Reviews (page 8 of 16)
rest in peace ozzy :(
Kings of darkness🤘🎸
You already know it’s gotta be a 5. My favourite Sabbath album Edit Apr 22 2026: 5 --> 4
R.I.P. Ozzy! Although it feels odd to say it based on his commercial and artistic relationship with the occult. Still, considering all of his contributions to music, I do hope he finds real peace and eternal rest.
RIP ozzy
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Pretty solid, interesting early metal album.
Legendary.
3.86
Got this on the day of the Prince of Darkness' death, so safe travels. Regardless, his image as the darkest and heaviest versus how tame and standard rock this sounds today will never be not funny to me. Liked it quite okay.
The title track is probably my favorite Black Sabbath song, I love how eerie and dark it is. And the "Oh god please help me" line just feels so desperate. Sadly, I don't think the rest of the album really holds up that well. I think it is the weakest of their first 4 albums, a lot of the songs are just too bluesy and a little cheesy. I am glad they stuck with the darker themes on their future work. That being said, this is still a really good album, and I also enjoy N.I.B. a lot. I also like The Wizard for what it is despite sounding more like a Led Zeppelin track. RIP Ozzy. High 4.
Pretty good, surprisingly so. I never really realised that Black Sabbath are closer to Led Zep than Metallica. 3.8/5
My third favorite Black Sabbath albums of the three I have heard. Still a solid album just a bit below the bar set by the other two. Also getting this the day after Ozzy’s passing, the game is rigged. 7/10
The influence in helping start a genre makes it worthwhile to be on the list alone. What a moody album cover, it's awesome for the sound and vibe being so unique.
Doesn't feel like this one came up randomly. Today is July 23rd 2025. Okay it didn't. Great album cover. The Wizard was one of the earliest things I learned on the harmonica. It's a solid song. More of a blues feel overall. Bonus inclusion of the jaw harp. Everyone is doing a great job. Love the run time. I just feel Paranoid is a tighter album.
3.9 2x solid album all the way through. the day after ozzie died, i get this album. hmm (confirmed it was a manual push to all users).
RIP Ozzy I guess you can say high to Lucifer for reals. Paranoid is the better album, this one's ok.
It’s not my kind of music, but so glad I listened. It’s ground breaking and first of its kind. Ozzy’s voice is like a haunted party
This is my first full Black Sabbath album listen. I’m familiar with their hits, but not much else and wouldn’t say their music was my cup of tea. The musicianship on this album is incredible and Ozzy’s voice is otherworldly. I have a love-hate relationship with the lyrical content, which is why it wasn’t a five-star album for me.
Ok this cannot be a freaking coincidence. First Brian Wilson passes away and a Beach Boys album pops up. Now, Ozzy Osbourne passes away and a Black Sabbath album is up? This has to be on purpose. Not that I'm complaining. I am not a heavy metal fan per se but I do like some good rock and roll. I can appreciate why this album is such a banger.
Gewoon heel goed
Timely suggestion on yesterday's album. I've listened to this before, I like it a lot but not my favourite of their albums. Still really impressive for the era it released, plus the band still remains pretty unique.
4/8
Iconic. Classic. Almost impossible to truly judge based on how influential it was.
Great Album I love Toni Iomis riffs and Ozzys voice is bang on. It has stoofd the test of time and gives its own dark edge to Rock. A real classic album that everyone should listen too at least once. R.I.P the prince of Darkness Ozzy a true showman on and off the stage.
Getting this a day after Ozzy dies is wild. Or perhaps we all were assigned this? Who's to say.
I listened to this album like 5 times trying to have thoughts lol. I think the problem was the first half was so lackluster. But wow those last three tracks are solid. Vocals not a fave, but some really nice instrumental bits. So, I think that means a 4. Unfortunately this is also one of those albums that I would have loved at the time released but now can't listen to it without thinking of all the albums released since then that I'd rather be listening to now.
Classic 🤘 RIP Ozzy
Gotta give it at least a 4 star for style points and just overall iconic sounds. Ozzy was a master at his craft, will never be another artist like him.
Title track is great and hugely important. Did this the same day as Vol 4 on Ozzy's death, not quite as good as that one to me but it's up there. Just meanders a bit.
More interesting than some of the other stuff coming out around this time, music for the weirdos. That said, later Sabbath is just better. I don't want to call this dull, or that time has passed it by, but despite being more varied than contemporaries, it's not that...I'm struggling to find a word that's not "interesting", so I'll say it didn't grip me. Still a good album, though. RIP Ozzy, 55 years of being a cultural force.
Almost all metal is descended form this album
I get a kick out of how normal this sounds to me now vs. how it must have sounded to people when it was released. I really liked this one!
classic. not the best of the albums, but better than I remember
Interesting and innovative; good choice for today to mark Ozzy Osbourne‘s passing.
Along the same lines as my comments for the other Black Sabbath albums I've been served on this site, this was really good. In fairness, I was quite looking forward to this as the previous two albums were so much better than expected. Getting this album the day after Ozzy died is either (1) prophetic, or (2) a result of an algorithm - I'm going with (2).
Not my fav Black Sabbath album, but solid nonetheless.
RIP the Madman! Prince of Darkness. This one is killer, the first foray into metal. Not quite perfect but really damn close. The opening salvo is haunting as hell and an apt introduction to the band. The Wizard is one of the most badass stomping blues horror numbers ever (should have been on the Sinners soundtrack). Only knock is that the middle sections get a little too jammy. Split those songs up and drive em hard! But damn, this is badass
It's a little too random that this was given to me the day after Ozzy died. Are they fishing for higher stars? It's wild how this band came pretty much fully formed even by their first album in 1970!!?? It's great. I think their later albums were a bit more solid, but man this feels like it came out of nowhere. I mean the Beatles were still a band when this came out. Incredible.
The undisputed cornerstone of heavy metal. It is actually fascinating to discover how much of this album's musicality is actually built upon blues and jazz musicality. I love this album, but I still think the second half drags for too long. Solid four-and-a-half record.
RIP Ozzy Osbourne (1948 - 2025) I thought in honor of a legend, I would go back to a classic. I have heard this album before, but not in great details, however this is the birth of metal, so this is an important album. It's hard to believe this album is 55 years old, it still holds up so well. It's atmospheric and psychedelic, such a great album. I often forget just how good instrumentally this band was. I know people like to complain how evil and demonic bands like Black Sabbath were, but honestly it feels so camp and theatrical; there is a reason why this band is so recognisable and creative, they paved the way for so many different genres. Standouts: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B., Warning
Sad to see Ozzy go. Nice album, not too heavy.
Fantastic. Heavy guitar and a groovy rhythm section. Ozzy's vocals on this are very good still, unlike on later records where I find it almost unbearable. I prefer this to Paranoid and it's not even close.
4.5
lite för långa jam-sessioner och ksk inte perfekt låtskrivande, dock en grym aura
Long live the Prince, and long live Black Sabbath.
Legendary
This cannot possibly be co-inky-dinkal. Brian Wilson departs, "Smile" spins up next in my list. Ozzy departs and THIS is next in my list. Hugely influential of course, without necessarily being the leading exponent of the art. If you'd spent the 60s listening to the Archies and Roy Orbision then WOW were you in for a shock
4.3/5 - Great album, moodier/more fun than I expected and way ahead of its time.
It was good, didn't really do too much for me personally other than a few moments that I really enjoyed. Standout track for me was N.I.B. This was my first metal album and I think it made it finally click for me, I'm going to check out more metal fore sure including black sabbath.
Not what I’m used to but a good start. Definitely love the guitar riffs and not super heavy metal which I like.
Very groovy, love the bass and guitar, not something I would typically listen to but quite nice.
Outstanding groundwork for a genre I’m not often a listener of. Simple but strong.
How could I have missed this album? It’s so good! I always thought Black Sabbath wasn’t for me. I was wrong.
Early OZZY. an absolutely classic.
great album. not something I normally listen to.
can be a snoozefest, but is generally nice to listen to
This is a super iconic album for obvious reasons so I need to give it respect. I'll be honest if I didn't know the backstory and this was just a random album I would be a little underwhelmed. All in all though this was an enjoyable listen. The drumming was very innovative and fun, and the bass+guitar were good. Weird that I'm getting this album right now RIP Ozzy
While not my personal favorite Sabbath album, it was crucial in creating metal. So its importance cannot be ignored.
Ozzy's voice is just amazing. Love the bluesy vibes. You can definitely hear the beginnings of heavy metal.
Fucking awesome timing with Ozzy having died yesterday… but honestly, a nice album, I really like „N.I.B.“ and „Black Sabbath“. „Warning“ is also cool I’d give it a 3,7 (rounded up to 4)
A timely album to listen to being it's a day after Ozzy's passing. The album that started it all for him and what a musical career he had! I never was a Black Sabbath or Ozzy fan. Although, I have come to appreciate his music and definitely get pumped up every time I hear "Crazy Train" at a football game.
Way better than I expected. Many of the songs were what I remembered being "proto" metal that I'm less interested in, but there was a lot more on the album that I genuinely enjoyed.
RIP Ozzy
This was my introduction to Black Sabbath in a more thorough sense. I had never heard anything other than the famous track Iron Man. The first chords of the opening song drew me in from the start and I realized there was a much more varied sound to Black Sabbath I had yet to discover. If anything, this album has edified for me why Ozzy Osborne is both celebrated and controversial. Truly an artist who paved his own path and lived life to the fullest. Black Sabbath is an album that hopefully sets the stage for much more transcendent music Black Sabbath library.
Wow. Strange this would come up now. 😞
Enjoy it!! Listened to this years ago when it first came out.
It’s all right but I’m not a big fan
Origins of Hard Rock! Loved it
Not bad
Rest in peace to the prince of darkness. Compared to contemporaries, I can see why metal was so groundbreaking back when this was released.
Its the beginning of metal sound.
RIP OZZY
RIP Ozzy! :( The album that started metal. Wow.
RIP Ozzy. Good album, some strong rock songs and some strong instrumental moments.
Gammal ozzy stenhård.
Ground breaking
Passend, dass mir das heute vorgeschlagen wird - pünktlich zum Tod von ozzy. Paranoid gefällt besser, aber kann man schon mal anmachen.
The album is so short? Only 5 songs and 39 minutes. I LOVE THE GUITAR. Ozzy has a really unique voice. I understand the hype.
RIP Ozzy. Good and hugely influential album even if it’s not close to paranoid or master of reality.
RIP. I was never the biggest Black Sabbath fan, but I enjoyed them
This one is pretty good. I like the flow of the album and like musically is good and interesting. Vocals fit perfectly.
Mostly good stuff, a couple of tracks that have meandering guitar solos that serve no purpose other than apparently to just drag the song out.
This isn’t my favorite Black Sabbath album but I do still like it!
Very rare do you get to listen to something and go “This is the genesis of a genre”.
Ungdomsminner. Holder seg fortsatt godt.
To be honest, this album was much better than I imagined! I had never listened to it before, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. RIP Ozzy
Groundbreaking for it's time, still good nowadays
Giving me this right after Ozzy dies is some kind of conspiracy
Just a damn good album. RIP Prince of Darkness.
Shocked, but I loved this!
Black Sabbath. the album values the instrumental passage as much as the vocal - love it. There's a kind of cohesion, sonic vision, depthful exploration within a sound that these 60s and early 70s albums have. It makes for a very dreamy listening experience. rip Ozzy Osbourne, a life of sound. Best tunes: black sabbath, the wized, n.i.b, evil woman warning
From today's perspective, the album is a 3.5/5. Still holding up, which is impressive given its age. But imagine listening to this in 1970. Some fuckers have just invented Heavy Metal and you are holding it in your hands, unaware that this will help to establish an entire culture.
Not my usual jam but I can get into the mood. The shows must have been sick. RIP
Prince of Darkness sets the stage for a new genre. The opening eponymous track (song, album and band name!) is iconic and opens a new world of music. The riff over the last minute and a half is stellar.
This was probably manually pushed today, in honor of Ozzy's passing. Black Sabbath was a very heavy band, a possibly bordering what I would normally enjoy, but I love their main hits, and their guitar solos are always great. Overall, not a bad album, although it doesn't have any of those hits that we've all heard of. I would say pretty nice and in honor of the Prince of Darkness himself - you will be remembered.
Fun album. Nothing stuck out like Crazy Train, but it was solid all the way through.
OK, a bit dated
Rip ozzy
MY NAME IS LUCIFER PLEASE TAKE MY HAND The instrumentals on a bit of finger are epic
I bought this on CD 20+ years ago, listened to it once, found it boring, and haven't touched it since. Now I think it kinda rules?
Ca commence très fort avec le premier son Il aurait pu aller chercher la cinquième étoile mais des sons qui ne se démarquent pas assez
The first half holds up to today’s standards. Incredible opening track, worth 4 stars alone for that.
RIP.
Forged the foundation along with Hendrix for so much heavy Pysch
this was rad... that opening song is perfect
RIP in hell ozzy!
A classic for a reason.
This shit rips. What else is there to say? It's a classic for a reason.
Very appropriate to review this week, stands up well. Wasn't really into them that much at the time, but they were pushing boundaries. Good to hear again as the whole album rather than the usual selected tracks.
8/10 While there are a few bands that can claim to have laid the foundations for metal, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple being the two most obvious others, I truly feel like Black Sabbath gave metal it's soul with this album. The opening ambience of the rain, thunder and tolling bell that build into a crashing, heavy riff that lands on that disturbing, unsettling tritone interval that wavers as it rings. The devil's interval indeed. It's just so atmospheric, evocative and as heavy as a tonne of bricks. Singing about wizards, figures in black, Lucifer and all of those themes that will forever be entwined with heavy metal, Sabbath kicked the doors down with this and it's impact has been monumental. From a musical point of view, the guitar and bass create such a heavy sound, and there are some really fantastic hooks and riffs across this, and Bill Ward's drumming just drives and rolls it all forward. And then you throw Ozzy over the top of it all. Ozzy was never a great technical singer, but he was the perfect singer for this band and the birth of this type of music. He sings like a possessed madman. I remember an interview where he said he only ever heard people singing at home when they were hammered, so that's how singing sounded to him, which kind of tracks. Trying to listen to this impartially the day after Ozzy left us is difficult, but the second half of the album does lose focus and drift a little bit. That first side though. Wow. It's hard to really state him much of an impact it had. Hard to know if I'm trying too hard to not let emotion get the better of me, but it doesn't quite hold it's level enough for it's duration to get as high a mark as it possibly deserves when looked at on it's own. Black Sabbath - This track is so evocative. It's simple, but it's all about the atmosphere and broiling sense of doom that it brings. And then, after the slow burn and dread of the first section, it just bursts into life. Great riffs, heavy sound and a twist of psychedelia. Phenomenal. The Wizard - An absolute classic. Iommi's riffs. Ward's beats. Even Ozzy's harmonica. It's heavy and driving with a unrepentant push and pull between that calm and the storm. Every player gets their turn here too. There's definitely a more bluesy edge to this, but it's still building the base for metal. If Black Sabbath (the song) brought the thematic tone, The Wizard brought the musicianship. Behind the Wall of Sleep - A very Led Zeppelin intro and altogether this is more bluesy. But it's still got that darker edge to it. Less iconic than the two openers, but it still rocks hard and has some fantastic riffs. N.I.B. - More of a psychedelic edge to this one, but it still has that weight to it and it absolutely rocks. They never hang around on a section for long so there's always a sense of driving momentum and the little accents and fills they drop in all over the place, even Ozzy's little "oh yeah!"s just add so much flavour. Evil Woman - Geezer Butler gets his mention here. He's anchored everything up until now, but is more prominent here. It's a more standard bluesy rocker really and is one of the album's weaker pure songs. It's still decent, but loses something of the weight and atmosphere of the album up to this point. Sleeping Village - The unsung hero, producer Rodger Bain, gets in on the act with the Jew's Harp to add some boingy flavour. There's plenty of atmosphere here, particularly in the opening, but it's less focused and gets a bit sloppy in places. It's a bit more of a jam track and again, it's not bad, just not quite up there with the earlier stuff. Warning - Again, there are some great bits and pieces in here. Some really heavy, sludgy, driving guitars and some dirty rolling bass lines, but it's a little unfocused. It reminds me a bit of Hawkwind, but without as much instrumentation going on through the middle section to hold the interest. Wicked World - This is more like it again. Heavy, driving and atmospheric with another edge of psychedelia. The vocal recording has issues from a production point of view. Sounds like he's clipping the mic levels. Other than that, a solid way to finish the album.
Snelle inhaal review #7: Zo grappig dat dit ooit het begin was van Heavy Metal. Gaat nog steeds hard daar niet van en rip Ozzy ofcourse, maar voelt relatief zo tam. Eigenlijk geen slecht nummer te bekennen, dus dat is verder geen kritiek ofzo
Ik had eigenlijk geen verwachtingen van Black Sabbath, maar werd toch wel positief verrast. Het doet me toch wel veel denken aan de inspiratie van de oude huisband gorified abomination die we vaak luisterden back in the day, do you remember 420-serge-it?). De afwisseling van ingetogen stukken met opzwepende gitaarstukken verkoopt het voor mij wel.
Solid
Very atmospheric and will produced album. RIP Ozzy
RIP OZ!
Just so good and this was their 1st album.
Another fresh and timeless classic - the opening track still sounds like all doom metal released 55 years later, riffs all over are gargantuan, drumming and basswork are excellent, and Ozzy is ... there Too much meandering in the final track for a 5 but it gets pretty close!
Rock
First song is great. Like a dark meditation and probably best song on album. I can see how people learning the guitar would love this stuff. Steady rocky riffs and when you overlay Ozzy you get instantly elevated to rock god. Few songs interlaced with some great guitar sections but ultimately the magic is when Ozzy comes in. Great voice and suits this church of rock / dark world style. Great stuff and RIP!
I was really glad to dive into this in tribute after Ozzy's death. This album rocks and it's influence alone bumps it up a level. I was surprised by the quality of his voice which cuts through the music perfectly but also the guitar performance which is fantastic. The distortion has a rich and nostalgic tone on the solos which put me in mind of Hendrix. I was starting to think that structure of some of the verses were perhaps a little simplistic, but then as a counterpoint there is the 10 minute rock epic of "Warning". I'm really getting into my metal at the moment and this was a great listen.
i rated paranoid a 5/5, and this was close - if anything, this excellent debut album could walk so paranoid could run.
This deserved another listen, but on first rip I liked it. The use of the bell in the first song was pretty dope. 4/5
Black Sabbath defined their sound early on in their career with this debut album. It took them a while to perfect it (which is why this isn't a five-start album for me), but the pieces are all there in an album that starts to lay out their sonic signatures (like the Devil's chord).
É um album bem anos 70, com as mesmas caracteristicas de outros álbuns da época, mas de alguma forma se destaca. Tem um diferencial. Não sei se é o vocal do Ozzy, ou a guitarra do Tony Iommi, ou algo além. Destaque para The Wizard, N.I.B e Warning
Black Sabbath isch hald wükli nie so Metal/Rockig wie mer immer s gfühl het.. het mer gfalle! 4 mal es "Rest in Pease"
This surprised me.
RIP, Ozzy
May have ozzy tinted glasses on but this was a great listen. Self titled into wizard was great and finished strong. Very listenable lengthy songs
Apparently yesterday was Black Sabbath day for everyone here. I've never listened to this album in full, pretty great =)
RIP OZZY.
What a wonderful rock album. Had not listened to this album of theirs before, but just as good as the albums to come. Rock at its finest! I'm so glad I finally got over my fear of Black Sabbath too.
Dude. Fucking AWESOME. Holy shit I loved it I think I like it better than paranoid. The third song is unbelievable. 4.5 for me
Most quintessential rock sound of all time? Might have to be sabbath for me. Only problem is I think as I get older I start to lose some love for the genre of rock as a whole… definitely an interesting development as I’ve moved out of my teenage years… but this album is awesome and reminds me of why I was obsessed with War Pigs when I was in middle school and HS. Fuckin awesome stuff.
Probably why Black Sabbath was as popular across rock genres. Masterful guitar licks and a cacophony of delight, melancholic dread, passionate adrenaline that helped define them as pioneering Metal superstars!
for not liking metal I'm surprised at how much I'm liking the Black Sabbath albums. RIP Ozzy
RIP Ozzy
I go back a long way with this one. RIP Ozzy.
Classic, the actual "birth" of metal as I understand it. Doesn't hit quite the same as some of their other efforts but impressive and fun to listen to all the same.
Surprised by this one. I'm not really a metal fan, but this is really the blueprint and I'm glad to hear Ozzy didn't really like the term Heavy Metal. He just considered it rock and I agree. It is heavier, but the basics are there and at times you can really hear the blues influence when you slow down the riffs.
For obvious (ozzvious?) reasons, I was listening to Ozzy more than I usually do. Guys, I think he’s pretty good. After the first three tracks (US version), I was contemplating 5 stars, but I think it settled into 4. Honestly, a relief. If I had to consider dethroning Paranoid as the best Black Sabbath album, I might spiral.
A nice tribute after Ozzy’s passing. Despite some of the evil references, overall the sound and guitar were impressive and enjoyable.
Really solid debut. Not as good as some of their later work but still really good. Guitar is phenomenal. RIP Ozzy
Ozzy and the boys debut is nothing short of greatness in essence. It challenged all anyone knew about rock and roll music at the time. Rode the tail end of the British blues rock wave and blew it up with TNT. High production value and well crafted rythmn sections lend to this albums added success. Its simplistic rock excellence and beauty. RIP Ozzy, Tony Iomi inspired a generation of musicians.
A note to all bands: 5-10 songs, less than 40 minutes. Bring your best, leave them wanting more. It always works, and it has rarely worked better than it does here.
First listen and much respect to all those who knew before. BenP <3
Diggar soundet. Inte riktigt lika mycket som förra dock. Men älskar att de kombinerar munspel och hårdrock. Funkade rätt bra tycker jag (iaf i the wizard). RIP Ozzy!
Den är förjävla bra den här skivan och i kombination med nostalgi och att den var så banbrytande så skulle jag egentligen vilja ge en femma, men det blir tyvärr ändå bara en fyra då den skulle behöva ett par till låtar i stil med N.I.B och Black sabbath för full pott. RIP Ozzy! ❤️
Ok, so this one has obviously been interjected here because of the passing of Ozzy Osborne. It is said that Black Sabbath invented heavy metal, and that after seeing a horror film of the time (I think it may have been Witchfinder General) they decided to play a style of music that frightened people, and the rest, as they say, is history. On listening to this eponymous album again, you can hear each of the instruments playing their own part as well as their unique combined sound. Which later versions, although brilliant, could not replicate without Ozzy's vocals. This album contains some iconic tracks including Black Sabbath itself and N.I.B. Though Warning and The Wizard are two of my personal favourites now we come to the important bit. It is without doubt an excellent album, but there is just something I just can't define that is preventing me from awarding it a 5. I mean it is a 4.8, but just not quite there for me, so 4 it is.
I don't believe in coincidences. The day after Ozzt's death? Are they trying to pull on my heartstrings and give this a high score and glowing appraisal? I have never had anything to do with Black Sabbath or Metal as a genre, so this could be a hard task for me. Turns out it was pretty good for what it was. The title track was a beast and the rest was better than I expected. But this stuff will never enter my rotation. As a one off it deserves a 4.
RIP Ozzy. This was good but not as good as Paranoid.
Better than expected
Every so often a group will come along with a debut album that is so unbelievably good, you can't help but wonder where the hell did these guys come from and can they keep it up? Well, this was a sign of things to come for as good as their opening act was, the albums that followed immediately, were even better. It was the dawning of a new sound, and it was spectacular!
Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath... Is this the one with Black Sabbath on it? Black Sabbath: Indeed, this is the album with Black Sabbath on it. Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. This is really crazy! The guitar is so slow and gothic and melodramatic. The vocals are similarly intense. The tortured pleading really makes it feel like I'm listening to the top 40s in Hell. Then it speeds up and there's a bit of a guitar solo. Pretty cool. Pretty spooky mormon hell dream. The Wizard: This is a little more rock n roll and a little less oops-stumbled-into-a-vampire's-lair. Is that harmonica? Like the cowbell. Like the vocals. Pretty solid. Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B: Confused as to why this song has 4 different titles. I like Bassically the best. Anyways, the song itself does have a couple different vibes. Ozzy's vocals are remarkable and sort of perfect for this kind of music. The guitar is very cool. "My name is Lucifer, please take my hand," is a fun line. Wicked World: Really solid wow nice A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning: Another song that's WAY too long with way too many names. I guess that's the point. Like, every song title is probably an act of the song. But it's a lot for me. Very unique. And it's very good rock n roll. I wish they were separated into different songs. Gets into a good groove. Edit: Dude, he died 2 days after this review. RIP Ozzie hope I didn't have anything karmically to do with your death
Ei ollenkaan niin raskas kun muistin. täytyy ymmärtää et eka metal levy
The birth of heavy metal! Classic album.
Easy first album for me to rate!
FUUUUCK !!!!!! 8+
Influential, great, but not perfect.
I don't think I'd quite appreciated how Zeppelin, Sabbath are. This album was not as dark as I maybe expected and funking rocked basically.
The original metal album. Where it all started. Front loaded. Back half isn’t perfect but overall, solid stuff. Paranoid is better but this belongs in the book.
Not a criticism, but it's funny how many times you hear the pentatonic scale during some melody lines or guitar solos. Overall a pretty good album, a little unpolished, but not one I'll revisit. Not my favorite sound.
This is is an Iconic metal album. This was a starting point for a lot of metal and the tritone in the intro of Black sabbath was the start of the rumor that tritones were banned by the church and demonic(it wasn't). I have only heard black sabbath and N.I.B prior to this. It's very bluesy but i wouldn't say this is the strongest album. As a amateur guitarist i really love Iommis solos on allot of the songs but it can get a bit noodly at times.
Very fat
I was lucky enough to see Ozzy live a couple of times, both with Randy Rhodes on guitar but never saw Sabbath. I guess I won’t now as they’ve just played their last ever gig and are all geriatrics! This is a great album, dark, heavy and played with feeling. Musicianship is first class and always surprising.
It’s Black Sabbath 👍 4.5
Was super excited to get this one. Haven't listened to it in probably 20 years. It definitely holds up! My non-teenager brain can better handle longer songs now so I could get into it much more. I can also only imagine how novel and exciting this was back in 1970. Solid 9/10
Solid bitch
RIP to the Lord of Darkness, very good album
I bought this on CD 20+ years ago, listened to it once, found it boring, and haven't touched it since. Now I think it kinda rules?
Not as epic as their very-shortly-thereafter follow-up album, but all the parts of a legendary band are there, and mind blowing that they apparently recorded and mixed all of this in 2 days.
I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Not over the top as most metal eventually became. Solid musically and Ozzy could belt it out.
Was actually blown away by the blues influences in this. Also the base lines were played much more like a regular guitar vs just providing the rhythm. Also did not expect harmonica on a metal album 😃.
Gran álbum. Nunca habia escuchado a Black Sabbath detenidamente y me gustó bastante, lo escuche dos veces seguidas y tiene tremendas rolitas como dicen por ahi. Muy buenas instrumentales.
Really solid listen for someone who's only heard a few songs from Black Sabbath before. Length of some of the tracks are long on spotify but really feel like different ones. The guitar is downright glorious, its hypnotic and incredibly impressive.
adri: 8'5, heavy metal. Se nota los inicios de un nuevo género, asi como el estilo hard rock de la época. Es muy reconocible cuando una canción es de Black Sabbath. mar: 7, me ha sorprendido bastante y se me ha pasado rápido, lo esperaba más tosco
If I were in a better mood, this could have been a 5 for me. Strong 4 though
I love guitar it would seem. I really seem to enjoy this type of music for working to, and kinda love the whole prince of darkness aesthetic
1970! Such early metal! VERY bluesy. Some harp even, but it actually feels right. Guitar tone is so hollow somehow. Mid scooped and treble boosted? NIB slaps. Evil woman though - surely it's parody! Warning sounds like Dave Soper - it's the kind of progy epic that I didn't really know existed back then though. I made the mistake of following with led zeppelin iii which would always make it look bad, but I had a lot of fun
Great Debut album that hits hard the whole way through
Dark and hard-hitting. Unique sound.
super classic
First half is basically flawless and drops just a wee bit in the second. Black Sabbath always find ways to create so much space and atmosphere for being heavy metal and Ozzy’s voice just fits so well into it all. 8/10
27/1001. I think I had this - or my sister had it, about 35 years ago… Anyway, most songs are familiar, since I also had tabs for the best of Sabbath and probably still would know most of them by heart on a guitar. The album must be considered a classic, basically it is one cornerstone in the history of metal. No blues scale really here but riffs and power chords. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece though, a few easy to forget songs here and there and some jamming. But the sound is tight as ever, 55 years and it sounds as fresh as an ancient graveyard after rain.
Legendary. The album that started metal. ... and I'd probably be giving it five stars if it didn't sound like the band warming up in preparation for Paranoid. Great, absolutely significant, it merits its place on the list, but it's not Black Sabbath at their best.
Good ol' fashioned metal. That's what I'm talking about, baybee.
Sludgy psychedelic blues, downtuned with morbid lyrics. Great jams to be had on here. Fully agree with the book on this one.
A perfectly cromulent Black Sabbath album. It starts off nice, but then kinda stays in general Black Sabbath sounding things without really making any strides into the iconic. It was a decent listen, but not compelling enough to want to listen to it again - at least immediately.
Überraschend geil, bisschen viele Gitarren riffs. Gute Abwechslung mit frischen Elementen in den meisten Songs und guter gesang bei einem metal album 🤯. 4/5 fetzt
historically great album
Really fun to listen to all the instruments in the band jam together. This would be really fun to hear live. Felt the album grew into itself all the way through
Personally prefer paranoid, but still a solid album!
-holy shit this was just. awesome. i will need to relisten but i might even come to like it more than Paranoid someday. i really like the slow, hard doom metal stuff -might also be a contender for some of the coolest guitar sounds i’ve heard in metal. not knowledgeable enough to describe it but damn… solid -Favorites are Black Sabbath, The Wizard, and Warning
Bluesier than I expected. Similar to Cream, at times.
4/5. Never imagined me liking heavy metal, but here we are. There is something mesmerizing about the relentless guitar and bass, the vocals, the other worldly fantasy lyrics. Need to hear more Black Sabbath.
I remember discovering Black sabbath about 8 years ago. I used to love their first two albums and I event got a compilation of their best hits from their early works. After some time, I got bored of them and I specially got tired of Ozzy's voice to the point I couldn't stand it. Today, after a long period of time, this list makes me listen to their debut album. I went to listen to this with the expectation of not liking it, but, surprisingly, I liked way more than I though I would, and particularly, I even liked Ozzy's voice. My problem with his singing style is, when he sings high notes, his voice feels forced, and that irritates me. Fortunately, in this album, Ozzy stays on a lower register, and it feels way more natural. So, what about the songs? This albums opens with a beast of a track, 'Black Sabbath'. The atmosphere is so gloomy and haunting. It is mind-blowing. And the fact that it stills this strong and impactful after 55 years makes it even better. After the opening, all the songs between 'The Wizard' and 'Evil Woman' are some very strong 'proto-metal' tracks, with strong riffs and catchy melodies, specially the harmonica in the 'The Wizard' and the choruses in 'NIB' and 'Evil Woman'. The last 3 songs (or 2, if you don't count 'Wicked World' as it was realeased as an exclusive track for the US version) are way weaker and more 'hard-rock' oriented. 'Sleeping Village' starts with a nice acoustic guitar which creates this great dismal atmosphere. My problem with this song is that I wish they would expand the song around the style and idea of this segment instead of changing to a more 'hard rock' track. Lastly, the last 2 tracks don't really add anything to the experience in my opinion, primarily 'Warning' which is a 10 minutes song that feels its only intention is to show off Tommy Iommi's guitar abilities. Don't get me wrong, I think is very impressive how good he plays knowing the backstory of this fingers, but I do feel it goes for way longer than it should. At the end, I'm thankful to come back to this album.
Sabbath is absolutely killer! Awesome album
The Black Sabbath debut. Quintessential metal, rock supremacy and songs that makes you think you're in a horror movie, a couple songs drag along at the end, but still very enjoyable.
Fantastic album. Especially for the band's debut. Ozzy in his prime killing the vocals - particularly on the intro of the title track. Would have been such a different sound in 1970 even compared to what were considered heavier bands at the time. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler blending the guitar and bass to create an auditory sludge you just can't get enough of. Throw in Bill Wards drumming (which isn't anything crazy but it works so well) and you've got an iconic album. 8.5/10
Wild that this came out in 1970. They're definitely trend setters, this album was pretty solid.
I love this album. It's not as polished as Paranoid but has so much charm. N.I.B. is the clear hit but The Wizard remains weirdly one of my favorite all time songs. I can't go with 5 stars because it's rocky but such a good debut.
Really good. I'm glad that I discovered Black Sabbath. Probably the most overall find in terms of famous bands that I have overlooked. This album was really solid - haunting riffs, kind of bluesy, great lyrics. I wasn't into it as much as Paranoid, so maybe that set too high of a bar
This was a really interesting listen. From what I can see online, this was Sabbath’s first album. I remember reading about how the term “heavy metal” wasn’t really a thing before Sabbath, and Ozzy’s book said they considered themselves to be heavy blues at the beginning. You can certainly hear this in the album. It’s fascinating to sit and listen to the birth of a genre that has inspired countless other bands, knowingly or not.
Dark and lumbering
The longer the note, the more dread
Great album that really innovated Doom metal. Title track is easily the best, the vocals are unbeatable
4.5 stars easy. That first song, Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath, might be the most important metal song ever written. It defines so much about the sound of the genre moving forward and so many other sounds and cultures probably don't emerge without it. The overall sound of the album is incredible considering this is 1970. As it goes, it gets a little boring and becomes more of this Led Zeppelin psychedelic blues thing without the darkness of some of the earlier tracks.
Kick ass
Follow me now and you will not regret
The great-granddaddy of metal. Aged, a little rough around the edges, but still a solid album.
This album is funky as hell. The solos alone make it a very engaging listen, for the instrumental passages have THICK atmospheres about them. Ozzy genuinely sounds like a funky ass prophet of sorts. To me this album is a bluesy soup of rhythms, rock riffs, lumbering ass riffs, meat and potato drums, and a master funk wizard wailing thru it all. Wicked world is wild for that big band vibe. Wizard has the harmonica stuff, just really was not expecting those kinds of sounds but I think the charm of this album is captured in those odd funky moments. I do really love the drums on the lengthy closer apart from the very windy solos and how they all work together to keep that thing morphin. Tight album. It's not my favorite Black Sabbath album but it certainly has it's place with the eccentricity.
Yeeeeesssssss!!! This is going to be so much fun. Loved it
Shoutout to Bill Ward, one of the most underrated drummers in rock history. Dude had some amazing ideas on this thing.
Black Sabbath, their 1970 debut of the same name is an album I could listen to any day of the week. What a great way to start their career! The album starts strong with driving bass lines, impressive guitar work, decent vocals and gets better as you listen. Best song is Bassically / N.I.B. followed by Wicked World, but they’re all good. Very strong finish. Never a huge fan, but BS comes in at (4.3*s)
Now realizing that this album is considered the starting point of heavy metal I realize I need to redefine the genre in my mind and revise my stance on my fandom. What was once considered heavy metal is so much smoother and melodic than I expected. I've admittedly slept on Black Sabbath as I wouldn't call myself a heavy metal fan. Now getting some exposure to their early discography I realize I've been wrong about the early roots of metal. Black Sabbath's debut is a very solid album with some great tunes. Ozzie' young voice is raw and melodic while the darker lyrics add a lot of character to the mix. Iommi's guitar work is great and really drives the album behind Ozzie's vocals. Not sure why the likes of Black Sabbath didn't get more airplay in my youth. I definitely need to give these guys their due as they've been a blind spot for me for too long. 3.59 stars
because of listening to bark at the moon too young, ozzy's voice continues to scare me.
I've never actually listened to a full Black Sabbath's album, and I don't think I've ever heard stuff from their debut. For some reason, I expected it to be kinda scary. But it wasn't! It was very atmospheric and almost pensive. A nice surprise.
Eigenlijk best wel cool. Vooral het eerste nummer. Hele specifieke oldschool (doom) metal sound.
That's some good heavy dark rock 'n' roll. 8.2/10
3 albums maken op minder dan 2 jaar tijd, waarvan elk album schijte goed is, je moet het maar doen. Ruige sound, crunchy gitaren en dan die stem van Ozzy. Ik hoop dat Master of Reality en Paranoid ook nog komen. 4.4
As an evangelical kid who believed in Satan, I thought I would burn in hell if I listened to something like Black Sabbath, so I never tuned in. If this is the soundtrack to hell, sign me up--this turned out to be great.
Extremely short, which is a knock against most albums. Feel like you're not getting your money's worth if it's not at least 30min. Otherwise, wouldn't it just be an EP? However, the tracks are pretty good, underrated, hard rock Black Sabbath songs, especially Wicked World.
Previously rated: Vol. 4 (5/5) Paranoid (5/5) ********************* There's some killer stuff here that I already knew like The Wizard and N.I.B. in particular. But the last group of songs at the end don't really go anywhere. But I will gladly give it another listen in the future.
Heavy but hardly a slog. The soloing never feels repetitive. The vocals are iconic. For some reason I'd never before picked up on Ozzy's enunciation being so clear. Favorite track: Black Sabbath
Some good shit. Not nearly as good as Paranoid which came out only six months later (!) but still listenable and rocking. A little self-indulgent.
This album is not as strong as Paranoid, but it is insane to think this came out the same year. 4/5
Great listen. Not as heavy as expected. Interesting lyrics on this one. I found the singers voice strange as first but warmed up to it. Highlights: Black Sabbath, N.I.B., Warning Will return.
Debut album, supposed to invoke horror. Very early metal. Really good metal. Laying a ton of ground work.
Good riffs
powerful riffs
Good albim
This probably blew people’s minds when it was first released. The power and darkness of the riffs are still amazing today.
Starting off with rainy church bells is an interesting choice, love that guitar riff accompanying the bells. The ramp up was a lot fun to finish off a solid first track. Starting out the next one with harmonica to soothe the soul. You can tell they had a lot of fun with the directional audio in general, nice engineering.
🤘🤘🤘 The build up on the title track is epic. Listened to this album on my way to work, walked in and punched my boss in the face, took a shit in the drive through tube and quit my job.
Oh god please no
Very good album lots of neat riffs
I liked the guitars and the melodies.
A bit too instrument heavy for general listening but when in the mood for light metal it is great.
It was weird if im being honest
I quite enjoy Sabbath, though I will say they have better stuff than this self titled album. Still, much enjoyed.
I really enjoyed this. Was really only familiar with Crazy Train (which is just Ozzy anyway) so this was a pleasant surprise. Great riffs and energy, a lot of zeppelin in there.
Hell yah dude. Absolutely
Fuck yes, so good
Never really listened to Sabbath before, but this was really interesting, bridging from blues to metal. A worthwhile listen.
Though not better than "Paranoid", it is a really great start for this band's career, and, like Paranoid, a innovative one too. It really tells us that the 60s was no more and that a new era of music is rising. Quite progressive in my opinion, and I like to give it a 8/10.
“Alright guys. It’s the first song on our first album. Let’s not get too crazy.” *Single handily invents Doom Metal*
A rip roaring good time indeed. Imagine this being your debut album? Cheeeezzzz. Faves: Black Sabbath, A bit of finger…
Of ik moest inkomen of dit album werd gaandeweg steeds beter. 8/10
Not many albums codify a whole genre. It also swings more than you might expect
Best track N.I.B.
I've only ever heard a few Black Sabbath singles as outside of Led Zeppelin, I've never been that into this style of 70s hard rock. However, I really liked this. Some great riffs, with a surprising amount of melody. That said it suffers from being a early (the first?) metal album in that it feels quite quaint in comparison to how heavy the genre has become in some places
This was a solid metal album with a badass vibe. I already liked Black Sabbath before this but this made me have a deeper appreciation for them! Some of the songs reminded me of Led Zeppelin but overall I really enjoyed this album!
I can't say I've ever been a fan of heavy metal or Black Sabbath, but there is something dark, gloomy and sinister about their debut album that introduced us to Ozzy and his evil intentions. The first heavy metal album is merely an extension of the hard rock blues sound of the late 60's, with Sabbath playing up the devil/anti-religion jargon that attracted additional attention. Definitely a record that has it's influence and importance, blah blah blah...it truly is something you need to be in the mood for full impact, but regardless an essential listen.
Hell yeah, this isn’t polished at all but fuck the tone and the sound is so good. Sabbath’s peak would come a bit later but there’s something to them not having great production or control over the instruments. Iommi sounds like he’s battling his guitar the entire time, the band is thrashing, and Ozzy is in full theatrics. Great fuckin’ album, but could do without the 14 minute jam at the end.
Really enjoyed this, effortlessly cool and classic.
The first heavy metal album (at least on purpose), and it still holds up amazingly well. You can hear the foundation of where Black Sabbath would evolve, but still a great debut. 4⭐️
Yeah this is where it all started cunt, never thought about a wizard being scary but I guess they're right. Sounds a lot like a poor man's cream tho
Have not listened to this since I was getting punched in the head by someone's older brother in a shag carpet basement some time in the early 1980s.
Excellent metal
Good, grimey and way ahead of its time. Not as good as paranoid or MOR though.
I forgot how much of this is a blues album. The origins of metal are certainly in here, but to me it's still exceedingly proto. Aside from some riffs and lyrical aesthetic, it's sort of a blues/rock album to me. I see why Christgau and Bangs, two critics I respect the hell out of, found them to be hacks, but I think in retrospect they were wrong. I don't love metal, but I need Sabbath to be a little more metal before I can wholesale sign off. As it stands, they are a blues band with edge. 7.5/10
Not quite at the level of Paranoid, but still pretty fun.
ну зашибись че
Great debut.
Oh yeah - this album holds up so well for something over 50 years old. Ended up listening to Sabbath all day
Classic
Embarrassingly- I have not listened to this album before though I enjoyed Paranoid. I did this album perfectly with drive that lasted about the same time as the album. As a first listen I was impressed- 4/5
Uuuuuh, one of the best metal albums of all time. Amatzing musicianship + great atmosphere. Plenty of space for improvisation, which they did live. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4- Stars (10/15)
Great album and the birth of the metal style. I forget how bluesy this album is but still maintains the metal feel. Completely forgot that they play harmonica even. It's not the fast, shred style, but it carries that darkness in tone and in feel. The singing doesn't really knock my socks off but the rest of the music does.
Awesome.
Between the album cover and the music itself, I love love love the vibes here.
Neat to see both the origins of Black Sabbath and heavy metal in this album. Although it doesn't reach the heights of Paranoid, it is still a great album with legendary musicians.
Ansaitsee paikkansa klassikkona ja genrensä isähahmona. Toimii myös edelleen. 4/5
This shit is so hard! Whoever is on the guitar is absolutely shredding. Ozzy’s voice is the perfect complement to it to, like a cherry on top of a sundae.
When I was a teenager in the 80s, I think I overlooked a lot of bands because they didn't fit my aesthetic at the time. It seems that Black Sabbath was one of those bands. Great album.
Don't like thr sinister vibe too much, but love the guitar playing. 4.5 stars
I get it, it was the birth of a new genre and massively influential. For me there is something lacking though, a bit of pizazz or theatrically. There are some killer riffs but it all goes a bit pedestrian and plodding at times. I think the production is partly to blame. Ozzy’s voice is a weak link here. Want to give this 3.5
Don’t think that it hits the heights of Paranoid which I rated a 5 but this comes very close to it. Great album, loved it.
Rough around the edges, but understandable for the first of its kind.
Surprisingly this is probably my favorite black Sabbath album I'm probably an odd one out on that one
Not my kind of music. But is was good
This album kind of rules. I can see myself boosting this to five stars with future listens. The first intro track alone, what a first impression!
++: Black Sabbath, Behind the Wall of Sleep, N.I.B., Evil Woman +: Sleeping Village, Warning +-: The Wizard 9,0/10
Ozzy! Black Sabbath! I love these guys! This is a great intro album for them it shows you just how they were and of course it's regarded as the first metal album so that's pretty dope! While it doesn't have many of their more popular songs it does well in showing what they could do and what they were planning on going for
I’ve never listened to this and was lukewarm on Black Sabbath coming in, but this is pretty sweet. My favorite British album to date from this journey.
great rock
I first bought this when I was 14, and I thought it was great. I have t heard it in 40+ years and it still kicks butt
More melodic than I would have thought. Very pleasantly surprised! 4/5
This is just really good rock. Maybe I'm a little numb to how good this is, as a listen to a lot of stuff like this, but this is my first time listening to this album. It's basic, as in, it has all the basic elements of rock of this time, without anything extra or particularly unique. But it's all very high level. The guitar riffs, the singing is excellent. I could listen to this over and over. Favorite Song(s): Black Sabbath, N.I.B., Wicked World
Det er noe så behagelig med å bare drukne ørene i de mørke og tjukke riffene til Iommi. De har en så naturlig og digg driv. Tilbakelent samtidig som intenst. "N.I.B." er definitivt høydepunktet. Noen av sangene mangler fokuset som man hører på de følgende albumene. Dette er langt fra den beste Sabbath platen, men det er et meget banebrytende album for det om.
9/10
black sabbath rocks
Pre: Yeah it's hard to qualify this as a pre-listen cause this is one of the first albums I bought on CD and listened to for many a car journey. Still, because of that I haven't listened to it in years so it's good to come back to it. Post: I know a good amount of this isn't Sabbath originals so it's interesting to see how a lot of it does come across heavily bluesy before they really found their footing. Coming back to this though I was mostly surprised how Ozzy doesn't seem to have found his footing yet really, which is hardly surprising for a debut but compared to Paranoid released the same year it's an interesting difference. Despite that though everyone else is on point. Geezer Butler is one of the reasons I wanted to learn Bass and this album has some amazing work in spades. N.I.B. has some excellent highlights from everyone all round. On the whole though I'd rate this album higher if I hadn't listened to the proceeding albums from them and what they're capable of. The Wizard, Black Sabbath are highlights to me but on the whole this does and is a band that hasn't quite found it's footing yet. Highlight: N.I.B. (Specifically the Geezer noodling at the start)
Great album, I enjoyed every song.
Get your dinner of bats and LSD ready: it’s Black Sabbath time! Again, I have heard Black Sabbath my entire life. I enjoy hearing some of the classics over and over again, but I actually enjoy listening to some of the deep cuts. I don’t normally get to hear even more. Geezer’s bass intro on NIB is a classic every bass player must know. What I appreciated more this listen was the continued jazz undertones Bill Ward used throughout, especially on Sleeping Village/Warning. This album definitely was less focused on the hard-driven rock and allowed Sabbath to show how amazing they were all musically. When people rip on metal, this is a good album to play for them with a healthy “HA!!!!”
Random thoughts: * This is the OG metal album. * It is basically a harder version of Led Zeppelin. * I especially hear that Zepp comparison especially in The Wizard due to the harmonica. * This album flowed nicely and was a good listen.
this EP from the very beginning has the distinct BS sound while still sounding raw and at the beginning of it's refinement. The epicness is still there while having a certain innocence to it. great album.
Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill, 4 likely lads from jolly old England. And they kicked off a whole new world. Favorite was the Wasp.
Fantastic, genre defining album. I think there is still growth from here to the next Black Sabbath albums and they were still finding their feet.
a bit rough around the edges but very very enjoyable. As the book blurb mentions the lyrics are a tiny bit comical now... but the overall aesthetic and vibe and groove are really great. Not hard for me to see how/why this is seen as a somewhat revolutionary moment in rock music history.