The 3 faces of fear...

Black Sabbath is an English group formed in 1968 in Birmingham by Anthony Iommi, John Michael Osbourne, Terence Butler and William Ward. Group considered to date as the forerunner of the Heavy-Metal movement and which has sold no less than 100 million albums worldwide.

Originally, in the 60s, the group was called "Earth" and did more in Jazz-Rock-Blues. It was not until the early 1970s that the band began to evolve profoundly in terms of their sonority and move towards much darker and more sinister songs.

This is how the album "Black Sabbath" was released, a title in reference to a horror film starring Boris Karloff from the 1960s.

The originality of their sound and the showmanship of Osbourne made the album a real success.

In 1971 the album "Paranoid" was released which further increased their notoriety on both sides of the Atlantic. Then “Master of reality” still the same year.

A year later in 1972, there was a new sound evolution when the album "Black Sabbath, Vol. 4" is released in turn, an album in which we see the group embarking on ballads that were not used to them.

At the height of its popularity, the group released the album "Sabbath bloody Sabbath" in 1973. Group that turns to hard drugs all the time ...

It was not until 1975 to see the release of the album "Sabotage" whose title "Supertzar" is based on Gregorian chants and monks' choirs ! These novelties are popular because the album is a success.

But the internal tensions are more and more numerous. And the quality of the next album "Technical Ecstasy" released in 1976 is strongly felt. So much so that the album is a commercial failure.

Osbourne left the ship in 1978, then returned. The album "Never say die!» comes out in stride and explores new sounds, jazz, synthpop and blues. But the mayonnaise doesn't set and the album is another failure for the band.

A year later, in 1979, Osbourne was to leave the band once again, as his drug addiction and lack of involvement hurt the band. It was around this time that Ronnie James Dio arrived and replaced him at a moment's notice.

A salutary replacement which allowed the group to regain success in 1980 when the album "Heaven and hell" was released. This will be followed by a tour where Dio will popularize the "Mano cornuta", a now cult hand gesture that symbolizes a devil’s head with its ears pricked up.

Dio in turn left the group in 1983 and was replaced by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan. This allows the band to record the album "Born again".

Then it was Gillan's turn to leave in 1984 and make way for David Donato. Which will be fired in turn 6 months later !

Meanwhile, Osbourne sees his solo career garner success to the dismay of the group.

Other albums will be released later, but the singer-songwriter turnover will also continue, permanently destabilizing this legendary group which will slowly but surely die out.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

60s Decade :

Evil woman 1969

70s Decade :

The wizard 1970
Paranoid 1970
War pigs 1970
Iron man 1971
Children of the grave 1972
Tomorrow's dream 1972
Sabbath bloody Sabbath 1973
Am I going insane (Radio) 1975
It's alright 1976
Gypsy 1977
Never say die! 1978
A hard road 1978

80s Decade :

Neon knights 1980
Lady evil 1980
Die young 1980
The mob rules 1981
Turn up the night 1982
Voodoo 1982
Trashed 1983
No stranger to love 1986
The shining 1987
Headless cross 1989
Devil and daughter 1989
Call of the wild 1989

90s Decade :

Feels good to me 1990
Anno mundi 1990
TV crimes 1992
Computer god 1992
I witness 1994
Cross of thorns 1994
Dying for love 1994
Get a grip 1995
Can't get close enough 1995
I won't cry for you 1995
Psycho man 1998
Selling my soul 1999

2000s Decade :

N.I.B. 2000
The devil cried 2007

2010s Decade :

God is dead ? 2013
End of the beginning 2013
Loner 2013
Age of reason 2014

Tracks :

1969 ... the very first steps. A style that already shows compared to the standards of the moment. The sound matches but not really the style. A style to say the least innovative ...

1970...a style which for the moment is struggling to impose itself but we have to start one day as they say. To be continued...

1970 ... the title that will really reveal them. A song which dates from the very beginning of the 70's and not from the end. Damn ahead of their time, the little guys on the sound side !

1970...a title that will struggle to exist in the shadow of the enormous previous title. He will therefore have to be satisfied with the crumbs left by the latter...

1971 ... in the midst of a psychedelic wave, it's their way of showing their 'Flower Power'. We suspected that they were not going to do like everyone else at this level ...

1972... the albums work on fire from God but the group has more difficulty in terms of success in the Singles Charts. It must be said that their sound is not really for everyone...

1972... after the important thing is that they are recognized at the height of their talent and given the level of albums sales it is indeed the case !

1973...in just a few years the group will have become one of the planetary musical references of the moment and the story is far from over...

1975...certainly the level of success of the albums will start to decline somewhat in the mid-1970s, but nothing to worry about at this stage in any case...

1976... the level of productivity on the Singles side becomes minimalist and we will have to be satisfied with a single title for this year 1976. We will be satisfied with it without problem...

1977...the year 1977 will not be more provided in terms of titles. That doesn't mean a drop in quality though...

1978...7 years will pass before finding a level of success worthy of the name, at least on the Singles side. 7 years where the production of titles will be consistent but the results in the Charts will be mixed to say the least. It's not easy to confirm all the good we thought of them after their sensational debut...

1978 ... their first year at 2 top hits. The sound is structured more and more and puts them in contact with the best. Like what not much was enough ...

1980 ... change of Captain. And it's a strong takeover, to say the least. In any case, this recovery rhymes with rebirth ...

1980 ... after a slight air hole during the second half of the 70s, business finally resumed at the beginning of the 80s. Like what in music everything is still possible ...

1980 ... well, so here we go straight to 240 km/h ! Real madmen, there are no other words. We are right off the road ...

1981 ... always so fast, always so impactful, if there is one thing that does not change about them, it is the style ! Well, it's also their factory brand ...

1982 ... and what about that one ! A particularly successful track which allows them to record a top hit across the Channel but also to make a resounding comeback in the USA...

1982 ... not necessarily their highest ranked title but the only one that has a more or less normal rhythm. And therefore audible by the general public ...

1983 ... and again, new change of leader. It's a mania with them ! For the rest, nothing changes, it still beats so much !

1986 ... and it continues, new team. However, this time, the style has evolved, that's clear. And rather in a good way because here they are finally in the register 'With emotions' ...

1987 ... hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop. For them, knocking is second nature. The song before was really too soft for them ...

1989 ... a particularly inspired track which allows them to return to success after years of famine. It was time...

1989 ... the end of the 1980s which saw them regain Olympic form. Second title of the year 1989 and second success. The return to grace ...

1989...a third title which will go a little more unnoticed but it happens even to the best. A beautiful and BIG year 1989 anyway !

1990 ... whatttt ! An Ultimate Slow, a real one ! So there guys, we don't recognize you at all ... And my faith, when they want, they can do it too !

1990...another title full of strength and finesse that works perfectly. 20 years after its debut the group continues to impress despite all the changes he has experienced...

1992 ... their best ranking across the Channel for a long time. We find their style of the early 80s ... Good or bad ...?

1992 ... an improvement that will have been short-lived. The relapse is severe, so severe that the group will never recover ...

1994...new slight air hole in the middle of the 90s. It's clear that they can't be on top all the time either...

1994...weakness in the Charts but not qualitatively. The level remains sufficient in any case to keep them afloat at least...

1994...still this ability to produce strength-finesse titles of more than certain quality. We definitely want more...

1995 ... back in the register of brute force but it's a habit with them. It would have been surprising if the band radically changed its sound and style over time...

1995...an adventure that continues anyway even if the best years are now behind them. They don't see it that way anyway...

1995... they nevertheless retain this ability to alternate brute force and finesse force in a way that is impressive to say the least. One of their main strength and this indisputably...

1998 ... in Nirvana mode .... Why not but the copy is not necessarily worth the original ... Anyway, their last notorious hit

1999 ... they will save the furniture with this title but it is clear that the group will never find again the incredible dynamics which carried him during the previous decade ...

2007 ... they will attempt the transition to the 2000s but that will not change the situation at all. When it doesn't want anymore, it doesn't want anymore ...

2013...and yet here they are again almost 6 years later. A return that will not go unnoticed and will delight grassroots fans to the highest degree...

2013... like what in music nothing is ever finished. The proof with this unexpected and above all shattering return to the front of the stage...