Tang Dynasty (band)

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For the actual dynasty, see Tang Dynasty.

Tang Dynasty (Chinese: 唐朝; pinyin: Tángcháo) is a Chinese heavy metal band that is often credited as the first heavy metal band in China.

Tang Dynasty rose to fame in 1992 with a self-titled debut album. Their sound is part progressive metal and part traditional Chinese vocal techniques with lyrics meant to hearken back to the glorious days of Chinese civilization. Tang Dynasty soon became the icon of Chinese rock, and their lightning-fast guitarist Liu Yijun (刘义军) "Lao Wu" became the first guitar hero in China. However, the 1995 death of bassist Zhang Ju in a motorcycle accident dealt a heavy blow to the band and its subsequent release "Epic", 7 years after its debut, received lukewarm reviews.

The band still plays live in Beijing occasionally, although no firm date has been set for a new album.

[edit] References

Wong, Cynthia P. (2005). "Lost Lambs": Rock, Gender, Authenticity, and A Generational Response to Modernity in the People's Republic of China." Ph.D. dissertation. New York, New York: Columbia University, 2005.