Reviews (page 9 of 16)
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
Debut album. Apparently recorded in a couple days, but the band had been playing 7 45 minutes sets a day in a bar in Zurich, so they had lots of practice for the first couple albums
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.
Had never heard their debut before; the blues roots are a bit more evident and it's not quite the classic that the follow ups were, but still mostly great stuff.
yeah. groundbreaking and a great way to kick off the metal genre.
Awesome.
A sludgy dark rock album that totally rocks. At only 5 songs, it's a lean album. Sounds like nothing else from it's time. I like Vol 4 better, but a great introduction to Black Sabbath.
loved: N.I.B. sleeping village warning wicked world
Sabbath rules. Who knew? Not me. The band and their propulsive, driving hard rock sounds great. Ozzy is a bit nasally but his voice soars with and complements the tunes. It’s awesome to hear the foundation of hard rock and metal being laid. Black Sabbath ran so that Metallica could fly.
i think i loved!
Never listened to this before, but I enjoyed their sound a lot.
The blueprint for the metal genre. Iommi, Butler, Ward, and Osborne This album is a statement and an incredibly strong debut.
I really don't know why I've never listened through this - as I love the 2nd album Paranoid. It's really good 4 stars to Paranoids 5. Just the bands dynamic - the drums, bass and guitar riffs make an incredible combo. That said I lost interest during the last long B-side track and no track is as good as War Pigs on Paranoid .. so 4.
I like this, but don’t really see it as all that revolutionary. Is it that far from Led Zeppelin or Cream or Jimi Hendrix? They’re just being much more overt about the demonic stuff as far as I can tell. About that demonic stuff: why were people searching high and low to make out that bands were into devil worship? “If you play it backward it kind of sounds like…” These lads put it front and centre - clear as midnight. No mystery about that at all. I’ve recently had a couple of Led Zep albums and a CCR and asked for a happy medium between the two. This does sort of hit a nice middle ground between the dark heavy stress of LZ and the clear and predictable chunks of CCR. Maybe Sabbath’s second album is their masterpiece and this was just kicking the doors open for that?
Riktigt bra, har inte sett varför metal måste bli mer mörkt och skrikande än så här detta är perfekt balanserat mer än så här överdriv
It's hilarious that this music was once considered evil and scary. It's a great album though, I always forget how much it kinda sounds like traditional bluesy rock.
Excellent listening experience, lovely dive I took into the Black Sabbath origin story lore. Full of bangers though not as iconic as some of their other work. Overall very pleasant listening and hype as all hell.
Interesting, thought I was going to like this one more.
Cool shit! I like the vibes and the vocals 👉👉
Dark punk rock
Went pretty great honestly! I don't think I ever would have specifically gone to listen to this without 1001 albums but it had some phenomenal riffs and fills - I'm impressed! Still nkg the biggest fan of the whole occult atmosphere but overall it's really good!
Can’t believe how much I enjoyed this. Not has “hard” as I expected it to be. Never would have tried it.
More Sabbath? Already? Yay! Hard to deny the impact of this album. The dawn of heavy metal. Even more amazing is the fact that this entire album was recorded live in 12 hours.
I loved it
Loved it! Haven't heard any of these songs before.
Come for the rage, stay for the guitar solos. Good garage music.
N.I.B. is a banger
Kinda dug this more than I would have expected, and must've had a Sabbath streak at some point as most of the songs were familiar to me.
Banger!
- Not really a metal album, but I still enjoyed it for a debut album - That tritone at the start was a real game-changer though, and I sometimes wonder what Metal music would be like today, if not for that - The Warning is such a great song, I would listen to that all again for that song - Some songs were a little dull for me, but I liked their experimentation throughout the album, there was some funk feels even
No arguments here. It's not Sabbath's best album by any stretch, but it established their sound and its influence is undeniable. It's crazy how brief this version linked to is, with just 6 songs and clocking in under 30 minutes (the 2014 remaster has 7 songs, delivering a more full album experience). Half of those songs remain among the best the band ever recorded ("Black Sabbath", "The Wizard", and "NIB") and have long been personal favorites. Metal wouldn't be what it is without this album, so it deserves respect and attention. I know they recorded better albums though, which keeps me from rating this one higher.
I'm the Prince of **********ing Darkness!! 4.
I can't imagine how mind blowing it must have been to stick this on your record player in 1970.
I love the doom metal opening on this album; one of the main types of metal that I still listen to so sick to hear such an early example of it. Then the wizard was always my favourite Sabbath track as a youth. There's a great fresh natural nearly-live sound on this album (apparently it was recorded in one day) that makes it so easy to listen to and enjoy. I really like Warning as the ending track, it stands out as a little different to what came before, with more blues rock than the rest and the great extended jam.
Best: NIB Worst: Liked songs: 100%, 6/6 Strong 4 Love the sound, especially the guitar. I thought i didn't like ozzy's voice before because I really hadn't heard much black sabbath, and I still don't love it, but it's growing on me. Crazy that the album came out in 1970, does NOT feel like it. I don't think it's long enough to warrant a 5/5, especially since it's sub half hour. Two or three more solid tracks and i think it could get there. Still a really good record.
Yeah good! Not as good as Paranoid but certainly listenable
One song in and the guitar got vibrato. Production on this project is pretty great. Didn’t even realize this was “metal” until I read the reviews. Shows how much I know about metal or rock for that matter. Good project tho! Guitars were tantalizing. 3.5/5
First metal album and it delivers almost perfectly
"Black Sabbath" is the debut album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It is considered the first true heavy metal album. The album was produced by Rodger Bain and was recorded in a single 12-hour session and had very few overdubs. Black Sabbath is Ozzy Osbourne (lead vocals, harmonica), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums). The album received generally negative reviews upon its release but reappraisals cite it as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. Commercially, it was a success hitting #8 in the UK and #23 in the US. Rain, thunder and bells ringing open the the self-titled "Black Sabbath." Iommi's frightening guitar riff and ozzy's eerie vocals. Plodding drums but it builds. The song takes off as Iommi gets a reverbing-echoing guitar sound. The song is about waking up from a nightmare. Ozzy rocks the harmonica in "The Wizzard." The band gets a start-stop-start dynamic going especially the drums. Iommi riffs and Ozzy harmonica. A song about Lord of the Ring's Gandalf. The wah-wah riff and Ozzy's "Oh Yeah" begin "N.I.B." Multple guitar solos. The song was named after Bill Ward's goatee and is told from Lucifer's point of view as he falls in love with woman. The band covers the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation's "The Warning." It's bluesy, grungy. They really stretch this out with drum and guitar solos, pace changes and extended jams. Sludgy, grungy, dirty, heavy and stoner are all good descriptors of this. Heavy on the Tony Iommi riffs. Ozzy vocals are seething and searing. I do hear some of the Cream comparisons and there is a fair bit of extensive jamming and some filler. But, this is a classic, a defining album and they would continue to expand this sound, hell, within the same year. Horns up people!
Superunknown sin rating var ment her
Fucker veldig med slutten av intro sangen, men ikke så veldig starten. Har aldri vært noe særlig fan av Ozzy Osbourne sin stemme. Han kan passe veldig bra på noen sanger, men ikke alltid. Veldig kult valg å ha et munnspill på The Wizard, har alltid syntes at det er et undervurdert instrument, men beste sangen er nok N.I.B. Skjønner veldig godt at det har blitt en klassiker, det er jo så ulikt alt annet på den tiden. Men jeg har litt det samme problemet her som på Paranoid, det kan bli litt tynt og utdatert. Men synes allikevel det er mange gode ideer og at det har hatt en stor innvirkning på musikk som kom etter. Black Sabbath - 4/4.5
Classic sabbath, great album
For some reason black sabbath was one of the metal bands i didn't listen to as much of when i was young. Feels like a mistake
Los PADRES del Metal.
Metal like you would play at a Halloween party. Really dark.
Favorite Track: Black Sabbath
black sabbath is one of the artists this list has really helped me get into the most
This was so much more interesting than The Osbournes made me think it would be- super gothy and Victorian in places, and really great blues throughout. Another album that I had preconceived ideas about, which I thought I wouldn’t enjoy. I loved the blues elements mixed with really crunchy rock guitar- if Black Sabbath is the origin of metal that doesn’t necessarily make me think I’d like to listen to more metal, but I definitely need to take a look back at blues. I really enjoyed the fantasy songs and lyrics on The Wizard, and even in N.I.B., which sounds at first like a love song and then abstracts into something cultish and fantastical- he’s the devil! Evil Woman was funky but felt a bit like it was telling a story from a Thomas Hardy novel in context with the rest of the album. Musically, I loved the weird sproinging noises on Sleeping Village, and I loved the album opening with a rainy village soundscape, then falling into clangy guitars and bells tolling doom. It felt like the album could quite easily be stripped of guitars to something simpler and folky/bluesy, but they definitely add a lot- squealing and grime. So many of the riffs were really memorable and felt totally epic. Cannot believe how much I liked this. I put it on several times just while I was pottering about the house and felt like a powerful witch. So fun.
Ozzy es amor.
I quite enjoyed this. It is considered the Father of Metal music. I was fascinated when listening slowly that it had such a heavy blues and jazz connection. I was very lucky to have this one on Vinyl in my house.
The birth of metal sounded a lot different than you'd think. By today's standards, this almost plays like a Cream album with a little more teeth.
awesome
Near classic.
Super solid.
really liked this. thought it holds up super well
Solider Hardrock mit starken Riffs. Meine Favoriten sind “Sleeping Village” ( Geheimtipp) und “Wicked World”. Es ist auf jeden Fall zu empfehlen, wenn mal Hard sein soll.
Surprisingly good. I enjoyed this one. Put it on the 4 side of 3.5.
This is OK and still holds up pretty well after 50 years plus. I've never been a fan of Ozzy's voice particularly, but I can live with it in reasonably small quantities. The drive and style of this mean that it's really not a problem here. Half decent and I'd listen again for sure.
First impressions are that this is a heavy blues album. The band has a great sound, I’ve always been a sucker for that heavy sounding 70’s drumming. Vocally, not much to praise about. Ozzy isn’t off key at any point but he more or less talks and low range yells throughout this . The more harmonious Ozzy won’t come until much later. Lyrically this won’t win any competitions but that really isn’t the goal here. This is good and it’s only 5 songs. I could have sworn I was 12 songs deep. As long as you like blues infused rock from the 70’s you are good to go here. I’ll be returning for more now that I know Ozzy and the boys aren’t really devil worshipers. Choice cut: The Wizard…
The best thing to come out of an industrial accident!
Lots of great stuff but feels like the back part is padded out a bit.
4/5. Great dynamics between guitar and bass. I also liked the medley structure.
General impression: this is awesome Detailed review: Kind of similar to my review thoughts on Ambient 1 - it’s crazy that the album that basically invented the new genre (heavy metal in this case) is still such a great example of that genre. It’s clearly more like heavy blues-rock, but all the touchstones of metal are right there. Deeper thoughts (context): Score: 4.2 Number of albums left to review: 950 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 30 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 21
7/10 D.I.B
7/10
Muddy, silly, heavy, sloppy, awesome! Who could not love this?
Cool riffs, full sound. Pretty enjoyable throughout. Liked this one much better than vol. 4.
Interesting. I have never listened to it. It seems a lot more blues oriented that from Paranoid onward.
Black Sabbath
One of the best debut albums ever, as well as one of the most important albums in the history of metal. However, not the best in the sabbath catalogue.
BELLO BELLO BELLO. MI PIACCIONO I BLACK SABBATHHHHHHHH!! Carico, mixed, interesting, just beautiful
I didn't expect to care about this album at all. Much better than I expected. 4/5
Absolutely amazing the only low point is weirdly Ozzys vocals
Harmonica. Wicked bass lines. Jazzy timing. Mouth harp. I enjoyed this way more than I expected. My first impression of Ozzy was from his reality show on MTV. The rock scene in the 70s was pretty incredible.
so much better than their cheesy reputation
The title track is 4 or 5 stars but the rest of the album didn’t quite live up to the promise - I mostly only like slower doom metal rather than the loud shouty kind. Between a 3 and a 4 but going with my first instinct.
The only Black Sabbath album I’ve ever listened to was Paranoid, and I thoroughly loved it, so I was excited to get this one. And it did not disappoint. I had Metallica Master of Puppets yesterday, but Black Sabbath album has exactly what I was looking for, but missing, on Master of Puppets - some damn heart and soul. Make it messy. Make it dark. Make it sexy. Ozzy gets it. MoP was so uptight - honestly not sure why people like it. But this is a Black Sabbath review, so enough about that. I read this album was almost entirely recorded in a single day and released on Friday the 13th. Everything about this album is perfectly suited to be the starting point for Black Sabbath and all associated lore. Really enjoyed it. 4/5 Highlights: Black Sabbath The Wizard
Groundbreaking for its time, really enjoyable listen
Very dark, cool to hear where some bands that I liked got this from, such as AIC, Metallica, and Slayer. Awesome early metal album.
The riffs on this album are great, except for (funnily enough) the riff on the most popular track here, N.I.B., which is too simple to prop up such a lengthy song. Any melody doubled between electric guitar and bass feels weighty and stadium-shaking, even if it's really only shaking a localised environment like your middle ear. But it gives off the impression of raw power. Led Zeppelin does the same thing, to equally great effect. The title track is excellent, almost a proto-doom-metal genre – which is pretty ballsy for a year where other hugely popular releases were Let It Be, All Things Must Pass, and Cosmo's Factory. (Very different to their contemporaries, is what I'm saying. And in the 60s and 70s, that was usually a good thing.) The Wizard, Evil Woman, and N.I.B. are all fun, energetic jam tracks set to rock-solid guitar hooks. Admittedly, a couple of the tracks are definite filler and are entirely kept afloat by the riffs. My favourite moment was listening to Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. 4/5 Key tracks: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, Wicked World
Classic Sabbath.
A strong debut. Not a fan of how Ozzy sounds on most of these songs tho
Me parecieron interesantes los mezclas de estilos, no me esperaba los sonidos que habían, pero no logró mantener mi atención durante todo el álbum.
Kyllä tällainen kitara kelpaa. Ja basso!! Kaipaisin vain jotain kunnon hittiä, megakoukkua, jotta levy olisi täydellinen. Tunnelma ja kitara kuitenkin saavat täydet pisteet. Sopivaa nuorisolaismaisuutta.
Primer acercamiento a Black Sabbath en formato LP. Black Sabbath (1970) es el disco homónimo del conjunto de Birmingham y también el que muchos dicen responsable de dar el primer puntapié al género del Heavy Metal formalmente. Sin embargo, este disco es mucho más que eso. Así, durante casi 43 minutos de pura adrenalina los oyentes somos presentes del universo que construyen Ozzy y compañía, adornando estas increíbles composiciones de letras e interpretación que evocan una sensación de terror e intriga por lo que viene. Si tuviese que destacar algo que no haya sido de mi agrado tendría que mencionar que, en veces, el sonido Hard-rockero de este disco puede volverse un tanto monótono, detalle que se hace más presente bajo un par de canciones (las cuales no destacan como los puntos más altos de este trabajo). Pese a lo dicho, este es sin duda un disco que cambió para siempre el destino de la música como la conocemos hoy. Influyente como pocos y una gran introducción al género. FAVTRAXS: Black Sabbath, N.I.B, Sleeping Village, Warning LEASTFAV: Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me 3.5/5 (podría ser un 4/5 en la teoría)
Old school Metal, ein Wegbereiter dieses Album
very nice
Notable track: Black Sabbath
Reduced track list so only 28 mins. Vocals were a little underwhelming on some of the tracks but they were shredding. Low 4.
maybe its because I just listened to the birthday party, maybe its because this is fire, but I was rocking w/ this
Great early metal jam album
For this review, I am looking at the North American edition of the album, which swaps out the cover of Crow's "Evil Woman" with "Wicked World" in the standard tracklisting. After hearing Paranoid on this journey, I guess I'm back once to the album that proverbially rang in metal music as we know it. Starting with the pattering rain and the chiming of the bells followed by that iconic doom guitar riff to the title track, the mood of Black Sabbath's debut album settles into that sinister vibe. Indeed, this starts well with the title track and "The Wizard" which establish the doom-driven tone. Then I realized that the album could have been tighter in comparison. "Behind the Wall of Sleep" and "N.I.B." are strong songs individually, but a noodly bass solo from Geezer Butler loosely connects them. It's not badly played, but the songs should have been sequenced better. A similar case happens when linking "Sleeping Village" to their cover of The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation's "Warning" by Tony Iommi holding onto a single guitar note. Again, not bad but it could have been more meaningful. I only have this notion because I've listened to other Sabbath albums in the past, including again Paranoid recently, and the song compositions were more compact and got to the necessary beats than the slow-burn moments on their debut. It's still getting a solid recommendation from me, and it is worth seeking out if you haven't. Given the other Sabbath albums on this list and their discography, this debut holds a more historical significance.
I fucking love this album cover, it's the literal definition of "metal as fuck". Despite it being one of the most critically acclaimed debuts in heavy metal, I'm only now tapping into Black Sabbath's self-titled. I knew for certain that I would enjoy it though...and I did...a lot. It's super bluesy and less conventionally heavy which I expected considering it's a debut - It leans more into its hard-rock sounds. It's still unquestionably heavy at moments though like with those distorted guitar hits driving the insatiably groovy 'The Wizard'. And also that riff that comes in after the bass solo in that four-part song. 'N.I.B' particularly has one of the best final few seconds I've heard in a Sabbath song - it's so chaotic! I love that twinkling guitar solo on 'Wicked World' as well; it sounds well ahead of its time. Also, the drumming all over this record is top-notch, and the way the songs progress is so satisfying. It's weird - if it weren't for Iommi's aggressive down-tuning and other guitar sorceries, this would sound like many other hard-rock records. But a combination of those dark chords, this unsettling album cover, and Ozzy's hellish lyricism shifts it into those uncharted heavy metal territories of the time. If anything this album was a cool insight into Sabbath's slightly less-developed, albeit still incredible sound. They really are an incredible band.
yea this shit slapped
Short and sweet??
Absolutely iconic album and an enjoyable listen. Taken in the context of when it was released and the impact it had on music since then it deserves a 5. But as a standalone listen today, it's great but not perfect. There are a lot of fantastic ideas on here but they're not really developed fully.
GOSTEI DEMAIS
Black Sabbath 4.5 The Wizard 4.4 Behind the Wall of Sleep 4 N.I.B. 4 Evil Woman 3.7 Sleeping Village 3.6 Warning (The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation cover) 3.7 Score: 3.985714286
Mmmmm yummy sticky fudgy newly invented metal with a smattering of Ozzy on the harmonica. Get in ma belly. Top tracks: NIB cool solo
A great album from this influential artist. Some great riffs and vocals, but maybe lacking some killer tracks that appear on later albums.
Excellent! Seminal.
chill and understandable
fuck yeah
Класс! Когда-то эта музыка считалась тяжёлой :))
4 maybe 5
The love song of Lucifer is seductive, and it's not until you're under its thumb that you understand who your lover truly is. The seduction does not stop at the Prince of Darkness though but extends to the evilness of women, as well. The metal is all so smooth, so comforting, like a warm blanket. An album to wrap yourself up in, but you've been warned...
The title track is a slow burn, doomy and heavy until the tempo picks up at the end. Hell of an entrance. The Wizard is built around bluesy harmonica and heavy riffing. The guitar tone is insane considering this is 1970. The punishing riffs continue into the long multi-parter next. There's a great bass part about halfway through and then some surprisingly melodic harmonies and soloing on N.I.B. Wicked World is again focused on drilling the bass riffs into your brain. Another multi-part suite to close and it really starts to chug along two thirds of the way through. Geezer Butler's bass is again stealing the show for me. Then we have a bit of a rambling collection of solos but it does come together for one last set of riffs and vocals. As influential as this is, it's also extremely listenable in its own right. I'm not giving 5 stars only because I know there's several albums of theirs I'd reach for first, but it's close.
it's a bit hard for me to give this a rating consciously because over a half of this album is basically in my genetic material now, i can't give an unbiased judgement but the final track is the real highlight holy shit
Great debut album. The follow-up to this album was insanely good. This also has great songs and is a good record.
This was better than I expected and my recent harder listening habits have made Black Sabbath more tolerable to me. Easily a 4
The opening of this album is like an entire genre (Heavy Metal) kicking in the door and announcing it's birth to the world. The harmonica in The Wizard serves as a reminder that Black Sabbath was, at its core, a heavy blues band. This is an easy 4 for me. It would be a 5, but it loses steam with the final suite/medley (A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning).
First time ever listening to a full Sabbath album, and I only know some of their later songs (War Pigs 🤘) - gonna give it to Ozzy and the boys today (especially since my more recent hard rock selections have either been Aerosmith or nu-metal which are considerably less to my taste).
con mia somma sorpresa, mi è piaciuto veramente tanto. ma davvero, sono sinceramente scioccata da quanto mi sia piaciuto. quattro stelle senza pensarci un secondo e senza mezza remora. (magari mi sbaglio, ma lo scrivo nel caso qualcuno voglia darmi ragione o insultarmi, ma le chitarre in NIB mi ricordano il riff di Cocaine di Eric Clapton. vi prego qualcuno mi dica se mi sto facendo pure io di cocaina o se c'è un fondo di verità, grazie)
triple title is crazy work 3.5
I'm rating this for its impact at the time of release and not necessary its listening value today. Now-a-days this record is pretty tame and definitely not what the average person would consider metal to be but at the time of release this was probably the heaviest thing a lot of people had ever heard. I personally didn't enjoy this album as much as I thought I would but I can't in good conscience give this less than a 4.
rlly thought black sabbath did metal
This album is a great example of what Black Sabbath does well, but also has some elements that I wished Black Sabbath did more of in their later albums, like the harmonica on the second track (if I remember correctly). Ozzy's vocals are not his best, but given it was their debut album, this is no surprise. Overall, I really enjoyed this album. Would recommend.
I’ll give it a begrudging four but I’m getting SICK of these WEIRD BRITISH WHITE GUYS singing about EMO SHIT!!!! WHERE IS THE FUCKING JAZZ ON THIS LIST
Good not the goodest
Younger me is kicking myself for not listening to more Sabbath sooner.
Cool, auch wenn es schon alt ist
I forgot or didn't realize how skilled the bass parts are. Also guitar. Lyrics too corny for me but I can see how influential. Really good if not my usual cup of tea.
Classic
ja best wel nice
A classical album of hard rock with all the atmosphere you would need. I still think the album could've been less bluesy and more prog rock in some parts.
More harmonica and tambourine than expected. A psychedelic rock record that gets heavy in places. Ozzy could sing! but this record benefits from long instrumental stretches.
Top
Not quite my vibe, but had a good time listening to the album. Kind of a quiet album, as in you get what you hear. Maybe clean would be a better way to put it. I remember someone in my family played The Wizard all the time in the car, so it was nice to remember those times. Standouts: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B., and Wicked World.
Always liked Black Sabbath
Groupe connu que j'adore ! Album fondateur d'un nouveau style de musique. Je l'ai découvert bien plus tard, après mon premier contact avec le hard rock/métal (AC/DC) dans les années 80. Je pense que c'était avec le Live Evil, avec RJ Dio. A la même époque j'avais découvert aussi Speak of the Devil live d'Ozzy reprenant les morceaux de Black Sabbath ... mais j'ai préféré Live Evil. Tout ça pour dire que Heaven and Hell et Mob Rules sont mes 2 albums préférés de Sabbath (pas dans la liste :-(, et que j'en ai aucun avec Ozzy, même si je les ai tous écoutés rétrospectivement. Je vais réparer ce manque dès aujourd'hui et me le procurer. J'ai bien aimé redécouvrir cet album, mais je ne lui met donc pas la note max. =>4.5/5
Pretty listenable, but first metal album? I think Led Zepp beat them to it
Man this album holds up! I’ve never listened to the whole thing before but have heard some songs. It’s crazy how heavy this album is, like it’s the first true metal album and they just showed everyone how it’s done. Some of the songs are Zeppelin-esque, but most are very much their own sound.
I thought we'd had this already, lol. I must have researched it at an earlier stage, when I was more interested in the story of metal. Little did I know how much nuanced detail we'd be covering it in! Well, I'm glad it exists I suppose (not as glad as Jack Black though). Extra star for Midlands.
Local heroes; impossible to be impartial. That said, this was still WAY more listenable than the one Deep Purple I could bring myself to sit through.
Really enjoyed it. When it ripped, it ripped.
Really enjoyed the album. The Wizard was my favourite track
consistente e foi o blueprint ne pai
Sonically, I prefer the metal that came after to the metal that started it all. But there is no doubt that Black Sabbath gave us all permission to be spooky with this album and for that they are legendary.
4.25
Not as good as Paranoid but still good
THE BEST. Not their best record but a damn great record.
Decent metal vibes, could hear inspiration for early Queen
The weird little man sure does make good music.
Hell yeah this album rocks
Man, that guitar work is enthralling. The last few moments of Black Sabbath make up for the slow pace of the rest of the song. I got this mental image of a metal cage suspended by a chain, surrounded by claustrophobic stone walls and descending into an abyss. I'm feeling some fantasy elements here. I think it's because of how dank and fuzzy the bass is. The intro to N. I. B. reminds me of Sunshine of Your Love.
So cool. Apparently recorded in a day. Interesting in that you can see all the influence and history and still see them doing something entirely new. I like the big/merge/into eachother tracks.
None of the major hits but liked the sound
Much better than anticipated. Loved the long song with massive guitar solos. Best Song: Black Sabbath
What a great album. Historically would have rated this 5 stars but now rating it closer to 4 stars for the following reasons — The remastering of this and other early Sabbath albums are not as balanced as those versions I bought in the 80’s. Ozzy’s vocals are soooooo forward and amped compared to the rest of the band, like he’s a good +15dB louder. Plus there’s something in the high mids or 2k-6kHz that’s ice picky, and I’m playing through tube stereos that have a little roll-off in the high end. I have to turn down the volume when he sings. It’s like Iommi, Geezer, and Ward are his backing band. This is the Rhino version that was just released (2024). Not sure if this is a Sharon thing to make it all about Ozzy, since my 2016 version of Masters of Reality is the same. Whereas, when I play my copies from the 80’s, Ozzy’s vocals are sitting in with the band better and everything is more balanced. I know it’s the trend right now to have vocals extra prominent and forward for a radio mix, but this isn’t Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, or The Voice TV show. As a result, I would advise others to check out earlier versions of this album where the vocals are not so hyped.
Never really listened to much Black Sabbath. I think the avatar of Ozzie always put me off. But I enjoyed this and obviously sets up everything to come.
Pure concentrated heavy metal \m/
Historic and influential album, though Sabbath’s best work came in the next few. Deep, heavy, sludgy riffs with a stellar rhythm section and Ozzy’s dark and mystical lyrics propel this album along. No really weak tracks, but none that propel to the heights of songs from Paranoid and Master of Reality. A strong start to an critical band along the ascent to their peak.
solid album
I wouldn't put this in my top three Black Sabbath albums, and on it's own, I'd give it 3 and 1/2 stars and round down. But given it's historical significance and place in time, I'll round up.
I can't imagine how it must have felt hearing that opening track in 1970. The fact that it still sounds so heavy and terrifying now is remarkable. Not every track is a banger, however, and while Tony Iommi is a legend, his lead skills are not enough to sustain the indulgent solos on the penultimate track. A very enjoyable listen. Sabbath laid the foundations of metal, and for that reason this album definitely deserves a spot on the list.
Habe lange keinen Rock mehr gehört, daher dachte ich mir das Album wäre sicher nichts für mich. Hat mich dann aber positiv überrascht. Auch wenn ich dadurch wsl nicht mehr Rock hören werde, war es trotzdem mal wieder eine sehr angenehme Abwechslung.
a tad boring on first listen. more interesting when you listen in depth.
Great listen on Halloween. 4/5
Superior to Paranoid in a lot of ways...
This is a great album, and anyone who likes metal or hard rock definitely needs to check it out, along with pretty much everything else from Black Sabbath. While it’s hard for me to get super excited about this album since I grew up hearing Black Sabbath in the background, making it feel like old news, I don’t want to discredit the band or their immense influence on the music industry.
This may be a nostalgia thing, but I enjoy this album quite a bit. That low, grungy doom sound is one of my favorite vibes on an album.
Pioneers of occult music.
Punchy, doomy in parts, drums sounding more like a jazz kit than MONSTER BOOMERS. Iommi has a singular timing - nobody sounds like him
Vol. 4 didn't impress me, but this one did. I completely understand why Black Sabbath became a big deal following this debut. The title track is moody and atmospheric and just sounds sinister in a way that you don't really get. The rest of the album doesn't strike as hard as the beginning, but it maintains really high quality.
Classic black heavy metal from which so many things were born. From hell itself indeed.
This was so much fun!
Amazing this came out in 1970, it was such a hard turn from the peace and love era. Great album.
Man, I like this album. Somehow more than I did 30 years ago.