Watch rare footage of Black Sabbath performing ‘War Pigs’ in Germany, 1970
Just a few short months after the release of their genre-defining debut album, Black Sabbath returned to the studio to begin work on their second record. Originally titled War Pigs after the anti-Vietnam War song of the same name, Warner weren’t too happy about having the title of such a stridently anti-American song on the album cover so went ahead and changed the title to Paranoid at the last minute.
The album’s title track, ‘Paranoid’, would subsequently soar to the top of the charts, but the sludgier ‘War Pigs’ remains one of Sabbath’s most towering sonic achievements. Written in response to the war stories they heard at a show at an American air base during their 1970 European tour, ‘War Pigs’ focuses on man’s insatiable desire for self-annihilation. However, with its depiction of “Generals gathered in their masses / Just like witches at black masses,” the track stands firmly with the common soldier. It is the politicians, Sabbath argue, who are the real monsters.
It’s important to remember that in 1970 there was a real anxiety that the UK might be bought into the Vietnam conflict. Speaking to Mojo in 2017, bassist Geezer Butler said: “There was protests in the street, all kinds of anti -Vietnam things going on. War is the real Satanism. Politicians are the real Satanists. That’s what I was trying to say.”
This footage of Sabbath playing ‘War Pigs’ in Germany is particularly resonant for a couple of reasons, the most obvious being that, because of the war, Germany’s youth were especially opposed to international conflict and celebrated a culture of resistance. It’s also worth noting that ‘War Pigs’ was originally called ‘Walpurgis’ a celebration with connections to witchcraft and paganism that is still popular in Germany today. Given the satanic imagery throughout ‘War Pigs’, it’s no surprise Ozzy Osbourne and co. were attracted to the tradition.
This rare footage of Black Sabbath performing at an open-air concert in Germany is a reminder of the kind of raw power the band were able to conjure during their stage shows. Everyone’s on top form, especially Tony Iommi, whose thundering riffs send the crowd into a frenzy of headbanging. Apart from Iommi’s towering Marshall stack, there’s nothing for Sabbath to hide behind here.
Truly, this is as fresh a serving of classic heavy metal as you’re likely to get this year. Make sure you check out the full clip if you haven’t already.
