BLACK SABBATH Released Their Trailblazing Metal Debut Album 55 Years Ago Today
Back in time
13 February 2025
Once upon a time somewhere in Birmingham (UK) 4 noisy racket freaks – guitarist
Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward bassist Geezer Butler and loudmouth Ozzy Osburne – decided to start a band and were freewheelin’ about what sort of music they wanted to play.
Ozzy said:: “They make movies to scare the hell out of
people, let’s make music to scare the hell out of people.”
The rest is history.
This day 55 years ago, on 13 February 1970, BLACK SABBATH released their
Self-titled Debut LP. An unquestionably trailblazing record for heavy metal
music, sonically and lyrically (Satan and Lucifer were regular protagonists in a
world of black magic, hellish nightmares and all related doom and gloom
phantasies, for years).
Rolling Stone said at the time: “An album that eats hippies for breakfast.”
Album Artwork: The cover photograph was shot at Mapledurham Watermill, situated on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, by photographer Keith Stuart Macmillan, who was in charge of the overall design. Standing in front of the watermill is a figure dressed in a black cloak, portrayed by model Louisa Livingstone, whose identity was not widely known until 2020.
The album got to #8 in the UK and #23 in the US.
Back sleeve
– SINGLE –
– ALBUM –
.
And as all Black Sabbath junkies know, the iconic metal titans will play
a final massive show this summer in Birmingham, where it all began.
