10 Most Disturbing Hard Rock Songs Ever Released

Ever since their inception, it seemed like Black Sabbath were fated to write music to scare the hell out of you. Originally starting out as a blues band, the group changed their name and playing style after rehearsing next door to a movie theater that specialized in horror movies. Their name itself was already ominous enough, but their first step up to the plate yielded something not of this world.

Centered around what's known as the "devil's interval," the main riff of the band's self-titled tune is enough to make the hairs on your arms stand up. As it slows to a crawl, Ozzy Osbourne begins to bark out the lyrics of some supernatural experience he has underwent. Written after reading books on the occult, lyricist Geezer Butler came up with the words after experiencing a vision of a shadowy spirit visiting him in the night while he slept.

The song dirges along in the slow tempo as we are pulled further and further down, but when the song picks up, you realize you've only begun the torment. As the band switches to double time, you've reached the underworld, as Tony Iommi's guitar mimics the cries of demons circling around your head. Black Sabbath have a greatest hits' worth of scary tunes, but they could have easily become legends in horror music based on this track alone.