Metal Bulletin Zine: In Remembrance of Leslie West (Mountain) (October 22, 1945

Early Years: The Foundation of Heavy Rock (1945–1969)

Leslie Abel West was born Leslie Weinstein on October 22, 1945, in Forest Hills, Queens. Growing up in the New York metropolitan area, West’s musical journey began not in the folk-centric Greenwich Village, but in the raw, aggressive garage rock scene. His first band, The Vagrants, specialized in "blue-eyed soul" with a hard edge. The turning point for heavy metal history occurred when the Vagrants worked with producer Felix Pappalardi, who had recently produced Cream’s Disraeli Gears. Pappalardi recognized that West possessed a "mountainous" sound, a thick, sustain-heavy guitar tone that was louder and more aggressive than anything in the mainstream. This collaboration led to West’s 1969 solo debut, Mountain, which served as the blueprint for the band that would soon follow.

Mountain: The Forerunners of Metal (1969–1973)

In 1969, West and Pappalardi formed Mountain, a band Rolling Stone famously described as a "louder version of Cream." While Cream laid the groundwork, Mountain pushed the boundaries of volume and distortion, becoming one of the first true "proto-metal" acts. At Woodstock in 1969, on the second day of the legendary festival, Mountain delivered a high-decibel, 11-song set that proved "heavy" music could command a massive audience. "Mississippi Queen": Released on the 1970 album Climbing!, this track became a heavy metal anthem. With its iconic cowbell intro and West’s crushing, power-driven riff, it provided a rhythmic and tonal template for the "Stoner Rock" and "Sludge Metal" genres decades later. Nantucket Sleighride (1971): This album showed the "Epic Metal" side of West’s writing. The title track’s dramatic shifts and soaring solos influenced the progressive side of early metal.

Impact on the 1980s Metal Explosion and Beyond

While Leslie West remained active throughout the late 20th century, his importance is best measured by the metal titans who followed him. He wasn't just a contemporary; he was a teacher to the bands of the 80s.

Eddie Van Halen: Frequently cited West’s tone and vibrato as a foundational influence on his own "Brown Sound." Randy Rhoads: The Ozzy Osbourne guitarist credited West’s aggressive but melodic solos as a key part of his musical education.

Zakk Wylde: A lifelong devotee, Wylde adopted West’s "pinch harmonic" technique and massive, overdriven tone, effectively carrying the Leslie West torch into modern metal.

Covers and Tributes: The importance of West is immortalized in the bands that covered his work. From Ozzy Osbourne (who covered "Mississippi Queen" on Under Cover) to W.A.S.P., Zakk Sabbath, and even Anthrax, the metal community has consistently returned to the Mountain discography as a source of influence.

Ozzy Osbourne – "Mississippi Queen" (Under Cover, 2005) Perhaps the most famous tribute. The "Godfather of Metal" himself chose to cover this anthem, enlisting Leslie West to play the guitar on the track. Ozzy often noted that Mountain was one of his favorite bands and that Black Sabbath actually opened for them on their first US tour in 1970.

Zakk Wylde – "Blood of the Sun" (Legacy: A Tribute to Leslie West, 2022) Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society/Ozzy/Pantera) is arguably the modern successor to Leslie’s tone. His cover of this track from West’s 1969 solo album is a masterclass in heavy, pinch-harmonic-laden metal. Zakk has often said that West’s vibrato was the blueprint for his own aggressive style.

W.A.S.P. – "Mississippi Queen" (The Last Command, 1985) In the height of the 80s metal explosion, Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. took this riff and gave it a raw, sleazy, "L.A. Metal" edge, proving the song’s timelessness for a new, hungrier generation of headbangers.

Anthrax – "Mississippi Queen" (Anthems EP, 2013) The Big Four thrash legends recorded a high-energy version of the track, with Charlie Benante’s thunderous drumming and Scott Ian’s precision rhythm work highlighting the "proto-thrash" nature of the original riff.

Clutch – "Immortal" (Pure Rock Fury, 2001) Stoner metal kings Clutch didn't just cover a song; they reworked "Baby I'm Down" (from West’s first album) into a new track titled "Immortal." Leslie West actually co-wrote the lyrics and provided music for this version, bridging the gap between 70s hard rock and modern stoner metal.

Corrosion of Conformity – "Never in My Life" Often played live or cited as a major influence, C.O.C. embodies the "sludge" and "Southern Metal" spirit that Leslie West pioneered. The groove in "Never in My Life" is widely considered a direct ancestor to the NOLA metal sound.

Geezer – "Mississippi Queen" (2020) Released as a direct tribute upon West’s passing, the stoner/doom band Geezer (taking their name from Sabbath) showcased how West’s music is still the "North Star" for bands that value "the riff" above all else.

The "Sabbath Connection"

It is a crucial piece of metal history that Black Sabbath looked up to Mountain. In 1970, Sabbath was the opening act for Mountain in the US. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler have both acknowledged that witnessing West’s massive "wall of sound" and Leslie’s ability to command a crowd with a single, blues-drenched power chord helped shape the way Sabbath approached their own legendary volume.

Mountain and Leslie West made tons of music. I do not pretend to be an expert, not at all, not even close, but I think the two Mountain albums listed below are a great introduction to this very important piece in the history of heavy rock coming out of the late 1960s. I would say, listen to the entire albums, not just one song or two. If at first you don't understand it or like it, give it some time. Come back to it later, months later, a year later, two years later. Sometimes we need some time to understand some of the older music.

Mountain - Climbing! (1970) Full Album