Reviews (page 6 of 17)
I couldn't tell you what each individual song was like mostly because this might be the first recommendation that only works as an album. The whole thing is atmospheric and would be fitting for a Halloween party. Strong overall and had me checking out Black Sabbath's other stuff. For this being a debut album, it doesn't feel like it at all. This is a band that knew its signature sound from the get go and only perfected it over the years.
Owned it
Not my thing. Ten minute tracks are NOT it, like no. I like some of the guitar parts and the title track is a bop but the rest is very monotonous for me, not bad, just not exciting. I didn’t even notice when tracks changed.
Inte min smak
🩵
Iconic.
Has there been a Black Sabbath album that does not rate a 5? One of the most entertaining and challenging sounds to hit the turntables. An amazing debut that spoke to greater things to come.
Apparently it was genre-defining, I guess you really had to be there to understand its full gravity. To me, it was ok.
I appreciate the guitars but not the singing.
Piece for the lost island
That's some real blues! I didn't expect to hear that kind of groove in metal. Warning and Wicked World are definitely two of my top picks. I love how the drums, bass, guitar (and harmonica in The Wizard) all come together.
103/1001 Black Sabbath - s/t Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The birth of heavy metal. This absolutely rules. The imagery conjured up here, the riffs, the interplay between guitar and bass. Love it.
261/1089 - Get a different vocalist and it's one of the best metal albums ever made. Then again, the amount of sick instrumental parts in this make me want to give it 5 stars anyways, eh why not?
The album that started it all! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Wow. I am by no means a metal fan, but this album was stunning. The guitar alone is enough to make this a 4-star album. Reading that Ozzy was 20 years old at the time this album was released was equally as jaw-dropping. How did such a young mind create a perfectly ominous, intricate and revolutionary album?
You Love For Me Has Just Got To Be Real 1001 Albums Generator 133 (10/06/2025) What a perfect album to get just as the weather is starting to cool down in Arizona. I just felt cold for the first time in months this morning and the Halloween lights are being put out, so of course Black Sabbath's self-titled debut felt like the perfect vibe. From the rain and church bells that open the album before Tony Iommi's iconic slow tritone riff blasts in, this album screams autumn. As great as the opening track is, The Wizard may be my favorite. I love that it's inspired by Gandalf (these fucking nerds), and the harmonica is so fucking epic. Then we get to the first of two "songs" that are really medleys of shorter songs from the original release. I really wish that they didn't do this because these songs are great standalones, but sometimes I just want to listen to one without the others. As cool as the riffs in Wasp and Behind The Wall Of Sleep are, sometimes I just wanna listen to the genius of N.I.B. The second of these probably constitutes my least favorite "song" overall. Warning is amazing, but A Bit Of Finger and Sleeping Village are not the most interesting. In the middle of these two medleys is perhaps the most underrated song on this album, the rockin' Wicked World. This song mixes the heavy and more psychedelic elements of early Sabbath the best, although the Iommi solo that interrupts the song when everything else cuts out is a bit out of place. Overall, while Black Sabbath would certainly hone their craft later, their debut remains a unique piece of art in their discography that would go on to inspire thousands of metal acts that came after them. 4.5/5, rounded down to 4 bc it's not as good as Paranoid or Master Of Reality. Favs: Black Sabbath The Wizard N.I.B. Least Fav: Sleeping Village
OZZY
OGs of metal
Some cool guitar work but probably won’t be coming back to this one
I’m going to presume there are more than one Black Sabbath album on the 1001 album list, because this is certainly not their best (Paranoid is far better). This is alright, lots of twiddly guitar and riffs. Probably viewed more with rose tinted spectacles, especially now Ozzy has departed.
Suprised myself but how much I enjoyed this
Прото всего на свете. Отличный альбом, архаика только добавляет очарования.
I liked listening to Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
70
Black Sabbath - 5/5 The Wizard - 5/5 Behind the Wall of Sleep - 4/5 N.I.B. - 5/5 Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me - 4/5 Wicked World - 5/5 Sleeping Village - 5/5 Warning - 5/5 Average rating: 4.8/5 superb. i think much of Black Sabbath's work is truly timeless. like, i'm certain it will hold up til the end of time it's so good. idk what kind of sorcery went into this album
3/5
Absolutely classic.... imagine hearing this for the first time in the 70s, it would have blown your socks off
I feel like I have to give a 5 due to its seminal status. Rounding down to 4. Much bluesier, rock-and-rollier, Zeppelin-er than their following albums; a product of the end of the 60s rather than the start of the 70s
Much better. Interesting how bluesy it was compared to Paranoid and, presumably, their later work. Will listen again.
Had this album on my individual one before I packed that in. It's good, not as good as Paranoid, but decent. The fact I've bothered to listen to it again is a pretty positive sign. Gave it a 3 last time, will go with a 4 on the new ranking system. It's about a 7/10
Liked the overall sound just missing a few classics from paranoid
Too heavy
Was expecting something more. 3
I was loosely familiar with Black Sabbath prior to listening to this album, but as someone who typically isn't a huge fan of heavy metal, I had low expectations going in. I didn't dislike the album as much as I thought I would, but it's not something I would seek out again for my own personal taste.
Still something you can listen! After more than 50 years! Straghtforward without and frills and to much technics!
Quality album elevated to stratospheric by NIB and wicked world
History. Rip Ozzy
Not gonna waste my time. Self explanatory...
Very rocky and super guitar heavy but a good listen
Ok
10/5
classic. rip Ozzy
Pure Brilliance
I had only listened to later Black Sabbath albums, so I was happy to finally visit this one. The ingredients were definitely all there. I enjoyed the album, but I didn't like it as much as later works. Still really great.
Always surprising how bluesy this one is. Still a blast, very few low points.
Great album, rocks a lot. I think metal has changed a lot since this album, but I like this version of metal.
You start a genre, you get 5-stars. This album created metal (along with many subgenres of metal, like doom). So, it has to be a top-ranked album. The opening triple-eponymous track is absolutely legendary.
Paranoid is probably their best (well, my favourite) album, but this is very good. High 3s.
Though it doesnt reach the highs of their sophomore effort,that dont matter cause its mf black sabbath,theyre almost perfect regardless 9.4
Fuckin Sabbath Amazing!
I mean come on, it can only be 5 stars
RIP Ozzy
I mean, it's Black Sabbath. Amazing album
Before this project, I hadn't listened to much Black Sabbath. They have always been l;umped in with "heavy metal" and there wasn't much of that genre that I got into. Always respected Sabbath, just never listened to much, though I of course knew all the big songs. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous Sabbath we listened to (which had many of the songs I already knew), but the debut I wasn't as familiar with. Glad I had a reason to listen to this one. My thoughts while listening were - this isn't so much "metal" as it is louder blues-rock, and that I can get into.
What is this that stands before me ... a masterpiece!
Cuh-lassic! Paranoid is the better album, but this is still very good
Surprisingly gentle for something categorised as "metal."
cant say much, its a masterpiece
One of the greatest debut albums ever. Every track on here is absolutely fire. I give it a 6 out of five.
Black Sabbath is one of those debuts that changed everything. From the opening thunder and tolling bell of the title track, the album sets a mood of dread and heaviness that rock had never really touched before. Tony Iommi’s riffs are crushing, Geezer Butler’s basslines add a dark undercurrent, and Bill Ward’s drumming gives it all weight, while Ozzy Osbourne’s eerie vocals tie it together with a sense of menace. Tracks like “The Wizard” and “N.I.B.” show that the band could balance groove with darkness, making the music both unsettling and addictive. What makes the record so powerful is its atmosphere. Even when the songs shift into bluesy jams, there is always a shadow hanging over the sound, something doom-laden that separates it from the hard rock of the time. It is raw, rough around the edges, and completely groundbreaking. Black Sabbath did not just mark the arrival of a new band, it essentially invented heavy metal, and over fifty years later it still feels just as vital and ominous.
Not for me
The sound of rain, the toll of the bell and then Tony hits ye right up the bake with THAT riff? Christ alive, hook it to my veins! Can I give it 10?
I enjoyed this alot, I think this Ozward Ozbourne is going places
I love Black Sabbath. Evil Woman is literally the only miss on this album, everything else is top notch. Fave track is N.I.B which apparently stands for Niggas In Barcelona
I know that this album was pretty novel for its time as one of if not the first "heavy metal" albums ever. But now it sounds pretty tame and kind of goofy. There is some great guitar playing and Ozzy's vocals are always great....but it kind of bogged down on the long songs and my attention wandered. Still, it was a pioneering album from what I understand even if Sabbath would soon he hitting much greater heights.
It's pioneering for sure, but I didnt love it. A great start for the band but they definitely improve on and hone their sound in the following couple albums, this one is a bit less focused and engaging
Great album
Decent rock album. I wonder if this was revolutionary at the time and so many people followed suit that listening to it now makes it seem more middle of the road than it was?
I enjoyed this way more than I expected!!
Great debut album that helped birthed a genre and pave the way for the future of rock!
*listened before the project* As fantastic as usual though I prefer paranoid
Top track: N.I.B. / Wicked World
This is my first real dive into the metal genre, as I've never been that interested in it. To my surprise, I really liked this one. The instrumentals are absolutely great, and the album cover is incredible, too 4.5⭐
Excelente álbum, hasta ahora es de los que más me gustó de Black Sabbath. Siendo un primer álbum de los años 70 suena muy bien, todos los instrumentos están claros. Me gusta la voz de Ozzy en este álbum. La temática del álbum está buena, sin ser conceptualmente pretenciosa. Aunque algunas veces utilizan recursos demasiado bluseros que alejan al álbum de la tématica más oscurista que pretenden lograr. El trabajo de la guitarra es muy bueno, sobre todo los solos duplicados en paneo.
Classic albums with an undeniably massive impact. However, the band sounds like it still has to find its footing a bit; therefore, it lands at a 4/5 rating.
An absolutely wonderful fusion of heavy metal and psychedelic rock! 4*
Can see the huge impact they had on the metal genre. Enjoyed
First four songs here were good, especially N.I.B.
dark and gloomy
Good, fun, rocking, and if I didn't go in blind knowing their later work it would get a higher score
Good Songs: The Wizard, Behind the Wall of Sleep, N.I.B, Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games with Me), Sleeping Village, Warning Mid Songs: Black Sabbath, Wicked World Bad Songs:
Yeah fucking sick as fuck, first and and nib are mint. Let’s fucking go
This isn't my kind of music, but sometimes I wonder if these albums are an example of 'Seinfeld isn't funny', where I've heard all the influenced and therefore am but as impressed. Some great guitar licks though.
RIP
3.5. Laying the building blocks for their sound but waiting for the song writing to catch up
One of the greatest metal albums of all time. Absolutely love it.
Didn't expect the voice, I'd say it didn't age well
Great first album. Liked the lyrics. Very listenable
fucking awesome why did I only get to this band after ozzy passed. first beach boys with brian now this
Recorded in just 24 hours, Black Sabbath's self-titled 1970 debut is a cornerstone of rock and metal. While the band would fully hone their sound on their next album, "Paranoid", this record is a raw and thunderous statement that has influenced countless artists. Overall, "Black Sabbath" is an essential listen and it is rightly seen as a foundational album for heavy metal, and while the band's sound would evolve, their debut is a powerful first attempt. I've owned a version of this album since 1979 or so, and even though I wouldn't place it in my top five Ozzy fronted Sabbath albums (it's arguably the "weakest" of their first six albums), it's a testament to the band's incredible early output that this is still an excellent listen and a wonderful debut. Four stars. Would I listen to this album again? - I do, regularly Would I buy this album? I did. "Black Sabbath" From its ominous intro to the crushing main riff, it is full of menace and foreboding. An instant classic, it remains one of the heaviest songs ever recorded and set the stage for metal. 5/5 "The Wizard" This bluesy, harmonica-driven track shows a different side of the band. Often overlooked, this song highlights the band's versatility right from the start. 5/5 "Behind the Wall of Sleep" With a galloping rhythm section and psychedelic undertones, this song feels very much of its time. Ozzy Osbourne's vocals are particularly eerie here. 4/5 "N.I.B." This is simply a classic rock song, heavy yet with a melodic swing. It features a great riff and memorable lyrics, making it one of Sabbath's best songs ever. 5/5 "Evil Woman" 3/5 "Sleeping Village" 4/5 "Warning" This sprawling blues jam, which originally closed the album, is a showcase for Tony Iommi's impressive guitar work, letting him improvise and shine. 4/5 "Wicked World" Like "Warning," this is another improvisational blues jam that lets Iommi's guitar loose. This wasn't on my original copy of the album. I first heard this on the compilation album, "We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n' Roll", and it's a fantastic, energetic track. 5/5 Total - 35 Average - 4.4 88/1001
Those gentelmans heavy metaling hard for the futures gen. Cover art doomed af
5 estrelas
I had never heard the album from start to end before. I enjoyed it very much. It was heavy and intense and somehow melodic. For me, this is 8 out of 10. mini0n 10/09/2025
Excellent album, hugely influential. I forgot about the harmonica parts. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars only because there were a few songs that could have rocked more (I sound like Beavis & Butt-Head).
A masterpiece - really not much more to say.
I am not a fan of heavy metal, per se, but I am down with the vibe of Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath.
Not my thing but you can’t deny the beauty in this album.
While I appreciate Ozzy as a human and guitarist, I'll never be the target audience for this album.
heavy. awesome. legendary.
Not as good as paranoid
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Black Sabbath - Nice ambient storm intro. Very unique singing voice. Kinda vague lyrics about “Oh no, Satan’s here, everybody run”. Tempo change at the end was definitely appreciated. 6/10 The Wizard - The harmonica is to this song what the violin is to Ocean Avenue. You don’t expect it, yet it works pretty well to the point where you can’t really imagine the song without it. A bit more interesting musically. 7/10 Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Bassically / N.I.B. - Best opening yet. Very groovy second section. Personal favorite drum stuff yet. A few seconds of swing there in the middle of that second section was pretty cool. Bassist showing off a bit towards the middle. Each instrument kinda gets its own moment. Great ending. 8.5/10 Wiked World - “Ok, what if our drummer just went as jazzy as possible for the intro and outro, and we kinda just, like, went along with it?” The drummer does indeed have chops. “And then what if we just went full ambient for that interlude between the second chorus and third verse? Oh, and we could just have our electric guitar person shred if he wants.” 7.5/10 A Bit of Finger / Sleeping Village / Warning - Eh intro. A bit better second bit. Overall a bit slower and “heavy,” I guess. That section about eight minutes in is pretty good. The guitarist does indeed have chops. 6/10 Overall, 7/10. Not bad. To me, this is one of those rock records that you put on in the background and just vibe to. Probably won’t buy it on vinyl or anything like that, but if you do what I did and just let it take you on the ride, you won’t be disappointed.
Enjoyed more than I thought I would. 3.
I've already listened to his album (9). How a whole genre of music was born of one spooky day in a studio. The originator.
Listen. If you are going to give me a heavy metal harmonica track about a badass mute sorcerer, I'm going to LIKE it ok? The title track is moody as hell (no pun intended) and N.I.B. slaps hard enough to maybe convince me Lucifer is just a misunderstood romantic (that ending guitar solo tho!). We get some killer jazz drums and guitar on Wicked World, plus the anti-capitalist vibes are evergreen here. Did I mention they wrote a whole song about wizard who just spreads good vibes??? Is it a perfect album? No, but it's one hell of a debut, and can you imagine how awesome it would have been to listen to this thing in the early 70s while you discover D&D 1E with your friends?
Amazing to think about this album coming out over 50 years ago… immediately recognizable, still holds up as a great heavy metal album. Loses some points for the “jam session” quality of some of the back half of the album. Title track is the standout track for me.
It's raw in a way that I can appreciate. It has the feel of good isntrumentalists still finding their way. Experimenting and having a good time with a cohesive end result. It's fun and 40 years later I listened to this in high school the way I might have a newly released album. This, in its hay day, would have been incredible. It really started so much of the satanic panic that it was probably the main reason I couldn't play Pokemon as a kid. (I mean, I did, but parents didn't like it).
Favorite tracks: Wicked World, Evil Woman You can't go wrong with Black Sabbath, and the harmonica and jaw harp were a fun surprise! I know it's what they're known for, but I'm personally not as into the slow tracks like the first one
•••••
This is a longtime favorite -- have been listening to it for more than 30 years.
GOAT
In the beginning hard rock and metal was a single track to two on a "heavy" Zeppelin, Cream, Hendrix, Deep Purple or Blue Cheer album. Or perhaps a single heavy song on an otherwise Prog Rock or Psychedelia album. This was the dawn of a dark, groove-heavy day. A black sun in the sky and a susurrus of dark birds blotting out the remaining light. And in this time the light in the discos dimmed a bit, the candy pop melted and dripped to the gutter. Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
2013/2014 Remastered versions. Some beautiful fingering. Like NIB the most.
Not my thing, did't finish
Rad guitar solos, love the musicality
Their debut. The key components are there but somehow mixed in with a few generic late 60s rock sounds, so for me it doesn't stand out like their later albums.and I don't think many songs here really stand out. Worth a listen though, and still cooler than most heavy rock.
The first heavy metal an album, and what an album it is. So ahead of its time in 1969. Dark, minimal, great riffs. What’s not to love.
pretty much singlehandedly started one of the most popular music genres of all time lmao favorite song: "black sabbath" overall: 10/10
One of my first and still my favorite! Sweet Sanbath
Low 4, identity of Sabbath was already well established on this record, solid drum parts and shades of bigger Sabbath hits
Trailblazing album. Is it Black Sabbath's best work? Not by a long shot. Does it still kick ass? Oh yes.
Ok
What a slam dunk of a first album. I don't consider myself a Black Sabbath fan but the melodic yet rockin guitar, the dramatic and gothic delivery of the vocals, the drum frills... honestly, what's not to like?
Sometimes folk, sometimes blues, always metal. I didn't realise there was so much in common between Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple - all forned in England in 1968. Must admit I was wishing for a bit of War Pigs towards the end there.
Another Black Sabbath already?! Definitely did not enjoy as much as Paranoid, this was more gothic & gloomy. How did they have 2 albums ready to drop in 1970, as their first ones!
Over these last two Sabbath albums I have become passionate about Sabbath grooves. I've always been drawn to these songs, on this album it's the wizard, but I think now that this is what makes them special. On Vol 4 there are a handful. At times sounds like a funk influence and I think its because of Bill Ward on drums. Aside from The Wizard nothing really stood out. Good debut
Helluva debut! Another great Sabbath album thats making me feel like I completely missed the boat on Ozzy while he was alive. Most of this Ive never heard beforehand. They must’ve cut up the medley tracks for radio play because there were pieces I recognized from rock radio stations growing up. Their sound went really far beyond metal - similar track diversity in Volume 2. Wicked World using a swing drum beat was simply fucking awesome. Amazing to read the Iommi fingers story and how hot their sound hit initially.
Riff city! I saw a review that said Sabbath is the Alibaba Express version of Led Zeppelin. Hard to argue with that. In a rabbit hole, learned that Bonham was best man in Tony Iommi’s wedding. This album popped up on a trivia league Ted and I play in a few days ago: The ominous line "What is this that stands before me?" opens the riff-heavy first track on a seminal debut album released on Friday the 13th in February 1970. The song, album, and band all share the same name. What is that name? Some more fun trivia, there are only few other well known bands that have an album, song, and band name all the same: Sabbath, Maiden, Motörhead, and Bad Company (only one to reach #1).
Not much can be said about this record that hasn’t already been said. Most influential performance of all time. Rest in peace ozzy.
Must have been pretty crazy to listen to this in 1979 for the first time, riffs were heavy, and their drummer is absolutely fantastic, he’s very unique and adds so much the songs. Some of the songs were kinda groovy like Evil Woman and Wicked World which I liked. Definitely enjoyed this a lot more than heavy bands that came after them, every song was good.
A good and a look at one of the most controversial rock bands of all time. To me the best when Ozzy Osborne was lead vocalist.
Hey dude I hacked you
Getting into overused terms again - classic, genius, etc. This is the birth of heavy metal as the world has come to know it. How lucky for the rest of us that Tommy injured his hand when and in the way he did. Turned out ok for him, too, I think.
🧡
This is so evil i love it
First listen, magic.
Proper rock and roll
RIP OZZY
The Wizard is just such a great track. I think they got better in the next couple albums but this still rocks hard.
Loved this!
7/10 Highlight: Black Sabbath
I listened to this album (or some songs of this album) before. But I never knew there is so much raw blues in it!
🌑 Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (1970) This album is the sound of thunderclouds forming inside your ribcage. This is where metal was born—ugly, wet, glorious. Ozzy howls like a man who’s been locked in a castle full of damp regrets, while Tony Iommi makes his guitar sound like it’s coughing up grave dirt. It’s dramatic, theatrical, and somehow makes evil feel kind of cozy. Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: The sonic equivalent of watching a storm roll in while carving pentagrams into your desk with a compass. Favorite Track: “N.I.B.” – Is it about Satan? Love? Satan as love? Yes.
One of my favorites
Reminded me of king crimson. Dark like a dramatic video game.
4.4
a couple surprises here...i havent rly been feeling music that much the past week or so, rarely listening to albums that arent my daily from this project, and i also thought i was comfortable in my opinion on this record due to revisting it very recently in the wake of ozzy's death. but this kinda hit me like a bolt fhsdajhsdj an easy bump up to a perfect score and probably just barely behind master of reality as my favorite sabbath now. the infamous tritone riff on the title track is so screamingly simple and yet so unbanal that it feels like something that was discovered rather than created...its no wonder that tbh, iommi never did anything quite like it again. but what he does do is have one of the most vibrant, recognizable, satisfying, and addictive musical vocabularies of any rock guitarist, and there is no better record to just roll around in that fact that this album's loose and liquid expanse. ozzy comes out the gate perfecting his presence that uses its campiness to increase its urgency and uncanniness, filtering embryonic Rock Star tropes through a kind of earnest Acting that could be directed by george romero. geezer is one of the coolest bassists out there (and ofc the creative nucleus of the band in many ways), and bill ward makes a great argument for being possibly my favorite rock drummer of the 60s or 70s. everyone is on the same aesthetic page, every song gives everyone a chance to lock together yet also show a great deal of autonomy, and the sound itself is one of the greatest creative accomplishments in the history of recorded music. without being traditionally "flashy", its effortlessly dramatic and involving even beyond the more overt atmosphere on the title track. close to the best album cover of all time, too
Funny how this is the grandfather of metal. Throw some Robert Plant vocals and you could probably convice me this was Led Zeppelin. 7/10
Incredibly influential album. Tony iommi absolutely shreds on this album. Very haunting and uncomfortable to listen to I dig it
Classic, loud, pure Ozzy. -3.5/5
Pretty good album. It’s a lot of Black Sabbath and Led Zep recently so feels like it’s running together. I wish the medleys would have been separated, as the N.I.B. part is by far the best part. Top tracks: “Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Basically/N.I.B.,” “Black Sabbath”
--Black Sabbath...so this is metal? it starts kicking four and one half minutes in. The song is six minutes. I'm told this is proto-'Doom' metal. Not sure I like Doom metal --The Wizard...sounds very similar to LedZepp's Heartbreaker --Behind the Wall of Sleep...this also sounds like Heartbreaker. Decent bass groove in the back half --N.I.B....hello, Mr. Iommi, lovely to see you --Evil Woman...power pop. bass is great --Sleeping Village...more of a jam than a song. still good --Warning...over ten minutes long. starts out strong but it's not very cohesive. The back half could simply be Iommi warming up his fingers for all I know --Wicked World...another decent track that doesn't quite come together. This album is the sound of a talented band that is not yet totally confident in their abilities
Woooow… This is heavy metal, when it still was rooted in groovy blues. Like it a lot!
Bättre än förväntat men inte min grej, svårt att höra och fokusera på lyrics bakom gitarrerna.
I don't think I can say anything more about this album that hasn't already been said. It rules! I would recommend listening to it during a thunderstorm as it only enhances the experience
🤘🤘rip ozzy
I like it, Picasso
The first thing that stood out was the vocals. They are strong, clear, and full of emotion, with a tone that cuts through the music. The guitar work is unreal, with solos that feel almost improvised, and the basslines are heavy and prominent. The instrumentation is simple on paper but fills the space in a way that feels impressive and powerful. I could hear a lot of blues and psychedelic influence woven into the early metal sound, which made it an easier listen than I expected for a metal album. Even though I didn’t connect with every song, the raw energy and musicianship kept me engaged and made it a solid listen.
Yes. Not my favorite sabbath album but still fantastic.
surprisingly good... I don't really like metal but I actually enjoyed listening to this album crazy riffs and not too much screaming
what do you expect me to say?
Mixed reactions on this. The opening track was spooky and eerie, and I liked the song N.I.B. The rest of it didn't make as much of an impression. However, I love the album cover art.
Awesome metal
Wait...what? Improvisational metal jazz on Wicked World? Not as metal as I had anticipated. I'm not a metalhead, so this is actually very listenable. Some nice blues walks/riffs. I kind of enjoy the almost rock-opera style the way the tracks are set up.
Not a great album, but where it all began.
Of course a true classic. Beginning of heavy metal (or at least most influental album). I really enjoy listening this album. It has the metal sound and lyrics introduced but also some of amore bluesy songs. Because of the A-side a five star album for me.
It a fan of bs but I gave it a little listen.
Rock
Some of the best Sabbath songs ever on here.
Surprised by how much I liked this one. There were definitely parts I liked less but overall I really enjoyed it. Very fun to me that The Wizard is apparently about Gandalf (also, hello harmonica!) Fav song: Black Sabbath - I enjoy the way it builds up Least fav: Warning
Enjoyed this one. Tad heavy on the metal at times but still good throughout. Also starts too medieval for me but brings it back. Specific rating- 3.9 Fav song- black sabbath Least fav- evil woman, don’t play your games
Liked about half of it, some really fun songs and then some where I could feel myself getting a headache. Obviously a hugely impactful album but not really my thing. Favourite song: Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games with Me Least: Behind the Wall of Sleep
not my personal fave... the metal is not it for me ngl... all the songs r too long too :(
interesting how the songs are clumped together
very nice
Few people get it right the first time, but Black Sabbath makes a compelling case.
Was expecting something totally different. I don’t know I was thinking the main singer was female. Not really my style of music
Solid album, sort of wish the songs were divided into shorter chunks cause some parts are a bit slow but really get going later on in the song. Fave song: Black Sabbath
Really good in a different way than I expected, didnt go "hard" per se. Favourite Song: Wicked World Honourable Mention: Sleeping Village
Good album, I can understand why this in the 1970’s must have kicked ass. Imo a 3, maybe a 4 after a few more listens.
Not many bands can release an album that has a similar voice to the first album, but has more to say. This album does that.
Great album
MASTERPICE, AMAZING, ILOVE IT (THE WIZARD FAV TRACK IN HERE)
Gir meg ikke så mye, selv om jeg forstår at de har vært banebrytende.
Easy 5. Begining of heavy music, great sound, great songwriting, great musicianship. Loved it since I was 10 y.o. and will love forever. It's where started for me in music and all this years after I love to get back there. R.I.P. Ozzy It's not on this list, but if you were not familiar with Sabbath before and liked it, check Sabotage (1975), best Sabbath album in my opinion.
(3.5, rounded up because my Mom’s reaction is still hilarious) Points for cleverness, points for horror-movie marketing, and bonus points for making my mother forbid my brother from opening the gatefold in the house in the 70's because “the upside-down cross would invoke the devil.” The real win here is N.I.B. because it slaps, but also because my brother learned that riff on guitar when we were teenagers, and I heard it roughly 700 times a day until my brain rewired itself to headbang on cue.
Feels like I am inside the head of an old cowboy that had a heat stroke. This is a complement.
Уже третий альбом Black Sabbath здесь, и я так и не могу понять, в чём прелесть
This music’s not very good
What if Jimi Hendrix was heavy? I would not enjoy it
I think this has to be a 5! Up there in quality with Led Zeppelin, very impressed and very pleased. Wish I had listened to them sooner, can't wait for more of their albums on this list. FWIW, this is WAY better than where heavy metal went in later decades, though maybe that will be proven wrong later in this list. - Intriguing intro. Not as 'heavy' as I was expecting - This bangs. Clear contemporary of Led Zeppelin but have their own sound - Weird how multiple songs are tracked together. Would have added some to the playlist but not all 9 minutes of the track... - Drags on at the end but not enough to knock it from a 5. Hope their later albums are more concise.
First of all, RIP Ozzy. Starting off an epic Ozzy career binge, so glad I got both this and Vol. 4 in the past few days. On this listen I started with the European edition, which I wasn't familiar with as I had the North American album in Canada growing up. I'm probably biased by experience, but the North American version seems a little better to me, with Wasp being a better track than Evil Woman. Anyway, particular releases aside, this is the rough around the edges start of an amazing band, solo artist, and in many ways, heavy metal as a genre. It's not quite as polished as Paranoid that came afterwards. There are a couple of weaker tracks, but the high points like the Wizard, Wicked World and NIB more than make up for them. Black Sabbath the track is a doomed foreboding of the Prince of Darkness' 55 years of reign. Based on its influence on rock music, it probably deserves a 5/5. But compared to Sabbath and Ozzy's later stuff, it's probably roughly a 3.5/5 or so for me. I'll split the difference here at 4.
❤️
Short but sweet. The music is really the star of this album but ozzy is the kind of darkness and his vocals on this album show why. Evil woman is on rotation in my house the guitar is stunning.
I can take this in small doses only. Tedious.
Odd time to get this one generated for me - RIP Ozzy :( Not sure what took me so long to get around to listening to these guys, but they have some awesome stuff.
Not their strongest record by any means, but sews the seeds for what was to follow.
The birthplace of heavy metal.
çok iyi
This is where it all began. A great debut album harking at the rest of the bands career. Not as good as Paranoid or Vol 4 but still a tour de force and worthy of 5 stars
Not as good as paranoid but still pretty iconic.
RIP Ozzy
Absolute classic. Despite sounding so blues influenced, this is the dawn of heavy metal. RIP Ozzy.
Unexpected long Selftitled (Band and Album) Titletrack is a great introduction and makes me curious of what comes next. Seconds track surprised me with the harmonica intro.
This is a suitable first choice, given the passing of Ozzy.
RIP.
Não é ruim, mas não é super meu estilo. Acho que tem dias que ouvirei rs
RIP
I enjoyed this much more than I expected. This is an album, songs don’t necessarily stand up in their own. I was surprised at the range and musicality.
😮💨
9/10
The title track experimental approach feels special even to this day. I kinda wish the rest of the album followed a similar direction, but that doesn't mean what's in there isn't stellar. N I B is a gem with wonderful guitar work. Sleeping village, Warning and Wicked world are also highlights. Great album.
RIP Ozzy
The og metal bluebrint
This is one of very few albums that I immediately loved. By very few, I mean there are around three.
There's some siiiiick riffs here, thanks for inventing metal, guys <3
RIP Ozzy. This wonderful album invented heavy metal. Every moment is influential.
rip ozzy osbourne !!! the album was surprisingly amazing, I didn’t think that music of black sabbath would be my cup of tea but, happily, I was wrong
Ozzy! Noooooo! Good timing for an amazing album and tribute to the Prince of Darkness. 8.0 - amazing solos and power.
Actually really good, I should listen to more Black Sabbath
when heavy metal wasn't just noise
I think this may be a 10 record but I reserve the right to revisit notnso close to Ozzys death. RIP King
RIP Ozzy. This is fine, but clearly not Sabbath's best album, but all of the elements are there - tight drums, awesome guitars, crisp bass, and a very charismatic (and fucking NUTS) frontman. They were a little too high-concept for their own good, but it's Sabbath. Sabbath rules.
Love Black Sabbath!
Dad- NA Mom- 5 Mike- NA Lori- 7.5 Michael- NA Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 6.25
And with that, heavy metal - complete with all its durable tropes - is born. Killer riffs abound - a template for this band and much of heavy metal, emphasizing the riff over pure melody.The energetic if not yet overly tight rhythm section showing the bloom of its potential, and Ozzys distinctive vocals and ridiculously theatrical lyrics on top of all of it. Sabbath would go on to produce better albums, but they come out of the gates hot, and while the record loses a bit of steam toward the end it opens with a series of blistering tracks. There are some unusual flourishes here - in particular the blues orientation - that would not be repeated in future records. Any of Sabbath’s first five albums are 5 star affairs for me, and this one is memorable for establishing the template, both for themselves and for metal in general.
I don't think this is the first time I'll reflect on this during the project, I've thought about it with preceding albums and maybe even mentioned it, but holy wow did rock sound so much bluesier. These days it's all zip, and punch, and precision, and it seems mostly informed (rightfully so) by hip-hop and EDM (where for decades it was the other way around). I'm not complaining! Just... Wow at where rock has been and where it's going, and what sounded aggressive and even "scary" to preceding generations now sounds... Quaint? Not in a toothless way. But like yeah this is so woven into our musical DNA, it's no longer transgressive, and the only thing left is that it's good and fun and enjoyable and Ozzy. But it's normal! The "new" normal.
I got this record the day Ozzy died, rest in peace. A foundational metal record, and an excellent one. Ozzy's singing here is perfect, he strikes the perfect balance between strength, expressiveness and a haunting tone. Iommi's work on guitar is epic and the solos are absolutely amazing. The bass is great too, particularly the solo in "N.I.B". And the drumming is excellent too, the fills are superb. They sound excellent in this album, a hell of a debut and I loved how you can listen the inception of heavy metal, the combination of rock, blues and the dark ambience that would become signature for Black Sabbath. The lyrics are a mix of different themes in varying degrees of darkness: Death, Haunting, Satan, Gandalf, etc. They all work pretty well though, the writting is excellent as they don't overdo it. This album has some epic classics: "N.I.B" is a monumental, heavy and super catchy song about Satan falling in love, and it's super fun. "Warning" is a super powerful closer (for the original release) being a 10 minute epic with some of the best metal instrumental passages. Finally, "Black Sabbath" is the perfect opener and one of the best metal songs ever, it's creepy, haunting and they deliver it perfectly, they sound superb here. The other songs are really good too, maybe "Sleeping Village" is the least good one, but still pretty great. "Wicked World" definitely didn't sound as good, as the mix is a bit too distorted and it feels a bit disjointed from the album, but it wasn't part of the original release so maybe it doesn't really count. Overall, it's an epic debut album and a great record front to back, particularly the original release. I initially felt like giving it 4 stars, but being honest I can't find a justification for not giving it 5 stars. I've been playing it on repeat for the past 5 days, and I've only liked it more, so 5 stars it is.
One of the greatest metal albums ever. I really don't have much of a personal connection with this but the riffs and the overall instrumentation is really great, so many bangers here
I see the vision on how this was different compared to the less "evil" sounds of led zeppelin, or deep purple, or the who. But just because I can recognize what makes it different from the times, doesn't make me like it now :p It's a lot of riffs and stuff, but felt kinda boring compared to modern metal/industrial stuff. 5/10
Iconic gen 1 metal, nothing special but nothing to sleep on.
Good. Not metallica good. 4/5
Great album.
3 stars if it was any old album. 4 stars for being the first metal album, ever. 4/5
I really like it. Not as strong as some other sabbath albums, but still great
Man, this thing is just perfect. I was only a year old when this dropped, but seriously, this is a monumental debut. Every single song on it is killer. Ozzy's voice, Tony Iommi's riffs, Geezer Butler's bass, Bill Ward's drums – the whole band is just absolutely amazing. They came out of the gate fully formed and just laid down the blueprint for heavy. It's dark, it's heavy, and it's a timeless classic. If you want to hear where a lot of heavy music really started, this is it. No filler, just pure, unadulterated awesome.
3 stars if it was any old album. 4 stars for being the first metal album, ever. 4/5
RIP Ozzy. He was truly one of the legends. This is my last Sabbath album and can honestly say I like them much more than I thought I did. And I realize during The Wizard that people will deal with things in music they like that they will not in music they hate. This is a song about a wizard. If this was a different band these lyrics would overshadow everything else. These guys hate politicians...that's a message I can get behind. This album is better than I anticipated as well.
Second Black Sabbath album after never really giving them a chance outside their Guitar Hero songs. I may have to do a deeper dive one day. This one didn't have the star power that Paranoid did but still really enjoyed it throughout.
Great project! I feel like Vol .4 was better than this, but this was still really good nonetheless. 4.5 if that was possible.
Genre setting! What a lead off in “Black Sabbath” (when the guitars really kick in and the second half). Totally rifftastic, this album is full of bangers: “the wizard”, N.i.B.” Sad to be given this just after Ozzy has died but this albums great!
Jedinica iz principa. // Bila bi dvica jer je loš album osim ponekih dijelova ponekih pjesama.
OK, now I know these suggestions are at least partially rigged. A Sabbath album this close after the Ozzy news? Not that I'm complaining; I will listen to it and enjoy every second I can through the loss. And... It's really good. I've heard many Ozzy/BS songs before, but never listened to a full album of them like this. Started off strong and didn't let up until later on. The guitar work is heavy and leads the feel for the rest of the band on their metal journey. Ozzy is Ozzy, though you can tell he's not as Ozzy as he would eventually become. I was a little surprised at how bluesy portions of it were. I guess that was a big influence, but I usually just think about the heavier sound I associate with anything Ozzy-related when I consider BS. For me, the main negative of this album is that it ends with an extended jam session medley. The jam is mostly good, but goes on for a long time and has a couple weak points. The later middle part is probably its worst section, as the first half and last few minutes were pretty good. It causes the album to feel incomplete rather than a full work. Without that track it would run less than 30 minutes. Breaking it down a bit and/or adding something to that time could've made the album better (imo). Still, I really enjoyed it and would listen again. Regardless of any bias based on recent events, it's a debut album that set a tone for the band and its members that lasts decades later and that they continue to live up to. Not to mention the influence it would have on the world. All in all, I found it to be a very good album. Overall: 3.75/5
Legendary masterpiece!
Very classic rock, on the heavier side, but still within my taste. Rest in peace Ozzy, for the life you led, you did live for a remarkably long time
Good album, lots of wibbly guitar, very 70's. Ozzy will be greatly missed
Så fantastisk
Riffs on Riffs. Every part of this combines to create something special and unique. I get it.
pretty epic
The album that started it all… without this record, metal wouldn’t be nearly the same as it is today. Possibly even nonexistent. RIP to Ozzy Osbourne, Prince of Darkness and King of Metal
I can only take so much Ozzy!
Black Sabbath are one of those bands that I always feel like I should have listened to but haven't really - my knowledge of them begins and ends with Paranoid (which I do love). So, I would have been pleased to get this, even without the added poignancy of Ozzy Osbourne passing away yesterday. I can see why they were influential - some tracks were more bluesy than I was expecting, but you can definitely see the birth of heavy metal here.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970) | Heavy Metal / Doom Rock | Avg: 8.8 | Favorite Song: “N.I.B.”* This debut is the blueprint. Black Sabbath isn’t just the start of the band—it’s the start of heavy metal as a genre. And even all these decades later, it still sounds genuinely dark and menacing. “N.I.B.” was the standout for me, with its creeping intro and that massive riff kicking in like a slow, evil march. But honestly, every track holds its weight. The band was locked in from the jump—those sinister blues roots, the thunderous rhythm section, and of course, Tony Lommi’s game-changing guitar tone. What really caught me this time around was how atmospheric the record is. There’s this muddy, almost live-sounding quality that works in its favor—it makes everything feel raw and dangerous. The songwriting is tight, the performances are confident, and the pacing is spot on. Even the few slightly lower-scoring moments didn’t break the mood. It’s easy to see why this album kicked open the door for a whole new genre. It doesn’t just hold up—it still hits like a storm.
Not as heavy as I thought it would be. Interesting riffs, sounds more like an exploration, in a sense that it has drawn out tunes. Has a couple good songs
I think I've only ever listened to Paranoid as an album, which kind of sounds dated at this point, so I wasn't sure what to expect. And I was pleasantly surprised. Weirdly, the things that I don't like about The Rolling Stones--when it skews to bluesy or even twangy--are what I liked most about this album. Still, the whole writing about "the occult" is kind of weird.
Ozzyyyy.....godfather of Metal.... gligh high... 5/5 for literally inventing metal music....
Decided to give this a listen as a tribute to Ozzy. Probably gonna listen to all the other sabbath records with him too. Good album, but not their best. Paranoid is much better. Sure this has classics like Black Sabbath, The Wizard, and NIB, and Behind the Wall of Sleep and Wicked World are underrated tracks, but it seems they put all the good stuff on side 1 and filled the back half with filler. Like why the hell would you end your album with a cover song with a long ass jam session in the middle with half of it being Tony Iommi just noodling on his guitar? And Sleeping Village has a cool intro and some good riffs, but they only have vocals in the beginning and the rest is just an instrumental. I can kinda see why critics like Lester Bangs and Robert Christgau didn’t like it very much when it was first released. Though I do acknowledge its influence to rock and metal as a whole,
A curated album to honor the passing of Ozzy Osborn. I thought this was a solid album and I enjoyed their jams.
Great guitar work. The lyrics are much more poor and distracting than Paranoia. Still good. 3.5/5
I love this album: a great blend of psychedelic, hard rock, and proto-metal. Also the album cover looks both evil and like a renaissance faire fantasy.
rest in peace Ozzy.
ahhh just not really for me
Amazing album
Had def heard a lot about this recently and with ozzy passing recent I was very aware of the context around it. Although musically fine, it didn’t do much for me . I can imagine If it’s 1970 and I haven’t heard any metal, this may blow my mind, but now that I have , this blended in and at times underwhelmed
nothing like some of the first doom metal to bask in my misery. I'm still in shock a little. What can I say that you don't already know? It's awesome, it's Ozzy, I am not recovering from this anytime soon </3
I liked a lot of it, especially the title song. Solid throughout. Stand out song - Black Sabbath
It’s Geezer. It’s Tony. It’s Tommy. It’s Ozzy. Without these four Aston lads there would be no Heavy Metal as we know it. From the sound of the rain at the very start of the album, to the final chords of Wicked World, Sabbath laid down the blueprint for the next 50 years of heavy music.
RIP Ozzy.
A good listen, starting to see some similarities between Black Sabbath's albums. Enjoyed it but didn't think it was quite 5 stars. Appreciated how some of the songs blended quite well from one into the next. Starting to see how Ozzy has his own distinctive sound that carries across albums, as does the whole band.
Absolute classic. The Wizard? N.I.B? The actual Black Sabbath, itself? This was the beginning of it all. I’d say RIP Ozzy, but we all know you’ll rise again to reap your vengeance. Years spent in torment, buried in a nameless grave. Now he has risen. Miracles would have to save, Those that the beast is looking for…
Came through on the day after Ozzy”s death…… great album, the music and themes tie together well. This is heralded as one of the first heavy metal albums but I like it a lot better than most metal.
The beginning of something very special, although overall this isn't a particularly special album.
A timely album for sure- RIP Ozzy. This is also one I have heard before- both my brother and dad used to listen to it. It's a great album for sure- Black Sabbath wereee pioneers of early metal. The sound is a fusion of hard rock, progressive rock, and metal guitar riffs. Some iconic hits too. Overall- very good album. Probably a 4.5, not quite a 5
Classic. Very timely since Ozzy died today. I just listened to the first 3 Sabbath albums today in tribute.
R.I.P. Ozzy
F****** Classic!
Rest in Peace, Prince of Darkness
This is the third Sabbath album I've gotten and I still gotta know: how the hell is this guitarist so fucking good?!?!?
Ozzy died yesterday and I get a Black Sabbath album to listen to today.
Revisited, really good
One of the most influential albums of all time. Still goes hard to this day. Also why tf does Spotify have the tracks all together instead of split up properly. p.s. RIP Ozzy. Favorites: The Wizard, N.I.B., Sleeping Village
esencial, fundamental, pionero, seminal, lo que quieras poner. tanto este coom Paranoid están en cualquier lista. punto.
No matter what day your religion chooses as the Sabbath, may it be a Black one. RIP Ozzy
I love the drums and bass here driving everything and I love Ozzy’s vibe and voice. The dark/horror themes are compelling and I’m sure ruffled some feathers back in the day.
A true legend never dies, they live in us forever.
We love you, Ozzy. Thanks for paving a much needed path in this world. That crazy relationship we developed with Ozzy and the many family trees of music he’s responsible for starts here. Thank you Geezer, Tony & Bill for your indelible contributions.
This album like the previous one on this list (Paranoid) does nothing to change my hatred for Black Sabbath's "music". (And my very short review of Paranoid actually got a thumbs up so it seems that I am not the only one with this opinion)
Groundbreaking then, still solid now. But I simply don't like Ozzys voice. (Anyway R.I.P. Ozzy) 2,5
Ozzy dies and this album is served up a day later. Coincidence? I think not. Long live the Prince of Darkness!
Great Sabbath
Very enjoyable, solid riffs.
Horns up! Theatrical but not campy. Love the blues foundation and insane composition. Black Sabbath is a master class album. Rest well, Ozzy.
Another album that surprised me by how much I enjoyed it! I think, though, early heavy metal is perhaps more palatable than more modern iterations… But now I guess I will have to explore and expand my horizons
RIP Ozzy Not my favorite Sabbath, but unbelievably strong right out of the gate. Defined (arguably created) a new genre from note one of track one. So self assured, so confident in what they were. It’s incredible.
I was not impressed with this album by BS. I do enjoy one other BS album, Paranoia? But this did not the unique features of some of the BS songs that fo grab me.
Nothing could prepare you for this. It was unlike anything else at the time. And it STILL holds up today.
Young Ozzy's voice is so good. This was way more melodic and funky than dark.
Can’t say I was ever a huge Black Sabbath fan. But I respect Ozzy and his contributions to music. RIP
.....
Beim Frühstück heute lese ich einen Bericht über das letzte Konzert von BS/Ozzy in Birmingham, im Radio wird heute sein Tod verkündet und als Album wird mir am gleichen Tag dieses hier präsentiert. Zufall? Oder hat da der Prince of Darkness die Finger mit im Spiel? Ich weiß es nicht. Was ich weiß: dies ist ein Album, welches mich als Jugendlicher schwer infiziert hat. Und es hat mich noch immer im Griff...
a fitting entry in this list after the recent passing of the legendary ozzy osbourne. this album is the debut of black sabbath. the prince of darkness welcomes listeners to his graveyard, virgin ears beware. taking some inspiration from blues music, black sabbath immediately puts you in a grimy, ghoulish atmosphere with heavy riffs and WAILING vocals. ozzy was like no other, and after his passing, i can only appreciate his work more. let's get REAL satanic up in here.