Hair bands were all the rage in the 80s with the likes of Bon Jovi, Metalica, Van Halen and KISS. The style was a leap out of the disco genre embraced by the 70s. Electric guitars were being utilized in a more expressive manner, up to and including the smashing of them on stage. Lead singer of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, was even known to bite the heads off of bats on stage, expressing a general feeling of anarchy. Osbourne has stated that all of those bats but one were fake and just used for effect.
Clothing was another way that these artists expressed their individuality. Tight zebra and leopard print spandex pants were a common theme at the concerts. Of course, the reason they were designated as 'hair bands' was due to the haircuts worn. Feathered sides and mullets were worn in such frequency that the general public began to adopt them as the style of the day.
These bands also gained notariety for destroying hotel rooms. This was an extremely negative aspect of the heavy metal genre. The different band members would smash mirrors, tear down curtains, destroy the furniture and were even known to break the windows. People began to equate general rebellion with listening to heavy metal. Many movements were instigated by concerned parents and church organizations, due to the 'outbreak' of wild behavior.
Today, metal is still alive in band like 30 Seconds to Mars as well as in the longevity of Bon Jovi and Van Halen. Mars' style of music expresses the purity earlier metal bands were trying to achieve while still carving their own unique niche in the music industry.
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