Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has revealed what he deems “brilliant” about the 80s thrash metal revolution.
In a new conversation with Guitar World, the 76-year-old was asked what he thought of his band’s influence on the thrash movement, which was populated by such stars as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
“It was nice to hear those thrash bands paying tribute to us,” he answers. “It’s great how they were able to push it forward into something new and turn it into their own thing. I was just coming up with things I liked.”
The guitarist continues, saying it was “brilliant” how younger musicians took Iommi’s foundational approach to metal and made it their own. He then singles out Metallica, who become international superstars following the release of their self-titled album (“The Black Album”) in 1991.
“What they did with the metal sound, turning it into thrash, was fantastic!” Iommi says. “They’ve always been respectful toward us and they’re lovely guys. I love their attitude toward things, the way they write and everything. It reminds us a lot of how we were – everyone in one room rehearsing together and taking it seriously.”
Iommi later casts his eye to the present day, where guitar playing in metal is arguably more technical than it’s ever been. He expresses mixed thoughts on modern virtuosos, also deeming current shredders to be “brilliant” even if their approach to the instrument doesn’t quite align with his.
“Even really young kids in their bedrooms are doing incredible things,” he says. “But I always go back to the roots of the blues, looking deep inside myself and telling the truth. I don’t think about what can impress people or break speed limits. The only thing that matters in my mind is how it sounds to me.”
Iommi elaborates elsewhere in the interview: “Some of the guitar playing I hear these days is too technical. You have to be precise on this note or that note. I can’t do that – if I do a solo on a record, it’s never the same live. I can’t reproduce what I did in the studio. I’ll do something similar but not exact.”
Iommi co-founded Black Sabbath with singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward in 1968. The band retired in 2017, but all four of the original members have recently expressed interest in getting onstage together one last time.
