“THE GODFATHERS OF HEAVY” – A LOVE LETTER IN 12 LOUD VOICES

Black Sabbath didn’t just start heavy metal — they birthed the beast, raised it in Birmingham, and sent it howling into the night on a down-tuned devil’s tritone. 🖤 From doom to thrash to nu-metal and back again, every rock and metal band worth their weight in patch jackets owes something to The Sabs.

So what do the rest of the riff-slingers think about Sabbath? We found 12 bands who aren’t afraid to shout their Sabbath worship from the rooftops — or the tour bus roof at least. 🎸

Buckle up, c’mon butt — here comes a righteous ride through praise, power chords, and pure Brummie chaos.

⚫ 1. METALLICA – “WITHOUT SABBATH, THERE’S NO US.”

🎤 Lars Ulrich: “Without Black Sabbath, there’s no Metallica. Period.”

You know it’s serious when Lars puts the drumsticks down and gets heartfelt. Metallica have name-dropped Sabbath in basically every interview since 1981. They’ve covered “Sabbra Cadabra,” “Iron Man,” and even “Hole in the Sky.”
James Hetfield once called Sabbath “the blueprint for everything we are.”

💥 Sabbath were the darkness. Metallica just made it thrashier.

⚰️ 2. SLAYER – “THEY INVENTED HEAVY.”

🎸 Kerry King: “They invented heavy. Before them, there was no heavy.”

Slayer might be the sonic equivalent of being hit by a barbed wire truck, but even Kerry King bows to the Sabs. Black Sabbath laid down the slow, evil groundwork Slayer built their hellfire upon.

🔥 If Sabbath are the church, Slayer are the angry exorcists.

😇 3. FOO FIGHTERS – “TONY IOMMI IS WHY I PLAY GUITAR.”

🎤 Dave Grohl: “Tony Iommi is the reason I play guitar.”

Yup, even Mr. Nicest-Guy-in-Rock Dave Grohl has a Sabbath side. He’s gone full fanboy over Vol. 4, jammed with Iommi, and called Sabbath’s sound “the pulse of the earth.”
That’s coming from a guy who’s played with literally everyone. Even your nan probably respects Grohl.

🎸 Without Sabbath, Grohl might’ve ended up in Coldplay. We’re glad the riff called him home.

👻 4. GHOST – “WE’RE NOT COPYING… BUT YES WE ARE.”

😈 Tobias Forge: “We’re not copying Sabbath… but yes, we absolutely are.”

Let’s be honest — Ghost is spooky Sabbath in pope hats. Forge has never hidden his love of the Sabs, saying they taught him how to write riffs that sound like demons smoking cigars in cathedrals.
Atmospheric? Yep. Doom-laden? Oh aye. Campy and brilliant? 100%.

🕯️ Papa Emeritus is basically Ozzy in eyeliner with better merch.

🧠 5. SLIPKNOT – “THEY TAUGHT US HOW TO SCARE.”

🐺 Corey Taylor: “Sabbath taught me how to scare people with sound.”

Slipknot’s masked mayhem owes a hefty debt to Sabbath’s sonic horror show. Corey Taylor has said Sabbath made music feel like a dark spell being cast, and their “evil groove” was what pulled him into metal in the first place.

🪓 Where Sabbath whispered “be afraid,” Slipknot screamed it through a megaphone. But the roots are the same.

🎶 6. PANTERA – “IOMMI IS THE KING OF THE RIFF.”

⚡ Dimebag Darrell (RIP): “Tony Iommi is the king of the riff.”

That’s from the king of groove metal himself. Pantera didn’t just respect Sabbath — they built a southern-fried shrine to their legacy. From “Planet Caravan” covers to down-tuned devastation, the Sabbath influence bleeds through every Pantera record like whiskey on denim.

🥃 If riffs were currency, Sabbath and Pantera would be billionaires.

🏇 7. IRON MAIDEN – “SABBATH WAS THE BLUEPRINT.”

🧿 Steve Harris: “Sabbath were the blueprint. But we ran with it.”

Maiden’s galloping epics might seem a million BPM away from Sabbath’s doom, but even Harris admits Sabbath walked so Maiden could sprint in leather trousers.
Their twin guitars might’ve sharpened the edge, but the foundation was pure Birmingham gloom.

⚔️ The difference? Sabbath are your nightmares. Maiden are your battle cry.

🌑 8. SOUNDGARDEN – “THE BEATLES OF HEAVY.”

🖤 Chris Cornell (RIP): “They were the Beatles of heavy.”

Cornell nailed it. Sabbath weren’t just pioneers — they were melodic, innovative, and world-changing. Soundgarden’s sludgy riffs and Cornell’s haunting vocals owe a mountain to Sabbath’s blueprint.

Bonus points: Chris and Iommi even collaborated on “Black Oblivion” – a doom-prog masterpiece that sounds like a haunted cathedral sinking into the sea.

🌊 Seattle wouldn’t have sounded the same without Sabbath’s smoke curling across the Atlantic.

🌵 9. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – “SLOW CAN BE SAVAGE.”

🌀 Josh Homme: “Sabbath taught me that slow and heavy can be just as badass as fast and flashy.”

Queens of the Stone Age might cruise in the desert stoner lane, but that low-slung Sabbath rumble is always in their rearview. Homme loves how Sabbath could turn a single riff into a hypnotic weapon — no solos, no fluff, just doom.

🌵 Sabbath were stoner rock before weed knew what a bong was.

🧮 10. OPETH – “THEY’RE SACRED.”

📖 Mikael Åkerfeldt: “Sabbath are sacred. We don’t even try to touch what they did.”

When the most cerebral metal band on earth says “nah, we’re not worthy,” you know Sabbath are untouchable. Opeth’s doomier, early work is a masterclass in Sabbath reverence, with extra Swedish existential dread.

🩸 Imagine Sabbath with a PhD and a pipe organ, and you’ve got Opeth.

🌪️ 11. DOWN – “WE ARE SABBATH WORSHIP.”

🐊 Phil Anselmo: “We ARE Sabbath worship.”

Down isn’t even subtle about it. It’s straight-up riff-fuelled homage to Sabbath, filtered through Louisiana humidity and slow-burning anger. If Ozzy’s voice is the sound of apocalypse, Anselmo’s is the hangover after.

🦴 Down is Sabbath with a shotgun and moonshine.

🧨 12. SYSTEM OF A DOWN – “THEY MADE WEIRD OKAY.”

🧠 Serj Tankian: “Sabbath made it okay to be weird and heavy.”

System of a Down are the definition of “what the hell did I just hear?” — but beneath the madness lies the same fearless darkness and rebellion Sabbath unleashed in the ‘70s. Serj credits them for proving that metal didn’t have to follow rules.

🌀 If Sabbath were dark wizards, SOAD are chaotic goblins with riffs and a political manifesto.

🎤 FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE PIT

So, what do other bands really think about Black Sabbath?

They think they owe them everything.

Whether it’s the riff, the darkness, the doom, or just the sheer vibe of it all — Sabbath changed music forever. They took rock ‘n’ roll, dipped it in tar, and handed it to the world with a mad grin and a church bell. 🛎️

Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill didn’t just make music — they made a new religion, and nearly every band since is a proud disciple.

So next time you hear a crushing riff, a groaning vocal, or a lyric about war, death, or devils — give a little nod to the boys from Birmingham.

LEGENDS. NEVER. DIE. 🖤⚡

Want more epic breakdowns like this? Stick with The Riff Report, where every post is louder than the last and we always worship at the altar of the almighty riff.

Diolch and rock on, mun! 🎸🔥