More like Black Sabbath
Cross-media recommendations across film, TV, games, books & music — picked by taste.
Black Sabbath is the debut album by the English heavy metal band of the same name, released on 13 February 1970 by Vertigo Records in the UK. It is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album. The opening title track has been referred to as the first doom metal song and was named the greatest heavy metal song of all time by Rolling Stone. If this record is in your orbit, you feel the pull of music as ritual and the weight of a genre's founding moment.
About Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 13 February 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and on 1 June 1970 by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album. The opening title track, "Black Sabbath", was named the greatest heavy metal song of all time by Rolling Stone and has been referred to as the first doom metal song.
From the Wikipedia article Black_Sabbath_(album), available under CC BY-SA.
Films like Black Sabbath
Film
Black Sabbath
Three tales of supernatural horror: phone-call dread, vampiric monsters, and a vengeful deceased medium.
Film
Black Sunday
An Israeli agent races to stop a Vietnam vet and PLO operatives from attacking the Super Bowl.
Film
The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne
A documentary tracing Ozzy Osbourne's journey from childhood poverty and prison to fronting Black Sabbath.
Film
A Dark Song
A woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual.
Film
Rock & Rule
A malevolent rock star kidnaps a singer to summon a demon; her band must stop him.
Film
Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen forms in 1970 and storms the music world as their hits become instant classics.
Books to read after Black Sabbath
Book
Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose
Chronicles Black Sabbath's rise as the quintessential heavy metal band.
Book
Psychotic Reactions and Carburettor Dung
Critical essays on rock performers including Bowie, Lou Reed, the Clash, and Iggy Pop.
Book
Rock and roll, 1955-1970
A history examining rock's roots, rhythm and blues, solo stars, and the supergroups era.
Book
Slash
A memoir from one of rock's greatest guitarists redefining sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Frequently asked
What should I watch after getting into Black Sabbath's debut album?
The 1963 horror anthology Black Sabbath shares the same dark, supernatural atmosphere — three tales of ghosts and vampires that feel like the album's dread brought to screen. The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne is a solid documentary deep-dive into the band's full story.
Is there a book about Black Sabbath I can read?
Black Sabbath: Doom Let Loose chronicles the band's rise as the defining heavy metal act, making it the most direct companion read. Psychotic Reactions and Carburettor Dung offers sharp, gonzo rock criticism that captures the era's energy.
What movies capture the dark, occult feeling of Black Sabbath's music?
A Dark Song — about a woman and an occultist performing a dangerous ritual — comes closest to the album's doom-laden, supernatural dread. Rock & Rule is a wilder pick: an animated film where a rock star literally summons a demon.