Up and coming Albany based jamband, Formula 5 has announced its new album, the band’s third, along with a supporting spring tour. The new album, All Points North, was funded through a Kickstarter campaign last fall and is set for release April 14.
The album was produced, recorded and mixed by Bryan Brundige at Overit Studios in Albany and Mastered by Michael Schoonmaker at Gigantic Mastering and will be available on streaming platforms on April 14 as well as at the band’s website and JEMP Radio.
The new album marks a new stage in the band’s progression, bringing a more mature sound. Guitarist Joe Davis reflected on the old version of the band:
“Q&A” and “Excalibur” are on ode to the old band, having been written by myself and (former keyboardist) Mike McDonald. It’s like a final farewell to the old, mixed in with new styles, such as with “The Birch Tree,” “Do Tell,” “Figure Out a Feeling,” “Trout Waters Pt I & II” and “It Goes…;” that old jammy style is still in us but it’s more mature and reigned in.
The new sound has a more introspective feel while still maintaining roots in the band’s signature improvisational style. It’s an album that will appeal to old fans and garner new as the band looks to expand its reach beyond the Capital District.
Formula 5 kicks off its Northeast spring tour at the Rock ‘n Roll Resort in Kerhonksen, N.Y. on March 31 and hits several New York venues along the way, including the legendary Monopole in Plattsburgh, the Waterhole in Saranac Lake, Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs, American Beauty in New York City, Buffalo Iron Works, Three Heads Brewing in Rochester, Nanola in Malta, the Dinosaur in Troy and wrapping up at Disc Jam Festival in Stephentown June 8 through 11.
All Points North Tracklist:
1. Come Along
2. Sad Bed
3. Trout Waters, Pt. I & II
4. It Goes…
5. Excalibur
6. The Birch Tree
7. Q&A
8. Do Tell
9. Figure out a Feeling
Formula 5 Spring 2017 Tour:
March 31 – Rock n Roll Resort – Kerhonksen, NY
April 1 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT * April 7 – The Monopole – Plattsburgh, NY April 8 – The Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
April 13 – Bourbon and Branch – Philadelphia, PA ^
April 14 – Pacific Standard Tavern – New Haven, CT + April 15 – Putnam Den – Saratoga Springs, NY &
April 26 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ April 27 – American Beauty – NYC %
May 3 – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD $
May 5 – B.R.Y.A.C. – Bridgeport, CT
May 12 – Stone Church – Newmarket, NH !
May 13 – Bishop’s Lounge – Northampton, MA
May 18 – Fete Music Hall – Providence, RI +
May 24 – James Street – Pittsburgh, PA May 25 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY @ May 26 – Three Heads Brewing – Rochester, NY May 27 – Nanola – Malta, NY June 2 – Dinosaur Bar-B-Que – Troy, NY
June 8 – Arch St Tavern – Hartford, CT # June 8-11 – Disc Jam Music Festival – Stephentown, NY
* with Mister F and Phantom Airwave
^ with Space Carnival
+ with Relative Souls
& with The Other Brothers
% supporting Dead Phish Orchestra
$ with Litz
! with Revibe
+ with Electro Politics
@ with Space Junk
# with Airlooms
In the wake of some chilling Syracuse winter weather, local reggae renegades Root Shock provided some relief with the soul warming release of their first official music video for “Sunlight” on March 21. The tune is off their debut self-titled album released earlier this year.
The video, dropped the day after lead singer Jessica Brown’s birthday, showcases all seven musicians in their element, participating in their personal daily rituals before coming together to make music. Just shy of four minutes, Bill Eppel (bass) Cix Nyne (drums/vocals), Phil Grajko (guitar/vocals), Nick Kaczmar (keyboards), Jason “Jocko” Randall (percussion/electronics/vocals) and Dan Valvassori (guitar) are all seen juggling a range of human experiences and emotions. The video captures elements of each musicians’ personality and gives the viewer a sense of what energy they bring to the band.
Brown commented: “The concept for the video was to show some real life situations, keeping it relatable and personal, where each band member has some obstacle to overcome- day to day stuff. And just being able to let go, move forward & let the music uplift you. Our good friend Kyle Corea directed, shot and edited the video. He came up with the ideas and themes in the video. He has done many films and music videos in the past so we had full trust in his vision. Our hope is that the video will make you smile, possibly laugh, dance, cry and have hope that even in dark places the sun always comes back out to shine.”
Austin City Limits began its run on PBS in 1976 as a way to showcase Texas artists. Its pilot episode featured Willie Nelson performing. Forty one years later, the show has become a television institution and the inspiration for the music festival by the same name. It is a destination gig for performers of any genre.
In order to promote Central New York artists on a more wide-ranging scale, Syracuse area promoters Liz Nowak and Jordan Davies created Salt City Limits in the same vein as its Austin namesake to be initiated at the venerable Palace Theater on James Street. The series will be ongoing the last Thursday of every month at Funk ‘n Waffles Downtown. Each will be recorded and filmed by SubCat Studios and will be available on YouTube and the Salt City Limitswebsite.
The inaugural show takes place this Friday, March 24 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse and features eight local artists from various genres. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased in advance at the Sound Garden in Armory Square or online through the Palace Theater’s website.
According to Syracuse.com, Nowak, who is also the executive director of the recently concluded SAMMY Awards, noticed many artists mingling and exchanging contact information throughout the event. The creation of Salt City Limits became an extension of that camaraderie. The SAMMYS celebrates the variety of music and talent available at the local level and Salt City Limits will allow this on a year-long basis.
The showcase continues downtown at Funk ‘n Waffles April 27 when Mike Powell, Just Joe and Castle Creek take the stage. Tickets for each successive show in the series will be $10.
Greg Nash, a beloved Albany based drummer, recently suffered a massive stroke, and to help with medical expenses, a benefit will be held on Thursday, March 23 at the Hollow Bar and Grill on Pearl Street beginning at 5 p.m. The event is being advertised as “Love For Greg.”
A group of local and regional bands are coming together to help their brother and you can check them all out for just $10, of which all the proceeds will go to benefit Nash. Saratoga rockers Wild Adriatic, as well as Super 400 and Sean Rowe will headline the event, which runs until midnight. Sly Fox and the Hustlers, Let Go Daylight, Soul Sky, The Erotics, Blackcat Elliot, Toys in the Attic, Dashboard Anthem, Last Daze, Under the Den, Vatrano Road, Two Guys, Herb Carter, Erin Hawkes and Luke McNamme round out the bill.
Event organizers said they are making special t-shirts to be sold that will also help Greg Nash, drummer of local legends Ten Year Vamp.
Primus has announced a slate of dates for July and August. The band takes to the road with special guest Clutch starting July 17 in Charlotte.
Claypool and company have only announced one stop in New York State, July 21 at the Dome in Henrietta, just outside of Rochester. The two-month long tour includes a variety of stops across the country including eastern dates. in Raleigh, Detroit, Lancaster, Boston, Portland (Maine), Burlington, Asbury Park, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The July 27 show in Burlington is a part of the Lake Champlain Festival, which also includes Twiddle’s Tumble Down Festival.
The tour heads to the midwest and west coast in August with dates in Milwaukee, Mankato, Cedar Rapids, Kansas City, Dallas, Tempe, Las Vegas, Bonner, Troutdale, Eugene, Seattle and Stateline before closing the tour at the Greek in Berkeley on the 18th.
According to Clutch’s website, both bands will be performing full sets with no openers or supporting acts.
Tickets for these newly announced shows go on sale this Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m. local time. A pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 21 at 12 p.m. ET via Primus’s website.
St. Phillip’s Escalator released the video for “Sleepy Silver Train Haze.” This rollicking tune is the opening track on their upcoming album, The Derelict Sound.
This Rochester trio is known for its profoundly dynamic sound, which is deeply influenced by the traditions of the delta blues and psychedelic rock. The video was shot live on the stage at The Little Theatre, the nation’s oldest continuously-running independent film theater. It was produced with the help of JR Kraus, Chris Hogan-Roy, and Eric Maira, and the audio was recorded by Alex Patrick and Schuyler Skuse.
St. Phillip’s Escalator is: Ryan Moore (guitar/vocals), Noel Wilfeard (bass guitar) and Zachary Koch (drums). The Derelict Sound, follows their 2006 debut LP Endless Trip and 2015 EP Elevation. It is set to be released on Record Store Day, April 22, and will be available in multiple formats, including vinyl. The song “New Age” from the upcoming LP is already available digitally for streaming and purchase. Follow St. Phillips’s Escalator for updates and news on upcoming shows.
Syracuse-based groove rockers Boogie Low have a hometown party planned for the release of their new eponymous album at the Westcott Theater Saturday March 18.
Photo Credit: Nicole Carey Photography
Opening for Boogie Low Saturday night are fellow Syracuse-area natives, Barroom Philosophers, who are also promoting a new release. Tickets for the show are $10 and can be purchased at Sound Garden in Armory Square or online through the Westcott Theater’s website.
The quartet first formed as the Boogie Low Trio in 2011. Founding members Tommy Dennis (bass), Loudon Smith (guitar/vocals) and Brandon Caza (drums) used a reggae-tinged sound reminiscent of Sublime and other Long Beach, CA bands of the early ’90s as a base. The band ditched the “Trio” from its name when it brought on guitarist Matthew West in 2012. The band parted ways with Caza in 2013 and was replaced by Brandon Au, completing the band’s current lineup. Other contributors to the new album include Ray Wiggins on drums, Ty Hancock on keys and Josh Alaniz, also on keys.
The new album, simply titled Boogie Low, has influences ranging from the aforementioned Sublime to Santana, moe., Umphrey’s McGee, 311 and Calexico. This range of influences allows Boogie Low to create its own distinct sound that encapsulates all of them.
Smith’s vocals are rhythmic, soulful and smoky, while West’s western-style guitar solos wouldn’t be out of place on a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. This is especially prominent on the tracks “Mexico,” “Eldin” and the band’s signature jam vehicle “Shadows,” which closes the album. Wiggins’ drumming and Au’s percussion work is what keeps this train moving. Their beats are at the forefront of Boogie Low’s sound. The accents Wiggins and Au provide help to propel the rest of the band to the next level. One can easily feel the jamming possibilities in a live setting being propelled by the percussion.
The CD was produced at SubCat Music Studios in Syracuse by Jeremy Johnston and mastered by Patrick MacDougal. The band credits Johnston as being the captain of the ship from start to finish. Physical copies of the album will be available at the Westcott Saturday night or directly through the band’s website. Following the show, the album will be available through iTunes, Spotify and on Pandora.
Track list:
1. Mexico
2. Eldin
3. Back to Nothing
4. Better Way
5. Colas in the Sky
6. Annie
7. Miss Bliss
8. Tommy’s Song
9. Walk On
10. Mckenna
11. Shadows
Key Tracks: “Mexico,” “Colas in the Sky,” “Shadows”
One of the hottest and fastest growing acts in the rock genre and live music scene, From Ashes To New, have announced that they have parted ways with vocalist Chris Musser, and drummer Tim D’ Onofrio. On stage, this group seemed to have great chemistry together, and put on amazing live shows. In a recent social media post about the situation, some band members hint at a possible rift in the band, as some play it cool.
From Ashes to New now consists of Matt Brandyberry (vocals), Lance Dowdle (guitar), Branden “Boo” Kreider (guitar) and new drummer Mat Madiro, who was recently was let go by Trivium, and filled in on drums for From Ashes to New after D’Onofrio married and went on his honeymoon.
In a chat with Brandyberry after a show in fall of 2016, he stated that the band was days away from announcing a headlining tour, and that they would bring Letters From the Fire, Stitched Up Heart and Palisades as support. Weeks went by with no announcement and the band suddenly took themselves off of the annual rock cruise, Shiprocked, which they were scheduled to take part of.
Matt Brandyberry posted the following statement on his personal, and From Ashes to New’s Facebook page:
As I’m sure most of you have heard, there are some changes happening with From Ashes to New. Unfortunately Tim and Chris decided this wasn’t for them anymore and have ultimately stepped away from the band. That being said, we are more excited now than ever before with the new music we are writing! To us (Lance, Branden, myself) change brings opportunity. I’d like to personally thank Mat Madiro for stepping in on drums, as he is a force to reckon with behind the kit! Keep an eye out for updates and awesome news moving forward. I cannot thank everyone enough for all of the amazing support you have showed and continue to show. I love all of you…here’s to the future!!!
Guitarist Lance Dowdle tried to lighten the mood with his Facebook post:
As most of you already know by now, From Ashes to New is continuing on without Chris and Tim. I’ve been locked in a room with Matt for a month now, and let me tell ya…. it’s starting to smell in here. But that’s ok cause this next record is off to an amazing start! I promise you guys it’s gonna be fire. These songs are HUGE! So while we finish up writing, we will keep all the fans involved with every move we make as you are our number one priority ALWAYS! We look forward to taking the next step with you guys, and sharing an incredible future together. And for the record… Matt just farted.
Former drummer Tim D’Onofrio posted this insightful statement on Facebook:
As I’m sure many of you have already heard, Chris Musser and I have decided to go our separate ways with From Ashes to New.
When I decided to devote my life to music I did so based on the fact that playing drums makes me happy. Over time, there were too many toxic and negative elements that came with FATN that I could no longer overlook. Ultimately, the aforementioned aspects outweighed the happiness that playing drums brings me which led to my decision to remove myself from the equation. I hope everyone can understand that when the joy of playing drums for From Ashes to New no longer existed, I would be doing myself, the band and all the fans a disservice by continuing to move forward. I appreciate every single person that has helped and supported me on my journey all the way from my YouTube covers to my time with FATN and for that I am eternally grateful.
I have put everything I had to give into my time with FATN. I am incredibly proud and grateful for all of the accomplishments, experiences and opportunity I have helped the band and myself achieve along the way. I’ve learned more in my 3 years in the band than could be gained in a lifetime. Though my outlook on a career in music has changed over the years, I still have a passion for music and drumming so this isn’t the end of my journey. This is the beginning of what I hope to be a very exciting next step and I can’t wait to share it with all of you who choose to follow it with me.
Suck out the poison. F**k the negativity. Follow your heart. Be happy. Love all of you for the support. Peace!
The Syracuse Area Music Awards, affectionately known as the SAMMYS, wrapped up its 25th edition Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse with a brief performance from freshly inducted Hall of Famers moe.
Ahead of Saturday night’s show at the F Shed, moe. closed out the two-night affair with a three song set of “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” and “Buster.” Friday night’s awards ceremony, hosted by veteran Syracuse DJ and staunch supporter of the local scene, Dave Frisina, featured awards in 18 categories, including three People’s Choice categories, and performances by four Syracuse area bands, reflecting the broad range of styles and talent found in and around the Salt City.
The SAMMYS is the brainchild of Frank Malfitano and now under the care of Liz Nowak. In 1993 Malfitano created the celebration of area music for an event at the Landmark Theatre. The event changed venues several times over the years before finally settling on the grand old Palace Theater on James Street in the Eastwood district.
The festivities began with the Hall of Fame dinner Thursday night, upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The Dinosaur has been one of Syracuse’s premier music venues since opening on Willow Street in 1990 and was a fitting venue for the honors and stories that filled the room.
This year’s inductees were Mohawk Valley via Buffalo jamband moe., pioneering new wave singer/guitarist Meegan Voss, 70s blues rock artists Jukin’ Bone and singer-songwriter Paul Case. Also being honored were Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis for Music Educators of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Vincent Falcone. It was a night that had the feel of a class reunion. Hugs and excited shouts from people who haven’t seen each other in years mingled with stories of years’ past in venues no longer around.
The inductions and awards ceremonies were hosted by Dave Frisina, a 1994 SAMMYS Hall of Fame inductee, long-time Syracuse radio personality, champion of local music and self-professed band dad. His son, Mike is a member of Syracuse-based band Simplelife. Most, if not all, of those in the room have dealt with him in some way throughout their career. A man like Frisina is what every music town needs. He is local music’s strongest advocate and has the platform for it at his current station 105.9 The Rebel.
Induction and acceptance speeches were filled with anecdotes and inside jokes. Though, most in attendance, were on the inside of those jokes. Memories of broken down vans, vanished venues and bad decisions peppered the speeches. It was the talk of well-worn musicians who have dedicated their craft not to become famous, but simply to play. To the outsider, it was a look at a scarcely seen side of the working musician.
The first honor of the night was for Educators of the Year. Husband and wife, Anthony and Patricia DeAngelis, two area music teachers were honored for their decades of influence on local musicians at Syracuse University, Colgate University, LeMoyne College, the Lyncourt School and Onondaga Community College. They were inducted by their well-spoken and surprisingly laid-back granddaughter Olivia.
Voss was inducted by her husband and band-mate in the Verbs, drummer Steve Jordan. In her acceptance speech, she pleaded to “Save the clubs.” Case, visibly touched at the recognition for his long career avoided revealing too much of past days on the road, “My kids are in the room.” He lavished praise on fellow musicians in the room, including Jukin’ Bone member Joe Whiting as well as the master of ceremonies.
Case, sporting a black tux and pronounced the Best Dressed in the Room by Frisina, closed his acceptance speech saying, “You get up. You drive to the gig. You set up. You play your ass off. You tear down. You drive a million miles home, week after week, month after month, decade after decade. You do it for the music.” He then dedicated his award to the late Bob Fleming of the Mossback Mule Band, who passed away in September.
Accepting for Jukin’ Bone was Whiting, Mark Doyle and John DeMaso. Discussing the problems of being a young band, Whiting offered a piece of advice, “I would recommend not signing contracts under the influence of anything distilled or brewed, made in a laboratory or passed around and smoked,” eliciting loud laughter from the audience.
The final inductee of the night was moe. Al Schnier spoke first in accepting the honor, speaking of all the Syracuse area venues spent taking in shows as a fledgling musician. Schnier lauded promoters such as Chuck Chao of Creative Concerts, who inducted the band, thanking them for shaping who they became as musicians:
We came here as kids to see concerts Chuck (Chao) was promoting. They made us fans. Whether it was Driving Sideways or the Todd Hobin Band or the New York Flyers or 805; these were the bands we looked up to as kids. They could have been the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead; they were the same to us. You guys were rock stars.
Drummer Vinnie Amico attributed the band’s style to its Upstate New York roots, “We all wear our hearts on our sleeves. We all kind of have this style, this thing we do, because of where we’re from. We’re blue collar, baby. We work hard, we play our music that way. There’s an edge to our music and that’s a testament to Upstate New York.”
“The Oddities of the World” – the SAMMYS Hall of Fame Class of 2017
On Friday, 54 artists were nominated among 13 Syracuse Area Music Awards categories. Sprinkled in among the awards were performances by several of the Syracuse area’s finest musicians, representing genres ranging from blues rock to country, rap, alt-rock and jam. There is definitely a varied and vibrant scene in Central New York.
Emcee Dave Frisina kept the event lively and loose, often interacting with presenters and winners as they approached the microphone. Best Jam Band winner, Joe Driscoll, affectionately referred to the host as a jedi to laughter from the crowd.
The performances throughout the night revealed the depth of talent in the area. The Ripcords opened the night accompanied by the Boneyard Horns. They ripped through three bluesy/tex-mex style songs, kicking off the night in a celebratory fashion. Unfortunately, just as they seemed to be letting loose, their set was over. You can get a taste of what the Ripcords have to offer at their ReverbNation page here.
Best R&B recipient Alani Skye had several family members in attendance and received perhaps the most vocal and joyous reception to a win. Her win for Don’t Forget About Mewas never in question for the vocalist as she accepted the award.
A performance by rap artist Curtis “Tall Bucks” McDowell and the Brownskin Band followed. The rhythm section of the Brownskin band mixed equal parts jazz and funk behind McDowell’s rhymes. A guest appearance by Syracuse rapper Real Tall for the song “Solar Radiation” had elements of early ’90s era Leaders of the New School collective.
The reality of life as a working musician came to light when Lauren Mettler was awarded the SAMMY for Best Folk. After an awkward pause waiting for the recipient to make her way to the stage, her brother made his way up to accept. In his speech, he stated how he had just texted her and she was still on her way to the theater. So, as any good brother would do, he stalled for time as she made her way down the aisle, peeling her coat off as she ran towards the stage.
Mettler mentioned how she had just gotten out of work and was trying to get to the theater as quickly as possible, even though she never thought she’d win. Such is life for those looking to make a go of it in the music industry. Everyday jobs sometimes throw hurdles at you along the way. Mettler was genuinely surprised and pleased with her award.
One of the night’s cutest moments came when the award for Best Hip Hop/Rap was awarded to World Be Free for the album Nigg@$ to Gods. He was on the West Coast touring and couldn’t attend the ceremony. As his family accepted the award on his behalf, his young son took a turn on the microphone as his dad’s public relations manager, exclaiming, “My dad has CDs for ten dollars!”
Country artists Chris Taylor of the Custom Taylor Band plead with the audience to get up and dance along to their performance. A funky “Keep Me in Mind” slowly drew the audience to its feet and a rousing rendition of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” easily won over the crowd.
The Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist was awarded to Funk ‘n Waffles regulars, reggae-soul band Root Shock. This presentation seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the night as fellow musicians and fans alike rose to cheer their win.
Previous Bourke Award winner, the Spring Street Family Band took over the Palace with their high energy alt-rock performance that even had a band member’s dad jumping up on stage to take video with his phone. Their performance brought the audience to the stage, turning what was a somber awards ceremony into a full-fledged rawk show with a funk-metal-alt sound reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine or Faith No More.
The ceremonies concluded with the awarding of the People’s Choice SAMMYS. Over 110,000 online votes were tallied in categories of Best Band, Best Live Venue and Best Festival or Music Series. The New York State Fair wrapped up the venue and festival categories with their representative thanking all of the venues in the area for supporting the live music that becomes a part of the fair each year.
The award for Best Band went to Cortland-area country band, Small Town Shade, who also won the SAMMY for Best Country Performance for the EP Ring it Up.
moe. wrapped the SAMMYS with a lively three-song set that included “Tailspin,” “Spine of a Dog” > “Buster.” Schnier commented about the lack of curfew at the venue and suggested they keep playing until they are thrown off the stage. To the disappointment of many, Schnier apparently as well, the lights came on at the end of “Buster,” bringing a close to the two-day celebration of Syracuse area music for another year.
Best Jazz: Second Line Syracuse, Second Line Syracuse Best Other Category: Syracuse Society for New Music, Music Here & Now Best Folk: Lauren Mettler, Patchwork Best Jam Band: Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Monistic Theory Best R & B: Alani Skye, Don’t Forget About Me Best Pop: The Jess Novak Band, Inches From The Sun Best Americana: Driftwood, City Lights Best Blues: Tas Cru, Simmered and Stewed Best Hard Rock: Breaking Solace – Shatter the Silence Best Alternative: Bell & Sgroi, Bell & Sgroi Best Rock: King Chro and the Talismen, King Chro and the Talismen Best Hip-Hop/Rap: World Be Free, Nigg@$ To Gods Best Singer/Songwriter: Alanna Boudreau, Champion Best Country: Small Town Shade, Ring It Up EP
Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist: Root Shock
People’s Choice Awards were conducted in an online poll for three categories. Over 110,000 votes were tallied. The winners were:
Favorite Band: Small Town Shade Favorite venue to see live music: Chevy Court at the New York State Fair Favorite festival or music series: The Great New York State Fair
It’s official. After almost 50 years together, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler, aka Black Sabbath, have put the end the final stamp on their legendary career touring under the Black Sabbath banner. Fans of Black Sabbath knew that the day was inevitable and the band confirmed it as they posted a picture on social media confirming the end of an era. Guitarist Tony Iommi has stated that the band may still create music, and possibly perform one-off shows here and there.
Black Sabbath has been on the road touring for over a year, on the band’s “The End” tour, which brought the band all over the globe, giving die hard Sabbath fans some closure. Black Sabbath performed their last show on February 4, in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, England at the Genting Arena.
Considered one of the pioneer’s in heavy metal, Black Sabbath released 19 studio albums, and sold over 70 million albums worldwide including 15 million albums in the United States. Some of those albums include their self titled debut Black Sabbath (1970),Paranoid (1970), which some call one of the most influential metal albums in history, helping form the metal genre, 2x platinum certified album, Master Of Reality (1971), and the bands final studio album 13 (2013). Black Sabbath has won two Grammy awards for Best Metal Performance, including in 2014 for “God Is Dead?”
Formed in 1968, Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006, and the UK Music Hall Of Fame in 2005. Rolling Stone ranked the band #85, on their 100 greatest artist of all time.
