Could he be right?

In a legendary encounter, Metal Hammer facilitated an interview between the iconic Tenacious D and the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. The trio delved into various topics, spanning Ozzy’s early musical influences, his first concert experience, and more. At the beginning of the interview, Jack Black acknowledges the widespread perception of Black Sabbath as the pioneers of heavy metal. However, Ozzy’s response to the bands that followed in Black Sabbath’s wake is far from enthusiastic.

“While it’s a nice thought, we were heavily influenced by The Who, Led Zeppelin, and The Kinks… Bloody hell, when I heard The Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me,’ I bought the single and practically wore it out. I couldn’t stop listening to it. I don’t experience that same connection with modern music anymore. I don’t really listen to much of it. Everything seems to be recycled.”

Given that Ozzy is approaching 75 years of age, it’s not surprising that he gravitates toward the classics. He also reminisces about the early days of Black Sabbath, offering praise to Tony Iommi for his exceptional guitar skills.

“If people want to believe that, it’s fantastic, but I don’t go around boasting, ‘Oh, I’m the singer of Black Sabbath, I invented this or that…'” Ozzy humbly shares. “Being part of Black Sabbath was an incredible experience. Tony Iommi was the authority. He was the man. I have yet to encounter another guitarist who can summon such demonic riffs.”

Recalling the band’s origins, Ozzy fondly recalls, “When we first started, the only available rehearsal space was across from a movie theater, and we had to be there by nine o’clock in the morning. One day, Tony or Geezer said, ‘Isn’t it strange that people pay to watch horror films? Why don’t we make horror music?’ I thought they were joking, but then Tony started playing [Ozzy imitates the iconic riff from ‘Black Sabbath’]. I was like, ‘Bloody hell!'”