Because it's heavy… that’s why it’s called metal! 🤘


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