The Explorer and the Devil

For years there has been a subtle association regarding the Explorer shaped guitar and devil music. The term devil music dates back to medieval times where the nickname "diabolus in musica" or the "devil in music" was born. Much later in history it was jazz, then rock 'n roll that was to be considered as the devil's music.

The Explorer was initially released back in the 1950's when rock 'n roll was in full swing and it really did not catch on. Sales were light and Gibson was underwhelmed. It was when the music got louder, the chords got heavier and the lyrics got darker that the world started to take notice of the powerful image that the Explorer guitar portrayed.

On Stage Walks the Devil

There isn't an official date when hard rock "became" heavy metal. The transition was gradual, and there's no formal declaration or universally accepted birth.There are those that claim the devil walked on stage somewhere in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Eeventually, heavy metal developed into a distinct genre separate from its hard rock predecessor.

1970 is the year most people point to, largely because of Black Sabbath's debut. But in reality, hard rock music evolved into heavy metal over several years rather than simply changing overnight. The early 1980's brought a new wave of British heavy metal which really established the metal music as its own genre with recognizable musical and visual effects, the Explorer shaped guitar being one of them. The explorer shape with pointed edges and a sharp appeal began to engrain itself into the heavy metal world.

The first wave of black metal, or devil themed heavy metal arrived on the scene aoround 1982 with a band called Venom, who coined the term with the release of their Black Metal album. More bands followed the lead with darker themed songs, low-budget production, occult stage imagery, and increasingly extreme devilish sounding songs. This black metal music soon became a topic of conversation in the religous world along with the devils on stage.

The Reality of Explorers and Devil Music

Realistically, all the association between the Explorer and devil music is more myth than anything. The "evil" look of the Explorer guitar is most likely the result of its sharp, aggressive design combined with its association with the heavy metal music industry, not because it was intended to look sinister. Crazy as it sounds, people often associate sharp angles with danger and aggression, while rounded shapes and gentle curves tend to feel friendlier and less intimidating.

As heavy metal, black metal music in particular, became associated with darker imagery, the Explorer inherited the reputation. Explorer shaped guitars are often finished in black, red, or dark metallic red, and many feature black or dazzling chrome hardware. The dark finishes combined with angular lines really drive home the aggressive appearance. As soon as audiences repeatedly saw these explorer-shaped guitars in metal concerts, on dark devil themed album covers, and even music videos, the shape itself became linked with heavy, intense devil music.

Interestingly enough, in 1958 the Gibson Explorer was a commercial failure because it was considered too futuristic and far too angular for musicians to play. It wasn't until decades later, when the heavy metal bands became popular, that its agressive design found the audience that made it famous. Although it's one of the guitar shapes most strongly associated with black metal, or devil music as they say, it really symbolizes the hard rock world in general. Really, the Explorer is associated with loud and heavy music more than any other electric guitar today.