Reviews (page 12 of 16)
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Apparently it was genre-defining, I guess you really had to be there to understand its full gravity. To me, it was ok.
I appreciate the guitars but not the singing.
OGs of metal
Suprised myself but how much I enjoyed this
70
3/5
Liked the overall sound just missing a few classics from paranoid
Was expecting something more. 3
Still something you can listen! After more than 50 years! Straghtforward without and frills and to much technics!
Ok
Paranoid is probably their best (well, my favourite) album, but this is very good. High 3s.
I enjoyed this alot, I think this Ozward Ozbourne is going places
I know that this album was pretty novel for its time as one of if not the first "heavy metal" albums ever. But now it sounds pretty tame and kind of goofy. There is some great guitar playing and Ozzy's vocals are always great....but it kind of bogged down on the long songs and my attention wandered. Still, it was a pioneering album from what I understand even if Sabbath would soon he hitting much greater heights.
It's pioneering for sure, but I didnt love it. A great start for the band but they definitely improve on and hone their sound in the following couple albums, this one is a bit less focused and engaging
Decent rock album. I wonder if this was revolutionary at the time and so many people followed suit that listening to it now makes it seem more middle of the road than it was?
I enjoyed this way more than I expected!!
Good, fun, rocking, and if I didn't go in blind knowing their later work it would get a higher score
Yeah fucking sick as fuck, first and and nib are mint. Let’s fucking go
This isn't my kind of music, but sometimes I wonder if these albums are an example of 'Seinfeld isn't funny', where I've heard all the influenced and therefore am but as impressed. Some great guitar licks though.
Didn't expect the voice, I'd say it didn't age well
Not as good as paranoid
Enjoyed more than I thought I would. 3.
Their debut. The key components are there but somehow mixed in with a few generic late 60s rock sounds, so for me it doesn't stand out like their later albums.and I don't think many songs here really stand out. Worth a listen though, and still cooler than most heavy rock.
Another Black Sabbath already?! Definitely did not enjoy as much as Paranoid, this was more gothic & gloomy. How did they have 2 albums ready to drop in 1970, as their first ones!
Over these last two Sabbath albums I have become passionate about Sabbath grooves. I've always been drawn to these songs, on this album it's the wizard, but I think now that this is what makes them special. On Vol 4 there are a handful. At times sounds like a funk influence and I think its because of Bill Ward on drums. Aside from The Wizard nothing really stood out. Good debut
A good and a look at one of the most controversial rock bands of all time. To me the best when Ozzy Osborne was lead vocalist.
7/10 Highlight: Black Sabbath
Pretty good album. It’s a lot of Black Sabbath and Led Zep recently so feels like it’s running together. I wish the medleys would have been separated, as the N.I.B. part is by far the best part. Top tracks: “Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Basically/N.I.B.,” “Black Sabbath”
--Black Sabbath...so this is metal? it starts kicking four and one half minutes in. The song is six minutes. I'm told this is proto-'Doom' metal. Not sure I like Doom metal --The Wizard...sounds very similar to LedZepp's Heartbreaker --Behind the Wall of Sleep...this also sounds like Heartbreaker. Decent bass groove in the back half --N.I.B....hello, Mr. Iommi, lovely to see you --Evil Woman...power pop. bass is great --Sleeping Village...more of a jam than a song. still good --Warning...over ten minutes long. starts out strong but it's not very cohesive. The back half could simply be Iommi warming up his fingers for all I know --Wicked World...another decent track that doesn't quite come together. This album is the sound of a talented band that is not yet totally confident in their abilities
Bättre än förväntat men inte min grej, svårt att höra och fokusera på lyrics bakom gitarrerna.
The first thing that stood out was the vocals. They are strong, clear, and full of emotion, with a tone that cuts through the music. The guitar work is unreal, with solos that feel almost improvised, and the basslines are heavy and prominent. The instrumentation is simple on paper but fills the space in a way that feels impressive and powerful. I could hear a lot of blues and psychedelic influence woven into the early metal sound, which made it an easier listen than I expected for a metal album. Even though I didn’t connect with every song, the raw energy and musicianship kept me engaged and made it a solid listen.
Mixed reactions on this. The opening track was spooky and eerie, and I liked the song N.I.B. The rest of it didn't make as much of an impression. However, I love the album cover art.
Wait...what? Improvisational metal jazz on Wicked World? Not as metal as I had anticipated. I'm not a metalhead, so this is actually very listenable. Some nice blues walks/riffs. I kind of enjoy the almost rock-opera style the way the tracks are set up.
Liked about half of it, some really fun songs and then some where I could feel myself getting a headache. Obviously a hugely impactful album but not really my thing. Favourite song: Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games with Me Least: Behind the Wall of Sleep
Few people get it right the first time, but Black Sabbath makes a compelling case.
Was expecting something totally different. I don’t know I was thinking the main singer was female. Not really my style of music
Solid album, sort of wish the songs were divided into shorter chunks cause some parts are a bit slow but really get going later on in the song. Fave song: Black Sabbath
Good album, I can understand why this in the 1970’s must have kicked ass. Imo a 3, maybe a 4 after a few more listens.
Gir meg ikke så mye, selv om jeg forstår at de har vært banebrytende.
Feels like I am inside the head of an old cowboy that had a heat stroke. This is a complement.
Not as good as paranoid but still pretty iconic.
RIP Ozzy
Unexpected long Selftitled (Band and Album) Titletrack is a great introduction and makes me curious of what comes next. Seconds track surprised me with the harmonica intro.
I enjoyed this much more than I expected. This is an album, songs don’t necessarily stand up in their own. I was surprised at the range and musicality.
Dad- NA Mom- 5 Mike- NA Lori- 7.5 Michael- NA Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 6.25
I don't think this is the first time I'll reflect on this during the project, I've thought about it with preceding albums and maybe even mentioned it, but holy wow did rock sound so much bluesier. These days it's all zip, and punch, and precision, and it seems mostly informed (rightfully so) by hip-hop and EDM (where for decades it was the other way around). I'm not complaining! Just... Wow at where rock has been and where it's going, and what sounded aggressive and even "scary" to preceding generations now sounds... Quaint? Not in a toothless way. But like yeah this is so woven into our musical DNA, it's no longer transgressive, and the only thing left is that it's good and fun and enjoyable and Ozzy. But it's normal! The "new" normal.
I see the vision on how this was different compared to the less "evil" sounds of led zeppelin, or deep purple, or the who. But just because I can recognize what makes it different from the times, doesn't make me like it now :p It's a lot of riffs and stuff, but felt kinda boring compared to modern metal/industrial stuff. 5/10
Iconic gen 1 metal, nothing special but nothing to sleep on.
I think I've only ever listened to Paranoid as an album, which kind of sounds dated at this point, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And I was pleasantly surprised. Weirdly, the things that I don't like about The Rolling Stones--when it skews to bluesy or even twangy--are what I liked most about this album. Still, the whole writing about "the occult" is kind of weird.
Great guitar work. The lyrics are much more poor and distracting than Paranoia. Still good. 3.5/5
I liked a lot of it, especially the title song. Solid throughout. Stand out song - Black Sabbath
RIP Ozzy.
Groundbreaking then, still solid now. But I simply don't like Ozzys voice. (Anyway R.I.P. Ozzy) 2,5
Ozzy dies and this album is served up a day later. Coincidence? I think not. Long live the Prince of Darkness!
Great Sabbath
I was not impressed with this album by BS. I do enjoy one other BS album, Paranoia? But this did not the unique features of some of the BS songs that fo grab me.
Can’t say I was ever a huge Black Sabbath fan. But I respect Ozzy and his contributions to music. RIP
Glad people enjoy this. It’s not that I hate it but it ultimately does nothing for me. Middle of the road dad rock. 3/5
I figured this would be coming after hearing about Ozzy’s death. Influential, but with all due respect, it doesn’t rate high on my list of music I enjoy.
RIP Ozzie
Black Sabbath // N.I.B. // Warning // 3.5/5
It's decent, extra points for coming first. Still it's hard not to compare to the juggernaut of Paranoid. Rating: 3.4
Much better than I expected to be honest, much better. I don’t think I’ll ever be the biggest Sabbath fan, but I can defo see what they bring to the party! Rest in power Ozzy!
Sad
Solid, points for having this sound in 1970; nothing sticks out as a banger though
I know why he's called the Prince of Darkness now. Themes: Death, darkness, the world being doomed (and the people peacefully sleeping through it). Undeniably blasphemous, very sharp and heavy sounding, though some of the guitar solos feel a little like showing off rather than actually fitting the songs (especially on the last track). The two covers, both about evil women (which is a very boring and played out concept to me), feel out of place on an album that otherwise has more interesting ideas and concepts like an unsuspecting village being struck with disaster, wizards (drug dealers), using H.P. Lovecraft to philosophize about the connection between death and dreams, and, on what's probably my favorite track, the devil falling in love. The album cover fits this debut album very well as it looks like a dark figure suddenly appearing in front on an somewhat idyllic village home and disrupting the peace. It might be a little too heavy sounding for my personal taste, so I don’t know to how many songs I'll actually return, but it's a solid, very interesting debut.
Iconic album for early metal fans. Wasp is the best song on this album. So many bands try to imitate the sound. R.I.P. Ozzy
Ozzy fan, but hadn't really delved into Sabbath albums before now. Really cool!!
The birth of heavy metal. Heavy guitar and lyrics that haunt.
Blues rock de terror que lo empezó todo. Reconozco, valoro y aprecio la importancia que tiene, pero el disco se me hace largo. Pesado es la palabra.
Det skulle selvfølgelig være i dag. Farvel Ozzy.
enjoyable but nothing really stood out to me cool rifs though
Rating: 2.7 Very listenable and surprisingly fun for the “very first metal album.” It all kinds of runs together and there’s no one song that stands out from the other though. More likely to put you to sleep than to entertain you at all.
Solid. Classic sound from them. Kinda crazy this popped up right after Ozzy died but maybe that's not coincidence.
Alright album. No real standouts but no bad songs either.
Good. I’m always surprised at Black Sabbath’s musicality. The drums sound like they’re the ones used on the Flintstones theme.
Quite an interesting album. Not too guitar wanky, more than just straight up metal. 3.5
It's good, but lacks the hooks of some of their other records
it is hard to explain to how important this record is today. so many firsts, so many paths begin at this step. it is important to note how fast and how gigantic metal became as soon as this was out there. i'm sure some metal band no one has heard of was the real first, but as the whole world in 1970 goes, this was the birth of a whole wave of ideas and music. the structure used in this is still used as a template for the genre. its short, but has a couple of long songs. it has a cover that absolutely is meant to push the boundaries and shook the listener. no one was doing that shit back then. what followed this album was a new scene that treated them as gods. i want to say that i have never liked Ozzy, i think he is uncompelling but is around amazing and talented people, but he is appropriate for the vocals on this record. if i like anything from Ozzy, its this record and that's about it. it was a different time and all these songs have been committed to memory by those who understand it most. the couple of song titles combined to make this mini metal musical of songs, a format you still see today. the last 3 songs have strung-together quality that almost give off progressive vibes. it has been said a million times, but this is where metal comes from. RIP Ozzy, 3/5
Has some really iconic tunes on it. Worthy of a listen, especially in a mark of respect to Ozzy.
RIP OZZY 🤘Strong lyrics on this one but not as polished as future releases. Bass and drums on this album were out of this world. Though, over all , not totally for me but I appreciated it.
Standouts Wasp Behind the Wall of Sleep Bassically N.I.B.
Don't start here if you've never listened to Black Sabbath. These are almost ideas of better songs from later albums. It's fine, but not a stand out.
Surprise , surprise, Black Sabbath pops up the day after Ozzy’s death. Can’t say I’m too upset about this selection though, I haven’t seen a ton of classic metal through the generator yet… Anyway, I’ve never sat and listened to a Black Sabbath record despite listening to a ton of metal in highschool; it really should’ve happened before now, particularly as this band helped start the genre. That said, this record was a little slow to start for me. Or maybe it took a few tracks for me to click with it. I dunno, probably ought to listen to it again. The record did open up as it went on though, and by the end I was enjoying it. Tony Iommi is a player, and Ozzy is…Ozzy. 3.6/5
RIP Ozzy
A bit heavy for me
Never paid much attention but a nice surprise.
Legends. Pioneers. They inspired many others, and respect is given for what they accomplished. At this point in my life, a bit too harsh for my taste. A bit too dark. Do I hate it? No. Would I seek it out to listen to? No. RIP Ozzy. 3.
Heavy. Lots of Cream sound
5/10
Solid album. Good, but not the best that Sabbath had to offer
Actually not THAT interesting. It’s bluesy and hard rocky but also lacks focus and is a little bland
They figured out their sound on the first album. A lot of bands will tweak and change things but they laid down their sound early. Musically it's great, I could listen to them play for hours. The lyrics are kinda weak on this album. Well unless you want I just broke up with my lady type lyrics. Then it's spot on. Ozzy voice being so young is different. You can tell he is younger on this vs other albums just by his tone. Decent album,
i had high hopes for this one after the peak opening track. but then everything went downhill (relatively speaking). it was actually just okay. 3/5.
Groundbreaking for sure and the opening church bells do generate a bit of excitement, however, the rest of the album doesn’t measure up to the bands better works such as Paranoid and Master of Reality.
A classic and I respect it. Rest in peace Ozzy.
Less hard than I thought it would be. Interesting. I can see how the harder subgenres flowed out of this.
Okay.
RIP Ozzy 💔
Didn’t mind this, RIP Ozzy
Meh-tal.
-1 star for being recognizably an inspiration for Spinal Tap.
01) Black Sabbath - 7,5 02) The Wizard - 7,0 03) Behind the Wall of Sleep - 7,0 04) N.I.B. - 7,5 05) Evil Woman - 8,0 06) Sleeping Village - 7,5 07) Warning - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,43 (74/100) Current ranking: 281/618 RIP Ozzy
On the day of his passing. The Sabbath. Not a metal fan but i can appreciate cultural significance and greatness. I enjoyed this more than other sabbath as it still has its bluesy roots and quiet spaces. Is it heresy to say the vocals are the worst part of this? If you take away the character and the stage presence, his vocal is pretty weak.
🤘
Highlight: The Wizard. In a nutshell: the founding fathers of heavy metal. No-one heard anything like *this* in 1970. We can all agree that rock music and metal WOULD NOT be the same if Black Sabbath didn't exist. On this self titled debut, I could hear a little blues rock and hard rock as well as the roots of metal on here. The dark and unsettling vibes were established from the get-go. I'm thankful that Black Sabbath got to perform one last time in their hometown of Birmingham a few weeks ago. Perhaps Ozzy knew his time on earth was nearly up and wanted one last show to thank his fans and the band. Just like when David Bowie released Blackstar shortly before his passing. Rest in peace Ozzy. Overall: 5/10
I enjoy Black Sabbath, and this album had some more variety than Paranoid, which I appreciated. But I didn't get as excited for this album compared to Paranoid. The Wizard was probably my favorite track on this album with its blues inspiration.
hi guys thank you for allowing me to add my hot takes to this group! this is the first time i've ever really listened to black sabbath, and maybe honestly also the first metal album i've really listened to?? i am pretty on board with the general sound, other than the occasional repetitiveness. i would maybe be more into it if it was just instrumentals, and i am SO sorry ozzy osbourne, rip, please dont haunt me, but i do think the aspect of this that i can't get into is the vocals. i know he has a very iconic voice, but it is unfortunately not for me! album art is a 5/5, cool font, very spooky
My problem with a lot of metal is the vocal style. Ozzy doesn't have *that* kind of vocal style, but I still find his voice best in small doses. And with some tighter songs. I think Sabbath improved a lot after this album.
3/5 - Imagine bringing this record home in 1970 with this creepy ass album cover and the opening sounds of the rain and bells. This is a demonic, Halloween MOOD. It’s hard to believe a recording this thick with atmosphere is a debut, but the vision of what they wanted to be is clear. Like many, I’d probably listen to the follow-up Paranoid (from the same year) any day before heading back to the debut, but “The Wizard” rocks.
Confession. Never listened to this album and was never a Sabbath fan. This is a good album, I can hear how it influenced so many bands, even hear early queen in there. Geezer and bill were a tight and talented rhythm section and Ozzy was totally different. I always thought iommy was the talent but on this album he is the lesser of 4 parts.
Un clásico pero no de mis favs
Moody. Fun to hear this for the first time. RIP, Ozzy!
Not as good as some of their other outputs but not bad at all.
More nuanced than l thought it would be. Not bad but l won't be listening to it again l imagine
Enjoyed this more than I expected too.
It was okay I guess. I was sort of expecting to like it more than I did. Maybe my expectations were too high
I like when they go doom metal mode but not too into the bluesy stuff sorry gang RIP ozzy you loved trying to choke your wife to death i know you are looking up at us rn, hard to believe this came out before Led Zeppelin IV lol Fav song: Black Sabbath
Solid 70s metal/rock album. RIP the prince of darkness.
This is not as great as their other stuff, but obviously influential and still good overall. I can only imagine what people in 1970 must have thought upon hearing that first track. RIP Ozzy
RIP ozzy 🤘
I feel the pull of Satan! Seriously, fun debut album, always appreciate Sabbath's riff-driven rock, and Ozzy's voice is so unique.
3.5 stars
I've never been much of a Sabbath or Ozzy fan, but they were definitely pioneers of a genre.
I mean yeah this is the first heavy metal album which is pretty quirky but I do like how much other stuff they’ve packed into this album, it’s so so much interesting instrumentation and that’s pretty neat
One of those albums that starts slow, but by the end, they hit it so well. Rip Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness.
not my taste
While not my typical kind of music, I did grow up with Ozzy Osborne and Black Sabbath was just before I would have started to listening to rock and metal. A good album, but just not my speed.
I have heard and enjoyed another Black Sabbath album (Master of Reality), so I think I'll like this too. Also, I shoul mention that this album was originally generated the day after Ozzy Osbourne died, which was very bittersweet. I'm expecting some heavy instrumentals and theatrical vocals. The first song delivers exactly what I expected. An odd build-up that leads to an explosion of a pay-off. Great! Love the guitar on The Wizard. Good song overall. Third track explores the same things but in a less successful way. N.I.B. is genuinely a lot of fun. And again, the ending is the complete pay-off of everything that happens before. Evil Woman is fun too, even if it doesn't go anywhere after a while. Could have been better developed. Sleeping Village falls short of everything that's come before. Still fun though. I like the beginning of Warning, mostly because of the bass and drumming combo. The rest kind of loses me though, as I'm not the biggest guitar guy, and the rest of the song is centered mostly on that. Some cool rhythmic sections and a great chorus though. With Wicked World they end the album on a high note, with great performances all around - some focus on guitar, but not too much. I enjoyed this album. Its genre and the sounds it explores aren't necessarily my favourite thing, but they are well executed here. I do wish there could be more focus on the rhythm section, but then again that is always my favourite part of a band number. Loved the vocals too! Bye
Guitars were more bluesy than metal. Ozzy was featured, but he's not yet the Ozzy that became famous. Still a good album
Less provocative (especially sound wise) than I expected. 2.5, rounded up
It was alright. Rip Ozzy
Their debut album. Musically it's very good but it doesn't spark the same joy as the Paranoia album.
not bad
*** Ok. However, I was never a Sabbath fan
Good
Pretty good
RIP Ozzy! It was good, you can see where it influenced the beginning of heavy metal. Not usually a fan of the 13 minute song but even Olivia liked some of it.
была уверена что слушала уже это, но ни одну песню не узнала и вообще нет блэк саббат в моей хистори, как так вышло. нормальный мелодичный альбом со старающимся вокалистом)
Rip beer thief
timely pick - rip ozzy. and all around good music.
nice
Significantly more blues-rock than one would expect. Between the prominent featuring of harmonicas on a few tracks and the classic blues riffing, it’s hard to imagine that this was the record that created metal as we know it. The title track and NIB help to solidify that influence, though, and make this a classic.
not really my type of music
Not my favorite sabbath.
Some elements of what I know of as music. Sure if I listened repeatedly I would probably start singing along. Perhaps I will after a night of drinking. Actually listened without drinking and almost enjoyed it. Most likely 3 in chart; if possible a 3+. Can't do 1/2 stars so will settle on 3
Certainly sounds ahead of it's time
вайбик норм
Good. Glad I listened to it. Does Sabbath not use power chords? Was surprised by that.
Solid
A sign of things to come. Raw, heavy prog-rock.
Not the best Black Sabbath record but it is what started it all
not for me
Very listenable.
A good debut, but miles off their second record
рип оззи, ты был очень крутым мужиком. но этот альбом не очень крутой.. звук как будто вот прямо из 1970 и идет, плохо слышно да. N.I.B. зачетная, спору нет. а еще он все никак не заканчивался, я уж думала все ура отслушала, а звуки все продолжались и продолжались.... так се
Nice record. Nothing really stuck with me.
This debut album (if stories are to be believed) was 'one and done' and finished in about 12 hours. Personally I believe it. It has a unity and energy that you don't get if you are doing take after take. It feels complete, even though it is short (at 39 minutes). Iommi's guitar sound (soon to define Sabbath's sound) and Ozzy's vocals made a good match. Overall, a good album, with hints about where they would go in the future.
NIB é bom e o resto é ok.
What a bunch of goth LARP nerds (complimentary).
first time listen. holds up surprisingly well
3.5/5 I'm not a heavy metal fan, but didn't hate this album. The production was way better than I was expecting and the recording sounded very good despite being a 55 year old album. It loses points for me based on the lyrics and vocals.
I didn't like this as much as Paranoid, but still some great guitar work.
His voice becomes grating after a while, and the songs rule in simplicity. Pretty good overall.
Pretty good but later albums are better. RIP Ozzy!
Good stuff 3/5
Incredible album only downside is that it's a little short.. 30 minutes and 8 tracks is pretty short for a 70s album but then again this was 1970
Suggested on the day after Ozzie passed. Don't know if that was deliberate, but... oof.
I like it quite a bit, although I'm not sure any of the singular songs on it stood out to me as personally essential.
I actually liked this more than I thought
The so called Prince of Darkness. The first song lives up to that title. It was dark, creepy and a prefect song to set a dark tone. Then the album shifted a bit, faster rifts and what sounded like a bit of country guitar to me. Overall decent, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
Rest in peace Ozzy. This was a cool glimpse into the origins of heavy metal and doom metal. I liked it, but BS would go on to further improve this style.
not sure if this was completely random that I got this the day after Ozzie died or intentional on the part of the site managers...but was definitely fitting to get this one today. RIP Ozzie. In any event, I can see how this album would be hugely influential for future bands, but it didn't really hold my attention.
Not particularly memorable but fine enough for what it is.
Bom, bem experimental, os solos são sólidos, queria que todo o álbum seguisse o caminho da primeira música, que é a melhor
Black Sabbath First song being called black sabbath on the album black sabbath by the band black sabbath. They ran out of names clearly. 4 minute mark is so sick, the guitars launching pay off Ozzy’s annoying singing. The wizard Ozzy’s voice is significantly less annoying in this song. Guitar tone is really sick in this track. At around 2:20 there’s a singular cowbell, it was almost comedic to me idk why. Behind the Wall of Sleep Intro sounds a lot like something from Fontaines dc’s dogrel, cool to see the influence this band had. N.I.B Main riff is gas, this is iron man before iron man. Tony Iommi’s guitar work is insane. I feel like a recurring theme of this album is Ozzy cramming in as many syllables as possible into each line. Evil Woman, Don’t Play Your Games With Me First song on the album where the bass really stands out to me, the tone is like a Beatle bass but he’s punching the strings for every note. Sleeping Village Drum work on the whole album is sick. The grooves are all really dialled. The spring in the intro is also really comedic, must be a sign of the times. Warning Personally I like a Longer song, this however drags unnecessarily. As opposed to having captivating sequences, it feels like the song was copy and pasted twice over. Wicked World Enjoyable outro to a good album overall. The music may not hold up amazingly however there is no denying the influence this band had on the scene at the time.
girl no estoy en mi época metalera pero bueno ha estado bien
more in common with Led Zepplin than statan worship.
Opening track kinda freaks hardcore. RIP
I didn't save any songs, but it was almost as good as paranoid. Since I was an older album of theirs. I understand that they were still finding their voice.
Fantastic sounding heavy metal way earlier than most. It's a little before Black Sabbath found it's voice, such that I like their later stuff but it's still great.
Music to scare your parents. RIP Ozzy
C’est pas ouf un espèce de rock du far west Pas fan
Listened to this with reverence. Not my favourite Sabbath record, but it’s where it all began. Love how raw and heavy it is and how powerful his voice was. RIP Ozzy. A legend, always.🖤
Did you know Ozzy bit the head off of two animals? A bat and a pigeon. So that's fun. I do enjoy a little bit of black sabbath here and there though.
RIP Ozzy 1 - would not listen to again 2 - if some one played it, I'd probably just zone it out 3 - didn't hate it, didn't love it 4 - saved some songs from the album 5 - would buy the album or already own it
Pretty gewt
Very interesting to hear their early sound compared to what I know.
Oh hey, that sample used by Enigma! Music is quite simple. A lot of unison play in here where the vocal/guitar/bass are all doing the same thing. Decent mix. Good guitar solos. Nothing really going on in the last 15 minutes of the album. A 4 before that, a 3 including it.
Rip Ozzy
Olihan se upeaa, ja osui vielä merkittävään ajankohtaan. Mutta Paranoid oli parempi, tämä menee enempi taustamusiikkina tai auton radiossa kuunneltavaa.
Sabbath were never my jam but I can see how influential they’ve been. This is stepdad music for sure.
Didn't like this one as much as Paranoid. RIP Ozzy
Quite liked the opener, Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath from the album Black Sabbath. 3 Sabbath albums deep now though, and the only song I really like is the atypical spacerocky one from Paranoid. Obviously influential but ultimately not my Band/genre.
a abertura do album bem soturna e te mostra perfeitamente o que vem ali. gostei que só. rip ozzy osbourne. 3,5
Ozzy spzieller typ Ozzburne Hed mi abgschrevkt aber immer meh inecho. Sowit so guet, vlt sogar durschnittlichi schwarz brännti currywürst?
Rest in Peace Ozzy. I loved that it recommended this album the day after he passed. I think I would have been a big Black Sabbath fan back in the day. The music is eerie, doomy, and it’s different than all these other types of metal bands from that time.
Not a fan of this type of music but Sabbath is good at it. RIP Ozzy
I liked it, but I like most of their other albums better
Leaves something to be desired relative to the other Black Sabbath albums but still RIP to a legend
Not a personal favorite of mine generally/of the Black Sabbath I’ve listened to, but still fun
I didn’t dislike this as much as I feel I have disliked my previous goes with Black Sabbath. Nevertheless, not my cup of tea. Rest in peace.
This was way calmer than I was expecting!
We listened to Paranoid some while playing cards in high school, but not this first album. This was better than I thought it would be. RIP, Ozzy.
once again-not nearly as heavy as I expected it to be. almost a bit mellow. certainly see how this was influential in the music styles
This is a tricky one to review with Ozzy’s death just yesterday. I hadn’t heard this album before and enjoyed it. I was going to give it a 4 but then realised that was just down to sentimentality. A solid 3
Rest well Ozzy
Half of this sounds very much like hard blues rock, the kind Led Zep, Cream and others had already tried their hand at. There are some nice grooves but nothing too memorable, song-wise - it mostly just passed me by in the background. But I don't want to focus on the negatives on this day of Ozzy-mourning; there are a few aspects that are very recognizably 'heavy metal', so even if this album doesn't fully fit that genre IMO, it's clear to see how it would've birthed it. Which is pretty neat for 12 hours work by four lads from Birmingham. Also, it contains a rare but satisfying instance of a track, album and band name all being exactly the same.
Sacrilege, but I don't think this is as good as it is influential.
Modern heavy metal sounds very different from this origin point. I didn't expect to hear harmonicas, for example. I'm sure the guitars are loud and brash in concert, but they felt muted in the recording I listened to. The singer's voice doesn't quite work at some places (which probably accounts for the large number of instrumental breaks), but when it works, it works very well.
Dawn of metal. It's primitive but aye good enough.
Really interesting hearing the Ozzy's earliest work. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this. This felt actually approachable. And although it doesn't sound groundbreaking to my ears, no doubt it was back in 1970. In a vacuum, I would give this two stars, but since it was such a crisp reset of assumptions for me, I'll score it more generously.
thoughts: hey, another album with some harmonica! this is a lot blues-y than i would’ve expected, but still very much the black sabbath sound i’ve heard in their most famous songs. a lot of doom and gloom here, very methodical pacing songs: “black sabbath”, “the wizard”, “wicked world” rating: 6.5/10
Buen comienzo, para nada mi estilo pero vamos por más. Destacado Black Sabath. Nota: 3.0
Good album. It was clear with this album that they were onto something it did sound different and spawned a whole genre. Ozzys vocals were excellent strong tunes lyrics a bit daft.
First time I’ve heard Ozzys vocal before they were shredded by time, coke and bats. Pretty interesting listening to proto-doom.
Interesting
6/10
Never really got into Black Sabbath. I understand their importance in the history of metal and so on but I always preferred other metal. I guess I can say it was heavy before its time and that's cool but it was tedious.
Did not love the intro track, really liked the second. Kept going back and forth between songs that were extremely melodramatic and ones that I liked better. Overall a 3 for me. Don’t hate it, don’t love it
5/10 Mid voor muziek Slecht voor black Sabbath
A classic
There are several versions of this album; I listened to the 2009 remastered version. There was no music like this in 1970 - this may be the very first heavy metal album. Apparently the band recorded the whole album in one day, which is almost never done. Overall it’s pretty well done for a heavy metal record. I give it three stars.
We had another Black Sabbath just last week! This one has the wiki genre "traditional doom metal", though, which sounds pretty cool. Lotta Satan and/or Gandalf talk, which I guess is (mount) doom-themed content. Unlike on "Paranoid", I don't think I've heard any of these songs before, even though one of the riffs is supposedly famous. But I don't know if there's any riff I'd recognise, to be fair. (By the by, for those wondering (future!me?), the etymology of "riff" is a mystery.)
good
Earliest metal, simple and doom-filled
I mean it’s alright
Pretty cool to be fair. Quite 'classic rock', but I'd say on the more interesting end. Favourite tracks: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games with Me.
Not a sabbath fan but did go with my son to the location on album.
Iconic.
Had never heard in full, enjoyed this a lot. 3.5? 3?? I think if I kept listening it would be a 4
Groundbreaking. Sure. If that means introducing the cartoonish darkness that would pervade heavy metal for years to come. The Wizard cooks (silly lyrics aside) and N.I.B. is an all time riff amidst a 9 minute odyssey. The pieces are here but they got better in the years to come. Much better.
Eh, it was alright.
Many point to this as the very first heavy metal album so this is a pretty pivotal moment in music history. I went through a decent Black Sabbath phase a few years ago, and I think they have a lot better stuff - specifically the Paranoid and Master of Reality albums. But I do get why this album is so important and essential. I really enjoy N.I.B. but the album also feels like a lot of filler and drawn out jamming. Crazy to think of what Ozzie Osbourne would amount to after this. Hoping those two albums pop up in the future.
1. Black Sabbath - 7/10 2. The Wizard - 7.5/10 3. Behind the Wall of Sleep - 6/10 4. N.I.B. - 9/10 5. Evil Woman - 7.4/10 6. Sleeping Village - 6/10 7. Warning - 8/10 8. Wicked World - 7/10 7.5/10
Good, but short. 3/5
Man this must have been crazy to hear in 1970. Dark, foreboding, hard but melodic. I prefer other hard rock from the era or Paranoid though.
It was an alright album, I enjoyed it. There where no big hits on it but there weren't any bad songs either. Didn't love it so I'll give it a 3.
Not too bad
liked it more than expected
cool shit. like the blues but harder. ozzy's still learning how to sing but it's all there. lots of cool solo and instrumental passages. they're still kinda figuring it out, but a solid foundation for what was to come.
Very grungy rock. Has some unique elements that you wouldn't expect from rock (harmonica).
The guitar, that's all I could hear. New fav tracks form the album- N.I.B, Black Sabbath and Behind the Wall of Sleep. The progression of Behind the Wall kept me captivated. Dislikes: Southern sounds.
Sloppy sometimes, silly most of the time. More blues based than their latter stuff.
I love hearing all the bluesy parts in early metal. ‘The Wizard’ is a fantastic song. I do think some of the longer jams lost my interest. But really looking forward to more Sabbath in this list!
Loved, LOVED the first song, and enjoyed all the rest. Would definitely like to give this a closer listen. I'm not normally into metal or blues, but the performances really sell this. 3.5 stars.
Jammin record
Apart from it's two bit hitter tracks in N.I.B. and The Wizard, Black Sabbath forces you to experience a 70's heavy metal experience, where the norms weren't as established yet, allowing creative approaches even to the detriment of the song.
I've heard of the band, I knew they were heavy metal, but I couldn't have told you anything else. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but I mildly do - it's not as heavy as I'd assumed.
Good yet a sort of awkward transition from blues rock into metal with a bit too many traditional instruments that work against the atmosphere of the album for me
Nuria: 2 Jaime: 3.5
Fine
Enjoyable. Favourite tracks: The Wizard, Evil Woman & Warning Would relisten. 3/5
Probably the first time that I've listened all the way through a Sabbath album. Not bad. Just gotta try to ignore the lyrics and some of the guitar solos (the solo at 9:50 of the last track killed me dead). 2.5 stars.
I’m actually in the middle of a pretty fruitful acid rock phase with an eye to how Sabbath represents the road taken towards hard rock/metal (whereas punk and hardcore cleaved off earlier thanks to the Stooges and MC5 and Velvets?). Anyhow, one of my favorite bands to occasionally listen to but I can never take it seriously thanks to Ozzy/Geezer’s black occult preoccupations. I’m more patient these days with the concept of Satan as (mostly) western culture’s way of handling temptations and everything else but, good grief. I could listen to Iommi, Geezer, and Ward do their thing all day, such a great capture of tone (even if it’s not “pro”).
☀︎pas si pire ☀︎3.5
Very nice, better to not make sense of it and just listen. NIB and wicked woman have lyrics worth listening to, but overall the album is pretty nice if you listen to the riffs and guitar.
Not their best album (which is understandable since it's their first), but there's still some good stuff on here. Hard not to compare it to their later stuff that's more polished. 3.4
actually quite enjoyable
Enjoyed more than I thought I would, especially the Wizard and N.I.B. The cover of this record is an iconic image, which is both opposed to my view of "classic" heavy metal aesthetic and at the same time totally effective in giving the sense of psychedelia decaying towards foreboding. The riff from 'Black Sabbath' is a weird tri-tone arpeggio that is hypnotic and feels like it has little connection to the heavy blues rock of the rest of the record. A world-shifting riff.
Not bad, one of the better ones so far. 3.8/5
I actually really enjoyed it. I'll have to listen to more of them
Production: 4/5 Lyricism: 3/5 Sound: 3/5 Enjoyment: 2.5/5 Overall: 3.1/5
Classic
Yes. One of the rock band I can relate to. Mild head banging tunes. Iron Man one of my favorite.
A classic, but not my style personally
I like the tone of this one, more rock, less prince of darkness.
And on the 13th day, there was heavy metal darkness. And then came the satanic harmonica, the most fearsome of sounds especially when played in the dark. Frightened, we trembled and fell having no upright bass to hold on to. +one star for kind of creating their own genre.
Good early metal. Love NIB and the Wizard.
Me, having never listened to Black Sabbath before: Ooh, there's harmonica on Wizard! And a llllong-ass guitar solo on the last track.
Halloween rock.
alltime evil riff followed by some mid
Pretty good! I vibed with it, don’t think I’d put a song on my playlist but still good.
This is a pure 70’s rock album. Not my type of music but it wasn’t bad
Rock music - not really my forte. I’ll have to keep this review short since im in a hurry right now - had some really good tracks but I wasn’t really blown away by any of them
Not my genre but this project throws up some surprises. Was much kinder to my ears than I expected. Not as heavy or shouty as I expected and appreciated the melody. N.I.B favourite track.
It gets better atleast
short album, really cool bass riffs
Surprisingly progressive lyrically for the time (and the public personality!). This goes in the category of expecting I would have felt differently if alive at the time. For modernity it’s just not for me and I didn’t gain much from the exposure.
Maybe I’m judging it harder than I should because I know they make better music later (or rather almost immediately with their next album) but I thought this was fine. I’m feeling a strong 6 to a light 7. Favorite Song: A Bit of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning
7/10 Good album by a good band. Not my favorites but I enjoyed this album and will likely return.
I can imagine how this was ahead of its time coming out in 1970. It's ok but not my thing, 3*
Good album but I found the songs sounded similar in many cases dropping it to a 3
fine fine 3/5
I'm not a big Black Sabbath guy, and I find this album a bit boring as a whole. I think they get a lot better on Paranoid. "NIB" is probably the standout for me, but the rest I could take or leave. Light 3 stars.
None too shabby Black Shabbath debut. Does lay the seedlings and groundwork for the heavy metal genre ok enough and title song is super iconic. Whilst it is a good late 60s rawk album throughout it is not totally phenomenally top class and all my fav Sabbath songs are indeed on their next one Paranoid. 3.5 stars.
I can respect what is going on here. Hell, there were moments I found mystifying and worth appreciating! However, I can confidently say I would never be scrolling through my music collection and pick this out for a casual listen. That's a personal preference thing at the end of the day though, and as an album I can see how it paved the way for a genre of music that has become popular, so I will settle with a 3/5 here to split the difference
Better than i expected
They haven't quite figured the whole thing out yet, here. The pieces sound amazing though - such great guitar sounds and the drums are recorded impeccably. It's mind-blowing how much the musical decisions made on this record still reverberate. There must be thousands of kids who imitate this sound (via generations of metal heads) and have never actually heard of Black Sabbath.
I found this one a bit basic, I had hoped for better. It failed to capture my attention Standouts N.I.B 3/5
3.5
They're tight and no doubt this was very influential. Liked it, didn't love it 3.4
In my opinion this is the first true Heavy Metal album. Iommi’s guitar sound and style is the sound bands like Metallica would use, not Deep Purple or Zeppelin. Some great blues/metal riffs, incredibly gloomy album 7.8/10
Where it all started. A genre defining album
It's alright.
This is good, but didn’t really get any emotional reaction from me. The guys are talented and there’s some bangers in here but this is one of those cases where I don’t have anything to add to the conversation. I do appreciate the trend of rock/metal bands in the 60’s and 70’s all starting off super bluesy because it’s what they would have grown up listening to though. 3 songs added to my playlist, 5 added to the 1001
Without this, we'd never have one of the greatest reality TV shows of all time. I prefer later Black Sabbath albums, but there's still plenty to like here. Imagine being 16 in 1970 and hearing the opening track. How much you can achieve by just tuning down and playing slower... Highlight: Black Sabbath
I don't know what to say other than that this is pretty good and it drew me in.
didn’t hate it as much as i thought i was going to. definitely not my cup of tea but worth the listen