I like Black Sabbath. It’s by far the heaviest band that I’ve ever really loved. I always enjoyed some other “heavier” bands – but not to the level of 1970-1976 Sabbath. The funny thing is is was introduced to them in 1991 by my girlfriend at the time, not the type who you’d ever think had a passion for Ozzy and Sabbath. She was classically trained cellist who dressed like a prep and came from one of the wealthiest families in Dorion. The cliché about books and covers applied to her. She bought me their first 4 albums as a present and i’ve listened to them each many times over since. It’s a silly thing but both of those experiences changed the way I viewed people that only really came to light many years later.

A side note about Sabbath. One day at an old job of mine, my boss looked over my shoulder and saw that I was listening to Sabbath through my earphones while designing something… He said “Do you think that’s appropriate music for work ?”, which at first I thought was a joke, then realizing he was serious, I made up my mind to quit as soon as possible, which I did.

I caught this documentary in 2 sittings, the end first, then the first half last night. A well written and fast moving piece covering a huge chunk or rock n’ roll history that is often overlooked. Dunn, the director, finds himself trying to stay detached as any anthropologist should, yet you can hear the excitement in his voice as he talks to some of his heroes. Plus he’s got some great looking infographics ;-). Worth checking out.

One of the many polite, funny and articulate interview subjects that makes the documentary “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” such rousing entertainment is heavy-metal superstar Rob Zombie.

With an insider’s wink and nod to the devotion shared by the musical genre’s obsessives, he comments: “I’ve never met the guy who said, ‘Yeah, I was maybe into Slayer for, like, one summer a long time ago.’ It’s the guy who has ‘Slayer’ carved across his chest with a switchblade.”

Metal: A Headbangers Journey | Quicktime trailer