Which metal band is widely credited with inventing the genre of doom metal?

Black Sabbath is widely credited with inventing the genre of doom metal. Their slow, heavy riffs, dark atmosphere, and bleak lyrics established a style that later musicians expanded into doom metal.

The band's early recordings, especially the 1970 song "Black Sabbath," used unusually slow tempos and heavily distorted guitar. Tony Iommi's playing was shaped partly by a factory accident that caused permanent injuries to his fingertips, encouraging him to use lighter guitar strings and down-tuned instruments.

Candlemass, Pentagram, and Saint Vitus were important later doom metal bands, but they did not originate the style. Black Sabbath's influence also reached traditional heavy metal, stoner metal, sludge metal, and many forms of extreme metal.