(or: Me, Metal, and the Surprisingly Hairy Sound of the 70s)
So. I decided to start my heavy metal research where it all allegedly began: Black Sabbath. You know, just a casual stroll into the birthplace of thunderous riffs, occult panic, and enough drug stories to fill an entire season of Behind the Music.
I picked the first three albums — Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), and Master of Reality (1971). Turns out I already knew more songs than I expected. Apparently you absorb Sabbath through cultural osmosis if you’ve ever existed near a guitar amp or a teenage boy in a band tee.
A Brief History of Men Behaving Badly
Black Sabbath formed in 1968 around Ozzy Osbourne—yes, that Ozzy. The one yelling SHARON on reality TV while casually biting the heads off things. What I didn’t know: he was kicked out of Sabbath way back in 1979 for being a little too committed to the drugs-and-chaos lifestyle. Bold move, considering the rest of the band weren’t exactly poster children for moderation.
Still, he did alright solo. The Prince of Darkness vibe clearly has legs.
Despite mixed-to-terrible reviews at the time, these albums sold remarkably well. Proof that critics don’t always get it—or that people in the 70s were really, really into slow, sludgy guitar solos and vague dread.
What Even Is Heavy Metal?
At this point, I still wasn’t totally sure what makes metal metal. So I came in with a list—because that’s how my brain works:
- Loud, distorted guitars
- Extended guitar solos
- Emphatic rhythms
- Dense bass-and-drum sound
- Vocals that feel like a punch to the face
Check, check, check. Sabbath delivers. There’s a rawness to it—like they built these songs in a smoky garage while possibly high enough to forget they were holding instruments. And I say that with love.
Ozzy’s vocals? Let’s call them... distinctive. They’re the kind of vocals that grab your attention and don’t let go, whether you like it or not. Personally, I found his voice a bit grating. Like a haunted seesaw. But it’s also what gives Sabbath their edge, so I get it.
The 70s, In Sound Form
Listening to these albums feels like being dropped into a time capsule lined with flared trousers and questionable facial hair. There’s a sort of woolly quality to the sound — warm, fuzzy, slightly musty. I kept picturing unbuttoned lambskin vests and too much chest hair. Sorry. It’s just there now.
Planet Caravan is especially... vibey. It sounds like it was recorded from inside a lava lamp. Very spaced-out, very much Not In A Hurry.
And then there’s Warning, which is 10 minutes and 32 seconds long. A song so meandering I genuinely thought my playlist had moved on to the next track multiple times. Guitar solo. Bass solo. Drum solo. Did we change songs? Nope, still Warning. At one point I imagined Ozzy just leaving the studio mid-take while the others jammed, then strolling back in at minute nine like, 'Right, where were we?'
Shorter, Punchier, and Suddenly I’m Singing Along
Thankfully, not all tracks are epic journeys through time and space. Some are actual bangers:
-
Evil Woman – 3:22
-
Paranoid – 2:48
-
Iron Man – 5:54
-
Children of the Grave – 5:14
Catchy, rhythmic, and much easier for my attention span to handle. I’ve been humming I am Iron Man for hours now and I’m not even mad about it.
Fun Facts I Did Not Expect
- Black Sabbath (the album) was recorded in one day, mixed the next. No fuss, just doom.
- Paranoid was originally going to be called War Pigs, but the label got squeamish. Cowards.
- The song Paranoid was written in about half an hour. Because the album was too short and they needed something. And now it’s their biggest hit. Love that for them.
TL;DR: I Survived Sabbath
First impression? A little overwhelming. A little confusing. A lot of guitar. But underneath the rough vocals and eternal solos, there’s something hypnotic about it all. The kind of music that doesn’t ask for your attention—it demands it.
I’ll definitely come back to Sabbath later. There’s more here than I expected, and I’m not quite done with them yet.
Also, I feel like I earned a patch just for making it through Master of Reality without getting lost in a fog of riffs.