Forged in 1968, Black Sabbath laid the very foundation for heavy metal, doom metal, stoner metal, and stoner rock. After several iconic eras and periods of inactivity, including a farewell tour concluding in 2017, indications point towards renewed activity in the current timeframe around 2025. Their early, intensely creative period saw genre-defining albums released frequently, with seminal works appearing in early and late 1970, mid-1971, late 1972, and late 1973. The sheer power and heaviness of Black Sabbath's music make it a potent soundtrack, often cited for high-energy situations, underscoring their enduring, bone-shaking impact.
Black Sabbath's catalog is filled with legendary tracks built on monumental riffs and haunting atmospheres. The namesake song "Black Sabbath" itself invoked dread with its tritone interval. Anthems like "Paranoid," "Iron Man" with its iconic distorted vocal intro, and the anti-war epic "War Pigs" became instant classics. They explored different facets of heavy music with the proto-stoner groove of "Sweet Leaf" and "Fairies Wear Boots," the crushing weight of "Supernaut" and "Snowblind," the proto-doom of "N.I.B.," and the complex, title track aggression of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," defining metal's sonic vocabulary.
