A philosophical look at heavy metal's dark masters of reality, Black SabbathBlack Sabbath is one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Introduction: “What Is This That Stands Before Me?” x Acknowledgments: They Sold Their Souls for Rock ‘n’ Roll xii Part I Necessary Evil 1 1 Beyond Good and Evil: Facing Your Demons With Black Sabbath and Existentialism 3 William Irwin 2 Masters of a Better Possible Reality: Conquering Evil With Love 12 Liz Stillwaggon Swan 3 “Is It the End, My Friend?” Black Sabbath ’ s Apocalypse of Horror 20 Brian Froese Part II Playing Devil ’ s Advocate 31 4 Black Sabbath and the Sound of Evil 33 Joel McIver 5 The Worst of All Possible Worlds: Schopenhauer Meets Sabbath 41 James Heathers 6 Tony Iommi ’ s Hand of Doom: From Plastic Fingertips to Creative Freedom 51 Ken Pepper Part III The Dark Art of Metal 61 7 The Art of Black Sabbath: Aristotle Joins the Band 63 Greg Littmann 8 Black Sabbath and the Problem of Defining Metal 76 Søren R. Frimodt-Møller 9 Saint Vitus Dance: The Art of Doom 87 Manuel Bremer and Daniel Cohnitz 10 Gods, Drugs, and Ghosts: Finding Dionysus and Apollo in Black Sabbath and the Birth of Heavy Metal 96 Dennis Knepp Part IV Is It Still Sabbath Without Ozzy? 111 11 It ’ s Not Sabbath Unless Ozzy ’ s the Singer (But It ’ s Fine If You Disagree) 113 James Bondarchuk 12 Fightin’ Words: Sabbath Doesn ’ t Need the Ozzman 126 Wesley D. Cray 13 The Name Remains the Same—But Should It? 140 Mark D. White Part V Symptoms of The Universe 149 14 Wicked World: The Politics of the Supernatural in Black Sabbath 151 Erich Christiansen 15 “Demons, Dreamers, and Madmen”: Is Ozzy Going Insane? 163 Kevin McCain 16 “As the War Machine Keeps Turning”: Just War Theory, Pacifism, and the War on Terror 171 Jacob M. Held 17 Stop Stereotyping Sabbath: Sex, Subjugation, and Stupidity 182 Robert Arp Contributors: Children of the Grave 190 Index: The Writ 195