Back in the 1970s, it seemed as if there was a trend of musicians looking back to the 1070s’ medieval style. As strange as it may seem, the marriage of early music with rock music was quite popular with musicians and audiences in England and Germany during the 70s. Although the movement was officially called “medieval folk rock,” musicians freely included elements of renaissance and baroque music into their sound. Today, rock historians see the medieval folk rock trend as being highly influential in the world of progressive rock and heavy metal.

The first groups to really start this movement were already involved in England’s progressive folk scene of the 1960s. One of the most influential bands at the start of the medieval folk rock scene was The Incredible String Band, whose 1967 album The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion proved to be an important milestone in the developing genre. Soon after the album’s release and subsequent popularity, other bands began to appear, experimenting with the sound of early music. Steeleye Span, Pentangle, and Amazing Blondel all gained popularity during this time.

One of the most popular bands during this time was Gryphon. Incorporating bassoons and krumhorns into their electric folk instrumentation, Gryphon grew to be considered the preeminent medieval rock bands of their time. The genre reached its height in 1971 when one of the most popular rock bands of the time, Led Zeppelin, released their album Led Zeppelin IV, which featured many medieval musical instruments and lyrical themes.