Forty years ago this month on February 13th, 1970, to be exact (a Friday! WTF?!?) Black Sabbath released their groundbreaking debut album. It’s a self titled slab of awesomeness and doom. FORTY YEARS AGO!?! Whoa! While this record has been anointed the beginning of heavy metal, which is tough to argue, I’m not going to go down that road because that road has been ridden on so much that the pot holes have pot holes. Between Sabbath, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Cream, Alice Cooper Band, Mountain, Pentagram, Sir Lord Baltimore and countless other bands from the 1967-1971 era, they all had a big, throwing the goat hand in helping develop the different types of hard rock and metal that we enjoy today. There is essentially a three headed monster of records that people consider the blueprint for hard rock and metal: Black Sabbath’s first, Led Zeppelin II (or IV. Whatever, it’s Zeppelin), and “In Rock” by Deep Purple.
After that, there are plenty of other bands who started to make louder, harder and faster music. But, with Sabbath, I don’t know if any other band has been copied as much. From the thundering, fill laden bass of Geezer Butler (Steve Harris of Iron Maiden?) to the down tuned guitar of finger tip-less Tony Iommi to the frantic drumming of Bill Ward and, of course, to the iconic voice of Ozzy Osbourne, no other groups’ individual members have been ripped off of as much as they have (well, maybe Zeppelin has. Damn, there was a lot of good music created then!). Collectively, it’s insane how much they have influenced so many other players and bands. What a bunch of assholes, those Sabbath guys.
After that, there are plenty of other bands who started to make louder, harder and faster music. But, with Sabbath, I don’t know if any other band has been copied as much. From the thundering, fill laden bass of Geezer Butler (Steve Harris of Iron Maiden?) to the down tuned guitar of finger tip-less Tony Iommi to the frantic drumming of Bill Ward and, of course, to the iconic voice of Ozzy Osbourne, no other groups’ individual members have been ripped off of as much as they have (well, maybe Zeppelin has. Damn, there was a lot of good music created then!). Collectively, it’s insane how much they have influenced so many other players and bands. What a bunch of assholes, those Sabbath guys.
If you have never listened to the first Sabbath record, and you are a fan of hard rock, then take some time and get to know it. If you like Fu Manchu, or Clutch or hell, just about any heavy music fused with some super blues and dark ass lyrics, then this is all you, hoss. Gives me chills just thinking about it!! And that cover!!? What the hell is going on there? That shit is creeeeppyyy. That chick on the cover? She totally has some voodoo vagina.
40 years later, hard rock, heavy metal and all the sub genres are going strong and we owe at least a one solid virgin sacrifice and big ass bong hit to these dudes. I’m not going to bite the head of any birds, though.
Watch this video for the title track, “Black Sabbath”. It’s the proof.
That album cover still scares the crap out of me. I literally remember my dad showing this to me as a child and I tought the woman on the front was creepy as shit.
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