Black Sabbath Album «720p»

Release Date: Friday, February 13, 1970 (UK) Recorded: October 1969, Trident Studios, London Producers: Rodger Bain Length: 38:12

The album opens with the sound of a distant, tolling church bell—rain, thunder, and a rolling, ominous bass note from Geezer Butler. Inspired by a nightmare Butler had about a dark, hooded figure standing at the foot of his bed, the song builds using the diabolus in musica (the devil in music)—a tritone interval long associated with evil in medieval times. Iommi’s guitar shrieks a descending, atonal riff before the song collapses into a slow, bluesy doom. Ozzy’s vocals, often described as “haunted,” ask the eternal question: “What is this that stands before me?” The song redefined what a rock song could be about. black sabbath album

A stark contrast. Driven by Bill Ward’s frantic, jazz-tinged hi-hat and Ozzy’s harmonica (a nod to their blues roots), “The Wizard” is a folk-metal hybrid about a mystical figure who brings joy. It proves the band wasn’t one-dimensional. The harmonica and guitar duel in a hypnotic, stoner-rock groove that predates bands like Kyuss by 20 years. Release Date: Friday, February 13, 1970 (UK) Recorded: