Helter Skelter really sounds more like proto-punk than metal (listen to The Stooges if you don't know what proto-punk is). It's a great song and probably inspired metal, but it itself isn't metal. Just as everyone else has said, Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. But alexanyways, it's cool that you noticed the similarity. It definitely can be argued that the song was one of the roots to metal.

StewartofGondor : There is some speculation that another band was the true Godfathers of metal, but Black Sabbath is the most accepted. Besides, good band anyway.

I dont know but definatly going to look this up

It can definitely be argued, that's for certain. However, I believe that this is a hard question to answer. Who was the first rock and roll musician/song? To answer that question, we would first need to determine what rock and roll really is. Some people have a strict definition of rock music, some don't. Frankly, it's very hard to just name one tiny (possibly 2-3 minute song) as the beginning of rock.

Think about it. Rock music formed as an amalgamation from the fusion of black music (R&B, Blues, etc.) and white music (Country, Honky Tonk, etc.) and bam, rock and roll. All of these genres can be found on Elvis Presley's debut album from 1956.

Point is, we should not think of the birth of any movement (whether musical, artistic, whatever) to one point. It's like reading poetry. I may get something out of a poem that may be completely different from another reader.

Let's just give credit to the people who we know were most responsible. You can say that "Helter Skelter" is heavy metal, however, what followed? It may coincidentally have some qualities of heavy metal, but when I think of heavy metal, "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath is the first thing that comes into mind. There's no debating that that is heavy metal.

The atmosphere complete with the sounds of rain and eerie church bells followed by that simple but memorable guitar riff (you know the one), which leads way into Ozzy's signature vocals and Satatastic (yes) lyrics. To me, that is metal.

The sound was very very heavy for the time. So for all the people saying it was very heavy you are right and wrong. Now a days its nothing but hard rock. Back then though it was quit the heavy song, especially for the Beatles. But was it the first metal song. No. Steppenwolf's song Born to be Wild came out the same year. This song was the song the term Heavy Metal came from.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdiWEmTpwCY). Also Jimi Hindrix was out before Helter Skelter ever was all of his song are very "Metal" and then there is what I believe to be the first "metal" band before metal was around. THE DOORS! Listen to there songs, look at the attitude.

Not to say that it was not a very large influence on metal. I don't know how much Beatles Black Sabbath listened to. I know back in those days over in England it was either you listened to The Rolling Stones or The Beatles. And the Rolling Stones were the bad ass of that time.(before The Doors came around)

alexanyways :
The First metal Song Is Kick Out The jams By Mc5
But Helter Skelter Is A Great Song






Image upload: 234x216 totaling 10 KB's.

Hmm... I doubt it was the very first. It sounds very much like hard rock, and maybe even a little grunge-like. Metal or not, it's still a great song.

Actually I believe the first heavy metal song ever was a song called Plastic Thunder by a band called Bitter Creek in 1967. It's a very rare song and possibly the only recording of the band.

Coven - Black Sabbath from their album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBHmxpx9qiw&feature=related
Blue Cheer - "Summertime Blues" 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5uDozoSSM
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rZYe1bbl3A&feature=related

alexanyways : Then Angel witch and Witch Finder General follow Sabbath sound and vocals.

I say that metal is an attitude and something that gets your head banging and gets you on a music hype.
In answer to the question I said maybe because if according to what I just said, then I would go as far back as Vivaldi's Summer but if you consider dark lyrics and heavy guitar metal then that's your view of things.
I like how it was compared to poetry; you can have different interpretations and I agree with that.