The early ’80s was a pivotal time for doom metal with bands such as Witchfinder General shaping a new doom sound in the UK while back in the states, punk label SST was getting in on doom’s ground floor. Though the album fluctuates between blues-rock boogie (“The Wizard”), psychedelic swing (“Behind the Wall of Sleep”) and heavy metal thunder (“N.I.B.”), Black Sabbath’s debut is the most crucial recording in the history of doom.- JT But when the song explodes into a climax, it’s the sound of doom metal being conjured from the beyond and given unholy life. The opening title track is eerie and grim, slowly creeping with Ozzy Osbourne’s narration of terrifying visions. Though it didn’t have a name yet, and heavy metal itself was still just coming to life, doom metal takes its shape in the ominous grooves and Tony Iommi’s bluesy riffs on Black Sabbath’s monumental debut. Peruse our picks for the genre’s 10 best places to start, and dive into the ominous, diverse world of doom. Though one thing they all have in common is a slower, darker, heavier take on metal than various other genres. Doom metal has many subgenres: Funeral doom, death doom, traditional doom, etc. Over the years, doom progressed from the bluesy Sabbath sound into variations that got heavier, slower, sometimes more emotionally driven and frequently more ornate. Though Sabbath is often considered more of a proto-doom band, they essentially invented the sound through Tony Iommi’s low-tuned riffs and dark dirges. This week also happens to mark the 48th anniversary of the debut album by Black Sabbath, the patron saints of doom metal. There’s a funny irony in putting up a list of essential doom metal records on the week of Valentine’s Day, though it’s just a coincidence.
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