Metal Evolution presents 11 episodes based on the much-debated Metal History "family tree" originally shown in Headbanger's Journey. This 24 sub-genre genealogical chart reveals the vast complex progeny of heavy metal--from Early Metal and Shock Rock to Thrash, from Progressive Metal to Grunge and Nu Metal. Using the chart as his road map, our host, metalhead turned anthropologist Sam Dunn, will crisscross the globe in search of the very essence of Metal, from bars and back alleys to the biggest open air festivals. 

Pouncing on the power of heavy metal, the UK wasn't about to cede the rock & roll dominance that nation held over America since the insanity of the Beatles and the subsequent British invasion. In a movement parallel to the Detroit experience, bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Trapeze and Slade were crafting their own loud sounds in response to the bleak industrial environment of Britain's Midlands. Further south, swinging London was producing its own raft of impressive hard rock acts such as Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and UFO. Straddling the two like the giant it would become, Led Zeppelin featured a couple of Birmingham bashers in its rank, along with two seasoned pros from the fast-tracking studios of the big city. Add to the mix Nazareth, Thin Lizzy, Budgie and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, and Britain's rich legacy of serious, regal, virtuosic hard rock would be assured.