Early Metal, Pt. 1: US

S1, E2: Metal morning in America begins with the clank of cars and guitars and the burning of draft cards, Detroit Rock City being home to the likes of Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes, Iggy & The Stooges and the explosive MC5. But before that, it was the innovations of California surf guitar legend Dick Dale and the raucous garage rockers that sowed the seeds for darker, heavier music reflected in the apocalyptic sounds of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” and the furiously loud Blue Cheer. But weirdly, the picture suddenly brightens, lifting the nation toward a golden period of stadium-sized, radio-friendly metal, represented by the inspired and inspiring trinity of Kiss, Alice Cooper and “America’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band,” Aerosmith. Once Van Halen, with ruthless efficiently but also with flair, accumulates the advantages of all of the above, the stage is set for what will become a full decade’s worth of dominance for the uniquely party hardy metal of America.