BLACK SABBATH
Biography and full discography of BLACK SABBATH, with a page for every album, on METAL BOOST.
English Discography Overview
This English discography hub highlights BLACK SABBATH albums such as 13, Forbidden, Cross Purposes. The album notes emphasize these records' riffs, vocals, production character, songwriting flow and listening context: 13 returns Black Sabbath to low, rolling guitar riffs, sticky rhythm and an apocalyptic atmosphere. Forbidden centers on Tony Iommi’s heavy riffs while bringing together the melodic side of the Tony Martin era and a harder mid-1990s edge. Cross Purposes finds BLACK SABBATH in a phase that lets the Tony Martin-era lineup balance Sabbath's ominous weight with unusually clear melodic definition.
Biography
The Complete History and Musical Evolution of the Founding Fathers of Heavy Metal
1. "The Sound of Darkness" Born from the Smog of the Industrial Revolution
Black Sabbath is not merely a rock band. They were the first musical force to confront the technicolor idealism of "Love and Peace" championed by the late-1960s counter-culture, starkly presenting instead grim reality, horror, and existential dread. Formed in the industrial city of Birmingham, United Kingdom, the band effectively created the genre of "Heavy Metal" by sonically translating the noise of factories and the bleak post-war landscape.
2. Formative Years (1968–1969): The Transformation from Blues to Doom
2.1 The Working Class of Aston and Early Formation
The story of Black Sabbath begins in the Aston district of Birmingham, an environment scarred by World War II and blanketed in the smog of heavy industry. Guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward had been active in a band called Mythology, which disbanded after their final gig on July 13, 1968. Meanwhile, bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler and vocalist John "Ozzy" Osbourne were members of a band called Rare Breed.
The catalyst that intertwined the destinies of these four individuals was a handwritten advertisement posted by Ozzy Osbourne in a local music shop, which read: "OZZY ZIG Needs Gig." Upon seeing this, Iommi and Ward contacted him. Initially, they started performing as a six-piece lineup called The Polka Tulk Blues Band, which included slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips and saxophonist Alan "Aker" Clarke. This name was allegedly derived from a cheap brand of talcum powder used by Ozzy's mother, or from a nearby Indian goods shop, but it was a name the members never particularly liked.
2.2 Renaming to Earth and Reducing the Lineup
After a few gigs as a six-piece, Iommi decided to streamline the band into a four-piece, dismissing Phillips and Clarke to pursue a more solid and hard-edged sound. At this juncture, the band was renamed Earth. During the Earth era, they primarily played blues rock, yet their sound already began to carry a weight and darkness unprecedented among their peers.
In late 1968, Tony Iommi briefly joined Jethro Tull, but he departed after only two weeks to return to Earth. During this short stint, Iommi observed professional band management and rehearsal discipline. Bringing these lessons back to Earth, he dramatically elevated the band's cohesion and professionalism.
2.3 The Fateful Song "Black Sabbath" and the Discovery of the Tritone
The turning point for the band was the fusion of Geezer Butler's occult experience and Tony Iommi's musical innovation. One night, Butler experienced a terrifying incident where he saw a black figure from the dark side standing at the foot of his bed. The next day, he shared this experience with Ozzy, which inspired the creation of the song "Black Sabbath."
In this track, Iommi utilized an interval known in music theory as the "Tritone" (augmented fourth/diminished fifth). Shunned in medieval European music theory as "Diabolus in Musica" (the Devil in Music), this dissonance possesses an unstable sound that craves resolution, instinctively evoking anxiety and fear in listeners. By placing this "Devil's interval" at the core of their riffing, they transcended the boundaries of blues rock and completed the archetype of the style later known as Doom Metal.
In August 1969, to avoid confusion with another band of the same name and to encapsulate their new musical direction, the band officially changed its name to Black Sabbath, inspired by the horror film starring Boris Karloff.
3. The Ozzy Osbourne Era (1970–1979): The Establishment and Collapse of Heavy Metal
3.1 A Shocking Debut: "Black Sabbath" (1970)
On Friday, February 13, 1970, their self-titled debut album Black Sabbath was released. Recorded in just two days, the album rewrote the history of rock music, spearheaded by the thunder, tolling bells, and Iommi's tritone riff on the opening title track, "Black Sabbath."
The album featured tracks such as "The Wizard," influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and "N.I.B.," memorable for its fuzz-drenched bass intro by Geezer Butler. Although critics dismissed it as "belated blues," it was passionately embraced by the youth of the era, reaching number 8 on the UK charts.
3.2 The Pinnacle of Glory: "Paranoid" (1970)
Just a few months after their debut, in September 1970, their sophomore album Paranoid was released. Originally intended to be titled War Pigs, this album tackled deeply serious and social themes, including "War Pigs," which criticized the Vietnam War, "Electric Funeral," depicting the dread of nuclear warfare during the Cold War, and "Hand of Doom," dealing with heroin addiction.
The title track, "Paranoid," was composed quickly simply to fill space on the album. However, its simple yet powerful riff and catchy melody turned it into the band's biggest hit, reaching number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and propelling the album to number 1 in the UK. This album cemented Black Sabbath's global stardom.
3.3 Deepening the Heavy Low-End: "Master of Reality" (1971)
With their third album, Master of Reality, released in 1971, the band's sound achieved an even greater level of "heaviness." To ease the pressure on his injured fingers and achieve a thicker tone, Tony Iommi detuned his guitar by three semitones from standard E down to C# (C-sharp). Matching this shift, Geezer Butler also down-tuned his bass, culminating in a subterranean, heavy low-end ensemble.
The opening track, "Sweet Leaf," is an ode to marijuana; the coughing sound at the beginning is a looped recording of Iommi actually coughing after smoking cannabis. This album exerted an immense influence on the later emergence of Stoner Rock and Thrash Metal.
3.4 Drugs and Experimentation: "Vol. 4" (1972)
Recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, 1972's Vol. 4 chronicles the band falling deeper into substance abuse, particularly cocaine addiction. The track "Snowblind" serves as a direct reference to cocaine, with the word explicitly included in the lyrics.
Musically, however, the album showcases experimental approaches that diverged from pure heaviness, such as the piano ballad "Changes" and the orchestrated instrumental "Laguna Sunrise." While this demonstrated the maturation of Iommi's songwriting capabilities, the interpersonal relationships within the band were steadily deteriorating.
3.5 Approaching Progressive Rock: "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (1973)
1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath marked the pinnacle of the band's musical ambition. Developed through rehearsals in an old UK castle, the album featured a guest appearance by Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who played synthesizer on "Sabbra Cadabra." With complex arrangements and the introduction of strings and keyboards, progressive rock elements grew more prominent, earning the album critical acclaim.
3.6 Prelude to Collapse: From "Sabotage" to "Never Say Die!"
1975's Sabotage was recorded against the backdrop of a bitter legal battle with their management at the time. The title reflected the band members' genuine feeling that their career was being sabotaged. This anger was channeled into the sheer aggression of the music; the blistering riff of "Symptom of the Universe" is widely regarded as a pioneer of thrash metal.
However, by the time of Technical Ecstasy (1976) and Never Say Die! (1978), the band began losing direction due to internal exhaustion and the rise of punk rock. Ozzy Osbourne temporarily quit the band in 1977, and Dave Walker (formerly of Fleetwood Mac) joined for brief rehearsals, though Ozzy eventually returned.
Following the conclusion of their 1978 tour, Ozzy's declining performance and lack of creative drive—compounded by severe alcohol and drug abuse—reached a breaking point. Iommi made the difficult decision to dismiss Ozzy for the sake of the band's survival. In 1979, Ozzy Osbourne was officially fired from Black Sabbath.
4. The Ronnie James Dio Era (1979–1982): Rebirth Through Melodic Majesty
4.1 New Blood: "Heaven and Hell" (1980)
To replace Ozzy, the band recruited Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Rainbow. Dio's arrival brought about a dramatic chemical reaction. In stark contrast to Ozzy's eerie, bluesy delivery, Dio's operatic, powerful vocals and fantasy-driven lyrical themes transformed Sabbath's sound into something far more structured and melodious.
The 1980 album Heaven and Hell, produced by Martin Birch, delivered a clear and dynamic sonic landscape. The title track "Heaven and Hell" and the high-tempo "Neon Knights" resonated with the rising New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement, capturing a new generation of fans and staging a complete resurgence for the band.
4.2 Drummer Change and "Mob Rules" (1981)
During the Heaven and Hell tour, original drummer Bill Ward left the band due to personal struggles with alcoholism and emotional distress following the passing of his parents. American drummer Vinny Appice was brought in as his replacement.
Produced by the new lineup, 1981's Mob Rules built upon the success of its predecessor while forging a heavier, darker texture. Tracks like "The Sign of the Southern Cross" are celebrated as masterpieces that fully showcased the immense expressive power of Dio's vocals.
4.3 "Live Evil" and Rift
The honeymoon period for this lineup did not last long. Tension between the Iommi/Butler camp and the Dio/Appice camp grew during the mixing of the 1982 live album Live Evil, and Dio and Appice left to form the band Dio. A story that Dio sneaked into the studio at night to turn up his vocals is often told; Ultimate Classic Rock calls it probably apocryphal and points instead to Dio's long-standing wish to go his own way, while The Guardian describes a quarrel with the other members over how loud his vocals were.
5. An Era of Turmoil (1983–1986): A Revolving Door of Personnel
5.1 Deep Purple Sabbath: "Born Again" (1983)
In 1983, the band shocked the rock world by recruiting Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan on vocals. With Bill Ward also returning, Born Again emerged as an eccentric masterpiece, blending Gillan's trademark high-pitched screams with Sabbath's doom-laden sound.
However, opinions were highly polarized regarding the garish cover art featuring a devil baby and the muddy production quality. Furthermore, an infamous blunder occurred on tour when the Stonehenge stage props were mistakenly ordered in feet instead of meters, resulting in a set too massive to fit inside venues. This incident is widely believed to have inspired a legendary joke in the movie This Is Spinal Tap. Ward was ultimately unable to join the tour, and Bev Bevan of ELO stepped in on drums.
5.2 Iommi's Solitary Battle: "Seventh Star" (1986)
Following Gillan's departure for the Deep Purple reunion, Black Sabbath was effectively defunct. Tony Iommi intended to record his first solo album, but record company pressure forced him to release it under the moniker "Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi."
This resulted in 1986's Seventh Star. It featured former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes, but the material leaned heavily toward blues-influenced hard rock, drifting far from the traditional Sabbath aesthetic. Hughes was fired shortly after the tour began due to voice issues and substance abuse problems, and an unknown newcomer, Ray Gillen, was hastily brought in as a substitute.
6. The Tony Martin Era (1987–1995): An Era of Underappreciated Craftsmen
6.1 From "The Eternal Idol" to "Headless Cross"
Following Ray Gillen's departure, Tony Martin joined as the new vocalist in 1987. Possessing a powerful high-register and lyricism reminiscent of Dio, Martin proved to be an excellent match for Iommi. After 1987's The Eternal Idol, legendary drummer Cozy Powell joined the ranks for the release of 1989's Headless Cross.
Headless Cross achieved significant critical acclaim, particularly in the European market, as an Epic Metal masterpiece defined by a return to occult lyrical themes and anchored by Powell's thunderous drumming. The subsequent 1990 release, Tyr, drew thematic inspiration from Norse mythology, presenting a polished, heavy sound with toned-down doom elements.
6.2 A Brief Reunion on "Dehumanizer"
In 1991, after Geezer Butler had joined Dio on stage at one of Dio's shows in Minneapolis, Ronnie James Dio, Butler and Vinny Appice returned to recreate the iconic Mob Rules lineup. 1992's Dehumanizer delivered an incredibly heavy, cold texture bordering on industrial metal, seemingly responding to the peak of the grunge phenomenon. However, the reunion proved short-lived due to friction when Dio refused to perform as an opening act for Ozzy Osbourne's retirement concerts.
6.3 The Final Missteps: "Cross Purposes" and "Forbidden"
Following Dio's departure, Tony Martin was brought back to release Cross Purposes in 1994. While this album was a well-balanced and solid effort, 1995's Forbidden faced severe criticism. Produced by Ernie C of Body Count and featuring a guest appearance by rapper Ice-T, the album was widely seen as a symbol of a band that had lost its way. This release marked the beginning of a prolonged hiatus from studio recordings.
7. Return of the Original Lineup and the Final Chapter (1997–2026)
7.1 Reunion and Ozzfest
In 1997, the long-awaited reunion of the four original members, including Ozzy Osbourne, finally materialized. Black Sabbath toured as the headliners of Ozzfest, and released the live album Reunion in 1998. The live rendition of "Iron Man" featured on the album won a Grammy Award.
7.2 Heaven & Hell
In 2006, coinciding with Black Sabbath's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Iommi and Butler re-teamed with Dio to tour and record under the moniker "Heaven & Hell." They released the studio album The Devil You Know in 2009, but the project came to a tragic end in 2010 when Ronnie James Dio passed away from stomach cancer.
7.3 "13" and The End Tour
On November 11, 2011, a full reunion of the original lineup and a new studio album were announced. However, due to contractual disputes, Bill Ward did not participate, and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine stepped in to handle the drumming duties for the recordings.
Released in 2013 and produced by Rick Rubin, the album 13 debuted at number 1 on both the UK and US charts. This marked the band's first UK number 1 album in 43 years since Paranoid.
For their farewell "The End Tour," Tommy Clufetos, who had been drumming for Ozzy's solo band, performed on drums. On February 4, 2017, with a performance in their hometown of Birmingham, Black Sabbath closed the tour and drew a line under their nearly 50-year career. In 2025 the band returned to Birmingham for their final concert, Back To The Beginning.
7.4 Tony Iommi's Solo Album "From the Dark" (2026)
On July 29, 2026, Tony Iommi announced the solo album From the Dark at a global streaming event in his home city of Birmingham, where its first single, "World Alone," premiered. It is his first solo album since Fused in 2005 and his first full-length record of any kind since 13, Black Sabbath's last studio album, in 2013; the Norwegian singer Jorn Lande sings all eight songs, with Becky Baldwin on bass and Karl Brazil on drums. Iommi co-produced the record with Mike Exeter, his creative partner of many years. It carries a release date of October 23, 2026, worldwide on BMG, and the Japanese edition, an SHM-CD in a cardboard sleeve from Universal Music Japan (UICB-15025), is dated November 6, 2026.
8. Discography
Below are the details for all 19 official studio albums released by Black Sabbath. Chart positions represent peak positions in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US).
| Year | Title | UK Chart | US Chart | Lineup | Track Highlights & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Black Sabbath (黒い安息日) | 8 | 23 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Black Sabbath", "N.I.B.", "The Wizard" |
| 1970 | Paranoid | 1 | 12 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "War Pigs", "Paranoid", "Iron Man" |
| 1971 | Master of Reality | 5 | 8 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Sweet Leaf", "Children of the Grave", "Into the Void" |
| 1972 | Vol. 4 | 8 | 13 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Snowblind", "Supernaut", "Changes" |
| 1973 | Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (血まみれの安息日) | 4 | 11 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "Sabbra Cadabra" |
| 1975 | Sabotage | 7 | 28 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Symptom of the Universe", "Hole in the Sky" |
| 1976 | Technical Ecstasy | 13 | 51 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Dirty Women", "It's Alright" |
| 1978 | Never Say Die! | 12 | 69 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Never Say Die", "Junior's Eyes" |
| 1980 | Heaven and Hell | 9 | 28 | Dio, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Heaven and Hell", "Neon Knights", "Die Young" |
| 1981 | Mob Rules (悪魔の掟) | 12 | 29 | Dio, Iommi, Butler, Appice | "The Mob Rules", "Turn Up the Night" |
| 1983 | Born Again (悪魔の落とし子) | 4 | 39 | Gillan, Iommi, Butler, Ward | "Trashed", "Zero the Hero", "Disturbing the Priest" |
| 1986 | Seventh Star | 27 | 78 | Hughes, Iommi, Spitz, Singer | "No Stranger to Love", "In for the Kill" |
| 1987 | The Eternal Idol | 66 | 168 | Martin, Iommi, Spitz, Singer | "The Shining", "Eternal Idol" |
| 1989 | Headless Cross | 31 | 115 | Martin, Iommi, Cottle, Powell | "Headless Cross", "Devil & Daughter" |
| 1990 | Tyr | 24 | - | Martin, Iommi, Murray, Powell | "Anno Mundi", "The Sabbath Stones" |
| 1992 | Dehumanizer | 28 | 44 | Dio, Iommi, Butler, Appice | "TV Crimes", "Computer God" |
| 1994 | Cross Purposes | 41 | 122 | Martin, Iommi, Butler, Rondinelli | "I Witness", "Cross of Thorns" |
| 1995 | Forbidden | 71 | - | Martin, Iommi, Murray, Powell | "Get a Grip", "Kiss of Death" |
| 2013 | 13 | 1 | 1 | Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, Wilk | "God Is Dead?", "End of the Beginning" |
Live Albums & Compilations
| Year | Title | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Live at Last | Live | Live recordings from 1973. Released without the band's permission. |
| 1982 | Live Evil | Live | Live album from the Dio era. The mixing caused the rift within the band. |
| 1998 | Reunion | Live | Original lineup reunion live album. Features two new tracks. |
| 2002 | Past Lives | Live | Deluxe album adding 1975 recordings to "Live at Last." |
| 2007 | The Dio Years | Comp | Best-of compilation of the Dio era. Includes three new tracks (the catalyst for forming Heaven & Hell). |
| 2013 | Live... Gathered in Their Masses | Live | Live audio and video release capturing the tour for the album "13." |
| 2017 | The End: Live in Birmingham | Live | The final live album capturing their farewell performance in Birmingham. |
9. Personnel Timeline
Throughout the history of Black Sabbath, guitarist Tony Iommi remains the sole member to have stayed with the band continuously from its formation in 1968 to its dissolution in 2017. The active periods for key members are outlined below.
| Member | Role | Years Active |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Iommi | Guitar | 1968-2017 |
| Ozzy Osbourne | Vocals | 1968-1977, 1978-1979, 1985, 1997-2006, 2011-2017 |
| Geezer Butler | Bass | 1968-1984, 1991-1994, 1997-2006, 2011-2017 |
| Bill Ward | Drums | 1968-1980, 1982-1983, 1984, 1994, 1997-2006, 2011 (Demo) |
| Ronnie James Dio | Vocals | 1979-1982, 1991-1992, 2006-2010 (H&H) |
| Vinny Appice | Drums | 1980-1982, 1991-1992, 1998, 2006-2010 (H&H) |
| Tony Martin | Vocals | 1987-1991, 1993-1997 |
| Geoff Nicholls | Keyboards | 1979-2004 (Long-standing support member) |
| Cozy Powell | Drums | 1988-1991, 1994-1995 |
| Neil Murray | Bass | 1989-1991, 1994-1995 |
| Ian Gillan | Vocals | 1983-1984 |
| Glenn Hughes | Vocals | 1985-1986 |
| Bev Bevan | Drums | 1983-1984, 1987 |
| Tommy Clufetos | Drums | 2012-2017 (Live Member) |
| Brad Wilk | Drums | 2013 (Studio Album '13') |
10. Legacy as the Founding Fathers of Heavy Metal
The musical legacy of Black Sabbath is immeasurably vast. The technique of "down-tuning," which Tony Iommi devised to overcome his physical handicap, combined with the use of the once-forbidden "tritone," established a vocabulary of "ominousness" and "heaviness" that had never existed in rock music before.
Black Sabbath's music provided the inspiration for speed and aggression to thrash metal bands like Metallica and Slayer, while passing down its heavy, brooding groove to grunge bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden. Furthermore, in genres like Doom Metal and Stoner Rock, Black Sabbath's first four albums are revered as sacred texts.
Moreover, the diversity brought by members of each era—Ozzy Osbourne's charisma, Geezer Butler's social and philosophical lyrics, Bill Ward's jazz-inflected drumming approach, Ronnie James Dio's melodic majesty, and Tony Martin's lyricism—contributed heavily to the band's longevity.
By merging the cacophony of factories with the terror of horror films and staring straight into the dark underbelly of the world, Black Sabbath forged one of the most enduring and powerful genres in music history. Even after their dissolution, their echo continues to resonate undiminished in the hearts of heavy metal fans worldwide.
Trivia
In Japan, the 1970 debut Black Sabbath is known under a translated title meaning 'the black day of rest' — a Japanese rendering of the phrase 'black sabbath' itself. According to Universal Music Japan, the record was released on Britain's Vertigo label on February 13, 1970, which happened to be a Friday. Produced by Roger Bain, it is regarded as a landmark that took jazz and blues apart and rebuilt them into heavy rock, reaching No. 8 in the UK and No. 23 in the US — a band of such dark repute having, fittingly, marked its very starting point on Friday the 13th.
Black Sabbath, in the lineup that included Ozzy Osbourne, made its first-ever visit to Japan at Ozzfest Japan 2013, held on May 11 and 12, 2013 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. The band closed the two-day festival, opening with 'War Pigs' before rolling through songs from their first four albums. They also gave an early airing to 'God Is Dead?,' a new track from 13, which was due out that June, then ended the main set with 'Children Of The Grave' before an encore that ran the intro of 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' straight into 'Paranoid' — a set of about ninety minutes.
Released in 2013, 13 brought Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne back into a studio together for the first time in thirty-five years — since 1978's Never Say Die. It was produced by the Grammy-winning Rick Rubin, with Brad Wilk newly brought in on drums. Original drummer Bill Ward had stood alongside the other three when the reunion was announced at the end of 2011, but he split from the band in 2012 over a contract he could not agree to, and did not take part in the album.
The band started out as a blues group called Earth, but changed its name after finding that another band was already using it. The new name came from one of their own songs, 'Black Sabbath,' whose title is usually traced to the 1963 Boris Karloff horror film Black Sabbath, directed by Italy's Mario Bava. Accounts of exactly how differ, however: by one telling, singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler had seen the film and set out to write a song with that title, while guitarist Tony Iommi has said that none of the band had actually seen it at the time.
Heavy metal's heavy sound can be traced back to an accident Tony Iommi suffered at seventeen. On what was to be his last shift at a sheet-metal factory — he was about to head off on a European tour with a band — his hand was caught in a huge guillotine-style press, taking the tips off two fingers on his fretting hand. Doctors removed the bone and told him he might as well forget about playing, but he refused to accept that. A turning point came when his former foreman from the factory visited and brought along records by Django Reinhardt, a jazz guitarist who had kept playing after several of his fingers were damaged in a fire. Iommi fashioned his own fingertip caps by melting down a plastic detergent bottle and covering the shapes with leather until they felt right, then painstakingly relearned the instrument. With less freedom in those fingers he leaned on simpler chord shapes — and that very limitation gave his guitar its distinctive, heavier tone.
'Paranoid,' the song most people associate with the band, began life as a last-minute throwaway written to fill out an album. Bassist Geezer Butler has recalled that the second album was recorded largely live in two or three days, and that when they found themselves about three minutes short, Tony Iommi came up with a riff, Butler dashed off the words, and Ozzy Osbourne sang them while reading them for the first time. Iommi, too, has said the track was never meant to be anything more than filler, but that because it was short it became a single — and ended up being how most people first knew the band. The lyric channels the anxiety of depression and drugs, and, fittingly, the word 'paranoid' is never once sung. It reached No. 4 in the UK and became one of their biggest hits.
'Iron Man' tells the story of a man who travels through time and witnesses the end of the world. On his way back to warn humanity he passes through a magnetic storm and is turned to iron. When no one believes him, his anger grows until he turns it on the human race — and in doing so brings about the very apocalypse he had foreseen. Lyricist Geezer Butler has said the song started after Ozzy Osbourne planted the idea in his head: walking down the street one day, he found himself wondering what it would be like if there were a great big man made out of metal wandering around.
On July 5, 2025, Black Sabbath played 'Back to the Beginning,' a final concert that brought all four original members — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — back together in their home city of Birmingham, at Villa Park. It was the original lineup's first show together in twenty years, staged as a charity event with a huge bill that included Metallica and Slayer, and with Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello as its musical director. All of the proceeds went to three Birmingham charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.
News
SHARON OSBOURNE Reveals "We Really, Really Wanted MEGADETH" For Back To The Beginning Concert
She said so in an interview ahead of the October 14 world premiere of the concert film "Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning" in Los Angeles.
BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi Says Ozzy's Passing Has Made Him Reflect On His Own Mortality
Speaking to The Telegraph, the 78-year-old said Ozzy "was a part of my life for 60 years", that he misses him, and that losing friends has made him wonder how much longer he has.
Incredible Long-Lost BLACK SABBATH Live Session From 1970 Surfaces as Unofficial Release "The Lost 1970 Avro Sessions"
The 40-minute set, filmed in Hilversum for Dutch TV show Doebidoe about three months after the debut album and long said by AVRO to have been destroyed in a fire, includes a version of "The Wizard" with different lyrics and a rare live "Warning"; it appears on an unofficial live album from German label Avertigro, limited to 666 copies.
SLAYER's Kerry King And Tom Araya To Host A Heavy Metal Radio Station In 'Grand Theft Auto VI'
BLACK SABBATH's "I" and SLAYER's "Raining Blood" are confirmed for the soundtrack.
Producer Andrew Watt Claims Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi And Geezer Butler Wanted To Make One More BLACK SABBATH Album, Though Iommi Told Classic Rock He Wasn't Interested
On the Lipps Service podcast, Watt said the idea fell through because Bill Ward could not take part. Iommi's account does not tally with his.
'Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning' To Have World Premiere At The Orpheum Theatre In Los Angeles On October 14; In Cinemas From October 28
The Osbourne family is hosting the event, and 50% of ticket proceeds go to Los Angeles homeless charities.
Jack Black Welcomed BLACK SABBATH's Geezer Butler Onstage For A "Jack Sabbath" "War Pigs" Cover At Power To The People Festival
At the October 3 festival, Jack Black played a covers set with the teenage band he performed with at "Back To The Beginning".
TONY IOMMI Shares The Animated Video For "Stormwatcher", The Second Single From "From The Dark"
The BLACK SABBATH guitarist’s first solo album in twenty-one years arrives on October 23 through BMG, with the Japanese edition on November 6. "Stormwatcher" follows July’s "World Alone" as the second single and is presented as an animated music video.
Play MVBLACK SABBATH’s TONY IOMMI Receives His MBE At Windsor Castle
The guitarist was one of sixty-seven people honoured by the Princess Royal at a Windsor Castle investiture on September 30. Iommi wrote on social media, "At Windsor Castle today to receive my MBE!" The honour itself had been announced in June.
BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi Says It Was "Belief In Our Music" That Kept The Band Going
Asked on Full Metal Jackie's radio show about the praise the band has received from peers, Iommi said they did it because they loved it rather than for money, and that with no MTV or internet they had to go out and play the places themselves, so it took a long time to reach the world — what carried them was the belief they had in their own music.
Albums
The two-CD document of Black Sabbath's final concert, played in their home city of Birmingham on 4 February 2017, reissued in Japan on SHM-CD on 20 February 2026.
13 returns Black Sabbath to low, rolling guitar riffs, sticky rhythm and an apocalyptic atmosphere.
Forbidden centers on Tony Iommi’s heavy riffs while bringing together the melodic side of the Tony Martin era and a harder mid-1990s edge.
Cross Purposes finds BLACK SABBATH in a phase that lets the Tony Martin-era lineup balance Sabbath's ominous weight with unusually clear melodic definition.
Dehumanizer reunites Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice for a return to Black Sabbath’s heavy, uneasy sound.
Tyr finds BLACK SABBATH in a phase that reasserts the force of traditional metal through steel-edged riffs, forward beat and proud vocal delivery.
Headless Cross builds on Tony Iommi’s heavy riffs, joining gothic atmosphere to dramatic melodic writing.
The Eternal Idol places Tony Iommi’s heavy guitar at the center while Tony Martin’s soaring voice adds a new dramatic range.
Seventh Star keeps Tony Iommi’s heavy guitar at its core while Glenn Hughes’s soulful, soaring voice gives the music a new outline.
Born Again sets Tony Iommi’s sinking, heavy riffs against Ian Gillan’s rough, high vocal attack.
Mob Rules sharpens Black Sabbath’s dark world around Tony Iommi’s heavy riffs and Ronnie James Dio’s dramatic voice.
Heaven and Hell opens a new Black Sabbath chapter with Ronnie James Dio, giving the band’s heavy riff world a wider vocal horizon.
Never Say Die! finds BLACK SABBATH stepping beyond their usual world of monolithic riffs and oppressive weight.
Technical Ecstasy builds on Black Sabbath’s established weight while reaching toward keyboards, more complex structures and changing melodic shapes.
Sabotage keeps Black Sabbath’s thick, heavy riffs at the center while widening the sound through sudden shifts, keyboards and stacked voices.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is a turning point in which Black Sabbath keep the heavy-riff core of their first four albums while expanding their sense of structure, tone and at
Vol. 4 is Black Sabbath’s fourth album, a record that keeps the band’s heavy, ominous riff language intact while greatly widening its palette of tone, structure, and feel
Master of Reality is Black Sabbath’s third album, and the record that fixes heaviness not as simple volume but as low-slung resonance, deliberate space, and the pres
Paranoid takes the heavy, dark atmosphere Black Sabbath uncovered on its debut and sharpens it into shorter, more direct songs with distinct identities.
Black Sabbath is the debut on which Black Sabbath replaces rock’s usual sense of celebration with menace, slow-dropping riffs, and the weight of silence.
SOLO
Solo releases by Tony Iommi, guitarist of BLACK SABBATH, listed separately from the band’s own albums.
Tony Iommi's first solo album since Fused in 2005: eight songs with Jorn Lande singing throughout, released worldwide by BMG on 23 October 2026, with Universal Music Japan's SHM-CD edition following on 6 November.