Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is one of the oldest and most well-known metal bands of all time, but they are much more than that -- they are the single most important band in the history of heavy metal, virtually defining the genre with the eight Ozzy-era albums (Black Sabbath through Never Say Die) of the seventies. As such, guitarist Tony Iommi might well be considered the father of the metal guitar riff, his distinctive style really unlike anyone else at the time, influencing an infinite number of guitarists that have followed. And they achieved their initial fame without major airplay, as really only "Paranoid" was a bonafide hit at the time. But those 70's releases contain some of the finest metal songs ever, such as "Black Sabbath" (the ultimate doom song), "Iron Man", "Sweet Leaf", "Symptom Of The Universe" (possibly the #1 BNR song of all time) and so many more.

Though Sabbath ruled the seventies without question, the succeeding years were a mixed bag. With Ozzy Osbourne out of the band and on his own, the vocalist spot fell to Rainbow man Ronnie James Dio, and the two studio albums he did with the band injected some much-needed new life into a band that by the late seventies was showing its age. Former Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan was an odd, interesting choice to succeed Dio, and the resulting Born Again album was inconsistent and not terribly well received, though it clearly had it's moments with songs such as "Zero The Hero". After that, the members grew apart and the band essentially dissolved, with the next album, Seventh Star, really a Iommi solo project released under the Black Sabbath name. Iommi and several lineups released several albums over the next decade, with only 1992's Dehumanizer, featuring a temporary return of Dio, sparking major interest, and the band gradually became more and more inactive as the nineties winded down.

Finally, in 1997, the original foursome came back together. Several reunion shows were done, some of which were released as Reunion (along with two studio tracks). Since then, the band has been an on-again, off-again affair, as Ozzy has continued his solo career both as a musician and as a general celebrity. Most recently has been the emergence of Heaven And Hell, featuring Dio, Iommi, Butler, and Vinny Appice -- a successful venture until Dio's untimely passing in May 2010. And finally, in November 2011, the original foursome has once again announced a reunion, complete with an upcoming album and tour.

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Discography

Studio Live Compilation Video

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