Birmingham native Tony Iommi
By: Staff
Metal has a home, and it is Birmingham, UK. The town spawned countless metal bands of all sorts of genres over, including Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Napalm Death, and is celebrating that history this summer.
The aptly-named “Home of Metal” is a collection of exhibits and events on the slew of metal bands that saw their birth in the former dreary city, its factories and crappy weather possibly inspiring the heaviness of their music.
CNN is reporting that the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which usually hosts calm, quiet exhibits, is bursting with heavy riffs, as metal fans can play guitars, check out plenty of original artwork, posters, and costumes from the city’s metal alumni.
“Perhaps it’s been a little backwards about coming forwards,” said Nic Bullen, founder of Napalm Death. “Birmingham has to some extent always been insular, not by some sort of elitist philosophy, simply because it exists within itself, so why reach out? But this musical heritage is important to people across the world, so it’s worth celebrating.”
Speaking of the nature of the city as inspiration, Black Sabbath’s Toni Iommi (who lost the tips of his fingers in a Birmingham factory) explained, “It influences you and your music, wanting to get away, to break out in some way.”
“Nobody knew Liverpool until the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers came along,” Iommi continued.
“And the same is now happening with Birmingham.”
