Black Sabbath: Doomed to Fail?

When Black Sabbath released the doomed-to-fail Never Say Die! in 1978, the irony of the title was lost on nobody — including the band. The metallurgists had revolutionized heavy music at the dawn of the ’70s with classic albums like their self-titled debut, Paranoid and Master of Reality. But years of rampant substance abuse and dwindling album sales had left them a worn-out husk of a band. Black Sabbath struggled to complete 1976’s messy, freewheeling Technical Ecstasy, and by the time they commenced work on Never Say Die! in early 1978, they could barely stand, let alone play. We examine the history behind the album in the latest installment of our Doomed to Fail? series. 0:00 Introduction 0:25 How Black Sabbath revolutionized music in the ’70s 0:34 As success fades, Sabbath begins to feel the effects 0:40 Technical Ecstasy (1976) 0:46 The birth of Never Say Die! 0:53 Singer issues 1:04 Ozzy pushes back 1:12 The writing process 1:25 Black Sabbath