#OnThisNote: Paranoid about heavy metal

The album cover for Paranoid

That’s a big question - especially for dedicated heavy metal fans. The answers I’ve personally heard have actually ranged from Black Sabbath to Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin - even some who have said Metallica (which, in my opinion, is a little late). Either way, it’s a pretty contested topic that I haven’t found a sure ‘yes’ answer to.

From others, at least. I believe without a doubt it’s Black Sabbath.

I have a pretty varied and eclectic taste in music - so sometimes people don’t realise I am a massive metalhead. This started with one song: Children of the Grave. The rumbling start into the now-iconic guitar riff will forever be in my memory with extreme fondness. It was a true introduction to how my music taste (and mild obsession) would develop into what it is today.

Revolution in their minds

Now, the album I would like to bring attention to is Paranoid. Released in Europe on 18 September, 1970, Paranoid broke through the mould to truly turn the world to metal. Even though their self-titled album came out earlier that same year, it was Paranoid that brought on the well-recognised necessities of a metal album we know today. Black Sabbath had brought to life a new genre.

This is heavy metal - a masterpiece because it doesn’t have unnecessary distortion or redundant rage. Although there is a place for that, Paranoid is a smooth experience that brings to life the eerie, the doom and the dark.

War Pigs, a cataclysmic musical triumph about the war and destruction caused by man, is the perfect example of this. It showcases guitarist Tony Iommi’s genius, sucks us into Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary howls and urges us to turn the volume a little too loud. It’s an eight-minute journey through what we now know was the start of metal.

Has he lost his mind?

There is a certain stigma to metal that I do feel the need to address. Leather, silver, drugs, sex, tattoos - often taboo things that we find on what is perceived to be the outskirts of society - are pretty much what is connected with the genre. As a result, if someone says they are a metalhead, they get subjected to a pre-conceived notion of degeneracy.

In fact, there were highly publicised court cases throughout the 20th century that saw metal band members brought before courtrooms. These cases were often based on bias; Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider was called before the Parents Music Resource Centre for making ‘obscene’ music in 1985. Snider had to give testimony to the United States Senate’s Committee in a fight for his craft. This was meant to open the air for the discussion.

Even as recently as 2018, there are cases that use the argument that people who listen to heavy metal are more likely to be depressed and at risk of suicide and self-harm.

I could go into a lot more detail about these cases and the ridiculous fight that metal bands faced - but at the end of the day, I still know what it’s about.

It’s a ‘welcome home’ for people who feel like outsiders.

Don’t get me wrong, it can get very dark - as any music can - as we see in the lyrics from Paranoid (the song):

Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal

Simple, effective and specific to one reality: Not everybody in the world feels happy, and it’s eternally better to have the opportunity to find solace in music.

It’s too late

Whatever you think about metal music, I don’t believe it’s possible to deny that hundreds of thousands of people across the globe have found a comfortable place with it. The genre has sparked many conversations around the meaning of music and how it can affect our mental state - speaking exactly to the profound effect it has on our culture.

And it all started with albums like Paranoid.