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| by Cosmo Lee |
Heavy metal turns 40 tomorrow, on the anniversary of the release of Black Sabbath.
Without it, you and I would not be gathered here today. There would be no Big Four, Peaceville Three, !T.O.O.H.!, or “One.” There would be no Wacken, Venom, Voivod, or Vader. No Bathory, Beherit, Behemoth, or Belial (Aus, Aus, Bra, Chl, Col, Cze, Fin, Gbr, Sgp, Slv, USA, USA). No Decibel, Terrorizer, or, um, Revolver. No metal maniacs. No Fenriz. No Abbath. No Wino. No Doro. No Danzig. No blastbeats. No mosh. No fun. We would wear lighter-colored clothes. The world would be a darker place.
I first heard Black Sabbath in high school. Some older kids impressed upon me that it was “bad-ass” — particularly Geezer Butler’s bass lines, which evoked spirited air guitar sessions. The record scared me a little. It was so unlike all the other metal I was hearing. I was absorbing so many things at once — ’80s thrash, ’90s groove metal, early Earache, Dream Theater. This skeletal record with minimal artwork was something different.
Now it scares me a lot. So much power from seemingly so little. Four guys tracking live, recording an album in a day. I could stare at the cover for days. By day four, I would probably be stark raving mad. You have to be crazy to make this music. You have to be crazy to like this music. You know what “crazy” is? Crazy is “majority rules.” Mob rules. It all goes back to Sabbath.
Here is a photo of Mapledurham Watermill, the backdrop for the album cover. I hope to make a pilgrimage there someday.
So I wasn't the only one who remembered this! My friend's going to throw a party tomorrow and I'll make a mixtape to take with me there to celebrate this "birthday".
Today, my head aches, my heart throbs suspiciously, my lungs are weak. The weather outside is cold, yet sunny… Not enough for me.
The city is grey, cold, dirty. The river carries mud and the air stinks.
Yet, today is a day in which I can indulge my foulest musical tastes. Mother worries, brothers can't stand it and mock it, and I guess co-workers would disapprove.
Black, black, blacker. The time slips and every song seems to last longer and longer each time. Blues pushed to its logical conclusion.
Now, my destiny: I will grow my moustache
As the admirer of the Allmighty Riff that you are this album surelly had to impress you. It did impress me when I also heard it when I was not that young, in my 15's: it scared the hell out of me.
Has anybody listened to the Past Lives recordings? Their sound live was pretty raw in the 70's, such as in this album. If I could go back in time I would surelly go to see these guys. Man, did they deliver…
Happy 40, metal!!
nice write up!
This reminds me that I still need to send you the DVD of that Paris 1970 show. I'll get on that.
I brought my Sabbath 1970-78 box set with me to work today not even knowing about the anniversary. That's weird.
Beautiful piece. Happy birthday to the young gods.
What about Coven dude? ?Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls? came out in 69.
I agree in spirit, but not letter. Bands like Sir Lord Baltimore, Iron Claw, Blue Cheer and Black Widow all came out with heavy ass shit earlier than Ozzy & Co, along with others. As far as the imagery and vibe goes, the Sabs definitely had a part in that.
Celebrate.
I got into Black Sabbath because of 2 things: Wayne's World and the Nativity in Black compilation. I was in grade school and into Pantera, Sepultura, Metallica, and Nirvana at the time, so when I finally got my hands on Black Sabbath, it all finally started making more sense.
A world without Metal would be a dark, painful place to live in, indeed. All the bands Black Sabbath influenced helped me get through life, and I won't ever forget that.
I'm grateful to have seen Black Sabbath in both of their landmark lineups, the Osbourne/Butler/Ward/Iommi Sabbath at Ozzfests 2004 and 2005, and the Dio/Appice/Butler/Iommi Heaven and Hell lineup at Metal Masters in 2008. Those were life affirming experiences that the everything I committed to this lifestyle was well worth it.
I'm wearing my Black Sabbath shirts this weekend, cranking all my Black Sabbath cd's and I'm going to Kuma's Corner to eat a Black Sabbath burger as a way to pay my respects to the masters.
I'm totally with you Cosmo on the "Black Sabbath still scares the hell out of me" thing. It's utterly amazing that the "first metal album" stands up to 40 years of descendants so well.
Thank you for the music. It shaped me.
thanks for the reminder
Blind Man Gains Sight, Didn?t Know Black Sabbath Were White
DANBURY, CT?This past Tuesday, Barry Hundleman, 43, who had lost his sight as a young child, finally regained the ability to see after a successful operation at St. Joseph?s Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. Hundleman?s first request, after looking into the faces of friends and relatives, was to watch a Black Sabbath DVD he?s…
does any one knows were i can get that t shirt that says “devote your life to heavy metal” ?