Vol. 4

- energy, variety, passion - personally like the sound they drive - might re-listen

Favs: Chances Under the sun / every day comes and goes

Wheels of confusion starts out with really bluesy almost sad sound and then when it goes into the upbeat sounds it feels like you're at that point in a movie where the hero is down but now beiing picked up

Changes masterpiece zou ook mooi zijn als ze er een doul versie van maken Laguna sunrise goeie vibe

Reasonable rock album, but not much in the way of standout songs to keep you engaged.

Great album. There is a cover by Charles Bradley of the song changes that’s really good

Not as metal as I thought it would be, solid album

Was awesome.

Good album, more of my jam. I didn't know any of the songs from this album but I like Ozzy's voice/style so I give it a 4.

Heavy metal at its best

Full disclosure: I should say at the outset that I'm a fan of both Sabbath and Ozzy. My big brother is a rock guitarist who has played in bar bands from the age of 16 and he loved them. The first two Sabbath albums were staples in our house when I was a kid. We didn't have Masters of Reality or Vol. 4 though, so I've never listened to either all the way through. From the beginning, Vol. 4 is quite different in tone from those earlier albums. Whereas those earlier albums specialized in monolithic headbangers like Iron Man or War Pigs, opener Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener feels more like a heavy metal fever dream the way it drifts through it's multipart structure. You can see where it's relatively complex structure might have inspired latter day rockers like Soundgarden. The third track, Changes is a genuine departure, an honest to God ballad with remedial block piano chords, a mellotron chorus, and a heartfelt Ozzy vocal. Truthfully, it's kind of lame but I find Ozzy's lachrymose and heartfelt performance funny as hell. FX makes a nice psychedelic pallette cleanser before the monster riff that anchors Supernaut. Oddly enough, there's a quasi calypso acoustic break stuck in the middle of the tune, but it's not enough to derail the tune. Snowblind is one of Sabbath's adorably lunkheaded proto Beavis and Butthead headbangers, a paean to the mountains of coke they were snorting during the sessions. As you might have guessed, I find Black Sabbath impossible to take seriously, but I love them anyway. On the one hand, I am amused by their dead serious lyrics about drug use, war, suicide, and the demonic, their well-meaning attempts at balladry and psychedelia, and of course, Ozzy's dotty wailing. On the other hand, I genuinely enjoy the catharsis of the metal riffing. On Vol 4, Sabbath clearly still has the metal goods, but they're branching out and experimenting. I'll have to struggle not to give this a higher rating than it deserves because I'm enjoying it so much. Clearly, Toni Lommi's Laguna Sunrise is a piece of fluff, pleasant enough, but really slight, but I gotta admit, in Sabbath's case, I actually enjoy the pretension. 4/5

lekker

Cool, kende alleen een ander plaatje, maar deze was ook erg tof.

Ik heb me eigenlijk nooit echt in Black Sabbath verdiept. Ken alleen de bekende nummers. Maar zo een heel album is me eigenlijk erg goed bevallen! Paar hele gave nummers, en overal wel lekkere riffs en energie. Ozzy is een halve zool natuurlijk, maar het werkt wel 🤘

Drugie objawienie sie czornego sabatowania na liscie, tym razem z troche bardziej niszowym albumikiem, bo jakos nigdy nie obilo mi sie o uszy slyszec cokolwiek o vol 4 od czarnej grupy, nazwa dosc samowyjasniajaca, bo jest to 4 album grupy, nie wiem czy sabatowa tworczosc dzieli sie na jakies epoki, ale jak dla mnie to bedzie najbardziej znane wczesne sabaty, z orginalnym skladem, z kawalkami utrzymanymi w zblizonym stylu, opartych na unikalnym brzmieniu gitarkowym, technika bezpalcowego grania Iommiego, czyli jak wypadek u ktorego przekreslilby kariere muzyczna byl jednym ze zrodel sukcesow w biznesie muzykowym, piekna historia, do tego wokale Osbournowe ktorymi juz sie zachwycalem na poprzednim albumiku, bo ciezko o tak paranoiczne wokale wokol ktorych instrumenty staraja sie jak najbardziej do nich dopasowac, a nie w druga strone jak to byla w muzyce popularnego rocka, tematyka trakow jak zwykle jest dosc mroczna, ale tym razem motywem przewodnim sa wszelakie stany swiadomosci narkotycznych, wiki oferuje legende jako ze byl to okres najwiekszego dawania po kablach w bandzie i czuc to w lirykach pojawiajacych sie na tej plycie, nawet same tytuly jasno wskazuja co jest glowna inspiracja krazka, bo to chyba najbardziej oczywista interpretacja otwierajacego wheels of confusion lamanego na straightenera czy tez opening drugiej strony snowblind, co do moich hajlajtow tego vynylaka to jest to z pewnoscia changes, ktorego nie znalem od samych sabatow, a z eminemowego going through changes, wiec pozytywnie jestem zaskoczony takim znaleziskiem, wiec miejsce na plejce z pewnoscia znajdzie, jest to tez trak dosc nietypowy jak na bande ciezko metalowa, bo jest oparty glownie na klawiszach ktore wyczarowal Iommi, do tego dochodza smyczkowe akcenty i najmniej ozzbornowy Ozz calego albumu, a moze i kariery i tak wlasnie tworzy sie najpopularniejszego traka plyty, wedlug spotifaja, co do dziwnych piosenek to nie jest to jedyny dosc malo sabatowo brzmiacy trak, bo jest jeszcze laguna sunrise, instrumentalny czil o blogim wzejsciu, jest tez FX, ktoreg nie potrafie zrozumiec, bo brzmi jak randomowy zlepek dzwiekow gitarkowych, wikipedia wyjasnia ze to najbardziej upalony trak, tak tez wlasnie brzmi, na plejke wrzucam jeszcze supernauta za chyba najlepsze solowki calej plyty gitarka, a potem drumersowanie, zakonczone wstawka wokalowa, jak przystalo na kompozycje sabatowa, wokal, gransko, zeby potem znowu zamknac wokalem, to prawie jak piesni trzyczesciowe z muzyki koscielnej, ale pewnie mocna nadinterpretacja, a ostatni trak tommorows dream

I'm on board. Ozzy is great. Snowblind is great. Though there were plenty of songs i didn't know, i thought they were solid, hard and would definitely listen again.

This first song is totally throwing me for a loop, as I was under the impression that Black Sabbath was metal, and this is totally ballad and nice. I like this first one. And the second one has a similar sound. I am so confused right now. So I’m wondering if I misunderstood what the sound of metal bands really is or if this is an atypical album for them. I actually liked it, and I usually don’t much care for metal.

Pretty pretty good

3.5. like the first song a lot

I’ve never really listened to Black Sabbath, but I wasn’t disappointed. Three stars...

Really enjoyed this - and much less scary than I anticipated.

Changes is where we finally get some decent convo, but the rest? Eh, it's like trying to have a beer with a statue.. stiff and unresponsive. Cheers to Ozzy though, even if this album left me a bit tipsy and alone. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Changes - Snowblind - Cornucopia

Actually quite enjoyed this even if it was a bit basic. Towards the upper end of enjoyment in terms of the hard rock/metal albums so far

I totally dug it Musicality- 0.9 Vocals - 0.9 Vibes - 0.8 Listen to again - 0.2 Execution - 0.6 Total - 3.4

Saved 1 song Liked it just fine as background music

Good rock album, nothing too special

Album #264 Black Sabbath: Vol. 4 I remember one time listening to music; a song came on that sounded vaguely familiar to me, a sort of sappy, sentimental piano ballad. I strained my brain for a few minutes trying to figure out who it was, maybe an AOR band, maybe Aerosmith, or a strangely coarse-sounding Elton John tune. But to my great surprise, the answer turned out to be none other than the Prince of Darkness himself. A lot can be said for ‘Changes’ and how much it sticks out amongst Sabbath’s discography, and of course I can see why some of the hardcore fans would find the song to be utterly repulsive, but I do think it, and Vol. 4 as a whole, are indicative of why Sabbath stood out so much compared to their contemporaries. Of course now we think of a ‘heavy metal’ band as being one-dimensionally harsh and doomy, but seeing how Sabbath were the first of their ilk, the genre had yet to be flanderized, there were no preconceived notions of what it meant to be heavy metal, and no arbitrary guidelines to limit their creativity. Since they had no predecessors, Sabbath took inspiration not from other metal bands, but from pop bands, and blues bands, and even soul artists. Though I don’t find Vol. 4 to be quite as exhilarating an experience as ‘Paranoid’, I do think that it is a much better representation of the band's depth. You have Changes, of course, which is a straight-up ballad; then you have Laguna Sunrise, which is a beautiful acoustic guitar piece, and St. Vitus Dance, which is a 50s-style boogie. I already knew that Sabbath were one of the few metal bands that I found tolerable; in fact, I found what I heard from them to be quite brilliant, and even though I didn’t necessarily love everything about Vol. 4, it has given me a clear reason as to why I find them so endearing. I think metal is much better suited as a crossover genre, taking inspiration from other forms of music and turning it into something heavier and darker. Other early metal bands I enjoy are Rainbow, who are essentially a prog rock band, and Thin Lizzy, who are pretty much hard rock; yet they have an undeniable edge to them that makes them heavy metal. These days metal bands just try to be strictly metal as a result of the corny ‘metalhead’ culture that exists around the genre, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for crossover listeners like myself. One final praise for Sabbath, though, is just how legendary their guitar tone is; the first few seconds of Wheels of Confusion instantly let you know you’re listening to Sabbath, the suffocating yet smooth wall of sound just drags you down into their world. Not Sabbath’s best work, but a very unique album for sure. Best Songs: Wheels of Confusion, Laguna Sunrise, Snowblind Worst Song: FX Score out of 10: 7.5

J’ai le sentiment que c’est trop tôt pour bien comprendre leur 4eme album. J’ai adoré la dernière, le changement de riff est jouissif. J’adore changes, les ballades des groupes de métal me font tellement d’émotions. Mais j’ai pas aimé FX, selon moi les gens font semblant

WOW I had no idea changes was from this album I haven't finished but I think a solid 3

What the hell sure

Listening session: august 28th, while taking the train Listened to before: listened to one song before Thoughts: I’ve never really listened to Black Sabbath apart from Changes as it’s not my usual style, but this is a fun album with some great guitar work Favourite tracks: Changes, Supernaut & Laguna Sunrise

Way ahead of its time

When I was younger, I used to listen to more Black Sabbath than I do now. In all honesty I believe the songwriting is the most consistent with Sabbath's track record up till this point and I did like tracks 'Snowblind' and 'changes' but this record just didn't hit me the same way their previous work before and after this album did. I think it may have been mostly in the production, which I found myself liking at times, yet felt like it muddied the composition of the songs sometimes and made it hard to find a focal point.

More varied than I was expecting. Very much not for me.

SO NICE GAVE ME EXPERIENCE NEW ONE

Høye topper, men litt for mye lavland også her.

Synest det kan merkes at substansbruken har nådd nye høgder. Ein del kjempebra, men som heilheit litt for ujamn. 6.5/10

Ikke så tung - ikke så ond Noen kule låter og innslag av mere psykedelika, men er vel få hits her. Hører nesten aldri på den siden de platene før er bedre rett og slett

Solid Sabbath album!

Not bad in places (Tomorrows’s Dream - Changes). Might revisit.

Don't know this album, but I quite enjoyed in places.

Не впечатлил особо. Да, вокал Оззи, выше всяких похвал, но остальное прошло мимо. И да, кстати, песня Changes-для меня лучшая на альбоме.

fine but not for me

it was alright

Had some of the classics

It was okay

Great record. Awesome band and just some killer jams. Always love Changes as well, really sticks out on this record.

the fact that this is considered metal is mind boggling to me. i didn’t grow up listening to bands like this or rock music in general but i always imagined they would be a lot more hardcore than this. very similar to the one zeppelin album i listened to. listenable but not really something i would be drawn to on a regular basis.

It's fine

Some bangers, but some silly stuff too.

6/10 Best songs: Supernaut, Snowblind Great guitars, awful vocals, some (but not all) really boring songs.

Hmm, early metal/hard rock. It's easy enough to listen to. Just waiting for that one riff/hook that stands out.. Changes is surprisingly not heavy FX is just a waste of my time. I've heard the SOAD cover of Snowblind, but this original version is better. Best track - Snowblind 3 stars - it's all fine, I'm just not a Sabbath fan

liked changes!

Sympa mais rarement ma vibe à part quelques unes

Av en eller annen merkelig grunn klarte jeg sette på Master of reality-plata og tenkte at det var skikkelig tøft. Den her ble litt nedtur i forhold. Litt for seigt og ikke like tøft.

Pretty good Sabbath album. Half was pretty good and the other half was forgettable but no bad songs or issues. Iommi's guitar is too iconic

Not as exciting as Paranoid, but interesting to see them exploring some different ranges and textures.

First time intentionally listening all the way through, better than I was expecting.

Heavy metal, but better than Metallica due to less thrashing. Heavy distortion is still there.

They recorded the same song 10 times. It wasn't bad but I'll likely never go back.

I like Black Sabbath but this didn't seem particularly noteworthy.

Love Ozzy and the boys, but this felt a little stale to me.

Some good songs, last song for example

I cannot believe that I didn’t hate this. I’m Not a big Black Sabbath or Ozzy fan, but this early record is decent. There’s some good guitar work here. However, the album didn’t seem to flow very well, and I can still do without Ozzy’s voice.

Me gusta ese punto de BS que cruza el psicodélico con el heavy metal…super guitarras y bajo. Ozzy cansa un poco…

paranoid is better

solo me gusto el supernaut

Pretty sick, surprisingly mellow at times. Rad

Familiar with Sabbath’s more popular albums and songs, never listened to this particular album in its entirety. Paranoid is an album I once listened to regularly in my rotation. This is Sabbath alright. It’s classic 70s heavy metal. It’s certainly a heavier sound than a lot of other hard rock of its time. It’s good and it rocks but fails to really grab your attention much. The piano ballad Changes is a nice change of pace from the early heavy metal start to the album. A little more variety than initially expected. Supernaut is a great song, awesome guitar, a fun drum solo. Just a rocker. Overall this is solid, but doesn’t overly wow me. At times it’s really good hard rock but that sound grows a little old over the course of an album. Feels like a 3.

This is probably everyone’s preferred Sabbath album, but I prefer the debut. This is a less proggy and more melodic. It’s a lot more polished, just not in the way I enjoy. It’s objectively a good album that I do not find as interesting. 3/5

뭐라 쓰지

Distinctive Black Sabbath style. Ozzy’s Ozzy unique vocals. No one song stands out. Vinyl: what the hell was that? Black Sabbath fans will like this. An average album. Three stars

Good, but after hearing Paranoid shortly before, felt a little lacklustre in places

This is my first real ride with Black Sabbath. I like that it has metal spirit with production that could be considered quaint by current standards. It has a distinctive sound for sure, and the cohesion of the band feels refined by this point in their career. I'm not sure I feel especially moved by the melodies or lyrics.

Not my cup of tea, but it does make me feel powerful. Favorite songs Wheels Of Confusion Tomorrow's Dream Changes Laguna Sunrise

I don’t feel much of anything when listening to this. Not bad, just not good enough to catch my attention

Liked it better than expected! Still not my cup of tea—doesn’t make me feel many emotions—but it’s more than tolerable. I can see why people love it, especially if the songs are tied to memories.

I forgot to review this after listening, but only remember Changes, which I recall as a rerecord from childhood. Nothing standing out

Standouts Supernaut

ganz gut aber ozzy osbourne aber gut

not something i’d usually listen to but was a good listen and i enjoyed it, it wasn’t so dissonant, loud or crashy sounding, and although it is said to be metal there were some softer elements within it that i enjoyed. 7.5/10

Belle basi, ma non ho letto il testo

A: Det började förvånansvärt starkt så var rädd att jag inte kan fortsätta hata Black Sabbath men sen började dom spela. Gitarren i första låten var though jättebra, ett album av bara det tack! Annars mjeh. typ 2/5 D: Väldigt mid album i positiv bemärkelse. Mycket bättre än vad jag hade tänkt mig, men dom tycktes inte riktigt våga experimentera med något i den. Började bra men platåade lite vilket inte alls korrelerar med hur noggrannt jag lyssnade på dem. 3/5

Non male

07/01 Not bad, but not one of my favorites from Black Sabbath

Good.

Ok I like “Changes” but not the artificial string sound. And the first track is like classic rock. But I am NOT sold on the FX track- I think it’s no 4. Love laguna sunrise and also the last track on the album slaps SO hard. I feel like recently I’ve been talking about albums that do variety and I think this album definitely fits those parameters I’m looking for, but I feel like sometimes it’s almost too far you know. Like the flow of the album is disrupted by the super different songs. Overall it’s CLASSIC and also makes me feel like I’m a kid at the ridge when the bands are fully rocking out so it’s super

Changes a hit but the rest pales in comparison to the rest of the catalogue

Good but not sensational. Enjoyed but not love. For me, it rocked but did not gggrrrrrrrRRRRRRRWRWAAAAAACK!

Sympa sans plus

More 🪨

Good album - different from what I expected. Can't point out anything in particular I really love but thought it was a good use of time.

I may be showing my age, but old metal just sounds so much better than most of the newer entries in the genre. I don't even like old metal that much, but it just seems better or solid. In terms of music, this album has a lot: Power songs, ballads (sort of), and a lot of presence. I would talk about the weak lyrics, but this is not a genre know for good poetry.

listened to 2021 remaster on yt music. 1. wheels of confusion / the straightener sounds cool :) the switch up at 2:30 was fun! 5:25 is exactly what i always imagine black sabbath to sound like 2. tomorrow's dream like 3. changes yeah it's good! heard before :) didn't stand out as much as the last 2 4. FX gotta love an instumental!! 5. supernaut yup it's cool, again very black sabbath-y 6. snowblind LOVE!!! 7. cornucopia cool sound :) 8. laguna sunrise another instrumental n this one is even better... #spoiled 9. st. vitus dance meh 10. under the sun / every day comes and goes so cool & heavy sounding

3 stars

classic

Fuck yeah!

First time actually listening to Black Sabbath, it's somewhat what I expected. For the large part I enjoyed the heavy old school sound, it felt like a lot of the same though.

Solid work

Solid throughout but nothing really jumped out until the outro on the final track.

Different than I was expecting. Groovy vibes but not my favorite

Was not expecting to hear a metal version of Changes. A great sound.

pretty gud, decent album with some nice song variety. not my type of dad rock but still a good listen

Coming from a big fan of the first two releases, this is a decent Sabbath album. Didn’t innovate too much, and when they did try a different sound it wasn’t that great. Still a solid listen though.

kind of impressed that changes is on this album? kind of a wild vibe shift for a third track even if it wasn’t really a high point for me on the album. there instrumental tracks were well placed imo and under the sun was a solid way to wrap things up but i don't know if i'd return to this as a whole. also i felt like jack black in school of rock the whole time i listened to this. fav: supernaut

Kinda feel like I’m too late to enjoy this type of rock music. I like rock don’t get me wrong but this is one of those albums where I feel Iike you just had to be there. Might also just not be in the mood for this genre of rock since it’s a Sunday afternoon and I’m in bed but might give another listen later

Good but not sensational. Enjoyed but not enamored with. For me it rocked but did not gggrrrrrrrRRRRRRRWRWAAAAAACK!

Solid metal album Fave track: Cornucopia

I didn't think I would like this, as I have a history of veering away from anything resembling "Heavy Metal". But I did enjoy this, perhaps it's Ozzy Ozboarne's familiar vocal, perhaps it's the cleanliness of the production (almost to a fault, as the instruments are sometimes TOO separate), perhaps it was just Changes that hooked me in, or perhaps it's because their influence has clearly inspired a lot of what I have enjoyed - such as Tenacious D. Who knows!? Regardless, this gets 3 fingers up from me!

still working on it

I'm not a huge sabbath fan tbh, so this isn't super up my alley. It's fine, just not really my thing. I would say the parts when it just rocks out are my favs, but after the first 30 mins it does start to feel somewhat repetitive. There are a few songs here that really speak to me tho, but really this album isn't something I would put on. Fav Track: Changes

Some songs are forgetfull and the others iconic. The balance between instrumental and sang music is nice, although. Overall it’s a great album but it’s definitely not their best

다 처음 들어보는 노래였는데 노래가 전체적으로 좋았다. It was my first time hearing all of the songs, but overall the songs were good.

Lots of cool guitar 🎸

paranoid is better

The Big Mouth opening theme song? No shit?

Love Black Sabbath, but this is just not as great as it's made out to be.

John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats once said, roughly, "I believe in only two truths. The eternal love of my lord and saviour, and the perfection of the first six Sabbath records." I am not so sure that I agree, though two and three are about as close to perfect as I can conceive of. The fourth record, however, is a bit more of a mixed bag. Its less cohesive, less metal, less gothic, a little more poppy, and a lot more boring, coming from someone who loves pop. That's not to say that the album is bad. Almost every album looks bad when you compare it to Paranoid or Master of Reality. The highs that this album reaches are really phenomenal. The riff in Supernaut might be my all-time favourite Sabbath riff. Its so bouncy and energetic. Changes is beautiful and heartbreaking, but I feel like there is not really enough song there for me to sink my teeth into. Laguna Sunrise is a BEAUTIFUL interlude that calls to mind Embryo from the previous album, one of my favourite musical interludes ever. I just feel like this lacks the cohesive vision that the first three records each had, each distinct in their own way, but very clearly with a full identity. This feels like the King Gizz record, Oddments, just a collection of songs, some of which happen to be incredible. Standout Tracks: The Straightener, Tomorrow's Dream, Supernaut, St. Vitus Dance Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

I have never liked Ozzy's voice, and Changes is one of the most overrated songs in music history, but this album has its moments. Great riffs and a couple of excellent songs (Tomorrow's Dream, Supernaut and Snowblind) aren't enough to make this a four-star album, though.

i’m a little too depressed to feel anything about this i like the “loose” rhythm section. it’s really cool. i do not care for changes.

Better than I expected, but overall not enough interest to make me come back for a second listen

Mon principal problème avec Sabbath c'est que c'est mixé comme de la merde, pas que j'aime pas les batteries faites avec des caisses en plastique, mais c'est après les Beatles et Led Zep quoi... Sinon album intéressant. Playlist pick : Changes, au dessus du lot

Black Sabbath oli 70ndate alguses ikka haigelt tootlik. 3 aastaga lasta välja 5 albumit on jõle tempo ja selle albumi puhul on natuke seda tunda, et üldiselt on head lood, aga pole ühtegi rasket hitterit/bängerit, kõik on pigem B-tier lood. Sp ma ei saa sellele anda ka 4/5, isegi kui mitu lugu said mul Liked Songs nimekirja. Lihtsalt ütlen, et selle ajak kohta tegid nad ikka väga uuenduslikku ja head muusikat. 3.4/5

I don’t often listen to punk but this album was somewhat relaxing. I’d like to get back to it again sometime.

Changes good

I thought I would hate this. I was surprised that I didn’t.

cool

Paranoid was the album in my collection, but this one has always stood out for its album art. It never got recommended, and I'm not sure I'd stick this one on a 'must-listen' list. As someone who appreciates these strong metal origins, I'm pretty happy I gave it a listen today. It's always fun hearing the original 'Changes' in Ozzy's voice, it's fun how it sounds more like a cover than the covers who made the song theirs. It's still a solid single that meshes really well with the album, and the album is in fact pretty solid, I just think I appreciate more what it's ended up inspiring. I wouldn't mind it in my collection but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. 3.2/5

pleasantly surprised by most of the album, wasn’t exactly what i was expecting especially since it’s very much not the type of music i usually listen to. i’ve been thinking a lot about the level of complexity (track wise) and it’s definitely interesting to listen to something limited technologically in terms of both amount of distinct tracks and the sounds possible to be created at the time. i don’t expect myself to return to this much, but there may be one or two songs that will stick with me despite not currently standing out. i don’t know much at all about the era that this came out in so i’m missing a bit of context but i imagine this was relatively revolutionary for the time in terms of pushing the sounds of rock forward

Solid but didn't blow me away

Never knew Black Sabbath did so many slow songs. Good album.

Bless Ozzie. I'm not a particular metal head, though I enjoy some tracks. Musically, I like this album. But wtf was FX? I missed the mark they were aiming at there

Actually not bad

I'm going to say the same thing I said about Black Sabbath's self titled album: Not as good as Paranoid unfortunately. Still, it's fine... I wouldn't have a problem listening to it again.

I like Black Sabbath and really like “changes” but I don’t think this is the right album for this project.

I really love Black Sabbath but this is never the album I go to. The standout track is Changes... which like... I love that song... it’s just not what I want when I put on Black Sabbath. There's plenty of good moments/tracks on here it just feels like it falters compared to the previous three albums.

Maybe on another day

There are two unnecessary things on Vol. 4. The guy whispering “cocaine” in the background on Snowblind and the entire song “Changes”. Love Supernaut and Cornucopia but I don’t think this is a patch on Master of Reality.

It's okay. The album doesn't really interest me compared to more modern rock/heavy metal songs, but nevertheless I appreciate Black Sabbath's contributions to the genre.

My first rock album - Actually really good Supernaut is my favorite on the album Listened while I did my homework - Very nice

Changes er veldig bra. Ellers litt kjedelig almbum

Sabbath's sound and Ozzy's voice are instantly recognizable. This is classic heavy metal songs with ballads. Changes is nice. FX is junk. Laguna Sunrise is monotonous attempt at Led Zep.

It’s ok. It’s ok.

Not impressed. Slow, plodding, emo Sabbath

Enjoyable

I never got into Black Sabbath so it was nice listening to this. Never realized that there was “metal” in 1972 so I can see why they call this band genre defining. I really like the song Changes. That said I don’t see this album as one I’d go back to and listen to again.

Its a good album but nothing from another world, just good

Haven't heard this one before. It kinda feels more sleepy and lethargic than the other Black Sabbath albums I've heard? Maybe I'm off base with that? I'm not sure. It was fine, but I didn't love it. I loved the first 3 albums when I heard them. Not sure why this one isn't clicking.

not their best album.

Not my personal taste but still enjoyed. Favourites: FX and Under the Sun.

I’ve never been a fan of black sabbath but I did actually enjoy mostly this one. I feel like it was so much more different and unique than the tasteless metal of the 70s. Anyways still not my favourite genre but this was decent 6.6/10

Interesting album, but it didn't resonate strongly for me.

3 ESTRELLAS Y MEDIA Para empezar, este álbum y este estilo de música no es algo que yo habite frecuentemente. Soy más de la música un poco más emocional. Este álbum, al tener un rock súper puro, sentí que capaz no me iba a gustar tanto. A medida que escuché, sentí que no era tan heavy y duro como esperaba, es rock puro, sí, pero mucho más tranqui de lo que mi ignorancia prometía. Obviamente no es para nada lo que suelo escuchar, pero tuvo algunos aspectos que me gustaron que hicieron que pueda conectar con partes del álbum. Voy a empezar destacando el sonido. Literalmente saben lo que están haciendo, se nota la intención de cada parte del sonido, que encaja perfectamente con la canción. Personalmente, no es la música que escucharía todos los días de mi vida, simplemente porque no es mi estilo. Sin embargo, puedo reconocer cuando algo tiene intención. Este sonido me hizo sentir como el personaje de una película, el típico adolescente incomprendido que se refugia en la música. Otra cosa que me sorprendió mucho fue el significado de las letras y los temas que decidieron abordar en sus canciones. Prejuiciosamente, pensé que al ser hard rock–heavy metal, las letras iban a ser un puro descontrol mezclado con ruido. Sin embargo, me sorprendí al encontrarme con el manejo de letras profundas, de temas con un gran peso emocional, todo disfrazado en el sonido puro del rock característico de la banda. Me sorprendió. Por último, lo que quiero destacar es la versatilidad que noté en el álbum. Aunque todas las canciones que contienen un rock más puro tienen una similitud marcada, pueden pasar de una canción así a una balada sin problemas y siguen sonando bien. Personalmente, creo que esa versatilidad es la que te define como músico. En fin, objetivamente me parece un buen álbum, que no es mi estilo ni escucharía todos los días, pero reconozco su importancia y se nota a primera escucha. Aborda cosas interesantes a lo largo del álbum y sin dudas me guardé algunas canciones para incluirlas en mi repertorio.

I liked it very much. I'm not much of a "heavy metal" person, but i recognise that this album was not what i spected to be (I mean, in a good way) and that surprised me.

ozzy will never get his 10s from me but on the whole black sabbath is pretty good

Good metal album

bien. no es mi estilo pero bien

Classic metal, heavy focus on guitar riffs and high-pitched singing. Not really for me but I can see how it was ahead of the trends at the time.

Cocaine rock and roll, but I really should have listened when I was younger. Would have been really into it. RIP Ozzy.

I dunno. I know Sabbath is a staple of the genre…but I’m so bored with this one. 6/10

For every good song, there was one that didn’t need to be here. 3/5

Changes is great but otherwise forgettable.

Dober actually

An eye opener for someone who has only heard their more famous songs.

This was quite digestible. I feel like I am becoming more attuned to this genre. I liked changes, but I knew it already was just a nice suprise and I also liked Laguna suprise. Both the more chill songs I guess.

not really for me but not bad. i had no idea changes was originally a black sabbath song so that was interesting to find out

It's...ok. Completely middle of the road I just don't get the Black Sabbath obsession. Sure, I can understand how ground breaking they must have been at the time, but it doesn't click with me. And I know this is heresy, but Ozzy's vocals just aren't that great

Changes and FX kinda ruin the whole vibe of the album for me.

Couple of good songs. Changes was familiar only from other artists though. Id probably give the album a 3 and move on.

I thought the guitars were sexy and I love Ozzy’s vocals.

Changes sounded so far different from what I was expecting from this album and even though it wasn’t necessarily a style I like more, I appreciated the versatility. the whole thing was kinda a vibe, especially good when I put it on and then wandered out of the room for a bit amd so wasn’t fully paying attention. Also quite liked Snowblind

I mean, it’s sabbath!

Not as heavy as I thought it would be

Ok, ein Album von einer Band die gleichzeitig auf der Höhe ist und offenbar total den Plot zu verlieren droht. Irgendwie richtungslos, obwohl da tolle Songs drauf sind.

War genau das was ich erwartet hatte.

I got this literally the day after Paranoid and there’s no comparison for me. It was certainly okay but didn’t pack the same punch.

The metal tracks here are awesome, especially Supernaut and the closer. Then you have those weird detour songs that unfortunately don't work as well. They don't flow in the tracklist like on some of their other albums and feel awkward. I still think this album is quite good and very creative overall, but they have released more consistent efforts.

Not sure why this one deserves a place on this list over the others, but then again maybe they are here somewhere as well. Not great, not terrible.

Review - not an album of theirs I'd really listened to before, although I was familiar with Snowblind through a (very different) SOAD cover. A great heavy album and interesting to hear them branching out through songs like Changes. Maybe not their best work but still very good. Rating - 7/10 Need to hear? YES

Beter dan verwacht

opzich wel cool, gwn ni heel uitspringend

It’s black sabbath. What more do you need to know? It’s not my cup of tea, yet respect the work.

🙂‍↕️ Sabbath👍 Supernaut 🤩 gillar autistiska breaket nånstans där i mitten. Sprang till det här albumet och det var najs 7/10

Classic Black Sabbath

3.5 - Cool album. Changes is a great song.

404 - Heavy metal not found

Actually pretty good.

I liked this way more than I thought I would. Still probably won't listen again tho

Album #32, Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐ For context, my favourite Black Sabbath song is Planet Caravan. I grew up listening to their first three albums. Paranoid was one of the first songs I learned to play on drums. However, I never went beyond Master of Reality, as I felt and still feel like it was a step down from the first two, and I had an inkling they fell off after the first three. So this is my first time listening to Vol. 4. And like Violent Femmes yesterday, I wish I’d heard it twenty years ago. Because my tolerance for crunching heavy metal is limited these days. And what crunching heavy metal it is. Huge big fucking riffs with bells on. It’s Tony Iommi’s album through and through. I have to give them plaudits though. They try a few experimental things outside the formula. The samba bit on Supernaut, the lush Laguna Sunrise, and the stupidly simple FX, all of which I enjoyed. Then there’s Changes, which is tender, touching, and a genuine classic. What I don’t enjoy is the endless proggy segues. The way they stop and switch gears into another riff and beat is probably technically impressive, but there’s too much of it throughout, especially on Wheels of Confusion and Under the Sun. I prefer when they keep it dumb and simple, like on St. Vitus Dance. Two other things to note that aren’t necessarily criticisms, even if they sound like it. Lyrically, they are dirt simple. They’re not a thinking man’s band, and I don’t think they’re trying to be. But hearing Ozzy Osbourne sing through a maelstrom of guitars is as iconic a sound as any, the best example being Supernaut. Finally, the mix is very inconsistent throughout. Weirdly though, I think I prefer the muddier sound of Cornucopia. It’s almost proto stoner metal, a genre I probably prefer nowadays. I would have lapped this up in my teens. I do wish I’d continued my Sabbath journey back then. It’s a band I genuinely respect and admire.

Gran banda. Grandes clásicos

Surprisingly good. Not my vibe today.

Pretty pretty pretty good. I don’t like “Changes” though, but did enjoy a lot of the rest.

I liked this less than Paranoid, which I gave three stars. Ozzy’s vocals probably save this from being a two-star album. Barely. The songs aren’t very interesting, and the noise is often un-engaging. 2.5?

Never listened to Black Sabbath before. Much more classic rock than I originally thought

Sure ain’t as good as the first album.

Not my kind of music, but the second half of the album was significantly better than the first half. Favourite song: Laguna Sunrise

Waaay more eclectic than I thought it would be

Might relisten, might not - "Changes" was good.

Not my favourite Sabbath album but a banger, obviously.

Not too crazy about this album. Can't really tell you why??? I can see the value and the quality of the performance is undeniable however, I just didn't get ***into it I guess. I like Black Sabbath, this album isn't the one for me though. Changes is iconic though so yeah...it's BARE MINIMUM good. No lower.

Honestly a more relaxed Black Sabbath, still with some bangers but not just ear to ear noise. Not the absolutely heights of metal, but some really good tracks. Changes absolutely slaps still.

I listened through the entire album and then realized I didnt absorb a single lyric. I went back and read through and realized I wasn't missing anything Great background rock music!

So I listened to most of this while I was driving, and I was enjoying the visual in my head of someone seeing a 20-something year-old-girl in a VW Beetle with a “Please don’t honk at me, I’m a nice person” sticker blaring this album. Anyways, Ozzy’s vocals are obviously unique, some people are into them, some people hate it. I actually enjoyed a lot of these songs due to the instruments, rhythms, guitar solos, ESPECIALLY after yesterday’s album. It stood out so much more to me as, “THIS is what rock from this time sounded like”. It was fun, and there were a lot of enjoyable records on this album. Reading some background on it, and how much the band wanted to name this album after their track about cocaine, it all made sense. I know that the drugs were going craaaazy at this time, and it really shows. I’m not saying that artists should use cocaine, but it makes rock albums go a little harder. So thanks, coke. In all seriousness, I enjoyed this more than I envisioned I would, which was kind of the point of me doing this challenge. I would have NEVER listened to this album on my own accord, but I’m glad I have. I really want to give it 3.5, mostly because I don’t think I’ll listen to this album again, but it certainly has its place in music history and I enjoyed some specific tracks. Favorite tracks: Snowblind, Laguna Sunrise Least favorite track: Changes

Shit yeah 🤘

Meh

Great opening track! Classic Black Sabbath. "Changes" brings out vulnerability from Ozzy which makes for a nice ballad. Other standouts are: Snowblind (the chorus gives this Black Metal vibe and the guitar solos are great), Laguna Sunrise (which is a beautiful instrumental) and Under the Sun that closes the album nicely

0/10 bekannt 6/10 Beste Songs: under the sun, snowblind, changes

Muddy here and there, some really notable tracks, but nothing too memorable on first listen

Respect the album is lengthy full of their unique sound. Pushed me into listening LIVE Sabbath

Solid listen, nice guitars. Curious if this is one of their more iconic albums. Not any stand outs for me.

Decent album, songs containing some good riffs, but its „Black Sabbath” which im not a fan of. I love metal, but they dont do much for me.

норм рок, рип

gar nicht so schlecht

Great album Song I like: Change,

Less fun than I expected it to be

I wouldn't count this as one of my favorite Sabbath albums. Not bad, but not what Sabbath is known for.

Such a classic album. Changes is awesome. 3.5/5

Ozzy vs guitar

Vol. 4, aka the 4th best Sabbath album. Nonetheless, it’s heavy and cool (mostly - Changes is pretty cringe in my opinion).

It's better than I expected,

Changes is a banger

personally not my cup of tea... BUT album did have some songs that i enjoyed. some felt a bit randomly placed...the instrumentation and collaborative effort is what made this album for me. and the lead guitar

Almost a 4, based on Changes and Supernaut.

Other two black sabbath albums i know are better. Masters of reality and paranoid

its good to have as background music

Ok

I think I was only familiar with two songs Ozzy Osbourne penned (those being "Crazy Train" and "Changes") prior to today, so I'm definitely not an expert on Black Sabbath. With that in mind, I honestly imagined their music being a bit heavier than this. I understand that metal had to sound like this before we could get to thrash and death metal, but I guess I'm just surprised that a band with a name like Black Sabbath (whose frontman was dubbed "Prince of Darkness") wasn't making music with a little more edge. That said, I thought Vol. 4 was a decent album! It's got good rock instrumentals with compelling progressions and some solid songwriting bringing everything together. I wasn't the biggest fan of Ozzy's voice here, but I also wouldn't say it got grating or annoying – it's totally serviceable for this kind of music. Highlights: Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener, Tomorrow's Dream, Changes, Supernaut, Snowblind

Great album in the Sabbath catalogue 3 - deservedly on this list

To be honest it’s ok. Nothing much to say. Good music but nothing new or extraordinary.

a bit old for me i liked it tho

Now we're talking. Not my fav Sabbath, but still rockin

:( Like this album and snowblind is great. Dirgy dirty sounds and rock n roll.

Favorite Track: Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener

enjoyed this more than I thought I would!!!

solid 3

It's classic metal but also blends new sounds into it as well. Songs like "Changes" and "Laguna Sunrise" aren't songs you can typically get from a metal sound, they blend a melancholic rock sound to it which really shows range for the band. Not to mention the range in which they play their instruments, songs like "Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener" and "Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes" the guitar changes into a new riff or a new tempo and then the drums kick in with a new beat or match the tempo with the guitar, and yet they still make a consistent sound throughout the song that caters to that song only. A really solid album through and through.

This was surprisingly cool. Turns out the radio plays their worst songs, who knew!

It was alright.

My first time listening to a Black Sabbath album in full. I feel like any metal from the 70s has that similar feeling of drug induced loneliness which you can feel through every track of Vol. 4. It doesn’t sound as heavy as a lot of their other stuff- this felt like it had more of a California feel to it especially with Laguna Sunrise and the guitar riffs chosen for a lot of other songs. Highlights for me were Laguna Sunrise and Cornucopia. It has definitely made me interested in comparing and contrasting the metal sound in the early 70s then to the 8ps and the difference between American and U.K metal. Solid decade defining album for sure.

I respect Black Sabbath. Their slow and heavy guitar sound was innovative, paving the way for doom metal. Ozzy's voice is distinctive and solid. Their albums tend to feel pretty well crafted. However, I can't say I really enjoy or relish listening to them - I merely appreciate them for making things possible for later artists. There's something that just feels flat and unexciting for me, even though I don't dislike any of the elements of their sound. 3*

старе, вайбове, інколи енергія такого маск мейл, який усе зробить для своєї жінки. 5/10

not what i expected at all i thought it was metal. vocals were super good, didn’t understand the first song at all which was so long. none made it onto my playlist though

There are a few standouts in the mix here, but overall I felt most just blended together into a just-okay soft rock sameness.

solid album. not much more that i can say i enjoyed some songs and theyre ofc an influential band with their trad doom metal sound. this just didnt hit as much as their album paranoid

Very much my style of music and I enjoyed this listen a lot, however I have heard better from Black Sabbath and this is not their best album.

3/5 Nice album to listen to, but it got a little samesy after a bit.

Having only previously been familiar with Paranoid, this seemed surprisingly mellow.

It was better than I expected.a different genre which I thought would just be a bunch of electric guitar and illegible screaming but it wasn't a was much more interesting to listen to. I will say that for me it had too much of just guitar and instrumental parts

Pretty good

Started off unimpressed but the solo at the end of The Straightener straightened me out. Tomorrow's Dream is good, Changes, emotional. FX would probably spin my head if I were stoned. Supernaut starts with a sick guitar riff. Snowblind rocks despite being explicitly about cocaine. Cornucopia is a dark, swaying romp. Laguna Sunrise, a touching instrumental. St. Vitus' Dance returns with an English rock song that doesn't do much for me. Album finishes with a sick anti-religious jam, Under the Sun. 6/10.

Very emo! Love it

While I did like the album, the type of genre is not really my cup of tea

Never heard any of these before. Neat.

Decent. Couple bangers

Overall rating by me: 5,5/10 Songs added to the playlist: ,,Tomorrow's Dream", ,,Changes'' Notes: Not my cup of tea but again, casually as background music I think I would listen to it again.

Groundbreaking and heavy, but too scattered to beat Sabbath at their tightest.

Not my fav Sabbath

Not my favorite sabbath, but still good.

Decent but a little lacking compared to their more iconic albums. The guitar riffs aren't quite as good, Ozzy's vocals are hit or miss depending on the track, and they tend to get overpowered by the instrumentals. The audio mixing is noticably better in the remastered version, and the vocals are clearer. "FX" is not a real song and while "Laguna Surprise" isn't necessarily bad, it's not what I'm looking for from Black Sabbath. Final score is based on the remastered version.

Enjoyed more than I thought I would. Will give a second listen

not my typical music but i enjoyed it

Liked some of it, but a lot of repetitive guitar showoff stuff in it

Black Sabbath is not my favourite as the vocals are not my style, and vocal melodies feel repetitive. I was surprised by FX and Laguna Sunset. I also enjoyed the final track and can definitely see the influence of their sound on doom artists I enjoy.

Rip ozzy 😔✊🏼 Album war ganz gut würde es mir glaub ich aber nicht nochmal anhören

Not my vibe, definitely a product of its time. Not bad music by itself

Not the type of music I would normally listen to, but can definitely see why it's considered iconic.

Under the Sun quella che mi è piaciuta di più

Black Sabbath are undeniably heavy metal gods- even to someone like me who wouldn't normally listen to an album like this and who really just knows the big, famous hits. The album hooked me and it was a fun listen . "Supernaut" has this cool little bridge that reminds me of Zeppelin's "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp." I really like "Snowblind" - it may be my favorite track.

Listened to the 2021 remaster. Favorite song was Laguna Sunrise. Haven't listened to Black Sabbath much before but enjoyed the album.

I had never really listened to Black Sabbath before. It was less intense than I thought it would be.

first song was banging but LIKE 8 MINS?? crazy good guitar solo hope i get to the level of being able to play drums like supernaut fav song- Under the Sun WHAT THE FLIP IS FX THAT SCARED THE ANCESTORS OUT OF ME i was playing it in the gym and it was so eerie

I forget how garage they sounded. They really just had an infant school yamaha keyboard and a dream. Utter filth. Mostly like this because it's influential but I would choose to listen to it.

Really enjoyed the efforts to make this an interesting body of work (Changes, FX, Laguna Sunrise), but generally not my favorite songwriting.

Cant go wrong with Ozzy

Badass, but less badass than I was expecting. I locate the most badass Sabbath in the mid/late 70s. This is early 70s. But it's record #4!? Clearly another research project I need to do. Another great educational album that's not in itself going to bring me back for further listens.

This doesn't seem like heavy metal…things were different then apparently.

Hey, this is good. Enjoyable. Not amazing. Funny to think that this was out there heavy in its day. Seems quite tame now.

Good album. Solid performances. Lacks a great song.

NGL I don't remember it much because I'm coming off of a long hiatus, but if I remembered any of the songs I'd likely have rated it higher.

Listening to this Heavy Metal Album is like walking through a temple built of amplifiers: awe-inspiring in its sheer weight (thick, downtuned riffs, thudding drums, and smoky, overdriven textures paired with weary, spectral vocals), yet the floorboards shake just enough to remind you the structure might collapse at any moment.

Vocals were great

There's some great band moments on here that raises it amongst the rest in a genre of hard rock / metal that isn't a favourite of mine. The second half of Wheels of Confusion (the instrumental part), the drumming in particular of Supernaut in particular. I like that it's got some light and breaks from the onslaught at times like Changes and Laguna Sunrise. I guess I like the band but am not such a fan of the yelling version of Ozzy.

3.4

Has one of my favorite songs - ‘Changes’ - even if I like Charles Bradley’s version better!

Pretty solid, I think I liked Paranoid and Master of Reality more but there were some chunky riffs on this one! Snowblind and Changes were my favorite

Another rather strong entry by Black Sabbath although I kind of wish this website would pick one album per band or artist. But this was a fun, more mature aspect of Black Sabbath that I didn't know. I personally liked Changes and Laguna Surprise which had hints of Les Zeppelin in them.

I really haven't gone past the first three records with Sabbath. This will all be new to me. This is pretty much what I expected, though that's not a bad thing. Changes is a really interesting turn. I actually never realized this song is originally theirs. Laguna Sunrise is gorgeous. Really nice chord movement and acoustic playing. I wonder if they were being influenced by the prog movement of the early 70s at this time. Of course he is a groundbreaking legend, incredibly influential, and this may just be because of his missing fingertips, but I feel like Tony Iommi is kind of a messy guitarist. There's a few runs where it feels like he didn't really bother to figure out the notes. Maybe that's part of the charm. Under the Sun/Every Day Comes And Goes sounds like the foundation of all modern doom metal and metalcore. This is definitely a very cool record, and you can hear the influence it had on the metal world. They introduce some new interesting stuff here vs. first three records. Curious to listen to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath now!

I've struggled with Ozzy's voice - but Black Sabbath have some great tracks - Changes in particular of course.

Bon vieux album de métal comme on les imagine !

Was shocked when a cover of Changes came on. Dug it.

Actually pretty diverse but once they get into their grungy stuff its a bit tragically bad. I think i have to round to a 3 though because their range is pretty creative

Me when im trying to remember the title of Black Sabbaths fourth album On some normie type shit Too many drugs I guess Rest in peace, Prince of Darkness

Some monumental tracks, here, with Ozzie's great voice

Very much early 70's Sabbath style. Despite it being a pretty heavy rock album, there's still place for the Changes and Laguna Sunrise tracks, both of which I like. Tony Iommi's guitar riffs are always top quality and bring a great melody to all tracks.

Its fine. Some good songs, Changes will forever be awful.

Ok but quite an odd collection of tracks that doesn't seem that cohesive as an album. A few good classics metal tracks but interspersed with some quite average tracks.

Ned so viel in erinnerg bliebe aber het mi i keinere wiis gstört und bi paarne tracks doch sehr freud gha 3 mönet sabbathical uf das

Changes er så god! Men resten er ikke lige mig

Best song is Snowblind, Changes close second. 7/10 album.

interesting, a departure from the typical metal sound