There are few things in rock ‘n’ roll more iconic than a crowd of sweaty, black-clad heavy metal fans, fists in the air, two fingers raised like pitchforks to the sky. The “devil’s horns” isn’t just a hand gesture—it’s a battle cry for those who choose to keep the flames of metal alive forever. A secret handshake. A tribal chant forged in distortion and molten metal. But who actually invented this worldwide symbol of all things hard, loud, and gloriously unholy?
With the legendary Black Sabbath set to take its final bow on July 5 in their hometown of Birmingham, England, there’s no better time to dive into the origins of one of heavy metal’s most enduring symbols: the iconic devil’s horns. Who truly brought this gesture into the heart of the genre? Let’s break it down.
Dio’s Bond with Fans Inspires Legendary Salute
The story begins—where else?—with Black Sabbath. And not, as many believe, with Ronnie James Dio. Long before Dio’s mighty pipes lured audiences to the Dark Side, it was Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler who first threw the horns. The year was 1968. The setting: a photo shoot for Sabbath’s earliest incarnation. The image? Butler curling his fingers into the now-infamous salute—middle and ring finger down, pinky and index finger up, thumb across the palm. Proof? You bet your leather pants there is. Geezer’s got the photo to back it up. No TikTok filters. No staged Instagram lighting. Just pure, proto-metal attitude caught on film.
So, why does Dio get the credit? Well, credit where it’s due—Dio did for the devil’s horns what Jimi Hendrix did for the Stratocaster. He took an idea and turned it into a movement. When Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Sabbath’s frontman in 1979, he knew he had big (and bat blood-stained) shoes to fill. Ozzy had his peace sign—a groovy remnant of flower power days. But Dio? He wanted something different. Something darker. Something that screamed “I command the night!”
Continue reading SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
As much of the country is facing a snowstorm and L.A prepares for a rainy week, we decided to take advantage of Tuesday’s brief break of decent weather and take a stroll to Greystone Mansion Park, just around the bend from Doheny and Sunset Boulevard and bridging the rock and roll excess of the Strip with the exotic indulgence of Beverly Hills. It was cool to see the famous location’s generally empty interior sporadically decorated with Christmas decorations (for whatever reason). The room above was used in The Bodyguard and us where Whitney Houston is first introduced to Kevin Costner in front of the fireplace.
The Greystone Mansion and its rolling grounds provide a public oasis for the locals and offers an incredible view of Los Angeles. The mansion has famously been used as an example of indulgence in countless music videos and every classic film from the Toby Maguire-era Spiderman trilogy and The Big Lebowski to Austin Powers: Gold Member and X-Men.
If you were too stoned in the late ’70s/early ’80s or are one of those youngins who didn’t know that iconic British metal band Iron Maiden had a badass frontman before Bruce Dickinson, you should make a New Year’s resolution now to check out 
Di’Anno released his memoir, The Beast, in 2010 and has forged ahead as a solo artist as well as a frontman for various hard-rock bands, including Praying Mantis, Battlezone and Killers.
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