re: Stoner Metal/Sludge/Doom/Post-metal/Blues Rock/Psychedelia

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which are much more than the sum of their tunings.

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Your opinion is a minority opinion, but, you are entitled to it notwithstanding.

I have re-visited the debut album, and, the first song can be said to be a strong influence on this interesting genre. But, still, that doesn't change the notion that the third album is the first of the stoner / sludge / doom metal genre -- and this is the majority opinion, your personal view notwithstanding.

I don't understand your need for italics. When a guitarist plays Tony Iommi's songs using the same notes in the same positions as Tony, the player gets a closer feel for the song than would a mere listener.

That's not to denigrate listeners. It's just that the player's insight is probably more astute than the insight of one who is a listener -- and only a listener.

I think that we would both urge all fans of the genre to get the first five Black Sabbath albums -- the debut, Paranoid, Master of Reality, Vol 4 and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

I believe that these are essential, especially the first four.

You mention splitting hairs. In these kinds of subject matters, splitting hairs is sometimes necessary to gain some precision. The tuning issue is decisive, because it does allow us to gain a more precise definition of our terms.

We share much common ground in that we both recognize this band's work as the genesis of a several new genre's of rock music. The debut album was recorded in 1969, so, they accomplished many "firsts".

I've just listened to the first song on Gigantoid. Good stuff. Sounds like they down tune the guitar to D for the song, which is typical of the genre.