Kerry King Names His Favorite Black Sabbath Album

In a new interview with Australia’s Wall of Sound, Slayer legend Kerry King was asked what one Black Sabbath album he would take with him if the planet was being blown up and everyone had to get on a spaceship to evacuate. In other words, he named his favorite by metal’s godfathers.

“I would take…,” begins King, pausing to mull over his decision, as any Sabbath fan typically does when presented with such a question.

“It’s easy and it’s hard, because I’m a super [Ronnie James] Dio fan,” he admits, wrestling between the Ozzy Osbourne and Dio-fronted eras of the band.

King, who will embark on a headlining North American tour in January, arrives at his decision, reasoning, “But I would take Sabotage. [There’s] something about the vibe on that record. It’s cool. I mean, they’re all cool, but [there’s] something about that one. Maybe “Symptom Of The Universe.” I don’t know. It’s nonstop badassery.”

READ MORE: Every Slayer Album Ranked From Worst to Best

Watch the full interview below.

Kerry King’s Past Comments About Black Sabbath’s Sabotage

In 2015, King recollected with Loudwire his five essential guitar albums, also singling out Sabotage.

“This was hard, picking just one Sabbath record. I almost copped out and picked We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll, but I stayed away from the greatest hits because that’s too easy,” the guitarist said at the time.

“Sabotage is one of their heaviest records. From beginning to end, it never lets up. ‘Hole in the Sky,’ ‘Megalomania’ — those are just monster riffs,” King went on. “They never fail to floor me. If you want to learn what a great, heavy riff is all about, try those ones out. Tony Iommi — what can you say? He’s unique in every way possible. Nobody in the world sounds like him. His riffs are monumental.”

When naming his 10 favorite metal albums in a 2017 Rolling Stone feature, King also selected Sabotage.

And in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest metal albums, Black Sabbath’s standout sixth album is ranked No. 32. Just ahead? That would be Slayer’s Seasons in the Abyss at No. 31!