Black Sabbath

Imagine: It is 1970. The heaviest thing you'd ever heard was Jimi Hendrix, maybe a little Blue Cheer if you were really spicy. You're browsing in the record shop and see this spooky looking album with a grainy picture of a woman in a field on it. You buy it out of curiosity, and bring it home. You pop it on to your record player, and are greeted with the sounds of rain. And then, suddenly, thundering guitars, playing an evil riff, with a man yelling at a satanic figure giving him nightmarish visions. Nothing could prepare you for this. It was unlike anything else at the time. And it STILL holds up today.

Black Sabbath - more like Slack Babbath

yess, instant 5/5. first heavy metal album in history.

“You can only trust yourself and the first six Black Sabbath albums.” -Henry Rollins

One of the greatest collections of riffs known to man. I don’t have a bad word to say about this album. The highlight for me: Geezer Butler’s intrepid bass lines. This album does not give a fuck what you think about it. Too much reverb? No way, no such thing! Another tempo change? Sure, the more the merrier! Two guitar solos at the same time? Fuck it, why not?!

On a monday morning, looking at this album cover, I wish it was October. This is the perfect spooky album opening up quickly with a mention of Satan as this evil vile woman stands in the wood ready to curse an unsuspecting bloke...or maybe she already has? Is she the Wizard? We can't be sure, but the vibe Sabbath put out on this album is insane. The distorted guitar, the harmonica (a devil in disguise type instrument), and I just heard "lucifer" as I write this. I can't imagine how the young and old of America took this album when it came out. Were they scared? Were they repentant? All I know is I'll be coming back to the altar to listen to some of these hellish hits. And in fact, I did, listening to this album again with my brother. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to keep the Sabbath holy.

The birth of heavy metal. Still finding it's way here but they were blazing a trail afterall. I find Black Sabbath's music to be delightfully heavy and thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the most infectious riffs ever. Love the interplay of guitar and bass. Love the tones. Perhaps the greatest example of a band taking a theme and unintentionally turning it into a whole genre. They tapped into something people didn't even realize they were hungry for. Critics hated it at the time and shit on it. Look at the original reviews of their albums from Rolling Stone and then look at how they then have to flip and eat crow and give their albums like 5 stars and include them in their top albums of all time lists now. To me heavy metal is like comic books, an art form that at the outset was seen as juvenile and crude but has gone on to mature and gain more respect over time (hell, you could say the same if rock and roll itself). And like comic books, I think if you don't get into heavy metal in your youth, it can be harder to find your way into it later in life. Black Sabbath are easily my favorite heavy metal band and the key to unlocking all that came in their wake.

Finally some Sabbath! I actually haven't heard their debut before, but of course I've heard "The Wizard." The lore behind this thing is fascinating. Recorded in twelve hours, with Tony Iommi's plastic fingers forcing the guitar into a dark dimension. Every track on here bangs, I'm stupefied. The jazzy drumming that opens "Wicked World" blew me away. I also love that the version I'm hearing mashes songs together, like someone just found these recordings in a collapsed garage and tried to piece it all together. Not sure what else to say, this is a perfect album. Favorite tracks: The Wizard, Black Sabbath, Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B. Album art: Love the text, love the colors, and this picture genuinely scares me. I was looking at this last night on my phone and it terrified me, like I was going to see this woman take a few steps toward me or something. 5/5

When you order Led Zeppelin from aliexpress.com.

The first heavy metal album of all time and it's by the Prince of Darkness. All-time great. \m/

More grooves and toons than I expected but mostly riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs. Not bad in theory but in practise led to me zoning out, making this background music with pretensions. Some humour, musically speaking. How much Ozzy's voices adds to the mix is up for debate. Not so the lyrics. They're dumb as all hell. I'm being stingy with the rating. I feel I've got to protect that second star.

A young band had an idea. What if we make music that’s…scary. The rest is history.

Excellent album - always forget how bluesy early Sabath is - good introduction to Black Sabath for those who aren't massively into heavy metal.

This is the third Sabbath album I've gotten and I still gotta know: how the hell is this guitarist so fucking good?!?!?

This is what I wanted from this whole experience, to discover total GOAT classics. That was awesome and I love Ozzie’s voice. Super cool.

Standouts: "The Wizard," "NIB" (my favorite Sabbath track), "Wicked World" Lyrics- 3/5 Vocals- 4/5 Instrumentals- 4/5 Vibes- 3/5 Overall 4/5 Black Sabbath is iconic and I do enjoy listening to them, while not being overly familiar with their discography. This album has some great tracks, but what really stands out to me are the instrumentals. They just resonate so well, they sound grimy in a very calculated way. Fuzzy in a very precise way. Ozzy when compared to other vocalists is not the best, but his voice is instantly recognizable and iconic and fits perfectly with the vibe that Black Sabbath cultivates on this record. I do think though that this record is weaker than some of the other stuff I have heard from them. However, since this is my first full Sabbath record I am keeping an open mind.

2 Incredibly boring for how famous it is But gotta give it credit for being "the beginning of metal" or whatever. N.I.B is great. Triumphant. Nothing else really feels doomy as it should, but just kind of compliant and boring. Nothing feels dirty and scary like the cover, which is amazing btw.

I have no time for heavy metal and I’ve never really listened to Black Sabbath. I assumed it would be noise for about +40 minutes. Couldn’t have been more wrong. They clearly have their own sound, but what happened to metal after this. So much sh*t!!

I somehow missed Black Sabbath in my early teens when I listened to a ton of hard rock. I don't really understand how and why I did, but, hey, it happened. Anyway, listening to them now, I hear how great they were and the major role they played in a whole offshoot of rock music. What's particularly interesting to this album, at least the way I experience it, is how it doesn't sound stuck in time to me the way so many albums from the past can sound. I read the Wikipedia entry about how it was recorded, and I honestly believe that played a very big part in helping the album not to sound too much like the year in which it was recorded and produced. The band went into the studio and performed their live set, recording the whole thing in about 12 hours. Not much at all was done to the tracks in production. I just can't shake the feeling that had they gone the usual route with lots of overdubbing, effects, and so on, it would've been fine but would very much sound like a rock band in 1970 than what it sounds like to me. Fantastic.

Another iconic album that has been in my collection for many years. The debut album from Black Sabbath, an album many credit with creating Heavy Metal (TM). Unquestionably iconic. That said, this is not my favorite Sabbath album, and I never owned it on vinyl. I think they were still developing as an entity at this point, and their next 4 albums are objectively better. But that just means “really good” instead of “outstanding”. Overall, it’s just not as “tight”, as their latter albums, which is supported by the reports the whole thing was recorded in a single 12 hr session, with virtually no overdubs. Evil Woman is the only cover version in the Sabbath catalog, and it strikes me as an A&R man’s addition is search of a hit. I’ve often wondered how much better this could’ve been with a bit more care in the process, a bit more faith from the record company. But this is the first, the one that defined (not redefined) heavy music. And there’s a several great songs. This is a solid album, groundbreaking. But I’ll still prefer Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, or even Vol. 4. All of which I owned on vinyl since the 70’s. Another solid 4/5

Снова ситуация, когда нам дают альбом не за проверку временем, а за его инновативность на момент выхода. в целом я не против, но опять же, если уже есть параноид, который мелодичнее, тяжелее, более цепляющий и просто лучше - так ли важно знакомиться с зачатками всех этих качеств на дебютнике? ИМХО - нет. Для себя на данном альбоме ничего нового не услышал, эпохальныхриффов не завезли, те что есть - немного сырые и неубедительно сыгранные. звук отстроен странно - в первой песне почему-то гитара одна и отведена влево (хуевое решение, право всегда более тащит), но в остальных вполне себе присутствуют стереопара с двух сторон, ну то есть они знали, что так можно делать, че в первой-то забили. В песне N. I. B., вероятно, самый годный риффак и охуенное бассовое интро, но при этом когда оно заканчивается и начинается дисторшн-басс - он звучит просто отвратительно, как зубами по жестяному ведру. Тексты какой-то херковский дроч на гот-эстетику, ничего информативного и бесконечного-вечного не несут. Каверы - это отдельная тема. Evil Woman звучит, конечно, прикольно, но ощущается полнейшим рассинхроном с основным тоном пластинки, непонятно нахуя оно здесь вообще (на параноиде, кстати, больше бы зашло наверн, там и сама заглавная песня чем-то похожа). А Warning - это продолжание традиций ебучих Кинг Кримзон, которые были уверены, что имеют право на студийном альбоме останавливать песню и 5 минут вяло ковырять свои инструменты, издавая рандомные унылые ноты. Хронометраж в 10 минут абсолютно не оправдан, хотя где-то в ядре композиции находиться вполне себе годный песняк. ну я лично оцениваю такой экспириенс в 6/10, не думаю, что каждый человек обязательно должен это послушать

If this list has taught me one thing, it’s that Black Sabath A-sides, have nothing in the B-sides. This is absolute carnage and chaos, but controlled in such a delicate, precise manner. Rock and fucking roll, man.

Love

Amazing. One of the most influential albums of all time

3 stars if it was any old album. 4 stars for being the first metal album, ever. 4/5

Looking back I wish I’d given Paranoid 5, especially in light of all the awful metal that we’ve had subsequently. I love the portentous storm and bell ringing sound effects leading into the title track. Like the Paranoid album it treads the fine line between silly and serious (or stupid and clever), being both enjoyable and pompous at the same time, and the song is great, swampy and heavy and then galloping, all propelled by excellent drumming and bass playing. The lyrics are also good - whereas later metal bands used satanic imagery to try and shock in an adolescent edgelord way, here the story is more about the religious fear of evil. The Wizard in the same vein is great too, and everyone is happy when the wizard walks by. Little bit of Led Zep to Behind the Wall of Sleep but some nice bounce in the bass. NIB is great, some excellent bass again and I like the riff. I didn’t realise that Evil Woman and Warning were covers at first. I don’t know the originals but I like these, they fit the whole vibe well. And Sleeping Village is excellent, a nice bluesy groove, and the slightly middle easter riff is great, and it gives a slightly different feel to the album. I don’t think it’s quite as good as Paranoid, it definitely feels like the precursor to that album (which in a Beatle-esque manner came out only 6 months later), but it’s still an excellently enjoyable bit of heavy rock, with excellent bass, drums and guitar. If Paranoid should have been a 5 this is an easy 5. 🖤🖤🖤🖤 Playlist submission: Black Sabbath

This is a surprise to me. I though black Sabbath was all hard core rock. There is some swing in here that I was not expecting. The vocals are good too. I will likely listen again! 4/5

The birth of a new genre is always something that should be celebrated and listened to. 4.5/5

A load of mad Brummies go on a no-frills garage-psych blues rock tip and heavy metal is born. Can't fault them on that front - their brutal take on the prevailing sounds of the late 60s went harder than what had come before, partly through necessity (Butler was new to bass and was keeping it simple, detuned strings were more forgiving on Iommi's home-made fingertips). Throw Osbourne's morbid lyrical leanings and full-tilt vocal style to the mix, coupled with the fact the album was recorded in just 12 days with virtually no overdubs, and you have the key to the formula. Here's the rub though - it's a formula that runs out of ideas fairly rapidly. The second half in particular is a real chore to get through, and by the time you have reached the end, there is little from the opening couple of tracks memorable enough to have stayed with you. If air guitaring round your living room to endless pentatonic guitar gymnastics is your thing, then fine. For me, there are nowhere near enough real hooks to reel me in and hold my interest. Historically notable, of that there can be no doubt - but then, so is Stonehenge... ultimately, it's just a load of rock that really does nothing special or relevant in 2025.

RIP

I think this may be a 10 record but I reserve the right to revisit notnso close to Ozzys death. RIP King

And with that, heavy metal - complete with all its durable tropes - is born. Killer riffs abound - a template for this band and much of heavy metal, emphasizing the riff over pure melody.The energetic if not yet overly tight rhythm section showing the bloom of its potential, and Ozzys distinctive vocals and ridiculously theatrical lyrics on top of all of it. Sabbath would go on to produce better albums, but they come out of the gates hot, and while the record loses a bit of steam toward the end it opens with a series of blistering tracks. There are some unusual flourishes here - in particular the blues orientation - that would not be repeated in future records. Any of Sabbath’s first five albums are 5 star affairs for me, and this one is memorable for establishing the template, both for themselves and for metal in general.

Så fantastisk

Horns up! Theatrical but not campy. Love the blues foundation and insane composition. Black Sabbath is a master class album. Rest well, Ozzy.

I grew up afraid of Ozzy. A lot of music was criticized in the 80’s for its bad influence and he was the poster child. The Blizzard of Oz album cover, the use of religious icons and mentions of satan in lyrics, the blood and gore, the bat decapitations and rumors of puppies thrown to audiences for slaughter before the band would go on, even the “bad boys” in scouts who played his music on repeat during campouts - all reasons for young me to stay away. Of course, his family would later go on MTV and he would prove an endearing, humble, and earnest father and grandfather - talk about cognitive dissonance. It wasn’t until the mid 2000s when I saw a tribute band with some friends that I gave Black Sabbath a listen and discovered I had been missing out. I cannot imagine how foreign this album must have sounded in 1970 - the song Black Sabbath is one of better album openers ever. Is this really their debut? This is an amazing album throughout, the music is fresh, surprising, and harmonizes well - Ozzy’s vocals are arguably the weakest component but I can’t imagine it being anyone else. It just fits. Favs are those with long guitar interludes - Black Sabbath, Wall of Sleep and Warning. IMO this is their best album and its hard to believe it’s 55 years old. I watched the “Back to the Beginning” concert 3 weeks ago and was moved to tears by the tributes, the sincerity in Ozzy’s words and voice, and the love for and from his original band mates. It’s on brand that he would pass so soon. RIP. And thanks for being a part of this creation. 5/5

At the youthful age of 14 I hadn't quite figured out who I was or what I liked. I do know that I was a blue jeans, black concert tee and flannel shirt wearing freshman in high school who hung out with other kids I probably shouldn't have. We did typical stuff like smoke dope, sneak off campus for lunch, and on weekends we would go to the battle of the bands at the local roller rink. Our music was druggy stuff like The Doors and, of course, heavy metal. Even then I didn't really care much for heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and others who I wasn't even interested enough in to learn or remember their names. But then there was Black Sabbath. They were different than the others. Rather than playing a mile a minute, their songs were almost in slow motion, like moving through quicksand. They were dark and gloomy with the obligatory satanic imagery and drug references but they were also just so fucking cool. Ozzy had a voice like no other, Tony's SG played bluesy riffs and tasty runs and the solid rhythm section could power through anything. This I liked, and I listened. Paranoid, Master of Reality, Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, all in heavy rotation - all on cassette of course.. But it was the first album that really got a hold of me, titled simply Black Sabbath. I mean, the opening track just crawls right out at you, the thunder and rain, the ringing bell and then that main riff kicks in, slow and steady, Ozzy sets an eerie and ominous scene and it's moving like sludge - until it isn't. Tony kicks in and things start to get a little crazy and then holy shit that ending just floors me. I think that this is the probably the finest overall collection of songs they released. I can certainly do without "Iron Man" and even "Paranoid" but "The Wizard" is just a killer tune that I don't know if they ever matched again. I guess they recorded this in a single day, virtually live in studio, and I think that immediacy and intimacy comes through and makes this a landmark recording, and the start of a whole new genre of music. An essential album for sure. On a sad note, everyone doing this challenge got a Black Sabbath album today if they still had one unrated. Of course this was to honor the passing of Ozzy Osbourne who passed on July 22 at the age of 76. I know his health wasn't good so it brings me joy to know that he got to do the big final concert just a few weeks back. They never made anyone else like Ozzy, am not sure the world could hold more than one.

Das Debütalbum der britischen Band Black Sabbath wurde im Oktober und November 1969 in den Regent Sound Studios und den Island Studios in London aufgenommen. Die vierköpfige Gruppe, bestehend aus Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler und Bill Ward, gilt als Mitbegründer des Heavy Metal. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Blues-Rock, Doom und Hard Rock. Charakteristisch sind die tief gestimmten Gitarrenriffs, langsamen Tempi und düsteren Klangbilder. Der eröffnende Titelsong „Black Sabbath“ gilt als stilprägend, insbesondere durch den Einsatz des Tritonus-Intervalls. Weitere bekannte Stücke wie „N.I.B.“, „The Wizard“ oder „Behind the Wall of Sleep“ zeigen den Einfluss von Blues, ergänzt durch eine zunehmend dunkle Klangsprache. Das Album markiert einen Übergang von britischem Bluesrock hin zu einer härteren, schwereren Ausdrucksform. Aus heutiger Sicht lässt sich darin eine frühe Form des Heavy Metal erkennen. Die Produktion ist eher roh gehalten, was der Atmosphäre zugutekommt. Das Album zeigt eine stilistische Eigenständigkeit und eine klare künstlerische Ausrichtung. Es ist weniger auf virtuose Spieltechnik als auf Stimmung und Struktur angelegt. Auch wenn es noch hörbar in der Rocktradition der späten 1960er Jahre verwurzelt ist, wirkt es durch seine Themenwahl und Klangästhetik ungewöhnlich und in Teilen vorausweisend. „You can’t kill rock’n’roll – it’s here to stay.“ Ozzy, Ruhe in Frieden und mach’s laut da drüben!

This one means a lot to me. I have always loved Sabbath, and I feel a bit emotional writing this. I never got to see them live, and I still feel a bit gutted about missing the Back to the Beginning shows. I did see Ozzy perform solo at Download, and he played a few Sabbath songs, which was a real highlight. Ozzy might not be the most skilled singer from a technical point of view, but that does not take away from what he achieved. His voice, his stage presence, and the way he carried himself all made a huge impact. He helped turn rock music into something darker and heavier. With some styles of music, it is hard to tell where it all began. That is not the case with metal. It started here. This album took the psychedelic rock sound of the sixties and turned it into something slower, heavier, and more threatening. You can hear the roots of metal in every riff. Beyond the music, Ozzy became a cultural icon. He challenged more traditional ideas of behaviour and appearance. People remember the music, but they also remember the way he looked, the way he acted, and the way he lived. Death to all but metal, hail satan, rest in evil prince of darkness.

I am fucking gutted. I found out the news yesterday and honestly I shed a tear. Ozzy and Sabbath have been a constant in my life since I was a teenager. Metallica were the first metal band I ever heard but I can easily go months or even years without really listening to them. Sabbath were the first Metal band that I loved and in 25 years I’ve never stopped listening to them and I can’t imagine I ever will. Onto the album, it’s one of the great debuts of all time and definitely one of the most influential albums ever made. This was the first album of theirs that I owned and I was instantly hooked. Top Track - Black Sabbath R.I.P Ozzy 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

A genre defining album! I was never into the early metal but this album is solid start to finish.

When a much younger me was a pre teen and getting into heavy music I remember reading about Ozzy Osbourne. He bit the head off a bat? Parents hated him? The Jesus Krispies were picketing his concerts? He was all the things a rebellious youth could ask for and I was all in. Diary of a Madman was one of the first cassettes I bought with my own money. Paranoid was the first song I learned to play on bass. Ozzy was the first concert I went to. I was lucky enough to see him in '84, '86, '89, '92, '04, twice in '05 and '06. Three of those shows were with the original Black Sabbath, bucket list gigs for me. I've loved this album and all the Sabbath albums as long as I can remember. Thanks for the damn good times Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill.

“I mean, they say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.” By this logic, Ozzy is going to live forever, because I for one am never going to stop talking about how much ass he kicked. This is the debut album of not only Black Sabbath, but the debut album of Heavy Metal as a whole, and it is absolutely packed with bangers from top to bottom. I could listen to only this on loop for a year and still enjoy it. “N.I.B.” is my pick for favorite here. I can’t believe he gifted us with that gem right at the start of his career. I’m here to pay my respects and give this man the 5 stars he deserves. Fuck it, I’ll give him 6 stars. 10 even, we’ve just lost one of the last true pioneers of music, and I’m still grieving. We love you, Ozzy. Until I roll your next one and rate that a 10 as well. Rock on you absolute legend ❤️🦇!!

What a rad piece of music. Is it as good as Black Sabbath Volume 2? No. Volume 3? Not even. But its still pretty incredible. Especially given that this came out in 1970. Its evil and sinister and full of dark mythology. They incorporate the blues with the whining guitars, and even really cool harmonicas. The bass lines are heavy and fuzzy. This is fantastic. We're lucky to have it.

historicamente fundamental musicalmente fundamental só pedrada cabulosa

One of the best debut albums to come out of metal. Point blank period.

Great album.

I really like it. Not as strong as some other sabbath albums, but still great

Black Sabbath are one of those bands that I always feel like I should have listened to but haven't really - my knowledge of them begins and ends with Paranoid (which I do love). So, I would have been pleased to get this, even without the added poignancy of Ozzy Osbourne passing away yesterday. I can see why they were influential - some tracks were more bluesy than I was expecting, but you can definitely see the birth of heavy metal here.

R.I.P. Ozzy. Main man at the helm of this usually-random project must have paid tribute after Ozzy's death yesterday. OK, I'm now a Sabbath convert. Slo-mo heavyweight blues. Fast does not equal heavy. Ponderous (but tight!) rhythm section absolutely pinning it down on the slow build, while your guy riffs like a mf, double-time over the top, equals heavy. Embryonic new genre, still quite close to stuff like Cream, rather than later, speedier, more machine-metal offerings. Certified quality. Eldritch.

Their most solid offering to me. Doom and gloomy in a way their later stuff is not, I wish they had leaned into the spooky stuff more instead of becoming what I feel was a more generic band over time.

The dawn of heavy metal, and it is indeed heavy. This isn't the shiny hairband metal of the 80s but the deep, dark, and *somewhat* bluesy metal of the late 60s (released early 1970). The songs provide riffs that invite you right into the darkness, the original Hotel California trap. There is remarkable musicianship all around. As someone who thought he outgrew heavy metal, I have to give credit where it's due: there's enduring quality here. And they invented a whole new genre while they were at it. A lot more respect than I expected to feel.

So, I hadn't heard of this album in full. Only NIB one time ages ago, this slaps, but also has space for growth. 4/5 RIP Ozzy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkcRxCUZWB0

Highly enjoyable, esp. "The Wizard" which is superbly silly. Not quite sure why this album specifically is credited with inventing metal; there isn't much daylight between here and Led Zep I to these ears (at least, sonically) but it's all good RIP Ozzy - my tribute highlights the first time I heard the Prince of Darkness: "Shot In The Dark", a fun chart hit leading me to place him closer to Meat Loaf than he probably deserved!

I surprised myself by giving Paranoid top marks. Black Sabbath are a great find I.e. I obvs had heard them but hadn't listened. They blow away subsequent 'heavy' rock, thrash rock/doom rock/torture rock/pain rock/injury rock, out to the furthest fucking reaches of the universe. First half powerful - second half loses structure and its way. That all comes together in the next album.

The first real Heavy Metal album: Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath featuring the song Black Sabbath. Even for the simple start of the genre, it does feature some very heavy riffs with some strong Doom Metal sounds sprinkled throughout. But for the most part, it is the early Heavy Metal and Hard Rock blend that Black Sabbath was and is known for. Even if the album in its entirety isn't the most perfect collection, the fact that the first ever album of a major genre is this consistent and great overall, is very much to appreciate. The sounds of thunder, rain and a chruch bell start the album with an ominous sound of Nature Recordings that transition abruptly into a Heavy and dark sounding atomsphere that back when this released must've sound straight up scary and disturbing. Although the song is much slower and more sombre than what most Metal will later become, it still is an absolutely incredible track. It slowly transcends you into a nocturnal and psychedelic nightmare that swings from one explosion to the next while in between it is fill with mystical lyrics that only strenghten the ominous feeling of it. The second part which picks up more speed almost feels like a chase before exploding into even bigger and greater soundscapes. If this song doesn't make feel uneasy, I can't help you anymore... This is perfect. 'The Wizard' goes more into the direction of Heavy Psych and Blues Rock with Ozzy pulling out his harmonica and giving us a Bluesy riff that is replaced by a Heavy guitar riff. If I'm being honest, this is what early Led Zeppelin tried to be but failed. It is heavy but still sounds entertaining and is extremely fun. While it isn't as perfect as the title track, it still shows as an incredible track full of great moments. I mainly prefer the more Metal songs than the ones that go more into Hard Rock. A more Psychedelic Rock touched sound finds its place on 'Behind the Wall of Sleep' which mostly shines with the weird and echoed vocal effects. The song itself starts too slow and doesn't really have enough to really work in that sense. The riffs and the guitar solo is alright but the album does much better. But I do think that the vocal performance saves this enough to still be considered a really good song otherwise... not so much. The albums best known song is probably 'N.I.B.' which, in my opinion, is like a better version of Sunshine of your Love by Cream. The riffs sound very similar but this song pulls the thing much better off. It is catchy, it is heavy, it has some great performed lyrics that match the whole aesthetic of the album and it just sounds good. The guitar solo is pulled off incredibly and no single second is wasted or out of focus. Easily a perfect song although I still think that 'Black Sabbath' is a superior Metal track. The albums second side is started with 'Evil Woman' (originally titled 'Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me') and although the chorus is really catchy and great, the vocals are mixed a little bit too quiet to fully work and show what energy is actually behind the loud facade. I also think that there isn't mearly enough heaviness on this track. It just sounds a little bit pale and except the chorus and a couple moments here and there, it's just an okay song. Good but not too good. 'Sleeping Village' returns to the Heavy Metal but before doing it starts with another ominous intro that is mixing aspects of Folk with a Jew's harp that very fittingly works here to create that ominous feeling. After the heavy sound returns we get a mostly instrumental Heavy Metal Jam that has some aspects of Blues and complex structure sprinkled throughout. The song is really great even when Ozzy isn't shining here. It then transitions into the 10 minute 'Warning' which also closes the album with a mix of Heavy Metal and Blues Rock in the form of an even longer Jam that adds even more complexity at some points that it's nearly Prog and has other moments that get close to Doom Metal. It's an incredible closing track although some moments do feel a little bit out of focus and washed out but luckily not enough to hurt the song in a major way because it still slaps. favourites: Black Sabbath, N.I.B., Warning, The Wizard least favourites: Evil Woman, Behind the Wall of Sleep Rating: decent to strong 8 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Prefer Paranoid, but solid record. The cover is pretty cool.

Iconic album

Like Cream, but way better!

RIP Ozzy. This is fine, but clearly not Sabbath's best album, but all of the elements are there - tight drums, awesome guitars, crisp bass, and a very charismatic (and fucking NUTS) frontman. They were a little too high-concept for their own good, but it's Sabbath. Sabbath rules.

🖤🖤🖤🖤

Sabbath’s cradle of the Brit blues scene is clearer on this record, but even on the modish improv track, Iommi’s proudly workmanlike, unfussy playing sets out different intentions. The ideas are all present, the opening to “The Wizard” is killer, and the title track and “N.I.B.” sit with their best. Uneven, but they’re a band I would’ve loved to have seen during this early spree.

Not really my thing, but I get it. RIP Ozzy

Pretty good. I’m so used to Paranoid, it’s hard for this to even come close. RIP Ozzy

Jeez. This is fine, but I don’t need Black Sabbath singing white mans blues about baby mama drama.

Birth of a new world here, glad I listened to it. Never going to listen again though.

not the type of music id listen to casually, but its great

I really keep going back and forth on this. I like how it’s bluesy, it’s interesting to listen to this knowing what Ozzy becomes, and I did have a good time listening to it. That being said some of the things this album does is objectively boring or flat out bad. Overall, did you know Tommy has no fingertips?

Groundbreaking, sure. It’s also dumb, drowsy, disjointed. Tastes like Cream, only twice as heavy and half as fresh. Standout Tracks: Black Sabbath, N.I.B.

Absolute classic. Despite sounding so blues influenced, this is the dawn of heavy metal. RIP Ozzy.

9/10

RIP Ozzy

There's some siiiiick riffs here, thanks for inventing metal, guys <3

RIP Ozzy. This wonderful album invented heavy metal. Every moment is influential.

Ozzy! Noooooo! Good timing for an amazing album and tribute to the Prince of Darkness. 8.0 - amazing solos and power.

One of the greatest metal albums ever. I really don't have much of a personal connection with this but the riffs and the overall instrumentation is really great, so many bangers here

Great project! I feel like Vol .4 was better than this, but this was still really good nonetheless. 4.5 if that was possible.

Legendary masterpiece!

The album that started it all… without this record, metal wouldn’t be nearly the same as it is today. Possibly even nonexistent. RIP to Ozzy Osbourne, Prince of Darknes and King of Metal

Ozzyyyy.....godfather of Metal.... gligh high... 5/5 for literally inventing metal music....

rest in peace Ozzy.

Amazing album

It’s Geezer. It’s Tony. It’s Tommy. It’s Ozzy. Without these four Aston lads there would be no Heavy Metal as we know it. From the sound of the rain at the very start of the album, to the final chords of Wicked World, Sabbath laid down the blueprint for the next 50 years of heavy music.

Absolute classic. The Wizard? N.I.B? The actual Black Sabbath, itself? This was the beginning of it all. I’d say RIP Ozzy, but we all know you’ll rise again to reap your vengeance. Years spent in torment, buried in a nameless grave. Now he has risen. Miracles would have to save, Those that the beast is looking for…

Classic. Very timely since Ozzy died today. I just listened to the first 3 Sabbath albums today in tribute.

R.I.P. Ozzy

F****** Classic!

Rest in Peace, Prince of Darkness

esencial, fundamental, pionero, seminal, lo que quieras poner. tanto este coom Paranoid están en cualquier lista. punto.

No matter what day your religion chooses as the Sabbath, may it be a Black one. RIP Ozzy

A true legend never dies, they live in us forever.

.....

Beim Frühstück heute lese ich einen Bericht über das letzte Konzert von BS/Ozzy in Birmingham, im Radio wird heute sein Tod verkündet und als Album wird mir am gleichen Tag dieses hier präsentiert. Zufall? Oder hat da der Prince of Darkness die Finger mit im Spiel? Ich weiß es nicht. Was ich weiß: dies ist ein Album, welches mich als Jugendlicher schwer infiziert hat. Und es hat mich noch immer im Griff...

a fitting entry in this list after the recent passing of the legendary ozzy osbourne. this album is the debut of black sabbath. the prince of darkness welcomes listeners to his graveyard, virgin ears beware. taking some inspiration from blues music, black sabbath immediately puts you in a grimy, ghoulish atmosphere with heavy riffs and WAILING vocals. ozzy was like no other, and after his passing, i can only appreciate his work more. let's get REAL satanic up in here.

This is great stuff, had never heard this early album in all one listen. RIP Ozzy you legend.

Ozzy!

After the death of Ozzy Osbourne (RIP) it's Black Sabbath's debut. The opening title track is incredible, sets a really foreboding atmosphere for the album and the lyrics are explicitly evil and referencing satan. This must have blown people's minds in 1970 I'm less impressed by the fact that this was the first real heavy metal album, and more just by how good the music is. Tony Iommi's guitar playing is amazing, the riffs rock but even more than that, it just has a real heavy and doom-mongering vibe. I don't normally like really long songs with loads of noodling but I loved Warning. Very good album

R. I. P. Ozzy Imagine being gifted this album the day after he passes

Ozzy died yesterday. RIP thank you for making some amazing music!

so good. Iommi is riff god Will I listen to again: 100%

Nice, anyone else get this album the day after Ozzy died? Coincidence? Maybe