Black Sabbath began playing blues rock in Birmingham, England in 1968. Their lyrics became increasingly fixated on the macabre through bassist Geezer Butler, an occult devotee who composed early song “Black Sabbath”, the source of their striking name. While rehearsing adjacent to a theater showing horror films, guitarist Tony Iommi was amused by the absurdity of people paying to be scared, and the group purposely crafted dark, foreboding songs as a musical answer to horror movies - as well as out of a sheer hatred of the then-dominant hippie scene. Their music matched their lyrics. Prosthetics on Iommi’s fingers resulting from losing the tips on his fretting hand during a work-related accident permanently altered their sonic direction. Iommi began downtuning his guitar to ease discomfort while playing, and Butler matched Iommi by lowering his bass tuning. The lower pitch yielded heavier tones – the basis of Sabbath’s as well as metal’s trademark sound. The powerful noise paired with the crazed antics of singer Ozzy Osbourne branded Sabbath the premier anti-hippies, and they found success with their eponymous first album. Recorded in three days, it was released in the UK on February 13, 1970. The buzz around their debut led to a deal with Warner Brothers. Follow-up Paranoid, later the same year, was an even greater triumph. Metal was born.

Official Black Sabbath Website
Official Ozzy Osbourne Website
Official Tony Iommi Website
BBC TV special feature on Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath parody cartoon, “TV Funhouse”