As a founder of the heavy metal genre, Ozzy Osbourne has seen the landscape change markedly since Black Sabbath burst onto the scene in 1970. The band established the blueprint for dark rock music moving forward by creating tangible mystery with the sludgy, detuned riffs of Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler’s occult-fascinated lyrics.
Other bands, such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, certainly had a hand in taking rock down a more sinister route. However, no one’s efforts symbolised the collapse of the countercultural dream into pitch-black darkness as much as Sabbath’s.
Arriving at the turn of the decade, the four Brummie horsemen’s advent occurred at a suspiciously apt time, as the Manson Murders and a dire economic state set up a new decade that was to be much more horrifying than anyone could have imagined. Black Sabbath’s music was perfect for this world, and it wouldn’t take long for people to grasp its effectiveness.
Releasing their initial two albums in 1970, this duo not only established a precedent for the future of rock but also reflected a remarkable degree of artistic refinement from the quartet in a relatively brief timeframe. The second album, Paranoid, is universally acclaimed as their masterpiece, surpassing its predecessor in terms of accomplishment.
The emergence of Black Sabbath injected new energy into British music, paving the way for a wave of other influential acts in the metal genre. Among these, Judas Priest stands out as a seminal outfit that also originated in the post-industrial landscape of Birmingham. They encapsulated the unyielding intensity of the factories into their sonic palette. While Judas Priest tends to be more dramatic than Sabbath, a close connection between the two persists. Years after both bands had asserted their dominance and fame had taken its toll, Priest’s frontman Rob Halford even stepped in to fill for a beleaguered Black Sabbath, highlighting the enduring camaraderie between the two iconic groups.
Ozzy Osbourne has outlined his love for Judas Priest on numerous occasions. When listing his favourite metal albums for Rolling Stone in 2017, he chose their 1980 record British Steel as part of his collection. Noting the variety of classic tracks it contains, he maintained that it will “stand the test of time”.
Osbourne said: “What can I say? The guys in Judas Priest are not only mates of mine from my hometown of Birmingham but one of the best metal bands of all time. This album had ‘Living After Midnight’, ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Metal Gods’. British Steel is a classic that will definitely stand the test of time.”
Listen to British Steel below.
