Diversion Podcasts, a division of Diversion Media, has released the latest episode of “Backstaged: The Devil In Metal”. Hosted by bestselling author and music journalist, Jon Wiederhorn, this 12-episode podcast offers a one-of-a-kind journey through the history and culture of heavy metal. The podcast explores elements of darkness and extremism in the music and, examines how a generation of rebellious rockers took the phrase “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll” to an entirely new level.
In this week’s episode, Wiederhorn dives into the origins of BLACK SABBATH and the unique backstory of lead guitarist Tony Iommi. During the episode, Tony shares the highs and lows of his journey to becoming a metal legend, including the near career-ending injury that actually added to SABBATH‘s dark, demonic sound.
Later in the episode, hear from BLACK SABBATH lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne as he recounts the early blues influence of the band which included a saxophone and a slide guitar player. Also featured in the episode, PANTERA vocalist Philip Anselmo and ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian praise the band for their fearless sound and explain how Iommi and BLACK SABBATH laid the foundation for every riff written in metal.
Speaking about his brief stint with JETHRO TULL in December 1968 after leaving EARTH, his pre-BLACK SABBATH band with Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, Iommi said: “I felt really weird not being with the other guys. I really missed them. But the thing was I felt a bit out of place ’cause I was joining basically an established band and I wanted to be a part of an established band; I wanted to be able to earn my own dues, if you like. I didn’t wanna join a band that was already doing well and I was just gonna be the guitar player. I wanted to be in a band where you all worked together and you are a band. I didn’t wanna be the guitar player in JETHRO TULL and like a side musician; I wanted to be a part of a team. So I said to Geezer, ‘Let’s get the band back together,’ which is what we did. We called Ozzy and Bill from London, and we said we’re coming back. ‘If everybody’s really serious about this, I’m willing to leave and we’ll get back together again and really work at it. And that’s what everybody suggests.’ So that’s what we did.”
“Backstaged: The Devil In Metal” is a production of Diversion Podcasts with iHeartRadio. New episodes can be found each Friday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Wiederhorn is a seasoned music journalist, having written about rock and metal for more than 30 years. He is the author of “Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From The Lives Of Metal Legends” and the celebrated classic “Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History Of Metal” (with Katherine Turman). Wiederhorn is a former editor at Rolling Stone, a former writer for MTV News and the co-author of “I’m the Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax” (with Scott Ian), “Ministry: The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen” (with Al Jourgensen), and “My Riot: Agnostic Front, Grit, Guts & Glory” (with Roger Miret) and He has also written for Rolling Stone, SPIN, MTV, Guitar World and Revolver, among others.
