In this exclusive clip from Tony Iommi: The Godfather of Heavy Metal, Volume One, Zakk Wylde recalls the first time he heard Black Sabbath, calling it “beyond terrifying.” By the end of the band’s debut album, Wylde says he was “thanking God for creating Black Sabbath.”
A touring guitarist for Pantera, longtime Ozzy Osbourne collaborator, Black Label Society founder, and leader of Zakk Sabbath, Wylde credits Tony Iommi with inventing an art form. “We’re all employed because of this one guy,” he says, praising Iommi’s completely original approach to riff writing.
Queen guitarist Brian May echoes that sentiment, explaining why Iommi’s playing sounded unlike anything else at the time. While others chased darker or angrier tones, May says Iommi unified the full power of the low strings — darkness, sustain, fifths, and the signature “chug” — into something entirely new. “Completely original. He’s the godfather of heavy metal.”
May also notes how long it took for that originality to be fully recognized, adding that every form of heavy music traces back to Iommi. “Find someone else who could wear that crown. He’s there in everybody.”
From the industrial heart of Birmingham to the birth of heavy metal, it all began with Tony Iommi — the architect of a sound that changed music forever.