Black Sabbath
Formed in 1968, Black Sabbath made their mark on music history with their second album, Paranoid, released in 1970.
With only 8 tracks, the album is recognized as the pioneer of heavy metal as a solidified genre and marks the beginning of the scene worldwide.
Originally formed by vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward, the band is considered one of the most important in the history of rock.
In 1979, however, Black Sabbath changed its original lineup: Ozzy left and Ronnie James Dio joined in his place. Following that, there were several lineup changes during the nearly 45 years the band was active.
THE BAND'S HISTORY
The history of Black Sabbath is long and involves several failed attempts before the band finally took off. It all began in 1968 in Birmingham, England, when Ozzy Osbourne was 20 years old.
The future Prince of Darkness worked as a slaughterer and ended up being fired because he attacked a coworker with a stick after being the victim of a prank.
The young man then decided to place an advertisement in the Ringway Music window announcing: Ozzy Zig Needs Gig.
Geezer Butler, who at the time was working as an accounting intern, was a member of the band Rare Breed and decided to invite Ozzy to take over the vocals.
The singer agreed, but things went wrong right from the first show, and Rare Breed came to an end.
At that time, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were members of the recently disbanded group Mythology. They also saw Ozzy's announcement, and Iommi realized that it was an old schoolmate.
The musicians then decided to form a new band.
Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth: the beginning of Black Sabbath
For this project, the vocalist decided to call on his friends Geezer Butler and Jimmy Phillips. They also hired saxophonist Alan Aker Clarke and formed the Polka Tulk Blues Band, dedicated to blues rock.
With the departure of Clarke and Phillips, the remaining members decided to change the band's name from Polka Tulk to Earth. Initially, they dedicated themselves to playing various covers of famous artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and the Beatles, while recording several demos.
Since the shows were receiving a good response from the public, Earth managed to find a manager: Jim Simpson, for whom they wrote the song "Song For Jim". However, in December 1968, Tony Iommi left the band to join Jethro Tull.
Name change: a terrifying band is born
The guitarist's time with Jethro Tull was brief, and he soon returned to his original band. Excited by the possibility of fame, and since there was already another band called Earth, in 1969 the musicians realized it was time to change their name.
Legend has it that Geezer Butler one day noticed a long queue outside the cinema near where they rehearsed. The people were there to watch the film The Three Faces of Terror, which was released in the UK as Black Sabbath.
The musician reportedly turned to the band and said: "Isn't it strange how people pay to be scared? Maybe we should stop playing blues and write scary songs."
Next, Ozzy and Butler decided to write a song called Black Sabbath, inspired by the work of horror and adventure fiction writer Dennis Wheatley.
However, the song's starting point was a vision Butler claims to have had of a dark figure standing by his bed. In any case, the composition was the initial impetus for the band to change direction, adopting a darker sound and aesthetic.
Thus, they decided that Black Sabbath would be the ideal name for the group's new project. And so, in the late 1960s, bucking the trend of the hippie movement that dominated the cultural scene, Black Sabbath launched heavy metal.
Black Sabbath: the pioneers of heavy metal
Although there were earlier works that could be considered precursors to heavy metal, Black Sabbath was the band that managed to define and popularize heavy and macabre rock, paving the way for many other artists in the genre.
It all began in 1970 with the band's first album, Black Sabbath. Released in February, on a suggestive Friday the 13th, the album was hated by critics and celebrated by the public.
It reached the music charts in the United Kingdom and the United States.
However, recognition truly arrived a few months later, when Black Sabbath, in September of that same year, decided to release their second album, Paranoid.
And it was with Paranoid that the group wrote its name in the history of rock and roll, transforming heavy metal into a musical scene and a true movement, with an album of eight tracks and 42 minutes of duration.
Containing Black Sabbath's greatest hits, such as Iron Man, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, and War Pigs, and brimming with experimentation and memorable riffs, the album is considered one of the greatest heavy metal albums in history.
Black Sabbath's Legacy
Due to Ozzy Osbourne's cocaine addiction, the musician ended up being fired from the band and James Dio took his place. Dio recorded two albums with Black Sabbath, which subsequently underwent several lineup changes, eventually ceasing operations in 2006.
In 2011, the band made a comeback. Two years later, they released their final studio album, titled 13. Between 2016 and 2017, Black Sabbath embarked on a farewell tour, The End Tour, officially marking the end of the group.
Two-time Grammy winner Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Their influence can be seen in bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Slayer, among many others, and remains relevant to this day.
BLACK SABBATH - FUTPEDIAMUSIC SELECTION
Black Sabbath
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