Tony Iommi

Before they became the pioneers of heavy metal, the iconic band Black Sabbath was known as Earth. This was a crucial, but short-lived, period in their history that laid the groundwork for their legendary sound. The band, which consisted of Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Bill Ward on drums, first formed in 1968 under the name Polka Tulk Blues Band. They then shortened their name to Earth. During this time, they were a blues-rock outfit, influenced by the British blues scene that was popular at the time. They honed their skills playing clubs in their native Birmingham, England. While touring, the band discovered there was another group in England already using the name “Earth,” which led to booking confusion and a need for a more unique identity. Inspired by the success of horror films, the band decided to create music that was the sonic equivalent of a scary movie. Geezer Butler, the bassist and primary lyricist, was inspired by a Boris Karloff film called Black Sabbath, which was playing across the street from their rehearsal space. The band wrote a song with the same title, “Black Sabbath,” which featured a dark, ominous sound and a sinister musical interval known as the “Devil’s Interval.” The positive audience reaction to this new, heavier style solidified their decision to change their name to Black Sabbath in August 1969 and focus on a darker, more occult-themed sound. The name change marked a pivotal moment, as they moved away from their blues roots and began to forge the sound that would define heavy metal.

August 2, 2025 Admin 0

Back in 1968, they had the decidedly less sinister name of The Polka Tulk Blues Band, and came complete with a saxophonist and bottleneck guitar […]

Over the course of his solo career, the late Ozzy Osbourne worked with a long line of guitar greats, but his partnership with Zakk Wylde is one of his most enduring. Wylde became Ozzy’s longest-serving (and, for many, definitive) guitarist, and contributed to some of his greatest records and tours. In this classic GW cover feature from May 2018, published around the time of Ozzy’s farewell tour, the pair reflected on their three-decade partnership, and discussed how they became metal’s most beloved pairing…

July 24, 2025 Admin 0

In this GW interview from 2018, the two metal greats sat down on the eve of Ozzy’s farewell tour to reflect on their three-decade partnership, […]