Reviews (page 14 of 16)
3.5
So funny to listen to know. This supposed album of darkness and terror, while still an interesting album, does not hold the fear of its initial release date.
With this album, Black Sabbath started heavy metal. They forged a hard, driven version of blues and rock with elements of psychedelia and ample use of distortion. Tony Iommi's technical guitar riffs connect Black Sabbath's music to both rocks' and blues' traditions of guitar driven songs. Ozzy Osbourne's unique, strained vocals pushed their music into something outside of those traditions. Sabbath's associations with the occult has plagued hard rock throughout its history.
NIB, evil woman
I used to be a huge Black Sabbath fan and loved the album years ago. But it's a lot of "guitar" music and isn't as great to me anymore.
Better than I expected. Always was turned off by the scary looking stuff but it wasn't terrible.
3/5 intersting one but not enough
Jag gillar ju inte hårdrock så en trea på denna måste ju göra Ozzy stolt.
Solid heavy metal album that helped pioneer the genre. Great riffs, but Ozzy grew into a better singer as time went on.
Pleasantly surprised.
Das waren Pioniere! Nicht meine Musik aber sehr stilprägend
Agree with Jack: the vocals / lyrics sort of put me off. They arent terrible, just not always delivered very well. Borders on the cheese at times. Music wise, its very good. Can totally see how they influenced the entire stoner/desert rock scene. Has that nice blues influenced sound to a lot of the guitar riffs; and there’s some canny little bass riffs too. Doubt I’ll be back; but glad I heard it.
Musically this album is really good and while Ozzy's singing isn't the best but it didn't annoy me too much. Glad I listened to it but don't think I'll revisit this album. Highlights: The Wizard NIB Warning
The first track aside, this was much more blues rock sounding than I expected. Not convinced by the "doom metal"thing. I get that this must've been something really innovative and shocking in 1970, but does not have the same impact now I did enjoy it largely, but I really don't like Ozzy's voice and it detracts from the music for me NIB, the wizard, evil woman and warning were the highlights 3 feels generous as I gave paranoid a 3 and I don't think this is as good.... Although I did like the more blues sound here I've listened again and it's growing on me... Think I prefer it to the later stuff we've had from them already. The guitar and bass are brilliant, it's just the vocals I have an issue with... 4
Done
Strong Led Zeppelin influence. Very original riffs. Black Sabbath, Wizard, N.I.B bangers!
Not my normal music, didn’t dislike but didn’t grab my attention much either
Helt ok - inte rätt tillfälle att lyssna på men låter som Black Sabbath.
Too bad there wasn't a Heavy Metal tribe on Survivor: Cook Islands (aka Survivor: Race Wars). Maybe Billy could've won. Sleeping Village was interesting I guess?
Very distinctive, atmospheric. You can tell it's foundational for metal but maybe not metal itself because a lot of the album is just heavy blues stuff, close but not quite there, and honestly kinda monotonous. I wouldn't put this on it again but I liked a good amount of it. Best song: Black Sabbath
Interesting hearing early Ozzy. Good album but didn’t love it.
Album that laid the foundation for all metal and rock bands after it from deep hardcore metal to desert/stoner rock. Not their best album but still very important to music history.
I enjoyed it but not that much
Liked it more than I expected
Good in places, but not my favourite Sabbath album. 3.5*
Thoughts before listening: Good one although I've never owned or listened to this. I know it's Sabbath's debut and typically called the first heavy metal album. I know Paranoid and the greatest hits albums much better than this one, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Review: Yeah, I enjoy this. Its definitely different than what would become known as heavy metal, with this feeling more just like a slightly more abrasive form of British blues rock ala Cream. It's really good though. The Wizard is my favorite song on the album, and I also really enjoy the opening self titled song. 2nd half meanders a bit and this definitely is not their best album.
Fav song: The Wizard
Crazy that this album was released in 1970. Almost gave this a 4 but I’m still not sure if I would put this on randomly to listen to.
Impressive. This album is impressive, for a 50 year old offering, it stands up incredibly well. Listening today it sounds like classic rock, but it was like nothing else at the time of release and far ahead of its time. I appreciate it more than enjoy it, that's why I only give it 3. It's not an album I'll liten to repeatedly with my present musical tastes, but it deserves all the love it gets.
nib
Very slow and plodding album that is overrated in my opinion
The Wizard was a pleasant gem. The rest was fine as well — better when bluesy, like The Wizard, than when it was metal-y. I liked it less than their second album.
6/10
Nothing memorable about this album. 8+ minute songs with no clear direction or familiarity.
Heavy metal. Muy lento. Ni fu ni fa.
heavy metal . NO molesta.
It’s a good record but not as awesome as Paranoid - it’s definitely an interesting listen. I find it hard to not rate it high intellectually but emotionally it’s a 3. I’ll have to go with my gut on this one.
1970! Much respect. Will never listen to you again, but I did enjoy hearing a bit of the through line from Jimmy page‘s guitar to Kiss all the way to Pearl Jam and Live. I think my favorite thing is how they break expectations of what the shape of a song should be.
i’m trying to give it 3 and 1/2 starts but idk how but cool album must listen for all playboi carti fans
3.5/5 Good and very important album. But could use a little more black and a little less Sabbath.
Decent album with a unique heavy metal sounds to it
I liked it, spooky intro song, but not really for me. ‘Evil Woman’ and ‘NIB’ stood out most.
I was expecting a lot more doom and metal than I got. Basically, nothing lived up to the title track, which is the first track of the album. It’s fantastic, it’s heavy and full of darkness and gloom. The riffs are enthralling, the vocals are cold and feel possessed everything about it lives up to the expectations set by the discourse around the album. NIB is another track that is fun and the riffs are great. Apart from that, it borrows a lot of blues influences into their sound. I liked it a bit here and there but I wasn’t blown away by it. The riffs weren’t as memorable and the vocals were also not as great as they were on the title track. Overall, it’s a decent album and I respect it for what it pioneered but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to most of the tracks on the album.
ihan ok mut ootteko kuullu alle 10min biisestä joissa on sanat ?? niiku i see why this is iconic ja hahaha black sabbath by black sabbath on black sabbath mut ai suatana ku alko hytisee päässä tätä kuunnellessa
I have never listened to Black Sabbath previous to this so forgive me for the comparison but this album feels like a college band who wants to be Black Sabbath. It's good, don't get me wrong. It's just not that memorable. 6/10
Not something that appeals to me very much, but I enjoyed listening to it. Sounds like a foundational work for the genre. Weird devil, evil themes are problematic for me. I am trying to be good and do good.
One can hear early heavy metal, but it's more bluesy than I was expecting. It's pretty good and Ozzy does a good job. 3.2
Man, people’s heads must have exploded when listening to this album for the first time. 50 years later, I can certainly still appreciate what Ozzy and Black Sabbath were trying to do. That said, I very much prefer their later work, after they “found” their sound…. dare I say. My favorite things about this were the guitar solos and also the bluesy sound of some of the tracks, a common ancestor of a lot of modern day music, including Ozzy’s metal🤘🏽
I can understand why those just a few years older than I am were in love with Black Sabbath it was ground breaking for the times. I don't know what came first wizard murals on vans or Black Sabbath, but I am sure there is some correlation.
The original heavy metal, ala 1970's. Ozzy!
I understand how influential Black Sabbath to my favorite genre but I don't love their music.
Not my favorite Black Sabbath record.
I like: The Wizard N.I.B.
Much more interesting than Deep Purple, but not something I’d normally listen to. Ozzy’s voice is powerful, and the band brings it hard. Still contains elements of hard rock, with a few guitar solos that felt a little out of place. I can imagine people hearing this when it released and wanting more music in this style.
Blues Brothers with the addition of a heavy metal axe. Some very tame lyrics for heavy metal, mostly drawing on the blues side of things, or as best you'll get with Ozzys vocal style. Aside from the Black Sabbath well known hits, I had never listened to an album of theirs, and found it quite enjoyable, I'd maybe even pick out one or two tracks for a relisten. All in all, not too shabby for 1970.
Spooky, a little boring, good vocals, giving halloween
Suits my taste more than vol4
Solid, classic
I’d give this a 3.5. It’s a cool album. Parts of it sound like Jethro tull or cream, parts of it are heavier
Very solid
This is the definition of 70s metal to me. Hard to believe that this was once considered the hardcore version of music.
High 3s first heavy metal album isn't as hevy as I thought
Classic sounds, enjoyed the listen.
Good, but nothing stood out for me.
Not crazy about this one, but I’ve never been an Ozzy fan. I always felt like his music could be better. With that being said, I would listen to it again, under the right circumstances.
some familiar sounds.
I am very familiar with Black Sabbath and their place in rock/metal history but this is my first time listening to an album- good stuff!
This is the definition of Heavy Metal. Not my favorite Sabbath album, but enjoyable. Never been a fan of their vocals. If this was an instrumental album, I would love it. Warning is a hell of a song.
The debut album. I enjoyed this a lot as a historic pick. The longer form songs were a nice surprise. Ozzy has a cool voice and geezer (who I believe is the guitarist) seems to be inventing the idea of metal riffs. These songs are fun!
I liked this now!
Not bad at all. Few songs too long.
title track is classic but for the rest I think they've done better
Inferior Sabbath, but still fun. I like that they recorded it in one day.
Good. Not the best Black Sabbath album IMO. 3/5
Sabbath did some great stuff and this album is good but not great, it has just too much 60-style influence in it for me to really enjoy, especially considering they released Paranoid less than a year later and that is a genuine all-timer. Still, good Sabbath is better than most other music.
Actually much better than I anticipated
Excellent rock album. I can certainly remember parents being super worried about kids listening to Sabbath as a boy and that it was creating super scary satanic worship. So laughable now where it basically sounds like a rock album and not even all that hardcore by today's measures. Really enjoyable and talented. What an entrance to the music scene this was.
I've definitely enjoyed hearing the albums that essentially pioneered new subgenres in rock music, and "Black Sabbath" definitely fits that mold. The sounds that would steer two decades of heavy metal are threaded throughout, but what surprised me most was how much blues rock was mixed in. Terrific guitar work by Tommy Iommi, and Ozzy Osbourne's voice shouldn't work, but it does.
Strange to think this is the album that kicked off heavy metal and resulted in much pearl clutching, I expected it to be more intense. Mostly it just sounds like a bluesy rock album with some kick ass guitar solos.
Not really my cup of tea but Some good riffs and guitar solos
First time I've heard this but it's clear from it why this is seen as where metal started. Nothing sounded this heavy before. The blues scale has done plenty of good work in popular music. As always, the lyrics are batshit, but Ozzy is a one off. I enjoyed this. It's also sounding good with the more or less live studio recording under the remaster .
Editors are right that this is "basic" and "bludgeoning" and upfront about its inclusion being based primarily on its influence. Really, it's not worth it. Yes, it's ominous but not really too darkly evil or devilish – for what has the devil to do, ultimately, with Britishized Delta blues? Mostly seems put-on and silly today, though perhaps one is being a bit smug here.
Features one of my favourite songs of Black Sabbath: N.I.B. Pretty good album, I like the “old” song quality. They have better albums though.
They're ok not amazing, can see these tunes would be better live
Enjoyed this one.
This was okay. I didn't like it as much as the previous Sabbath album and it felt a little long for my enjoyment levels.
Peu impressionné par cet album. Y'a du bon riff de guit dans la place, mais je bounçais moins les cheveux que pour certains autres albums de metal.
heavy metal . NO molesta.
Highlights: "N.I.B.," "Black Sabbath," "Evil Woman" Similar feelings to their sophomore: they keep it simple but tight, with a caveat for the panned overdubbing of guitar solos that's still to good effect. Drop-C tuning would have sounded super fresh, and strong vocal performance here too. This doesn't have the same studio gimmicks as Paranoid to spruce it up, but the lyricism is a little stronger here if just because it trades in horror cliche without so many egregiously dumb rhyme schemes. May be a little more bluesy, like they haven't quite found their voice yet. Still a strong debut for some working-class guys. Good for them.
I mean, it's a debut right? Nothing too crazy tbh but not so boring it's forgettable.
mucho ruido
I liked this more than I expected to; it was quite bluesy for the most part, and the drumming had a jazzy touch to it that I quite liked
I liked this more than I expected to; it was quite bluesy for the most part, and the drumming had a jazzy touch to it that I quite liked.
The guitar is amazing, but the songs as a whole just aren’t special. The lyrics and other instrumentals just lack.
I liked the opening. The rest was nice enough too, but less memorable. Then I went and listened to Paranoid and I think I liked that album better
Heavy, but not overwhelming. Definitely some bluesy influence
One hears as much prog rock and loud British blues as one does metal – the category would only go down from here. The devil-worshipy vibe seems silly and not at all convincing now – editors are right about the "then-scary, now-laughable" feel to this overall, including, but not limited, to the lyrical content. The guitar riffs are big and jagged, and generally likable and, here and there, borderline interesing, but nowhere near virtuosic or godlike. The muddy and murky production is part of the authentic vibe, a humility, perhaps, that later metal bands would have done better to embrace, rather than moronic grandiosity that they chose. One liked this more than one expected, especially relative to other metal, for which one has less than no time.
Love the Black Sabbath sound, the guitar sound is just so tasty. I also like how they looked more like hippies in the 70s than the super dark edge lords that they turned into later. This album is not their best in my opinion, N.I.B. and Evil Woman are very good tracks but the others don't stand out as much.
entretenido basico
Every time I listen to Black Sabbath I expect it to be way better than it actually is.
De bons riffs
Better than I expected. A lot of the guitar was impressive. Definitely not my thing but certainly understand its presence on the list.
Overall the album is ok. I think some of the lyrics are pretty silly, but that is countered by some truly outstanding guitar playing. The final song/suite really demonstrates that great aspect of the record
Cool tbf
3 Supposedly the first ever heavy metal album from the first ever heavy metal band… though I know there are claims they ripped off a group called Coven who had released an album with a similar occult-ish hard rock sound just a year prior. I don’t know how much truth there is to that or if it was just parallel thinking, so I’m not going to point any fingers, but I do think it’s a little suspicious that Coven had a band member that went by Oz Osborne and a song also entitled “Black Sabbath” (true story - look it up). Anyway, just food for thought, not trying to take the snuff out of this album - there’s definitely a reason that it’s recognized as monumental in musical history and that most people have never heard of Coven, or instead associate the name with that American Horror Story season. So as a first time listener of Black Sabbath’s debut, I have to say… I was surprised by how not that heavy this was? I know that’s not really fair to say considering this is the VERY first of what was to come with metal, but this was wayyyy more bluesy than I anticipated. And I didn’t find that to be bad at all - while there weren’t any particular moments I loved, as a whole I thought it was an enjoyable listen. The 40 minute runtime was perfect - any longer and I think it would have started to lose me. The solos scattered about all went hard and felt like shapes of things to come for the group, a later heavier period that, to be honest, I enjoy a little more. Paranoid is a really solid album and noticeably heavier, despite being released just seven months after this one. I’m not sure exactly what changed in that short of time, but the growth of the band and the evolution of the genre is felt. On a slightly different note, I’ve always thought that this album’s cover is really cool and great at establishing the vibe of the band… though as a confession, I learned only recently it’s a woman on the cover and not, in fact, Ozzy. Whoops ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Another fun fact - the same woman is also included on the cover of Dookie by Green Day. Angus Young is on there too if you’re interested in playing more album cover I Spy.
Primero de Black Sabbath. Es muy heavy para mi gusto, pero se nota la calidad.
This album is pretty average I would say nothing really stood out for me. It feels like Black Sabbath was still trying to find its groove.
I’m not a Black Sabbath fan, but I recognize the historical significance of this album.
Original guitar sounds and great psychodelic atmosphere. But somehow I can hear some repetitiveness (maybe even monotony).
Fine
This is one I’m supposed to worship as a rock listener. To me it’s fine. Not crazy special.
i want to rate this a little bit higher, but i cant. its a great album. probably was a stand out at its time. its experimental in nature, with 14 minute long tracks. the precursor to sludge metal while still toeing the line of run of the mill classic rock. “the wizard” is a standout track. the pieces fit together. there are some bloat solos that, once again, probably were profound at the time but didnt age well (im looking at you last three minutes). they are over embellished and silly, if i must say it. you can also hear the riff style of the guitarist, it wont be the last time we heat similar things (in fact maybe even nearly identica). either way its still worth putting on and getting some history. and it is by no means bad! i did think there were things to like. i would listen again. 3.5 out of 5.
I love early Black Sabbath, and I enjoyed some of this. Some great riffs, but a bit too much noodling and guitar virtuosity for my taste, especially on Warning, which would have been great if they had just stuck to the riff. That bass sound is fantastic though, and I actually love Ozzy's voice here. Not their best, but not too shabby either.
Good album with some classics
Overall a solid entry. Intro is cool. I assumed it was a talkative intro and then the second song was a banger, but it turned out to all be the first song. Second song is a travesty, too much harmonica. Evil Woman is awful. And I should've listened to the song called Warning, because it was a warning for the god awful solo about 6 minutes in... dropped it there. 3/5 at best
Folks still ripping off the first track to this day. It's a cool album but I think Master of Reality is better.
3/20- Driving to school
Heavy metal. Muy lento. Ni fu ni fa.
no es mi sonido
It was okay. Short and sweet. Feels like so need to be high to really enjoy it.
I can appreciate it.
Black Sabbath is a cool doom song - Ozzy's voice kinda stinks. Album is jammy fun time. They're good at the guitar. The album art is garbage.
They love the “call and response” between Ozzy and the guitar. I forgot what a banger The Wizard is. The last track is quite the adventure. I’m not a sabbath guy but this was a pretty cool listen
Definitely an unpolished album. Seems like some guys that have some things figured out but can't quite put it all together yet.
Eh, this was okay. Not a 2 for me. Sitting pretty at 3
The supposed birth of the metal genre as we know it today, and its first song really tells you that. While I do enjoy this more than Paranoid, which I got a couple weeks ago, this still suffers from guitar solos that feel as though they go nowhere and lacking substance. I think there's a lot more to enjoy here, with it feeling more like a metal album than their follow-up album, but I still struggle to praise this too much. N.I.B. may tie with Sweet Leaf as my new favorite Black Sabbath song, however, I really enjoyed that.
Decent listen. Not as bad as expected
Cool riffs but I generally prefer Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio as a vocalist
Meh
Very fun instrumentals, and less heavy than I expected, but still really good. Sometimes I couldn't tell where a song ended, but regardless, it was a nice listen. Fave track(s): N.I.B., Warning
For someone claiming to be Lucifer, Ozzy sure sounds like he's phoning it in on a lot of this, doesn't he? Somewhat related: I don't need the Prince of Darkness playing the harmonica.
An album where my initial reaction is "Why weren't more people making better music in 1970?" But also an album that just...draaaags along.
Pretty decent if not really my thing
Not the Birmingham crew's best album, but music today would not be the same without it
3 stars
Very raw and straight forward but very exciting. Will definitely re-listen to this album. 3.6/5
This album feels like a mix between Black Sabbath's usual sound and Led Zeppelin, which also makes it sound very much from 1970. It's got a classic rock feel and you have progressive moments the second an instrumental part begins playing. The bass sometimes had a gritty sound, and the drums and guitar were positively jamming. And speaking of instrumentals, that album opening is absolutely aces. If an artist's debut album is going to catch anybody's attention, you need to do it like Black Sabbath. Definitely a debut album that's enjoyable, but it felt like something was missing--perhaps because I know some of Black Sabbath's later career. Still a worthy listen. 3.5
This album had the makings of something good, hence the 'first heavy metal album' moniker. There are some interesting and downright outstanding riffs on this album, but I couldn't escape the feeling that this album really does feel kind of half-baked and not quite complete. But that can't really come as a surprise, since Black Sabbath was in the process of birthing an entirely new genre here. That said, this incompleteness is more deserving of a spot on this project than some other things that I have heard. And truly, Black Sabbath's self-titled album walked so Paranoid could run just a few months later.
Certainly a formative album to the genre of Heavy Metal, but the genre isn't really my thing to begin with nor is it particularly exciting compared to others in the genre. Great guitar as to be expected. Not too bad of an album all together though. I did however skip out on the two unavailable songs.
Not my favorite Sabbath album by far, but a classic for sure!
Solid album but nothing I feel the need to ever come back to. Feels like they were trying a little too hard with the devil worship stuff.
Definitely enjoyed certain songs and the rawness of a debut, would probably come back to it, but I prefer some of their other hard rock contemporaries better. This is more like a 3.5 for me, but can’t give half stars so I’m rounding down.
1/16/23: I enjoyed it and appreciate the history of it being considered the first heavy metal album. Really cool that it had all the blues feel to it.
I’m not going to act like I’m better by saying I liked this a lot. I actually listened to and really enjoyed Master of Reality because “Solitude” is a fantastic song, but this didn’t have as much Personality (notice the capital “p”). But this is good music, I’m going to at least give myself that credibility.
Cool, a bit of classic metal, before it got too deathy and too, too heavy.
A foreshadow of what was to come
3.5/5. Good, bit not their best. This album certainly sounded like a debut album. I prefer Paranoid over this.
Sounding dated now, not my idea of a classic.
im not really into metal. load of my friends were when we were teenagers of course, but even as a kid i could sort of tell how cringe it was. that kinda edgelord bullshit. thrashing on guitars and training about how cool lucifer is and how evil women are. i was always adjacent to it but it just was never for me. i do NOT mean to imply that as a teenager i was some sort of culture guru or snob. lmao, NO. i was too preoccupied listening to like, the soundtrack of final fantasy vii advent children, and whatever random unnamed shit i could get from searching 'good rock' on limewire. so yeah, who was really in the right there? having said that, i did enjoy this! really took me back to a specific era. sitting with my friend aubrey in his conservatory, listening to shitty music while he plays world of warcraft and i play pokémon crystal which i managed to somehow emulate on whatever mobile phone i had at the time (i THINK it was a nokia 3310. the sideways one). anyway for that reason it's a 3/5 listen. favourite track: n.i.b. i guess? tbh none of them really leapt out at me as being any better or worse than eachother.
It reminded me a bit of led zeppelin.
A little too heavy for my tastes.
The record that launch a thousand garage bands. This and their second album "Paranoid" were required listening if you wanted to play in a rock band when I was a kid. Filled with power chords and riffs, these songs were like the standards everyone needed to know... or at least it seemed that way to 12 year old me. Not my favorite heavy metal records but worthy of giving a listen and studying. I enjoyed listening to this album end to end but it not one I would typically pick for a get together or road trip. You can put it in the archives for future analysis but most likely it won't be included on my mix tape.
Is that a harmonica on The Wizard? I don’t associate harmonica with heavy metal, but here it is. It was interesting to learn about the modifications Tommy made so that he could play guitar. I guess heavy metal would sound a bit different if he had all his fingers. The fact that this record was done in basically one take is impressive.
Black Sabbath voru greinilega fínir alveg frá upphafi. Greinilegt hvaðan áhrifin koma.
It was a new music genre to me, but good mood music
Not as good as I was expecting it to be. 3*
Good metal music. Not something I would listen to often.
Some groovy cuts, though not exactly my jam.
Very good early Sabbath, 3.5 stars
I like Black Sabbath but I don’t consider this their best album
Didn’t like it as much as Paranoid but it was good
Decent stuff
No impact
I liked this album when it came out (I was probably 16 at the time). Sadly it was the birth of metal music so Ozzie has a lot to answer for. Faux scary/intense emotion with really loud hackneyed guitars - that's all metal not just this album. We'll give it a pass though because it really was one of, if not the, first.
Ähnlich wie Iron Maiden sanfter als erwartet!
very cool sinister vibe but can't get behind the flashy guitar solos, just prefer the moody riffs. Also sounds like Ozzy is singing the same thing on every song - melody and lyrics. Still an entertaining listen!
basically invented metal the songs individually don't pack as much punch but its cool to see how it would evolve from here
oli sillon top 50 albumeissa mukana.... on hyvä tosiaan ensimmäinen sabbath albumi ja metalli genren edelläkävijä.... mutta.... kaukana niiden parhaasta albumista.... hyvä alku mutta ylämäki taivallus tulee tämän jälkeen JA SE ON SELVÄ. N.I.B paras biisinpoikanen... myös suosituin...hävettää että tykkään...
i see the appeal, but it's not for me. i'm already not a metal fan, and i didn't think the vocals meshed well with the instrumentals. regardless, i can't overstate the impact of this album (the first heavy metal album!!) and i do feel like after giving this a listen, i'm walking away with a better appreciation for black sabbath.
Decent saturday, mild social, hang with the HC WC boy, good stuff but be smart
Historic, influential, inventive. Meanders at times but finishes strong.
Started off strong but the second half was a big letdown and the songs got really bland and less focussed on mood and more on blues guitar but the first four songs were great
I do like a bunch of Black Sabbath songs. I think I appreciate this album more than I like it though. There's some really nice rhythmic stuff going on here, some great guitar work, and so on. It's just not maaaassively my jam.
Really like behind the wall of sleep
Context matters a lot here. This is the first heavy metal album, so imagine hearing something like The Wicked for the first time. It's a little too heavy on riffs and instrumentals for my liking, but still cool. Someone else on here said that it veers into background music - which is true, but it's damn cool background music I gotta say. Standout tracks are The Wizard and Evil Woman.
Aged and gritty, but this album STILL stands the test of time. Can't believe it's from 1970. I was twelve years old at the time and just starting to get into hard rock. I wouldn't discover this album until they release their sophomore release - Paranoid. N.I.B. is like a warning signal preparing the world for what they would hear in the coming years. Also love the Crow cover of Evil Woman.
Pretty good I’ve never listened to the full album before but wasn’t anything overly amazing.
Good album, good listen. More keen on some songs than others and can imagine considering this is title album that this isn't their best album. Looking forward to listening to more BS as never listened before
I like the instrumentals but I’m not really a fan of the lyrical content - it’s a bit too “dark” for my liking.
Gothic, not too harsh, relatively tame by today's standards, made me listen to more from them
Ah, now this is what I came for: albums I really should have listened to years ago, but never did. I'm still not sure how I got this far without hearing it, especially after my teenage son started playing the Paranoid album and getting into metal in general and black metal in particular (all kicked off by an "intro to guitar rock" playlist including War Pigs that I made him back when he mostly listened to pop). Oh well, here I am now. Objectively, I don't think this is a great album. I don't think I'll listen to it over and over. Plenty of things to nitpick about. But for the combination of how groundbreaking it was, how influential, and my sheer enjoyment in listening to it for the first time, I'm giving it 3 stars. Possibly another half star for the timeless brilliance of the opening.
Pretty good classic album. The historical birthalbum of heavy metal. The album is revolutionary in its own right, however it didn't really wow me as much as I might have expected. Unfortunately it pales in comparison to their next release which very well might be the best metal album ever made.
Prrrrrrima album. Wel tof om te horen hoeveel invloed deze band heeft gehad.
Ik zal die niet veel vaker gaan luisteren, maar om zo eens een keer helemaal mee te krijgen was het toch best tof. Iets teveel gitaarsolo's en gepiel, maar de grooves zijn toch best lekker!
Ok. A true landmark album. The first (proto)metal album. Side one is brilliant. BS, Wizard, NIB. Side 2 lags a bit. Unwanted covers and the Warning is way too long. All recorded over about 12 hours in the studio live. Love the band but gonna be a 3 I think.
Fun album. I think if I heard this in the 70s, I'd probably like it more. 3/5
This was okay. I’m not really into Black Sabbath but it was interesting hearing what they sounded like on their debut album.
Reminds me a little of “Deep Purple In Rock”, which has some really great moments among duller (technically-impressive) passages. I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to hear the band’s ‘theme song’, oh God HELP ME 🔥
This album is what I was afraid Black Sabbath would be. There's some good work here, of course, but there's a lot more wallowing in the sludge. This isn't nearly as fun as Vol. 4, but they had to start somewhere, so I'm glad they started here.
3.5/5 Better than I expected.
This kind of heavy metal reminds me of drone music. Repetition of riffs, busy drum patterns, and distortions that are both hypnotic and slightly discomfiting. The vocals are sort of like chanting. All of it melds together in this lo-fi way. The production may actually be very sophisticated but it *sounds* unfinished, almost laconic, deliberately*not* maximalist despite being very full of sound. I liked The Wizard most, probably because of the harmonica. And the unearthly bridge halfway through Wicked World.
Historico
It's alright. Wouldn't seek it out to listen to but wouldn't change the song if it came on. Above average.
starts off a little boring, just better towards end of first track. Not my genre but decent enough within the genre. kinda waited for it to end. 6.8/10.
Ozzy rocks
Ozzy has a pretty far out voice. Proper metal here for sure. Sure knew how to write a riff.
A good window into the birth of hard rock at the end of the 60s. Ozzy is definitely in finer voice than he would be today.
Mmmm. It might be acclaimed as the 1st heavy metal album but somehow it fades into the background. I’ve kept listening and it is growing on me. Cover art 3/5
Before hype. Before fans. This is just a crazy idea of an album that holds its core over time. Sure there is a lot of bloat later in this genre (and from this band). But you can tell they are doing something that they just really wanted to do. I can respect that. Is this inspirational magic? More like magic history. Better potions, darker magic are norms now. Worth adding to the athenaeum.
Music is 4 stars, vocals are 2 stars
It was good. Sounded like other Black Sabbath which isn't my favorite but still a good listen.
Guitar was incredible. Ozzy’s voice just isn’t it, even for a metal album such as this.
Music was really cool. I haaaaaaaaaaaated ozzie's singing.
Pretty good for what it was - never listened to it before
Pour une critique de cet album, je vous redirige vers eltrapeze, qui lui-même vous donnera le numéro de téléphone de mon père. Une fois que vous l'aurez appelé, prononcez le mot-clé « Black Sabbath » et laissez vous aller.
Bien essayé Robert, mais le gros nom de Black Sabbath ne suffira pas à obtenir la note de 4/5. Il va falloir agir et vite.
Good riffs, albeit pretty dark (the devil's triad in title track!). Undeniably influential, but not as good as Paranoid album.
It was ok, but honestly all a little bit anonymous to me. When it ended, The Seeker by The Who came on and I was instantly more interested.
3, neutral on this one
bunu daha önce de dinlemiştim. finale gideceğim şimdi. telefonuma indiriyorum.
Master of Reality is the bar by which I measure Sabbath albums. This was fun but too much Iommi in places and not enough Ozzy. Steaming of whom - does any hard rocker have a more perfect voice for his music?
Ahh, los primeros días del metal y el rock pesado. El paso de los años se encargaría de dejar atrás estos sonidos, pero la influencia permanece.
Best Song: Black Sabbath. I can only imagine that in 1970, first hearing this track would have felt like a tectonic shift. Worst Song: Wicked World. This is the kind of slow, plodding tempo that I think bogs down some of this old metal. Plus that super jazzy hi-hat really clashes with the rest of the aesthetic. Overall: A historical monument that still has that heavy, bluesy swagger. Obviously what we think of as "metal" has developed significantly since this album, and it does feel dated at times, but there are moments of brilliance. Ozzy's voice is somehow captivating in spite of itself, but I think it is the guitar work that really stands out. A relatively tame starting point, from which better music came.
I liked this more than expected and was pleasantly surprised by the musicianship.
Begyndelsen på heavy-metal, rimelig solidt, skarp elguitar, tunge trommer
3 1/2
Ja goed maar ook niet iets dat ik spontaan ga opzetten denk ik
I try and put myself in the mindset of a young adult in the past, getting my hands on the vinyl of this album, and just listening with no other distractions (like the internet…). And it still didn’t do it for me
Was better than i expected tbh, need to listen again as sort of put it on in the background as i procrastinated. 3.5
It had a couple moments, and you definitely see the relationship to Led Zeppelin here. I didn't love it or hate it, though the first song got a bit monotonous for me.
3.5
Classic heavy metal, clean sounds from Tony Iommi and wailing vocals from Ozzy Osbourne there is not really any reason to criticize Black Sabbath on their self-titled album. Absent their most popular offerings, the album sheds light on their beginnings giving listeners a baseline for the powerhouse of metal they would become.
This album should get about a 3.6 but it gets rounded down to a 3. You can actually understand Ozzy on this album. It doesn't have any of the super well known songs of Black Sabbath. I probably wouldn't pick this album to listen to again, but I would listen if it was on.
Nice
Ich kann sehen, dass das ein Meilenstein war, bzw. auch immer noch ist, der Fakt dass das 52 Jahre alt ist, ist ziemlich unvorstellbar. Es fällt mir verdammt schwer, mich auf den Ton und die Langlebigkeit der ganzen Sache einzulassen, obwohl das gerade mal so über 40 Minuten geht. Das ist leider einer der langweiligsten Arten von Musik, die ich mir vorstellen kann, das hier ist noch die bessere Seite. Es ist denke ich mal einfach nichts für mich. 6/10
zuerst muss ich sagen, dass ich vielleicht zwei black sabbath tracks kenne und mich mit heavy metal überhaupt nicht auskenne, bzw. das nie bewusst gehört habe. dieses album fand ich dann aber ...ok? es sind echt gute songs und starke riffs dabei, aber besonders auf längeren tracks haben die gitarrensoli nichts besonderes mehr und es fühlt an, als ob sie nur auch auf ihren instrumenten herumnudeln. das klingt dann immer gleich.
"ich hör alles ausser rap und metal" hab tbh erwartet das deutlich lahmer zu finden aber war ganz groovy (evil woman banger beat) und auch abwechslungsreich von der sound kulisse. Unterm strich hats mich dann doch irgendwie kalt gelassen über weite strecken aber war auch nicht so krass in der mood mir was neues anzueignen von daher kann man dem das auch nicht wirklich ankreiden
Ich habe wirklich praktisch kein Metal gehört bisher, aber nichts auf dem Album war für mich sonically ungewohnt oder überraschend — was wohl zeigen dürfte, wie einflussreich das Genre war. Ehrlich gesagt hätte ich das Album wohl als Redneck Rock oder ähnlich beschrieben, hätte ich es bloß gehört und nicht Genre, Artist etc. gekannt. Inhaltlich habe ich mich nicht groß mit dem Album auseinandergesetzt, musikalisch fand ich wenig auszusetzen, aber auch wenig, was mir wirklich gefällt. The Wizard ist ein cooler Track, der Rest ist so ziemlich an mir vorübergezogen.
That new seventies sound...
Such a powerful opening, screams of terror that genuinely chill the blood, that slowly fades into fairly typical bluesy solo nothingness as the covers enter and Ozzy gets less and less moment to shine. Still finding those metal feet. Highlights: Black Sabbath, The Wizard.
Kind of dull surprisingly.
Black sabbath 1st track kinda... Boring. Wizard slaps sooo hard Rythm and intro of behind a wall is awesome!!! NIB feels kinda classic metalley. But very groove!! Evil woman is alright... It exists? Sleeping village pog good placement Great transition into warning
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, I expected it to be one of those 'influential but not great on its own' albums but was pleasantly surprised. Sounds a lot like early led zeppelin
Not my cup of tea, a bit dull
I can see why people think it’s good, but it’s repetitive wailing and pretty boring
I was expecting more...
Not a bad album, not so great either
I was honestly surprised by this. Not yet metal and the most coherent Ozzy will ever be
Better and bluesier than expected.
Some good guitar stuff, sounds a bit derivative but only because it inspired so many. Ozzys voice is fine, not amazing. Curious to hear their later albums.
Black Sabbath? more like Black Midbbath, cause this album was mid. Its fine, pretty standard stuff, nothing jumped out at me
Hätte es in Mono hören sollen. Teilweise Surround eher unangenehm.
Not bad. Can see how it was revolutionary for its time.
Great instrumentals, not a fan of the singing
Not bad at all
6/10 I can see how influential this is but I found the songs a little long winded and also the vocals are just. Not nice
6/10. Sounded a lot like their other album. Pleasant enough to listen to, but not in love
I am somewhat familiar with the band, but "The Wizard" might be the only track I've heard from this album and that was earlier this year. I really like Tommy Iommi's guitar wark on tracks such as "The Wizard", "Sleeping Village" and "Warning". I did not enjoy the title track, and some of the vocals to other tracks. The album was okay, but I don't see myself tempted to listen again.
Ozzy Ozborne was in Black Sabbath?? very good rock and roll album
Not my thang
It’s weird to think that this album came out just as the Beatles were breaking up because brit rock and heavy metal seem so far apart from each other but they were almost contemporary. This album isn’t bad but the title tracks sound is wildly different from the rest of the album. Plus each track is 3 songs lumped together which was annoying to find a fav song. Overall, not amazing but a very interesting look into the genesis of heavy metal. Fav song I think: the wizard
Simply good rock (even if very familiar in this case).
Not the biggest fan of Ozzy's vocals.
pretty good album I don’t really have strong feelings for it, positive or negative. it’s pretty groovy, I guess. it had an awkward start but by the end I thought it was pretty good. in terms of overall quality, I’d give it an 8/10 - it’s well written and composed and other than a few awkward parts, holds up really well. however when it comes to my own preference I think I’d give it a 6/10. it’s not bad, it’s just not something I’d feel like listening to again for a while. Most the stuff I liked from the album is easy to find in other albums (like Santanas debut) and most of the stuff that made it unique like the harmonica or the jaw harp, I didn’t really like. Again, not saying it’s bad. I believe it’s an objectively good album, but on my own preference, I just didn’t really like it a whole lot.
I'm not sure, in all of the iconic rock riffs created in the wake of this record (by Sabbath and everyone that followed), if any are more iconic than on the opening track "Black Sabbath." Ozzy's vocal is perfect for the song. I can't imagine being a Beatles fan and thinking "Man, Helter Skelter really rocks" in 1968 and then having my mind blown by this less than two years later. I love Black Sabbath. The band, the record, and the song. But Black Sabbath, ultimately, sits middle of the pack among their other records. For me.
This was way bluesier than I expected it to be, but still very Sabbath. You can definitely hear the beginnings of the much “heavier” music they would start recording after this. To be honest, the worst part of BS for me was always Ozzys voice - it just kinda rakes on me. This album was much more about the music, and his vocals were less prominent. They sounded much more like an early-70s band. I dug it.
Short and sweet with some well-crafted songs, but not as epic as I was epxecting.
It was alright, but not as good as i had expected
not their best work
Regarded as the first heavy metal album, this is a shredder. The lyrics focus on the dark, storytelling perspective that would be a theme with metal. Iommi and Butler are the standouts here, Ozzy's voice never gained traction with me, but this iteration seems less 'Ozzy Inc™' than in his later years.
I was on tumblr and the album finished and I didn't notice until the first song had already played again
I think the album can get a bit samey, and not all tracks hit. But the tracks that do well are great.
It was alright. I do like the guitar instrumentals and heavy rock/metal sound.
So good I had bat for tea
Općenito sam uvijek htio preslušati njih, ali je to sve bilo nešta aljkavo, ne sjećam se baš, nekako mi ostanu zaboravljivi. I evo sada taman na ovaj šugav dan gdje vjerujem da bi album trebao pasati, preslušavam. Dakle, album kao album dobar, sviđa mi se to, al trebaš biti u tom raspolaženju. Nisam neki fan heavy metala (iako ovo nije toliko heavy), al za tako nešta, sasvim uredan i dobar album. Ako ovo nije 5/5 kasno jesenski cover, onda ne znam. Album je 3.5/5
nisam, po sjećanju
It's OK - definitely a "jam" album...might be nice for spacing out/chilling but not particularly well suited for "active" listening
Sounds like a horror movie soundtrack. Sick thick guitar tones. Can definitely tell it’s their first album.
Really fun (listening to this makes me smell sweat and beer when neither of those things are nearby), but I've never really been a Sabbath fan.
Headbanging in places, surprisingly catchy in others. Mostly it just dirged out. Look, I get why it’s here, and you can hear the seeds of whole genres decades before they became fully fledged... but it’s a bit of a drag to actually listen to.
not my thing, that's all
First album, released the same year as paranoid. Very different to their other stuff, still some real decent tracks tho. More bluesy, less heavy. 3/5
oooh yeeeeaaaaah is ozzys version of Robert Plants Baby baby baby. does it a lot, either that or its the lasting imprint of the album on me. fairly average album. pretty mad to think that this was the starting point for the madness that is modern metal.
Crazy music… But love the album cover more
Not as hard as I was expecting
Production: 12/20 Songwriting: 9/20 Innovation: 13/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 11/20 =50 Yeah didn’t hate it didn’t love it - it was fine
It’s hard to believe this album was released just a few months before their opus, Paranoid. It is much more raw, bluesy & the arrangements aren’t as tight. Very representative of the late sixty’s jams. Iommi’s riff-heaviness and reverb on solos gives us a glimpse of what was a few months away.
Highlight: N.I.B. (Note: several of these tracks are not available on Spotify or Apple Music, making it difficult to judge the entirety of this album) An early effort from who would soon be rock legends, Black Sabbath establishes their unmistakably Sabbath sound and will be built on and celebrated for decades to follow.
heavy metal . NO molesta
regular
Old heavy metal. It's alright. Short album with one long song at the end. 6/10.
Enjoyed this, my Dad owned it but only ever listened to a few tracks, solid 3.5
This was good. Nice to have some heavier stiff on the list. That guitar sound is pretty alright.
Close to 4 stars, but just below it. Good album.
Sounds like Sabbath but a little too Zeppelin for me to praise. But a great album nevertheless.
Some good stuff on here, but a few of the songs were almost laughably bad. Borderline silly sounding.
Disco de currículum
I'm a fan of Black Sabbath but this one is missing a lot that I enjoy. Some of it is still there, but doesn't make me super happy like I thought it would.
Meh
Its a classic but kind of dark for me.
Not the biggest fan of BS. I like the album Paranoid more.
Music music music. Stop. Sing some words. Music music.
Guitar is kinda cool sometimes, but not my style overall.
clasico favs warning y NIB
Meh, interesting but messy
Black Sabbath and N.I.B are good tracks
Hörte ich erstmals 2020 und fand sie nicht ganz so gut wie die Paranoid oder die Master Of Reality, hatte allerdings seinerzeit ihren Einfluss als den Metal begründendes Werk gar nicht zu würdigen gewusst. Sehr gute 3 Sterne.
Old school metal.
I can appreciate the quality of the album but it's not exactly my taste of music
Never listened listened to Sabbath other than what you get culturally and was pleasantly surprised. I love how two of my fav songs on the album aren't on spotify atm... (sleeping village and warning -- on youtube tho). I can finally say yes Ive listened to Black Sabbath and am therefore ~cultured~