Black Sabbath were one of the founders of heavy metal, and their story is an important one. Their story is also an interesting and difficult one, filled with both success and failure, numerous lineup changes and conflicts, and millions of albums sold. There have been many books written about Black Sabbath, and Martin Popoff is the latest to attempt to unravel the story of the godfathers of heavy metal.
Structure Of Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose
Popoff has written several other metal biographies, including Dio and Rainbow. He has developed an interesting structure for those books, including this one, which revolves around the group's discography. Each chapter focuses on one album, and is an in depth examination of each song on the album along with all the background information and drama that goes along with the recording process. The tours in support of each album are also covered. Extensive interviews were conducted with all members of Black Sabbath and those involved in the process, and the story is told from their perspective.
Sabbath's story is fascinating, and Popoff brings us into all the drama. There were so many lineup changes, especially when it came to vocalists. Ozzy Osbourne was the band's original vocalist, followed by Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes and Tony Martin. From the reasons behind the lineup changes to the writing of the songs to the choosing of the album art, this book covers it all in great detail.
Black Sabbath Memorabilia
In addition to the biographical and album information, another thing that makes this book really stand out are the photos. In addition to the pictures of the band in various incarnations and settings, there are tons of photos of Black Sabbath memorabilia, including album and single covers, posters, magazine covers, postcards, and many other things.
Should I Buy This Book?
Yes, you should. Black Sabbath helped originate the genre of heavy metal, and it's important to know their story. And this particular book tells that story extraordinarily well. The interviews with the band members give it credibility and a behind the scenes perspective. It's a good read for those who want to get a general idea of the band and their history. It's also a great read for those fans who want to delve deeply into each album and song and find out the details about their composition.
