The difference, by ear
Blue Cheer appear on both lists. Acid rock's volume aimed at transcendence becomes proto-metal when it is aimed at heaviness instead.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 140 bpm. Songs run longer in acid rock: usually 5 to 20 minutes, against 3 to 7 minutes in proto-metal. To hear the difference, play Blue Cheer next to Steppenwolf. Acid rock comes from the rock side of the tree and proto-metal from the metal side, and acid rock came first, by a year.
In figures
Acid rock
Where it sits
Rock › Psychedelic rock › Acid rock
In short
The heavy end of psychedelia: raw distortion and endless jams. Blue Cheer is often named the first genuinely heavy band.
How it sounds
- Massive distortion for the era, at the limit of what amplifiers could take.
- Long solos with wah-wah and controlled feedback.
- Slow to medium tempos with heavy drums up front.
Key acts
- Blue Cheer
- Iron Butterfly
- Grateful Dead
Start here
The pickBlue Cheer - Summertime Blues. Three people and a wall of Marshalls.
Full page →Proto-metal
Where it sits
In short
The heavy bands from before the term existed: over-amplified acid rock, already built around the riff.
How it sounds
- Volume and distortion beyond what the technology of the era allowed, with natural saturation.
- A repeating riff in place of a blues progression, but still inside rock and roll structures.
- Heavy drums up front and vocals in the high register.
Key acts
- Blue Cheer
- Steppenwolf
- Sir Lord Baltimore
- Budgie
Start here
The pickBudgie - Breadfan. Metallica covered it, but the original is stranger.
Full page →