Reviews (page 3 of 16)
I had a Black Sabbath cd in high school and my parents sat me down to tell me that this is the type of music people on drugs listened to. Jokes on them, it just made me like Black Sabbath even more.
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
Heavy metal, hard rock.
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
Coerente, piacevole da ascoltare specialmente tutto insieme.
not exactly my taste but i can hear why its kinda good. I mean listen to the tunes and the transitions alone on the first song: "Wheels of Confusion/ The Straightener" lowk fire. This was written at a time where i only listened to 1 song which was the first one
Prtty solid
This one is obviously not the best Black Sabbath album, even not top 3, still it sound nice and fresh and I like it
Oli vieraampaa Sabbathia, mutta tunnistettavaa kyllä!
Rokkaa ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yllätti positiivisesti!
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
just my sort of thing, it doesn't have hits like paranoid but I have plenty of love for this album, good all the way through
Now this is dad rock I can get behind. A unique sound with grand and sweeping musicality. Ozzy at his best as well.
Solid album made by people playing real instruments. I liked it.
I was late to the game with this one, but the songs from it that I knew before I listened were always some of my favorite Sabbath cuts; "Tomorrow's Dream" with that monstrous opening riff, just such a belter. "Supernaut" of course is fantastic and I gotta say I'm a big fan of "Changes". Miss you, Ozzy.
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
Underrated album. The first 3 albums of theirs get all the fanfare, but this has Supernaut, Wheels of confusion, Changes, Snowblind... such a good album.
Continuing the heavy doom of Master of Reality, Vol. 4 is a hugely influential album for metal to come, supremely powerful and loaded with classic Iommi riffs. Some coke might have been involved...
It seems to be becoming a running joke for Robert Dimery to always pick the wrong albums by the right artists. I mean, Black Sabbath were one of the most influential bands of all time, so it makes sense to include several albums: “Paranoid” - of course; “Black Sabbath” - fair enough; “Vol. 4” - eh... Then what about "Master Of Reality", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", “Heaven and Hell” or “Headless Cross”? Sure, Black Sabbath playing “Changes” or experimenting with instrumentals is definitely worth a listen, but in terms of innovation, there are even more significant Sabbath albums. Five stars, just because it’s Sabbath with Ozzy. However, this once again confirms my impression that Robert Dimery doesn’t always know what he’s talking about.
Fourth masterpiece in a row for Sabbath
BOM DEMAIS!
Very good
Such a unique and awesome sound! I'm sure it happens more than I realize, but as an uneducated music noob, this stands out. When a band can do something that is so different than every other band, with the same tools. I half expected to not really enjoy this, since it doesn't have the classic Ozzy songs that I've always thought about. But it definitely brought some amazing songs that I hadn't heard before.
Surprisingly good album! Tony Iommi's guitar work is just incredible. And he produced this album. I wavered between a 4 and 5 on this one.
Good but not sensational. Enjoyed but not enamored with. For me it rocked but did not gggrrrrrrrRRRRRRRWRWAAAAAACK!
Really good stuff. The heavier songs are killer, and the change-of-pace songs fit in quite well.
One of the greatest albums ever recorded!
Solid metal album Fave track: Cornucopia
Solid Sabbath but I’m wondering if self titled has made way for this to be included. Hopefully not. 3.5/5
Black Sabbath at their best. The one two punch of Supernaut and Snowblind is unbeatable!
Has early doom metal, piano ballad, modular synth (?) FX, and a cool classical ballad. 6/5 stars.
Drug-addled madness that kind of makes no sense as an album yet is somehow brilliant. Don't ask me why or how.
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!
heard plenty of Ozzy work before, was always class but then again those were like his most popular songs. When listening to their early Black Sabbath work out of curiosity for that dark religious sound, didn't feel it was my thing. But I was quite surprised with the Vol4, the beautiful classic hard rock sound with the elements of band's signature dark vibe - it's not all that muffled and noisy as I'd imagined it would be. "Changes" which is legendary adds even more soul to the album and it's been quite an exiting ride. Not something I'd listen to everyday, but "Supernaut" and "Snowblind" is something I will return to! The instrumentals are great.
I didn’t really enjoy this. Trying too hard.
still working on it
Sabbath nail it again. It’s amazing, perfect, a no skipper and rocks like fuck. Ozzy and the band sound different than previous albums, yet still unmistakably Sabbath
#375/1001. Black Sabbath runs out of hits and goes melodic. Boring.
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
Awesome
Riktigt bra album med riktig rock. Fett.
Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener // Tomorrow’s Dream // Changes // Supernaut // Snowblind // Every Day Comes and Goes // 4.5/5
1.5
Ozzy rippin this fr
Wheels of Confusion, FX, Supernaut and Laguna Sunrise are my favs. A cosmic album including multiple feelings. Looove it!
Never listened to them previously and previously I thought their music is more hard-core. Turns out it is actually quite calm. I like it.
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
It was more melodic in places than I initially thought it would be and I understand the importance of the band and their influence but it did nothing for me
Not a fan of Black Sabbath
i was sort of expecting this to be a little better…… i was a bit disappointed actually
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.
music is love
Solid Sabbath album. I hadn’t heard this one before. Heavy, sludgy, just what I want from them. 4/5
Sabbath on their generational run. If all was right and just in this world, the first six records would be on this list.
Sick nasty
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: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
Im going in biased with this album because i dont generally like metal but im already feeling surprised with Wheels of Confusion.
Black Sabbath rock and I've given 5* to all 3 of their albums on the list now. The guitar playing on this is so good and it's quite nice that they mixed it up with a few slower songs like Changes.
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.
Annoying
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.
3.5/5
Better than I expected, but overall not enough interest to make me come back for a second listen
Bill Ward’s jazz style drumming brings such a unique flair to this album that makes it so enjoyable. This is a must own in a record collection, like find an original pressing. Whenever I listen to this and Master of Reality I think about how Ozzy was called the “Prince of Darkness” but to me he sounds like a teddy bear — my close, personal friend Oz. This is one of the best Rock albums of all time, and I hope it continues to gain recognition as time goes on. This is my “I know ball” album.
Incroyable Je dois admettre qu'avant je ne comprenant pas pourquoi black Sabbath Maintenant non seulement je comprends, mais en plus j'adore
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.
If you'd told the me from half a year ago before starting this project that some of my favourite albums and some of the most consistent artists on the list would be metal bands, I wouldn't have believed you. This is my second Black Sabbath album on this list, it's just as great as the first one I got and was a perfect Friday listen.
Changes good
album 59 it's fine! changes bangs but otherwise its whatever ꩜ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,030 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 31 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 12 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 47
c'était cool j'ai bien aimé
I thought I would hate this. I was surprised that I didn’t.
Man Black Sabbath ruled. This is an exceptionally cool album that sounds so huge. Tony Iommi’s guitar playing and tone hits like a truck.
Great album. Really I can't believe I've passed this album up for so long. Had no idea it went this hard.
When it jams, it jams hard.
cool
Not for me™️ Changes I liked tho
It’s kind of interesting hearing about Black Sabbath as “the first metal band” as a kid, and then listening to them and finding out modern stoner rock is closer to Black Sabbath than modern metal is. Nonetheless, this is a fun metal album. Some great riffs, interesting dynamic rhythms, and a lot of songs about drugs.
Surprises Ing how many songs are in the community? Lexicon that coverage change bang a couple to liked
Boy, these guys really do like snow, huh? Me personally I prefer the warmer seasons but hey to each their own!
This album surprised me a lot. I had a blurry idea of what Black Sabbath is and how they sounded - and while it was kinda close to the actual album, i underestimated them hugely. The minimalism of FX in juxtaposition to the large sounds of the other tracks is striking and beautifully done, it doesn‘t feel out of place. It is essential to the album. The percussion section in Supernaut was such a rush of joy, i don‘t know how i made it through 28 years on this earth without it. The gentleness of Laguna Sunrise and its beautiful guitar melodies hit me completely unexpected and brought me close to tears. Only for St. Vitus Dance to kick into higher gear right again without leaving time to breathe. Overall a great listen!
Enjoyed que a bit
Album 199. Vol. 4 — Black Sabbath (1972) Badass album. I can't decide which "Changes" song is better: by Bowie or by Black Sabbath. Each one is perfect. Maybe "Changes" by 2Pac?🌟Who knows, but all three are in playlist. 4/5 Liked: — Changes — Snowblind — Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes
Way groovier than I expected from a Sabbath album, a couple of tracks could have come from a Hendrix album. The highs are really high but it's a bit too muddled and lacking a cohesive sense of direction as an album. Must have been moved blowing when it came out though
as someone who normally thinks metal is bizarrely boring this was fun
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
Yeahh heel tof, laatste nummer denk ik mn fave? Echt smullon
solid album, would listen to again. I would definitely recommend this album to most of the people I know
So good. A continuation of their classic metal albums
Unmemorable.
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
Very possibly the best heavy band of all-time. This is Sabbath at their coked our best. Monster riffs, slamming drums, Geezer’s brooding and creative bass, and my god, sweet Ozzy. 🤘🏽
Solid but didn't blow me away
Damn thought i was going to hate this... but Tomorrow's dream changed my mind!! That crescendo!! Wow. And Laguna Sunrise felt like a warm hug!! I am so pleasantly surprised. 7/10
Enjoyed this more than I expected to! Did not realize "Changes" was originally a Black Sabbath song. That, "Supernaut", "Snowblind", and "St. Vitus' Dance" were the standouts for me here
Rips
muy cool
Never knew Black Sabbath did so many slow songs. Good album.
Rated it. Knew a few songs and liked a few new ones. Will def revisit
changes i know ? this one is cute the rest maybe a bit too classic-rocky for me
Not bad at all, especially considering it's 1972. And I've even added the song "Changes" to my playlist now
SHAROOOOOOON
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
What a pleasant surprise! I listened twice in a row while doing some cleaning. Excellent riffs and some lovely little moments I did not expect.
Incredibly fun 4/5
This might be my first Sabbath album. I’m sorry I was so late to the party. I liked it. It’s weird how different “heavy metal” albums come across to me now.
Couple of decent tracks like Supernaut & Cornocopia but overall not really my thing 2/5
Not for me, bar one track
Actually not bad
This album is such a good example of why I’m doing this whole thing. I knew a few Black Sabbath songs, but never had reason to dive into their catalog. This was great, rock music is great, I’m glad I listened to this one.
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.
In their Beatles-esque run in efficiency releasing masterpieces, Vol. 4 is their fourth album in three years, coming after what is probably regarded as the last truly iconic Sabbath album Master of Reality. Vol. 4 is still awesome and rightly beloved by slightly more in tune fans. The production here might be their best - Iommi's downtuned guitar with an even more evil sound than Master of Reality , dirtier yet with a strange (chorusy?) gloss to it which rings with every full 6 string chord - and Geezer's bass with all the percussiveness taken away, pure deep bass, which almost seems like an affront to his iconic sound but works beautifully here - just listen to those fat slides he employs on songs to add rhythm and bounce to Iommi's riffage. However, while my narrative of this album going into it - an album that shows serious cracks, repetition and a need for a big change - was not as stark as I thought, it is certainly still there. It's apt the album ends on basically a carbon copy of the N.I.B. instrumental, down to the same solo licks. It would be the last of what I call their 'E minor pentatonic albums' before Rick Wakeman would be enlisted for the proggy follow up album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (which rules too - making 5 classic albums in a 4 year period.) Also to follow up on my discussion in on Off the Wall, what about albums that are just stupid? Black Sabbath is stupid. They are stupid. It's Ozzy Osbourne for god's sake. After singing a line about 'icicles in my brain" on a song called "Snowblind" Ozzy whispers "COCAINE" into your ear for good measure. And you heard Changes. "I feel unhappy, I feel so sad." Bravo. It is the same with Michael, however - while they lack literary prowess, the band that basically opened and almost immediately closed the book on the entire genre of Metal clearly had some other genius bestowed on them. Iommi and his guitar here is the real master and probably has had an equal if not greater effect on modern language as the great poets.
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
i had only heard their first two albums before today and was pleasantly surprised to find that this one (mostly) measures up to them. great guitar tone, excellent drumming. snowblind was definitely the highlight for me. was not expecting changes and laguna sunrise, which were both lovely. 3.5
wahey. a palate cleanser by every sense of the phrase. the thing about sabbath (and pre bob rock Metallica for that matter) is just how Heavy they managed to make standard adjacent tunings sound. none of that steve vai 7 string shit. none of that fishman strandberg shit. (to quote puritanical cracker nick) straiht fuckin Tone. also helps that everyone in the band's top 150 in their fields all time. changes is an all timer. crazy that on top of the everything they're ALSO synth guys. the entire A-side is all time stuff tbh. that little samba breakdown in supernaut?????? thank you 1000 Homo DJs. B-side's the slugier drugged out (probably why it starts with the cocaine song) twin. weaker but still dece. 3.8-4.3.
Yep
Not many of my favourites on here but despite that manages to be an incredibly composed all-rounder of a release. They're all on point here, this is an album with impact. Looking up info on the album it's just people like "you won't believe how much cocaine they were on".
never listened to them but i've always heard the name. coming from someone who knows literally zero things about them i was a little... let down? i don't know maybe i just expected something in a heavier direction. it was okay! fave track: supernaut
I debated skipping this album. I have a bias against Black Sabbath based on who I think their audience is and certain expectations of what this would sound like. I'm glad I listened. This is much more musical and stylistically diverse than I was prepared for. This is a great album and well worth the time. More guitar heavy than I would prefer, but honestly an enjoyable surprise.
First time I’ve listened to this album. I wasn’t aware that it was so diverse with shorter songs of different sound landscapes. Still it’s the riff-based stoner rock that sticks out for me. It’s definetly good, though I don’t know many of the songs, so it takes me a little time to get into some of them. I liked the experience though, and I am looking forward to check out more from them later (both from other albums in the book and others. Favourites: Snowblind, Supernaut, Tomorrow’s Dream and Changes.
Lite underskattad jämfört med self titled och Paranoid pga avsaknad av hit:ar utöver Changes. Otroliga riff, orimligt samspelat, och några av de bästa sånginsatserna från Ozzy: solklar femma.
Inte så bekant med alla låtarna som en del av deras andra hits, men starkt rakt igenom!
Här finns flera av bandets bästa o tyngsta riff, och utvecklingen fortsätter i lite ny riktning från deras två första album. Inte lika klassiskt, men ändå odödligt!
Changes! Annars var det inget som riktigt stack ut för mig men överlag nice sound.
Був дуже стомленим, коли слухав. Загалом сподобалось, без фанатизму. Але, там є Changes, приспів якої використав Емінем.
8/10
Some songs felt a little samey but that's because I'm still not super familiar with the genre I think. Some good songs esp Changes ofc
Very beautiful and enlightening look into the early days of metal. You could see exactly what they were going for and they nailed it. Even though the song structure felt a little meandering at times, the quality of the lyrics and melodies made up for it for me.
My least favorite black sabbath record of their first 6 masterpiece. It really doesnt say much because holly shit they were so good in their prime. "Master of really" is not on the book ??? RIP Ozzy, my life would have been much much different without you.
Overall: 8/10 This album starts off kind of weak for me and the style is all over the place....but god damn, Tony's riffs are just so killer and Bill's drumming is out of this world and Geezer holds it all down so smooth and Ozzy wails away like a banshee and I can't get over how much I love this fucking band. Fav Song: Supernaut
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.
Totally fine. I didn't realize how much Black Sabbath sounds like early 70's hard rock (I mean, it IS early 70's hard rock, so I don't know what I was expecting). I enjoyed it well enough but it isn't something I'll be revisiting frequently.
My first rock album - Actually really good Supernaut is my favorite on the album Listened while I did my homework - Very nice
Solid album. Favorite song: Changes
duro
Ozzy ozzy ozzy, oi oi oi!
Excellent
Changes er veldig bra. Ellers litt kjedelig almbum
Don’t be Snowblind to this album.
mid 4 nice variety here, ossy is great, good listen
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/black-sabbath/black-sabbath-vol-4/ Not (yet) on the level of Paranoid for me, but man these guys knew how to write songs.
This album might be one of Black Sabbath's best. It's got a good amount of hard metal songs, but also songs that leak into other genres. A very exploratory phase for them. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this, and it might be going in my playlist.
Sludgy and heavy. For me it’s all about those first five albums and this is a banger. 5
I think they might have had some drugs.
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.
Amazing. A classic.
Wow - lots of Black Sabbath over the last few days. So I’m now a full on fan. In a very short time. From 0 to full fan in one week! This didn’t hit me like Paranoid- that was my introduction, but man, this rocks! And they’re amazing at the 180s! Opening with wheels of confusion going to tomorrow’s dream and then changes?!!? Wow! 4 stars. Really 4.5. Boolean rating: yes! Thank you for introducing me to Black Sabbath before I die!
This was a good album. The songs by themselves are good but together it almost tells a story. You can tell where the start and the end of the album is. I don’t know how to describe that.
Epic and amazing. Long live Black Sabbath
Groovy, metally, gezellie
Proper heavy metal with a lot of Sabbath songs I didn't know but enjoyed. Defo one I'd listen through again. Think the first 4 BS albums can be played through entirely in one run, they're all soo good. Minus a point for some weakened flow, while Changes is a great song, I think it spoils the flow. Same story with Laguna Sunrise, would work better as an outro.
That's a lot of changes
Came to this expecting the cliché: cocaine bloat, loss of discipline, a band disappearing up itself. That’s not what it is. It’s looser than the early records, yes, but the looseness reads as process rather than collapse. You can hear them thinking. The opening piece sprawls, but not aimlessly. It’s sectional in a very “we’re following this idea and seeing where it goes” way. That tone carries through the album: decisions are audible, sometimes provisional, often kept. It isn’t polished into inevitability. It feels closer to a room than a monument. The production is a factor. There’s a persistent low-mid density, a kind of baked-in murk. At times it is atmospheric, at others it tips into congestion. On certain tracks it genuinely feels like the top end has been shaved off, everything sits in the same band and merges. The interesting thing is that this occasionally works functionally. When the band collapses into a single mass, the vocal and lyric become the only clearly legible element. Whether that is intention or acceptance does not really matter. It behaves like a choice. Then you get a track that snaps everything back into focus. Proper groove, proper separation, bass and drums doing something elastic and alive rather than just underpinning the guitar. It has that “what if we push this bit harder?” energy, very similar to mid-60s McCartney’s habit of turning a supporting part into the engine of the track. It proves the band have not lost control. They are choosing when to exercise it. There is a recurring sense of play throughout, but not in a showy or ironic way. More like a Midlands habit of trying things without over-framing them. Odd detours, a folkish lilt here and there, an instrumental that just exists because someone liked the sound of it. Nothing is over-justified. The album tolerates things being a bit off if they have life. The “coke song” is striking for how unromantic it is. It does not glamorise or veil particularly. It just states. Change the lyric and the track still works perfectly well as a Sabbath piece, which tells you where the real weight sits. The acoustic interlude is well judged. It opens the space up without tipping into sentimentality. Crucially, it does not announce itself as “the beautiful bit”. It just appears, does its job, and moves on. That restraint keeps it from drifting into parody. The closing track is effectively a corrective. After all the wandering and texture, it reasserts the core identity in very blunt terms. Big riff, clear stance, no ambiguity. Lyrically it is a straightforward rejection of imposed belief, not argued, just stated. It feels less like ideology and more like someone deciding they are not going along with something that had been presented as normal. That thread, the sense of rejecting something ambient and inherited, runs underneath more than it initially appears. It does not come across as theatrical rebellion. It is flatter, more matter-of-fact than that. Overall, this is not their tightest or most consistent record, but it is one of their most revealing. You hear the band without much filtering: the instincts, the overreaches, the good calls, the questionable ones. It is uneven, but it is inhabited. That counts for a lot.
It’s ok. It’s ok.
4 stars. Better then expected
Pretty much what I was expecting, very strong
Not impressed. Slow, plodding, emo Sabbath
Do i like this better than Paranoid? Yeah.
Was expecting something very different, this was super fun, I enjoyed it a lot
TS IS FIREEEE
I really enjoyed this.
Some of favs…good early metal
The first Sabbath album I heard. My age meant I missed the previous albums. All my friends had the album under their arms at school?
It was fine enough, but not my thing.
Absolute banger
A classic album, even if it doesn't get as much hype as the first two albums. It had been a minute since I listened to it as a whole album, and I forgot how, which the exception of one track, every song on here is great. Like, I always loved "Supernaut" and "Snowblind", but the beginning and ending tracks are awesome as well. Even departures like "Changes" and "Laguna Sunrise" are cool. My initial thought when I saw this album was an easy 4, but upon relisten, it's pushed that up a smidge.
Enjoyable
A heavy metal album I was suspicious of but ended up liking a lot! I especially enjoyed “Wheels of Confusion” and “Changes.”
The type of music you turn on and forget you're listening to because it's so good. Might just be the beer speaking. I'm not sure.
Det er ikke like revolusjonerende som de tidligere greiene deres, men når jeg hører det i dag, kan jeg trekke frem innflytelser på feks. NWOBHM hvor det er litt mer speed og litt mindre sludge. Men det er i hvert fall tre spor her som er helt på høyde med de første skivene: Wheel of Confusion, Snowblind, og Under the Sun. Også setter jeg pris på at de gjør sin beste Morricone på Laguna Sunrise. Changes kunne de gått holdt igjen til Ozzy's solo-karriere, da.
De tre første platene til Black Sabbath er en av de mest imponerende trilogiene gjennom tidene, men det er ingen grunn til å falle av på Vol. 4! Ballehardt (og fine ballader)!
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
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Ozzy does tend to slur his words together though
Another classic rock album I actually really enjoyed even though it’s not a genre I typically gravitate towards, but this rocks
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.
Listen I know they're supposed to be revolutionary pioneers of metal and I respect that, but this just ISNT my thing. At all.
not their best album.
"i'm going through changes" é uma frase que vai me acompanhar por um bom tempo!! primeira vez escutando um álbum completo do black sabbath com atenção e gostei mais do que eu achava que iria gostar. 4/5
Not a bad song on it.
Not my personal taste but still enjoyed. Favourites: FX and Under the Sun.
Impossível não gostar. Destaque para Laguna Sunrise e Changes
Amazing! Didn’t expect there to be such range
Not the Sabbath lp I was expecting. The first song at 8 mins nearly broke me as I'm not one for guitar and drum solos. However the lp was great from then on in. Ozzy was excellent accompanied by crunching riffs. The lighter songs broke the lp up nicely with light and shade.
I rarely listen to Sabbath, but I enjoyed this.
Nice one
Écoute durant travail donc pas optimal pour évaluer. Ambiance à la première écoute: festival, beau temps, bières, vélo en fin de journée d’été, potes. Album quali varié. J’aime la variation offerte par « changes », pépite pour moi de l’album.
pretty fire
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
Ozzy forever, I never understood why everyone called Ozzy the greatest until now, great album, first time listening to this great record
Not a perfect album by any means. But when it hits, it really goes for it. Supernaut is amazing, crunching, sludgy guitar over Ozzy at his best. And Changes is a goddamn gorgeous beautiful song. Some of the tracks on here aren't to the same standard though, and feel like filler, and the tracklisting feels a little off. But time we'll spent.
original black metal. riffs.
4/5 stars - 10:43 am EST
good
This was my first record recommendation on this journey, which is kind of silly because I listened to this record yesterday. Black Sabbath is my favorite band, and this is my second favorite record of theirs. This album has the crunchiest riffs outside of Master of Reality’s “Into the Void.” A standout on this record, regarding Iommi’s layering of monster riffs can be found in “Supernaut.” The ballad, “Changes”, was a nice break. This song went on to be covered by the late-great Charles Bradley, and I was fortunate enough to see him perform this before his passing. If this is how the list goes, I’m excited. What an excellent start. Cheers! Favorite track: “Snowblind.” Least Favorite track: N/A, all gas no brakes.
recorded in ‘72, they experimented a big more instead of staying in the typical metal, resulting in nice sounds overall but not too much cohesion. i enjoyed it a lot, fun to listen to & tbh they’re the best under the sun was my fave
Interesting album, but it didn't resonate strongly for me.
Notwithstanding the more recent cover of Changes by Charles Bradley, or perhaps, in part, because of it, one finds it hard to believe this is actually an original Black Sabbath song. It's too pretty, too tender, too heartbreakingly relatable. One suspects they covered something created by a black artist dating from at least a decade prior. This is not the only surprise of this album. It is remarkably sequenced in its composition. Even the odd FX track, which is little more than some echoing reverbed notes (presumably produced by a synthesizer), has its place as a kind of sonic palate cleanser between Changes and the powerful driving hard rock anthem that is Supernaut. Similarly, we have the Zeppelin-esque interlude Laguna Sunrise as a break before two more powerful tracks, St. Vitus' Dance and Under the Sun, that close out the album. This opus has its place alongside their much more famous album, Paranoid. In some respects, it represents an evolution of the band that exceeds it.
solid 8/10, I get why they were you popular and still are today! The paved the way for metal and other sub-genres for rock, and they're totally iconic. What surprised me about the album was that there were a few songs that seemed to have no electric guitar, which the name "black Sabbath" suggests they're totally hardcore. So, A little bit of a shock, but I honestly enjoyed the variety. I think I'd listen again, the guitar is mad catchy.
Didn’t like it
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 didn’t realize changes wasn’t Black Sabbath that’s cool Apart from that it’s just classic Black Sabbath like with first track Favorites: changes, wheels of confusion Probably actually 3.5
A Sabbath album I can get behind. Much more mature than there early stuff, the album where they seemed to balance heaviness, melody and grove best. The track FX is just filler and pointless but otherwise it’s consistent with some great tracks. 4.2
A real confidence to Sabbath on this record. A band at the total sum of their powers. 4.2/5.
My favourite Sabbath album I think. And that is a tough one to call.
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
Classic
A really good Sabbath album, full of Toni Iommi riffs, changes of tempo and a great ballad.
I listened to this a couple of times and it definitely needs to be played a little louder on proper speakers to be enjoyable. Changes was the only track I really knew before. Lays the groundwork for all of the more modern sludge and groove rock like Down and The Sword. Good riffs as expected, more prog adjacent than other songs I know by them.
Not quite on the level of master of reality or paranoid but still so 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.
Really great!
I like them but this album isn’t their best
Good but weird album, I like it but it’s not as heavy as the previous albums. I don’t see how this album was as much as an influence on doom metal as the previous but I did find the proggy influence very inspired. I will say one of the things I don’t like about this album is how quiet the mix is, it’s very soft and is probably why it didn’t hit as hard as it could. Still a good album but prefer the earlier ones
Wheels of Confusion/ The Straightener - 3.5/5 Tomorrow's Dream - 4/5 Changes - 5/5 FX - 2/5 Supernaut - 4/5 Snowblind - 3.5/5 Laguna Sunrise - 3.5/5 St. Vitus Dance - 3/5 Under the Sun/ Every Day Comes and Goes - 4.5/5
Muy guapo, inesperadamente
underrated hidden gem.
The Sabs at their ‘coke’ fuelled best. Live staples Snowblind and Under The Sun shine out on a rock n roll ride fit for any collection and Ozzy is imperious especially for the gorgeous Snowblind. Bass tracks yet again get relegated to the background. Perhaps Geezer was just too heavy? Would be so different if the whole thing was recorded from scratch today.
Very good
Birmingham's finest, a banger
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
objetivamente está bien pero yo no vibre nada, capaz no era el momento para escucharlo y me pareció medio pesado
I have never listened to a whole Black Sabbath album before and actually really enjoyed this one. I had no idea they were the ones who originally performed the song "changes". 8/10 Top song Supernaut
🤘🤘🤘🤘 Repeat Play 4/1/2026
No private session used on this one. Classic early metal, Supernaut rocks. I get why people love Ozzy.
Me gustó. No soy tanto del palo del hard rock pero tiene flasheaditas lindas.
Sabbath and cocaine and like peanut butter and jelly. Seriously this band fucking rocks. So hard to even fathom ranking any of their discography, as they are easily a top 3 band all time for me. I love the aggressive don’t give a fuck attitude on this record- this vibe only grows as they would go on to release records after this, but at the time I can see how this was a controversial pivot. Of all the sonically correct slop rock we get on this list, I’m happy we finally get a record where the meat and potatoes of it is just being complete chaos. St Vitus and Snowblind are definitely my standouts here. I’d run through a brick wall to those. Of course changes is awesome. It’s crazy to me they threw a soft ballad in a record like this, but hey that’s the essence of this record. Don’t play by the rules.
I want it louder!!!!! Man Ozzy Osbourne really was a great singer. I really like this the guitar and hi hats are punchy and real I wish it would louder again. Some of the more somber moments I couldn’t care for but this a great record to just jam out to and pump some iron. St Vitus and snowblind are highlights of just the creativity and imagination. Snowblind lyrics are just so interesting how do you come up with that.
Changes is great but otherwise forgettable.
Classic. The original and the best.
Simply iconic, and for many reasons
4.8/5 Favorite Songs: Wheels of Confusion Tomorrow's Dream Changes Supernaut Snowblind Cornucopia Under the Sun/ Everyday Comes and Goes
Dober actually
An eye opener for someone who has only heard their more famous songs.
Felt more subtle than other Black Sabbath works
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.
Really enjoyed the range and scope of this. Big fan of the first Black Sabbath record, but I think this might have become my new favourite. Favourites were 'Changes' and 'FX'.
Super good
This is why I love this daily exercise. I would have missed this album. I listened to it 2-3 times yesterday. What a great album
One of the best albums ever
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
Amazing album, almost a 5 star for sure
mmm
Tracks: 1 Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener I like the beat and the instrumental a lot but I wasn’t a fan of the singing and the lyrics. Also too long. 2 Tomorrow’s Dream Better than the last but I’m still not a fan. 3 Changes Bro this is the song they got i’m going through changes from in big mouth; already makes me have a bad association with it. I don’t like it anyways it’s too slow. 4 FX It’s just some strange drum banging? 5 Supernaut Meh 6 Snowblind I actually like this one a good amount. The rhythm and singing and beat is really good. 👍 7 Cornucopia I don’t like the way he sings it- it’s too cut off. I’m not really sure how to describe it. 8 Laguna Sunrise This was a nice little instrumental. I didn’t like it that much though. 9 St. Vitus Dance Another meh instrumental 10 Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes It was okay not enough for me to like it though.(?) Overall: Mehhhhhh
Black Sabbath is really so much more than what I’d originally thought of them. Ozzy was a powerhouse singer, and Tommy Iommi is a great guitarist (and producer!). I just want to highlight this passage from the Apple Music blurb about “Vol. 4”: “The ballad “Changes,” meanwhile, is a unique collaboration among the four members: Self-taught pianist Iommi tickled the ivories; singer Ozzy Osbourne wrote the vocal melody; and bassist Geezer Butler wrote the lyrics, which were based on drummer Bill Ward’s crumbling marriage.” Cracks me up that Bill Ward’s part in the collaboration is having a marital struggles.
I liked this much more than I thought I would. Four stars!
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
I'd be hard pressed to rate any of Sabbath's first six albums as less than perfect. This is not my favorite of that run and it's still amazing. Supernaut alone is worth the price of admission. Under the Sun is also amazingly good.
By any metrics it's staggering what Black Sabbath achieved in just five years. Between 1970 and 1975 four working class blokes from Birmingham pumped out six albums that were beyond just 'influential', they created entire genres of music whole cloth to the extent that decades upon decades of countlessfuture bands would ape their sound to the point of mimicry. Simply put, no Sabbath, no Metal. This album leans into mid tempo stoner and doom with enough stylistic detours and tempo changes to keep it engaging. Everything sounds elementally heavy and is held together by one of the most iconic and awesome voices in music history. Essential.
Changes and FX kinda ruin the whole vibe of the album for me.
I love this album deeply Found it back in 2018 or so. Kinda weak comparatively to their other albums in that time period but still a great album. 8.2/10
Muy bueno
This album slaps. The opening riff on Supernaut is amazing.
discazo
Couple of good songs. Changes was familiar only from other artists though. Id probably give the album a 3 and move on.
CHANGES. Ugh. So good. So much more mellow than I expected. 10/10
8/10 – Very Good
Qué álbum. 1972 eh. Una aplanadora. Y unas letras que ya iban mostrando en la que andaba Ozzy. Emblema de todo un género. Hitero, ruidoso, accesible también. 8/10
I liked the bits with the instruments but i did not like the bits with the man. Mostly by the end i was neutral but the beginning put me off enough to round down.
How fun to now know the origin of Changes. Laguna Sunrise was an unexpected but beautiful treat amongst it all
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
There were some moments that really surprised me and I enjoyed and they were usually when they were doing sick guitar riffs but Ozzy was a little too earnest here for my liking and they were a little too jammy and I just don’t feel like they have the instrumental props to pull that off.
There is good balance between heavy and soft sounds, definitely an album to listen in the car. I love how it starts with the longest song Wheels of Confussion, because this song perfectly shows whole album's together prog character which i personally love.
The antithesis of bland.
OS INVENTORES DO HEAVY METAL Não teria como não descarregar elogios para essa banda, que apresentou um som tão distinto para a época e que ainda carrega em seus braços esse legado contínuo. Dito isso, tem muito mais aproximação a um doom metal, além do próprio heavy. Nenhuma crítica, todas as músicas são muito bem fechadas e marcantes e reconhecíveis. HIGHLIGHTS: CHANGES, Wheels Of Confusion, Tomorrow's Dreams, Supernaut, Snowblind 10/10
Changes... Who knew they could write a genuinely nice song
Wasn’t really a fan. However this is first time hearing Vol. 4 and it is a strong rock LP.
Might be my favourite sabbath album
I mean, it’s sabbath!
Ooooh yes
awesome
I was slightly reluctant to give this 4 stars because I know Sabbath has other albums on this list which are a lot stronger than this. Still, this is an enjoyable listen, with some great tracks and Ozzy’s vocals are fantastic. In the end, I just couldn’t bring myself to give the late, great Ozzy a meagre 3 stars.
It is a top of technical abilities of the band. Filled up with great guitar riffs and amazing songs, this record sets new standard for the metal genre of its time. Album is diluted with beautiful acoustic theme called Laguna Sunrise. Long live the Black Sabbath!
Not my favourite black sabbath album but its still so good. I think the production is kinda rough but I think I like that more
My rating 4.0 Good album.
Not as heavy as I thought it would be
This is so, so good. Heavy, grungy, raw with the odd bit of calmness thrown in (Changes & Laguna Sunrise). Wheels of Confusion, Tomorrows Dream, Supernaut & Snowblind are the standouts for me, but I enjoyed every track. So many great riffs coupled with Ozzys iconic vocals. A classic.
#bernwoche Viel zu poppig, Lyrics besonders belanglos, erfolgreiches Schema zu oft wiederholt. Dennoch funktioniert es für mich auf einer bestimmten Wbene (die des Eiffsounds in Kombi mit den Srums). Auf den meisten anderen aber gar nicht.