Reviews (page 15 of 17)
You know, listening through this list makes my realize that i don't vibe with older music. I'm 35 years old. I can appreciate their influence and recognize that a lot of theses records are fine / good, but it's hard to see the importance they carried just listening to the music. Sometimes I research a bit more of the artist to see their history. So most of these albums gonna be a "one and done" kind of deal, and this is okay for me. 1001 is a big number, so I'm gonna be more excited if I find something I really like.
not really my style, but good
Tony Iommi's guitar work on this album is outstanding, but other than that this record didn't sell it for me. It was highly influential at the time of its release, and I am usually not a fan of metal at all, but still, I feel as though Paranoid was the better album by them.
The guitar is amazing, but the songs as a whole just aren’t special. The lyrics and other instrumentals just lack.
I think I like Paranoid better, but man, there's really nothing bad about this album. It's a heavy, groovy time from beginning to end.
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.
Not for me
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.
The creepy album cover is one cool cover. This album may seem a bit simple by today's standards but I still think it holds up. Sure it doesn't have their most well known tracks but the sound is definitely there. Many of the riffs are great, I particularly enjoy "The Wizard". Once getting used to Ozzy's singing on the first track I enjoyed the whole album. Must've been bonkers to here this in 1970.
The blues influence is very strong on the debut album of Black Sabbath, but it's heavier rock than that - it's the birth of heavy metal. There are some very good riffs. The band recorded this album in late 1969, imagine how innovative this sound was at that time and how heavy it was for everything that was before. It was something completely different to what was before. Ozzy's voice or the lyrics are less interesting. For this reason, overall I give the album a rating of 4.
It is kinda more old than just old school. The structure is pretty simple and binary. Nothing exciting about it.
2 Incredibly boring for how famous it is But gotta give it credit for being "the beginning of metal" or whatever. N.I.B is great. Triumphant. Nothing else really feels doomy as it should, but just kind of compliant and boring. Nothing feels dirty and scary like the cover, which is amazing btw.
really enjoyed this
DOOOOMMMM!!! What a dark, gritty, cataclysmic album. Every track make you want to grow your hair out, bang your head, and yell at the world. So much dark energy. Fantastic
The music is allright but its not touch me, sorry...
It's a really great thing when the first album of a particular genre still sounds absolutely amazing over 50 years later. This album absolutely rocks, and it must have been mental to hear this way back in 1970. Favourite: The Wizard
алкоальбом: кровавая мери, ударившая в голову
Ну... как-то не впечатлился. Их следующий альбом мне намного лучше зашёл, а здесь прям... тоска какая-то.
давно чет единиц не ставил, а тут и жанрово не прям мое, да и в целом хуйня
entretenido basico
Pure, unadorned rock that leaves everything on the table. No gimmicks, tricks, or attempts to patch over potential weak spots with studio fixes - just one band showing off instrumental prowess by way of chugging melodic lines that break far beyond the blues scale woes of the time.
When you order Led Zeppelin from aliexpress.com.
I loved it, great riffs
Every time I listen to Black Sabbath I expect it to be way better than it actually is.
I liked this way more than I expected, even though hard rock/metal is one of my highest rated genres. I really liked that each song had its own flavor of hard rock and it didn't at all sound repetitive. At first I didn't like Ozzy's singing voice, but it eventually won me over
De bons riffs
jsp jaime bien
Incredibly ahead of its time and groundbreaking for the metal genre. Never overstays its dark, dark welcome. The Black Sabbath legend begins.
Ik kende wel wat Black Sabbath werk, maar van dit album kende ik nog niks. Verrassend goed album. Staat bol van de blues-invloeden en dat maakt het voor mij bovengemiddeld goed (en dus ook beter dan ik had verwacht). 4 sterren omdat ik niet verwacht dat ik deze, ondanks dat het zo verrassend goed beviel, nog vaak aan ga zetten.
Better than I expected. A lot of the guitar was impressive. Definitely not my thing but certainly understand its presence on the list.
One of the great heavy metal albums of all time. If I selected only one Sabbath release it would be Paranoid, but this is where it all started and would an easy inclusion on my list. They run out of steam a bit on side two and the lack of subtlety doesn't help, but arguably creating heavy metal as we know it is enough to make this a must have.
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
Pretty awesome debut album and one that I could not imagine hearing in 1970 when there was the term heavy metal did not exist yet. The guitar on "Warning" is fantastic and the whole album sounds like Led Zeppelin's evil half-twin ("The Wizard" in particular). It’s bluesy, mighty, and powerful rock and roll. It also contains the rare instance of a song name also being the name of the album AND the band. Would do a 4.5 if possible.
Fucking epic. Of 190 albums presented to me from this list so far, Black Sabbath is the third best imo. The top two so far are Dylan's Blood on the Tracks and Sabbath's Paranoid. They had their shit figured out right out the gate, did not give a fuck, just did their thing. Brilliant... taking the Devil's blues to the next level.
Sida 1: cinq points Sida2 : trois points Le Black Sabbath: quatre points
INCREDIBLE
It's hard to argue for another album that served as the seed that heavy metal was born form. Sure some heavy stuff was release before this but nothing wrapped up quite like this. I've listen to the for over 40 years and it never get's old.
Not sure which I prefer between this and Paranoid, but this kicked off the heavy. For me a four, but extra point for changing the course of heavy rock.
Not sure if anything stood out to me, but as a whole I enjoyed it more then Paranoid.
I think the first 4 songs are pretty much perfect, they sound like what I think of when I think Heavy Metal. Depending on version (I listened to the Uk version with the 10 min cover of Warning) the second half I think shows some cracks in the “perfectness”. It gets a little too bluesy (and I like blues) but Sabbath isn’t the best at that sound. This is a 4.5 album but I’ll bump it to 5 because of the significance of the start of a sound.
Very solid! Loved the title track as well as The Wizard
This is not my favorite Black Sabbath album, but only because of the standard set for the next three releases. It's good enough and was the gateway to metal. Evil Woman and the title track are classics though.
Fantastic
This is so good? I can hear it today.
There’s a saying that bands have a lifetime to write their first album and six months to write their second. That doesn’t ring true for Black Sabbath, seeing as it was actually four months between their first two records, and also that their second album is so much better than their debut. Call it the Iommi rule?
Cool tbf
This is going to be a very easy review for me. Do not like Black Sabbath. Do not like Ozzy, except for a song here or there and the one that comes to mind is a mellow one, Momma I'm coming home. Anyway, just not a fan of the dark, gothic sound. Not sure my family has ever heard me play a Sabbath or Ozzy song around the house. Just does nothing for me. This album was 5 songs, each like 8 minutes long. Thought something may kick in after a few tokes but that seemed to make it worse for me. Long story short, hated it. All but the harmonica in the Wizard. Will not revisit. Will not listen again. This shit annoys the hell out of me...... 1
First Metal Album of all time. What I think doesn't matter. 5
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.
Cat: so fucking awesome. Created their own genre. Dark and demonic. Guitar and bass are awesome. What a sound! The story about Iommi’s fingers and how he got his sound are insane. AJ: never really dove into these guys. Know the hits and love them for the most part. But this album fucking rules. It’s crazy it was their first and they’re just so fucking great together. Everyone is so good at their job! Just heavy bluesy 70’s goodness. Holy shit.
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.
For the genre, this is classic.
I would definitely listen to this again!
I’m not a Black Sabbath fan, but I recognize the historical significance of this album.
I would give this 5 stars just for The Wizard.
Original guitar sounds and great psychodelic atmosphere. But somehow I can hear some repetitiveness (maybe even monotony).
Fine
Raw metal goodness. Every component sounds just like it should. Not too many notes, fantastic riffs, good little solos throughout, harmonica fits in nicely, Ozzy vocals are perfect.
Impressive considering it was a new sound then. All the songs slap big.
A classic important album, although you can argue that by todays stanards its more a heavy rock album than a metal or even doom metal album.
This is one I’m supposed to worship as a rock listener. To me it’s fine. Not crazy special.
The album that started all… Eerie, sharp, and macabre. Do we need to add more?
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.
Black Sabbath- we love a self reference straight out the gate 👍 The Wizard- Like this one, again lyrics arent really up to much 👍 Behind the wall of sleep- Some good guitar work, otherwise just okay NIB- Again, great guitar work, but the melody is v generic Evil Woman- lol didn’t realise this was a cover. I still liked it 👍 Sleeping woman- ooh this is interesting, a lot of guitar work which is amazing 👍 Warning- This is fine, but a fair bit too long for my taste Wicked world- Heavy handed but still strong 👍 I liked this well enough, especially for being a forerunner to a genre it still holds up 4/5
Own on Vinyl
One of the most important rock albums ever made. Heavy, dark, nihilistic, irresistible.
Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on the album Black Sabbath
Awesome! 'The Wizard' is my favourite track from the album. Also liked 'N.I.B.', 'Evil Woman' and 'Warning'. 5/5
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.
Refused to listen. Turned to the Surrey cricket ball-by-ball feed instead.
Great guitar and bass on this.
Good album with some classics
Starting with the wonderfully creepy cover, then getting to the rain, thunder, and clanging chimes of doom, I was very excited about this one. Then you get to the scary guitar, looming bass, and ominous drums of a real nightmare band before growly Ozzy comes in with sinister lyrics about a figure in black. What a debut! This is quite perfect as an album with its structure of suites and consistent, perfect mood all the way through. Who knew I'd love early Black Sabbath so much?
This is good! I mean WAY good!! I guess I love young Black Sabbath
Ah, this is much more what I expected from Black Sabbath: shadowy, moody, bass-y, guitar-y, long noodly segments. I don't dislike it but it's not nearly as appealing as Paranoid and Vol. 4.
I was sure that I'd be worshipping Satan after one listen to this album. So much for all the propaganda of my youth. As a Halloween aficionado, I am surprised that it has taken this project to have me listen to any Black Sabbath. Seems tailored to a Halloween party, at least a few songs interspersed here or there. I liked this album more than Vol. 4, a little less than Paranoia.
Elvis never meant shit to me.
Rocks pretty hard.
Great album could be a five if it was more nostalgic but I always listened to paranoid
Groundbreaking, sure. It’s also dumb, drowsy, disjointed. Tastes like Cream, only twice as heavy and half as fresh. Standout Tracks: Black Sabbath, N.I.B.
Dark and moody. Love it.
Not quite as good as Paranoid, but still great.
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
Maybe to my surprise I really enjoyed this one. Lots of stuff that maybe I wouldn't usually be a fan of just seemed to click. Whole thing just has a bit of an aura about it which is rounded off by the absolutely brilliant album cover art. Stuff like Ozzy just screaming in despair in the first song and a handful of brilliant guitar solos were just a real enjoyment to listen to.
Just over 20 albums in and this is easily the best one I've had so far. Incredible album top to bottom. Feel people dont realise how good a musician Ozzy was considering he might be more known for reality tv now. But hes excellent here. Ended up spending my entire day listening to Black Sabbaths entire discography and it was great
4.5/5
Folks still ripping off the first track to this day. It's a cool album but I think Master of Reality is better.
10. First heavy metal album opens with the first doom metal song. The Wizard feels like everything everyone who hated Bob Dylan for going electric was afraid of first of two multiparty tracks breezes by even if the second track that closes the record slightly drags in the middle movement.
Jackson: Opening title track "Black Sabbath" pretty swell. Nice job dudes. Note in sony in-ears. He isn't my favourite vocalist, though I not my least fav. I am reasonably thoroughly enjoying this. Could be a 4. Wow warning just came out and did it. That in your ear finger electric guitar was cool. This dude is a good guitarist, like first album geez. Creative and dynamic, scare the hoes type musique. Peak: Black Sabbath NIB Pits: Overall: Pretty strong entry, varied (unlike some metal I have had to sit through). It seems a symptom of being on the forefront, they couldn't go "too far". Its really dark and creepy feeling, but its not just slamming instruments. I feel as though every song has a purpose. Its a decent 4, which is about as high as metal can go for me. (see the other two first three sabbath ratings, all 4s, really good start to a discog).
"Paranoid" was the first album we got when we started this, and I gave it a 5. I see no reason to give this album a lesser score. Metal doesn't get much better than this.
Such a bad ass metal album. The arrangements & Ozzy's voice just make this a spectacular listen. Long live Sabbath!
I mean, it's Black Sabbath. Not much more to say. Masters of the genre.
Amazing cover, great intro. Then the rest of the album is good, typical Sabbath minus the Celtic bores.
3/20- Driving to school
Puro pinche Satan
Heavy metal. Muy lento. Ni fu ni fa.
Pretty amazing that I’ve never listened to this album before, and only heard one or two of its tracks. Almost country at one point (yes, I know I’m likely to get murdered in my sleep now). The drums. So simple. So clear. So nice. N.I.B. And Warning are such classic metal tracks 🤘
Really looking forward to this! On last.fm Sabbath are #609 in my all time artists but really should be higher Thoroughly enjoyed!
achei que por ser álbum de metal ia ser mais pesado mas acho que estava confundindo com heavy metal. gostei bastante do álbum.
Na ginástica, um adolescente de 15 anos consegue superar a performance de um medalhista de ouro olímpico de 1960. Na música, uma criança - não muito maior que a guitarra que ela segura - consegue tocar o riff de N.I.B sem grandes dificuldades. Porém, será que eles teriam a habilidade necessária para realizar esses feitos há meio século atrás, quando ninguém jamais havia feito ? É sempre uma questão interessante, a comparação entre a criação de algo versus o aperfeiçoamento do mesmo. Muitas vezes, é uma comparação do velho com o novo - de uma época revolucionária e experimental versus uma época de melhoria e perfeição. Na música, quantos artistas e bandas antigas são desmerecidas pela simplicidade apresentada em sua composição quando comparada com artistas recentes ? Quantas bandas desafiaram a norma, revolucionaram um estilo, apenas para serem ultrapassadas em habilidade logo em seguida e terem o seu nome jogado no vazio do esquecimento ? É necessário um certo brilhantismo para ser o pioneiro de algo e continuar não só relevante, como servindo de referência e inspiração por mais de 50 anos. Black Sabbath foi, é e continuará sendo essencial para todo artista que decidir se aventurar no heavy metal.
no es mi sonido
I enjoyed quite a lot as non metal fan. This album is pioneer for heavy metal
It was okay. Short and sweet. Feels like so need to be high to really enjoy it.
53 years later and this classic still holds up. Who would have imagined that one of the best things to happen to rock music, and created an entire genre, all came about because the Tony Iommi lost the tips of two of his fingers. He down-tuned to allow him to play the guitar. And the rest is history.
I can appreciate it.
It's Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. Possibly the greatest album opener of all time. Also has NIB. Also way more jazzy than you'd expect. Classic.
m............... no se, valoro poco el rock pero safan 2 canciones, maximo 4, no m gusto, se me hicieron muy largas las canciones 4/10
Quality metal album, I can imagine how ground breaking this must have been in 1970. Can totally see the foundations of Black Sabbath went on to become from this album as well. Quality!
Probably the heaviest album ever at that time.
Incredibly heavy for 1970.
Banger Sabbath album.
I’ve never heard this record before. It reminds me of satanic panic. First song, self title and the namesake of the band, it’s got a real sinister sound to it. The Wizard is a lot more fun and almost has some precursor elements of War Pigs in the chord progression. Some real good jams. Ozzy’s vocal layering kind of sounds like a goblin sometimes. I saw him perform once and he was reading his songs on the teleprompter. We are so used to hearing the same old stuff (two songs) by this band but you forget that the guy can sing!! Some awesome noodling too honestly
Signs of things to come
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
Kind of boring. Not a huge fan of Ozzy’s voice.
Birth of many genres. Metal, doom, stoner rock. Iommi is a beast with raw riffs spread throughout.
Yuck man
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 Sabbath debut is timeless in recording all the elements of later heavy styles, but lighter. The feat hasn't quite been duplicated, and over Black Sabbath it's not clear whether that's good or bad. To get noisier is a gimmick, but one that works; Meanwhile, the band dispenses with gimmick almost entirely. Victim of divergent European and American pressings, the album gnaws with the question of definitive version.
Pretty great album, never thought I’d like Sabbath, but have really enjoyed their early stuff
First Black Sabbath album I've ever listened to... somehow... which I guess is the whole point of this project! Banging album! More accessible than I expected. And always nice to hear a bunch of 20-somethings finding their way in music.
ozzy used to be so cool
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.
Actually geriau, nei tikejausi. Still eh. Bet nu gal bsk maziau eh negu kiti 3 zvaigzduciu, tai 4 ig
Classic
Decent listen. Not as bad as expected
Cool riffs but I generally prefer Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio as a vocalist
This album surprised me in enjoyment
Meh
The birth of metal and an amazing album.
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.
Very important, but has been done better by other bands since. Didn't realise there would be harmonica!
Wizard
Classic, not as good as Paranoid but almost
Evil. Thick. Heavy. Dissonant at times. What else can I say? You know what time it is.
The cover promises and happy jaunt , to enjoy the best of the english countryside. Promise delivered. File under Q for Quaint english heavy rock that sounded mean and naughty and worth banking even, but now is just soothing to sit down to with a warm flat pint at the end of a day being British. Funny that.
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
Good and highly influential.
I dig 'em. Blues-y and rocking, I'll come back to this (and their next few albums) for sure.
Not the Birmingham crew's best album, but music today would not be the same without it
I particularly like the song The Wizard, but this album doesn't have the refined voice of other Sabbath albums, and doesn't have as many tracks that feel tineless like other albums. A great moment in musical history but far from perfect.
Wow! I'd never heard this before and it's really something else. It really was the start of something big.
Yeah this is a fucking banger. You try singlehandedly creating an entire genre of rock
3 stars
Bill bättre än ja trodde
Solid debut laying the grounds to be improved upon only a few months later. 🤟
Superb cover! Och för att objektivt ha uppfunnit metal-genren är musiken ganska bra.
Very raw and straight forward but very exciting. Will definitely re-listen to this album. 3.6/5
I was honestly surprised at how many songs off of this album I recognized. I've listened to other Sabbath albums, but never this one before. This album definitely has an immature sound relative to Paranoid, but all of the elements are here. It's a cool landmark in the history of heavy metal, and it makes it easy to see how blues rock became the heavy metal of the 80s that I'm more familiar with 4/5
Heel erg vet. Grondleggers van een genre, en dat kunnen maar weinig bands zeggen.
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.
Classic
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!
Through cultural osmosis I had an opinion about Black Sabbath well before I heard a song from them, let alone a full album. I eventually got into Sabbath through Paranoid (a route I still recommend). I can't imagine the impact of Black Sabbath when it came out in 1970, but if I have my Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Coven dates correct, it feels both revolutionary and totally expected. So I try to set aside all the baggage and just listen. Opening with church bells and rain signals that things are supposed to be ominous. Black Sabbath and The Wizard are the standout tracks for me. They're the two I'd always put on a Sabbath mix. And let's not let it pass unremarked that Black Sabbath open Black Sabbath with Black Sabbath. There is a statement there. When things settle into mostly medium-paced rock with the occasional psychedelic blues-jam vibe — de rigueur for the day — the album no longer feels special as the debut of such an influential band. But there's enough heaviness that it isn't something you'd feel a need to renounce artistically either. All in all, it starts impressively strong — making a case that this is a band to pay attention to — and but settles into heavy jam-blandness at the end. Had it finished with a metal wallop as strong as it opened, this would be a full 5-star release. But surely each of these 4 stars is drawn upside down and in a circle with wax from the candles dripping on the wooden floor of some ritual listening room...okay I get it, this album haunts me some...let's say it's 4.5 rounding up to 5.
Ja echte klassieker, lekker hoor
What is this …. The Devil’s interval …
Wow, what a debut album! This has some of Sabbath's best tracks on it - the title track, The Wizard and NIB Give your ears a treat and put this on. LOUD!!!!
Black Sabbath is the debut album by the English heavy metal band of the same name. This album is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album. Amazingly, the album was recorded in a single day - consisting of the band's live set - and overdubs and mixing took place the following day. Dismissed by critics at release, the debut album has been lauded in recent years for being an innovative heavy blues rock album that ushered in the heavy metal genre. It was cool hearing the first album from Black Sabbath, and I actually enjoyed it. The sense of doom that the music instills is trippy and the guitar riffs are invigorating. Great album!
Really good. Not heavy. Interesting riffs. Quite lo-fi.
Just what you’d expect from 1970 rock.
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.
Hell yeah
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.
The original metal album. Spawned an entire genre of music. Learned about it in Metal 101 with Professor Duke
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.
Very spooky. Much more in line with my taste in music than a lot of the recent stuff. It’s easy to forget how well Ozzy does as frontman until you really listen to him sing the lyrics. No songs really stood out as total winners to me, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. Everything was just well done and cohesive. A lower 4, but still a 4.
Yeah I mean, I can see why people like it and I understand that it does what good music should do, but I don't like it, it's not for me.
Not my thing, I liked Wasp though. 1.5 but I’ll channel my inner Mark Charron and round up for charity
My favorite Black Sabbath record, but how much does that really mean? It’s like a third grader saying their favorite movie. This is even better than I remembered. I only remembered liking Black Sabbath (song), but the whole album is great. More like a 3.5 for me, but closer to a 4.
Bands everywhere wish they had a debut album like Black Sabbath. Historical significance aside, there are so many instant classics on here that the band was swooped up in success. Fantastic.
Heavy af this totally rips!! I like it for the same reason Led Zep 1 is my favorite LZ album, I can't get enough of those heavy riffs!
Cool, a bit of classic metal, before it got too deathy and too, too heavy.
Very strong debut from Black Sabbath - a fan
He didn’t accidentally chop his fingers off. Satan took them as payment. 1 soul plus 2 fingers equals iconic heavy metal success.
Beautifully crafted. Wonderful piece of music. Looking forward to listening again. Reminds of early Tool songs in terms of lyricism and drum beats.
classic
Fantastic. Entry level Metal but so pivotal.
A foreshadow of what was to come
Black Sabbath!!!!!!!!
Quite the slow burn intro. Honestly not as metal as anything modern. More akin to stoner/psychedelic rock. Delightfully fuzzy guitars and baleful vocals.
3.5/5. Good, bit not their best. This album certainly sounded like a debut album. I prefer Paranoid over this.
Any doubts?
Może nie tak dobre jak Paranoid, ale wciąż kawał porządnej pionierskiej muzyki. 4.5/5
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.
Very good rock
It reminded me a bit of led zeppelin.
Incredible classic rock!
Этот альбом скорее граничит над металом и психоделическим роком того времени, ежели является чем-то одним. Как прародитель самого жанра он воспринимается вполне хорошо, из особенного могу выделить виртуозные соло и инструментал в целом.
Less metal like then I originally expected. Went in thinking I wouldn't like it and was pleasantly surprised.
Needless to say it’s a classic. Deservingly so. It’s been a long time since I listened to this start to finish. Forgot how strong it is all the way through. Lyrics are corny in places, but the album is outstanding in spite of that. Heavy. Amazing riffs. Still really bluesy. Geezer always has something cool going on with the bass. Need to put this in more often.
classic HARD rock
A little too heavy for my tastes.
Going into this album I had some concerns as my idea of metal was very superficial. This was my first metal album and I was surprised by the depth metal and Black Sabbath had to offer. The intro "Black Sabbath" perfectly builds up momentum and continually adds unique sounds giving the song such replayability as I hear new parts of the instrumental every time. The next song "The Wizard" has some of the best riffs I have ever heard. Plus the addition of the harmonica gives the song another dimension, it's kinda bluesy. This song is a perfect example of how diverse/multifaceted metal can be. "N.I.B" is such a well rounded song and my favourite performance from Ozzy, also the RIFFS! Ozzy's unique delivery and vocal presence throughout the album is very captivating. "Evil Woman" showcases Ozzy's storytelling skills again showing the how the wrong the mainstream idea of metal is. The final song Wicked world also shows show the range of Ozzy as he delivery is rough yet almost has a smooth blues delivery at times. ALSO the RIFFS!! My main complaint is less about the album but the Spotify recored as it splits the audio to left and right. In some cases its seamless but in other cases it feels like one side of my headphones have stopped working. Best Songs: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B, and Evil Woman, Wicked World Worst Songs: N/A 9/10 - Certified Classic
WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME
I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice I do not like his voice by choice. I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice. To me it is discordant noise. I do not like it here or there. I do not like it anywhere I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice I do not like his voice by choice. I do not like any Sabbath song They make my head just feel all wrong I do not like any Sabbath tune I would rather be on the moon. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like any Sabbath song They make my head just feel all wrong. I will not listen in the rain. Listening causes too much pain. Not in the dark! Not in a tree! Not in a car! You let me be! I will not listen in our house. I will not listen to them in Laos. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not think they’re misunderstood. I just don’t think they’re any good. Apologies to Dr Seuss!
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.
First, what an amazing album cover. This band did so much to solidify its legacy right out of the gate — evocative band name, sinister sounding guitars tuned to whatever note that is, ability to turn blues' riffs into sinister slow boils, lyrics that are one part horror movie and one part everyman poetry... it's no wonder this band is still a force. Still, somehow, I never loved Black Sabbath. I totally dig some of their major hits, I absolutely love what they represent, I get what makes them masters of the genre, but I don't particularly enjoy listening to the band. Maybe it's the sludgy guitars, maybe it's the incessant slow throb or Ozzy's particular pitch... whatever it is, they've never been a band I dug into. But this listen gave me a real appreciation for the blues foundation this band is built on and also showcased musicality (and drumming) that might not always get appreciated amid the unholy trappings that the group is best known for. Great debut album.
Fuck yeah. I've always loved this album, ever since I first heard The Wizard. I know it's not their most popular album or their most consistent, but damn, they never sounded as huge, nor did they ever swing as hard as they do here. Huge props to the rhythm section. Bill Ward is criminally underrated as a drummer, but this album succeeds largely because of him. He always keeps things interesting, somehow managing to morph jazz drumming into metal. You'd be hard-pressed to find another album that's more influential than this one. Hell, the title track alone invented an entire genre of music (and even the sub-genre of doom metal, if you care enough). How many songs invented a new genre? Plus, this album is just so much damned fun, even on side two where things get a lot less focused. Highlights: the bass on Behind the Wall of Sleep, the lone cowbell hit on The Wizard, Ozzy's singing throughout, but especially on that title track where he sounds like Satan himself, and Tony "I invented 12 legendary riffs before breakfast" Iomi's guitar playing on the title track and his Flamenco-inspired bit on side two. Oh, and that album cover is one of my all-time favorites. I also love how much the critics hated these guys. Fuck the critics. I encourage everyone to watch their live 1970 show in Paris. Amazing stuff. Such fantastic energy. The band at its peak, before the drugs and alcohol did their damage. 40 minutes of perfection.
This album cover haunted me as a kid. All my brother had to do was flash this album cover (or Toys in the Attic) and I would run screaming. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this listen more than I thought. I wish I had the musical vocabulary to describe that distinct sound I hear over and over in Black Sabbath---dun dun dun du du... It's the beginning of Iron Man but I hear in nearly all of their songs. Is this part of their kitsch? I thought Black Sabbath was all Ozzy's brainchild. Having read the Wikipedia entry it's really Tony Iommi and the accident he had in a sheet metal factory at 17 that is the driving force and sound: "an accident at a sheet metal factory where he was working at the age of 17 in which the tips of the middle fingers of his fretting hand were severed. Iommi created a pair of false fingertips using plastic from a dish detergent bottle and detuned the strings on his guitar to make it easier for him to bend the strings, creating a massive, heavy sound." Now THAT is metal! However, I would classify Black Sabbath as rock. Good rock with a groove I can dig. They are nowhere near as scary nor hard as I thought as a kid. SIDENOTE: I saw Ozzy and family at the Roxy one wild NY night. Kelly was singing "Papa Don't Preach" at the club and we nearly got kicked out because Keith kept saying "hi" and trying to shake his hand.
My 2nd Black Sabbath album so far. The more I hear them, the more I really like them. Incredible album especially as a debut. They really inventes a new sound and feeling.
Black Sabbath voru greinilega fínir alveg frá upphafi. Greinilegt hvaðan áhrifin koma.
fantastic debut, still holds up
Liked a couple of songs
It was a new music genre to me, but good mood music
Not as good as I was expecting it to be. 3*
Very good. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 in reality.
Bluesier than I was expecting. It's neat seeing where their sound started vs what it evolved into once Paranoid came out.
Title says a lot. Imagine hearing this drop in 1970...shocking! Riffs galore. The world wasn't ready.
I somehow missed Black Sabbath in my early teens when I listened to a ton of hard rock. I don't really understand how and why I did, but, hey, it happened. Anyway, listening to them now, I hear how great they were and the major role they played in a whole offshoot of rock music. What's particularly interesting to this album, at least the way I experience it, is how it doesn't sound stuck in time to me the way so many albums from the past can sound. I read the Wikipedia entry about how it was recorded, and I honestly believe that played a very big part in helping the album not to sound too much like the year in which it was recorded and produced. The band went into the studio and performed their live set, recording the whole thing in about 12 hours. Not much at all was done to the tracks in production. I just can't shake the feeling that had they gone the usual route with lots of overdubbing, effects, and so on, it would've been fine but would very much sound like a rock band in 1970 than what it sounds like to me. Fantastic.
Good metal music. Not something I would listen to often.
This was quite a bit different from what I expected, but it was great. Interestingly, I thought the two most popular tracks were the two weakest ones on the album. Getting into a groove on hard rock tracks is so impressive to me. Favorite track: Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Basically / N.I.B.
like like like
metal slay
Some groovy cuts, though not exactly my jam.
idk, mid. pretty basic and boring. BLEHHHHH :P
Goddam! 4.5/5
the world today is such a wicked place
This is a classic. Not Sabbath at their best as far as I'm concerned (I like later and RJD-era better), but they had to start somewhere. And this is probably the beginning of what we know as metal. It has remarkable legs and resilience.
Very good early Sabbath, 3.5 stars
I like Black Sabbath but I don’t consider this their best album
Pelottaako... ehei... hehhe... kaverit yrittää pelotella... no ei pelota aikuista miestä.. BLUE CHEER KUULTU ALBUMI JO!!! tämä ehkä enemmän vielä enempi heavy sound... Hankala sanoa onko parempaa... Laitetaan sama arvosana... Loppupuoli toisaalta aika tylsä.. NIB paras biisi.. Toimii.. en sit tiiä toimiiko muut niin hyvin... En ole asiantuntija.. alan... OLEN! TIEDÄN!... ei toimi niin hyvin... Nib suosituin... niin... kertonee...
Didn’t like it as much as Paranoid but it was good
Very nice album. Great atmosphere. black Sabbath and NIB alone 5 stars
Better than Paranoid in my opinion. Great opener and closer.
Decent stuff
No impact
Legendary. This album is so damn good.
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!
I had never really delved into the Black Sabbath album. Was more of a fan of Paranoid album. On Black Sabbath, I was instantly drawn to the production. The drums sound awesome. And the style has early elements that were much more polished in some later material. All in all very good.
notes - again! - referred to as the first heavy metal album - pretty much entirely recorded live - i love the quote from drummer bill ward “we werent old enough to be clever” - the whole album feels very honest because of it - much more bluesy than paranoid other than the first song - i prefer paranoid between the 2 fav - the wizard - i like the harmonica and drums a lot on this least fav - not sure…. theyre all pretty much on the same level 4/5
Surprisingly entertaining from end to end. I'm not usually one for doom and gloom; I didn't expect to like it so much. I guess I can see why Ozzy is famous now! (at least at first)
Could I really be a Black Sabbath fan?
Choons
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
Classic Black Sabbath, really good listen. Two tracks not available on Spotify
Just as classic as a 1970 Chevelle
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...
Just because something is a first, doesn't mean it's good. There is some passable stuff on this record. But you have to wait for it. And the solos are so out of place. Where's the flow?
Metal baby!
🤘🤘🤘🤘
There was no bad part in this album, it was all just amazing metal the whole time.
Brilliant
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.
Wow! I’m used to all the typical mess that every jock had in their tape deck when ACDC wasn’t playing…but this was better than expected. Really good
Vreh
good good
Decent saturday, mild social, hang with the HC WC boy, good stuff but be smart
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Black sabbath, NIB, Evil woman, Warning
Historic, influential, inventive. Meanders at times but finishes strong.
Great metal album
Other than N.I.B. Which I knew previously, I did not find anything remarkable about the album. I feel bad that the beginning made me think of Riders on the Storm, which obviously came out later, I could not lose the comparison. I know this is an unfair comparison, but the album sounds like it wants to be Led Zeppelin with Eddie Van Halen guitar solos and not quite meeting either.
amazing album
Of course this album is immensely impressive - not only for being the prototype heavy metal album, but also for how developed the sound and style is. Tony Iommi's riffs are legendary - as on 'The Wizard' - and his unique way of playing definitely guided the band towards a heavier sound. 52 years later and 'Black Sabbath' x3 is still one of the best doom tracks ever written. Lastly, the production throughout this really is something else, with the vocal pan on 'Behind the Wall of Sleep' being a highlight. The whole process of recording the album in one session seems to have added a unique element to the atmosphere and overall feel.
Few albums actively defined a whole genre like Black Sabbath. But even fewer albums contain songs that lunged more than one genre almost a decade out into the future; as is the case with “Black Sabbath” and “N.I.B.”. It’s unbelievable that this was recorded in just half a day from just the band playing their live set. Jesus, what I wouldn’t give to have seen an early Sabbath-show. The whole band is as good as they ever were - which is almost surreal considering this is their debut. Especially Ozzy’s vocals are mixed to perfection. The panned production on “Behind the Wall of Sleep”? Holy shit. It’s hard to fathom that this record is actually more than half a century old.
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 have listened to this album many times, I think it's my 5th favorite Black Sabbath album. I love all of these tracks, but my favorites are "The Wizard" and "Wicked World."
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
This probably could have been a 5-star review for me, but I just really did not get the title track opener. I understand it's dark and morbid and what propelled Black Sabbath into defining a new genre, but it just didn't do it for me. The rest of the album absolutely slayed, however. It was more reminiscent of the progression of blues rock (i.e. Led Zeppelin) than it was "heavy metal" but I get that it's just a deeper sound. They totally nailed it.
Good shit
Kick ass album, never heard doom metal before but its fun and heavy. The riffs are killer and drums pound.
4.5
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.
Great album
It’s not as heavy as I thought it would be to be honest which to be fair is good for me as i’am not really a fan of super heavy music. I think the 1,2 punch of having black sabbath and the wizard as the first two tracks was an amazing choice with the brooding riff that runs through black sabbath and on the wizard who would expect for a harmonica to be used on a metal track? I didn’t mind Behind a wall of sleep but it does feel like a letdown after those two. N.I.B also hit me as a very interesting track with lots of layers definitely not something that I would expect from an album recorded in the late 60’s and released just into 1970. Evil woman is an odd choice for the album it’s a jumpy little cover song but that bass work is nice. Sleeping village is almost two tracks in one first a short creepy little poem of sorts then it’s a flurry of little separate instrumental tracks not a personal favourite but great from the critical perspective. Like evil woman, warning is also a cover but unlike evil woman, warning is proper black sabbath tune especially like how much instrumental work there is here. 4/5
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
It’s got some good songs on there, it’s definitely too short and not the best they have. It was enjoyable and I could definitely see myself listening to it again. The stories behind the songs are very interesting too, the inspiration is cool
I like the instrumentals but I’m not really a fan of the lyrical content - it’s a bit too “dark” for my liking.
Super dark. Really liked. Going to dive into the liner notes and wikipedia. Felt like something my older brother would listen to while I was listening to Poison and Def Leopard.
Amazing guitar-driven storm that ravaged the music scene in the 1970 and haunted it ever since. I know a lot of heavy blues and dark sounding rock that came before this, but after listening to this, I decided that yes. "Black Sabbath" is definitely the evil growl that triggered the avalanche of heavy metal in the music scene. The first thing that I heard are thunderclaps and rain, then the iconic tritone riff. I love the doomsy vibes of it, but my favorites are the wilder ones. Those riff-driven hard rocking tales really turned this album from slacky blues to a total dark storm. I love it as a whole. However, I have mixed feelings some parts of it. Ozzy's vocals is a big debate among the listeners. I was never a fan of that one, although I agree that it has a personality that fits the theme. I don't think it will be the same with different vocals. Another is the instrumentals, especially the last ten-minute track. I know it is driven by riffs from Iommi, whose damaged fingers gave way to their signature sound. But it mostly sounds like a demo. Of course, an album created out of a single twelve hour session could sound like that. But I don't think it means that the album needs a 10-minute demo session of random riffs. It has some good parts though, and maybe if those riffs were developed into a couple of songs, it would've been better.
One of the best albums ever
the intro gives chills. ozzie is crazy and i love it. this album is so weird but so good.
This album was a game-changer. One of the creepiest low-res album covers ever ... an album leading off with thunder and then the "Devil's Interval" (tritone - which ancient cultures and probably today's fking amerikkkan south thought that simply playing notes in this interval - you'll know it when you hear it - conjured the devil.) ... dark and ugly songs that talk of possession and unfriendly/otherworldly spirits... Never done before. Probably never even *thought* of before. This will be the 8 millionth time someone has written "the birth of heavy metal" but it's more like the birth of doom/dark/"satanic"/scary metal-music. If you just know the name "Black Sabbath" or "Ozzy!" and have either never heard them or only heard the (few) radio hits, this is not gonna be what you expect. Sure I'll take a nostalgic teenaged trip and enjoy the cheesy Ozzy 80s "metal" (not metal) hit "Shot In the Dark" on occasion but that wasn't dangerous or frightening in any way (unless you saw Ozzy's makeup and outfit in the video). This album is terrifying - laugh if you will but try sitting in the dark by yourself after midnight...no other media or lights... and putting this album on at a high volume. A lot of it is slow. Sludge/stoner metal. There's no 80s wall-of-sound/guitars; rather in many/most places there's a lot of *space* which 100% contributes to the creepy feel. There's *harmonica* on this album. And then there's the vocals. Ozzy is... well, Ozzy. And there was nobody who sounded like him before and maybe since. Also and especially for 1970 it just sounds so fantastic - it sounds like the band is almost live in front of you (I mean, you can of course hear double-tracked guitars and vocals but there's a natural reverb to the entire mix and with enough .... kinda-sloppy playing it's easy to imagine 75% of this as being recorded in one take). If anything negative, I do tire a little of the album by the end - the uncomplicated blues-riffery starts to get stale and I find that I never want to put this on repeat, so for that I dock a point from personal preference. But if someone has to come up with a short list of albums that influenced millions of musicians and listeners forever after, this is a slam dunk. You very well might hate it, but you'll not deny the unique place this holds in rock history. 8/10 4 stars.
Gothic, not too harsh, relatively tame by today's standards, made me listen to more from them
fkn bangin
Darkness Baby
Meh.
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.
I guess it’s an age thing. In the 1970’s I lived in a lot of share-households. I saw & heard a lot of record collections. This wasn’t in any of them. My brother, 8 years younger than me, was the first person I knew with a Sabbath lp, but that was their 2nd album, the one with Paranoid on it. It’s the only track of theirs I could name in a line-up and I’ve always liked it. This album is totally new to me & I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything in the intervening half-century. Derivative & boring.
Oh this album does it for me. Quickly recorded (one day recording, one day mixing, almost no overdubs, except for some sound effects and the occasional double tracked solo), this band accidentally turned their limitations into a whole new genre. Guitar and bass playing unison riffs, sludgy rhythms, wildly bent notes, horror movie lyrics, heavy distortion all feature here as marks of a road-tight but not particularly technically competent band recording exactly as they played live. I listen to a lot of doom metal and stoner rock, and accidental features of this record have been copied and codified into key elements of the genre (eg, the wah bass solo at the opening of NIB, the slow, simple riffs in the title track, the double tracked solos, the tri-tone, unison riffing). There is still a vestigial tail of Sabbath wanting to be a heavy blues band in the English fashion, but they clearly aren't Led Zeppelin, and you can see them discovering the things that made them Black Sabbath here (the name, the Hammer horror lyrics, the riffs!) which will reach its peak on the next few albums. The next few albums (Paranoid, Masters of Reality, Vol. 4) are the real classics, but I love the freshness and immediacy of this album. It was hated by critics at the time, but I love it.
So it begins
Fucking amazing. Way ahead of their time.
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.