X is the Y of Z

“X is the Y of Z” is a snowclone–an adaptable, Mad Libs-like idiom like “May I compare thee to an X?”, “X is the new Y,” and “I for one welcome our new X overlords.” This snowclone touches on every subject imaginable, including music. So without further adieu, today’s topic is…

Black Sabbath

The power… The majesty… The Ozzy… It doesn’t get much better than Black Sabbath.

When it comes to heavy metal, metal so heavy it could withstand a Cylon attack while housing an equally hellacious Satanic smackdown, you can’t do any better than the Birmingham foursome. Has there ever been a better protest song than “War Pigs”? A better song about metal monsters killing everybody than “Iron Man”? Not in my world.

I am honored to collect these uses of their name, but I must emphasize that my glorification of Black Sabbath should not imply a corresponding fondness for Satan. I only like the Satan of the South Park movie. I like him a lot, actually. I also love The Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request. Beck’s “Satan Gave Me a Taco” is pretty awesome too. So is that Satanic ritual those guys were showing me last week.

But that’s it. As far as I’m concerned, all the other Satans can go to hell.

“How did the other new patrons seem? Was anybody freaking out because stuff was too weird? I mean, the first time I had it, *I* was freaking out because of how weird it was to me. It took me at least a full visit to twist my mind to some of the Heavy Cucumber Use. I mean, they’re like the Black Sabbath of cucumber. Cripes!”

(March 19, 2009, Chowhound)

“Then who is the Black Sabbath of diva vocalists?”

(April 17, 2008, The Allmusic Blog)

“I think there was one or two other guys, but I was one of the very few. Somebody said (the others) were Dane Cook and Judith Friedlander. I didn’t see my standing-O. They made me walk off stage and everyone ran back and said, ‘Oh my god, you got a standing-O’. I am the Black Sabbath of stand-up comedy, make no doubt about it.”

(April 7, 2008, Sam Tripoli, Comedy Juice)

“They are like the black sabbath of emo to me.”

(March 19, 2008, Portraits of Past)

“Before I end this post I’d like to give you something to ponder. Steve read this bit of wisdom on the men’s room wall:



‘Dry Idea is the Black Sabbath of deodorants‘



Think about it.”

(July 29, 2007, Hometown Hangover)

“You don’t hear much about Satanism these days, at least not in the popular culture. Rock and roll needs more Satan. So does poetry, for that matter. Anyone want to make an anthology of Satanic poems?


Who’s the Black Sabbath of poetry?”

(Oct. 31, 2006, Aaron Tieger, DIY Poetics)

“It’s incredible how YOB manage to, with slow – basic riffs, create tremendous songs. YOB are like the Black Sabbath of doom. Their riffs are so memorable. If you are into stoner doom then you should really listen to this amazing record.”

(July 15, 2006, Soundcult)

“4. Mobb Deep, Amerikaz Nightmare (Jive): I don’t pretend to be a rap/hip-hop expert. But I know what I like. And when I first heard Mobb Deep, who’ve been labeled ‘the Black Sabbath of hip-hop’ for their doomy atmospheres and scarifying lyrics, I connected immediately. They’ve been off their game a tad since the 1995-6 classics The Infamous and Hell on Earth, but this latest release (which manages to make a sample from Thomas Dolby’s ‘She Blinded Me With Science’ sound sinister on ‘Got It Twisted’) is a thugged-out East Coast classic.”

(Jan. 6, 2005, Neumu)

Mark Peters is a language columnist and humorist who writes for Good, Visual Thesaurus and other mags, while maintaining too many blogs, including Wordlustitude, The Rosa Parks of Blogs, and The Pancake Proverbs.

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