Big Ears
Music Lover
The New Musical Express Book of Rock (my issue is from 1975, but it was first published in 1973) has Heavy Metal as an entry and refers to the heavy bands. Their examples were what you would expect from up to and including the early to mid-seventies, but from long before NWOBHM. The latter term was often misunderstood and mis-applied anyway, to numerous earlier groups, presumably by people too young to remember them. Some of them were not even British!
I would give them some credit. After all, there are those who, paradoxically, credit them with creating the genre. Likewise, John Paul Jones has said that Led Zeppelin were not heavy metal. I am not even a fan, but would credit him with having the knowledge and experience.
Just because Ozzy and Iommi may not have liked the term doesn't make their music any less than what we hear it as. Heavy metal.
I would give them some credit. After all, there are those who, paradoxically, credit them with creating the genre. Likewise, John Paul Jones has said that Led Zeppelin were not heavy metal. I am not even a fan, but would credit him with having the knowledge and experience.