Black Sabbath consists of Bill Ward (drummer), Geezer Butler (bassist), Ozzy Osbourne (singer), Tony Iommi (guitarist).
This article is about the British heavy metal band. For the 1946 British arrests of Jewish paramilitaries, see Operation Agatha. For the 1963 film see Black Sabbath (film)
Black Sabbath (sometimes called Sabbath by fans) is a British heavy metal band, originally comprising Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer (Terrance) Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums). They are cited by many as the very first true heavy metal band.
Black Sabbath formed in Birmingham, England in 1969 under the name Polka Tulk Blues Band (soon shortened to "Polka Tulk"), and later Earth. Initially a blues-rock band, Earth moved in a darker direction when their bassist, Geezer Butler, a fan of the black magic novels of Dennis Wheatley, wrote an occult-themed song titled "Black Sabbath" (the song name was apparently inspired by a 1963 Mario Bava film). (In their reunion concert film, the band stated that the song is based on an experience Geezer had one night when he saw a black object at the end of his bed and noticed the next day that an occult book Ozzy had given him was missing). When the band found themselves being confused with another local band called Earth, they adopted the song title as their new name.
The band originated as a blues-influenced hard rock group, but as they progressed they added more European folk elements and gothic flourishes to their sound, a sound that was not like any other group during their time. Their lyrics dealt with darker issues than most conventional rock as well. During a time, the late 60s, when other bands were into the peace movement and the hippie culture, Sabbath chose to distinguish themselves by dealing with heavier issues. In their music, they also conveyed a sense of anger and anti-establishment, the likes of which had never been heard before. The band also dealt with issues such as drugs (to which they were developing a growing dependence).
