During a recent appearance on “The Power Hour,” guitarist Zakk Wylde reminisced about Ozzy‘s belief that BLACK SABBATH‘s peak era concluded before 1975’s Sabotage, while also highlighting Geezer Butler‘s remark that Master of Reality epitomized the essence of classic SABBATH.
First eight SABBATH albums are often regarded as essential and influential works within the heavy metal genre, however, some fans do not consider 1978’s Never Say Die! and 1976’s Technical Ecstasy as highly esteemed as the first six albums.
“Ozz doesn’t put Sabotage in that list,” Zakk said. “Ozzy said that the classic run of SABBATH records ended with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath for him. To him, that was it. He would always measure [the record] by the memories that were attached to making the records. What he always remembers whether he had a good time making it, or he was miserable.”
Considering the challenges and hardships faced during the creation of Sabotage, Zakk remarked: “That’s the reason why the album’s called Sabotage — all the management things they were going through and everything. The wheels started coming off at that point, for them anyways, with all the outside interference coming in, I suppose. The band’s making records, touring, having fun, [and] the world started collapsing at that point with SABBATH.”
Zakk, a devoted fan of the album himself, also remembered Ozzy‘s response when he praised the vocalist’s performance on it: “I love his vocal performances on all [the records], but Sabotage — all of it; his phrasing, how bluesy his voice is on ‘The Writ’, the whole record. It’s just absolutely amazing. I said, ‘Ozz, were you taking vocal lessons or something?’ And he goes, ‘No, Zakk, just lots of drugs.'”
Zakk also remembered asking Geezer Butler about which album he believed best represented BLACK SABBATH, stating: “I remember when we were working on the Ozzmosis record [1995] with Geezer [Butler], and we were going back from the studio one night. And I said, ‘Geez, if you could only have one SABBATH record from the Ozzy years [you could play to someone who] never heard BLACK SABBATH before [and say], ‘Here you go, this is what BLACK SABBATH Is’, [which one would you pick]? And Geezer said Master of Reality.”
