19 August 2025: dbkaos "Art of Sacrifice" DiN14; Defense Technologies "Disruption"

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Art of Sacrifice is the debut album by dbkaos. Based in the South-West of England, Dave Hickman, the man behind dbkaos, has had several years experience programming synths and effects for the thirteen sample CD's he's had released by Zero-G (the UK's leading sample CD producer).

This pedigree has enabled him to compose Art of Sacrifice, a well crafted vision into the future of synthesis. Using a computer as the main sound source with external audio contributions from a VCS3, Supernova II and of course access to his vast library of samples, the six tracks display a real sonic depth.

Whilst it might be assumed that such music would be routed firmly in the studio environment Hickman has in fact been actively pursuing a live performance path . Indeed dbkaos has started to build an excellent live reputation having performed several gigs in the burgeoning concert scene in the South-West of England. These include a support slot for System 7 promoted by The Future Sound of Exeter at the Phoenix Theatre in Exeter. Future events include a live set at the chillout zone at this years Midsummernight's Festival in Exeter where Art of Sacrifice will be officially launched followed by a support slot for a Hawkwind / Arthur Brown gig on the main stage at the Phoenix Center in Exeter on 25th October.

Musically Art of Sacrifice slots nicely into the DiN pantheon whilst retaining it's own individual character. Lush, ambient textures are overtaken by frenetic, complex sequencers. Trance like percussive sections give way to surrealistic, dream-like passages. The overall album has a real feeling of a journey although it's source and destination are ambivalent enough to allow the listener to formulate their own path. As such Art of Sacrifice perfectly crystallises one of the main aims of DiN to bridge the gap between electronic musics analogue ancestry with cutting edge digital soundscapes.
 

credits

released July 1, 2003
ambient david hickman em electronic electronic music electronica idm techno modular synth Sunderland

https://defensetechnologies.bandcamp.com/
More information to follow once it is declassified.
 
 
THE PSYCHOACOUSTIC RESPONSE TO SUSTAINED TONES AND REPETITIVE
MUSICAL STRUCTURES: APPLICATION

AS TACTICAL ASSETS AND PROTECTIVE COUNTERMEASURES

Field Applications Development Group

Technical Report
(Declassified – 2025 Release)

FORWARD: Defense Technologies is a private research organization that
develops, commercializes and brings to market key assets for defensive
and tactical use in today's modern world wars fought on battlefields of
today’s hearts and minds. Defense Technologies develops reliable
effective products that are proven to support the efforts and goals of your
organization.
This report has been developed to inform our market customerbase of the
extensive scientific principles and demonstrable phenomena that are the
theoretical bases that drives the success of our products.

1. INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOACOUSTICS IN
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE

1.1 Psychoacoustics
Psychoacoustics is the branch of science concerned with how humans perceive and
interpret sound. Whereas acoustics deals with the measurable physical properties of
sound waves—frequency (Hz), amplitude (dB SPL), waveform shape—psychoacoustics
addresses the transduction of these waves into neural signals by the ear, and the
processing of those signals by the brain.
When the sound source is sustained (as in a drone) or repetitive (as in a looped
phrase), certain perceptual mechanisms begin to dominate over others. These
mechanisms include auditory adaptation, spectral integration, and temporal pattern
recognition, which together produce effects that can be calming, disorienting, or
entraining depending on the precise signal characteristics.
Key psychoacoustic principles in this context:
(a) Overtone Series and Harmonic Saturation
● A vibrating object produces a fundamental frequency and a series of
higher-frequency harmonics (integer multiples of the fundamental).
● The cochlea performs a frequency-to-place transformation, mapping these
components to specific hair cells along the basilar membrane.
● Sustained tones with rich overtone content lead to critical band overlap—where
multiple harmonics stimulate overlapping regions of the cochlea. This can result
in “beating” between partials close in frequency, perceived as a slow amplitude
modulation or “shimmer” [Helmholtz, 1877; Zwicker & Fastl, 1990].

● In a controlled environment, this shimmer can be tuned to produce either tension
(unstable beating) or relaxation (harmonically consonant beating).
(b) Induction of Aural Hallucinations
● When the auditory system receives highly repetitive, low-information input, the
predictive coding mechanisms of the brain attempt to fill in missing or anticipated
patterns.
● This can lead to the perception of phantom melodies, shifting timbres, or
whispered voices—well-documented in experiments with constant-tone or
constant-noise exposure (Kunchur, 2007).
● Such hallucinations occur because auditory cortex neurons show adaptation to
static input, reducing response to actual stimuli and increasing sensitivity to
internally generated neural noise.
(c) Rhythmic Induction of Trance States
● Repetition at rates matching neural oscillations (particularly in the alpha [8–12
Hz] and theta [4–8 Hz] ranges) can lead to entrainment—synchronization of brain
rhythms to the external auditory pulse.
● Entrainment modulates thalamocortical circuits, often producing states of focused
attention, mild dissociation, or heightened suggestibility (Nozaradan et al., 2011).
● These trance states are akin to those induced by traditional drumming in ritual
contexts, but can be reproduced with modern electronic loops of controlled
frequency and spectral content.
(d) Phase Interference Patterns
● When two sustained tones of nearly identical frequency are presented, their
waveforms alternately reinforce and cancel each other—producing beats at the
difference frequency.
● If these tones are spatially separated (e.g., from two speakers), spatial comb
filtering occurs, creating zones of high and low intensity in the environment.
● These moving interference patterns can cause shifting perceptions of pitch,
apparent location, and loudness—disrupting auditory spatial mapping in the
superior colliculus and vestibular stability in the inner ear.
In operational use, these mechanisms can be combined to:
● Maintain troop calmness during prolonged operations (alpha entrainment via
coherent harmonic drones).
● Disrupt enemy coordination (unstable beating fields causing disorientation).
● Mask communications (broad overtone saturation obscuring speech
frequencies).

1.2 Psychological Warfare
Psychological warfare (PSYWAR) refers to the deliberate use of information, imagery,
and sensory manipulation to influence the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of target
populations or personnel. While historically associated with propaganda, leaflet drops,
and radio broadcasts, its acoustic dimension has long been recognized as both a subtle
and potent vector for influence with unique advantages.
● Pre-linguistic Impact – Non-semantic sound affects the limbic system directly,
bypassing language processing centers. This allows influence across cultural
and linguistic divides.
● Somatic Coupling – Low frequencies (< 100 Hz) can produce mechanical
coupling with body tissues, including the thorax and viscera, which can elicit
anxiety or excitement without conscious mediation.
● Persistence in Memory – Repetitive auditory sequences can create involuntary
memory traces (“earworms”), influencing mood and thought patterns for hours or
days after exposure.
Sound bypasses certain cognitive defenses because it is processed pre-attentively in
the auditory brainstem before higher-order meaning extraction in the cortex. This makes
acoustic content capable of influencing emotional state without explicit semantic content
— a quality leveraged in military morale operations, as well as in coercive interrogation
contexts.
Documented PSYWAR sound strategies have included:
● High-intensity noise exposure (for fatigue and disorientation)
● Targeted voice playback (leveraging language familiarity and prosody)
● Sustained-tone and drone application (for inducing trance states or perceptual
distortion)
● Repetitive musical structures (for conditioning and emotional anchoring)

The strategic application of psychoacoustic techniques in PSYWAR contexts seeks to
exploit limbic system vulnerabilities and neurocognitive biases in the human auditory
pathway.

During the Korean War and later Cold War, both East and West experimented with sonic
intimidation broadcasts—ranging from distorted music to pure tones—designed to
reduce morale. In many cases, the semantic content of the material was irrelevant; the
effect relied on perceptual fatigue, disorientation, and disruption of circadian rhythms
through prolonged exposure.

Acoustic methods form a subset of this toolkit, leveraging the non-optional nature of
auditory perception—ears cannot be “closed” as eyes can. Sustained tones and
repetitive patterns have unique potential in PSYWAR because:
● They can bypass conscious filtering, operating directly on subcortical auditory
pathways.
● They can alter emotional states without overt semantic content, allowing deniable
influence.
● They can function in both offensive (degrading enemy morale, sowing confusion)
and defensive (maintaining troop cohesion, masking hostile sonic intrusions)
capacities.

1.3 History of Psychoacoustics in Psychological Warfare
The intersection of psychoacoustics and psychological warfare began receiving formal
attention during the Second World War, when both Allied and Axis forces investigated
the morale effects of sound. While most operations focused on broadcast propaganda,
some units experimented with tonal drones and looped soundscapes transmitted via
loudspeaker arrays to induce unease or disrupt sleep cycles.

The U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) documented early tests in which looped
mechanical noises were used to mask troop movements while simultaneously
producing low-grade cognitive disorientation. Similarly, Japanese forces reportedly
employed continuous percussion rhythms to unsettle prisoners, a tactic later studied in
postwar military psychology programs.
By the 1950s–1960s, Cold War research expanded into subsonic and ultrasonic
domains. Soviet infrasonic programs under Gavreau’s influence investigated the
destabilizing effects of low-frequency drones on cardiovascular and vestibular systems.
U.S. Naval and Air Force labs explored binaural beat entrainment as both an alertness
enhancement tool for pilots and a potential disorientation mechanism against
adversaries.

The psychoacoustic properties of phase interference became a subject of intense
classified interest when it was observed that layered repetitive patterns could produce
unpredictable perceptual “ghost rhythms,” sometimes causing involuntary motor
synchronization in test subjects — a potential vulnerability in battlefield coordination.

Scientific milestones relevant to military application:
● 1930s–40s: Research into the threshold of discomfort and loudness perception
by Fletcher and Munson established baseline curves still used in tactical acoustic
planning.
● WWII: British “Black Propaganda” units broadcast distorted music and artificial
battlefield sounds to enemy lines; the U.S. Army explored “sound camouflage” to
mask troop movement.
● 1950s: Soviet and U.S. laboratories investigated infrasonic (< 20 Hz) exposure,
finding associations with unease, nausea, and reduced concentration—later
confirmed in controlled psychoacoustic trials.
● 1960s–70s: Cognitive psychology began to model auditory pattern recognition,
phase perception, and adaptation effects—laying the groundwork for modern
loop/dronal warfare concepts.

1.4 History of Modern Development — Composers, Artists, and Scientific Context
The modern era of psychoacoustic exploration in a musical context can be traced
through a series of pivotal figures, each working in different cultural and technological
settings. Below is the chronological sequence, along with the scientific background that
illuminates their contributions to the field.

Igor Stravinsky (1913–1920s)
Stravinsky’s early 20th-century work, particularly The Rite of Spring (1913), introduced
repetitive rhythmic stratification and irregular metric cycles into Western concert music.
While not drone-based, the motoric persistence and predictive dissonance of these
rhythmic blocks engage auditory cortex pattern-recognition loops in ways later
confirmed to alter temporal perception. Contemporary research by Henning (1904) on
rhythm perception provided early evidence of physiological synchronization to external
pulse. In the 1910s and 1920s, experimental psychologists such as Carl Seashore
were developing early models of rhythmic perception, noting that high-intensity,
irregular-but-repetitive rhythms could shift attention and alter perceived time duration.
Research on auditory chunking (Miller, 1956) and expectancy violation (Huron, 2006)
provides a post-hoc framework for understanding the heightened tension in Stravinsky’s
ostinati.

Edgard Varèse (1920s–1950s)
Varèse’s fascination with pure tone blocks and siren glissandi (Ionisation, 1931) aligns
with early studies on continuous pitch motion and its ability to disrupt tonal anchoring
(Deutsch, 1980). His work parallels the 1930s–40s Bell Labs studies on critical band
masking and the psychological fatigue induced by broadband noise exposure. His later

embrace of electronic instruments anticipated laboratory research into auditory scene
analysis and the effects of frequency sweeps on attention redirection. Varèse’s
exploration of sirens and sustained electronic tones in works like Ionisation paralleled
emerging research on auditory fatigue and the destabilizing effects of pure tones on
spatial orientation (Stevens & Davis, 1938). Sustained high-density spectra are known
to accelerate auditory adaptation, reducing situational awareness—a fact later
weaponized in high-noise battlefield conditions.
Anton Webern (1930s–1940s)
Webern’s extreme use of silence and pointillistic tone events (Symphony Op. 21, 1928)
parallels psychoacoustic research on temporal masking and auditory gap detection
thresholds. Webern’s highly concentrated miniatures, though brief, utilized tone color
melodies (Klangfarbenmelodie) and carefully spaced intervals to maximize the
perceptual weight of each sound. Research in this era (Békésy, 1928) on auditory
masking and temporal resolution revealed mechanisms by which sparse, isolated tones
could heighten the perceptual salience of sustained sounds in other registers. Research
in the 1930s by Harvey Fletcher and E.C. Wente showed that the brain can “fill in”
missing sound elements if spectral cues are maintained. The sparseness in Webern’s
music exploits the brain’s tendency to “fill in” missing sound events — a phenomenon
that can induce illusory continuity effects (Miller & Licklider, 1950). The psychoacoustic
relevance lies in his manipulation of temporal sparsity—forcing the listener’s predictive
mechanisms to work harder, a condition known to enhance illusory continuity perception
(Warren et al., 1972).
Giacinto Scelsi (1950s–1980s)
Scelsi’s sustained-tone works (Quattro Pezzi su una nota sola, 1959) explore the
microstructure of a single pitch. Scelsi’s focus on single notes and microtonal inflections
directly engaged overtone perception and beating phenomena. These pieces align with

research on cochlear microphonic adaptation and overtone fusion, wherein slowly
shifting spectra within a fixed fundamental produce perceptual richness without
harmonic movement. In the 1950s and 1960s, psychoacoustic research (Plomp &
Levelt, 1965) clarified how roughness and beating between close partials create
emotional valence shifts—ranging from tension to serenity. Scelsi’s control of
slow-beating partials mirrors methods used to either calm or destabilize listeners in
controlled acoustic environments. Military interest in Scelsi’s approach centered on the
psychological persistence of single-tone exposure and its trance-inducing potential.
This period saw advancements in understanding cochlear microphonics and the
brainstem’s role in pitch discrimination (Rose et al., 1962).
Krzysztof Penderecki (1960s)
Penderecki’s tone clusters (Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, 1960) produce
critical-band roughness, a psychoacoustic condition wherein multiple close frequencies
excite overlapping cochlear regions, creating tension and sensory overload. Studies in
the early 1960s (Zwicker, Fastl) quantified the spectral masking and temporal
dissonance such textures produce. Studies on roughness perception (Plomp & Levelt,
1965) clarify why Penderecki’s dense textures elicit visceral unease. Similarly, research
into sensory overload, autonomic arousal, and the startle reflex in relation to dissonant
spectra (Gatchel & Prokasy, 1968) informs this interpretation.Prolonged exposure has
been shown to induce heightened anxiety and confusion, particularly when the
spectrum contains inharmonic partials that resist tonal anchoring.
Steve Reich (1960s–1970s)
Reich’s phase music (Piano Phase, 1967) directly embodies phase interference
principles. His work anticipated laboratory findings that slowly shifting phase
relationships between identical patterns can produce emergent “ghost rhythms” and

induce temporal hallucinations (Bregman, 1978) and hemispheric synchronization
(Oster, 1973).
Robert Fripp (1970s–1990s)
Fripp’s “Frippertronics” — dual-reel tape delay looping — created continuously evolving
drones with overlapping phrase cycles. Research in the late 1960s–70s into echoic
memory (Darwin, Turvey, & Crowder, 1972) found that short-term auditory storage
interacts with ongoing sound in ways that can enhance immersion and reduce the
listener’s perception of discrete time intervals. Fripp’s loops effectively extend the
auditory present, a principle also useful in distraction or orientation-disruption
applications. These textures generate perceptual blending effects similar to those
observed in studies of auditory stream fusion and entrainment decay (Zatorre & Belin,
2001) and temporal integration windows in auditory cortex (Cowan, 1984).Layered
delays created temporal smearing—blurring the onset of new events into the decay of
old ones.
Manuel Göttsching /Ash Ra (1970s - 1980s)
Göttsching’s E2–E4 (1984) is a long-form minimalist piece sustained almost entirely on
looping motifs and subtle harmonic color shifts. This has been shown to induce trances
via minimal harmonic movement and stable rhythmic frameworks, correlating with EEG
studies of repetitive-music-induced alpha coherence (Flohr, 1989). From a
psychoacoustic standpoint, it exploits low attentional load repetition to induce a relaxed
vigilance state — a condition quantified in vigilance decrement studies (Parasuraman,
1979). Studies of flow states and alpha–theta entrainment (Gruzelier, 2009) show that
moderately complex, repetitive stimuli can shift brain activity toward patterns associated
with meditative absorption. Göttsching’s balance of constancy and evolution is a
textbook case for sustaining these states over operationally useful time spans.

Boards of Canada (1990s–2000s)
This duo employs detuned loops, tape warble, low-fidelity drones and looping motifs to
create spectral instability and temporal smearing that evoke nostalgia and subtle
unease. The detuning produces slow beat frequencies, while the degraded
high-frequency content simulates aged media—engaging memory systems differently
than “clean” audio. Such qualities mirror research on degraded auditory cues and
memory recall distortion (Lehmann & Seufert, 1999), relevant in psychological
disorientation contexts. Research on context-dependent memory (Godden & Baddeley,
1975) and affective conditioning indicates that such spectral cues can trigger
autobiographical recall or a sense of temporal dislocation. The effects of degraded
timbres, and cyclic motifs aligns with research into memory-triggered emotional
response via timbral nostalgia cues (Janata et al., 2002). In tactical applications, this
can be used to bias mood states, evoke familiarity, or induce low-level cognitive
dissonance.
Sunn O))) (2000s–present)
Sunn O)))’s ultra-low-frequency drones directly engage vestibular as well as auditory
systems, activating subcortical vibrotactile and vestibular arousal pathways, shown in
research on infrasonic effects on mood and physiological stress markers (Tandy &
Lawrence, 1998). Studies in infrasonic perception (Leventhall, 2007) confirm that
sustained sub-20 Hz components can induce anxiety, altered breathing, and even mild
vertigo — effects with obvious tactical implications. Sustained low-frequency pressure
waves engage the autonomic nervous system, increasing heart rate variability and
galvanic skin response—effects potentially deployable in crowd control or deterrence.

2. Theory of Sustained Tones and
Repetitive Musical Structures

2.1 Acoustic and Neurophysiological Foundations
Sustained tones and repetitive musical structures derive their psychoacoustic potency
from fundamental properties of the human auditory system, many of which evolved for
survival rather than artistic appreciation. The cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ in the inner
ear, functions as a frequency analyzer — decomposing incoming sound into its
component frequencies via the basilar membrane’s tonotopic organization.
A single sustained tone excites a narrow region of the basilar membrane. Over time,
neural adaptation reduces firing rates of auditory nerve fibers tuned to that frequency,
altering the subjective timbre and making overtones or environmental sounds more
perceptible. This spectral shift in awareness is central to trance induction: as the
primary stimulus “fades” perceptually, the brain’s attention is freed to wander while still
being anchored to a constant sonic reference.
In repetitive structures, temporal regularity entrains neural oscillators in the auditory
cortex and motor planning areas. This entrainment is mediated by
cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical loops, and it can operate at multiple metrical levels
simultaneously. The listener’s internal model of timing adjusts to match the external
periodicity, reducing prediction error — a phenomenon quantified in predictive coding
models of auditory processing (Friston, 2005).

2.2 Overtones and Harmonic Spectrum Effects
Overtones, whether harmonic (integer multiples of the fundamental) or inharmonic,
contribute significantly to the perceived character of sustained sounds. Psychoacoustic
studies have demonstrated that spectral centroid (a measure of brightness) directly
influences emotional valence judgments: higher centroid tones are more likely to be
perceived as tense or alerting, while lower centroid tones evoke calm or ominous
impressions (Sethares, 2005).
The missing fundamental effect — the perception of a pitch at the greatest common
divisor of a harmonic series even when the fundamental frequency is absent — is
relevant in both music and military applications. In noisy or degraded transmission
environments, the brain’s pitch extraction mechanisms can still lock onto an implied
tonal center, allowing a drone’s influence to persist even if its physical representation is
masked by environmental noise or countermeasures.

● Critical bands: Plomp & Levelt (1965) showed that when two partials fall within
the same critical band (~1⁄3 octave), beating and roughness occur, eliciting
tension and heightened alertness.
● Harmonicity vs. inharmonicity: Terhardt (1974) demonstrated that harmonic
spectra are perceived as stable and soothing, while inharmonic spectra resist
tonal anchoring, increasing perceptual uncertainty.
● Sustained tones with slight detuning can induce emotional instability or mild
anxiety.
● Pure harmonic stacks can promote calm and trust, useful in entrainment or
conditioning scenarios.

2.3 Phase Interference and Temporal Perception
When two tones of similar but not identical frequency are presented simultaneously,
their interaction produces beats — amplitude fluctuations at the difference frequency. At
low difference frequencies (≤ 10 Hz), these beats can entrain brainwave patterns in the
alpha (8–12 Hz) or theta (4–8 Hz) ranges, states associated with relaxed alertness or
meditative trance.
At slightly larger frequency separations, the auditory system perceives a shimmering or
pulsing effect known as roughness, a sensation arising from the competition between
overlapping critical bands on the basilar membrane (Plomp & Levelt, 1965). This
roughness is inherently aversive for many listeners and can be exploited for
destabilization in psychological operations.
In complex repetitive structures, slow phase shifts between multiple patterns produce
temporal hallucinations — the perception of rhythms, melodies, or accents not
physically present in the stimulus. Such illusory patterns can distract attention, alter time
perception, and impair cognitive task performance, especially in sustained exposure
scenarios.
● Studies of binaural beats (Oster, 1973) show that when two slightly different
tones are presented separately to each ear, the brain perceives an illusory third
“beat” frequency corresponding to their difference. This can entrain neural
oscillations toward alpha (relaxation) or theta (hypnosis) bands.
● Amplitude modulation and phase cancellation can cause subtle rhythmic pulses
within sustained tones, altering attention and perceived motion in the sound field.
● Binaural and monaural beat induction can be used to modulate alertness,
suppress resistance, or induce trance states without overt rhythmic content.
● Moving interference fields can disorient targets in a space through shifting
loudness zones.

2.4 Neuro-Rhythmic Entrainment and Cognitive State Modulation
The phenomenon of neural entrainment describes the synchronization of endogenous
neural oscillations to external rhythmic stimuli. This is not limited to the auditory cortex
— subcortical structures such as the inferior colliculus and reticular formation are also
sensitive to periodicity, enabling rhythmic sound to influence arousal, vigilance, and
motor coordination.
● High-frequency rhythmic stimuli (> 12 Hz) can enhance cortical excitability and
alertness.
● Low-frequency stimuli (< 8 Hz) tend to induce relaxation, drowsiness, or
trance-like absorption.
From a tactical perspective, the capacity to manipulate opponent vigilance states
without overt semantic content makes sustained tones and repetitive structures
particularly valuable. The listener may remain unaware of the physiological entrainment,
interpreting the altered state as fatigue, boredom, or ambient influence rather than
deliberate conditioning.
● Large-scale research (Nozaradan et al., 2011) confirmed that the brain’s motor
system entrains to musical pulse even without overt movement.
● EEG phase-locking studies show increased alpha or theta power during
repetitive low-tempo rhythmic exposure.
● Steady rhythmic pulses at specific tempos can facilitate hypnotic induction or
group synchronization.
● Slight disruption of rhythmic regularity after entrainment can provoke heightened
suggestibility.

2.5 Emotional Valence and Conditioning
Psychoacoustic conditioning exploits the fact that repetition strengthens associative
learning between a stimulus and an emotional response. A sustained tone or repeating

pattern paired with a particular emotional or situational context can become a
conditioned auditory trigger.
For example:
● A specific drone frequency played during stressful events can later induce
anxiety even in neutral settings.
● Conversely, a repetitive ambient loop paired with positive reinforcement can
generate calming associations.
These mechanisms are well-documented in Pavlovian auditory conditioning research
(Bouton, 2007) and have direct relevance for both psychological operations and
protective countermeasures.

2.6 Psychoacoustic Vulnerabilities and Protective Factors
While the human auditory system is highly adaptive, it is not immune to long-term
modulation by repetitive or sustained sound exposure. Potential vulnerabilities include:
● Reduced vigilance due to habituation.
● Distorted time perception under entrainment.
● Emotional dysregulation through conditioned associations.
Protective countermeasures involve spectral diversity (frequent timbral changes),
temporal irregularity (syncopation, metric shifts), and masking noise to disrupt tonal
stability. In sensitive operations, dynamic spectral scrambling can prevent hostile tonal
conditioning without requiring high sound levels.

2.7 Auditory Scene Analysis and Perceptual Grouping
Proposed by Bregman (1990), this is the process by which the auditory system
organizes sound into perceptually distinct objects or “streams.”
● Listeners group sounds by similarity, continuity, and temporal proximity. Gradual
transformations—like Reich’s phase processes—force continual regrouping,
extending attentional engagement without abrupt change.

● Overlapping harmonic and noise elements can fuse into a perceptually single
“wall of sound,” obscuring source identification.
● Used in masking communications or embedding subliminal cues.
● Can prolong focus on a sonic environment while inhibiting conscious analysis of
its structure.

2.8 Temporal Smearing and Echoic Memory Manipulation
Temporal smearing occurs when sound reflections, delays, or loops blur the distinction
between successive events. Echoic memory stores these overlapping sounds for ~2–4
seconds, creating a fused auditory image.
● Darwin, Turvey, & Crowder (1972) demonstrated that delayed repetitions can
overwrite or blend with the original sound in memory.
● This effect is enhanced in reverberant spaces or with tape/digital loop systems
like Frippertronics.
● Reduces the ability to time events accurately, potentially impairing coordination or
perception of sequence.
● Can deepen immersion in continuous sonic environments, promoting passive
listening states.

2.9 Infrasound and Low-Frequency Resonance
Infrasound refers to frequencies below ~20 Hz, often perceived through tactile or
vestibular sensation rather than hearing.
● Tandy & Lawrence (1998) linked infrasound exposure (~17 Hz) to sensations of
dread, disorientation, and visual disturbances.
● Gavreau’s work in the 1960s on infrasound “cannons” showed that sustained
low-frequency pressure waves can induce nausea or panic.
● Effective in crowd dispersal, psychological intimidation, or inducing physiological
discomfort.
● May act synergistically with visual or narrative cues to amplify emotional impact.

2.10 Nostalgia and Memory Priming through Timbre Degradation

Spectral cues resembling older recording technologies (tape hiss, wow/flutter,
bandwidth limits) trigger associative memory systems differently than pristine
recordings.
● Godden & Baddeley (1975) demonstrated context-dependent recall: matching
environmental cues enhance memory retrieval.
● Zatorre & Halpern (1993) showed that imagined music recruits similar neural
pathways as heard music—suggesting degraded timbres can “activate” personal
past auditory imagery.
● Used for emotional priming before persuasive communication.
● Can evoke familiarity or vulnerability, lowering resistance to influence.

3. Applications in Psychological Warfare

3.1 Historical Precedents and Tactical Context
The use of sustained tones and repetitive musical figures in military and paramilitary
operations predates the formal science of psychoacoustics. From the horn blasts of
Bronze Age warfare to the drone-based shamanic ceremonies of nomadic tribes, sound
has been employed to shape mental states at both the individual and collective level.
During the 20th century, advances in recording, amplification, and transmission
technology enabled the deployment of complex psychoacoustic strategies over large
areas. Notable instances include:
● WWII-era propaganda broadcasts that embedded steady tonal beds under
speech to manipulate attention and induce passive listening.
● Vietnam-era sound warfare such as Operation Wandering Soul, where repetitive
motifs and drones mimicking funeral rites were broadcast at night to unnerve
opponents.
● Cold War research programs (both U.S. and Soviet) into low-frequency sound
exposure, rhythmic induction, and “infrasound fields” designed for crowd control
or troop disorientation.

The underlying concept remained consistent: repeated or sustained auditory stimuli
could alter arousal, cognition, and emotional regulation without overtly revealing their
influence.

3.2 As Protective Defense
3.2.1 Mechanisms of Efficacy
Defensive deployment of sustained tones and loops aims to stabilize the listener’s
cognitive state, creating resilience against adversarial attempts at auditory conditioning
or psychological manipulation.
Key mechanisms include:
● Auditory Anchoring: A familiar drone or loop can act as a perceptual reference
point, reducing the effectiveness of foreign or disruptive sound stimuli.
● Cognitive Load Saturation: By occupying the auditory processing system with a
controlled, predictable signal, hostile sonic content is partially masked or
cognitively deprioritized.
● Physiological Entrainment to Desired States: Defensive tones can be tuned to
frequencies that promote alertness during potential disorientation attempts, or
calm during anticipated panic induction.
3.2.2 Operational Techniques
● Use of broadband harmonic drones incorporating beneficial overtone structures
to counteract tonal masking attacks.
● Strategic deployment of phase-shifted loops to nullify opponent beat induction or
illusory rhythm creation.
● Spectral camouflage — embedding defensive tones in environmental noise
(machinery hum, HVAC resonance) to maintain continuous influence without
overt presence.
3.2.3 Limitations and Risks
● Prolonged exposure to any fixed tonal environment can produce habituation,
reducing protective effects over time.
● If improperly tuned, defensive drones may inadvertently entrain the listener to a
state that is less operationally advantageous (e.g., mild drowsiness).

● In contested environments, defensive sound sources may be detected and
co-opted by adversarial forces.

3.3 As Tactical Offense
3.3.1 Mechanisms of Efficacy
Offensive use of psychoacoustic repetition exploits vulnerabilities in neural prediction
systems and limbic responses to create discomfort, impair task performance, or induce
disorientation.
Primary offensive strategies include:
● Temporal Disruption: Introducing slow phase drift between multiple loops to
generate perceptual uncertainty about tempo and time passage.
● Spectral Fatigue: Sustained tones within sensitive auditory bands (2–4 kHz) that
induce discomfort while avoiding immediate pain thresholds.
● Associative Conditioning: Pairing drones with negative events to create lasting
aversive triggers in the target population.
Scientific literature on auditory salience and vigilance decrements (Warm,
Parasuraman, Matthews, 2008) supports the idea that continuous low-level auditory
demand can degrade situational awareness, particularly in high-stakes environments.
3.3.2 Operational Techniques
● Multi-Layered Loops: Stacking repetitive elements of differing cycle lengths to
produce emergent complexity and cognitive overload.
● Psychoacoustic Camouflage: Embedding dissonant micro-intervals or detuned
layers to create unconscious tension.
● Dynamic Modulation: Gradual frequency or amplitude shifts below conscious
detection thresholds to destabilize the target’s perceptual adaptation.
3.3.3 Limitations and Risks
● Overuse can lead to target desensitization, requiring constant adaptation of
material.
● Effects may vary significantly across individuals depending on cultural and
personal musical exposure.

● In certain contexts, unintended resonance with environmental structures can
amplify or nullify intended effects.

3.4 Combined Defensive and Offensive Scenarios
In modern operations, it is increasingly common for both defensive and offensive sonic
strategies to operate simultaneously within the same acoustic space. In such cases,
phase-domain tactics become crucial — deliberately synchronizing or desynchronizing
sonic fields to either reinforce or cancel each other’s influence.

Examples include:
● Urban peacekeeping operations where protective ambient sound masking is
deployed in civilian areas while targeted psychoacoustic disruption is directed
toward hostile actors.
● Electronic counter-countermeasures in which protective drones are modulated to
disrupt opponent beat-induction loops.

4. Summary and Conclusions

4.1 Summary of Findings
This review describes the substantial corpus of evidence that demonstrates sustained
tones and repetitive musical structures exert measurable psychoacoustic effects with
both protective and offensive utility in the context of psychological warfare.
Key observations include:
1. Physiological Entrainment:
Sustained or repeating signals can synchronize neural oscillations to desired
tempos, modulating arousal and attention. This effect can be leveraged to
promote alertness, reduce anxiety, or induce confusion.
2. Overtone and Harmonic Influence:
Carefully selected harmonic structures — particularly those with prominent
low-order overtones — can create stabilizing or destabilizing sensations in
listeners, depending on deployment.
3. Phase Interference as a Tactical Tool:
Multiple looping phrases of differing lengths or slight detuning produce evolving
interference patterns. These patterns can evoke altered temporal perception,
disorientation, or trance-like focus.
4. Historical Precedent and Scientific Correlation:
The lineage from early 20th-century composers (Stravinsky, Webern, Varèse)
through modern practitioners (Reich, Fripp, Göttsching, Sunn O))) and others)
demonstrates a continuous refinement of these techniques, paralleled by
advancements in psychoacoustic science.
5. Dual-Use Potential:
The same tonal strategies capable of inducing disorientation in adversaries can
be reconfigured to provide mental anchoring and resilience against sonic
manipulation.

4.2 Tactical Implications

The findings strongly suggest that acoustic domain operations deserve parity with
visual, electromagnetic, and information-domain tactics in strategic planning. Given the
low logistical footprint of sustained-tone deployment (relative to visual or kinetic
systems), psychoacoustic measures offer a cost-effective and adaptable addition to field
operations.
Defensively, harmonic drones and controlled repetition can form a cognitive shield,
reducing susceptibility to auditory suggestion, propaganda, or rhythmic entrainment by
adversaries. Offensively, asynchronous loops, dissonant overtones, and phase-shift
patterns can disrupt group coordination, degrade morale, and impair fine motor
performance.

4.3 Recommendations for Further Research
1. Expanded Cross-Cultural Testing:
Psychoacoustic responses are influenced by cultural conditioning; trials across
varied musical traditions will improve reliability of tactical deployment.
2. Integration with Neurophysiological Monitoring:
Real-time EEG and heart-rate variability monitoring during loop/drone exposure
will enable closed-loop adjustment of sonic parameters for maximum effect.
3. Investigation of Sub-Audible and Supra-Audible Domains:
Further study into infrasonic and ultrasonic repetition patterns may yield
additional tactical channels that bypass conscious auditory filtering.
4. Long-Term Exposure Studies:
Understanding habituation thresholds and potential adverse effects is essential
for sustained defensive use in occupied or contested zones.

4.4 Final Conclusion
The convergence of musicology, acoustic engineering, and psychological operations
research now makes it possible to apply the subtle art of sustained tones and repetition
as a scientifically grounded tactical discipline.
Whether as a stabilizing field for friendly forces or a disorienting field for hostile actors,

the principles outlined herein provide the basis for immediate field trials and eventual
doctrinal integration.
Field Applications Development Group, Defense Technologies Division
Classified – For Authorized Distribution Only
  

12 August 2025: Marsupilami "Marsupilami"; Brad Rose "A Life We Once Lived". Quiet Details 37; Pete Swinton "Light Green, Vol. 2"

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Marsupilami were an English progressive rock band active in the early 1970s. Their name was taken from a famous Belgian comics character created by Belgian artist André Franquin.[1] In 1969, the band toured with Deep Purple, and played at the opening of the Isle of Wight Festival when King Crimson withdrew. They released two albums, Marsupilami (1970) and Arena (1971), on Transatlantic Records.[2][3] The albums were reissued on Cherry Red Records in 2007. The band briefly reunited for gigs in 2011.

Personnel

  • Mike Fouracre – Drums
  • Fred Hasson – Vocals, harmonica, words and music
  • Leary Hasson – Keyboards and music
  • Richard Lathom Hicks – Bass
  • Dave Laverock – Guitar, vocals, words and music
  • Jessica Stanley Clarke – Flute and vocals
  • Peter Bardens – Percussion and producer of Arena
  • Mandi Riedelbauch – Woodwinds on 'Arena'
  • Bob West – Vocals and words on 'Arena'
  • Paul Dunmall – Tenor and soprano saxes and flute

Discography

  • Marsupilami (Transatlantic TRA 213) 1970[4]
  • Arena (Transatlantic TRA 230) 1971[5]
  • In the beginning

    The band Marsupliami borrowed its name from the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin who created this comic character in 1952.   Marsupilami was a cross between a monkey and a cat, yellow with black spots; cute, resourceful and anti-authority.   Perhaps not an obvious choice, but the progenitors of the group, the Hasson brothers Fred (Vocals, harmonica, bongos) and Leary (Organ/piano), with their Anglo-French upbringing, had grown up with this comic character. 

    The idea was not to have a written name, and to use a drawing of the ‘animal’ to identify the group, rather than the name in letters (long time before Prince thought of Symbol) but when Transatlantic Record boss, Nat Joseph, wrote to seek permission, he neglected to mention this and clearance was given for the name only.  At that point a name change was suggested, but Nat Joseph said the name was cool and so it remained.   

    The idea for Marsupilami began in 1968 following a tour of Southern Spain, organised by Leary’s school R&B band, ‘Levitation.’  At the last minute Fred, was drafted in as a replacement for the absent lead singer, to sing standard Soul and R&B numbers. Returning to the UK the band secured gigs at the County Hotel Ballroom in its home town of Taunton (Somerset), backing both The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Joe Cocker Band, , and who they shared a pint with in a nearby pub before the gig.  After these, Fred and Leary were completely smitten with playing live gigs but none of the other members of Levitation could make the commitment.  

    The band reformed going through numerous iterations, including a short period when a bassoon player (Johnno Packer) was featured. The eventual line up for the often called ‘eponymous first album’ was recruited from local bands.  The rhythm section of Mike Fouracre (drums) and Ricky Hicks (bass guitar) came from local blues outfit ‘Justin’s Timepiece’ and Dave Laverock (guitar) came from a semi-pro band, ‘The Sabres.’  Leary’s flute playing, art student girlfriend, Jessica Stanley Clarke (now Jekka McVicar, Britain’s foremost organic herb grower) completed the line up.  

    In a short time, most of the members of the band were living in a farmhouse with a hay barn serving as an ‘open all hours’ rehearsal studio.     Musical tastes were eclectic: Jazz, Classical, Rock and Folk records littered the place: John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders,, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Messiaen, Ravel, Debussy,  Stravinsky, Fairport Convention, Soft Machine, and Frank Zappa – (in particular Absolutely Free and ‘We’re only in it for the money’) and long sessions late into the nights were spent listening to and dissecting the music. Under these influences the music of Marsupilami soon evolved from R&B and Blues cover versions to a very particular brand of what became known as ‘progressive rock’ ; the synthesis of musical influences was the result of a lot of careful listening, inspired writing, hours of relentless practicing and some respected musicianship.  The material was eclectic and not easy with frequent rhythm changes and jazz-oriented chords. The  band never wrote the music down, all the tracks were played from memory.

    What Marsupilami needed more than anything else was a recording contract. They entered the Melody Maker ‘Find a band competition’, and a discussion about this was overheard, in the ‘Full Moon’ pub in Taunton’s High Street, by an eccentric looking barefooted and bearded guy called Julian Palmer–Hill.   ‘George’, as he became known by band members, was older and wiser, had rejected an army career and after hearing the band, proposed to be its manager and get the band the recognition he believed it deserved.   George hitch-hiked to London in his bare feet, and soon got results.

    In September 1969, Marsupilami signed with Transatlantic Records, an independent label, that the band identified with, and went into the studio soon after. [Transatlantic wanted to diversify into rock music and also signed Stray, Camel , Jody Grind and others; Their stable was mainly folk artists such as Pentangle – John Renbourne and Bert Jansch,  John Fahey, the The Humblebums (Billy Connelly and Jerry Rafferty), and also published a catalogue of stuff too weird, blasphemous,  or just too far out for most labels to take on such as  John Cage, and Frank Zappa’s ‘Uncle Meat’.] 

    Marsupilami – 1st Album

    “Marsupilami” the first album (Transatlantic TRA 213) was recorded in 1969 at the Sound Techniques Recording Studios, just off London’s King’s Road, and released in April 1970.  The studio, had been converted from an old dairy, and was just being fitted out with some new gizmo’s called Dolby’s!, when the band arrived. It is famous for the roster of artists recorded there by Joe Boyd: Nick Drake, Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention – the engineer was John Wood,  leave this out but the band got the feeling that their kind of music was not understood. 

    All 5 tracks were done in a handful of takes, virtually live. 

    The music is distinctive; complex and hardly emulated. The band did not want to create catchy tunes that finished off the same way they started – the tracks represented journeys into the mystical and subconscious  places of the mind, with changes of mood, and underpinned by strong and sublime melodies, time sequence changes, stylistic shifts and ruptures of mood following one another: passages move from light folky or jazzy ensembles, to  hard driving guitar and organ rock pumped up by the rhythm section, to slow ethereal dream sequences featuring flute, organ and chanting vocals.   The content of the album can only be described as apocalyptic, but hopeful for a better world.

    Facilis Descensus Averni, is the subject of one of the first music videos made by Jay Myrdal, who accompanied Pete Smith to do a photo shoot for the first album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2-Qti7H42U

    and ‘The eagle chased the dove to its ruin’ contain some especially gloomy lyrics to accompany the affecting? guitar. The instrumental on the album,  Ab Initio Ad Finem is a musical interpretation of an Old Testament style sermon, recounting the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, discovering new love  spoilt by waring global culture leading to nuclear holocaust written by Leary – part of the track was used by Stuart Henry DJ on Radio One, as an introduction to his show.

    Born to be Free is often cited as the best music produced by Marsupilami: with a strong melody, it features  many tempo and mood changes, and in the last vocal section a poem written by Fred when he was 16, invoking feelings provoked by the nuclear arms build up. Track 1, Dorian Deep with its slow build up and thumping rock ending, was always a good warm up at the beginning of a gig.

    ‘The eagle chased the dove to its ruin’ contain some especially gloomy lyrics to accompany the affecting guitar. The instrumental on the album,  Ab Initio Ad Finem is a musical interpretation of an Old Testament style sermon, recounting the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, discovering new love  spoilt by waring global culture leading to nuclear holocaust written by Leary – part of the track was used by Stuart Henry DJ on Radio One, as an introduction to his show.

    Born to be Free is often cited as the best music produced by Marsupilami: with a strong melody, it features  many tempo and mood changes, and in the last vocal section a poem written by Fred when he was 16, invoking feelings provoked by the nuclear arms build up. Track 1, Dorian Deep with its slow build up and thumping rock ending, was always a good warm up at the beginning of a gig.

                                                 A Life We Once Lived - Brad Rose
     

    Credits:
    Music by Brad Rose
    Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
    Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Brad Rose
    Design by quiet details
    © quiet details 2025 all rights reserved

    Very happy to announce that next in the quiet details series is the wildly creative and prolific multi-disciplinary artist and music writer, Brad Rose.

    Responsible for a vast archive of wonderful music projects across numerous aliases, released on his own Jewel Garden and labels such as the outstanding Room40 - his work covers a huge amount of ground and is a world all to itself.

    Alongside this, he’s active in the world of visual arts, installation, design, writing - and of course one of his most well-known projects, the incredible long-running platform for experimental music and art, Foxy Digitalis, an essential resource for independent journalism.

    A Life We Once Lived is an album of deep meaning and atmospheric beauty - born out of the subconscious making sense of the maze of life, and in the process making something of incredible scope.

    This is an album full of emotion - starting out with reflective melodics that bloom into a vast world of competitive bliss, Brad’s highly nuanced musical sensibilities take us on a trip though feelings we can all somehow relate to - his sincerity coming to the fore throughout.

    Each track turns a new corner and leads you to a unique place - the highly-refined harmonic structures matched with exquisite textural expansions. This is an artist pouring their heart and soul into their art form with spellbinding effect.

    Masterful use of synthesisers and an array of acoustic sound sources serve to create a world of singular and stunning abstraction. 
     
    As Brad says:

    There are landscapes we never walk but still carry. Lives that linger just outside memory’s reach, shaping how we move through the world without ever fully revealing themselves.

    A Life We Once Lived is an album shaped by those fragments—traces of what was almost real, or perhaps only imagined. It emerged from stillness, from the quiet textures and small details that form when thought slows and sound begins to take its place. Each piece invites a kind of soft attention. There is no resolution here, no fixed meaning. Just motion, breath, and tone, held gently enough to shift and transform.

    This is a record of almosts. Almost-places. Almost-memories. Almost-love. A Life We Once Lived gathers what’s left in the gaps: the hush between pulses, the glow that never quite fades. It leads quietly toward something larger, a dream not yet spoken aloud. This is not a story, but a signal from the margins of memory—a drift through internal weather, a gesture toward something still forming.

    For now, it offers a space to pause. To listen more closely. To feel what remains when everything else grows quiet.

    Huge thanks to Brad - a beautiful addition to the series.

    The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - originating from a photo from Brad which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

    As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom six-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.

    The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, created by the artist and representing the music in its purest form.
    thejewelgarden.bandcamp.com
    bradrose.bandcamp.com
     

    credits

    released July 23, 2025 


    Composed and performed by Pete Swinton
    Recorded and mixed at Studio Kaktus, Jawa Barat, Indonesia 2025
    Produced by Pete Swinton 2025
    Photo by Leo Chane on Unsplash
    Copyright 2025 Pete Swinton
    All Rights Reserved Pete Swinton 2025

    4-4-2music.com

    credits

    released July 12, 2025

    license

    all rights reserved

    tags

05 August 2025: Asia Minor "Between Flesh and Divine", "Points of Libration"; Milkbone "Milkbone"

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The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

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 I'll also be hosting Rural Electric right after the Island Messenger at  7 pm until 9 pm


Review by Cesar Inca
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

5 stars As some fellow reviewers have stated before me, 'Between Flesh and Divine' is a masterpiece of the prog genre, as well as Asia Minor's top achievement. This album is one of the best things that came out of France (though 3 quarters of the band were actually Turkish) in the symphonic prog area. As quartet now, the fourth member Robert Kempler handled the duties of bass player and keyboardist, which gave the band the opportunity to expand their sonic potential with a more prominent addition of synthesizers, organ, pianos, and even occasional layers of mellotron - all this in 1980! Of course, the electric lead guitar and the flute are still the major features in the instrumental passages, being in charge of the solos and the main melodic lines. Beltrami's drumming is still as polished and energetic as on the band's debut album, displaying his jazzy vein under the guise of a rock- oriented attitude. The sound production is more refined, which makes every instrument show itself clearly amidst the band's overall sound. The contrast between the strong passages and the soft ones is handled more naturally, which allows the band to go deeper into their Camel-esque explorations, without letting go of their penchant for Asian-based exotic textures. The repertoire has a somewhat accentuated tendecy towards the creation of serene ambiences, locating the rockier passages in the shape of gently incerpted interludes or preambles. Tracks 1, 2 and 4 are the best examples of this clever arrangement strategy, and may I add that I consider them their best tracks ever, specially 'Dedicace', which is catchy, yet keeping a typically progressive sophistication. 'Nightwind' kicks off on a vibrant ethnic mood, ultimately leading to a main body set on the standard of spacey-driven symphonic rock, not unlike Pulsar or "Moon Madness"-era Camel. 'Northern Lights' states a more pronunced atmosphere of introspection, generally speaking, while the aforementioned 'Dedicace' brings a solid dynamics that fuses the heritages of Pulsar, Focus and Pink Floyd in a sort of way that only teh guys from Asia Minor can. 'Boundless' is a beautiful ballad, a not too long passage of melancholy. That same melancholy resurfaces in a more eerie context during the almost 8 minutes of 'Lost in a Dream Yell': the intensity incarnated in the extended flute solo is like an evocative dream made of musical matter. You have hear it to believe it... It is long but never tiring, it bears a free-flight attitude yet it never gets meandering; the eerie keyboard layers sustain the overall mood quite effectively, with the guitar arpeggios and moderately energetic drumming filling the source of tightness. Finally, 'Dreadful Memories' is nothing but a jam construed from a simple chord progression on guitar, with the bass and drums following, and an increasing number of keyboard layers subtly being summoned in: its abrupt ending makes it the perfect coda for a perfect album. I just wish it wasn't so short, or at least, that the album as a whole would last a bit longer thatn it actually does. It wouldn't take long before the bloody blade of 'musical differences' beheaded Asia Minor's career, while they were preparing material for a following album that was never to be. 
 
 Points of Libration - Asia Minor
   
Review by kenethlevine
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog-Folk Team
4 stars By the late 1970s and early 1980s, even prog groups that had attained some level of success - ie made a living from their releases and live performances - were leaving the industry, dispatched in a fit of expletives by the arena rock, punk and new wave movements while reflexive critics hailed the long overdue demise of the genre. Well, history has been lenient in the intervening decades and many of those artists have reformed for at least an album or two if not a more extended run. Even more miraculous is the return of groups who, by combination of poor timing and lack of promotion, never even managed cult status at the time. Such is the case with ASIA MINOR, a France based Turkish act, who issued two albums around the turn of the 1980s, and sadly had to leave this dream behind in favor of a proper career.

Their 1981 production, "Between Flesh and Divine", has gained well deserved minor classic status with its artful blend of CAMEL, JADE WARRIOR, KING CRIMSON and middle eastern influences, and probably sold far more as a CD reissue than it ever did in its initial run. Still, after nearly 40 years of recorded silence, reformation in 2014 notwithstanding, only the most optimistic could have even uttered hope of anything new, but love of music is still love, and this devotion has gifted us "Points of Libration" in 2021. Setrak Bakirel and Eril Tekeli are back, with their distinctive voices, guitars and flute still defining the ASIA MINOR sound and yet updating it in meaningful ways. This is apparent from the opening segment of the thoughtful "Deadline of a Lifetime" with its heavenly fretless bass and only gathers pace from there.

Incorporating aspects of both of their prior productions, "Points of Libration" is shaded towards ASIA MINOR's mellower side, conveying a dreamy ambiance to many of the pieces, directed by melodic lead guitar and flute soloing but filled out with keys including mellotron strings, at their best on the self referential "Crossing in Between". Tunes like "Urban Silk" and "Oriental Game" are bathed in a jazzy arrangement, while others like "Twister" and "Melancholia's Kingdom" manage to generate a suave swing which drives the diversity, fully compensating for the complete lack of hard rock interludes. The vocals may not be in perfectly accented English or supporting a wide technical range but they do consummate the arrangements and vice versa. The final number is the breathlessly accomplished "Radio Hatirasi", which is the only one sung in Turkish and accentuates the group's roots musically as well.

I cannot over emphasize how impossibly good this sounds, as triumphant a reunion as can be hoped for let alone imagined, and proof of the irrepressible spirit of prog. Take that, critics. 


 Milkbone - Milkbone

Short feature written by Sid Smith:
Having previously worked together in Matt Berry and The Maypoles, the seeds of the idea of a group coming together on the band’s tour bus where they shared their mutual admiration for 1970s-era progressive and electronic music. “We decided to make an instrumental album that channeled/referenced our shared love of Canterbury era prog mixed with European electronica, Electric period Miles Davis as well as a love of the instruments, both acoustic and electronic, associated with those genres,” explains James Sedge.
“We were aspiring to get some of the atmosphere and ‘wonkiness’ of the recordings of that era rather than the sterile precision you occasionally encounter in contemporary production. We all enjoy the sound of real instruments playing with sequenced synths - the perfection of the sequencer with the imperfections of live drums and bass. We left in all the quirky feel things, so it wouldn’t sound overproduced and polished.”

credits

released January 4, 2022

Phil Scragg: Keyboards, Bass, Guitar
Matt Berry : Keyboards, Guitar
James Sedge: Drums
Graham Mann: Trombone (Tracks 1,2,5 and 11), Percussion (Tracks 2,8 and 9)
Cecilia Fage: Vocal samples (Track 10)
Music conceived and produced by Milkbone.
Recorded at:
RedLodge studios
Peach House
Musicstation
Original artwork: Matt Berry
 

 

 

29 July 2025: Steve Hackett "The Lamb Stands Up - Live at the Royal Albert Hall"

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For me, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is Genesis's Magnum Opus.  I saw the original tour in Columbus, Ohio, on November 27, 1974, and it was outstanding!  I am looking forward to seeing this show and meeting Steve Hackett in Seattle in November.  This week's program is devoted to Steve Hackett's new release.

RELEASE DATE: 11 July 2025

Steve Hackett proudly presents 'The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall', a stunning audio/visual document of his show at the iconic London venue in October 2024, set for release on the 11th July 2025. Watch the band performing 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' HERE

Steve and his live band celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Genesis concept album 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway', with a selection of his favourite tracks from that album including 'Fly On A Windshield' & 'Lilywhite Lilith'. The live set also includes other Genesis & solo classics, including music from his most recent acclaimed album 'The Circus And The Nightwhale'. This special evening saw the band joined by guests including Ray Wilson, Steve Rothery, Amanda Lehmann & John Hackett.

Steve comments: "I was so happy to revisit the Lamb on tour. The Royal Albert Hall evening was particularly memorable. It is my favourite London venue and the atmosphere there that night was absolutely electric... I was really pleased that everyone in the band and the performing guests pulled it off with flying colours!"

Expertly mixed by Grammy-award winning engineer Chris Lord-Alge, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the night was filmed by longtime collaborator Paul M Green, and is presented as Special Edition 2CD+Blu-ray Digipak which includes 5.1 Surround Sound & bonus interview content. The vinyl arrives as a deluxe 4LP 180g boxset, including 12-page LP-size booklet featuring photos from the evening.

Due to time constraints we will be broadcasting a truncated version of the concert, omitting some tracks from the first half spotlighting Steve's solo work.

 

STEVE HACKETT
THE LAMB STANDS UP LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS

Steve Hackett continues his journey through classic Genesis albums with a recording of his favourite songs from the album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall also was also an opportunity for Hackett to promote his then current album, The Circus and The Nightwhale. Other solo and Genesis classics are performed as well. Once again, Hackett is surrounded by an excellent band, and some special guests including Ray Wilson (Genesis), Steve Rothery (Marillion), vocalist Amanda Lehmann and John Hackett (guitarist).

The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall opens the show with the brilliant “People of The Smoke” (from Hackett’s 2024 album The Circus and The Nightwhale). While it is very close to the studio version, there is the live energy that can only be caught in front of a live audience. It is a great way to open the concert and this album. He continues with more songs from that album, which come off remarkably well live. “These Passing Clouds” sounds particularly brilliant in concert. He also tackles songs from his 2021 album, Surrender Of Silence (“The Devil’s Cathedral”) and 1975’s classic Voyage of the Acolyte (“Hands Of The Priestess” and “A Tower Struck Down” sound fantastic live, with a few twists and turns from Hackett.

Then he is off into Genesis land. Nad Sylvan’s vocals throughout are spot on, and a great deal of credit must go to his band, Roger King (keyboards), Craig Blundell (drums), Rob Townsend (saxophone, woodwind, percussion, vocals, keyboards, bass pedals) and Jonas Reingold (bass, variax, twelve string, vocals). Not only do they do justice to his solo material, but they bring Genesis to life, live on the stage. This is not an easy task, but they succeed. Hackett is not trying to better Genesis or replace the original. He does, however, do some extremely good versions of some of the songs.

While the songs are faithfully replicated on stage, it is still exciting to hear songs like “Lilywhite”, with Hackett’s melodic solo and Sylvan’s great vocals. The title track, “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” explodes with this performance. While “Fly On A Windshield” and “Carpet Crawlers” are faithful to the originals. Hackett also adds a couple of other Genesis favourites, such as “Fifth Of Firth” (from Selling English By The Pound) and “Los Endos” (from Trick Of The Tail). Both of these songs are concert staples for Hackett and his band.

Some fans may argue that Hackett should have done more songs from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, but Hackett’s choice of material, from his solo albums and Genesis complement each other and form a pretty perfect concert and live recording. The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall is a well performed, well recorded live recording. Live recordings are tricky, and some have worked, and some live albums just do not make sense. Not only does The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall make sense, but it is an album well worth your time. Hackett and his band are a treat to see live, but this serves as a taste of the Hackett live experience. The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall stands up well alongside Hackett’s catalogue, both with and without Genesis.

 

 

 

22 July 2025: Tribute to Ozzie Osborne & Black Sabbath

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Tonight in a special FreeForm show, we will pay tribute to Ozzie Osborne, a musician who was a major part of the birth and success of heavy metal.  We will be focusing on his early years with Black Sabbath.

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (3 December 1948 – 22 July 2025) was an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness".[4]

Osbourne became a founding member of Black Sabbath in 1968, providing lead vocals from their eponymous debut studio album in 1970 to Never Say Die! in 1978. The band was highly influential in the development of heavy metal music, in particular their critically acclaimed releases Paranoid (1970), Master of Reality (1971), and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973). Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to his problems with alcohol and other drugs. He then began a successful solo career with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980 and released 13 studio albums, the first seven of which received multi-platinum certifications in the United States. He reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined in 1997 and helped record the band's final studio album, 13 (2013), before they embarked on a farewell tour that ended with a 2017 performance in their native Birmingham.

Osbourne sold over 100 million albums, including his solo work and Black Sabbath releases.[5][6] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006 and as a solo artist in 2024. He was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame both solo and with Black Sabbath in 2005. He was honoured with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Birmingham Walk of Stars. At the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards, he received the Global Icon Award. In 2015, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

In the early 2000s, Osbourne became a reality television star when he appeared in the MTV reality show The Osbournes alongside his wife and manager Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack. He co-starred with Jack and Kelly in the television series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour.

On 5 July 2025, Osbourne performed his final show at the Back to the Beginning concert event amid ongoing health issues, having announced earlier in the year that this would be his last live performance, though he intended to continue recording music.[7] He died later that month on 22 July.

Early life

John Michael Osbourne was born at Maternity Hospital in Marston Green on 3 December 1948,[8] and grew up in the Aston area of Birmingham.[9][10] His mother, Lilian (née Unitt; 1916–2001), was a non-observant Catholic who worked at a Lucas factory.[11][12][13] His father, John Thomas "Jack" Osbourne (1915–1977), worked night shifts as a toolmaker at the General Electric Company.[14][15] Osbourne had three older sisters named Jean, Iris, and Gillian, and two younger brothers named Paul and Tony.[16] The family lived in a small two-bedroom home at 14 Lodge Road in Aston. Osbourne gained the nickname "Ozzy" as a child.[17] He dealt with dyslexia at school.[18] His accent has been described as a "hesitant Brummie".[19] At the age of 11, he suffered sexual abuse from school bullies.[20] He said he attempted suicide multiple times as a teenager.[21][22]

Osbourne left school at the age of 15 and was employed as a construction site labourer, trainee plumber, apprentice toolmaker, car factory horn-tuner, and slaughterhouse worker. At the age of 17, he was convicted of robbing a clothes shop, but was unable to pay the fine; his father also refused to pay it to teach him a lesson, resulting in Osbourne spending six weeks in Winson Green Prison.[23][14] He participated in school plays, including Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado and HMS Pinafore.[24] Upon hearing the first hit single of the Beatles at age 14, he became a fan of the band and credited their 1963 song "She Loves You" with inspiring him to become a musician.[15][25] In the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, Osbourne said that the Beatles made him realise that "[he] was going to be a rock star the rest of [his] life".[26]

Career

Black Sabbath

Osbourne in 1970

In late 1967, Geezer Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, and recruited Osbourne to be the singer.[17] The band played two shows and broke up. Osbourne and Butler reunited in another band, Polka Tulk Blues, which included guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, whose band Mythology recently broke up. They renamed the band Earth. But after being accidentally booked for a show instead of a different band with the same name, they decided to change the band's name again, settling on the name Black Sabbath in August 1969. The band's name was inspired by the film of the same title.[27] Black Sabbath noticed how people enjoyed being frightened during their appearances, which inspired their decision to play a heavy blues style of music laced with gloomy sounds and lyrics.[9] While recording their first album, Butler read an occult book and woke up seeing a dark figure at the end of his bed. Butler told Osbourne about it, and together they wrote the lyrics to "Black Sabbath", their first song in a darker vein.[28][29]

The band's US record label, Warner Bros. Records, invested only modestly in it, but Black Sabbath met with swift and enduring success. Built around Tony Iommi's guitar riffs, Geezer Butler's lyrics, Bill Ward's dark tempo drumbeats, and topped by Osbourne's eerie vocals, their debut album Black Sabbath and Paranoid were commercially successful and also gained considerable radio airplay. Osbourne recalls, however, that, "in those days, the band wasn't very popular with the women".[17]

At about this time, Osbourne first met his future wife, Sharon Arden.[17] After the unexpected success of their first album, Black Sabbath were considering her father, Don Arden, as their new manager, and Sharon was at that time working as Don's receptionist.[17] Osbourne admits he was attracted to her immediately but assumed that "she probably thought I was a lunatic".[17] Osbourne later recalled that the best thing about eventually choosing Don Arden as manager was that he got to see Sharon regularly, though their relationship was strictly professional at that point.[17]

Osbourne (bottom left) with Black Sabbath in 1972

Just five months after the release of Paranoid, the band released Master of Reality. The album reached the top ten in both the United States and UK, and was certified gold in less than two months.[30] In the 1980s, it received platinum certification[30] and went Double Platinum in the early 21st century.[30] Reviews of the album were unfavourable. Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone famously dismissed Master of Reality as "naïve, simplistic, repetitive, absolute doggerel", although the very same magazine would later place the album at number 298 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, compiled in 2003.[31]

In September 1972, Black Sabbath released Black Sabbath Vol. 4. Critics were dismissive of the album; however, it reached gold status in less than a month and was the band's fourth consecutive album to sell over one million copies in the United States.[32][33]

Osbourne in 1973

In November 1973, Black Sabbath released the critically acclaimed Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. For the first time, the band received favourable reviews in the mainstream press. Gordon Fletcher of Rolling Stone called the album "an extraordinarily gripping affair" and "nothing less than a complete success".[34] Decades later, AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia called the album a "masterpiece, essential to any heavy metal collection", while also claiming the band displayed "a newfound sense of finesse and maturity".[35] The album marked the band's fifth consecutive platinum selling album in the US.[36] Sabotage was released in July 1975. Again there were favourable reviews. Rolling Stone stated, "Sabotage is not only Black Sabbath's best record since Paranoid, it might be their best ever."[37] In a retrospective review, AllMusic was less favourable, noting that "the magical chemistry that made such albums as Paranoid and Volume 4 so special was beginning to disintegrate".[38] Technical Ecstasy, released on 25 September 1976, was also met with mixed reviews. AllMusic gives the album two stars, and notes that the band was "unravelling at an alarming rate".[39]

Dismissal

Between late 1977 and early 1978,[40] Osbourne left the band for three months to pursue a solo project called Blizzard of Ozz,[41] a title which had been suggested by his father.[42] Three members of the band Necromandus, who had supported Sabbath in Birmingham when they were called Earth, backed Osbourne in the studio and briefly became the first incarnation of his solo band.[43]

At the request of the other band members, Osbourne rejoined Sabbath.[44] The band spent five months at Sounds Interchange Studios in Toronto, where they wrote and recorded their next album, Never Say Die! "It took quite a long time", Iommi said of Never Say Die! "We were getting really drugged out, doing a lot of dope. We'd go down to the sessions, and have to pack up because we were too stoned; we'd have to stop. Nobody could get anything right; we were all over the place, and everybody was playing a different thing. We'd go back and sleep it off, and try again the next day."[45]

In May 1978, Black Sabbath began the Never Say Die! Tour with Van Halen as an opening act. Reviewers called Sabbath's performance "tired and uninspired" in stark contrast to the "youthful" performance of Van Halen, who were touring the world for the first time.[46] The band recorded their concert at Hammersmith Odeon in June 1978, which was released on video as Never Say Die. The final show of the tour and Osbourne's last appearance with Black Sabbath for another seven years, until 1985, was in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 11 December.[47]

In 1979, Black Sabbath returned to the studio, but tension and conflict arose between band members. Osbourne recalls being asked to record his vocals over and over, and tracks were manipulated endlessly by Iommi.[48] The relationship between Osbourne and Iommi became contentious. On 27 April 1979, at Iommi's insistence but with the support of Butler and Ward, Osbourne was ejected from Black Sabbath.[17] The reasons provided to him were that he was unreliable and had excessive substance abuse issues compared to the other members. Osbourne claims his use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs at that time was neither better nor worse than that of the other members.[49]

The band replaced Osbourne with former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio.[29] In a 21 August 1987 interview with Tommy Vance on BBC Radio 1's Friday Rock Show, Dio said, "I was not, and never will be, Ozzy Osbourne. He was the vocalist and songwriter in that era who helped create that band and make it what it was, and what it is in its classic form."[50]

The conflict between Iommi and Osbourne commenced almost immediately in their working collaboration. Responding to a 1969 flyer that read, "Ozzy Zig Needs Gig- has own PA",[51] which was posted by Osbourne in a record store, Iommi and Ward arrived at the listed address to speak with Ozzy Zig, as he then called himself. When Iommi saw Osbourne emerge from another room of the house, he recalled that he knew him as a "pest" from their school days.[17] Following Black Sabbath's formation, Iommi reportedly "punched out" Osbourne several times over the years when the singer's drunken antics became too much to take.[52] Iommi recalls one incident in the early 1970s in which Osbourne and Butler were fighting in a hotel room. Iommi pulled Osbourne off Butler in an attempt to break up the drunken fight, and the vocalist proceeded to turn around and take a wild swing at him. Iommi responded by knocking Osbourne unconscious with one punch to the jaw.[53]

Black Sabbath reunions

Osbourne singing at Black Sabbath's The End performance in Birmingham in February 2017

In 1997, Osbourne, Iommi and Butler formally reunited as Black Sabbath for the 1997 Ozzfest shows.[54] Ward was absent due to health issues.[54] In December 1997, all four members of the band reunited to record the album Reunion, with Osbourne also touring with band again from 1997 to 1999 for the album's concert tour.[32][55][56][57] The album proved to be a commercial success upon its release in October 1998.[56]

The original Black Sabbath line-up of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward reunited in November 2011 for a world tour and new album.[58] Ward had to drop out for contractual reasons, so the project continued with Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk stepping in for Ward on drums. They played their first reunion concert in May 2012, at the O2 Academy in their hometown Birmingham.[59] The album, entitled 13, was released on 11 June 2013,[60] and topped both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.[61][62]

In January 2016, the band began a farewell tour, titled "The End", signifying the final performances of Black Sabbath.[63][64] The final shows of The End tour took place at the Genting Arena in their home city of Birmingham on 2 and 4 February 2017, with Tommy Clufetos replacing Bill Ward as the drummer for the final show.[65][66]

On 8 August 2022, Osbourne and Iommi made a surprise appearance, during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. This marked Osbourne's first live performance in three years, following a period of ill health.[67][68]

Osbourne played his final show, billed as "Back to the Beginning", alongside the original line-up of his band Black Sabbath, at Villa Park in Birmingham on 5 July 2025.[69] The band and Osbourne each played a short set, watched by a crowd of over 40,000 spectators and a peak livestream audience of 5.8 million. Having been rendered unable to stand from Parkinson's disease, Osbourne performed seated on a black throne.[70] All proceeds from the event will be donated equally to The Cure Parkinson's Trust, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Acorn Children's Hospice.[71]

Solo career

Signing to Jet records

Osbourne performing in Cardiff in 1981

After leaving Black Sabbath, Osbourne recalled, "I'd got £96,000 for my share of the name, so I'd just locked myself away and spent three months doing coke and booze. My thinking was, 'This is my last party, because after this I'm going back to Birmingham and the dole."[72] However, Don Arden signed him to Jet Records with the aim of recording new material. Arden dispatched his daughter Sharon to Los Angeles to "look after Ozzy's needs, whatever they were", to protect his investment.[73] Arden initially hoped Osbourne would return to Sabbath, who he was personally managing at that time, and later attempted to convince the singer to name his new band "Son of Sabbath", which Osbourne hated.[17] Sharon attempted to convince Osbourne to form a supergroup with guitarist Gary Moore.[17] "When I lived in Los Angeles", Moore recalled, "[Moore's band] G-Force helped him to audition musicians. If drummers were trying out, I played guitar, and if a bassist came along, my drummer would help out. We felt sorry for him, basically. He was always hovering around trying to get me to join, and I wasn't having any of it."[74]

Blizzard of Ozz

In late 1979, under the management of the Ardens, Osbourne formed the Blizzard of Ozz,[75] featuring drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep), bassist-lyricist Bob Daisley (of Rainbow and, later, Uriah Heep), keyboardist Don Airey (of Rainbow and, later, Deep Purple), and guitarist Randy Rhoads (of Quiet Riot). The record company eventually titled the group's debut album Blizzard of Ozz, credited simply to Osbourne, thus commencing his solo career. Co-written with Daisley and Rhoads, it brought Osbourne considerable success on his first solo effort. Though it is generally accepted that Osbourne and Rhoads started the band, Daisley later claimed that he and Osbourne formed the band in England before Rhoads officially joined.[76]

Blizzard of Ozz is one of the few albums among the 100 best-sellers of the 1980s to have achieved multi-platinum status without the benefit of a top-40 single. As of August 1997, it had achieved quadruple platinum status, according to RIAA.[77] "I envied Ozzy's career..." remarked former Sabbath drummer Bill Ward. "He seemed to be coming around from whatever it was that he'd gone through, and he seemed to be on his way again; making records and stuff… I envied it because I wanted that... I was bitter. And I had a thoroughly miserable time."[78]

Diary of a Madman

Osbourne performing in 1982

Osbourne's second album, Diary of a Madman, featured more songs co-written with Lee Kerslake. For his work on this album and Blizzard of Ozz, Rhoads[27] was ranked the 85th-greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.[79] This album is known for the singles "Over the Mountain" and "Flying High Again" and, as Osbourne explains in his autobiography, is his personal favourite.[17] Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo soon replaced Kerslake and Daisley. Aldridge had been Osbourne's original choice for drummer, but a commitment to Gary Moore had made him unavailable.[73]

On 19 March 1982, the band was in Florida for its Diary of a Madman tour, a week away from playing Madison Square Garden in New York City. A light aircraft piloted by Andrew Aycock, the band's tour bus driver, carrying Rhoads and Rachel Youngblood, the band's costume and make-up designer, crashed while performing low passes over the band's tour bus. The left wing of the aircraft clipped the bus, causing the plane to graze a tree and crash into the garage of a nearby mansion, killing Rhoads, Aycock, and Youngblood. The crash was ruled the result of "poor judgement by the pilot in buzzing the bus and misjudging clearance of obstacles".[80] Experiencing firsthand the horrific death of his close friend and bandmate, Osbourne fell into a deep depression. The tour was cancelled for two weeks while Osbourne, Sharon, and Aldridge returned to Los Angeles to take stock while Sarzo remained in Florida with family.[81]

Gary Moore was the first to be approached to replace Rhoads, but refused.[81] With a two-week deadline to find a new guitarist and resume the tour, Robert Sarzo, brother of the band's bassist Rudy Sarzo, was chosen to replace Rhoads. Former Gillan guitarist Bernie Tormé, however, flew to California from England with the promise from Jet Records that he had the job. Once Sharon realised that Jet Records had already paid Tormé an advance, he was reluctantly hired instead of Sarzo. The tour resumed on 1 April 1982, but Tormé's blues-based style was unpopular with fans. After a handful of shows he informed Sharon that he would be returning to England to continue work on a solo album he had begun before coming to America.[82] At an audition in a hotel room, Osbourne selected Night Ranger's Brad Gillis to finish the tour. The tour culminated in the release of the 1982 live album Speak of the Devil, recorded at the Ritz in New York City.[83][84] A live tribute album for Rhoads was also later released. Despite the difficulties, Osbourne moved on after Rhoads' death. Speak of the Devil, known in the United Kingdom as Talk of the Devil, was originally planned to consist of live recordings from 1981, primarily from Osbourne's solo work. Under contract to produce a live album, it ended up consisting entirely of Sabbath covers recorded with Gillis, Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge.[85]

Osbourne's Diary of a Madman LP (bottom) on display at the Home of Metal Exhibition at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in Birmingham, his hometown

In 1982, Osbourne appeared as lead vocalist on the Was (Not Was) pop dance track "Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)". Remixed and rereleased in the early 1990s for a Was (Not Was) hits album in Europe, it reached number four on the UK Singles Chart.[86] In 1983, Jake E. Lee, formerly of Ratt and Rough Cutt, joined Osbourne to record Bark at the Moon. The album, cowritten with Daisley, featured Aldridge and former Rainbow keyboard player Don Airey. The album contains the fan favourite "Bark at the Moon". The music video for "Bark at the Moon" was partially filmed at the Holloway Sanitorium outside London, England. Within weeks the album became certified gold. It has sold three million copies in the US.[87] 1986's The Ultimate Sin followed (with bassist Phil Soussan[88] and drummer Randy Castillo), and touring behind both albums with former Uriah Heep keyboardist John Sinclair joining prior to the Ultimate Sin tour. At the time of its release, The Ultimate Sin was Osbourne's highest-charting studio album. The RIAA awarded the album Platinum status on 14 May 1986, soon after its release; it was awarded Double Platinum status on 26 October 1994.[89]

Jake E. Lee and Osbourne parted ways in 1987. Osbourne continued to struggle with chemical dependency. That year, he commemorated the fifth anniversary of Rhoads' death with Tribute, a collection of live recordings from 1981. In 1988, Osbourne appeared in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years and told the director Penelope Spheeris that "sobriety fucking sucks". Meanwhile, Osbourne found Zakk Wylde, who was the most enduring replacement for Rhoads to date.[90] Together, they recorded No Rest for the Wicked with Castillo on drums, Sinclair on keyboards, and Daisley co-writing lyrics and playing bass. The subsequent tour saw Osbourne reunited with erstwhile Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler on bass. A live EP (entitled Just Say Ozzy) featuring Geezer was released two years later. In 1988, Osbourne performed on the rock ballad "Close My Eyes Forever", a duet with Lita Ford, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[91] In 1989, Osbourne performed at the Moscow Music Peace Festival.[92]

No More Tears and Ozzmosis

Osbourne on tour in Japan in April 1999

Successful through the 1980s, Osbourne sustained commercial success into the 1990s, starting with 1991's No More Tears, featuring "Mama, I'm Coming Home". The album enjoyed much radio and MTV exposure. It also initiated a practice of bringing in outside composers to help pen Osbourne's solo material instead of relying on his recording ensemble. The album was mixed by veteran rock producer Michael Wagener. Osbourne was awarded a Grammy Award for the track "I Don't Want to Change the World" from Live & Loud, for Best Metal Performance of 1994.[93] Wagener also mixed the live album Live & Loud released on 28 June 1993. Intended to be Osbourne's final album, it went platinum four times over,[94] and had a peak ranking of number 22 on the Billboard 200 chart.[95]. In 1992, Osbourne expressed his fatigue with touring, and proclaimed his "retirement tour" (which was to be short-lived). It was called "No More Tours", a pun on No More Tears.[96] Alice in Chains' Mike Inez took over on bass and Kevin Jones played keyboards as Sinclair was touring with the Cult.[97]

Osbourne's entire CD catalogue was remastered and reissued in 1995. In 1995, Osbourne released Ozzmosis and returned to touring, dubbing his concert performances "The Retirement Sucks Tour". The album reached number 4 on the US Billboard 200. The RIAA certified the album gold and platinum in that same year, and double platinum in April 1999.[98]

The line-up on Ozzmosis was Wylde, Butler (who had just quit Black Sabbath again), Steve Vai, and Hardline drummer Deen Castronovo, who later joined Journey. Keyboards were played by Rick Wakeman and producer Michael Beinhorn.[99] The tour maintained Butler and Castronovo and saw Sinclair return, but a major line-up change was the introduction of former David Lee Roth guitarist Joe Holmes. Wylde was considering an offer to join Guns N' Roses. Unable to wait for a decision on Wylde's departure, Osbourne replaced him.[100] In early 1996, Butler and Castronovo left. Inez and Randy Castillo (Lita Ford, Mötley Crüe) filled in.[101] Ultimately, Faith No More's Mike Bordin and former Suicidal Tendencies and future Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo joined on drums and bass respectively. A greatest hits package, The Ozzman Cometh, was issued in 1997.[102]

Down to Earth

Osbourne with the Mayor of Birmingham (right), his home city

Down to Earth, Osbourne's first album of new studio material in six years, was released on 16 October 2001. A live album, Live at Budokan, followed in 2002. Down to Earth, which achieved platinum status in 2003, featured the single "Dreamer", a song which peaked at number 10 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks.[103] In June 2002, Osbourne was invited to participate in the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, performing the Black Sabbath anthem "Paranoid" at the Party at the Palace concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.[104] In 2003, Osbourne recruited former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, though his time with Osbourne would be short. Osbourne's former bassist Robert Trujillo replaced Newsted in Metallica during this same period.[105]

On 8 December 2003, Osbourne was rushed into emergency surgery at Slough's Wexham Park Hospital when he had an accident with his quad bike on his estate in Jordans, Buckinghamshire.[106] Osbourne broke his collar bone, eight ribs, and a neck vertebra.[106] An operation was performed to lift the collarbone, which was believed to be resting on a major artery and interrupting blood flow to the arm. Sharon later revealed that Osbourne had stopped breathing following the crash and was resuscitated by Osbourne's then personal bodyguard, Sam Ruston. While in hospital, Osbourne achieved his first ever UK number one single, a duet of the Black Sabbath ballad, "Changes" with daughter Kelly.[107] In doing so, he broke the record of the longest period between an artist's first UK chart appearance (with Black Sabbath's "Paranoid", number four in August 1970) and their first number one hit: a gap of 33 years.[107] He recovered from the quad accident and went on to headline the 2004 Ozzfest, in the reunited Black Sabbath.[108]

Box set release and Black Rain

Osbourne at BlizzCon in Anaheim, California in 2009

In March 2005, Osbourne released a box set called Prince of Darkness. The first and second discs are collections of live performances, B-sides, demos and singles. The third disc contained duets and other odd tracks with other artists, including "Born to Be Wild" with Miss Piggy. The fourth disc, is entirely new material where Osbourne covers his favourite songs by his biggest influences and favourite bands, including the Beatles, John Lennon, David Bowie and others.[109] In November 2005, Osbourne released the covers album Under Cover, featuring 10 songs from the fourth disc of Prince of Darkness and 3 more songs.[110] Osbourne's band for this album included Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell,[111] bassist Chris Wyse[111] and Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin.[111]

Osbourne also helped judge the 2005 UK series of the X-Factor where his wife Sharon was one of the main judges.[112] In March 2006, he said that he hoped to release a new studio album soon with longtime on-off guitarist, Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society.[113] In October 2006, it was announced that Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler would be touring together again, though not as Black Sabbath but under the moniker "Heaven & Hell", the title of Dio's first Black Sabbath album.[114]

Osbourne's next album, titled Black Rain, was released on 22 May 2007. His first new studio album in almost six years, it featured a more serious tone than previous albums. "I thought I'd never write again without any stimulation... But you know what? Instead of picking up the bottle I just got honest and said, 'I don't want life to go [to pieces]'", Osbourne stated to Billboard magazine.[115]

Band changes and Scream

Osbourne performing with bassist Rob Nicholson in April 2013

Osbourne revealed in July 2009 that he was currently seeking a new guitar player. While he states that he has not fallen out with Zakk Wylde, he said he felt his songs were beginning to sound like Black Label Society and fancied a change.[116] In August 2009, Osbourne performed at the gaming festival BlizzCon with a new guitarist in his line-up, Gus G.[117] Osbourne also provided his voice and likeness to the video game Brütal Legend character The Guardian of Metal.[118] In November, Slash featured Osbourne on vocals in his single "Crucify the Dead",[119] and Osbourne with wife Sharon were guest hosts on WWE Raw.[120] In December, Osbourne announced he would be releasing a new album titled Soul Sucka with Gus G, Tommy Clufetos on drums, and Blasko on bass.[121] Negative fan feedback was brought to Osbourne's attention regarding the album title. In respect of fan opinion, on 29 March Osbourne announced his album would be renamed Scream.[122]

On 13 April 2010, Osbourne announced the release date for Scream would be 15 June 2010.[123] The release date was later changed to a week later. A single from the album, "Let Me Hear You Scream", debuted on 14 April 2010 episode of CSI: NY.[124]

On 9 August 2010, Osbourne announced that the second single from the album would be "Life Won't Wait" and the video for the song would be directed by his son Jack.[125] When asked of his opinions on Scream in an interview, Osbourne announced that he was "already thinking about the next album". Osbourne's current drummer, Tommy Clufetos, has reflected this sentiment, saying that "We are already coming up with new ideas backstage, in the hotel rooms and at soundcheck and have a bunch of ideas recorded".[126] In October 2014, Osbourne released Memoirs of a Madman, a collection celebrating his entire solo career. A CD version contained 17 singles from across his career, never before compiled together. The DVD version contained music videos, live performances, and interviews.[127]

New music and touring

In August 2015, Epic Records president Sylvia Rhone confirmed with Billboard that Osbourne was working on another studio album;[128][129][130][131] in September 2019, Osbourne announced he had finished the album in four weeks following his collaboration with Post Malone.[132][133] In April 2017, it was announced that guitarist Zakk Wylde would reunite with Osbourne for a summer tour to mark the 30th anniversary of their first collaboration on 1988's No Rest for the Wicked.[134] The first show of the tour took place on 14 July at the Rock USA Festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.[135]

On 6 November 2017, Osbourne was announced as the headline act for the Sunday of the 2018 Download Festival held annually at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England. Having previously graced the main stage in previous years fronting Black Sabbath, this will be his first-ever Download headline solo appearance. The Download Festival set comes as part of Osbourne's final world tour announcement that morning.[136]

On 6 February 2018, Osbourne announced that he would embark on his final world tour dubbed No More Tours II, a reference to his 1992 tour of the same name, with support from Stone Sour on the North American portion of the tour.[137] He later insisted that he would not retire, "It's 'No More Tours', so I'm just not doing world tours anymore. I'm still going to be doing gigs, but I'm not going on tour for six months at a time anymore. I'd like to spend some time at home."[138]

On 6 September 2019, Osbourne featured on the song "Take What You Want" by Post Malone. The song would peak on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at number 8, making it Osbourne's first US Top 10 single in 30 years since he was featured on Lita Ford's "Close My Eyes Forever".[139]

Ordinary Man

On 21 February 2020, Osbourne released his first solo album in almost ten years, Ordinary Man, which received positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.[140][141] A few days after the release, Osbourne told iHeartRadio that he wanted to make another album with Andrew Watt, the main producer of Ordinary Man.[142][143] One week after the release of the album, an 8-bit video game dedicated to Osbourne was released, called Legend of Ozzy.[144] Osbourne has started working on his follow up album, once again with Andrew Watt.[145] In November 2021, Sony announced that Osbourne's album would be released within six months;[146] it was also announced that Zakk Wylde will have full involvement in the album following his absence on Ordinary Man.[147] On 24 June 2022, Osbourne announced his thirteenth album would be titled Patient Number 9 and released the title track along with an accompanying music video that same day. The album was released on 9 September 2022.[148] Osbourne then had his first live performances in three-year with two brief concerts at sporting events: on 30 August, he performed "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" at the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Birmingham, joined by Iommi and former touring members of Black Sabbath Tommy Clufetos and Adam Wakeman;[149][150] and on 8 September, at the 2022 NFL Kickoff held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, Osbourne performed both "Patient Number 9" and "Crazy Train", with his backing band being Zakk Wylde, Tommy Clufetos, Chris Chaney and the album's producer Andrew Watt.[151]

No More Tours II tour

In January 2023, Osbourne announced that the European leg of the No More Tours II would be cancelled after almost two years of being postponed. Osbourne effectively retired from touring, citing his accident in 2019 which resulted in the singer suffering spinal damage, while affirming his plan to continue smaller-scale live performances as his health permitted.[152][153] In September 2023, he revealed that he was working on a new album with a planned 2024 release while also preparing to go on the road following a successful spinal surgery earlier that month.[154]

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Osbourne at number 112 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[155]

Other works

Ozzfest

An Ozzfest concert poster (middle) on a storefront door in Prague, in Summer 2002

Osbourne's biggest financial success of the 1990s was a venture named Ozzfest, created and managed by his wife/manager Sharon and assisted by his son Jack.[citation needed] The first Ozzfest was held in York, Pennsylvania on 20 September 2006,[156] The first Ozzfest was held in Phoenix, Arizona, on 25 October 1996 and in Devore, California, on 26 October.[citation needed][dubiousdiscuss] Ozzfest was an instant hit with metal fans, helping many up-and-coming groups who were featured there to broad exposure and commercial success.{[cn}} Some acts shared the bill with a reformed Black Sabbath during the 1997 Ozzfest tour, beginning in West Palm Beach, Florida. Osbourne reunited with the original members of Sabbath in 1997 and periodically performed with them thereafter.[citation needed]

Since its beginning, five million people have attended Ozzfest which has grossed over US$100 million. The festival helped promote many new hard rock and heavy metal acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ozzfest helped Osbourne to become the first hard rock and heavy metal star to hit $50 million in merchandise sales. In 2005, Osbourne and his wife Sharon starred in an MTV competition reality show entitled "Battle for Ozzfest". A number of yet unsigned bands send one member to compete in a challenge to win a spot on the 2005 Ozzfest and a possible recording contract. Shortly after Ozzfest 2005, Osbourne announced that he will no longer headline Ozzfest. Although he announced his retirement from Ozzfest, Osbourne came back headlining the tour. In 2006 Osbourne closed the event for just over half the concerts, leaving the others to be closed by System of a Down. He also played the closing act for the second stage at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California on 1 July as well as Randalls Island, New York on 29 July. After the concert in Bristol, Virginia, Osbourne announced he would return for another year of Ozzfest in 2007.[citation needed]

Tickets for the 2007 tour were offered to fans free of charge, which led to some controversy. In 2008, Ozzfest was reduced to a one-day event in Dallas, where Osbourne played, along with Metallica and King Diamond. In 2010, the tour opened with a Jersey Shore spoof skit starring Osbourne.[157] Osbourne appeared as the headliner closing the show after opening acts Halford and Mötley Crüe. The tour, though small (only six US venues and one UK venue were played), generated rave reviews.[158][159][160][161]

Production and television

Osbourne, flanked by Philadelphia Police Department officers, leaves Borders in Center City after signing copies of I Am Ozzy, his autobiography, in January 2010
Osbourne (centre) and his touring band in June 2011

Osbourne achieved greater celebrity status via his own brand of reality television. The Osbournes, a series featuring the domestic life of Osbourne and his family (wife Sharon, children Jack and Kelly, occasional appearances from his son Louis, but eldest daughter Aimee did not participate). The program became one of MTV's greatest hits. It premiered on 5 March 2002, and the final episode aired on 21 March 2005.[162]

The success of The Osbournes led Osbourne and the rest of his family to host the 30th Annual American Music Awards in January 2003.[163][164] The night was marked with constant "bleeping" due to some of the lewd and raunchy remarks made by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Presenter Patricia Heaton walked out midway in disgust.[165] On 20 February 2008, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne hosted the 2008 BRIT Awards held at Earls Court, London.[166] Ozzy appeared in a TV commercial for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! which began airing in the UK in February 2006.[167]

Osbourne appears in a commercial for the online video game World of Warcraft.[168] He was also featured in the music video game Guitar Hero World Tour as a playable character. He becomes unlocked upon completing "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" in the vocalist career. The 2002 dark fantasy combat flight simulator Savage Skies was initially developed under the title Ozzy's Black Skies and was to feature his likeness as well as songs from both his stint in Black Sabbath as well as his solo career,[169][170] but licensing issues forced developer iRock Interactive to re-tool the game and release it without the Osbourne branding.[171]

In October 2009, Osbourne published I Am Ozzy, his autobiography.[172] Osbourne says ghost writer Chris Ayres told the singer he has enough material for a second book. A movie adaptation of I Am Ozzy is also in the works,[needs update] and Osbourne says he hopes "an unknown guy from England" will get the role over an established actor, while Sharon stated she would choose established English actress Carey Mulligan to play her.[173]

A documentary film about Osbourne's life and career, entitled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, premiered in April 2011 at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD in November 2011.[174] The film was produced by Osbourne's son Jack.[175] On 15 May 2013 Osbourne, along with the current members of Black Sabbath, appeared in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled "Skin in the Game". The History Channel premiered a comedy reality television series starring Ozzy Osbourne and his son Jack Osbourne on 24 July 2016, named Ozzy & Jack's World Detour.[176] During each episode Ozzy and Jack visit one or more sites to learn about history from experts, and explore unusual or quirky aspects of their background.

Osbourne appeared in a November 2017 episode of Gogglebox along with other UK celebrities such as Ed Sheeran, former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn as part of Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK's Stand Up to Cancer fundraising campaign.[177] In November 2017, Osbourne entered into a new realm of sponsorship as he signed on as an ambassador of a rock-themed online casino known as Metal Casino, which was founded by metal music fans in August 2017.[178] In February 2019, Osbourne's merchandising partner announced that Ozzy would have his own branded online slots game as part of the NetEnt Rocks music-themed portfolio.[179]

Controversies

Throughout his career, many religious groups accused Osbourne of being a negative influence on teenagers, stating that his genre of rock music has been used to glorify Satanism. Scholar Christopher M. Moreman compared the controversy to those levelled against the occultist Aleister Crowley. Both were demonised by the media and some religious groups for their antics. Although Osbourne tempts the comparison with his song "Mr. Crowley", he denied being a Satanist; conversely, it has been reported that Osbourne was a member of the Church of England and that he prayed before taking the stage each night before every concert.[180][181]

In 1981, after signing his first solo career record deal, Osbourne bit the head off a dove during a meeting with CBS Records executives in Los Angeles.[182] Apparently, he had planned to release doves into the air as a sign of peace, but due to intoxication, he instead grabbed a dove and bit its head off. He then spat the head out,[182][183] with blood still dripping from his lips. As security was escorting Osbourne out of the building, he grabbed a second dove and also bit its head off. Due to its controversy, the head-biting act has been parodied and alluded to several times throughout his career and is part of what made Osbourne famous.[184]

"I'm like the Dennis the Menace kind of crazy. Fun crazy, I hope."

—Osbourne describing himself in the British documentary, Hellraisers, Channel 4, 2000.[185]

On 20 January 1982, Osbourne bit the head off a bat[186] that he thought was rubber while performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa. According to a 2004 Rolling Stone article, the bat was alive at the time;[187] however, 17-year-old Mark Neal, who threw it onto the stage, said it was brought to the show dead.[182] According to Osbourne in the booklet to the 2002 edition of Diary of a Madman, the bat was not only alive but managed to bite him, resulting in Osbourne being treated for rabies. On 20 January 2019, Osbourne commemorated the 37th anniversary of the bat incident by offering an "Ozzy Plush Bat" toy "with detachable head" for sale on his personal web-store. The site claimed the first batch of toys sold out within hours.[188]

 

Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band were previously named Earth, and before that the Polka Tulk Blues Band), they distinguished themselves through occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and down-tuned guitars. Their first three albums, Black Sabbath, Paranoid (both 1970), and Master of Reality (1971), were commercially successful, and are now cited as pioneering albums in the development of heavy metal music.[1] Subsequent albums Vol. 4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976), and Never Say Die! (1978) saw the band explore more experimental and progressive styles.

Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who recorded three albums with the band, Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981), and their first authorised live album Live Evil (1983), the last two featuring drummer Vinny Appice replacing Ward. Following Dio and Appice's departures, Iommi and Butler recorded Born Again (1983) with Ward returning on drums, and Ian Gillan, then-formerly of Deep Purple, on vocals. By 1984, Butler, Ward, and Gillan had all departed, leaving Iommi to assemble a new version of Black Sabbath. For the next 13 years, the band endured many personnel changes that included vocalists Glenn Hughes (another former Deep Purple member, who sang on the 1986 album Seventh Star)[3] and Tony Martin, as well as several bassists and drummers. Of the vocalists during these years, Martin's tenure was the longest, joining in 1987 and recording three albums – The Eternal Idol (1987),[4] Headless Cross (1989),[5] and Tyr (1990) – before his initial departure in 1991.[6] That same year, Iommi reunited with Butler, Dio and Appice to record Dehumanizer (1992), though Dio and Appice both departed again by the end of 1992. Martin returned for two more studio albums, Cross Purposes (1994)[7] and Forbidden (1995),[8] and one live album, Cross Purposes Live (1995), before the band went on a one-year hiatus.

The original line-up of Iommi, Osbourne, Butler and Ward reunited in 1997, releasing a live album, Reunion (1998), and touring sporadically until 2005. The band went on hiatus in 2006 when the Mob Rules line-up (Iommi, Butler, Dio, Appice) reunited as Heaven & Hell, touring during the late 2000s and releasing one studio album, The Devil You Know (2009), before disbanding after Dio's death in 2010. The original line-up reunited again in 2011, though Ward departed prior to the recording of their final studio album 13 (2013). To conclude their farewell tour, Black Sabbath played its last concert for eight years in their home city in 2017.[9][10] Occasional partial reunions have occurred, most notably when Osbourne and Iommi performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[11] The original line-up reunited for a final show for both the band and Osbourne as a solo artist, titled Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park on 5 July 2025;[12] Osbourne died seventeen days after the performance.

Black Sabbath have sold over 70 million records as of 2013, making them one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands. The band have been referred to as being part of the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies", along with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.[13] Black Sabbath were ranked by MTV as the "Greatest Metal Band of All Time" and placed second on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them 85 on its "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". They were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. They have won two Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[14]

History

1968–1969: Formation and early days

The Crown in Birmingham, where the band played their first show

Following the break-up of their previous band, Mythology, in 1968, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward sought to form a heavy blues rock band in Aston, Birmingham. They enlisted bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, who had played together in a band called Rare Breed, Osbourne having placed an advertisement in a local music shop: "OZZY ZIG Needs Gig – has own PA".[2] The new group was initially named the Polka Tulk Blues Band, the name taken either from a brand of talcum powder[15] or an Indian/Pakistani clothing shop; the exact origin is confused.[16] The Polka Tulk Blues Band included slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips, a childhood friend of Osbourne's, and saxophonist Alan "Aker" Clarke. After shortening the name to Polka Tulk, the band again changed their name to Earth (which Osbourne hated)[17] and continued as a four-piece without Phillips and Clarke.[18][19] Iommi became concerned that Phillips and Clarke lacked the necessary dedication and were not taking the band seriously. Rather than asking them to leave, they instead decided to break up and then quietly reformed the band as a four-piece.[20] While the band was performing under the Earth moniker, they recorded several demos written by Norman Haines such as "The Rebel", "When I Came Down" and "Song for Jim",[21] the latter of which being a reference to Jim Simpson, who was a manager for the bands Bakerloo Blues Line and Tea & Symphony, as well as the trumpet player for the group Locomotive. Simpson had recently started a new club named Henry's Blueshouse at The Crown Hotel in Birmingham and offered to let Earth play there after they agreed to waive the usual support band fee in return for free T-shirts.[22] The audience response was positive and Simpson agreed to manage Earth.[23][24]

In December 1968, Iommi abruptly left Earth to join Jethro Tull.[25] Although his stint with the band would be short-lived, Iommi made an appearance with Jethro Tull on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus TV show. Unsatisfied with the direction of Jethro Tull, Iommi returned to Earth by the end of the month. "It just wasn't right, so I left", Iommi said. "At first I thought Tull were great, but I didn't much go for having a leader in the band, which was Ian Anderson's way. When I came back from Tull, I came back with a new attitude altogether. They taught me that to get on, you got to work for it."[26]

While playing shows in England in 1969, the band discovered they were being mistaken for another English group named Earth, so they decided to change their name again (this name change would give rise to the well-known debate about the alleged aesthetic influence of Coven, which the British band always denied).[27][28] A cinema across the street from the band's rehearsal room was showing the 1963 Italian horror film Black Sabbath, starring Boris Karloff and directed by Mario Bava. While watching people line up to see the film, Butler noted that it was "strange that people spend so much money to see scary movies".[29] Following that, Osbourne and Butler wrote the lyrics for a song called "Black Sabbath", which was inspired by the work of horror and adventure-story writer Dennis Wheatley,[30][31] along with a vision that Butler had of a black silhouetted figure standing at the foot of his bed.[32] Making use of the musical tritone, also known as "the Devil's Interval",[33] the song's ominous sound and dark lyrics pushed the band in a darker direction,[34][35] a stark contrast to the popular music of the late 1960s, which was dominated by flower power, folk music and hippie culture. Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has called the track "probably the most evil song ever written".[36] Inspired by the new sound, the band changed their name to Black Sabbath in August 1969,[37] and made the decision to focus on writing similar material in an attempt to create the musical equivalent of horror films.

1969–1971: Black Sabbath and Paranoid

The band's first show as Black Sabbath took place on 30 August 1969 in Workington, England.[20] They were signed to Philips Records in November 1969.[38] They recorded their first single, "Evil Woman" (a cover of a song by the band Crow), at Trident Studios. "Evil Woman" was released on 9 January 1970 through Philips subsidiary Fontana Records. Later releases were handled by Philips' newly formed progressive rock label, Vertigo Records. "Evil Woman" failed to chart. The band were afforded two days of studio time in November 1969 to record their debut album with producer Rodger Bain. Iommi recalls recording live: "We thought, 'We have two days to do it, and one of the days is mixing.' So we played live. Ozzy was singing at the same time; we just put him in a separate booth and off we went. We never had a second run of most of the stuff".[39] On 11 November 1969 Black Sabbath recorded a four-song session for John Peel's Top Gear radio show.[40] The four songs were "Black Sabbath", "N.I.B.", "Behind the Wall of Sleep" and "Sleeping Village". Broadcast on 29 November 1969, this gave them their first exposure to a UK wide audience.[20]

Black Sabbath at Piccadilly Circus, London in 1970 (left to right: Iommi, Ward, Osbourne, Butler)

Their debut album Black Sabbath was released on Friday the 13th, February 1970, and reached number eight in the UK Albums Chart. Following its US and Canadian release in May 1970 by Warner Bros. Records, the album reached number 23 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for over a year.[41][42] The album was given negative reviews by many critics. Lester Bangs dismissed it in a Rolling Stone review as "discordant jams with bass and guitar reeling like velocitised speedfreaks all over each other's musical perimeters, yet never quite finding synch".[43] It sold in substantial numbers despite being panned, giving the band their first mainstream exposure.[44] It has since been certified Platinum in both US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and in the UK by British Phonographic Industry (BPI),[45][46] and is now generally accepted as the first heavy metal album.[47]

The band returned to the studio in June 1970, just four months after Black Sabbath was released. The new album was initially set to be named War Pigs after the song "War Pigs", which was critical of the Vietnam War; however, Warner changed the title of the album to Paranoid. The album's lead single, "Paranoid", was written in the studio at the last minute. Ward explains: "We didn't have enough songs for the album, and Tony just played the [Paranoid] guitar lick and that was it. It took twenty, twenty-five minutes from top to bottom."[48] The single was released in September 1970 and reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, remaining Black Sabbath's only top 10 hit.[42] The album followed in the UK in October 1970, where, pushed by the success of the "Paranoid" single, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.

The US release was held off until January 1971, as the Black Sabbath album was still on the chart at the time of Paranoid's UK release. The album reached No. 12 in the US in March 1971,[41] and would go on to sell four million copies in the US[45] with virtually no radio airplay.[42] Like Black Sabbath, the album was panned by rock critics of the era, but modern-day reviewers such as AllMusic's Steve Huey cite Paranoid as "one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time", which "defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history".[49] The album was ranked at number 131 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[50] Paranoid's chart success allowed the band to tour the US for the first time – their first US show was at a club called Ungano's at 210 West 70th Street in New York City[51] – and spawned the release of the album's second single, "Iron Man". Although the single failed to reach the top 40, it remains one of Black Sabbath's most popular songs, as well as the band's highest-charting US single until 1998's "Psycho Man".[41]

1971–1973: Master of Reality and Vol. 4

In February 1971, after a one-off performance at the Myponga Pop Festival in Australia,[52] Black Sabbath returned to the studio to begin work on their third album. Following the chart success of Paranoid, the band were afforded more studio time, along with a "briefcase full of cash" to buy drugs.[53] "We were getting into coke, big time", Ward explained. "Uppers, downers, Quaaludes, whatever you like. It got to the stage where you come up with ideas and forget them, because you were just so out of it."[54]

Production completed in April 1971, and in July the band released Master of Reality, just six months after the US release of Paranoid. The album reached the top 10 in the US and the United Kingdom, and was certified Gold in less than two months,[45] eventually receiving Platinum certification in the 1980s and Double Platinum in the early 21st century.[45] It contained Sabbath's first acoustic songs, alongside fan favourites such as "Children of the Grave" and "Sweet Leaf".[55] Critical response of the era was generally unfavourable, with Lester Bangs delivering an ambivalent review of Master of Reality in Rolling Stone, describing the closing "Children of the Grave" as "naïve, simplistic, repetitive, absolute doggerel – but in the tradition [of rock 'n' roll] ... The only criterion is excitement, and Black Sabbath's got it".[56] (In 2003, Rolling Stone would place the album at number 300 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.[57]) Following the Master of Reality world tour in 1972, the band took their first break in three years. As Ward explained: "The band started to become very fatigued and very tired. We'd been on the road non-stop, year in and year out, constantly touring and recording. I think Master of Reality was kind of like the end of an era, the first three albums, and we decided to take our time with the next album."[58]

In June 1972, the band reconvened in Los Angeles to begin work on their next album at the Record Plant. With more time in the studio, the album saw the band experimenting with new textures, such as strings, piano, orchestration and multi-part songs.[59] Recording was plagued with problems, many as a result of substance abuse issues. Struggling to record the song "Cornucopia" after "sitting in the middle of the room, just doing drugs",[60] Ward was nearly fired. "I hated the song, there were some patterns that were just ... horrible," the drummer said. "I nailed it in the end, but the reaction I got was the cold shoulder from everybody. It was like, 'Well, just go home; you're not being of any use right now.' I felt like I'd blown it, I was about to get fired".[61] Butler thought that the end product "was very badly produced, as far as I was concerned. Our then-manager insisted on producing it, so he could claim production costs".[62]

The album was originally titled Snowblind after the song of the same name, which deals with cocaine abuse. The record company changed the title at the last minute to Black Sabbath Vol. 4. Ward observed, "There was no Volume 1, 2 or 3, so it's a pretty stupid title, really".[63] Vol. 4 was released in September 1972, and while critics were dismissive, it achieved Gold status in less than a month, and was the band's fourth consecutive release to sell a million in the US[45] "Tomorrow's Dream" was released as a single – the band's first since "Paranoid" – but failed to chart.[41] Following an extensive tour of the US, in 1973 the band travelled again to Australia, followed by a tour for the first time to New Zealand, before moving onto mainland Europe. "The band were definitely in their heyday", recalled Ward, "in the sense that nobody had burnt out quite yet".[64]