Vol. 4

Cocaine-fueled madness sharpens Sabbath's metallic edge to razor precision while expanding their unholy dominion, four albums deep with delicate ballads and crushing riffs forged by a band tighter than ever.

With the notable exception of Changes, this is a cracking album,

Hätte jedes andere Ozzy-Era Sabbath Album genommen, aber für Black Sabbath gibts trotzdem grundsätzlich 5/5

An incredible metal album. Check put supernaut.

Already knew it was a 5 when it hit my list. All-around slugger of heavy metal, I also really enjoy Changes and the other slower bits. All power and clocks in under 45 minutes. Near perfect.

Despite the generic title, Vol. 4 delivers highlight after nightlight and remains one of the most overlooked albums in the Black Sabbath discography. Sabbath clings to their trademark heavy riffs and Ozzy’s mesmerizing vocals on classics such as “Wheels Of Confusion”, “Supernaut”, “Under the Sun” and the coke-induced “Snowblind”. Then there’s also the perhaps most beautiful Black Sabbath song ever, “Changes”. Often overlooked but up there with the rest of the early records.

The album the religious types who look like Ned and Maude Flanders would warn you about. Sabbath stretch their leathery wings and start looking at a wider type of musical pallette - they even have a ballad! Luckily though they still keep the riffs coming and that's all we really want isn't it? Best Tracks: Wheel's of Confusion/The Straightener; Supernaut; Snowblind

Phenomenal spin. Changes is a classic, but the one-two punch of Supernaut and Snowblind win. The methodical slowing down step by step on the end of the last track is fuckin brilliant.

A little anecdote found in the "Vol. 4" Wikipedia page: "In the studio, the band regularly had speaker boxes full of cocaine delivered." I can't think of a better metaphor to describe the sound of this early heavy metal masterpiece. In the end, all the drama and substance abuse behind the scenes was worth it. "Supernaut" has not one but *two* of the best guitar riffs of all time, "Changes" is an incredibly effective and surprisingly tender ballad, nicely supported by a tactful mellotron-and-piano arrangement, and the rest is generally excellent, from "Wheels Of Confusion"'s epic finale to closer "Under The Sun". "Tomorrow's Dream" and "Snowblind" (an ode to that white powder the band loved so much, almost giving its name to this fourth album) are also among the best songs Black Sabbath ever wrote. And "Laguna Sunrise" is one of those evocative ambient instrumentals giving interesting dynamics to their LPs, proving once again that there was more than meets the eye in them. The first four Black Sabbath albums will be in my final list ("Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Sabotage" won't, but they're still very good records). And, you see, I'm not even a huge metal fan. It's just that sometimes, bands go through a string of three or four subsequent releases that are spotless, leaving an imprint that is as culturally relevant as it is a blast to listen to, even decades after. See also: Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Kraftwerk, Sonic Youth, Pixies, Pavement, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Deftones, Rage Against the Machine, A Tribe Called Quest, Kendrick Lamar, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai and Low, among others... Early Black Sabbath is *obviously* in that league. The genre you're into never matters as much as the quality of the music. And when what you're doing sets a template for the decades to come, you're one of the greatest, period. 5/5. Number of albums left to review: 576 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 203 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 97 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 126

Cocaine

Mighty sabbath

Man, I'd forgotten how great this album was. It's not necessarily great lyrically or often musically. But they were such a groundbreaking band and listening to them scared my parents. What more could you ask for?

I'd have put Master of Reality on the list over this one, maybe even Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, but its still a great album. It's probably my 4th or 5th favorite from the band but it still deserves a 5. I wouldn't dream of giving Ozzy era Sabbath anything less.

I first heard this album as a fifteen year old, and when the album was 20. 30 years later, the heavily distorted guitar riffs, sliced through with Ozzy’s sharp edged vocals still give me the chills. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

This is way more eclectic than I was thinking it'd be. Definitely can hear the influences they have on modern metal. Also lots of Zeppelin and Hendrix sounds

idk yet

While it doesn't have the singles of their earlier albums, it is up there as either the best or second best Sabbath album. Coked out of their minds they somehow recorded an album that embraces their darkness, excess, and experimentation while maintaining a consistent lyrical theme throughout. Overall it's just a fantastic listen.

Discazo de lo que comenzó siendo el heavy metal. Instrumentos en ocasiones pesados, melodías guitarreras, voz inconfundible y ritmos vertiginosos.

Flawless

Fuckin classic. 10/10

5 Just listen to it.

I am not a big Black Sabbath fan but they have some really great albums that I keep going back to, this being one of them

Rock and rolllll :D

All hail the forefathers of metal. 🤟

This album needs no listening, a staple from my days at school, university and beyond. This is a fantastic album and is peak Sabbath with the whole band being on top form. Some great heavy tracks like Wheels of Confusion, Snowblind and Tomorrow's Dream through to the delightful ballad that is Changes and instrumental Laguna Sunrise and not forgetting Supernaut that has been rejuvenated through Iron Man.

A really solid album I've never listened to. No major hits, but all really good songs

This is the kind of album I was hoping to find in this book. Love The Straightener and Tomorrow’s Dream. Changes and Laguna Sunrise were quite a surprise. FX was a bit unnecessary but its a funny story. Orchestration is surprisingly good throughout. Guitar keeps going just beyond abilities on Under the Sun. This is a keeper album to me for sure. Absolutely fucking rocks.

Heard individual tracks before, but never listened to the full album - which at 42 years of age is a travesty because this album is the bollocks.

Kinda average, typical Black Sabbath

This is another of those essential heavy metal records. No collection is complete without this album in it. The band was zonked outta their minds on cocaine, but the record delivers. Supernaut, Snowblind, Changes are some of the finest songs Sabbath ever wrote.

This is a great album, I love Black Sabbath but have spent more time listening to their first three albums. So, this was a nice album to get today. So many solid songs, and I really like some of the diversity is genre that they're incorporating. I'll definitely listen to this one more from now on. Standout Tracks: Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener, Changes, Supernaut, Snowblind, Laguna Sunrise

The story about the recording of this album is almost as interesting as the album itself. I'm always amazed that bands can put out work like this while in a haze of drugs and booze. There's good range on this one, with "Supernaut" the obvious standout and some nice production turns on "FX" and "Changes".

Unha sonoridade impropia da súa década que se fai tremendamente actual. O ritmo do baixo asulagate cando o escoitas. Sabía que me gustaba Black Sabath pero non tanto.

Great ofc, not the superclassic, but still ;)

Really good album, didn't know this one yet. Familiar sound, but also some surprising elements, making the album very interesting.

Really good album, Black Sabbath pushing heavy in lots of different directions in this album with full on metal ballad. The openers and closer both awesome songs and snowblind is up there with the best cocaine songs of all time. Supernaut is an underrated song.

Dit album kende ik nog niet helemaal. Goed, maar misschien niet echt de positieve uitschieters van andere eerdere albums.

This album rips. Had to check when Slow Ride was released bc the opening riff reminded me of that tune, seems Foghat ripped it off Sabbath. This album was fun, Iommi shreds, Ozzy wails, 5 stars

I'm biased, deal with it. Long live Sabbath!

5/5 Kanntr ich schosch Banger Dicker Ohrwurm von Changes 💦

ALBUM RATING: 4.5 ALBUM GRADE: A TRACK RATINGS: 1. Wheels of Confusion - 4.5 2. Tomorrow’s Dream - 4.5 3. Changes - 4.0 4. FX - 3.0 5. Supernaut - 5.0 6. Snowblind - 5.0* 7. Cornucopia - 4.5 8. Laguna Sunrise - 4.0 9. St. Vitus’ Dance - 4.0 10. Under the Sun - 4.5 *Power track (adds 0.1 to the total album rating)

Mint, really enjoyed it.

Fucking sick. They rock the simple riffs to the shredding solos to the ballads. From a songwriting perspective, Black Sabbath has some really unique bridges and outros.

the first four albums plus Heaven And Hell (which I actually enjoy more since I prefer Dio to Ozzy but that's another topic entirely) are very close to my heart, and Vol .4 especially has some of my favorite Sabbath songs, for example Supernaut and Snowblind

This was my first time listening to a hard rock made in the 70s

It really doesn't get any better than Black Sabbath, really. Listen to this album and put that up against anything Ozzy has done lately and you'll see that the Ozzy of today hasn't lost a single step. I really need to listen to this album a lot more often. I loved the cover of Supernaut that 1000 Homo DJs did ages ago. The original is just as hard hitting.

I love it

Classic. The mighty Sabbath is still the best!

Great sound and catchy tunes.

Perfect album.

curto das antiga pai muito bom

Genius.

Enjoyed 'Supernaut' Didn't realize how slow a lot of Sabbaths songs were. Only really know their bigger hits so this was a good listen. Kinda like a heavy Deep Purple? More rhythm than I was expecting

Classic!

Reading my colleagues review it sounds like the debut is better, well that's exciting because I quite enjoyed this one. I can't pick a favourite track though the whole album just feels so comfortable.

Sempre necessária a sequência de heavy metal.

So good. The songs are really dynamic — they switch tempos (and sometimes even genres) mid-song but Black Sabbath has such incredible chemistry as a band at this point that everything clicks. The music sounds alive! I love the melodic songs too. I always knew Ozzy was a great singer but "Changes" was the song that made me realize he's one of the all-time great rock singers. The instrumental "Laguna Sunrise" is beautiful too. An eclectic album full of amazing performances. The way "Under the Sun" ends, with the band gradually slowing down, I always feel like I should applaud at the end. Great stuff.

I'm honestly blown away. This was amazing! The only Black Sabbath I'd listened to before this was their debut, and I liked this a lot more. Ozzy's singing is really good on this album, I thought he sounded a little like Robert Plant at times. A super great hard rock record that knew when to slow down a little. VERY glad I listened to it!

Classic

Amazing from the beginning until the end.

Just about their best and a high-water mark for the first heavy metal era.

Yew already kno

This one is great. The guitar work on here is excellent, as usual. As ist the rest of the Instrumentation almost every song on here is really good, except for “ changes” which is a bit of a lull. Apart from that it’s an excellent metal album, in my top three sabbath albums. The songs here are somewhat more complicated than the first three albums, following on from sabbath bloody sabbath which took the band in this direction. My favourite songs from this album are the opener and closer, “wheels of confusion” and “under the sun” Arguably the best sabbath album, this is well deserving of 5 stars. Well, time to go on another Sabbath Marathon now...

First time listening to this album, I am familiar with masters of reality and paranoid and this is just as good, really enjoyed this even the dramatic step change with changes and FX in the middle. I have been swaying all day between a 4 and a 5, but after my 3rd listen today I believe this is a 5 star album, it’s such a melodic, dynamic and diverse album one I’m going to keep coming back to.

I am not familiar with BLACK SABBATH or their fourth album BLACK SABBATH, VOL. 4. I never had any interest in listening to BLACK SABBATH. I should mention I did see BLACK SABBATH live with BLUE OYSTER CULT back in 1980 and I was not impressed with BLACK SABBATH, although RONNIE JAMES DIO was the lead singer instead of OZZY OSBORNE. However, I do like RONNIE JAMES DIO, originally from RAINBOW a lot. After listening to BLACK SABBATH, VOL. 4, I don’t know how to explain my ranking of a perfect 100/100, yet the album is not a perfect one that I could listen to a daily basis. There are other albums with less than 100/100, that I certainly could listen to on a daily basis, but not this. On another given day I could rank all the songs a “5” and on another a “1” (although, rather unlikely). The point is all the songs musically sound the same. Yes, the couple of instrumentals are a nice touch. Lyrically they do touch upon different themes/topics, but not varied too far from the rest. So, take this ranking with a grain of salt on this particular day. I would have like to have seen more variation in the songs in order to give a truer test as to the artistry of the band. So I’m not giving the band a “5” for now, until I explore the other albums. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, LACK SABBATH’s BLACK SABBATH, VOL. 4 Is joined by their first two albums: BLACK SABBATH (1970) AND PARANOID (1970) Rate Artist: BLACK SABBATH (4.0) Rate Album (Year): BLACK SABBATH, VOL. 4 (UK 1972 Original) (5.0) Ranking of BLACK SABBATH - BLACK SABBATH, VOL. 4 songs No. Title Length Ranking 1. "Wheels of Confusion" 8:02 10.0/10 2. "Tomorrow's Dream" 3:12 10.0/10 3. "Changes" 4:45 10.0/10 4. "FX" (instrumental) 1:44 10.0/10 5. "Supernaut" 4:50 10.0/10 6. "Snowblind" 5:33 10.0/10 7. "Cornucopia" 3:55 10.0/10 8. "Laguna Sunrise" (instrumental) 2:56 10.0/10 9. "St. Vitus Dance" 2:30 10.0/10 10. "Under the Sun" 5:53 10.0/10 UK 1972 Original Release 100.0/100 = 1.00 / 2 = 5.00

Plenty of influential if a little dumb riffs and Ozzy's wailing is passionate if a little bit samey by the end of the album. Changes stands out like it shouldn't be on there, but it is welcome. The production was surprisingly slick and rich.

Riffs = thick. Grooves = smooth. Probably my favorite Sabbath album of the three I’ve heard so far.

Increible album, with both memorable songs like Changes that diverge from the usual repertoire of the bands, and even experimental songs like FX. The rest are just plain out bangers.

Excelente disco!

The thing I like most about Black Sabbath is the dark and slow sounds mixed with Ozzy's shrill delivery. That is on full display here!

Osmium is the heaviest metal on planet earth i think it should be renamed OZZYmium.

5 fucking stars

Heat. 😤. Early Sabbath can’t go wrong

9/10. Maybe I am just feeling generous today, but I can't think of any good reason to dock this one points. I haven't been a big fan of a lot of the metal on this list, but this had a bluesier sound to it that I really enjoyed.

So good - this sound is not getting old for me. The coexistence of the aggressive yet precise guitar work alongside vulnerable, inward looking lyrics are a perfect match.

I enjoyed it far more then I expected too

Love this stuff.

SIIIIIII AAAAAAAA

Obra maestra total. Precursora de todo el rock que vendría después. Alucinando y potente. Genial.

Surprisingly enjoyed this. Maybe a 3.5, but hell, let's go with 4.

Man I love cocaine

Sure why not. I'm not much of an Ozzy or a Sabbath fan. This album is good. Varied but with a solid core that runs top to bottom. I'll throw this on again and pluck some gems for the playlist.

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? Yes Thoughts: - Haven't listened to a full Black Sabbath album yet, just know a few hits. - I wouldn't say metal is a favorite genre of mine, but I definitely see why this is in the book. - I appreciate there's some variety here - the songs don't all sound the same which can be an issue for me sometimes with heavier music. Favorite track(s): Changes

Yeah, it rocks. Not sure what else to add other than that.

black sabbath operates on a "keep it simple, stupid" principle that i really respect.

Bara Changes är ensam värd en femma. Vilken jävla låt! Nu är resten inte alls i nivå, men en fyra måste det ändå bli.

While Black Sabbath is rarely a band whose music I seek out, I enjoy it. It’s definitely a genre that I like and would like to explore more into. Black Sabbath has a distinct sound but I fear that it makes their music sound the same. I felt like I was just listening to Crazy Train over and over again.

Black Sabbath is just one of those bands that I only really want to listen to a little of every once in a while, but this is still a good album. “Changes” is far and away the best song and it’s a particularly good example of what Ozzy was capable of.

This sounds like BS are trying to create 4 different styles of rock at the same time and it somehow works

mesmo que eu ande meio enjoadinho de guitarra e seus subgêneros ultimamente, esse é atemporal e incondicionalmente bom demais! e tem changes, que eu amo muito

Super good

way better than I thought it would be

I liked this! Very cool and some really nice instrumentation here.

8.7/10 8.3/10 8.5/10 7.5/10 9.3/10 8.5/10 8.7/10 9.7/10 8.1/10 8.7/10 FINAL- 4/5

Fantastic album. I’m a bit partial to Sabbath. 4.3/5.0

There's a lot of Sabbath that I haven't gotten to. For my tastes, most of the Dio era will likely go unexplored, but it really does seem like I should have taken more time with the Ozzy Era. No better time than now, I guess? Vol. 4 is not exactly creatively titled, but I do like that it starts as though mid-jam on a blues track. It immediately gives the listener something other than what you'd expect from Sabbath at this point. To follow up shortly thereafter with a legit piano ballad like Changes? Let's put it this way… Metallica was hung for less 25 years later. It's bold from a metal band in today's metal definition. But it helps when you create the genre. That said, Changes isn't really for me. It's less the vibe and more that the simplicity doesnt speak to me. So while I absolutely dig that this isn't exclusively retreading new ground, I do appreciate when we get back to the classics. But even on such tracks like Supernaut and Snowblind, which are iconic parts of the back catalog, there is a notably lighter touch. We get a little more into the stomp and sludge as we go on, but it's refreshing to hear music like this from a time when there wasn't a slavish demand to be one thing. Worth a second spin to see where this goes, but i might give this a light ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This list has given me a newfound appreciation for Black Sabbath. Old metal misses some of the more interesting technical stuff of some modern metal, but like Black Sabbath, it can be very groovy with nice hooks.

Good stuff, great even

4.5 has some more mature themes mixed into the metal sound. I think Ozzy was a singular talent and I love the scene in The Osborne’s when he asks if anyone wants a burrito from Chipotle

Really good, also quite different from the other two we have listened to.

Vol 4 is one of the best Sabbath albums without a doubt. The down-tuned guitars still sound huge to this day, and you can see that this album is not only great in its own right but has clearly been a huge influence on metal as we know it today.

For whatever reason I hadn't heard this one before and being a black sabbath fan it was probably about time, kinda wish I had of listened before now because it's really good and overall I had a good time with it

Changes is the my favorite track on the album. I think the remaster version has very crisp and clean production. The guitar is clear while still having the heavy sound of the 70 rock/metal of the time. A lot of fun riffs, I do feel like it can sound very similar throughout the album but overall a classic album that has earned its place. 3.75-4/5

This is what the dictionary definition of rock music is. Laguna Sunrise ascension.

There's a good amount of classic Sabbath-style material on here, but compared to its predecessors, there's remarkably less sludging and more oddball stuff. The Sabbaths may never have been the most traditional guys on the block, but a Carol King-style piano ballad (Changes), a 2 minute avant-garde (?) interlude, a samba break in your metal song (Supernaut) and a proto-RPG town theme (Laguna Sunrise), among others, make for a varied listening experience at the very least. Thankfully, I'm all on board for this version of the band.

Supernaut as good as advertised. Snowblind was a perfect and hilarious working album title.

I recently saw a video of Ozzy meeting his idol Paul McCartney for the first time. It took place backstage at the Howard Stern Show in 2001. I think about that starstruck face of Ozzy's - how a rock legend could have grown up always knowing he was always going to be in the shadow of the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, and even his own peers like Bowie and Queen. "Changes" is such a great song that it would have been a massive hit by almost any English band in 1972. "Supernaut", "FX", and "Snowbliind" were fun finds from this album.

Actually really sick

I am not a big Black Sabbath fan but this album is pretty good. 4 stars or B-.

Nice

Not my usual style but had a couple good to great songs

Not sure I had ever sat down and listened to this whole album - surprisingly good. Much more range than I would typically assume for a Black Sabbath record.

사실 파라노이드 앨범이 더 좋긴했는데 내가 좋아하는 헤비 메탈 장르이기도 하고 래드 제플린 느낌도 나고 그 시절 노래들인데도 특색 있는게 느껴져서 좋았다

that ozzy, he was a rockin and a rollin pretty dang hard

I think it might be the "listened at the weekend" bias but I enjoyed this alot.

I was in the exact frame of mind for this tonight. 4/5

This is actually the only classic black sabbath album I had not heard in full, but I have heard a few songs from it. I wouldn't call this their best album but songs like supernaut and snowblind are pretty damn good. Unfortunately there were a couple to tracks that made the album grind to a halt a bit. not going to give it 3 stars though because that would be disrespectful to the late great ozzy osbourne

4.5 Really liked this, even the 7m song! The guitar and drums are so satisfying on the ears

I love this record. It’s the quintessential depression album.

These riffs are just so massive

"Supernaut" 8/10

Less jazzy, but a couple of ... ballads? Yet still kinda awesomely Heavy

A great metal album, not my favorite from this band but I like it a lot too Fav songs - Changes, Supernaut 4/5

Solid all around. Everything I expected

Excellent

Ujamn, men likevel. Peakar greit med Supernaut.

"My God is early Black Sabbath" sang, eller mer skrålte, Aki i Electric Eel Shock. Men er Vol 4 tidlig Sabbath? Etter tre nærmest prikkfrie plater i løpet av den sjokkerende korte perioden fra 1970 til 1971, begynte gud på Vol 4 å både eksperimentere og gjøre rare og tvilsomme valg. Her blandes hummer og kanari med et par gigantiske bangers. Det er jo ... interessant? Sammenligner man Vol 4 med BS-plater før og etter denne, kan en spørre seg om Vol 4 har noe i boka å gjøre. Hadde de kun gitt ut Vol 4 hadde det ikke vært noe å lure på.

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 Eg likar den, men trur kanskje eg syns den er verst av dei 4-5 første. Den er litt både her og der, på eit vis. Veldig doomete og mørk til tider, men og meir progressiv og eksperimentell. “Snowblind” og “Supernaut” er fantastiske rundt midten, mens “Fx” er ikkje lett å forstå seg på. Breialt å opne med “Wheels of Confusion”, men for all del… rå låt. “Changes” føles framleis ut som ein Ozzy-solosingel frå 1989 og “Laguna Sunrise” luktar langt meir Zeppelin enn Sabbath. Får litt lappeteppe-kjensle av totalen her, men likar det jo godt. Det er jo Black Sabbath! 8/10

Excelente

okay yes but I need to be in the mood to actually listen lol

Amazing rock album that surprised me on a first listen, easy 4.5 Would listen again

Classic early metal album

Hits

This was an awesome album that had some great classic heavy metal sounds. It's crazy to me that this was out five years before Star Wars, it feels so timeless and it still goes hard. Some of the slower ballads didn't quite do it for me, and towards the end the songs began to blend together, but it still had some *amazing* highs and Ozzie's voice still rocks like no other.

All songs were good, except whatever the hell FX was, which hinders re-listenability

its a good album like lowkey the blueprint of most rock songs

This was pretty good! Not songs I was familiar with. I was impressed with the album.

I prefer master of reality and paranoid but this one is solid

Really enjoyed this. Love the different styles on the same album too.

Quite repetitive and formulaic, but I did love the formula, and Changes is a banger for the ages. 4.

Sabbath are always a surprise when actually listen to an album, so much more well, musical than the "image of metal gods" Has slipknot 2 days ago, and how did a genre go from this to that? Ozzy might not be the greatest actual vocalist, but the fit here is spot on, changes is just lovely. The band play and explore the music, not just the crowbar to the back of the head metal became. Guitar leads fit to the song, rhythm drives and swoops and turns. It's just damn interesting, textured. It's more psychedelic hard rock with that retrospective doom lyric content. 4 star

Actually have never listened to this album. I really enjoyed the eclecticism of it. I'm a moderate Black Sabbath fan but quite liked this early recording.

Black Sabbath's always good

una por vol.

I've never liked Changes, but the rest of this album is 🔥🔥🔥

1001 ALBUMS, 1001 NIGHTS - NIGHT #3 Black Sabbath - the cool version of Led Zeppelin. Or at the very least the only one of the two that's actual heavy metal. This album may not match the heaviness of its predecessor Master of Reality and it's not as tight as their first three but the variety here is more interesting and the band sounds as good as ever. Wheels of Confusion has some amazing playing by Iommi and Ward, Tomorrow's Dream has great sludgy riff. Changes isn't bad per se, but it's such a bizarre swerve, most definitely the most significant departure from their previous style yet. Nice to see Tony on piano though, and Ozzy's singing is great. FX is a throwaway, a bunch of bullshit, literally a bunch of stoners throwing stuff at their guitars. I found this profoundly irritating that this has to be stuck in the middle of an otherwise spectacular album. Thankfully, that is followed up by Supernaut, which...oh my. Supernaut kicks ass. The solo in the middle of the song is one of Iommi's best, and it leads into a weird percussion break that I really liked, which leads into another great solo! This album had one single and it was Tomorrow's Dream, which, like, OK! But Supernaut could have been a hit single. But I also think "Black Sabbath" would have made for a great single. Whatever. Snowblind opens side 2, which is basically for cocaine what Sweet Leaf was for marijuana. That is significantly less cool. Of course, coke use wouldn't exactly play out well for our friend Ozzy, but this is still a pretty good song. Those strings at the end! Cornucopia is built upon another killer stoner metal riff, no idea what it's about. He's trying to save my brain? I'm beyond saving, man. Laguna Sunrise is another swerve, but this one is very nice. Some really romantic acoustic guitar, like something from an old western. St. Vitus Dance also dares to be different, occasionally dipping into a strange kind of boogie rock, before being dominated by that heavy ass riff. It's a song constantly fights its inner urge to dance. In the end, the boogie rock wins. That is, until Under the Sun starts, with another suffocating riff. Admittedly, Sabbath songs can kinda fade together for me just because of how repetitive they can be (riff, Ozzy singing for a bit, some crazy playing by the boys, riff, Ozzy jumps back in, yknow.), and usually it's that opening riff that helps give each one a decent identity. Of course, they weren't really a singles band, and despite my prior protests, this certainly isn't a singles album. Outside of Changes I guess, but that song doesn't fit here period. It's a shame, this would probably be a 10/10 if it wasn't for that weird 2-song detour into dumbland. I don't hate Changes like some people do, but I always thought that was on one of their later, slightly more radio friendly albums. I love pretty much any other time this album tries to break the mold the previous three albums created, but Changes ain't it. Beyond that, and the nonsense that is FX, this is just as perfect a metal record as those previous three.

Heavy, with great vocals by Ozzy

It's rocking and rolling and ahead of its time. Not as heavy as I expected.

This album is so good, lot of range for a sabbath album as well. Love sabbath.

Good stuff. Love Ozzy.

Definitely the cocaine album lmao

Av de første seks Black Sabbath utgivelsene, er det nok kanskje denne som er minst spennende. Men jeg er i godt humør i dag og gir den en svak firer i stedet for en sterk treer. For en fyr jeg er.

Det funker, og det er fett. Ikke helt solgt på Ozzys vokal, men Changes er gripende.

I enjoyed this more than I thought i would - a real throwback to the period when albums were king after the 50s/60s when everything was singles and albums would just be compilations of singles (just like today mostly). They're all by reputation coked out of their gourds here but there's some obvious thought on how the songs would flow together. I added three songs to my library ("Changes," "Snowblind," and "St. Vitus Dance") and gave it a 4/5, but I may listen to it again and add the whole album and give it 5/5. Who knows? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black Sabbath continues to surprise me during this project. Loved this.

Stoner rock baby. The blueprint for the genre with its bass heavy riffs and classic tracks. Great stuff

yeah this album's pretty solid. it's not as good as paranoid but it's still great. honestly my main complaint is that it's not all as sludgy as the start of "wheels of confusion". we're on the 5th? heatwave? this year? and that's the kind of sound i need to avoid falling into the "how long until we stop calling these heatwaves and admit we fucked the climate" hole again. still tho there's plenty of variety to keep me distracted. i like the weird little experimental track "fx", and it was nice to finally hear the original version of "changes" given i'd previously only heard the version ozzy recorded with his daughter in the 00s which was.... not his greatest work imo. plus im pretty sure the 2003 version doesn't have a mellotron and the original does, so there was never any contest in the first place. anyway yeah i liked this one. nice.

It's an early Sabbath album, that is to say good stuff and a classic in the genre. Why is this included in the list over Master of Reality though? 8.5/10.

8.5/10

Very enjoyable, a good album that I may or not may come back to. I think I like Black Sabbath based on this and other music of theirs that I have heard but it is more of a "sometimes" snack than an "everyday" flavor for me.

Note: Somehow, I listened to and reviewed Sabbath's self-titled debut instead of Vol. 4. The debut is better and for the reasons I outline below. For now, I'm leaving the review in place and revising the rating to 4/5. 'Snowblind' is really rad, though. Crazy how the vibe of the band changed so much. /note Absolutely rocks. I don't know about your streaming platform's recommendation algo, but I'd recommend just letting it roll after the album finishes. For me, it started right into a playlist full of the modern descendants of Sabbath -- Kyuss, Mastodon, etc. -- and the influence was all the more apparent. These guys are pretty famous, so I'll skip talking about Ozzy's vocals or Iommi's guitar work (both still great; prominently evident, here) and go to the rhythm section. Butler is a very competent and often very melodic bass player but I want to zero in on the *sound* of his bass. He's really carrying forward that late-sixties psychedelic tone, usually only slightly fuzzy, heavy in low-mid saturation and smooth, overall. It is, incredibly, related to the sounds of Paul Simonon's bass from the Clash, which came out of reggae influences. It fills a lot of space in their soundscape. More importantly, I think Bill Ward on drums is frequently overlooked. His kit sounds a great deal like the jazz and swing greats that heavily influenced him and you can *hear* him bringing big band sounds into this proto-metal doom soundtrack in a couple of places on this record. It's always there, but it gets *explicit* during 'Wasp' and 'Wicked World'. There are only four members of the band and they're famous enough that calling anyone their secret weapon is a stretch but, if it's anyone, it's Bill Ward. It's brilliant. You can keep singles like 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man', I'll take this all day long. (Apologies to 'War Pigs', it'll never tire.) 5/5 essential listening; at once much more chill than modern heavy metal and yet just as heavy -- the throughline is obvious.

Sabbath. One of my favourites yet i’ve never actually listened beyond self titled, paranoid and master of reality. This, of course, rocks

I wasn't too familiar with Black Sabbath's music before this challenge. I'm glad I started with the debut, followed by Paranoid, before I got to this one. I feel like they've really got a pulse on what makes hard rock and metal work beyond, i dunno... being loud? This has great variety in sounds and lyricism with vocals that suit the material. Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener, Supernaut, Laguna Sunrise, and Under The Sun are my favorite moments after a couple of plays. The only thing that doesn't work for me that well is "Changes," which I think could have developed/built into something that highlighted the guitar a little more at the end. It's too straightforward of ballad to feel like it belongs here... even though I like the lyrics. I'm not sure this is as strong as Paranoid, but it's close. Black Sabbath is quickly becoming one of my favorites when it comes to hard rock/metal.

i like

Listened while shopping at Aldi. These guys know what they're doing

Hadn't heard this album before but recognized a couple songs. 4 stars

sick riffs, thanks dad

The songwriting on this album still might not win any great awards but is huge progress from the cringe fest of their debut. The instrumentalism remained also took a step forward in terms of crispness and vastly improved transitions while still hosting some fun, non-standard choices. Album had some more diverse stylistic albums than expected. I'm going to pretend than "FX" and "Changes" aren't on the album and give it 4 stars.

Єбєйший метал/гард рок альбом. Єбейші гітарні лінії. Єбейша робота на ударках. Оцінка: середня-висока 8

Not my favourite Black Sabbath album, but still a very good one. The instrumental sections (for instance, "The Straightener") are great. I basically enjoy all the songs. No skips. In any case, some songs I particularly enjoyed: the already cited "The Straightener", "Changes" (a classic, even if purists may have complained when first published), "Supernaut", "Snowblind", "Laguna Sunrise", or "Under The Sun" (great dark intro and I also like the lyrics). This is between 4 and 5 stars. I'll be giving this one 4 stars because I know even better albums by Black Sabbath are included in this project.

not my vibe at all, LOVED CHANGES. i did end up listening to other songs by the band. loved war pigs and into the void. but im sure for hard rock and guitar fans this would be a fantastic listen

not my type of music, but love the intersection of drums and guitar

So epic

I’m had somehow never heard this before. Not a perfect album, but I really liked it.

Gostei muito do disco, é um rock pesado e bem feito, trás um clima denso e ao mesmo tempo leve.

WE'RE GOING THROUGGGH CHANGES! Speaking of, it's quite a gentle album which I wasn't really expecting because I haven't listened to Black Sabbath and I was always under the impression it was a bit heavier. Enjoyable, think that ozzy is going places (rip to a legend).

I liked it more than I expected

y si digo que es la primera vez que escuche black sabbath like ever qué? me encantó laguna sunrise

Not my favorite Black Sabbath album by any stretch of the imagination. But as always, Ozzy still rocks.

Not what I was expecting, loved the heavy guitar and vocals.

ceo dan sam cistila.. zamalo da zaboravim da me ceka album i jos kakav! videla sam lika u blek sabat majici skratila sam siske takodje

'But really—all of Vol. 4 was inspired by cocaine. The bandmates were up to their eyeballs in the stuff' Abundantly evident, thank you black sabbath. That being said, the album is pretty good. FX annoyed me but I've come to terms with the fact that I don't like interludes. Supernaut is good. I like St Vitus Dance, and under the sun.

First sabbath album listen Pretty good.

80

good

Pretty good.

Unexpectedly enjoyable. I’ve also heard “Changes” many times before but had no idea it was Sabbath.

Vol.4/5

YEAHHHHHHHH

Fascinating, had never listened to a full Black Sabbath album. Loved some songs, appreciated a lot of them, a couple were repetitive or played with the same ideas. The first song starts like a bat out of hell and the last song sloooows down to be a satisfying near-drone delight.

I liked a lot of the different stuff they tried here. Changes works better than I thought it would.

Ozzy and the Black Sabbath are history of music. Not for the shenanigans, but for the eternal sound of their music (and his voice). My brother 20 years ago listened to a live disc of Ozzy and the Black Sabbath. I wasn't into heavy metal, so I didn't really like it. So when I started this album, I was half scared of what awaited me. And the bluesy sounds with which it opens caught me by surprise - and the next ~40 minutes flew by, listening to something unexpected in every song. This music aged better than fine wine, it sounds like it was recorded yesterday (in the 2020 remaster, clearly), and it sounds like everything after it got something from it. Take the beginning of Tomorrow's Dream: most of the current (2026) Top 50 Country Playlist on Spotify stole something from its guitars. "Changes" brought me back by 20 years, because that's when I first listened to it - difference is I now understand the lyrics, and it's even sadder than it sounds: what is, 20 sentences? It's 5 minutes of heartbreak, sang in 20 or so sentences, with an astonishing production level that mixes a soft piano, something that I feel (given my lack of musical knowledge) is a sort of organ or something similar, and this crying voice. There's a lot of good metal too, here, but it's the kind of rocky melodic stuff that I can get into - this album may give me something I put in a playlist, to be honest. It's a perfect, round 4 out of 5 for me: lyrically, I'm not on board with everything - or maybe I'm not on board with most of it - but musically this is honestly akin to a masterpiece.

Digging the Sabbath.

So good.

I like FX gooood stuff

Four albums in and they’re as strong as their incredible debut. This one has a more introspective feeling; it doesn’t hammer you about the face quite as hard as the others, but there is no loss of power and gothic mood here. I came to Sabbath pretty late and I’m making up for lost time. These records were a revelation in the 70s and they’ve kept their hold with time. OZZY LIVES

C du bon

Wtf Changes c'est une version originale de Black Sabbath la dingz. Et se dire que ça date de 1971 c'est une folie

For some reason Black Sabbath's ballads are not my thing. Changes never moves me and i've never really liked that song but the rest of the album is very great.

Not an expert on Black Sabbath but I quite enjoyed this. Not as heavy as I expected and some decent tunes.

I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of ozzy going into this. I got that paranoid album in high school, it was super cheap on itunes. It was cool, always felt a little played out especially these days, so I wasnt exactly stoked when this one came up. I listened to this album today maybe 5 or 6 times all the way through, and its kick ass. Really great riffs this feels like a classic. I like the lyrics and although ozzys voice will never be my favorite, i can appreciate how hard this albums goes. 4/5

Solid rock album with an absolute crazy back story.

a great combo of dark and beautiful

I hated this so much.

This was the one Sabbath album that I never really listened to. Great guitar riffs, “Changes”, and of course, OZZY. Liked it.

Loved this album. Never been a big Sabbath guy, but damn if this one didn’t make me a fan. Going to have to explore the rest of their discography now.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Really good stuff. The heavier songs are killer, and the change-of-pace songs fit in quite well.

Solid Sabbath but I’m wondering if self titled has made way for this to be included. Hopefully not. 3.5/5

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.

Riktigt bra album med riktig rock. Fett.

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.

Solid Sabbath album. I hadn’t heard this one before. Heavy, sludgy, just what I want from them. 4/5

Sick nasty

Im going in biased with this album because i dont generally like metal but im already feeling surprised with Wheels of Confusion.

3.5/5

Incroyable Je dois admettre qu'avant je ne comprenant pas pourquoi black Sabbath Maintenant non seulement je comprends, mais en plus j'adore

c'était cool j'ai bien aimé

When it jams, it jams hard.

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

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

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

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

Rated it. Knew a few songs and liked a few new ones. Will def revisit

Not bad at all, especially considering it's 1972. And I've even added the song "Changes" to my playlist now

SHAROOOOOOON

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.

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.

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 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.

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".

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.

Inte så bekant med alla låtarna som en del av deras andra hits, men starkt rakt igenom!

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

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

Solid album. Favorite song: Changes

duro

Ozzy ozzy ozzy, oi oi oi!

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.

I think they might have had some drugs.

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.

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.

4 stars. Better then expected

Do i like this better than Paranoid? Yeah.

Was expecting something very different, this was super fun, I enjoyed it a lot

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?

A heavy metal album I was suspicious of but ended up liking a lot! I especially enjoyed “Wheels of Confusion” and “Changes.”

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.

Another classic rock album I actually really enjoyed even though it’s not a genre I typically gravitate towards, but this rocks

"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

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.

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

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

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.