In a recent interview with Guitar Player, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello shared his initial impressions of Black Sabbath.
“I was not a fan at first,” Morello revealed. “I was just terrified of them.”
“Someone brought Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to school one day,” he continued. “I remember just looking at the cover and going, ‘Wait — there’s a band that chose that for their album art? And the name of the band is Black Sabbath?’ It was a whole another level.”
This revelation offers a glimpse into Morello’s early musical journey before he became one of rock’s most influential guitarists.
His initial fear later transformed into deep admiration and respect for the legendary metal band.
Insights from Guitar Player reveal that Morello’s perspective shifted dramatically after discovering their album ‘Paranoid.’ He describes it as “unlike anything that had ever been.”
The guitarist’s journey from fear to fandom has reached a new milestone. He now leads the organization of a massive tribute show for Black Sabbath, scheduled for July 5, 2025, in Birmingham, England.
“The idea is to curate the greatest day in the history of heavy metal for the greatest band in the history of heavy metal,” Morello stated about the upcoming tribute event, as noted by Guitar Player.
Metal music shaped Morello’s musical career profoundly. “Metal is the music that made me love music,” he explained. “It was the metal posters on my walls and the metal riffs that I learned first that made me love playing guitar and want to be a musician.”
‘Back to the Beginning’ will be the first time in 20 years that Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward play together.
