Black Sabbath

When we think of a heavy, dark sound that shakes you from the inside, Black Sabbath inevitably comes to mind. From Birmingham, in 1968, this group of musicians —Tony Iommi on guitar, Bill Ward on drums, Geezer Butler on bass, and Ozzy Osbourne on vocals— set out to explore musical territories that few dared to tread. They left behind their previous names, such as Earth, to embrace an identity that would resonate with themes of horror and the occult, all wrapped in guitars with lower-than-usual tunings. Their early works, such as Black Sabbath and Paranoid from 1970, and Master of Reality from 1971, were not only commercial successes but also laid the foundation for what we know today as heavy metal. Later, albums like Vol. 4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976), and Never Say Die! (1978) showed a band willing to experiment, venturing into more progressive and daring territories.

The history of Black Sabbath is marked by constant evolution and lineup changes. In 1979, Ozzy Osbourne left the band and was replaced by Ronnie James Dio, a vocalist who brought new energy and perspective. With Dio, they recorded key albums such as Heaven and Hell (1980) and Mob Rules (1981), in addition to the live album Live Evil (1983), the latter with Vinny Appice on drums, who took Ward's place. After the departure of Dio and Appice, Iommi and Butler joined Ward and vocalist Ian Gillan (who came from Deep Purple) to bring Born Again (1983) to life. The following years saw Iommi lead various lineups, including vocalists like Glenn Hughes and, notably, Tony Martin, whose tenure was the longest after Osbourne, participating in albums such as Headless Cross (1989) and Tyr (1990). In 1992, an anticipated reunion with Dio and Appice took place to record Dehumanizer, although both left the band again shortly after.