Metallica frontman James Hetfield recently opened up about Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, calling him one of the most influential and widely imitated guitarists in music history.
Hetfield explained that Iommi’s playing has shaped his own approach to rhythm guitar and songwriting more than any other musician’s.
“Tony Iommi is the riff lord, in my mind, and he is the one that has inspired me the most out of any guitar player for my rhythm guitar playing and songwriting,” Hetfield said.
He went on to single out a specific example of Iommi’s influence, pointing to the guitar work on Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave.”
“Yeah, the ‘Children Of The Grave’ riff — obviously, Tony is the riff lord and everyone starts the song together on the one riff,” Hetfield continued. “Basically, Tony plays off that riff, goes in to hit the big giant chords, which opens the song up. I really love the drum overdub that they did to help with that percussion of the riff and the real cool ghostly guitar sounds at the very, very end.”
Hetfield’s admiration for Iommi is nothing new. It fits within a much larger legacy that stretches far beyond Metallica’s own catalog.
Iommi’s status as a foundational figure in heavy music is one shared by many of his peers. Brian May of Queen has called him “the true father of heavy metal.” Eddie Van Halen once stated flatly that “without Tony, heavy metal wouldn’t exist.” That reputation isn’t limited to a single generation of players. Iommi’s fingerprints can be traced across doom, thrash, sludge, stoner rock, death metal, grunge, glam and industrial metal, genres that all carry some trace of his musical DNA.
Much of that influence stems from Iommi’s radically detuned Gibson SG and his inventive, riff-driven soloing. That combination became a major source of inspiration for guitarists like Van Halen, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and, of course, a young James Hetfield, who went on to co-found Metallica.
Hetfield’s admiration for Iommi has stayed consistent over the years. It extends well beyond this latest interview. In past conversations, he’s made clear that when it comes to riffs and rhythm playing, no one compares to the Black Sabbath guitarist.
“As far as being a riff and rhythm guy, my favorite guitarist is Tony Iommi, no doubt about that,” Hetfield has said. “He seemed like one of those quiet geniuses.”
Hetfield’s comments underscore the lasting impact Iommi’s riff-driven style has had on generations of rock and metal guitarists, including his own work with Metallica.
