Black Sabbath

R.I.P Ozzy.

Did the 1,001 random daily album generator deliver this to me coincidentally on the morning after Ozzy passing? Or did somebody at List HQ override the system? I’d like to think that the Rock Gods made it happen. Ok, so I’m determined not to let yesterday’s news drive some kind of misty-eyed overly generous rating, so I’ll simply just give it the 5 stars it deserves. It is absolutely brilliant and genre defining. RIP Ozzy 😢🤘🏻

RIP Ozzy, this is where it all started for many a rock/metal band. Absolutely epic

Really liked

ou o CLIMA pesadíssimo da primeira música desse aqui vai tomar no cu. eu me CAGARIA se escutasse isso na época, sério mesmo. além dessa capa que é top 5 capas. acho lindíssima, pprt além disso, apesar de N.I.B ser minha música preferida deles, eu acho o resto do album meio bobo. mas fazer o que. eh literalmente um album que SE DEVE escutar antes de morrer. eh isso né vamo que vamo rock neles!

Klapa iz Birminghama❤️

This is where it all started. Black Sabbath wasn't necessarily the first heavy metal band, and there were other heavy metal songs before this record was unleashed, but this was where blues rock and hard rock crossed over to the other side, quite literally. Every single doom metal band to this day owes everything to the title track, and the gnarly, nasty funk of "N.I.B." inspired a litany of sub-genres. It was just about a week ago that these legends played their last show ever, sending off a career of over 55 years. Long live Black Sabbath.

So clearly a lot of the talk around this is Ozzy and the guitar riffs, but that bass man. That bass.

Sad timing, this record showed up the day Ozzy died... The album is good, most songs I would call rock rather then metal, but a few songs are prototypical metal. Influence on other musicians is obvious. For that alone 5 stars.

Amazing. The first Sabbath song I ever heard was The Wizard, and it's still amazing. I never used to like the title track, but now all of a sudden I'm a fan!

Well, what is left to say...legendary.

spooky

Automatic 5 stars for first heavy metal album in history

Nib was the highlight song for me, but I can't disagree with 5 stars. Great instrumentals. Must've been kind of mental hearing this in 1970.

Wicked chaos of mythical proportions

This is heavyweight and the foundation of so much modern hard rock including grunge.

Hail Satan.

Black Sabbath... cmon!

One of the rare albums that "disrupts" music, to borrow from Dimery himself. I learned that they recorded this beast in one day, mostly single takes. And it sounds like it. Fresh and spontaneous, very stripped down, not a lot of production - just four dudes playing music. That said, there is some complexity and innovation going on. The guitar and bass tone, the heavy handed drumming, Ozzy's off-kilter raspiness, all coalesce around a sense of foreboding and pain. Like the fact that it was made in a day or two, everything about the album is strange, from the guitar sound to the jazzy interludes to Ozzy's weird vocals. Somehow this all worked to produce a heavy metal masterpiece.

The album that birthed metal as we knot it today, screaming and praising Satan. Prince of darkness is on fine form making for a very atmospheric album without being too "brutal" for it to be unapproachable.

did they invent heavy metal or something???

Nice slow shredding rock

I would usually say that the longer some genre exists, the better it gets, as over time artists get a bigger and bigger catalogue of pieces they can reflect upon to find a way to improve. It doesn’t always happen, but it is usually the case; and in the instances it is not, most of the time, the genre is past its peak of popularity, and the improvements are not as noticeable because fewer people make it. Judging by that logic, Black Sabbath's self-titled, which is widely believed to be the first metal album, could only be mediocre at best... Except it isn't. Yeah, sometimes someone makes something so good that it is still arguably one of the best the genre has to offer even decades later despite technological advancement and countless talented musicians it’s seen since. And it’s not like metal lacks bangers. It’s the riffs, man. This record is a collection of some of the best riffs out of any album ever, in my opinion. They’re simple but so satisfying and appropriately heavy (well, as heavy as they could make in the 70s, at least), further amplified by fantastic bass performance. One thing can’t usually carry the whole album for me, but the riffs from early Sabbath albums absolutely can. They’re just that good. I like Ozzy’s vocals too, and the writing is atmospheric and sounds pleasant. One problem I’m going to mention is that the treble can be a little obnoxious at times, but it might be the quirk of the specific version I listened to (I hate bad remasters, but most of them are bad somehow). This might not be the heaviest or most technically impressive metal album, but the songwriting absolutely stood the test of time, and it is still incredibly catchy and fun. Your left ear is going to love this! 9/10

Favourite tracks - Black Sabbath, N.I.B., Evil Woman, Don’t You Play Your Games with Me

Great hard rock, less hard than I remembered actually!

5/5

Black Sabbath was one of the most influential rock bands in my lifetime.

CLASSIC DEBUT! I F***ING LOVE SABBATH

The mother of metal

A legendary album and legendary band. I remember as a young kid seeing this album in my parents vinyl collection and the first time I heard the title track...holy shit! This is an easy 5 star in my book.

The instrumentals in this are insane. First of its kind in a darker style metal. The lead guitarist sliced 2 of his finger tips off at age 17 and put melted plastic bottles as prosthetics so he could play.

Classic and not the Ozzy who became his own caricature. Genuinely foundational metal album.

The original and the trend setter.

I grew up loving Ozzy Osbourne but never really listened to Black Sabbath before hearing this album. For this being their first album they ever made, it was completely and utterly fantastic. The musicianship was top notch, and of course Osbourne’s voice is just incredible. I could go back and listen to it again and again, and there isn’t a single song I would skip. I feel like I’ve been missing out all my life on this band!

A great classic metal record. The title track is so good probably one of the best songs of all time. The bass playing and guitar as is consistent with future Black Sabbath releases is mesmerising. 9/10 Favourite: Black Sabbath Least Favourite: None

I loved it when it came out, and still do! I wonder how many other musical genre's owe their start to industrial accidents?

yassss year 10 me is happy

The way blues influences appear on this album remind me of Led Zeppelin. But most of all, I was really surprised by the overall talent of the musicians. I had always known Black Sabbath set the standard for their genre, but never really appreciated them beyond the rare radio single our small town stations would play around here (and usual very late at night). I was sort of expecting to hear Spinal Tap when I hit play on this. But I now understand that film wasn’t parodying this band, or at least this iteration of them, but everybody who was trying to be them.

It's not my favorite Sabbath album, but it's excellent. For birthing a massive genre and for it's raw originality, though, it's a 5* album.

5 This is my first! I know this one like the back of my hand. Bill Ward swings so hard. 5.0 naturally. The first of six straight classics.

Black Sabbath - godfathers of heavy metal You would have thought the first heavy metal album would need some perfecting, some changes to be made, but nah. These guys pretty much mastered it off the get go. Riffs and solos, phenomenal. But my favourite bits of this album are the basslines, see N.I.B for the best example. Love the bluesy elements too I've tried to think of a fault for this album but honestly I'm struggling Best part is it's not even their best album. Not even second or third best either. Paranoid, Vol. 4, Heaven and Hell, Master of Reality, and possibly Sabbath Bloody Sabbath are all better than this, despite this being an easy 5. Just shows you how fucking insane Black Sabbath are.

this is the eerier album from paranoid, so good, more raw and really showcases the band very well, the first song sets the scene perfectly and all songs go together so well, i think it might be my favourite sabbath album, amazing, rest in peace ozzy

The G.O.A.T of Heavy Metal lp’s…period!

BLACK SABBATH. This is the best album here so far. Damn I've listened to some songs here, but not the album fully. This is a blessing toy ears. Last 4-5 albums were so meh, that I started to dissappoint. My faith has restored. Now this is the birth of heavy-metal here, one best albums oat. Trully an album to listen to while alive. Songs saved: all.

Like it or not, first metal album of all time is vital. Fortunately, Black Sabbath aren’t only the first, but one of the best.

duroo

92% Best: Black Sabbath; Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B.; Wicked World Must-Hear? Yes. Every track is killer.

My least favourite of their first six albums but that opener and NIB. The Wizard and Evil Woman are fun too. The Wizard especially probably deserved to stay in their set longer.

4.5 - Great

Which version, the one I grew up with didnt have Wicked World? Doesn't matter, it's still great.

Really impressive, perhaps not surprising. I like some metal, but never took a deep dive into the past. I should have. I can only imagine the fear the establishment and parents had when this came out. Thanks BS, for ushering in a new era of music for us all. Five dark pentagrams.

10/09/2025 I've only ever listened to classic Sabbath songs before, but i enjoyed this.

This album is fantastic. Has been a top album of mine for years and years. It's rare you get so much talent in one group. It's a classic metal album. Arguably the "First". And the influence of all that came after this 1970 classic is incredible. easy 5/5

Sickest album ever

Fantastic

dit is hoe een debuut plaat moet klinken... boenk erop van eerste tot laatste noot...

Even on a Monday morning, this album gives that laying between two giant speakers, stereo at 10 feeling. 5 stars or A-.

One of the greatest albums of all time. Created and defined the whole Metal genre. Iommi's innovative approach to electric guitar has inspired five generations, and his influence shows no sign of fading. This album was my musical awakening. I bought it the first time I saw it on the shelf, and it has never left my stack of favorites.

Before this, I had mainly just known War Pigs and Iron Man, and while I enjoyed them, I never felt the need to dive deeper into their discography. I'm glad I got this album, because it really solidified in my head what Black Sabbath was and why they were great. There were no bad tracks, and it took me two listens to even pick a favorite. I ended up going with the last track, because it most exemplified my favorite parts of the album. Favorite Track: A Bit of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning

Oooooh shit. The guitar on this slaps. Am I a Sabbath fan now? I guess so

A very powerful sense of dread

One of my favorites. The one that started it all. My friends and I would listen to this album in the dark and dig the heavy sound. This one goes to 11.

Ozzy for life

MASTERPIECE 10/10 (warning is only mid song)

Thanks to the Wizard everything started. One of my most favorite albums.

essential

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🏚️👩🏻‍🦱👻 Production (2009 Remastered): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🖤🌪️🔨🐢💀🔥 Rating: 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇/5

bill ward is such a badass drummer. this is what i consider proper rock and roll. ozzy's vocals are so underrated. he's got the range of bono but actually making good music. changed the course of rock and roll and also holds up today 55 years later as being heavier than the current hits while also still being accessible.

This is #day253 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… "What is this that stands before me?" Well, a history book of heavy metal, my child. Less than two weeks ago, I got Paranoid, and having listened to it front to back for the first time, I ended up giving it a 5. The band's self-titled debut is, without a doubt, a seminal work, often credited with laying the foundations for doom metal, stoner rock, and whatnot. It's crazy to think it was recorded in a single session... what was it, 12 hours? Just raw energy, captured in a moment of time. It's riff-heavy music, sometimes hilariously over the top, but imagine hearing this 55 years ago... I'm tempted (or rather obliged) to give it a 5, so be it. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day254.

So cool to hear how they were figuring things out. Paranoid definitely benefits from this experimentation. So much harmonica! And jaw harp?!? LOL.

You can only trust yourself and the first four Sabbath albums Half an hour that changed music

This is the first time I've listened to this album in its entirety!! I loved it!! I need this in my collection!!

Banger

fuck yeah. i can hear so many other rock songs that this stuff could be an influence of, no wonder they call him the godfather of heavy metal. Warning, what a ballad!

Yes, yes, yes! You just have to hear the opening and you'll know what it's about. The church bells, the thunderstorm, the riff, and then the cover, all perfectly arranged; "Black Sabbath" begins. Brilliant.

One of the best debut albums of all time.

Am playing catch up and following Ozzy's sad death I thought to tackle all 3 of the Sabbath albums on my to listen list. Had not really listened to much Sabbath before and had previously found Ozzy to be a bit of a clown. Was therefore really surprised how much I enjoyed each of the three albums (Black Sabbath, Paranoid & Vol4) - the rhythm section in particular is really tight with some great hooks and riffs. Dug a little deeper and was fascinated about Ionni's missing digits and how he had to adapt his playing style and how this influenced his way of playing. Fascinating to see how influential these albums were in establishing metal and all its various sub genres. I do not particularly like heavy metal but I do really like Black Sabbath - so will score all albums a 5 - with Paranoid being the stand out.

This is about as good as it gets when it comes to debut albums. I'm coming to find out more and more that there's something about Black Sabbath that scratches my brain in all the right places.

Always enjoy listening to early Sabbath. This album is a good showpiece as to how tight a band Sabbath were. All stand out tracks for me and in particular enjoyed, behind the wall of sleep and NIB this time around.

I like black sabbath by black sabbath on black sabbath

I think this might be the first and only time I give an album a 5* rating halfway through! :) It has been foretold. Utterly brilliant, I forgot just how much I love this first album and how great it sounds. Thank you 1001 :)

Fucking awesome

Arguably the first metal album ever, and what a banger it is. Still a unique sound 50 years on. It does meander a bit in the latter half but still.

godinhos

HERE COMES HEAVY METAL! \m/ well, what... can i say? here's where everything starts. although it's still not as good as "Paranoid", i may say. but still a 5.

Killer album. The noodling gets a bit masturbatory in the last two thirds of the album, but it's a damn good album.

It’s Black Sabbath. The beginning of Heavy Metal starts here!

I love u ozzy

Not much on notes, this was great, and for the 70s? Speechless with how good was this

Thanks Tony, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill for inventing heavy metal, the greatest music genre known to man.

Onhan tämä mestariteos. Ehdottimasti kyseisten veikkojen parasta antia! : ) 5/5

Great album, so ahead of its time and influential while still having a classic bluesy sound

gr8

Great guitar

I like the heavy blues sound

Wow. Never heard this album before and it was brilliant! So many great riffs and guitar solos, right up my street.

My #10 GAOAT! (10) ★★★★★

Best debut album ever Stupendous

I reviewed this in another project I have running in parallel. I gave it a 5 then, I’m giving it a five now. ‘nuff said!

This album is roots for so much and just pure gold.

And now we are back to the albums that define my musical taste. This album never gets old. Absolutely brilliant. Ozzys fresh voice and doomish start for this album make me still go goosebumps.

This is one of my most listened albums of all time, so I'm very partial to it. It's at #80 in my albums top 100 according to last.fm, which doesn't have any listening data from 80's or 90's, starting at about 2004.

Such an incredible and groundbreaking album that, fortunately, still holds up so well today. The atmosphere this album creates is like anything before it and went on to shape music forever. The riffs are amazing, the bluesy songs are great, and most importantly it remains one of the best doom albums to this day. I don't know where this would rank in my overall Sabbath rankings but it is something I come back to often. Metal has changed significantly since this but Black Sabbath still stands on its own today.

you can't go wrong with any of the first six Sabbath albums. their 1970 debut is arguably the first metal album in history so, once again, we're seeing history play out in the listening process! the late '60s were a bit of a mad dash to see how loud and heavy blues rock bands could play before the music they made took on a new identity. while Black Sabbath is, for the most part, a blues album, Tony Iommi's particular use of distortion sends the whole band into a different echelon. (his guitar tone is incredible, by the way.) while Cream had pushed the boundaries of this heavy blues sound just a couple years prior, Sabbath played much harder and even louder. the most obviously metallic song in the bunch is the title track, with its famous tritone riff and slow, ominous tempo. beyond that and the brilliant "N.I.B." (which also has some of the best metal riffs of all time), I think you're better off approaching this as a blues album. that's not to say this isn't metal; since the tropes of the genre were still being established, it just doesn't sound like metal as we think of it today. Paranoid, released just 7 months after Black Sabbath, is a brilliant evolution in approach that I think more truly signals the beginning of heavy metal proper. that being said, one never would've happened without the other, and this debut (their live set at the time, recorded in a single 12-hour session with minimal overdubbing) is an excellent showcase of Black Sabbath's raw talent. decent 9/10.

Classic Loud gloomy doomy listen Perfect album

I don’t there’s ever been a better statement of intent than the storm sounds at the start of this album. I sometimes forget that this album was released the same year as Let It Be. That storm lets you know that a change is coming, and over the next 8 tracks an entirely new genre of rock music will be birthed, kicking and screaming. This is up there with the greatest debut albums of all time and it still feels fresh and exciting to this day. Even the cover is mysterious and sinister in a way that makes you want to listen to is. Geezer Butler doesn’t get enough credit for absolutely carrying this whole record (and band) on the back of his bass lines.

Makes me want to headbang and play air guitar. One of the coolest first records a band has released.

The birth of Heavy Metal. One of the most iconic, influential albums. Masterpiece! Nothing more to add, ignorance is the only route to less than 5 stars.

Look up "rock" in the dictionary, you know what you'll find? You'll find the definition of the word "rock", which this album fucking is.

The most important album ever! Their best? No. But every album in my collection is a descendant of this one. The world would look different without this!

🪦

I had heard the big Sabbath singles and all of Masters of Reality prior to this but I had no idea their debut album was cooking this hard. Instantly went out and bought the vinyl today, so that’s evidence enough of how much I dug it. Maybe 2025 will be the year I get really into heavy metal, the genre formerly known as “bummer rock.” (We should reclaim that genre name!!!)

the definitive introduction to heavy metal, not a single second wasted. lots of brilliant songs on here with before its time playing

Harmonica! Grooves a lot more than I expected it to. Would I put it on for a gathering? No. Would I listen to it at work again? Sure!

# Album Name: Black Sabbath # Artist: Black Sabbath # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: First time listen to this album. Wow, what a great debut album. Sabbath was TIGHT! The quality of this lot is way higher than some bands which have been around for years. The guitar, the bass, the drums, the vocals. Great stuff. Plenty of top notch solo work on this record. This was such an enjoyable album. Great stuff. # Top Tunes: All of it. # Would I listen to it again? Yes

This is not just an album! It is an event captured for eternity, like an insect trapped in amber. It's the preserved moment when blues rock mutated into something so immaculately grotesque that the world couldn't fail to sit up and notice. It's the moment when metal was born....and I love it! it

Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album, released on February 13, 1970, is widely regarded as a groundbreaking work that laid the foundation for heavy metal. Its raw sound, dark themes, and innovative approach to rock music created an entirely new genre. Below is an in-depth review of the album, focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, along with an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. ## **Lyrics** The lyrical content of *Black Sabbath* is steeped in themes of horror, mysticism, and the supernatural. Written primarily by bassist Geezer Butler, the lyrics explore dark and foreboding subjects that were revolutionary for rock music at the time. The opening track, "Black Sabbath," depicts a chilling encounter with Satan, inspired by Butler’s own experiences with occult literature. This song sets the tone for the album with its ominous atmosphere and vivid imagery. Other tracks like "N.I.B." take a more creative approach by presenting a love story from the perspective of Lucifer himself. Meanwhile, "The Wizard" offers a fantastical narrative about a magical figure who spreads happiness and peace—a rare moment of lightness in an otherwise dark album. The lyrics bypass the typical sex-and-drug clichés of the era in favor of exploring fear, existential dread, and mythical storytelling. This thematic choice was both innovative and polarizing at the time but has since become a hallmark of heavy metal lyricism[1][2][5]. ## **Music** Musically, *Black Sabbath* is a masterclass in blending blues rock with darker tonalities to create something entirely new. Tony Iommi’s guitar work is central to this transformation. His use of the tritone (the "devil’s interval") in the title track creates an unsettling atmosphere that defined early heavy metal. Iommi’s riffs are both catchy and menacing, as heard in tracks like "The Wizard" and "N.I.B." His solos often veer into blues territory but are delivered with a heavier edge that distinguishes them from his contemporaries[1][3][5]. Geezer Butler’s bass lines are equally impressive, providing a dense, almost orchestral foundation for the songs. Bill Ward’s drumming is dynamic and inventive, blending jazz-inspired fills with powerful grooves that drive the album forward. Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals are haunting yet accessible; his eerie delivery complements the music’s dark tone while maintaining a melodic quality that makes the songs memorable[1][3]. The album also features moments of experimentation. For instance, "Sleeping Village" begins with an acoustic intro featuring a jaw harp before transitioning into a heavier section. This juxtaposition of light and dark elements showcases the band’s willingness to push boundaries[6]. ## **Production** Recorded in just 12 hours on a modest budget, *Black Sabbath* has a raw and unpolished sound that enhances its authenticity. The simplicity of the recording process allowed the band to capture their live energy without overproducing or sanitizing their sound. While this approach contributes to the album's charm, it also results in some technical imperfections. For example, certain tracks lack the clarity and balance that more time-intensive production might have achieved[1][5]. Despite these limitations, producer Rodger Bain deserves credit for preserving the band’s intensity and atmosphere. The use of sound effects—such as rain and church bells on "Black Sabbath"—adds to the album's cinematic quality without feeling gimmicky. ## **Themes** Thematically, *Black Sabbath* explores fear, evil, and existential dread through its lyrics and music. The industrial backdrop of Birmingham heavily influenced these themes; growing up in a bleak environment shaped the band’s worldview and artistic expression. Tracks like "Black Sabbath" evoke feelings of helplessness against malevolent forces, while others like "Behind the Wall of Sleep" delve into surreal and psychological realms. The album also reflects cultural shifts occurring at the end of the 1960s. As flower power gave way to disillusionment with societal norms, *Black Sabbath* provided an outlet for those seeking something darker and more introspective than mainstream rock could offer at the time. ## **Influence** The impact of *Black Sabbath* cannot be overstated. It is widely regarded as the first heavy metal album, influencing countless bands across multiple subgenres such as doom metal, stoner rock, and thrash metal. Artists like Metallica, Slayer, and Sleep have cited it as a major inspiration. At its release, however, critical reception was mixed. Some dismissed it as derivative or overly simplistic, while others failed to grasp its innovative qualities due to its stark departure from prevailing musical trends. Over time, its historical significance has been recognized; today it is celebrated as one of rock music’s most important albums. ## **Pros** - **Innovative Sound:** The fusion of blues rock with dark tonalities created an entirely new genre. - **Memorable Riffs:** Tony Iommi’s guitar work is iconic and remains influential. - **Atmospheric Lyrics:** Geezer Butler’s horror-inspired lyrics brought depth to rock music. - **Raw Energy:** The unpolished production captures the band’s live intensity. - **Cultural Impact:** The album redefined what rock music could be and inspired generations of musicians. ## **Cons** - **Production Limitations:** While rawness adds charm, some tracks suffer from technical imperfections. - **Repetitive Structures:** Certain songs rely heavily on repetitive riffs or melodies. - **Pacing Issues:** The long buildup in tracks like "Black Sabbath" may feel tedious to some listeners. - **Lyrical Simplicity:** Some critics have argued that the lyrics lack sophistication compared to later works. ## **Conclusion** *Black Sabbath* is not just an album; it is a cultural milestone that reshaped rock music forever. Its combination of innovative musicianship, dark themes, and raw production set it apart from anything else released at the time. While it has minor flaws—mainly due to its rushed production—these do little to diminish its overall impact. For fans of heavy metal or anyone interested in exploring its origins, *Black Sabbath* remains essential listening. Its legacy endures not only in its influence on subsequent artists but also in its ability to evoke powerful emotions more than five decades after its release.

classic

One of the best. Amazing detail in the bass

powerhouse rock!

I liked more than I expected.

I adore Kate Bush. Watching her on TOP as an impressionable 8-year-old, wide eyed and feeling so much, I return over and over again to her. The Kick Inside debut at 18 years old though, Wow, Wow, WOW as she says

Un disco que crea un nuevo género.

Nothing really needs to be said about this classic album. It’s great, it holds up, it launch a thousand ships. Bangers.

It’s rare something from 1970 still sounds quite relevant with a perfect balance between rock metal and blues

Awesome, for some reason I thought it was going to be heavier. Favorite track was the last one, really good

Birth of metal from just the first few notes of this album. Can you think of anything else that is more epic than this album.

Classic! This album never disappoints 1001 album worthy: Yes - 34/60

Recorded in one take, created a new genre. Can't get better than that.

1. Black Sabbath - Good fking start with a dark and sinister sound! Awesome transition! 2. The Wizard - Heavy western style o.O? Very nice use of a Mundharmonika joo! 3. Behind the Wall of Sleep - Nice track but sadly a bit short. 4. N.I.B. - Very known track and it is for a good reason! Really like the switch between a singing guitar saying "No No" and "Oh yeah". Thinking about it makes sense considering the lyrics lol. Ending well done aswell, good breakdown! 5. Evil Woman - Catchy lyrics guided by some iconic guitar riffs and some repetitive funky bass sounds :) nice little solo aswell, me like! 6. Sleeping Village - Didgeridoo! Turning into slow decent riffs, funky ass licks and melodies from both guitars. Geilo transition from those riffs to the next track! 7. Warning - (literial warning) 10 out of fking 10 jo! No need to write more, 10 minutes of pure Awesomeness say more than I could. I wouldn't have enough time to explain anyway. 8. Wicked World - Bringing back the same vibes from "Warning" while keeping a lower profile mostly, allowing the album to end... "Black Sabbath" gets the best available rating!

must've scared the shit out of some parents back in the day eheheheh love it <3 birth of heavy metal yooooooooo!!!!!

God, that title track is terrifying. I didn’t realize how accessible these guys were, like I’ve paranoid and such but damn this is great

Inarguably essential inclusion here as the essential birth of heavy metal as a genre. Sure, it suffers a little bit from the "Seinfeld is unfunny" effect considering how much it set the tone for metal as a whole, and some of it feels a bit corny considering how much darker and more intense metal has gotten in the intervening half-century, but all of that is simply because it was the FIRST. The songs honestly still rip to this day too.

The world today is such a wicked thing Fighting going on between the human race People got to work just to earn their bread While people just across the sea are counting the dead A politician's job they say is very high For he has to choose who's got to go and die They can put a man on the moon quite easy While people here on earth are dying of all diseases A woman goes to work every day after day She just goes to work just to earn her pay Child sitting by but his life's much harder He doesn't even know who is his father Yeah, this is a pretty fucking great album. 5/5

Imagine enjoying Led Zeppelin's first album and then Black Sabbath shows up with this.

Early Sabbath couldn't miss if they tried

👍🏼

Some great prog rock. Love it.

First time listening to Black Sabbath, no idea why I'd never listen to them. Loved it, easy 5.

The very first metal album of all time! Revolutionary and amazing!!! :)

top notch!

Düster, hart, handgemacht.

The song “Black Sabbath” by this band Black Sabbath still sounds scary as hell in 2025. Too bad the singer of this band became a reality show guy.

This probably isn't a 5 star album, but I'm sort of giving up on objective ratings for the day. It was just sort of what I needed to discover and listen to today.

I would love to time travel to 1970 and witness people putting this on for the first time. Album created an entire genre and influenced every metal head going forward.

GOAT, this album created the created music genre of all time and inspired so many amazing bands/artists.

What a debut album! Heavy, melodic, influential and just great.

Hard rock/heavy metal seldomly holds my attention for more than, say, thirty seconds, before it falls apart under its pretenses, inanities, tediums. Zeppelin and Sabbath are the formidable exceptions. It must be that the music Bill War, Geezer Butler, and Tony Iommi orchestrate is authentically blues-inspired, regularly funky, always improvisatory. It doesn't even feel particularly 'heavy,' at least no heavier than its progenitors - congrats to them for that. I can listen to Sabbath's enduring riffs often and gratefully.

OK, so... Indulge me for a second here... ==< [...] >== It was a dark and stormy night — and one with a particularly strong emphasis on the "dark" part. No matter how closely you move your hand to your face, you just can't make it out. In fact, if you were to mose it any closer, you'd be covering your face. Not that that would matter. Besides the occasional crash of lightning trying to pierce through the thick forest covering to light your surroundings, you were basically wandering blind. Trapped in a void that would threaten to swallow you whole, if not for the one thing guiding you: a distant church bell. Every now and then, it would toll, just barely audible above the pounding rain. You weren't sure if this was leading the way home or not — a doubt that continued to grow like a weed in your mind as you approached — but as they say, "Any port in a storm." However, very slowly, you come to a stop. A chill runs down your spine — noticeably, one that seemed to have nothing to do with how you were freezing in this rain. Something, you could just tell, was wrong. Through a large hole in the forest canopy, you could see another bolt of lightning flash, lighting up the forest and the cloudy sky. As well as... Something standing off in the distance. You couldn't tell what it was; it was too far away, shrouded in blur and a silhouette... But you could gather one thing: it was big. Very big. The church bell rang in the distance. Lightning flashed again, and the shape in the distance seemed to have gotten... Bigger? The wind picked up to a sharp howl, which forced you to shut your eyes to keep them from stinging. You rubbed your arms, trying to keep yourself warm, but it was like trying to light a match underwater — good luck with that. The church bell rang in the distance. The wind died down as soon as it picked up. Slowly, you were able to open your eyes again, just in time for lightning to strike once more and... Wait. Through squinted eyes, you wondered: "Did the figure get bigger again? Or... Maybe not bigger, but..." The church bell rang in the distance. As if on cue, a hellishly red fire rose in front of you. It didn't seem to shed much light on your surroundings, but it did reveal this — this **thing** was standing right in front of you. This towering, imposing figure, maybe ten feet high. Like before, it was completely cloaked in shadow, but thanks to the fire raging behind it, its exact shape was even blurry and less clear. One thing you could tell though, and you didn't know how you knew this — it was smiling. It spoke. It was in a language you'd never heard before, but somehow, you understood perfectly well. It spoke of you how you were the chosen one. How you were meant to bring an end to it all. How the figure was there to guide you. You started to laugh. You didn't understand why. You just began to. It was maybe all you could do in the face of this. The figure continued to speak, but you could hardly hear it. Quickly, your laughter was growing louder, overpowering the figure and, shortly, even the rain around you. The figure's grin grew wider and it began to laugh along with you. It spread its mighty wings wide and reached out a clawed hand to take you. By that time, you didn't know if you were laughing or screaming. The forest was dark. Rain poured down in a seemingly endless torrent. The wind whipped around the trees. The church bell rang in the distance. ==< [...] >== Alright, so apologies for all that. Typically, I'm not 100% about the whole "Pitchfork writer who clearly can't wait for his own time to creative writing" mode of reviewing. Like, sure, I like seeing creative writing based on music, but if I come for a review, I come for a review, y'know? However, in this instance, I feel like writing all of that was maybe the only way I could really relay the reverence I have for this album. 'Cuz whatever I actually think about the contents of the album, I'll always hold it up as one of the most important releases in music history, for being the album where metal was born. Like, as far as I'm aware, the history of metal splits into two periods: pre-Sabbath proto-metal (think "Helter Skelter" by The Beatles), and then post-Sabbath. For sure, it's probably way more complicated than that, and I have a whole-ass book to confirm that, but that's just the legend that's been relayed to me, and it's one I've always believed. 'Cuz you've had heavy acts before like Led Zeppelin and that one Blue Cheer album, but nothing compared to even how this album opens. A slow, doomy, detuned riff, crashing drums, lyrics about a nightmarish figure that drives the singer mad, and an outro with a ripping solo. It's incredible. The title track alone and they've already got a masterpiece and cornerstone of an entire new genre. The album hardly lets up from there. And I'll admit, before re-listening to this album (which was my first time in a while, actually), I had the lingering thought that I'd come to discover I was overhyping the sound of this album to myself. Y'know, that it'd turn out that this album outside of its opener is just heavier-than-usual blues — and it's not **not** that. I'll say, I do prefer their follow-ups for refining their sound away from English blues. But make no mistake: this is **heavy** blues. You only need to listen to the sound of Tony Iommi's guitar. You hear that distortion? That menace? Heck, just how big it can sound? Not even Jimmy Page had a guitar sound like that. The magic it turned out you could get from playing a right-handed guitar upside down as a left-handed one. And I know we've all been living with Ozzy Osbourne and his singing for years now, between the wacko locomotives and telling his mother he'll be returning shortly, but we just hafta appreciate what a voice he has. It works so well with the dark subject matter he ends up singing about. Seriously, the way he wails "OH, PLEASE, GOD, NO" on the title track — it legit sounds like he's begging to not be driven insane by whatever dark forces are confronting him. And, jus', ahhh, that one vocal melody on "N.I.B.", it's so good. Let's not forget to give it up for Geezer and Ward. Metal's got great vocal and guitar histrionics (ooo, big word), but they'd be nothing about their rhythm sections. Watch me make that case especially when my group gets MASTER OF PUPPETS, but yeah, seriously, give a hand to Geezer and Ward for holding all this together. I've always loved the sound of Geezer's bass, I gotta say. Jus' got this... I'unno, "plomp" to it sometimes. That's a made-up word, but it's as close as I can get to how it sounds to my ears. And would you believe that this whole album was recorded in only twelve hours? Yeah, they pulled recording this off in less time than it took The Beatles to make PLEASE PLEASE ME. That's just crazy, right? Sure, I can't hear anything on here that sounds like it should have taken more than twelve hours, but if they can just bang out a record like this in that short of time, you can only imagine how much better the rest are when they had **more** recording time. I could go on — really, I could. It's hard for me to not gas up this album, even though, like I said, I prefer the two follow-ups more. It's a mandatory must for anyone interested in metal, just to hear the most commonly and widely agreed-upon point where the genre started. I mean, just for how so many bands that I love might not exist if this thing hadn't come out, I hafta give it respect for that alone. And all that, on the top of the fact that it rocks like hell? Are you hearing these **riffs**? I'm just saying, it's something when my only gripe about it is that the North American release jams a bunch of tracks together into large medleys. Would you even be surprised if I said this thing is a 5 to my ears? If you somehow missed the number at the top, the tone of my writing would probably give it away. And sure, there's probably gonna be other metal albums (even besides PARANOID and MASTERS OF REALITY) I'm gonna be way more positive about, if you can believe it, but I don't think any of them would inspire me to gush at length like this one did. Or inspire me to write **short-form narrative fiction** to open a review. I won't deny that its legacy and legend plays a part in why I like this album as much as I do, but, oh, what a legacy. What a legacy.

Metal in its purest form, nothing more and nothing less. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 10. It just fucking rocks. What else am I supposed to say? This is my first full Black Sabbath album, and my first full album of anything involving Ozzy Osbourne – I’ve heard singles before (War Pigs, Iron Man, Crazy Train, etc), but never a full album. I figured this one would be good, given the international success of everyone involved, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that good. Wikipedia mentions that this is generally considered to be the first true heavy metal album, and I can hear it – that opening track feels unlike any other atmosphere from an opening track on any other 70s album. It’s cool as shit, and sets a perfect tone for the rest of the album. After that, this thing breezes by – the harmonica at the start of The Wizard clicked perfectly with my sensibilities, and the entire soundscape just ruled. Behind the Wall of Sleep & N.I.B. are both sick as hell; the guitar solos during N.I.B. in particular are some of the best I’ve ever heard. Wicked World is oddly jazzy, with a bit of a Ram Jam - Black Betty type of vibe. Sleeping Village is pretty cool, before closing out on the blues-driven standout that is Warning. I hesitate to say “Ozzy Osbourne sounds kinda like Muddy Waters”, but it was the first comparison that came to mind vocally, and the instrumentation throughout is just spectacular. I could try to go deeper into the intricacies of what I liked about every track here, but it’s an experience much better served for the ears to hear, with headphones in, and full attention to the melodies being played. It’s surprisingly not as “heavy” as I thought it would be, at least for my modern standards of what’s considered heavy metal, but I’m not complaining at all. It’s a sick fucking album, I loved every single second of it front to back, and I’m a bit annoyed at myself for never listening to this until now. On a first pass, the charisma this album holds is simply undeniable (unless you REALLY fucking hate anything to do with Satan), and I have to imagine more of this album will reveal itself the more I come back to it. It already feels like a landmark album, and it’s just an easy, easy 10 for me.

The founding document for a new genre. A stone cold classic.

Arguably the greatest album cover of all time and arguably the most influential album of all time. Easy 5 stars.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to hear this album for the first time in 1970. And it still is great. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

My intro to myself!

Yeah this was great.

This was fun. I realized I’ve never just listened to a Black Sabbath album all the way through.

Can’t help but jam to this one

Wow, this is great. I’d give this album 4.5 stars if I could, but its vibes are just so good I’ll round up to 5. No song on here feels like a 5 star song, but everything together just works so well.

You can’t argue with the “first” heavy metal album being on this list. Especially such a good one. The next two albums of theirs are better, and I prefer Master of Reality. But this band was great. Did they have a three album run of five stars?!

Track One, Side one - five stars, job done. Perhaps 4.75 over the whole album, but can't have less than five stars.

I really liked this, so amazing considering this is right at the beginning of heavy metal. Love the use of ambient noises and instruments you wouldn’t expect. So good

Sucks that every other heavy metal band that came after them saw this and thought “whoah.. loud guitars and dark lyrics” and not “whoah.. you can make an album that sounds badass and has a harmonica and a jaw harp” (don’t worry, I like metal, but y’know sometimes some more weird stuff would be nice)

10/10

I've always respected Black Sabbath, loved Ozzy, and put on Paranoid a fair few times but never given them a proper listen, and now I wish I had done so sooner. What a great debut album, I love the operatic, show off sounds of here literally the birth of metal. Opening an album with the sound of rain and then it then going into an eerie slow, funeral march with Ozzy crying out to you - what more could you want?? Then you go into The Wizard and we have the harmonica! Obviously a band who started out loving the Blues and this is heavily present in this album, with what sounds like it could easily be a forgotten Led Zep album in places. What I noticed most when listening to this album was how I found myself being impressed by every instrument at different times which I don't always do. The drumming is out of this world (I don't often find myself impressed by drumming but it stood out to me so so much in this album, just wow) and I love how often the rhythm changes in a number of songs, obviously the guitar riffs are wonderfully metal (I did I'm afraid get a bit tired of the guitar solos by then end of the album but love the ambition) and Ozzy who I always thought was a rubbish singer, I take it back completely and am embarrassed I ever said such things. He is a great metal singer and can actually sing a great melody that doesn't sound easy with a lot of accidentals thrown in. I'm not sure how much you're meant to listen to the lyrics, if they are just a filler or have a deeper meaning that has passed me by but having Lucifer thrown in is always fun.

Ah yes, the first ever metal album. Even 50 years later this is a timeless masterpiece. It's amazing to see how well this holds up in comparison to the even heavier death metal that exists now, that truly is telling of how ahead of its time this album was.

Classic.

Great songs. Tons of tracks I was already familiar with but the ones I didn’t already know were great as well.

Listened Before? N I really love this album. Stripping what Sabbath would become down to their roots. The atmosphere, the art, the guitar work, the lyrics. It's all top notch. No polish here and no polish necessary. An absolute metal classic. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: N.I.B.

This must have blown people's minds when it was released in 1970. The guitar work is awesome. I have to rate this 5 stars due to its influence on metal, grunge and other genres.

Great debut

What a truly unsettling album cover. The opening and title track matches it perfectly. It starts off with rain and church bells with ritualistic drumming when suddenly a thundering guitar plays a simple yet evil riff evoking scary images of a "figure in black which points at me" which is perfectly sung by Ozzy before letting out a distressing scream. My dad used to play this when I was very young and I didn't get it, it bored the life out of me. How wrong I was. Despite this being regarded as the first heavy metal album (which I do agree with), it's very much deeply rooted in blues and finding its feet. Whilst the guitar sound and riffs are very heavy in places and the drums bludgeon away, you can still hear the bluesy sound and they wouldn't fully lean into the heaviness just yet. Bill Ward is on the drums who is so close to taking the MVP spot if it wasn't for the guitar work by Tony Iommi. The album is packed with memorable riffs and solos. Ozzy, despite not being the best vocalist of all time, sounds really great here too. Before the rock lifestyle took over he was a very good metal singer and his voice is iconic. His vocal melodies are very catchy and he fits the music perfectly. I think the album quality dips slightly on side two, but the first half is as good as metal gets. 'N.I.B.' has the best riff on the album. It's so distorted and sludgy. A truly landmark album in music giving birth to a whole genre and when Sabbath are good, they are up there with the greatest of all time.

great album

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath is a monumental album, and one of those few albums that transcends its status as an album and is just a defining moment in music history. It marks the ushering in of a darker, heavier world of music that hadn’t really been seen to date and, remarkably, it’s opening track in particular still sounds darker and heavier than a lot of metal being released today, over 50 years since I am of course talking about Black Sabbath from Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath, whose toe-curling, earth-shattering, doomy central riff conjures up images of summoning demons even before the lyrics do, and prove that these four lads from the Midlands are not here to fuck around. And then that’s followed up by a quaint harmonica-led tune about a wizard. The album is a bit all over the place tonally, but the songs still slap for the most part. N.I.B is a gnarly hard rock banger; Sleeping Village begins with this lovely acoustic finger picking but quickly gets very eerie and then suddenly very heavy - it sounds like three songs slapped together into one but is a lot of fun; and Warning is a truly epic closer with another monster riff that descends into some chaotic free-form soloing. The only song I don’t really care for on here is Evil Woman which is just a pretty basic and forgettable blues track, but doesn’t exactly drag the album down. I was considering only giving this a 4 as it is a little inconsistent and because Sabbath released a stronger and more cohesive album in Paranoid just seven months after this, but on a relisten I just enjoyed the hell out of it. Sometimes I’ll hear an album that supposedly started or defined a genre and you can hear the roots of it but it does feel like a stepping stone to far more assured and impactful work when they or artists ironed out the kinks - but there aren’t any kinks here. Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath is bold, brutal, and it’s bloody great.

Totally brilliant

It's always a good sign when an album leaves me wanting more, and that is certainly the case here. From the mysterious album art to the haunting guitars wailing like banshees, this is a great package. Favorite track: "Wicked World," but it's a tight race.

The birth of Heavy Metal right here! 4.6 stars

Best album ever

As a metalhead, I say that every single soul that likes or plays metal should be grateful for this record! Everything related to metal exists because of this band and this record. Starting the record with one of the heaviest riffs ever written to this day, and continuing with genre-defining songs. In 1970, this was completely groundbreaking, and even now it is cited by metalheads all around the globe. This marks the beginning of a never-ending era.

This album rocks so hard now, I can only imagine how mindblowing it was in 1970.

Perfect. Can’t imagine listening to this for the first time in 1970. Started an entire genre of music

No explanation needed.

Classic Sabbath.

Jimi Hendrix vibes. Great album.

I’m a sucker for Black Sabbath and this one is no exception. This album is more rooted in the Blues than their later albums, including a cover of the Aynsley Dunbar song Warning. Chock full of classics like N.I.B., Evil Woman and Black Sabbath. Every song is a joy.

HELL YEAH

The original

One of the best debut albums of all time. And what an impact it must have had! As it was released before my time, I can't even imagine how the opening track must have felt for the unsuspecting public. Pure evil, and it still sounds great today. The unmistaken Iommi-riffs, Butler's prominent bass lines, Ward's tight drumming and Ozzy's better-than-you-think vocals (he reaches really high notes!). I'm not too fond of Behind the Wall of Sleep, but the rest of the album is top quality. Just to rub it in, they recorded it in less time than it takes Metallica to tune their guitars. Not a dead set 5-star album, but the quality of the best tracks, along with the album's historical significance, takes it to the top.

Beautiful album. Love Izzy’s voice.

Great album

It is not hard to hear why many despised Black Sabbath when it came out in 1970. What was once the blues had become bastardized, transformed into an art form so ugly it needed no real justification for its existence. A singer sounding so out of tune, and out of whack, with his band behind him noodling endlessly throughout whole songs which would last as long as fifteen minutes in its medley forms. And yet, there is something quite modern about Black Sabbath, given what we know now. It could be passed for something that could have been released yesterday, given the despair and slow as molasses feeling it achieves. This is essentially the Sixties dream taken to the industrial landscape, dragged and beaten down by life and given an execution-style shooting. All in the span of almost forty minutes. Black Sabbath, the album and the band, became the blueprint for many other soon to be called heavy metal bands to emulate and, with that, an entire new musical landscape had been paved.

Le metal n’aurait pas pu mieux commencer, c’est vraiment un beau petit bijou macabre et profondément lourd qui n’a pas pris une ride (on pourrait pas dire la même chose pour Ozzy). C’est aussi un album sans no1 hit, ce qui rend l’écoute fraîche et pleine de redécouvertes lors de la seconde écoute.

Really innovative for 1970. Enjoyed so much more than I thought I would. Diverse musicianship and lyricism. Really big fan and no weak tracks as far as I’m concerned. Rare 5 stars.

The rise of black metall!

If I could give it a 6 I would. The OG Kings of Metal. I’ve always loved this album.

Classic Sabbath.

It’s so refreshing to listen to a band doing something completely unbeholden to prior conventions. This could have easily been another blues rock snore-fest, but the way they focused on riffs and tone gave it a completely unique sound that spawned an entirely new genre. Every member of the band is playing at max capacity on their instrument, and Ozzy’s unique voice is like the cherry on top.

Fantastic

A rare five from me.

10/10

The epitome of metal. This album is in the top five of all heavy albums

Fantastic album and great start to the Metal movement. Heavy Blues Rock with some fantastic themes throughout. Loved it so much I had to get it on Vinyl day of.

Possibly the first true heavy metal record? This album still hits hard 50+ years later. It's etched in to our music DNA and is a classic.

Heavy Metal's Ground Zero!! Today was the day to dust off another CD from my collection and listen to this masterpiece! I confess that I don't know how to listen to Black Sabbath in moderation because when I listen, I play 3 or 4 consecutive albums. That's what happened today. I started with the first one, then I dusted off the Paranoid CD, then I pulled out Master Of Reality... My speakers were burning out! It's not every day that I listen to Black Sabbath, but when I do, so my neighbors! hahaha Anyway, today was a great day, it was good to remember these wonderful albums!

I have listened to this album 100s of times. Always great.

the birth of a genre. sabbath defined what metal is before going on to create some of the most important seeds for all kinds of sub genre's on their following albums. the importance of this album is not to be understated

Black Sabbath does this really cool thing where they somehow manage to make one of the coolest, hardest, and kick-ass albums you've ever heard sound just okay in comparison to their next few records. This isn't a dig at this album, instead an incredible cudos to everything they did as a band in the early 70s and a genuine "WOW" at how they just keep getting better. Favorite was The Wizard

It’s crazy that they made music too hard to be called hard rock and invented a whole genre. This kicks so much ass. The riffs are tight and the lyrics are dark. I listened to the US track list as I prefer Wicked World to Evil Woman.

One of the great albums in the history of rock and metal. Of course the music sounds so different to todays but still an important landmark in the history. Something you can always listen to.

epic ground breaker

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath Black Sabbath! I'm so torn, this is a 4.5 if I'm honest. The quandary is whether we round up or down. This album is unparalleled in many ways. Black Sabbath invented a whole genre with this very album. Metal music didn't really exist before this record was released. The Beatles and the Stones and some others experimented with some fucked sounds but this is THE album. Black Sabbath isn't only the defining album of the whole genre, but Black Sabbath is also among the best opening songs ever. It's not followed by tripe either, it keeps pushing the boundaries of Rock & Roll and Blues music. This should be a 4.5, but it's so delightful that I'm choosing to round up on this occasion. Ozzy Osbourne shouldn't expect to be called delightful often, but it's an extraordinary enough occasion that I feel safe in my justification

Most of the music I listen to goes back to this in some way.

The first 5* review for me. This was fantastic.

My first Black Sabbath album! Loved it!

The album that launched the band catalogue that launched an entire genre, safe to say this one does not disappoint. Super heavy but retaining many blues-rock influences, this is a perfect album from start to finish as it clearly illustrates how unique these 4 men were in their field. Iommi lost fingers and melted bottle caps onto his fingers, detuning his strings to accomodate for his lessened ability to push them down. This resulted in an even lower tonality to his playing. Not one to hang in the back, Butler's basslines are prominent and carry a ton of the melody, further relying on low end. Bill Ward's interweaving drums are impossible to ignore while least forgettable of all are Ozzy's vocals. Name another vocalist like him, especially one that pulls it. off so well. Then you have the lyrics about Wizardry and Witches and such... really you got lyricism rallying against dark forces alongside heavy sounds. It surprises me how many people associate Sabbath with Satanism when really they were acknowledging a belief in a Judeo Christian God while denouncing evil and Satan figures.. seems pretty clear to me. Kind of like Motley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil".. it's not "Shout WITH the Devil" they're shouting AT the dude.

This album is an easy 5.

i've never listened to black sabbath in full, and am really only familiar with the staples they play on classic rock radio. i am pretty blown away by this one! i was a led zeppelin kid and listening to this, it is shocking how i never got into this. all the stuff i love about early led zeppelin is here and is even bigger and darker. the attitude and the sinister feel is great, mixed with the rock production of an era that i adore. this is one i will definitely come back to. i sort of always wrote off black sabbath as something i would never be into, and i was sorely wrong!

I don't even need to listen to this to know it gets 5 stars. Black Sabbath are legends. Not my favorite of their albums, though I love it. Definitely more bluesy than later stuff. I do wish they separated songs into individual tracks. There are two versions of this album on Spotify. The one this site links to is missing a couple songs but the other version lumps multiple songs together into single tracks. I believe this is how the album was originally released though, so... whatever, it fucking rocks 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Black sabbath.

Absolutely love this one. My favorite from Black Sabbath, just ahead of 'Paranoid'. 'The Wizard' was the song I enjoyed most here.

Are Black Sabbath the best band? Where it all started, this is obviously flawless again. Give me the rest of the first 6 please!

Absolutely insane guitar with the last song. Amazing album. Young ozzy is amazing

One of the greats!

I waited for over ONE HUNDRED DAYS to get another metal album. My last one was Black Sabbath's Vol.4 which I got back in April. Now, I finally got another metal album! And of course, IT'S THE SAME BAND. I can't help but be a bit miffed that I went this long without any metal albums only for me to finally get one that happens to be the same band as the last one. But that negativity didn't last long, as I love Black Sabbath. The band, the album, and the song, are all incredibly important. This album, Black Sabbath's 1970 self-titled debut is, for all intents and purposes, the first metal album ever released. That is huge. This album changed music forever. And I say that that's for the better. Imagine being the average music listener in 1970 and you play this album. When the first song, "Black Sabbath" plays, you're just shocked at what you're hearing because it's unlike anything you've ever heard before. It's very dark and sinister in a way. While that song and, to an extent, this whole album may seem very tame today, this was shocking in 1970. However, unlike other bands that were shocking when they started (cough cough, Marilyn Manson), Black Sabbath is actually good, like really good. Everything I said about Vol. 4 applies here with the added knowledge that this is the one that started it all. Ozzy Osbourne's harrowing vocals, Tony Iommi's fascinating guitar playing, Geezer Butler's flawless bass playing, and Bill Ward's respectable drumming come together to form something truly special. The title track is amazing and dark, but later songs like "The Wizard" and "N.I.B." manage to be slightly lighter and bluesier yet still heavy. Overall, this is an album that changed music for the better by marking the birth of metal. On top of that, the album itself has managed to age remarkably well despite coming before conventions of the metal genre were established. While there are certainly better albums than this, both inside and outside of metal, there's no denying that Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath is a truly magnificent album that deserves all the respect it can get. 5/5. Here's hoping I can get more metal albums pretty soon.

Das ist ja mal eine positive Überraschung! Hätte nicht gedacht, dass mir das so gut gefallen könnte!

Brutal, excellent

The Original, The One and Only. These guys put out the template and opened the door for all that came after and this is one hell of a first outing.

Greatness. I loved that it wasn’t so far removed from root rock or jazz, you can feel those influences in this album. This is the font from which all metal flows, and it is awesome.

Omfg

This is a God tier record! Marks the beginnings of the heavy metal genre of music, and has influenced everything that has come since then!! Black Sabbath (the song) has a way of scaring the shit out of you. The way they focus on that tri-tone, Ozzy's haunting vocals, and the church bell/rain in the background..... It gives off such a vibe. I love it!! I love the way the tri-tone was seen as bad juju (a way of summoning Satan), so everyone steered clear of it. Sabbath said "What if we just keep playing it" lol. Tony Iommi gave 0 fucks about bad juju! Gonna be hard to pick a favourite song off of this record. The whole thing is gold!! This is one of those albums that needs to be listened to cover to cover. There are literally no misses on it. Such a strong debut! Even the cover of this one is creepy as fuck. N.I.B. is such a strong song! Geezer Butler puts in work!! Such an underrated song! Favourite songs: Black Sabbath, N.I.B., The Wizard, Evil Woman Least favourite songs: Behind the Wall of Sleep 5/5

Gnarly

Let's go Planet Sabbath! Bill Ward is a swampy motherfucker

It’s just so🤘🏼

As someone who's not a big fan of metal, It's difficult to explain logically why I find early Sabbath so pleasing & comfortable. Maybe b/c it's still closely connected to roots rock & blues? Hard to justify but anyway, this rocks.

Many consider this to be the first Heavy Metal album. It's hard to argue against that.

One of the best debut albums of all time and it doesn't even scratch the surface of how good they would get

Top

Masterpiece self entitled.

BLACK MOTHERFUCKING SABBATH

I'm biased. I love Black Sabbath, I was raised by someone who loved Black Sabbath. There's only 5 tracks on this album, but two of them are 3 or 4-in-ones and "The Wizard" is a metal song with heavy harmonica use. I love this album and you will too.

Classique.

One of the most important albums of my life. If it weren't for this, most of the music I love also wouldn't exist.

Even knowing the whole evolution of doom, stoner, and heavy metal and how hard and harsh it can get at its peak, Black Sabbath's debut still sounds gnarly and filthy in the most guttural way possible. (didn't even need guttural vocals to achieve that)

Imagine hearing this album when it first came out. Nothing like this existed before. The dawn of a whole new genre. I’ve never cared for Ozzy’s voice much, but the power behind this album and what it did to music is undeniable.

This album is incredible. I forgot how cool NIB was. Ozzy's voice is unreal. The harmonica in this sounds evil! The solos are great, drums are great... And what's black sabbath without tasty riffs. I wish the album was a few songs longer... But it doesn't take away from this masterpiece.

Sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie you can't stop watching. Scared the crap outta me when I first listened to it.

Estreia não só do Black Sabbath mas também de um dos gêneros mais influentes dos últimos 50 anos, o Heavy Metal. É bom por isso em contexto já que, ao ouvir esse colosso de álbum, fica claro suas raízes no blues e no rock psicodélico da época, mas com os sons mais encorpados e graves, o que, esteticamente, viria a casar perfeitamente com o seu tempo, já com uma derrocada do movimento Hippie, do Summer of Love e com as pessoas cada vez mais cientes dos horrores que os governos imperialistas do mundo, principalmente os Estados Unidos, estavam fazendo, em especial na Guerra do Vietnam. Era um mundo mais sombrio, nada mais representativo que uma banda chegando e colocando, na primeira música de seu primeiro álbum, uma imagética tão forte que causasse medo a um mundo abandonado por seu deus. Embora desde 1970, ano de seu lançamento, a música e os gêneros mais agressivos do rock já tenham evoluído muito além do que se podia imaginar naquela época, o S/T do Black Sabbath é, além de objeto histórico de importância incalculável, um álbum que, assim como um filme de terror clássico, ainda encanta em suas revisitas e surpreende no seu pioneirismo.

4.8 Not a bad song on the Album, still holds up today. Hard to belive it was recorded in 12 hours on a 4 track.

Obviously classic but can’t help but wonder what it would sound like with modern amps and recording.

One of the greatest albums of all time. Is in my top 5.

An incredible, sinister work of art—an easy 5.

So heavy, so, so good. Never realized how much of their sound was taken and recycled by other bands.

The first ever heavy metal album. It’s surprising how well this thing holds up after fifty years of metal music. A fun listen as well. Very cool!

It was great! First track started playing as I backed out of the garage, raining. It was super cool.

God I love Black Sabbath. That has been the main revelation for me from the 3+ years of doing this project. Whether that makes up for completely losing track of new music over that period, I'm not sure.

CLASSIC

classic

I’ve always felt Black Sabbath was a Zeplin wannabe But this album is about as classic as it gets Started a new genre of Satanic Rock

The original metal album, an absolute masterpiece. Top tracks: NIB, Black Sabbath, Evil Woman, The Wizard

black sabbath a classic

Great riffs from top to bottom.

Great album

Incredible album. I just learned, that they played the whole thing live with minimal overdubs (just some additional vocals and guitar tracks). One day recording, one day mixing. The result was one of the most influential albums of modern (at that time) rock music.

Paved the way for metal

This is a tough one. I want to give it 5 stars - foundation for metal, so iconic, great songs, etc. But quite frankly the record is under a half hour long and there are three duds. This deserves a 4. Fuck it giving it a 5.

Really solid, great guitar

Their first album 🤝🏽 My first album from them

This album deserves 5 stars just for its place in history, but just listen to that bass and those drums, they're incredible. When you add in heavy guitar it creates a sound like no other back when it was released. It's a bonafide classic

I must have in your collection

One of the best ever.

The A-side is 6/5 and the B-side 4/5 so it evens out to 5/5. Dark and gloomy riffs accompanied by phenomenal vocals. Still incredibly heavy and the foundation for heavy metal. This is something everyone should listen to at least ones in their lifetime. It's simply outstanding.

Best metal album ever still the original which started metal. Simply a masterpiece from begining to end. The begining is still scary to hear. Its like if you are sneaking into a satanic sacrifice ritual. There are not many albums still today after 55 years that are this powerful. New generes have emerged and still nothing can surpass this debut album for a band or for a genere. Its a blueprint that will never be equaled and even thou there are a few who have given it a run for the top spot like van halen and guns debut they still lacked something. Ozzy’s crazy pitch and tony’s dark heavy riffs along with geezers baseline and bill’s off-tempo tempo drumming makes this a top 20 album ever. I can only imagine buying this album and listening to that first song my mind would have melted if I were 13 and heard that in 1970. I envy those kids who got to experience that moment first hand. Maybe its a little short but the lable had no clue what thos was and how it would change the music scene and history so probabaly recorded just seven songs cause it was too much too soon to have it been a 10-11 song album.

Great album from beginning to end

4.7. Ozzie in his prime.

I forgot how much blues/southern rock influence there is in early BS

50 years later it’s still the one of the heaviest albums ever. And I appreciate Geezer Butler’s playing more and more as the years go by as well as the bluesiness of Ozzy’s vocals. The eponymous track is actually quite a bit faster than I’d remembered it being.

It is hard to imagine how disruptive and shocking this must have been in 1970

Classic

A great album that started one of the best genres of music

Perhaps the first heavy metal album albeit bluesier then what came after by them.

The first heavy metal album of all time! Excellent first outing by incredible musicians. 4.5/5

This record wastes no time. The opening notes and the entire first song is based on the nastiest musical interval, the tritone, which has been (appropriately) known as the "Devil's interval" since the Middle Ages because it sounds so ungodly. Perfect. The power of this music cannot be denied. Their goal may have been somewhat juvenile - basically a treatise on raising hell in all its forms - but they nail it so completely you have to respect the accomplishment. No work will be getting done by me for the next half hour and it's taking everything I have to not put on a jean jacket and skip school to have a bad trip down by the river. See you in hell!🤘

Love, I can see this becoming one of my car cds where I just listen to it obsessively for a year or two. Much better than I'd thought it would be.

Makes me want to light something on fire. Love the wizard

Badass

One of the great early metal albums

So heavy, so riffy, so cool. It's amazing that Black Sabbath started a whole genre of music with this one album. I've heard this album before, but the only track I was familiar was The Wizard, which was head and shoulders above the others IMO. They're all great, and the uniqueness and novelty of the sound Black Sabbath created can't be overstated. Five stars.

The cowbell on “The Wizard” at 2:11.

Amazing album from the godfather of metal.

incredible from start to finish.

This takes me back to when the album came out and my older uncles listened to it over and over forcing me to listen over and over. Thankfully it is a great album.

I didn’t get Black Sabbath until I looked at the billboard charts and saw what was popular when they started. That’s when I really understood how new they were. The miss albums like this. A collection of songs that flow and tell a story.

HAIL SATAN!!!!!

Arguably the birth of heavy metal. Definitely a motherfucking beast of an album.

A lot of people recognize Blue Cheer as the first metal band but I think Black Sabbath really pioneered the metal sound that we recognize today. Even the lyrical content is much more dark on this record especially. This was definitely one that kids had to hide from their parents.

Had never really appreciated this as a full album before, had only really listened to the hits off it. Amazing separation of the individual instruments and vocals.

Feel like I'm handing out 5s left right and centre at the moment. Love Black Sabbath, though I've mostly just listened to their Best Of album. The majority of these tracks feature on that album. The ones that didn't weren't quite as good, though that could just be because I'm so familiar with the others. Strong contender for my favourite album so far.

Where it all began!!

It's a very solid debut but it's not as good as Paranoid, released later that year. Granted, the title track is just a perfect reflection of the album cover and their whole dark, occult motif especially with it's gloomy, rainy start and downtuned guitar. It is a true gem. So is the Wizard, although it is completely different - uptempo, frenzied, and with a variety of tempos and sounds (even Ozzy harmonica) from the get go (not just toward the end). I wish it was easier to find the original European release because the bandmates praise the sheer simplicity of the original recording. I found it on Youtube, though I'm still not sure if it's any different from the North American pressing other than swapping out Evil Woman (a remake) for Wicked World (its B-side and Sabbath original). One thing I noticed is there's dead air between some of the tracks (maybe that was just the way the contributor uploaded it) so you more distinctly know the end of Behind the Wall of Sleep (Wasp is still a tiny intro medley) and start of N.I.B. (Bassically is again still a tiny intro medley but it is awesome - all Geezer Butler on those bass licks). N.I.B. is a super clever song - kudos to Geezer for the lyrics (the devil falls in love) and Ozzy for vocals that set the mood, and of course Tony Iommi for some kickass power chords and plucking. While I like that the North American version went with Sabbath originals only, Wicked World is so-so and maybe feels like not quite the right fit. Evil Woman had bass lines that fit better given the preceding Bassically/N.I.B. The final medley of Sleeping Village to Warning is cool (with A Little Bit of Finger being the 53 second plucking and slight vocals intro to the former). All in all, it was really only Wicked World that was a minor letdown, and I welcome the reason for it. Plus, this album is probably the first heavy metal album - completely different than anything before it and influencing so many albums and artists after it. For that, I'll overlook its weaknesses and rate it as high as Paranoid.

Never really listened to BS before and it’s not my type of music, but I think it’s a really good album of its type. The first song alone had my heart pounding in a good , creepy way.