By Abhisek
Black Sabbath is a name that requires no formal introduction. The band had a vision of a darker, heavier and gothic rock n' roll. The psychedelic era was fading away when they emerged as four youths from Birmingham who were disillusioned by the flower power. By 1970, their "Paranoid" was making circles in the radio airplay, and Black Sabbath was declared as the harkers of a new period of Rock music.
It seems rather a coincidence that the heavier distortions of the band was due to the guitarist Tony Iommi's missing fingers, who down-turned his guitar due to ease of playing. Although initially panned by critics as unoriginal and amateur, the band was the first true original Heavy Metal band.
They had always been overshadowed by their most notable rival and the "biggest band of the 1970s" - Led Zeppelin. While Black Sabbath could never outsale or outperform them, they must never be seen in the same light as countless Zeppelin imitators. Both were larger-than-life bands in their own rights.
Black Sabbath's influence crossed over heavy metal and influenced the likes of Soundgarden and G'N'R. Numerous popular culture reference only epitomize their lasting influence.
The departure of Ozzy Osbourne in 1979 was the virtual death of the soul of Black Sabbath. Several line-up changes never catapulted the band to their original stature. However, the reunion and touring of the original founding fathers of Heavy Metal music in recent times seems to have captured the imagination of old-school fans and made Black Sabbath what it originally was- the blackest, scariest and heaviest prophets of Rock music
