Zakk Wylde and Brian May on their respect for Tony Iommi

Two legendary guitarists, Zakk Wylde and Brian May, reflect on the impact of Tony Iommi and how his playing and approach to writing riffs changed music forever.

“He’s the godfather of heavy metal”– Brian May.

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In this exclusive clip, taken from Tony Iommi: The Godfather of Heavy Metal, Volume One, Zakk Wylde recalls the first time he heard Black Sabbath, describing the experience as “beyond terrifying.” Touring guitarist for Pantera, longtime lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, founder and frontman of Black Label Society, and leader of the Black Sabbath tribute band Zakk Sabbath, Zakk Wylde is no stranger to the riffs of Tony Iommi. Watch as he says, by the end of listening to Sabbath’s debut record, he was “thanking God for creating Black Sabbath.” Zakk explains that Tony “created an art form” and that “we’re all employed because of this one guy,” paying tribute to Iommi’s riff writing as something that was completely unique.

Brian May, iconic guitarist of Queen and friend of Tony Iommi, discusses why Tony’s playing felt different from anything else happening at the time. While other guitarists were starting to push “angry” and “darker” sounds, Brian explains that Tony brought the entire spectrum of what the low strings on the guitar could do together — the darkness, the low strings, the sustain, the fifths, and what he describes as that distinctive “chug thing.” Tony “brought the whole spectrum of what you could do with those low strings of a guitar together into one package,” he says, calling it “completely original. He’s the godfather of heavy metal.”

Brian also addresses how long it took for that originality to be fully recognised, saying that people were slow to admit Black Sabbath were truly original. Brian, an iconic guitarist in his own right, with some seriously heavy riffs in his own repertoire, pays tribute to Tony. “Find someone else who could wear that crown. Everyone who plays heavy music, metal music, thrash music — it’s influenced by Tony. He’s there in everybody.”

Watch the full episode on Gibson TV now.

Gibson TV proudly presents Volume One in a new series, Tony Iommi: The Godfather of Heavy Metal, a deep dive into the life, legacy, and groundbreaking sound of Black Sabbath’s legendary guitarist.

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▶ The Collection: Kirk Hammett of Metallica https://youtu.be/NR5kZ4U3p58

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