Metal Music For Beginners Series - Volume I

(As the curtain rises, we see a man donned in a body-length cloak slowly step onto the stage, as if each step brings him closer to his own demise. His face appears to be hidden by the hood of the cloak he is wearing, but it is all too clear by his build that this is in fact a man.... or could he be a masculine interpretation of something far darker, far more mysterious, maybe even far more malicious than any man to have walked this earth???? Regardless, his head, still hidden under the hood, slowly rises to meet the eyes of the audience, as he begins to speak in a low, bellowing, sinister voice....)

"Good evening patrons. I am your host for the evening. My name is not of any importance, as I am only here to verbally walk you through this series. I can only hope that by the end, you will have enjoyed being educated as much as I will have enjoyed educating you. Shall we begin?"

First, I would like to draw your attention to what is arguably the very album that started it all, the very essence of what metal represented, and still represents. The mysterious, the unknown, the dark, the macabre, the sometimes evil, but also the inspiring and the emotional, the raw and the uncensored, and above all.... the infinite.

I can only, of course, be talking about the self-titled debut album from the godfathers of metal music themselves.... Black Sabbath.

All metal heads know it.... those first three haunting notes that break through the rain and thunder montage that begins Black Sabbath's legendary self-titled debut album. Every one of those notes have, at one point or another, struck fear into those who don't understand the morbid beauty of metal in its embryonic form.... and at the same time, they struck excitement into those open-minded and wise enough to realize the beauty behind that of the macabre, of the different, of the STRANGE.

But for those of you on here who really are beginners in the discovery of metal music for yourself, you have yet to feel as we do, but fear not! Help is at hand. You see, in the year 1970, especially in a place like England, though there were plenty of horror stories being passed around from country to country, such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula, not many musical groups were ballsy enough to bring macabre into an art medium that was mainly aimed to lighten and entertain. Very few people regarded being scared, or hearing eerie notes as "entertaining". Frankly, at that time, the most macabre one got (again, arguably) in regard to music was the likes of The Doors and Blue Oyster Cult.... now, don't get me wrong, I love BOTH of those groups with a passion, and have had the amazing opportunity to see Robby Krieger (Doors guitarist) play Doors' music live, as well as see Blue Oyster Cult live not once, but TWICE, and within the same year span, respectively. BUT.... my main point is that no bands were quite as syrupy in their morbidity or "heaviness", if such a word falls into your vocabulary.

And then came Black Sabbath.

Although many people nowadays would listen to Sabbath and think nothing of it, back then, it was about as heavy as it got when it came to its respective genre, especially considering that said genre was barely just conceived upon Sabbath's arrival. They really were the "Forefathers of Metal", one could say. With the self-titled opening track, all the way to the end of the final track, "A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning", Black Sabbath unleashed a medley of darkness that would forever loom over the Rock and Metal genres. Sure bands like AC/DC would soon take the forefront of Rock music in their own right, but Sabbath had a tight and menacing grip on the helm of Metal. Don't believe me? Well, listen for yourself.... after delving into the instrumentally and vocally haunting melodies and harmonies alike that grace your ears with unfaltering creepiness, you will rediscover that which us metal heads had known all along.... Black Sabbath single-handedly created AND paved the way for metal as we now know it. Their mark on this world has been made since 1970, and the legacy of such a mark will far outlive all four original members, and it will far outlive you and I as well.

And now, for your listening pleasure, I give to you the opening track, "Black Sabbath", and the third track, "Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B.".

(As the curtain closes on each side upon the cloaked hooded man, a pair of eerily reddened eyes appear beneath the opening of the hood where the entity's face seems to be kept hidden, then a flash of pearly sharpened teeth manifest into a mischievous smile, as he verbally draws the evening to a close....)

"Thank you all for joining me this evening, ladies and gentlemen.... until next time.... Stay Metal."

- @damiancraymond