Black Sabbath

Pretty solid debut album, the songs and riffs tend to stick in your head

First listen of this album, but I generally like Black Sabbath. It's a privilege to listen to genre defining records, and I can only imagine what it must have been like to hear this for the first time in 1970.

has cool elements but its a bit heavy for me and also the guys voice is a bit whiny. but the guitar i love

I must have enjoyed this one - 3 straight listens on repeat. Classic Sabbath that I hadn't heard before, not sure why. Proper bostin'

Iommi is a monster and absolutely makes this album. Can’t believe it’s taken me so long to hear this one but great album !!!

Vibey

So good. So dark. It's such a consistent album. Each member brings it.

It's alright, the guitar is good but overall it's kinda missing something for me

Grjóthart. NIB er svo mikið nostalgíulag hjá ungum rokkSel. Fáránlega áhrifamikið sound sem var bara aðeins meira black and heavy en það sem var í boði á þessum tíma.

A total classic, amazing to hear the start of one of my favourite bands. Weird I've listened to so many of their other albums, and I loved 13 so much – and yet had never heard the one that kicked it all off. Thematically, of course, you can hear the influences of Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin but the sound is like nothing else. This is the start of heavy metal. I loved this, and I'll definitely listent to it again. Not Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or Master of Reality – the best three of theirs – but still a great album.

I mean this in the best possible way: This is a cute album. Really dreamy sound with fuzzy guitars and some cheesy pagan spice.

This was fun, dark, ethereal Sabbath. A healthy dose of satan in every riff.

Black Sabbath The Wizard

Remember when ozzy Osborne ate a bat

If I were a 12 year old in 1970 I would have been really annoying about this album

classic

Good album. Must listen for Rick/metal fans

First of all, the first song of the first album and the name of the band all share the same name. Confidence. At the 4:40 mark of the song “Black Sabbath” the riff-pattern that Coheed and Cambria has written many songs with emerges and is truly exciting, followed by a ripping solo. I love Sabbath, but I didn’t love the harmonica sound levels on the second song. I wish this had been a longer album.

Surprisingly enjoyed

Sludgy metal goodness, N.I.N probs has my favourite bass solo on the intro too

Imagine what American christians initially thought about this satanic shit. British people in the other hand were probably like hehe heavy metal 🤘👀

one of the greats, there's nothing to be said that hasn't already been said about black sabbath. love you tony iommi

Great album that I’ve listened to for many years. N.i.b is a fantastic tune, also love warning. It would probably have 5 stars if it wasn’t for their album paranoid.

Bangers

91/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Some iconic songs on this album. Absolutely obvious now, but it's easy to see the foundation of metal being drawn out here. Gain-y guitars, dark lyrics, and at times a "creeping" rhythm.

This is so freakin charming... I mean, dark and TWISTED. The DEVIL BABY!

Awesome music! Lyrics a bit silly or haven’t aged well but the music kicks

YES.

The tritone to rule them all. Still heavy 50+ years after its release. Some lyrics come off as a bit silly but this is the template for all heavy metal that followed.

Nothing that came before Black Sabbath was like them, and they inspired everything that came after. Great songs, wish there was a tad more psychedelia to accompany these long solos

I thought this album was just fine until I looked at the release year. HOLY SHIT!!! 3 years after the summer of love and the same year The Beatles released Let It Be, Black Sabbath introduced the world to doom metal. Shortly after that in the same year as this debut album they put out one of the most iconic albums of all time with Paranoid. Black Sabbath was on a different level from the rest of the world at this time. I was thinking giving it a 3 at first, but I might bump it up to a 4 because of it's influence.

One of the greatest opening tracks of all time.

8/10. Very good. Easy to groove to. Instrumental was great but at times a little repetitive. The Wizard made the 5 ⭐️ list for me. Think it was my favorite song on the album.

Really makes you feel like you're starting a riot.

Favorite so far can't gi wring with old school oZY

Heavy 4/5

Epic hard rock album.. never been a massive fan of Black Sabbath but this one I’ll be playing again. Concise, and rocks all the way through. One of those albums that gets overshadowed by later releases but is great.

Not as thoroughly fantastic as paranoid, but still a fantastic and hellish listen.

p cool

elsker det her album, klar 4/5, måske endda 5/5 hvis man er sød.

Nr. 158/1001 Black Sabbath 3/5 The Wizard 4/5 Behind the Wall of Sleep 4/5 N.I.B. 4/5 Evil Woman 4/5 Sleeping Village 4/5 Warning 3/5 Wicked World 3/5 Average: 3,63 Though I like their later albums better, this is still a really good record.

Creepy woman album is good

Ground Breaking album that set the stage for metal to come. Enjoyable and iconic

This is definitely a great album, and anyone who likes metal or hard rock definitely needs to check out this album, and pretty much everything else from Black Sabbath. Anyways it’s hard for me to be super excited about this album on the flip side, because I grew up hearing Black Sabbath in the background, so it’s kind of old news for me, but I also don’t want to discredit them either, and the influence they’ve had in the music industry.

Oh yeah !

Agree with Spang’s logic. 4. Much blusier than I expected having only been familiar with Paranoid as my Sabbath baseline.

Don't know if this is a 3 or a 4, but it’s definitely 1 star less than Paranoid… so, I listened to Paranoid and gave it a 5. Guess this is a 4?

Black Sabbath off of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath! This album has songs that are very Black Sabbathy! I dig it, personally.

A classic album that was part of my childhood

Nice listen

With hindsight, some people may look back at this debut and scoff at it for not being as good as Black Sabbath’s later works, but I believe you need to listen to albums in the context of when they were released. This was the first in a line of influential albums and it was also pioneering a new twist on blues-infused rock that would later be credited with starting the doom metal genre. It deserves respect even if it’s not perfect.

I like Black Sabbath the band. I like Black Sabbath the album. I do NOT like Black Sabbath the song; if you’re going to spend 4 minutes on the intro, you better be building to something really good! Thankfully, after that bad start, the album gets going with The Wizard and never looks back. The songs feels really consistent, like chapters of the same book (which may explain the long intro song), without getting boring or too repetitive. Though some of the guitar solos could’ve been shorter, or just better. Can’t say I enjoyed it as some of their later stuff, but a great listen if you skip the first song.

I have listened to Black Sabbath before, but never really listened to a full album in one sitting. When I looked at the tracks I didn't recognise any of them, but as the album went through I did start thinking, yeah I have heard this before somewhere. Solid album, will deffo go back and listen again

Sat in the theatre at work in the dark with this playing. Was great to hear soo much of the album that I would have missed otherwise. Some really interesting stuff happening, really enjoyed the vibe of most of it but has a few moments I got bored. Opened amazingly, the ambience got me right in it and loved the first song The Wizard lost me, really didn’t enjoy that Behind the Wall of Sleep I really enjoyed, the slight delay with the vocals between L+R was such a cool effect that enhanced the song NIB & Evil Woman were great Really liked Sleeping Village Warning didn’t justify its runtime for me but it wasn’t bad, I just felt it didn’t go anywhere.

i actually loved it not what i thought at all

Better than I could imagine, even though I've already listen a few songs of Sabbath :D

En ollut ennen kuunnellut. Nyt ymmärrän. Klassikko.

Whether it’s 100% accurate or not, it’s pretty cool to listen to an album that’s credited with starting an entirely new genre

The beginning of metal!

I'm going to be weird and give it 4. My scoring system makes no sense, and this is hugely influential, but it's not as good a record of songs as Paranoid. It's still great of course. Black Sabbath, NIB, Warning the obvious standouts.

I've only heard the "Paranoid" album. Hearing the first few notes from the title track, I wonder how much Spinal Tap took from this one. I didn't like how the songs seemed to medley into each other so much. And some of the lyrics are a bit naive ("Wicked World" in particular). But I can definitely see the progression from here to the next album, and songs like "Black Sabbath" to "War Pigs" and "Paranoid" in the next album. The drum work, has a very jazzy feel at times. Reminds me of how Bruford was in Yes in those early years. I keep meaning to listen to more of Sabbath, get the origins of metal. Hopefully it's more developed than some of the stuff on this. Maybe I was expecting more hearing "Paranoid" so many times. But this is indeed the first step. So keeping that in mind, I'll give it a 4 for being so revolutionary. Top tracks: "The Wizard," "N.I.B."

Ozzy’s distinct voice. Guitars. Melds together well. I like it but not a must own for me. Not something I’d seek out but can enjoy it.

The beginnings of Heavy Metal. Brummie brilliance

this was pretty neat and i had only heard N.I.B. before. black sabbath is a super cool introduction to this album and the wizard sounds like the blues version of cities on flame with rock and roll. N.I.B. was the only other one that really grabbed me but the overall sound was cool. hard to believe this is the first heavy metal album... from humble beginnings, right? favorites: black sabbath, the wizard, N.I.B.

I can see why it’s on the list and I appreciate it for its significance. It must have been utterly revolutionary when released in 1970 despite its roots in blues and other classic rock of the time - did I enjoy it? Yes, will I listen again? Maybe not for a while :) Good game Andy - fun!

I appreciate what they were going for and how this album was instrumental in inventing a new genre.

Early Sabbath was the soundtrack for those days spent with friends in a shed out back while restoring BMX bikes and trying to keep CLR off our hands. And while Paranoid and Masters of Reality probably spent heavier rotation in the tape deck, I remember quite a bit more of this than I realized. A decent debut with some weird touches. That harmonica and juice harp...

They could not have chosen a more sinister opening track or album cover to represent themselves in their debut. This album is an incredibly raw, impactful, and influential work. I love the low, deep vibes. N.I.B. Has always been one of my favs. 4/5

Lots of good songs. Black Sabbath, The Wizard and Warning. Not what I expected.

Always love returning to the roots of good music. Still sounds a little dated and Ozzy is Ozzy, but the music is fantastic. Top tracks: Black Sabbath, NIB, Evil Woman, Warning

Classic classic. Super short album, but very important. Good stuff.

own

Dark and stormy. It's the foundation for heavy metal to follow. A four will do as I am a bit more of a psychedelia rock fan but to most people this will easily be a 5 star album.

It's all here. The tone, the lyrics, the moral panic. This is arguably the first metal album, but I really was surprised by it actually sounding like a metal album. Of course metal would evolve, but the roots are here and they sound great. The harmonica was a little much though.

short album. honestly didn’t think this would be my cup of tea but ended up liking it way more than i thought. goes hard!

Not my style. I see the appeal.

Title track and NIB are highlights. Not as strong as Paranoid, but damn good.

A classic record for the ages. Typically not what I’d listen to regularly, and this was the first time I’ve listened to this record in full and it really has a great sound. Ozzy has an iconic voice and the music that accompanies is well harmonized and simply rocks. Really enjoy this one.

Pretty good album, a lot of quality and you can hear their style forming to what we know right now. It still lacks the firepower that comes later with amazing riffs and guitar solos. Even Ozzy's vocal is a bit underwhelming on this record. It takes time to achieve greatness, but this album is a good indicator of being on the right track.

Solid album but I like paranoid more

It's a vibe, but it's also kinda like metal Grateful Dead.

It's crazy to think how this was received in 1970. The heaviness and themes are common place now but in 1970 this would have been so very heavy.

First got me into metal despite it being a starkly different genre- at least through the contemporary metal perception. Solid and eternal.

If you build it they will come. Clearly the album that influenced so many future bands. This thing is so beautifully perfect in its imperfections. Tempo waivers, string drags, vocal cracks…and yet who cares. And the way it was recorded live from the floor makes it even more badass. Close to a 5 in my book.

Awesome album, terrifying album art. Loved this from start to finish, from riff to riff. The way they recorded this makes it feel like you’re listening to their live set. Just great, nearly a 5 for me.

Probably a good thing they didn’t stick to original name: The Polka Tulk Blues Band. Not quite the same ring. I wasn’t around at the time but I can imagine how different this felt to everything else at the time. And still relevant today. Shit, would love if something this came out now and set a path for the next gen of solid rock music! A solid 4.

God damn these licks are tasty! Thoroughly enjoyed this album. Rare case of me wishing an album was a bit longer. Easy 4* for me. Crazy that it was recorded in only 12 hours considering the influence on rock/metal. Good shit. 4.25/5

Just as I imagined this would be.

Black Sabbath isn't my usual jam, but I can see why this album is on the list.

Never heard this album in full before. often silly lyrics. one of very few bands that can have a silly song about wizards that's not a low point Black Sabbath knew how to make an awesome groove right out of the gate. The guitar and bass playing similar lines weaving in and out of time with each other is so cool. My biggest gripe is that this would be even better if it dropped some of the guitar solos. very impressive for something recorded in one day music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Endlessly funny that this is a document of some dopey British blues guys sort of accidentally inventing a genre. It rocks so hard. The line “without warning, a Wizard walks by” rocks so hard.

I could have done without the 25 jam but other than that this is a great album.

First impression: not sure if it's for me, I like a lot of the guitar but the singer's voice isn't my favorite Second listen: liked it a little more this time, probably wouldn't add it to a list of favorites but might give it a listen every once in a while. 3.5/5 stars

And the world was inflicted with both heavy metal and Ozzy Osbourne ever since.

Start of the album full of great songs and then the second half jam session got pretty boring

Black Sabbath's debut starts with the sound of church bells tolling in the rain. Atmospheric. It includes classic Sabbath riff fests such as N.I.B but also has prominent blues elements, particularly on Warning. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: N.I.B. Date listened: 03/02/24

Fun actually. Party and pot music.

Loved this for the most part, real rockin. Easy to jam out to, and some great riffs and vocals in there. Didn't feel the back end held up quite as much but still a really fun listen. Three and a half. Fave track: The Wizard

Really enjoyed this. Added a few tracks. 3.5-4/5

Great!

Hard Heavy Metal, kicking what was left of the 60s in the face. Like nothing you had heard before...

awesome start to metal even if its not usually my thing

Classic that changed the world.

Never really listened to Sabbath. It's a lot lighter than I expected. A lot slower paced. Grungy, grinding, bluesy rock. It's pretty good, standard rock, a little light on melody with it's own unique character.

The first metal album

Classic metal / heavy rock. Can hear the many influences to other albums to come in the future. Really liked the sound quality and rawness hearing the bass strings being plucked.

Ich mach das Review gfühlt mitere pistole ah mim chopf 😂 S Album isch ganz easy, ich han irgendwie nid viel dezue zsege. Es isch guet aber haut mich jetzt au nid so übertriebe us de socke wies gwüss anderi lüüt duet :D Ja irgendwo zwüsched 3-4 lieht da. Sones 3.7/5? Idk

My god I love Ozzy’s voice!!! Sounds so creepy cool. Love the haunting feeling to the songs. Also the crazy shit Apple Music has to say about Iommi. “When he was 17 years old, a young guitarist, born Frank Anthony Iommi, sliced the tips off two of his fingers while working at a sheet metal factory in Birmingham. The story goes that he was so determined to keep playing guitar, he fashioned prosthetic tips out of melted plastic bottles and detuned his guitar by a minor third because the looser strings were easier to play. ”

Buen sonido

This was a treat to listen to. Enjoyed each track, and of course, the Prince is awesome.

4/5 awesome album. Love the guitar, never listened to the first sabbath album. Just wish it was longer!

“They can put a man on the moon quite easy”

sorprendentemente me gustó.

SCC.

Good old Classic Metal Songs with Ozzy

Everytime I listen to Black Sabbath, I ask myself «Where did that come from?». After spending some time with this album, I do see how these four young musicians mixed their jazz and blues roots into something heavier than what the world had seen up to that point. It is, however, even clearer to see the influence they have had on what came after them. Brilliant album, that I listen to far too seldom.

feeling like a fool for not listening to this before now. love the theatricality. had me dancing

Cooley Album, rockig, aber auch nicht zu hart. Wohl das erste Heavy Metal Album.

Great album, I felt like one song started and blended right into the next.

Still a decent album, even if the song combos trend a little long for me.

great classic rock

Ozzy’s voice is extremely strong and the whole album has a depth I haven’t realized before.

Alfa metal. Great riffs, great vocals, great everything. Ez 4.5

Fantastic riffs. 4.5

Another classic. An easy listen with a bit of head banging.

Really good actually. Sounds like black sabbath. Muddy, grungy, loud. Like it a lot

I'll always have a soft spot for Black Sabbath, between Ozzy's rending vocals, Iommi's guitar lines, the trendsetting bass tone, and the tight drums from the guy whose name I never remember. The debut album isn't my favorite though, and I'm always waiting for the plodding title track to make it to the fantastic outro. N.I.B. is the noteworthy track for me, with one of the classic rock bass lines.

Los 10 minutos del tema 7 son pura magia.

Enjoyed the harmonica. Got a little repetitive. But I can see it's appeal.

Great album.

Instrumentally, it doesn’t quite get any more hardcore than this. Ozzy’s vocals fit in perfectly with the hard hitting drums, steady bass, and electrifying guitar. Everything meshes perfectly here and you have top tier talent in every facet. My problem is that with almost a forty minute run time made up of just five songs, you’re getting tracks that are unjustifiably long. They’re all epic, no doubt, but they could have toned it down just a notch with the guitar solos. 4/5

- Kannte ich nicht vorher nicht, da ich im Metal einfach meistens in der Core Abteilung unterwegs bin - gefiel mir aber sehr gut, echt eine starke Platte

Changed my whole perception of Black Sabbath! Enjoyed this far more than I expected 3.8

I enjoyed this one!

Quite enjoyed this, sounds very raw but I think that's a good thing. Definitely still finding their feet, vocals are a bit ropey, some songs are a bit too long, still must have been groundbreaking when it was released. Don't feel compelled to hear it again which isn't a good sign but was worth hearing nonetheless. 3.5.

Maybe not as good as Paranoid, but still pretty excellent. Eclectic and rather buoyant and bombastic. NIB likely my favourite song but I was thoroughly enthused about the final two tracks.

Heavy

first metal album.... is pretty great. there's a lot more funk here than i expected lol 8.2/10

Gruwelijk album, kende black sabbath wel maar niet zo goed. Echt een sick album

It was fun to find out that the first heavy metal album’s sound happened because of Tommy Iommi’s fingertip injuries and Geezer Butler’s inability to play the bass. Also fun to hear that Ozzy has ALWAYS sounded that way. Rather enjoyed this lovely little gem of doom.

Not bad, some of the songs are bit a too much of generic rock, but some are absolute bangers and have really good parts. It seems by african music as well giving at time a průhonice vibe again. A distinct one to the Pink Moon vibe though. The songs are generally quite long, but that doesn't personally bother me. Though I am still to form a better opinion with time, as of now I liked it overall. 7.5/10, because some parts are just *muah*💋 Also know what sabbath means now.

Might rate later didn't finsh coz slep

Primer álbum de Black Sabbath que oigo, me ha gustado bastante. Muy molones todos los temitas, y te deja con buen sabor de boca.

I heard this was the first ever heavy metal album? Not really my bag, man, but I can respect the music and the musicians' skill. N.I.B. was good. What does N.I.B. mean anyway? New In Box?

super pleasantly surprised - can honestly say not what i expected but what i got was way better

Rating: 9/10 Amazing debut album. The first heavy metal album, what an introduction to the genre and this fantastic band. Starts off particularly strong with truly evil sounding songs like Black Sabbath and N.I.B., the rest of the songs have a strong blues and hard rock influence which are all great. The riffs and tones of the instruments on this album are stellar. The second half of the album is not as good as the first half but still great, not a single bad song or moment on the entire album. I definitely prefer Paranoid and Master of Reality to this one though. Favorite songs: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B, Evil Woman, Warning. Least favorite song: Sleeping Village.

Obviously good and influential but the vocals are weak imo and the next album is more indicative of where metal would go.

It’s Sabbath. I was bound to enjoy it at least a bit.

It rocks pretty much all the way through, but lets face it, this is barely 'singing' - and it shows

Hey, it's metal.

Groundbreaking album given that it was released in 1970. Not something I'd listen to regularly these days, but I fully appreciate this album as the first heavy metal album ever. One of the earliest examples of "shredding" outside of Jimi Hendrix that I've heard. The dark aesthetic of the lyrics and album cover must have been truly wild in 1970.

The first half of this album is all killers. The second half mostly fillers. 4 small stars because of the strengths of the first half.

It was okay. Not blown away, but a good listen. A small 4 stars

\m/ jeg elsker at der var saxofon på Evil Woman

Meget bra bursdagsalbum

I liked it, but I can't get over how dated it sounds to appreciate how influential it was when it came out. There were several long instrumental breaks I could have done without. Vocal melodies were very repetitive, which is probably intentional to emphasize the "inevitable doom" vibe of the album. Highlights: The Wizard, Wicked World

Almost as good as Brown Sabbath!

Good album, more so since it is their first. Revolutionary based on trends in music. Some long songs should have been split up and it would have improved the album.

An album filled with some classic riffs by the Geezer and Tony. Such a classic heavy album.

Absolute banger

Remember this album fondly from my teenage years.

Perfect album for Sunday morning chores. 🤘 Great album.

zamn

This is an excellent album and I can’t believe I’ve never listened to it before! Fantastic guitar riffs and bass lines. Ozzy is Ozzy, and he was fine. I was probably put off by the marketing of it all when I was a kid. I wasn’t big into the occult, so the schoolyard rumours about what heavy metal bands do in the shadows turned me away. Not even close to as heavy as I thought it’d be. Will keep in my collection for listening over and over again. Mid 4

Heel goed album, maar voor mij hoeft dit nog geen 5 sterren te zijn. Ik weet niet wat het is. Als je puur de invloed en relevantie voor muziek later zou meenemen is het vast een no brainer, maar als album op zichzelf mist het gewoon nog wat, wat niet gek is natuurlijk. Dus 4 sterren voor de legende, voor de moeite en mooie dingen die volgden.

I thought I’d like this more than I did. I enjoyed it, but felt it lacked a certain something to really push it over the edge…Not quite as hard/heavy as I expected or hoped. Difficult to rate, but 3.5? Highlights: - N.I.B. - The Sleeping Village

Good, chill, would play again. 4 stars

No reasonable person could take this album for what it so obviously is: Pageant Rock on Halloween dressed up in its finest haunted house regalia. That's not to say a *lot* of very unreasonable people saw this as the sonic gateway to open up a portal straight to hell for the dark lord Satan himself to climb through. Hail, Satan. Glob bless Black Sabbath for giving generations of disaffected kids this accessible and delightful album dripping in sinister melodrama to needle their parents who eternally refuse to understand them.

- Heard Paranoid and Master of Reality before but not this one - Liked the others a bit more but this was still very good - Some songs I thought were only ok, but the good ones more than made up for it - Fav songs: NIB, Wicked World, Black Sabbath

Not my favorite Sabbath album, but they are the godfather's of heavy metal music, and one of my favorite bands. \m/

Honestly not bad.

Good

Doom and not gloom

Maximum headbanging... Black Sabbath delivers as usual. Every song is a banger, plus the tuplets in the guitar riffs are appropriate and catchy.

Though their debut is still a little rough around the edges, and very much indebted to the heavy blues rock that was around at the time, you can see them already carving a completely new path in rock music. The opening track especially is just haunting, and incredible that it came out in 1970, the blueprint for heavy metal right there. The next couple of albums are what really defined their sound and took them to godlike status, but this is undeniably a fantastic start to the discography of one of rocks most important artists.

Favourite tracks: N.I.B Warning Wicked world

I think it’s a great sabbath album but it’s not as good as master of reality and paranoid is better 4.5

Fun fact: I knew about Ozzy before I knew about Black Sabbath. If I have kids, that will be amended. Album #6. Of all of the popular late 20th century music genres I can think of, metal is definitely on the side of those I'm less acquainted with. I can name up to a dozen songs, have only actively heard a few artists, and have never in my memory heard a full metal album. Luckily, however, the band I've become most acquainted with from the scene is probably one of the best, most essential picks, and I happen to actually really enjoy their music! It's Black Sabbath! Who could've guessed. I knew this album would be good, but I didn't expect it to work so well for me in a variety of settings. Alongside being a perfect album to trudge around and bang one's head to, it's also surprisingly effective study music! The shredding is intense, the progression generally remains steady and interesting, and you can reach out and pull the atmosphere around you like a weighted blanket. A great album for a Friday. I still don't know where to start with metal (and with this project going on, I'm not sure if I want now to be my deep dive) but I can now say I have a favorite band.

Très bon album. Rien à jeter. Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B - des classiques

Really enjoyed this one. Such a crucial early metal album. Probably not my favourite Sabbath album, but still really excellent. 4/5

The first song is legendary. The other songs are pretty good but not nearly as good as the first.

there’s a reason sabbath are legends in metal and rock, and i found this more listenable than expected. it gets a bit boring halfway through, but overall i enjoyed it more than i expected based on my other experiences with metal

Warning is way too long for my liking, the rest of the songs were not too memorable but they were really beautiful

Surprisingly, I don't think I've ever listened to this one. Love the fact that it starts out with Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on the album titled Black Sabbath. Spooky vibes out of the gate on the title track. Love the patience in this track. Obviously early and pre-refinement, but the band still shows so much of what they tap into later in their career. Sludgy, moody progression with blubbering bass and flaming guitar work; not to mention Ozzy's one of a kind vocals. Track 3 is a weird one that is effectively four individual songs sequenced into one. N.I.B. is the standout and one that I had largely forgotten about. Very rough recording quality, but mixing is still pretty solid. Wicked World stands out as a (weirdly) jazzy rock song. Tight work during the introduction. This is a 4, near 5 for me. Genre defining and so much good in here. The album almost sounds like there is a layer of dust. Love me some early Sabbath.

Great album. Really enjoyed the listen and would listen again. I've heard all these songs but honestly never listened all the way through this album in one sitting.

Guitar shreds, Bassist shreds, Ozzy shreds the vocs. The Wizard is great. Whole album good, not many words needed.

Such deep dark Sabbath. I love how spooky it starts with the beginning of Black Sabbath then just goes into some face melting. The harmonica on Wizard to follow it up is a great transition. The remaining songs are just hard guitar riffs with Ozzys signature voice to go on top of it. NIB being the highlight of that. I like how it's only technically 5 songs but there are about 10 songs on it.

In love with this first song. Love the key change towards the end. Had this on in the background while working today but definitely coming back to it. Felt engaged in every song even though I wasn't 100% paying attention to it.

Aside from the album art and maybe "wicked world", this is no heavier than any Led Zeppelin from the same timeframe, and Led Zep I and II were released prior to this (not to mention the striking similarities between "The Wizard" and "Ramble On"). Not saying that Black Sabbath shouldn't be considered a metal pioneer, just not sold on them being the peak of the unholy trinity. Even so, this record is cool to death.

All hail the mighty Black Sabbath! Listened to all of the songs many times, but never the whole album front to back. That is the best part about this website in my opinion.

Rock and roll.

The birth of stoner metal

In 1970 this was absolutely 5 star with nothing that came close to it. But it was overtaken by Paranoid. Still... the title track is a doom laden killer, while we hear some great riffs from Tommy and that glorious swing that Bill brought to the party. It's still a great introduction to the band (including some naff lyrics from Ozzie).

Grappig, de heren meten zich een satanisch imago aan en gaan het vervolgens toch vooral hebben over relatieproblemen met hun vriendin. Deep purle-achtige klanken, vet Engels accent, ik vond het eigenlijk best geinig om te luisteren.

And with this the transition from the blues to heavy metal is complete. This is definitely one to think about in the context of when it was released. Supposedly recorded in its entirety in 12 hours, it's rough, chunky and dark. And it effectively launched a genre.

A seminal album, if like me, you like old school metal. The title track, and opener, is stupendous and other numbers - NIB, Wicked World, set the template for subsequent Sabbath albums and their many imitators. The deft musicianship belies their reputation for blundering riffs (although these are here too). A few fillers on here loses them a *

Big riffs and big drama! From the very first track, Black Sabbath knew exactly who they were as a band. The opening title track is a great mission statement for their career that followed. Style and showmanship are the focus here. The songwriting isn’t always memorable but who cares when the music rocks as hard as this?

Must've been a trip when this first came out.

I loved this in high school.... not so much now, but I can still see it's importance.

This album was quite enjoyable, particularly the guitar. I haven’t listened to much Black Sabbath over the years. So I have missed on how good Tommy Iommi is. He is the only non-bass guitar and he carries the sound well, which is impressive to do. His sound is one I’d like to emulate, but I’m not going to slice the tips off two of my fretting fingers to do it. I might try his down tuning though. It’s crazy to think his industrial accident contributed to his unique sound. I also like that they recorded the album live in the studio for the most part all in 12 hours. That makes sense with some of the rough notes and little mistakes throughout.

Pour la première fois, j'ai vraiment ressenti la qualité angoissante de la voix d'Ozzy, le mal de vivre qu'elle véhicule. C'était sombre et autrement plus sobre que je m'y attendais. J'ai vraiment aimé. J'ai hésité à donner 5 étoiles.

Really a 4.5. They shaped a whole genre in one album. In 1970! Like everyone was still doing smiley hippy, and then Sabbath did this. The b side gets a lil sleepy which is really the only thing holding it back from a perfect score for me, but the A side is unbelievable.

I have a very fond memory of one of those “I Love The…” shows where they interviewed Scott Ian from Anthrax, and he was recounting when he at a very young age came into possession of this album. He proceeded to play it on his record player while sitting there staring at the album art while listening, and he was overcome by not just a deep admiration for the sound but also a genuine fear and unsettling feeling stemming from the sound/art combo. This record is the real deal, such an amazing sound especially for the time. It works so well because it happens so organically. Tony Iommi isn’t tuning down his guitar to sound br00tal, he tunes it down because he lost his fingertips in a factory accident and it’s difficult to press down on higher-tension strings with his prosthetics. Ozzy isn’t singing about Satan and the occult JUST to freak people out, but also because that’s what he happened to be studying and learning about while writing. The sound is sublime. It works so well because this record especially showcases their uniquely evil twists combining with the sound of their influences and contemporaries (Geezer Butler’s basslines sound like they could be from rockin’ bands ranging from Cream to Blue Cheer and Bill Ward almost has a classic rock n roll swing to his parts). Ozzy’s vocal parts show us why he’s a household name. It’s easy to forget that he wasn’t always a legacy act, but at one point was legit as hell (who else could so expertly sell lyrics like “My name is Lucifer please take my hand”) as he sings here in a lower, almost pained register than we know him for. The one drawback that keeps this from being a perfect record is that the feeling of “weird guy you kind of know is taking you to see spooky shit in the woods at night” that makes this record so great does kind of lead it to meander a little too far off the path. The closing song suite does lose the plot a bit and drag with repetition, and for me The Wizard doesn’t quite have the same substance the other tracks bring to the table. Otherwise though…incredible stuff. I love this record. If you don’t fuck with the ramp-up at the end of the opening title track, or the twists and turns of the first song suite culminating into N.I.B., then Metal may just not be for you.

It’s so good but then it gets really boring and jammy at the end.Some amazing bangers but you could shave off like 20 mins of this album and it would be better I think.The wizard,black sabbath and n.i.b. Are some of the best metal song ever made though.

Great album

I expected a bit more since it is Black Sabbath, a quite known name. Thought already from the first song I didn't really jam with it. Like it's a good album, but not one that I find that interesting. It's a good album to have in the background. A low 4.

Aaaaait

The only kind of metal I really like. Hard riffs and limited screaming. Some more great Sabbath

Of the first three Black Sabbath albums I feel like this is they one that gets slept on the most. I feel like that may be because of how the tracks are put together with them being so long and some having multiple parts which can throw some people off. I still love this album, it has a sort of horror movie aesthetic to me in that there feels like there is a big focus on creating an atmosphere. I think it makes it feel fuller sonically. I love all four tracks with my favorite being "Wasp / Behind The Wall Of Sleep / Basically / N.I.B.". 8.5/10

later albums are better, but they were still cooking here

How rock music should sound. Super electric guitar playing throughout and a lead singer with a distinctive voice.

i get it now

It's a good album. The lyrics are dumb as hell (except possibly for "Warning"), but so what? This is Ozzy and the beginnings of doom metal, and the music rocks.

a vibe. not necessarily my vibe, but a vibe nonetheless.

Brill

The birth of heavy metal is glorious to hear, the talent on full display, a true pleasure to listen to.

3.75/5 Now *this* is the kale of metal. As in, if Def Leppard was Cheetos, Black Sabbath is a super food. It's dark moodiness was set so well at the beginning of the album and followed throughout in the weirdness of the album. The lyrics are kinda on the satanic side (I think) for most people, but as a Pagan it seems very sensational, Hollywood and even kinda cute. I really liked the heavy guitar riffs. Ozzy's voice is iconic. Black Sabbath was a mood.

Great album, I really like Black Sabbath, the fat riffs, the vocals, the groove, the solos. It's always a pleasure to listen to. Favorite Tracks : Black Sabbath, NIB, Evil Woman, Warning Rating : 4.25 / 5

N.I.B is one of my all time favs, super fun to listen to this album again!

Even before Paranoid, they were capable of inventing half of all metal music genres. There are only five tracks and they all blew me away in their own ways. With how long each of the tracks are, especially the jammy finale, the whole record goes by very quickly, making it a very easy listen and fun for anyone trying to get into Black Sabbath or really heavy metal as a whole. The titular intro track has such an eery stoner rock groove with clear vocals about Satan and black magic, telling you exactly what you need to know despite audiences never hearing anything like it. It breaks into a satisfying explosion of intense riffs. "The Wizard" immediately moves on as the most accessible track on the album, suitable as a contemporary to other early heavy metal albums at the time with its strong blues style. Just like Led Zeppelin, every member is outperforming yet complimenting each other. The "Wasp" medley could have been four songs, but it works better as a smooth flow of slow groovy parts. Resembles acid rock quite a lot here by the half-way point, embodying Jimi Hendrix-esque heavy distorted solos. "Wicked World" is a chaotic all-out blues track that seems to go everywhere. A bit of a mess but in a good way with where they take the song in under 5 minutes. We end the album with the 14-minute jam track "A Bit of Finger", with awesome guitar riffs but in particular a groovy and doomy bassline I fell in love with.

Unsure: Black Sabbath are meant to be the stereotypical, really good rock bad liked my a vast majority of rock heads. I’m not sure if I took this away from listening to it tho. At some point all the tracks sounded the same and it just didn’t quite hit the spot I was expecting. Neither bad nor amazing but I have to give the album credit for its influence.

Decent stuff

Very splendid album, amazing. 4 Stars since I like one other album from Black Sabbath even more

Awesome metal album

Some absolutely belting riffs. Wasn't too sure how much I would get on board with this album, but it is a cracker

Me sigue jodiendo que ozzy le mordiera la cabeza a un murcielago

Cuánta música que no existiría si este disco nunca se hubiera grabado

Sounds a little dated in places but still a strong album

This is such an important album that shaped the genre and is so influential till this day! Black Sabbath has some really solid songs on this album and prove they have a gift to show the world. Iomni’s great riffs, Butler’s solid bass lines, Ward keeping down the fort on the drums and Osbourne wailing away. The sinister edge in the lyrics and music made this band very interesting and what makes them special! 8,5 out of 10

Great. Like hearing heavy metal in a vacuum where the only precursor for something this hard and spooky is Zeppelin. But it lacks some of the raw energy of Paranoid from later that same year. What makes that sophomore effort so earth-shattering is it takes the cult, working-class heroes behind this album and puts the whole financial weight of the studio and support of the public behind them. The rest is heavy metal history. Also, parts of these songs are a bit too close to those on Paranoid for comfort. Like the first part of track 3, "The Wasp," and Paranoid's "War Pigs." I know "The Wasp" came first, but on Paranoid those ideas, while similar, are better fleshed out. In some ways Black Sabbath plays like the blue print for what would be realized on their sophomore effort.

4/5 amazing that they recorded this in one 12-hour session

not really my style, but good

The creepy album cover is one cool cover. This album may seem a bit simple by today's standards but I still think it holds up. Sure it doesn't have their most well known tracks but the sound is definitely there. Many of the riffs are great, I particularly enjoy "The Wizard". Once getting used to Ozzy's singing on the first track I enjoyed the whole album. Must've been bonkers to here this in 1970.

The blues influence is very strong on the debut album of Black Sabbath, but it's heavier rock than that - it's the birth of heavy metal. There are some very good riffs. The band recorded this album in late 1969, imagine how innovative this sound was at that time and how heavy it was for everything that was before. It was something completely different to what was before. Ozzy's voice or the lyrics are less interesting. For this reason, overall I give the album a rating of 4.

Pure, unadorned rock that leaves everything on the table. No gimmicks, tricks, or attempts to patch over potential weak spots with studio fixes - just one band showing off instrumental prowess by way of chugging melodic lines that break far beyond the blues scale woes of the time.

I loved it, great riffs

I liked this way more than I expected, even though hard rock/metal is one of my highest rated genres. I really liked that each song had its own flavor of hard rock and it didn't at all sound repetitive. At first I didn't like Ozzy's singing voice, but it eventually won me over

jsp jaime bien

Ik kende wel wat Black Sabbath werk, maar van dit album kende ik nog niks. Verrassend goed album. Staat bol van de blues-invloeden en dat maakt het voor mij bovengemiddeld goed (en dus ook beter dan ik had verwacht). 4 sterren omdat ik niet verwacht dat ik deze, ondanks dat het zo verrassend goed beviel, nog vaak aan ga zetten.

One of the great heavy metal albums of all time. If I selected only one Sabbath release it would be Paranoid, but this is where it all started and would an easy inclusion on my list. They run out of steam a bit on side two and the lack of subtlety doesn't help, but arguably creating heavy metal as we know it is enough to make this a must have.

Sida 1: cinq points Sida2 : trois points Le Black Sabbath: quatre points

Not sure if anything stood out to me, but as a whole I enjoyed it more then Paranoid.

Very solid! Loved the title track as well as The Wizard

This is not my favorite Black Sabbath album, but only because of the standard set for the next three releases. It's good enough and was the gateway to metal. Evil Woman and the title track are classics though.

Cat: so fucking awesome. Created their own genre. Dark and demonic. Guitar and bass are awesome. What a sound! The story about Iommi’s fingers and how he got his sound are insane. AJ: never really dove into these guys. Know the hits and love them for the most part. But this album fucking rules. It’s crazy it was their first and they’re just so fucking great together. Everyone is so good at their job! Just heavy bluesy 70’s goodness. Holy shit.

For the genre, this is classic.

I would definitely listen to this again!

Black Sabbath- we love a self reference straight out the gate 👍 The Wizard- Like this one, again lyrics arent really up to much 👍 Behind the wall of sleep- Some good guitar work, otherwise just okay NIB- Again, great guitar work, but the melody is v generic Evil Woman- lol didn’t realise this was a cover. I still liked it 👍 Sleeping woman- ooh this is interesting, a lot of guitar work which is amazing 👍 Warning- This is fine, but a fair bit too long for my taste Wicked world- Heavy handed but still strong 👍 I liked this well enough, especially for being a forerunner to a genre it still holds up 4/5

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on the album Black Sabbath

Great guitar and bass on this.

Ah, this is much more what I expected from Black Sabbath: shadowy, moody, bass-y, guitar-y, long noodly segments. I don't dislike it but it's not nearly as appealing as Paranoid and Vol. 4.

I was sure that I'd be worshipping Satan after one listen to this album. So much for all the propaganda of my youth. As a Halloween aficionado, I am surprised that it has taken this project to have me listen to any Black Sabbath. Seems tailored to a Halloween party, at least a few songs interspersed here or there. I liked this album more than Vol. 4, a little less than Paranoia.

Rocks pretty hard.

Great album could be a five if it was more nostalgic but I always listened to paranoid

Dark and moody. Love it.

Not quite as good as Paranoid, but still great.

Maybe to my surprise I really enjoyed this one. Lots of stuff that maybe I wouldn't usually be a fan of just seemed to click. Whole thing just has a bit of an aura about it which is rounded off by the absolutely brilliant album cover art. Stuff like Ozzy just screaming in despair in the first song and a handful of brilliant guitar solos were just a real enjoyment to listen to.

Jackson: Opening title track "Black Sabbath" pretty swell. Nice job dudes. Note in sony in-ears. He isn't my favourite vocalist, though I not my least fav. I am reasonably thoroughly enjoying this. Could be a 4. Wow warning just came out and did it. That in your ear finger electric guitar was cool. This dude is a good guitarist, like first album geez. Creative and dynamic, scare the hoes type musique. Peak: Black Sabbath NIB Pits: Overall: Pretty strong entry, varied (unlike some metal I have had to sit through). It seems a symptom of being on the forefront, they couldn't go "too far". Its really dark and creepy feeling, but its not just slamming instruments. I feel as though every song has a purpose. Its a decent 4, which is about as high as metal can go for me. (see the other two first three sabbath ratings, all 4s, really good start to a discog).

Amazing cover, great intro. Then the rest of the album is good, typical Sabbath minus the Celtic bores.

achei que por ser álbum de metal ia ser mais pesado mas acho que estava confundindo com heavy metal. gostei bastante do álbum.

I enjoyed quite a lot as non metal fan. This album is pioneer for heavy metal

Quality metal album, I can imagine how ground breaking this must have been in 1970. Can totally see the foundations of Black Sabbath went on to become from this album as well. Quality!

Probably the heaviest album ever at that time.

Incredibly heavy for 1970.

Banger Sabbath album.

I’ve never heard this record before. It reminds me of satanic panic. First song, self title and the namesake of the band, it’s got a real sinister sound to it. The Wizard is a lot more fun and almost has some precursor elements of War Pigs in the chord progression. Some real good jams. Ozzy’s vocal layering kind of sounds like a goblin sometimes. I saw him perform once and he was reading his songs on the teleprompter. We are so used to hearing the same old stuff (two songs) by this band but you forget that the guy can sing!! Some awesome noodling too honestly

Birth of many genres. Metal, doom, stoner rock. Iommi is a beast with raw riffs spread throughout.

The Sabbath debut is timeless in recording all the elements of later heavy styles, but lighter. The feat hasn't quite been duplicated, and over Black Sabbath it's not clear whether that's good or bad. To get noisier is a gimmick, but one that works; Meanwhile, the band dispenses with gimmick almost entirely. Victim of divergent European and American pressings, the album gnaws with the question of definitive version.

Pretty great album, never thought I’d like Sabbath, but have really enjoyed their early stuff

First Black Sabbath album I've ever listened to... somehow... which I guess is the whole point of this project! Banging album! More accessible than I expected. And always nice to hear a bunch of 20-somethings finding their way in music.

ozzy used to be so cool

Actually geriau, nei tikejausi. Still eh. Bet nu gal bsk maziau eh negu kiti 3 zvaigzduciu, tai 4 ig

This album surprised me in enjoyment

Very important, but has been done better by other bands since. Didn't realise there would be harmonica!

Classic, not as good as Paranoid but almost

Evil. Thick. Heavy. Dissonant at times. What else can I say? You know what time it is.

Good and highly influential.

I dig 'em. Blues-y and rocking, I'll come back to this (and their next few albums) for sure.

I particularly like the song The Wizard, but this album doesn't have the refined voice of other Sabbath albums, and doesn't have as many tracks that feel tineless like other albums. A great moment in musical history but far from perfect.

Wow! I'd never heard this before and it's really something else. It really was the start of something big.

Bill bättre än ja trodde

Solid debut laying the grounds to be improved upon only a few months later. 🤟

Superb cover! Och för att objektivt ha uppfunnit metal-genren är musiken ganska bra.

I was honestly surprised at how many songs off of this album I recognized. I've listened to other Sabbath albums, but never this one before. This album definitely has an immature sound relative to Paranoid, but all of the elements are here. It's a cool landmark in the history of heavy metal, and it makes it easy to see how blues rock became the heavy metal of the 80s that I'm more familiar with 4/5

Heel erg vet. Grondleggers van een genre, en dat kunnen maar weinig bands zeggen.

Classic

Wow, what a debut album! This has some of Sabbath's best tracks on it - the title track, The Wizard and NIB Give your ears a treat and put this on. LOUD!!!!

Black Sabbath is the debut album by the English heavy metal band of the same name. This album is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album. Amazingly, the album was recorded in a single day - consisting of the band's live set - and overdubs and mixing took place the following day. Dismissed by critics at release, the debut album has been lauded in recent years for being an innovative heavy blues rock album that ushered in the heavy metal genre. It was cool hearing the first album from Black Sabbath, and I actually enjoyed it. The sense of doom that the music instills is trippy and the guitar riffs are invigorating. Great album!

Really good. Not heavy. Interesting riffs. Quite lo-fi.

The original metal album. Spawned an entire genre of music. Learned about it in Metal 101 with Professor Duke

Very spooky. Much more in line with my taste in music than a lot of the recent stuff. It’s easy to forget how well Ozzy does as frontman until you really listen to him sing the lyrics. No songs really stood out as total winners to me, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. Everything was just well done and cohesive. A lower 4, but still a 4.

My favorite Black Sabbath record, but how much does that really mean? It’s like a third grader saying their favorite movie. This is even better than I remembered. I only remembered liking Black Sabbath (song), but the whole album is great. More like a 3.5 for me, but closer to a 4.

Bands everywhere wish they had a debut album like Black Sabbath. Historical significance aside, there are so many instant classics on here that the band was swooped up in success. Fantastic.

Heavy af this totally rips!! I like it for the same reason Led Zep 1 is my favorite LZ album, I can't get enough of those heavy riffs!

Beautifully crafted. Wonderful piece of music. Looking forward to listening again. Reminds of early Tool songs in terms of lyricism and drum beats.

Quite the slow burn intro. Honestly not as metal as anything modern. More akin to stoner/psychedelic rock. Delightfully fuzzy guitars and baleful vocals.

Może nie tak dobre jak Paranoid, ale wciąż kawał porządnej pionierskiej muzyki. 4.5/5

Very good rock

Incredible classic rock!