Classic Rock: Black Sabbath, Architects of Sound Darkness

In the industrial heart of Birmingham, between the shadows of the factories and the smoke of the steelworks, a musical revolution took hold at the end of the Sixties that would change the sound of rock forever. It was 1968 when, starting from the advert posted in a record shop by a singer named “Ozzy Zig” who was looking for other musicians to start a band, the first embryo of Black Sabbath began to form. Ozzy Zig was the then twenty-year-old John “Ozzy” Osbourne and those who responded to the advert were the guitarist Anthony “Tony” Iommi and the drummer William “Bill” Ward, his contemporaries and both already members of Mythology.

They were later joined by guitarists Jimmy Phillips and Terence “Geezer” Butler, who soon moved to bassist, and saxophonist Alan “Aker” Clarke was also hired. Initially building a predominantly blues repertoire, the newborn band originally chose to call itself “Polka Tulk Blues Band”, later shortened to “Polka Tulk”. After changes in lineups and names, as well as a first demo, the group decided to adopt the name Black Sabbath, born from an idea by Butler inspired by Mario Bava’s 1963 film “The Three Faces of Fear” (in the English version entitled “Black Sabbath”, precisely). The same title was chosen for a song that marked first a transition from the blues to a sound with folk elements, then to increasingly dark and strong atmospheres, until a unique vision with which Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward shaped a sound that would define heavy metal and for which Black Sabbath were considered, by many critics, as the pioneers of the genre together with Led Zeppelin.

The genesis of a legend

After signing with Fontana Records and then landing on the newly formed Vertigo, Black Sabbath officially kicked off their journey with their self-titled debut album. Originally released in February 1970, the band’s raw, dark sounding debut immediately stood out in the music scene of the time and laid the foundation for an entire new genre. Songs like the title track and “NIB” not only introduced a new sound, heavier and darker than the more melodic, rock ‘n’ roll and blues-oriented sound of other bands of the period, but also new themes: the occult, fear and social commentary. “Black Sabbath” marked the beginning of a career that would see the band overcome numerous obstacles and constantly redefine the boundaries of rock music.

That same year, the world was rocked by the release of another Black Sabbath milestone, the album “Paranoid”.

Considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time and still the group’s most commercially successful, the album contains immortal anthems such as “Iron Man” and “War Pigs”, consolidating not only the fame of the band but also rooting the sound and spirit of metal: powerful, rebellious and deeply connected to the social and political realities of the time. With the rise of Black Sabbath, the extravagant and out of the ordinary figure of Ozzy Osbourne also increasingly asserted himself, who, in addition to becoming a hotbed of anecdotes – more or less extreme, more or less real – that have enriched and continue to enrich the annals of rock history, with his penetrating voice and magnetic presence, became central to the success of the band and the genre.

Rise and Evolution

In the following years, Black Sabbath continued to amaze with albums such as “Master of reality” (1971) and “Sabbath bloody Sabbath” (1973).

Each album represented an evolution, both musically and thematically. The band explored increasingly complex sounds, with heavy riffs and lyrics that tackled existential and philosophical themes. Their music became a sort of spiritual journey, an exploration of the darkness and light of the human soul. Each member of the band’s original lineup played a crucial role in this evolution. Each of them brought a unique contribution, creating a sound that was more than the sum of its parts. Tony Iommi, with his unmistakable riffs, and Geezer Butler, with his deep lyrics and pulsating bass, formed a formidable creative tandem. Bill Ward, with his dynamic drumming, completed the picture. Despite lineup changes and personal challenges, marked by the band’s perennial instability after Osbourne’s final exit in 1979 – which went on to launch a successful solo career that continues to give him satisfaction to this day – Black Sabbath remained an indomitable creative force, first led by singer Ronnie James Dio (who many credit with popularizing the horns gesture as a sign of recognition among heavy metal fans) and then by Ian Gillan, David Donato, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen and Tony Martin.

Anecdotes and curiosities

Black Sabbath’s history is filled with legendary moments. Tony Iommi, the genius behind the band’s iconic riffs, suffered a serious hand injury shortly before forming Black Sabbath. The accident forced him to develop a unique guitar technique, which helped define the band’s distinctive sound. Another famous anecdote concerns the birth of the song “Paranoid”. Composed in a few minutes to fill a gap in the album, the song quickly became one of the band’s most beloved and iconic songs. Ozzy Osbourne, known for his eccentricities, became an iconic figure in the world of rock. Among the many legendary episodes, one of the most famous is the one with the bat: during a concert, Ozzy bit the head of a live bat, believing it to be plastic. This gesture, although controversial, helped consolidate his image as the “Prince of Darkness”.

Legacy and influence

Black Sabbath’s ability to combine sonic power and lyrical depth, influencing many other bands, from Metallica to Iron Maiden, for example, has significantly marked the evolution of rock and metal.

In recognition of their fundamental contribution to music, after five missed opportunities, Black Sabbath were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006. At the awards ceremony, which was attended by the original lineup of the group consisting of Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, the band was inducted into the “Olympus of rock” by Metallica. Five years later, the original Black Sabbath announced their intention to reunite with the original lineup for a 2012 world tour and album recording. However, on February 3, 2012, Bill Ward announced his decision to part ways with the group, which just two weeks later was also forced to cancel the dates of the European tour due to a lymphoma previously diagnosed to Tony Iommi. Despite these problems, on January 13, 2013, “13” was announced, Black Sabbath’s nineteenth album, which, released in June of the same year, marked the band’s return to the recording industry since 1995’s “Forbidden”, and was the first studio work with Osbourne since 1978’s “Never Say Die!”, and with Butler since 1994’s “Cross Purposes”. The album was supported by a musical tour that started in 2012 and ended in 2014, followed by a farewell tour. “The End” was the title chosen for the last series of concerts staged between 2016 and 2017 and the final EP of Black Sabbath, but it was also the declaration of intent with which the members of the original lineup Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne, albeit without Bill Ward, decided to close the almost fifty-year adventure of the British band. Five years after the group showed their determination to put an end to their story with an unequivocal message posted on social media in 2017, Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi have returned to cross their voices and guitars in a song, “Degradation Rules”, released in July 2022 as an extract from Osbourne’s thirteenth solo studio album, “Patient Number 9”.