The Complete History of Black Sabbath

The definitive history of the band that invented heavy metal—featuring rare photographs, a complete discography and an introduction by Robb Flynn. With its infernal sound and dark lyrics, Black Sabbath has been a force of nature for half a century. Its career spans eleven different line-ups and nineteen studio albums in addition to the twenty-eight solo albums of the original four members. The band began in 1968, playing blues rock on the cover circuit of Birmingham, England. But guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne, and drummer Bill Ward would soon define a new genre of music—and make themselves world famous. Joel McIver explores the complete history of Sabbath, from precursor bands to history-making albums and on to the present. With more than 150 photos, a gatefold family tree tracing the development of the band, a complete discography, and a foreword by Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn, this is the must-have book for any Sabbath fan.