News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

BLACK SABBATH


BIO:
Black Sabbath is credited with creating heavy metal. The success of their first two albums - Black Sabbath and Paranoid - marked a paradigm shift in the world of rock. Not until Black Sabbath upended the music scene did the term “heavy metal” enter the popular vocabulary to describe the denser, more thunderous offshoot of rock over which they presided. With their riff-based songs, extreme volume, and dark, demonic subject matter, Black Sabbath embodied key aspects of the heavy-metal aesthetic. Yet in their own words, Black Sabbath saw themselves as a “heavy underground” band. That term denoted both the intensity of their music and the network of fans who found them long before critics and the music industry took notice. In a sense, though they’ve sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, they still are a heavy underground band. Although they became eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, they weren’t inducted until 2006. The truth is, they remain one of the most misunderstood bands in rock history. The Black Sabbath story began in Birmingham, England, where Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward were looking to escape a life of factory work through music. The four musicians got their start in such psychedelic outfits as the Rare Breed and Mythology (although Osbourne had been a short-haired Mod who loved soul music). Influenced by the reigning British blues bands - Led Zeppelin, Cream, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers - the four of them formed Earth Blues Company (shortened to Earth), in 1968. Everything changed when Butler came to the band with an idea for a song inspired by a disturbing apparition. A fan of horror films and the black magic-themed novels of Dennis Wheatley, he flirted briefly with the black arts. But when he saw what he believed to be a figure from the dark side at the foot of his bed one night, he ceased his dabblings in the goth world. With lyrics by Osbourne, the group composed a song about the visitation, entitling it “Black Sabbath” (after the 1963 Boris Karloff film). It provoked a reaction in audiences unlike anything else in their repertoire, and they knew they’d stumbled onto something powerful and unique. Forced to change their name because there was already another band named Earth, they made an obvious choice: Black Sabbath. “That’s when it all started to happen, “ Tony Iommi told writer Mick Wall. “The name sounded mysterious, it gave people something to think about, and it gave us a direction to follow.” Black Sabbath was the polar opposite of the Beatles (though they all liked the Beatles). Whereas the Fab Four sang “yeah, yeah, yeah,” Osbourne pleaded “no, no, please, no” in “Black Sabbath.” “It’s a satanic world,” Butler told Rolling Stone in 1971. “The devil’s more in control now. People can’t come together, there’s no equality. It’s a sin to put yourself above other people, and yet that’s what people do.” With Butler serving as principal lyricist and Iommi as the musical architect, Black Sabbath pursued such themes as war, social chaos, the supernatural, the afterlife, and the timeless conflict between good and evil. The group was a product of the late Sixties. It was a time when youthful idealism had begun to ebb amid the war in Vietnam, the influx of hard drugs, clashes with authority figures, and the bruising realities of working-class life (low wages, grim labor) that lay ahead for many of them. “We arrived at the height of the Vietnam War and on the other side of the hippie era, so there was a mood of doom and aggression,” guitarist Iommi told writer Chris Welch in 2003. That’s not to say Black Sabbath were devil worshippers or practitioners or witchcraft, as many believed. Quite a different picture of the band is painted in such songs as “After Forever” (with the lyric, “God is the only way to love”) and Osbourne’s frequent flashing of the peace sign during Black Sabbath concerts. Black Sabbath recorded its self-titled first album in a single session in November 1969, setting up their gear in a small studio and running through their live set. The lack of frills and contrivance worked to advantage, as the group’s riff-driven, blues-based hard rock came through loud and clear on “The Wizard,” “N.I.B.,” “Warning,” and, of course, “Black Sabbath.” The only effects added to the album were the tolling bell and thunderstorm that provide a chilling opening to the title track. Black Sabbath was released on Vertigo in the U.K. and Warner Bros. in the U.S. Black Sabbath took a similarly quick and unadulterated approach to the recording of Paranoid, which was also cut in a few days. Generally regarded as the quintessential Black Sabbath album, Paranoid (1970 in the U.K.; 1971 in the U.S.) contained such classic tracks as “Iron Man,” “Paranoid” and “War Pigs.” The last of these is a potent antiwar song - and specifically “an anti-Vietnam statement,” in Butler’s words - whose hellish visions of bloody battlefields and conniving politicians have lost none of their currency over the decades. Together, Black Sabbath and Paranoid - released only seven months apart - were powerful works that pointed rock in a harder, heavier new direction. Many of the most hard-hitting and uncompromising bands who came after them - including Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest - claim to have been raised on the music of Black Sabbath. The band’s musicality was generally overlooked, but they possessed an inventiveness and fluency that, in hindsight, makes them seem as much of a progressive-rock band as a heavy-metal one. Their lengthy songs had frequent meter changes, like the works of such peers as Jethro Tull (to which Iommi briefly belonged) and Yes (with whom Black Sabbath toured). There was ample room for improvisation, and Iommi, Butler and Ward were up to the task. In fact, Black Sabbath could swing with a jazzy temperament using bluesy forms and scales. Consider some of their influences: Drummer Ward grew up listening to Count Basie, bassist Butler had his head turned by Frank Zappa, guitarist Iommi found inspiration in gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, and vocalist Osbourne was a rabid fan of soul music in general and Sam and Dave in particular. His voice was melodic and well-pitched, and he never resorted to the sort of histrionic screaming that became a hallmark of metal’s lesser lights. The response to Sabbath’s first two albums was instantaneous. Black Sabbath reached Number Eight in Britain and exhibited staying power in America, hanging on the charts for 65 weeks. Paranoid repeated the feat, peaking at Number 12 in the U.S. and charting for 70 weeks; while reaching Number One in the U.K. in a 27 week run. Both albums were certified gold within a year of release. Black Sabbath became an indefatigable road band, touring constantly and playing many of the early-Seventies rock festivals. All of the roadwork improved them as musicians and songwriters, and their next two albums - Master of Reality (1971) and Vol. 4 (1972) - exhibited enhanced range and ambition. The group even threw in some notable changes of pace - such as the ballads “Solitude” and “Changes” and the instrumentals “Orchid” and “Laguna Sunrise” - to create more of a play of light and shadows. Those albums contained their share of crunching Sabbath classics, such as “Children of the Grave” and “After Forever” (from Master of Reality) and “Snowblind” and “Supernaut” (from Vol. 4). Amazingly, Black Sabbath had released four genre-defining albums in a two-year period while touring at a ceaseless pace. The group’s fifth album, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), showed further signs of growth and experimentation, and the title track ranks among their finest moments. As a totality, it comes closest to equaling their early masterpiece, Paranoid. The group wrote and rehearsed the material for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath at a castle in Wales that they claimed was haunted, further fueling their music’s unnerving vibe at a time when the group was testing its own mental and physical limits. The demanding pace of the road and various lifestyle excesses began catching up with Black Sabbath by the mid-Seventies. Their next three albums - Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976) and Never Say Die! (1978) - all had memorable moments but lacked the unalloyed brilliance of their predecessors. The cracks in Black Sabbath’s façade became permanent when Osbourne quit for good in 1978, following the checkered Never Say Die! tour. Osbourne went on to a highly successful solo career, which also saw him venture into reality TV (MTV’s popular The Osbournes series) and launch the annual Ozzfest tour. Helmed by guitarist Iommi, Black Sabbath persevered through a succession of lineup changes that sometimes did and sometimes didn’t include Butler and Ward. Several of Black Sabbath’s post-Osbourne albums - especially Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981) and Headless Cross (1989) - are highly regarded by hardcore fans. But when all was said and done, the classic lineup could not be bested. The original foursome has reunited on a handful of occasions, most notably for a pair of 1997 stadium shows back home in Birmingham (released a year later as Reunion) and in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005, when Black Sabbath headlined Osbourne’s “Ozzfest” festival.

Latest Articles


Sunflower Bean Share New Single; Announce Short Film Premiere Photo Sunflower Bean Share New Single; Announce Short Film Premiere
by Josh Sharpe - August 28, 2024

New York trio Sunflower Bean—vocalist and bassist Julia Cumming (she/her), guitarist and vocalist Nick Kivlen (he/him), and drummer Olive Faber (she/her)— recently announced their first fully self-produced and recorded project, Shake. The band has now debuted a new single from their EP 'Teach Me to ...

Desert Daze Reveals Daily Lineup Feat. Jack White, Alex G, Thundercat, & More Photo Desert Daze Reveals Daily Lineup Feat. Jack White, Alex G, Thundercat, & More
by Josh Sharpe - August 20, 2024

Desert Daze has shared the daily lineup for this year’s installment. Taking place October 10 - 13, 2024 in Lake Perris, CA, this year features sonically diverse artists from the worlds of psych rock, hip hop, punk, indie rock, electronic, jazz, metal and much more....

Crypt Sermon Reveal New Single, 'Thunder (Perfect Mind)' Photo Crypt Sermon Reveal New Single, 'Thunder (Perfect Mind)'
by Josh Sharpe - June 04, 2024

As they prepare for the June 14 release of  The Stygian Rose, Crypt Sermon have unveiled the album's third single, 'Thunder (Perfect Mind).' The songwriting for The Stygian Rose started in late 2022.  Sagarnaga says, 'This is the most prepared our band has been, especially going into the studio.' Li...

Swerve Release New Single 'I Wanna Be Adored' (The Stone Roses Cover)' Photo Swerve Release New Single 'I Wanna Be Adored' (The Stone Roses Cover)'
by Josh Sharpe - May 22, 2024

Los Angeles-based band Swerve has shared their new single, a cover of The Stone Roses' iconic track “I Wanna Be Adored.” The band's reworked version of the classic song debuted at Glide Magazine and is now available on all digital platforms for playlist shares. “I Wanna Be Adored” is featured on Swe...

Body Count Drops Chilling New Single 'Psychopath' Ahead of Forthcoming Album Photo Body Count Drops Chilling New Single 'Psychopath' Ahead of Forthcoming Album
by Josh Sharpe - May 17, 2024

Body Count is back with “Psychopath” – their first new single since 2020’s “Bum-Rush,” which won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Metal Performance. The explosive new track, which features Fit for An Autopsy vocalist Joe Bad, shows Ice-T and crew on maximum killing overdrive and primed for the next chapter ...

Crypt Sermon Share New Single 'Glimmers in the Underworld' Photo Crypt Sermon Share New Single 'Glimmers in the Underworld'
by Josh Sharpe - May 07, 2024

Dark heavy metallers Crypt Sermon recently unveiled details for their bewitching new album, The Stygian Rose, out June 14 on Dark Descent.  Now, they've returned with the premiere of the album's opening track 'Glimmers in the Underworld'—  a song that epitomizes the band's musical and conceptual pro...

Crypt Sermon Unveil Details For New Album, 'The Stygian Rose' Photo Crypt Sermon Unveil Details For New Album, 'The Stygian Rose'
by Stephi Wild - April 03, 2024

Now, Crypt Sermon stand at their crossroads with The Stygian Rose, out June 14 on Dark Descent. It's their time—the culmination of their journey. ...

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Announce 'Live At KEXP' RSD Exclusive Vinyl Releas Photo Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Announce 'Live At KEXP' RSD Exclusive Vinyl Release
by Michael Major - February 15, 2024

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs announce the release of their exclusive vinyl 'Live at KEXP' for Record Store Day. Recorded during the band's 2023 US tour supporting their acclaimed new album Land Of Sleeper, Live at KEXP provides a front row seat to Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs' unhinged a...

The Anti-Groupies Announce January Shows & Upcoming New Single 'Read The Room' Photo The Anti-Groupies Announce January Shows & Upcoming New Single 'Read The Room'
by Michael Major - January 16, 2024

The Anti-Groupies, an all-female rock group from South Bay (CA), have announced their upcoming January shows and the release of their new single 'Read The Room.' Produced by Matt McJunkins of A Perfect Circle/Puscifer, the group has quickly been building up a solid fanbase and carefully aligned indu...

Green Day Break Into the New Year With Fiery New Track 'One Eyed Bastard' Photo Green Day Break Into the New Year With Fiery New Track 'One Eyed Bastard'
by Michael Major - January 05, 2024

“One Eyed Bastard'' comes on the heels of Green Day's show-stopping Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve performance, where they performed 2 fan favorites off Dookie and 2 off American Idiot, along with “Dilemma” off their forthcoming album Saviors. Saviors will also feature “Look Ma, No Brains!” and...

Gibson Band Releases Debut “Deconstruction' Single Photo Gibson Band Releases Debut “Deconstruction' Single
by Michael Major - December 08, 2023

Gibson, the instrument brand, has announced the launch of the Gibson Band, which features a revolving collective of Gibson artists. The Gibson Band is launching the first single, “Deconstruction,” which was co-written by Serj Tankian of System of a Down and Cesar Gueikian, CEO of Gibson, and feature...

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Shares New Song 'Terror's Pillow' (Live) From Upco Photo Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Shares New Song 'Terror's Pillow' (Live) From Upcoming Album 'Live In New York'
by Michael Major - September 21, 2023

The Newcastle, UK-based group Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs shared their new track “Terror’s Pillow” (Live) from their upcoming live record, Live In New York. The album showcases their fiery live show from their April 2023 performance at New York City’s Mercury Lounge, on their recent tour in s...

Psychology Release Debut Album 'Psychology' Photo Psychology Release Debut Album 'Psychology'
by Michael Major - September 08, 2023

Recorded at Nuthouse Recording in New Jersey with John performing guitar, bass, and vocals, accompanied by drummer Dave Richman, Psychology was produced by Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, The Juliana Hatfield Three) and engineered by Tim Foljahn (Townes Van Zandt, Sonic Youth)....

Psychology Release New Single 'The Economy' Photo Psychology Release New Single 'The Economy'
by Michael Major - August 18, 2023

Psychology was recorded at Nuthouse Recording in New Jersey with John performing guitar, bass, and vocals, accompanied by drummer Dave Richman, produced by Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, The Juliana Hatfield Three), and engineered by Tim Foljahn (Townes Van Zandt, Sonic Youth)....

Psychology Release Bold New Single 'First Contact' & Announce Debut Self-Titled Album Photo Psychology Release Bold New Single 'First Contact' & Announce Debut Self-Titled Album
by Michael Major - July 28, 2023

Psychology have released their debut single “First Contact' from their album. Psychology was recorded at Nuthouse Recording in New Jersey with John performing guitar, bass, and vocals, accompanied by drummer Dave Richman, produced by Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, The Juliana Hatfield Three), and engineer...

T-Pain Releases 'People (Libianca T-Mix)' Photo T-Pain Releases 'People (Libianca T-Mix)'
by Michael Major - May 05, 2023

T-Pain has released 'People (Libianca T-Mix),' his re-working of “People” by Libianca. T-Pain has been releasing remixes, dubbed “T-Mixes,” for years as a way to share with music he loves with his own spin. Past T-Mix's have included “Boo’d Up” (Ella Mai T-Mix), “Bartier Cardi” (Cardi B ft. 21 Savag...

T-Pain Announces Escape From Wiscansin: The Invasion Live Dates Photo T-Pain Announces Escape From Wiscansin: The Invasion Live Dates
by Michael Major - April 11, 2023

The tour kicks off with his 2nd Annual Wiscansin Fest on June 10th (the eve of “T-Pain Day” in the state of Wisconsin) at The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee, WI (featuring performances by T-Pain, Chance The Rapper, Tobi Lou, and many more soon to be announced) and will continue to Washington, DC, New...

Thunderflix Launches as First All-Metal App Photo Thunderflix Launches as First All-Metal App
by Michael Major - April 10, 2023

THUNDERFLIX will be granting subscribers with 'Making Ofs' with Iron Maiden, directorial debuts of short films featuring Watain, and legendary documentaries on the shock-rock king himself Alice Cooper. This is just a small dip into the massive library of this powerhouse app. Out now, it's time for f...

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard Releases New Single 'Chew' Photo Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard Releases New Single 'Chew'
by Michael Major - March 31, 2023

Making a thunderous return to form, Cardiff alt. rock outfit Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard have shared the new single “Chew.” Inspired by frontman Tom Rees’ teen obsession with The White Stripes (and Black Sabbath), “Chew” ushers in an exciting new era for the band....

T-Pain to Release Covers Album in March Photo T-Pain to Release Covers Album in March
by Michael Major - February 15, 2023

On Top Of The Covers features creative covers of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Dr. Hook’s “Sharing The Night Together,” Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey,” Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” ft. NandoSTL (a Nappy Boy Entertainment ar...

Allie Crow Buckley Announces New Album 'Utopian Fantasy' Photo Allie Crow Buckley Announces New Album 'Utopian Fantasy'
by Michael Major - January 13, 2023

The album was recorded at the 4AD Studio in London, mastered at Abbey Road, and was written, recorded, and produced by Allie Crow Buckley and Jason Boesel (Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes) between a lush cottage in the English Countryside, the sunny mountains of Ojai, California, and the hotels in-between....

Spaghetti Eastern Music Returns To Instrumental Mode With New Singles, 'A Scanner Dar Photo Spaghetti Eastern Music Returns To Instrumental Mode With New Singles, 'A Scanner Darkly' And 'A Fresh Kill'
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 05, 2023

Spaghetti Eastern Music, the solo venture of genre-leaping NYC/Hudson Valley guitarist Sal Cataldi, is returning to the instrumental mode with the release of two new singles, 'A Scanner Darkly' and 'A Fresh Kill.' ...

Allie Crow Buckley Shares New Single 'Naked At The Feast' Photo Allie Crow Buckley Shares New Single 'Naked At The Feast'
by Michael Major - December 02, 2022

The song was recorded at the 4AD Studio in London, and was mastered at Abbey Road. It was written, recorded, and produced by Allie Crow Buckley and Jason Boesel of Rilo Kiley. The new track follows her fall singles, “Utopian Fantasy” and “Angel.” Allie Crow Buckley’s music is imbued with such a stro...

LOWLIFE Announce Debut Album 'PAYDAY' Photo LOWLIFE Announce Debut Album 'PAYDAY'
by Michael Major - October 11, 2022

Lead single, 'ELON' sonically references 2000’s hip-hop, but now they pivot in a different direction for new single and music video “SOMETIMES.” Sampling a headbanging Black Sabbath demo circa 1975, the trio takes turns spitting nihilistic bars dripping with disdain for authority, laced with their e...

Sara Bareilles to Perform Benefit Concert at the Capitol Theatre In Port Chester, NY Photo Sara Bareilles to Perform Benefit Concert at the Capitol Theatre In Port Chester, NY Tomorrow
by Michael Major - October 05, 2022

The full length concert is exclusively performed by  Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, who recently completed an eight-week engagement  of the fantasy musical, “Into The Woods” on Broadway. Sara’s self-described “piano based pop soul” and powerful lyrics give voice to the diffic...











Videos

Recommended For You