As the 1970s dawned, a thunderous shift rippled through the rock world led by British hard rock bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.
Known by some as the ‘Unholy Trinity’, these three bands are cited as the true originators of the heavy metal genre.
While all three are respected within their fields, Ozzy Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates are generally considered the quintessential metal group.
After forming in 1968, Black Sabbath transcended the confines of conventional rock, infusing their music with a potent blend of dark mysticism and thunderous riffs courtesy of guitarist Tony Iommi.
Drawing inspiration from the heavy rock sounds of their predecessors like The Who and Led Zeppelin, and, of course, The Beatles’ proto-metal anthem ‘Helter Skelter’, Black Sabbath became one of the most influential bands of its generation.
Although Osbourne is regarded as the Prince of Darkness and the original voice of heavy metal, it’s a label with which he’s not entirely comfortable.
While he undoubtedly welcomes reverence in his field, the term “heavy metal” appears too broad. “I hate that terminology,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016, “Because it goes from Poison to fucking Black Sabbath, and there is quite a fucking difference.”
Despite identifying that not all metal bands are made equal, Osbourne has proven himself to be an upstanding mentor in the metal world over the years.
In the 1980s and ‘90s, he took the likes of Metallica, Motörhead and Mötley Crüe on tour with him and has given bands like Slipknot, Tool, Pantera, and Slayer a crucial and ongoing platform at Ozzfest.
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Osbourne was asked to name his ten favourite metal albums of all time.
Among his selections were record collection essentials by Metallica, Alice in Chains, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin and more. Osbourne also saved a spot for one of the metal bands closest to his heart as Birmingham neighbours and contemporary progenitors.
“What can I say, the guys in Judas Priest are not only mates of mine from my hometown of Birmingham, but one of the best metal bands of all time,” Osbourne said, picking out the band’s 1980 masterpiece British Steel.
“This album had ‘Living After Midnight’, ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Metal Gods’. British Steel is a classic that will definitely stand the test of time.”
Judas Priest formed in 1969, just a year after Black Sabbath, and helped put Birmingham on the map as the epicentre of British hard rock.
Robert Plant and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin also found their footing in the Black Country scene as members of the West Bromwich rock band Band of Joy.
In 1980, Blue Steel became Judas Priest’s breakthrough album, earning the band mainstream success despite being their sixth full-length studio album. Listen to one of Osbourne’s favourites below.
