3 Songs That Highlight How Southern Rock Shaped Heavy Metal

In the early days of heavy metal, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and others were transforming blues and psychedelic rock into something darker and more forceful. The genre evolved, and eventually Southern rock further shaped many of its most iconic bands. Let’s revisit three heavy metal tunes featuring Southern influences, which themselves are traced back to the blues.

“No More Tears” by Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne has stood on stage next to many of rock’s most influential guitarists: Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, and Jake E. Lee. But when Zakk Wylde entered, Osbourne’s latest shredder gave the Prince of Darkness a new sound. Few would have envisioned Osbourne having traces of Southern rock and country music in his doomy anthems. But Wylde’s heavy riffs were buoyed by twangy licks that were equal parts virtuosity and down-to-earth relatability. “No More Tears” sounds like Lynyrd Skynyrd had they grown up in Birmingham. And I’m not talking about Alabama.

“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses

Speaking of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Alabama, when “Paradise City” arrived, many listeners noticed its similarity to “Sweet Home Alabama”. The song opens with a summery hook, but remember, we’re talking about Axl Rose’s band here. And these guys emerged from the Sunset Strip. While their peers may have pretended to come from the gutter, GN’R didn’t have to convince you otherwise. The snaking riff echoes Aerosmith in the 1970s before the track transforms into the kind of jam Lynyrd Skynyrd would appreciate. But even this might have been considered unhinged by Skynyrd’s standards. If you want to know what chaos blues sounds like, Slash illustrates it here.

“Cowboys From Hell” by Pantera

If some kind of nether realm exists and in it one found cowboys hanging out, this is what they’d be listening to. Pantera emerged from Texas and redefined the genre with heavy grooves resembling a dark iteration of fellow Texans ZZ Top. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell became an instant guitar hero, with brutal riffs and Van Halen-like shredding. “Ain’t talking no tall tales, friend ’cause high noon, your doom / Coming for you, we’re the cowboys from hell,” Phil Anselmo sings here. And if you come across Texas in hell, are you going to mess with it?

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