Vol. 4

Really enjoyed this album.

Somehow I've not heard this, despite owning a few Sabbath albums. Probably going to have to buy it now! Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Purchase ✅️ An easy ★★★★☆

4/5 bat heads

almost goes off the rails but manages to stay on in the end. 8/10

Highlight Song/s: Wheels Of Confusion, Changes, Supernaut I listened to this 2 days prior (01/07/25) to getting Vol. 4 here on 1001 (03/07/25), which is a little funny out of all 1000 albums it could've chosen from. But it probably did need a re-listen. Now, about the songs themselves that stand out: FX is terrible, what were they thinking? my god; Supernaut sounds like the Max Payne 1 combat music called 'Battle For Free'; That guitar solo that ends Snowblind is incredible; St. Vitus Dance kind of sounds at times the House Building Song from Red Dead Redemption 2, that sort of boogie sound.

I liked this one a lot, my first time listening to Black Sabbath through. Very talented group. I may not always write a review moving forward unless something specifically sticks with me or warrants it

4.5

Ta grand-mère pensait que c'était l'apocalypse. J'trouve ça pas mal chill. Vaut l'écoute juste pour le son des guitares. 3.75 étoiles

snowblind it's an amazing song

Honestly, this album rips. I'd never heard it before.

I won't lie, I was a little skeptical about a Black Sabbath album on this project with essentially no hits on it. But I really needed to just trust the process on this one. No, there is no "Paranoid" or "Iron Man" on this album, but it still rocks, and it rocks hard. There is truly some excellent playing on this album, resulting in some outstanding riffs on this album. It's just an example of outstanding 1970s metal from the guys that practically invented the genre. I'd probably give this about a 3.5, overall, but the superb playing by Black Sabbath here really inspires a round-up. And thus, Vol. 4 gets a 4. Fitting!

Solid. Very easy to see their influence on Metal / Hard Rock for years to come.

Pretty interesting stuff especially for '71. And im especially thrown when all of a sudden they throw a slow acoustic song at you

Classic. Ozzy sounds much better here compared to his solo stuff.

Pretty darn good.

Liked this album so much more than the first Black Sabbath album. I had no idea Black Sabbath is the original artist for Changes. Great song.

Better than the debut album we listened to. They clearly evolved a lot, but because I already know some of the other albums, I still don't think it's them at their best. Still, I've always loved "Changes". Lot of good stuff in here.

It's black Sabbath - classic

Its good, but when you have records like Paranoid and the self titled, it kind of pales in comparison. There are still some amazing moments here though, shout out to Snowblind, Changes, and Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes.

Love how patient and kinda introspective this album is for them - these guys frickin rule of course!! With all its little detours, I feel like this could be a great soundtrack for a sword n sorcery type of movie

I guess I had never heard this Sabbath album before! My bad! It rocks

i mean this is the best band ever and Changes is an all timer

Dark and heavy riff rock, fantastic stuff

decent to be fair

Filthy in all the right ways. If Paranoid was the classic, Vol. 4 is the sewer-dwelling cult favorite.

4 but only cause changes is a terrible song

Very satisfying

“Changes” is such a sad song “Laguna Sunrise” is beautiful The final track rippppsssss, 4.5 maybe for that alone

Good one, not the best

their best album

Awesome. Great Sabbath album.

Classic moody heaviness with melodies and Ozzy's characteric vocals, liked it a lot even if it would never be my first pick

Ozzy is awesome.

Very listenable and addictive. Especially CHANGES, ST. VITUS DANCE and SUPERNAUT. Ohh and toss in an epic closer with UNDER THE SUN/EVERY DAY COMES AND GOES.

Black Sabbath rocks I’m finding out

yeah black sabbath rocks, groundbreaking

Soy parcial. No podría ser traidor, siempre les tuve un gran aplauso, y está vez no será la excepcion

Never listened to them before, was not what I expected! Great vocals and riffs, changes gave me feelings

Gloriously doomy and heavy metal from the early 70s. These guys were the absolute kings of this sound - nothing ever misses.

Fat fucking riffs Standouts: The Straightener • Changes • Snowblind • Laguna Sunrise

Uma "aula" de heavy metal. Riffs pesados, temas sombrios e melodias marcantes. A heavy metal "class". Heavy riffs, dark themes and striking melodies.

me ha encantado no lo conocia y entiendo que este en esta lista 8/10

It's gud

Surprisingly good. Great riffs, proper dirty rock but also really fantastic lighter melodic moments. High 4/5, close to 5/5.

This album brought out all the huge fondness I have for Birmingham, Ozzy, Tommy, mellatrons, the song Changes, etc etc. There are some great riffs and creative passages and (surprisingly?) some really nice melody lines, even in the heavier songs. Is this Black Sabbath at their freshest or best? I genuinely don't know, but they sounded pretty good to me, especially in the middle of the album. Supernaut was excellent, and Snowblind was particularly enjoyable too - made me nostalgic for the days of vinyl only, where you'd finish side 1 buzzing from a brilliant song, then turn the album over and get excited all over again by a great start to side 2. Yeah!

yeah guys go ahead just keep inventing metal

Liked

J'ai pris beaucoup de temps pour bien écouter et réécouter l'album, qui ne ressemble pas vraiment au trois premiers de Black Sabbath. C'est plus acoustique, moins «goth» et dark, c'est quasiment plus du prog rock que du métal. Ça brasse, mais pas autant que je le voudrais. Après mûr réflexion, je lui donne un 4, je changerais peut-être d'opinion plus tard

ZAAAMN I WAS EXCITED SEEING ON THIS ON THE TO DO LIST. IT'S NOT MY DAILY TUNES BUT WHEN I HIT THAT ERA THIS IS AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST.

great driving with the windows down!

Excellent album

Another surprise. Dirty yet melodic. Not what I expected. Sounds fresh given stuff from that era has aged terribly.

Jag har aldrig lyssnat på denna, har bara kommit till de två första. Helt suveränt

I like.

Ahh...my first 'cool older girl next door' record. To be honest, she was so cute to me I'd have given the Osmonds a second look if she wanted me to. Luckily, she had great taste. She was blasting this in her room and I could hear it in our driveway, shooting hoops with my dad. Saw her out in the yard later and mustered up "I like your music" with all the bravado a 12-year old with braces can in the face of a devastatingly beautiful HS senior. "Cool. I'll put it back on and put a speaker in the window." Asked mom to take me to the record store the next day so I could get a copy. Then I saw a kid her age kiss her as she got out of his car. Spell broken. Heart broken. Still have the vinyl, tho. So there's that. A top-ten metal album for me. And Changes is epic.

None of my favorite songs of theirs very solid album overall.

Not as iconic as the earlier albums, but still pretty damn good.

This might be the best Iommi's guitar has ever sounded, but they don't quite have the songs to match. I think it's an improvement over the overrated Master of Reality, but not really as good as the first two. Still pretty good though!

05.23.2025 4☆/5

point2.

Good album.

I didn’t know any of these songs but I really enjoyed this album! What talent.

The most popular song on this album is the worst one. Thankfully, it's out of the way pretty early and then it's bombs away.

Best: Snowblind, Changes

This is a great record, Black Sabbath show great range and versatility. They're able to go heavy on tracks like "Under the Sun", but also write these beautiful slow moving pieces like "Laguna Sunrise". Really liked the lyricism and topics: wealth, religion and apparently a lot of drugs. Osbourne really gets personal at times and it serves the music really well. My favourites were "Changes", which manages to find the middle ground and also make a catchy classic, and "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes", which is super heavy. Ozzy's distinctive voice works well within the tracks. The production and instrumentation are just right, mixing both well for laid-back tracks and making harder tracks hit even harder with great tone for the guitars and the drums. The drumming is also excellent, particularly in "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes". Overall, I really liked it, a very complete, versatile and consistent record.

Solid album - I think they had such a good sound on this. Nice fuzz tones on Tony’s guitar and Ozzy’s voice is top notch too. 3.5/5 will round it up to 4

Listened to this with my husband. Familiar and enjoyable. Did not like the weird ambient noise track. Snow Blind was my favorite

Not as good as some other Sabbath albums, but still damn solid for me. I just love the heavy, dirty sound they produce.

genuinely never listened to black sabbath before. i liked it.

Cocaine is a hell of a drug! And Black Sabbath Vol 4 is one hell of an album. Damn this thing rocks! As I type this part I’m nodding my head to Supernaut. That guitar riff is fantastic. I know some Black Sabbath but not this album. So listening to this was like opening an awesome present on Christmas morning. Just banger after banger. I will say the back half of the album slipped a little but was still very strong. I thought the transitions from Cornucopia to Laguna Sunrise to St. Vitus Dance seemed weird and forced. If the track listing moved around some it would flow better, but I digress. The only real misstep is FX. It just seems to be a bridge preparing you to get smacked in the face by a wall of metal after the beauty and calm of Changes. I will take getting smacked in the face by Vol 4 by Black Sabbath any day. This is a great record that I’ll give a 4 rating. 4/5

Cool album! Nice guitar solo

of course this was awesome. I’ve only listened to 2 other Black Sabbath albums, but they were both awesome. This one I only knew songs from covers. And what a wild range on this one. Too bad they kicked out ozzy! They could have been even bigger!

Great Chad metal

I rather enjoyed this album despite them apparently high on cocaine. The change in song styles and tempos was well done.

That was a bloody lovely surprise. Not heard this before and really enjoyed the whole experience. Will add this to my library and will definitely give it more plays. Respect!

More diverse than I expected from a Sabbath album.

This is a four-star album for me in the same way Mariah Carey's Butterfly was a four-star. Not music I'm interested in or really care to hear again, but expertly crafted to the point of being enjoyable.

Masterful riffery as Sabbath expand their soundscape. Absolute must listen.

Cocaine!!! So much cocaine. An amplifier filled with the stuff. Sometimes the drugs are a good thing. This album is a testament to that. The party can't last forever though. With these guys maybe it can.

Good sabbath album. Can't decide if i love or hate "Changes"! Supernaut is so dope, love the percussion breakdown.

This was soooo good. I regrettably never listened to them growing up, but I'm glad I was reminded of them as an adult.

Many good licks, nice melodies, interesting variety of songs, thought it was quite good.

Found out they wrote “Changes,” so that was cool

Its a fun album to listen to, with the occasional switch of style for three or so tracks.

Not generally my taste, but I enjoyed listening. Should listen to it again while paying some more attention.

Like many others, I’ve been a casual fan of Black Sabbath, but have really only listened to their first 3 albums. The songs are heavy and crisp with a bit more sludge and doom sound. Still not my favorite Sabbath album, but a great one to revisit.

Liked this more than I thought I would! Great running music.

Very good classic rock album

Fuck yeah.

Good album but not their best.

Love me some Black Sabbath

Even better than Paranoid. The first metal album on this list that I would consider listening to more than once.

Wouldn’t think to listen to this off the dome, but so insane for 1972.

Black sabbath… now we’re talking. Punchy, heavy music without the irritating components that you sometimes get with this genre. Great riffs as always, and the uniqueness of the vocals really staple home that it’s Black Sabbath. Changes gives a balance of melancholy to the album and supernaut, well - gives a balance of metal with a superb solo. This band would EASILY hold up today, let alone the 70’s. 8/10.

I like it. FX is a weird filler, but some parts of it were kind of interesting.

Works for me. (27 known/56 new)

Love the dark fantasy gothic vibes. Not the biggest fan of Ozzy's vocals but they aren't enough to detract from the music.

eh, I've never cared for the mixing of these early metal albums. Ozzy sounds good but also incomprehensible at times.

Very few actually know that Ozzy is the half brother of Lenneth Houmous! Born Oswald Grimace Houmous. 3.6

Great album.

Really cool album. Just oozes cool.

Solides Album, nicht erwartet.

🤘

Interesting choice. I wonder if we’ll get more sabbath here? If expect Master of Reality, Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or Heaven and Hell long before I’d expect Vol 4. Vol 4 is a very cool chapter in early Sabbath. After solidifying the heavy evil heavy metal sound they pioneered in their first early album, in Vol 4 Sabbath got heavier and started digging even deeper into heavy sounds. In metal circles Black Sabbath is not only considered as the originator of all of heavy metal, but also of specific sub genres such as doom metal and stoner rock. This album shows why. The music here starts to take more of a wall of sound characteristic, Ozzy sings a bit lower, and Tony adds epic dirge-y solos on top of his heavy riffs. A lot of the changes in Sabbath’s sound came in the previous Master of Reality album, and here they allow themselves to take it further in songs like Wheels of Confusion, St. Vitus Dance and Snowblind (the intended title track) but also expand their music palate in Changes, a piano ballad or FX with its weird noises. Overall an important chapter in the history of one of the most important bands in the history of music. Not entirely mind blowing so I’m giving it four stars.

Surprisingly diverse. The guitar sounds unique. Definitely a good listen.

Nice

I’m finding with this list it’s a good sign if I don’t notice it’s finished. Changes is still balls though.

Doesn't quite have the bite of the ST debut album, but still good nonetheless.

Very good.

Pretty good! I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

It sounds like Sabbath and I actually liked the soft tracks, but I think they strayed just a little too far from the cool riffs and dynamics from their earlier works

Ikkje så dumt

+0.5 Changes, +1 Under The Sun, Strong heavy album

Black sabbat

I’ll start out by saying I’m not a big metal fan with a few exceptions like Metallica, Motörhead, and Opeth, a fantastic Swedish death metal band. This album has everything I like in metal, grinding buzz saw guitars, a hint of melody and the inclusion of slower songs like Changes and St. Virus Dance which offer relief from auditory assault.

Every time I listen to Black Sabbath I think to myself, why don’t I listen to Black Sabbath more?

Decent album, love me some Sabbath

4 for Vol. 4. Cool-sounding, but not life-changing.

Solid

I don’t really listen to a whole lot of Black Sabbath. I only really know the couple of big hits that came from Paranoid. This was great, definitely need to check out more of them!

Black Sabbath is a great testament to just how far solid hard rock songwriting can get you. They might not have the most technically impressive or detailed sound, but by god, are these riffs and solos ever satisfying. Add some spice in the form of a little bit of extra heaviness, and you’ll get one of the most celebrated bands in rock (and metal) history (and for good reason). This particular album, though, is a bit inconstant and stylistically all over the place, but the highs are so high that I'm willing to forgive FX... but only begrudgingly.

Not as familiar with this as there other early stuff, Changes excepted, but same great musicianship and nasty riffs and Ozzies even present nasal whine! Great stuff.

Surprisingly really enjoyed it! It wasn’t as intense as I expected and I really liked the musical composition, it can be really beautiful. A really good mix of different styles.

I’m not really much of a Sabbath fan. This album is probably better than others.

Good one

Luminous. Peak Sab. I always had a problem with the way early Sabbath sounded like they were mixed. This record always seems like the one that they got their sound absolutely nailed on with. Consequently I think this is the album that most influences their followers whatever they may may claim.

Enjoyed the first half a lot. Ozzy was fun. nothing crazy but fun

8/10

First? 3,5 /5 Again? 4/5

Qué discazo increíble. La superioridad de Sabbath está a la luz. Disco del 72 pero adelantadísimo a todo. La lisergia hecha música, pero densa y pesada.

да

FX was unnecessary, rest of the songs are all right. Not as bangin as their other albums, but Changes is hilarious, Supernaut is pretty fun, and the album art is iconic.

Jaw-clenching hard rock. This is Osbourne and Iommi at their best. They seem to flow effortlessly between their harsh tones and brash lyrics. Although this is by no means a perfect album, and not even the best Black Sabbath album, its ambition and power is there. A strong 4/5 and an instant classic.

Not quite as good as Paranoid, but still an absolute banger of an album. Black Sabbath is my second favorite band of all time so my opinion is skewed for sure but try to really listen and you will appreciate the music.

Man hört das Album und staunt über die Jahreszahl 1972/72. Fortschrittlich gelungen Hardrock Album gradlinig und ohne Schnörkel. Top Song ist die Ballade „Change“. Es hat Spaß gemacht insbesondere mit der ersten Songs.

liked songs: yes Great 4.25

Frábær plata. Mætti vera vol. 4 og 5. Kaupa

4 stars

- Knew I enjoyed Black Sabbath. Did not realize how innovative they could often be. The complete musical gear shift when the first track transitions from "Wheels of Confusion" to "The Straightener" is sick. - Would have liked to have seen the weirder elements ("FX") integrated into a song, but I appreciate these drug-addled dudes just keeping them on the album wherever.

Este no es un álbum tan heavy como los anteriores de Black Sabbath, y no tiene ningún gran hit. Sin embargo, es casi tan pionero como sus álbumes anteriores: stoner psicodélico ya en el año 72. Un álbum que ha sido una gran influencia y cuyo sonido se mantiene actual. No lo había escuchado con detenimiento y me ha gustado muchísimo, aunque no tanto como "Paranoid", aunque eso sería casi imposible de conseguir.

There's a lot to like here. Both the guitars (Snowblind!) and drums are pretty awesome. Supernaut is wonderful. And then you get Laguna Sunrise ... it's so perfect - who would have expected it? A rainbow in a black sky. This is a good album. I shall return.

Not my favorite Sabbath album but still not terrible.

Mixed bag - feels very of the time (like LZ and co) experimenting with different vibes and genres

Lots of variety and experimentig. Fewer killer tracks, but a great listen.

Wheel of Confusion / The Straightener - 3/5 Tomorrow's Dream - 4/5 Changes - 5/5 FX - no rating Supernaut - 4/5 Snowblind - 5/5 Cornucopia - 4/5 Laguna Sunrise - 3/5 St. Vitus Dance - 3/5 Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes - 4/5 Average: 3.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Показался более психоделическим и менее прото-металлическим и прото-думовым, чем то, что слышал раньше. Альбом понравился, возможно вернусь к нему когда-нибудь.

Solid metal 70s metal album with some surprisingly emotional vulnerability for a bunch of professional-level cokeheads. Definitely more coke on the backhalf, though. As usual, turns out I like the stuff this influenced more than this, but solid album.

Enjoyed this. Sabbath with Ozzy is the best Sabbath.

"Listen to Vol. 4" - Sleep If Master of Reality was their "weed album", Vol. 4 was their "coke album"; you can literally hear someone whisper "cocaine" on the album's thesis-song, "Snowblind". Apparently, cocaine made Black Sabbath very ambitious, as they are able to further deliver on the promises of their prior albums by churning out riffy rockers like "Tomorrow's Dream", "Supernaut", and "Cornucopia". Their very first ballad, "Changes", appears on this record and blows any preconception about the band out of the water, entirely. Likewise "Laguna Sunrise" further shows an a more romantic side to Black Sabbath, though through the guitar of Tommy Iommi. While the drugs appear to have done wonders for Sabbath's creativity and enthusiasm, the band is also beginning to unravel. The "joke song", "FX" is a curiosity. Also, album closer "Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes", feels lackluster and meandering compared to the rest of the album, and is the weakest Sabbath album closer so far. Still easily a top 3 Sabbath album.

3.8

Banger album. Favorite track(s): wheels of confusion/the straightener, tomorrow's dream, supernaut, snowblind, under the sun/every day comes and goes Will I revisit?: high priority/already knew this album Current rating: 8.5/10

so good! cant believe i havent listened to it before

This one might be my new favorite Black Sabbath album! Many of the songs on here I had not heard before, with the exception of the very uncharacteristic song Changes and Supernaut both are great songs, but I think Snow Blind took my number one spot with Tomorrow’s Dream coming in number two. Overall this is a highly listenable album With a little bit more of the early heavy metal grind and greater depth of lyrics. This may be Black Sabbath at their best.

Random thoughts: * Snowblind was the standout track to me. * People loved doing songs about coke in the 70s? Eric Clapton's "Cocaine", that Fleetwood Mac song, "Life in the Fast Lane" by the Eagles. I'm sure I'm missing some obvious ones. * "Changes" caught me off-guard. I just didn't expect a beautiful ballad. I'm guessing that must have been divisive when this album came out.

idk why I never listened to this when I was a teenager discovering Led Zeppelin. honestly I like zeppelin so much more, but that might just be nostalgia.

Liked this one, got Led Zeppelin vibes as well (not sure if they came before or after them). Solid album

does exactly what you want/expect from a black sabbath record plus a little bit more

Stronger at the beginning than the end, a really strong album even if it isn’t my usual style. Well worth a listen.

I've never spent much time with Black Sabbath. I think growing up in a really religious family, Black Sabbath felt like it would be satanist music and so I avoided it. And then when I was a bit older I heard Iron Man and kinda thought superheroes were lame so I thought they were kind of like cheesy metal. They get lots of praise though and my favorite band is very influenced by them. This album was a really nice surprise. The opening song was killer. Changes was excellent, and honestly the rest of the album was sick. I wasn't really expecting the psych/stoner sludginess that goes so hard.

Nota bad album. Very classic sound, musicians are spot on. Not a lot of singing, but pretty chilled and enjoyable rock album.

Not a fan of Ozzy's voice (-1) but it was worth listening to the album in order to discover The Straightener (+1)!

Great album. Looking back now I consider this rock and roll way more than metal. Solid album with some sleeper hits.

Not the best Sabbath album but still very good. It’s good to hear the original version of Changes rather than the God awful version with Kelly Osbourne.

Probably not the best thing to listen to while getting ready for work right after the inauguration trying to pretend everything is going to be OK

How did i miss this growing up? I guess I was just put off by Ozzie’s shtick? (And I’m not a big fan if his voice). But man, this album rocks! Tremendous licks & great musicianship all around (but, Ozzie’s voice 🙄). Black Sabbath was clearly leagues beyond the many imitators that followed. Needed to hear this great album before I died (4⭐️), but not sure it’s coming to the desert island with me. But maybe…?

Good album. Nostalgic feel. Haven’t heard Black Sabbath in a while.

One of the best outro tracks I've ever heard

BOWWAHHHWHHWHWAAAAH

Prefer Master of Reality, but a real one nonetheless.

Блестяще

Not sure what fx’s deal is but album overall is GOOD

This was a great album and it reminded me how much I love this style of metal. It's melodic, dark, upbeat, with insane musicality, and Ozzy is one of a kind. There's enough grit to keep you interested and in that metal framework but a nice ballad or two rounds it out. So good!

Here I was all this time just thinking the only thing Ozzie Osborne could do is shuffle his feet and yell at "Sharon" and yorkie's! Apparently, quite talented once upon a time. I listened to it twice and I'd listen to it again!

This album simply kicks ass. Always avoided them bc of their description as a metal band but honestly found them to be closer to hard rock ala Led Zeppelin. Even had a ballad in there that was nice. Also didn't know they wrote "changes", a song that sounds great regardless of who's singing it. Think that speaks to the quality of the songwriting.

I loved Ozzys voice on this one and Changes was my favorite

Great album. The Bowie song is kind of jarring compared to the rest, but a lot of songs on here are really fun to listen to. Fantastic guitars

It’s great

From the primordial metal ooze comes Sabbath's 4th album laden with a barrage of Iommian heavy riffs, relenting only for the hauntingly beautiful Changes (which was later more appropriately covered in an R&B style and used as the intro for Big Mouth) and weird FX, before getting back to work with my favorite riff of the album, Supernaut. I had a total hesher evening working in the garage to this album.

I really don't like Ozzy's voice. This album, with so many instrumentals, did the trick!

I really enjoyed this one, probably not for everyday but really appreciated the depth and variety of sound and vocals!!

surprised by how much i liked this. i can see the thru-line from this to sludge and stoner metal. changes also made me laugh. me listening to FX: finally some good music.

Great metal album! Wheels of Confusion, Changes, Supernaut, and Snowblind are jams! 1001 album worthy: Yes - 28/47

It rocks, slaps and knocked me dead. No notes. Except.. we all heard Changes right?? Weepy piano ballads??? In MY sabbath?!!? It just ain't Christian.

Heavy breathing is fogging up my screen. Sabbath bloody sabbath. The inventors of heavy metal and doom metal in one god damn note on the song “black sabbath” are here with their fourth studio album and the first appearance on this list. Oh how I’ve waited for something like this. Would’ve been better if it were Paranoid, but I’ll take a rip at Vol. 4 anyway. Trademark Ozzy vocals send us right into the wheel of confusion. I’ve always found the guitar tone a little thin on this album, but the riffs totally make up for it. This song honestly kind of floated by. Hurts to say. Controversial one. I’m giving it a chance but my first thought was “the person who doesn’t like Black Sabbath’s favourite Black Sabbath song.” I like the piano riff I suppose, but this doesn’t do it for me. Oh fucking Christ. That’s an opening riff. Interlude over and into one of the more underrated Sabbath songs out there. As an aspiring lunar hiker myself I need to learn about moon mountains while having my fucking face melted. 5 stars. AGHHH that opening once again. It keeps going. Terrifying, heavy, terrifyingly heavy. All in 1972. We take for granted what this gave rise to and how groundbreaking it was. No. This is 1972. Full body goosebumps. The opening of the gates of hell. Bludgeoned by an infinite hammer barrage of empty eyed satanic druids. That riff is worth as much as every album combined so far we’ve heard. Followed by a rock song detailing a descent into mental illness. Nothing was this heavy again for another decade. It really took until the thrash metal pioneers of the early 80’s to get anywhere close. Brilliance. I suppose it is fitting that we get a reprieve. Waking up in a pool of sweat and blood after clawing at your flesh during the spiralling nightmare of Cornucopia. Slowly realizing you’re not going to die. The hammer stopping in the cosmos of reverie before battering you once again. More misery condensed into guitar strings. God damn it’s incredible. When I say nobody else was doing this, I truly believe that. When people talk about metal pioneers names like Led Zeppelin and Deep fucking Purple get thrown around . People say Helter Skelter was the first metal song. People are describing hard rock. THIS is early metal. Those doom riffs on the last like 6 bloody songs are insane. If you think Deep Purple is anywhere in the same universe as that you need to reevaluate a lot of stuff. Obviously metal is kind of where I feel the most comfortable and this album delivered in spades. Changes is too weak and there a few rock moments that keep this out of perfect territory, but just barely. Long live Birmingham. 4.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener, Supernaut, Snowblind, Cornucopia, Under the Sun/Everyday Comes and Goes

Me encanta Black Sabbath, le tiré mucho prejuicio pero es un bandón. Este disco me gustó muchísimo.

Great album, I already loved Sabbath.

Underestimated.

Not their best (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath) but great nonetheless.

I was only familiar with Black Sabbath's first two albums. So, I never heard this before. I like it a lot. However, I could only give it four stars because the first two albums are definitely five stars and this is not quite as good as they are. It's still rocks.

I'm not a fan of metal/heavy metal but this is beautiful and really surprised me. Osbourne's vocals and the instruments are heavy rocking but at the same time are also harmonic, symphony-like even.

Probably their 4th/5th best album but some classics on here. Snowblind is the best track on here, Supernaut and Wheels of Confusion are also top tier Sabbath. Changes is a great song but its position in the album is very strange 4.25/5

Great

It’s not paranoid Can’t believe it it’s 1971

4 for 4

Never heard this album or any of the songs but really enjoyed it. They were way more than just OZZY

Immediately when I saw the album cover, I thought this would be my first 5-star review. But no. Although this album contains a few of my Sabbath favourites, the album as a whole doesn't reach the highest peak of these reviews. Uneven album, contrary to my memories, surprisingly stale sounds. Still shining 4 stars.

Back in basics. This album has been spinning on my analog and digital turntable for years. Not the best Black Sabbath to me as an album, but still very good. I don't know if it's Ozzy's voice or Iommi's guitars but Black Sabbath goes never to backround-music -category. It is always music that needs to be listened.

Amazing that they were blinded by that much snow and their songwriting is still that good, must have had winter tires on….

245/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

Reminded me of the '90s wishing I grew up in the '70s.

Another classic album. Not the one that blew my mind, but I still do really like it and think it is very important. Not much else to say. This will always be a progenitor of a lot of music I listen to and something that still is very listenable and enjoyable today that I will continually go back to.

I do love me some black Sabbath, but can't say I actually listened to this album. Pretty good. Didn't realize they wrote changes. Ozzys career in the 80's makes more sense

Volume 4? Solid 4. Not the best album by the band but still very good.

Nice stuff. Some good guitar riffs here that I zoned out to 4 ⭐️

A lot better than I was expecting.

Solid Black Sabbath album. FX is odd, but besides that the usual stuff from them. They were such a inspiration for all of metal and hard rock. Highlights - Cornucopia, Supernaut, Changes, Wheels of confusion Lowlights - FX, Laguna Sunrise

(8.6) ★★★★

I keep this album at 4 stars, like I had it when I did the Sabbath dive. A solid album, but not my absolute favourite Sabbath album.

More accessible than I had anticipated. Sounds dated, but clearly a good example of its genre. Love Ozzy’s vocal!

X,y,z

Before this exercise in music I assumed I knew what Black Sabbath was. I was wrong and I love it. 🤘

O Vol. 4 do Black Sabbath é uma jornada sonora intensa, a atmosfera densa e opressiva criada pelos riffs pesados e pela bateria implacável é contrabalançada por momentos de beleza melódica. A voz e Ozzy Osbourne, combinada com as letras que exploram temas obscuros e psicodélicos, cria uma experiência auditiva única. Assim como o álbum remete ao numero 4, Vol. 4, minha nota é 4: um clássico atemporal que continua muito bem nos alicerces do rock.

Damn, this is an absolute banger??? Surprisingly amount of diversity for Sabbath, really liked it.

Wasn’t expecting to like this as it’s not really a genre I like. However, was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it in the end.

Enjoyed it will listen again

4.0

Ahead of its time. Hard pounding, grungier sound before grunge.

Super awesome they r the fucking kings of heavy rock. Also amazing pretty stuff on here

AYY AY AY AY Black Sabbath delivers

Not a big fan of Sabbath, still a solid record for me

Didn’t know this album well at all. Was actually pretty good- loved supernaut and snowblind. Still very much sabbath although more nuanced in a way than other albums I had heard. Not my favourite but solid.

4 - Black Sabbath was much better than I thought, also so many projects

Liked thus more than I thought I would. I know they are considered Godfathers of Heavy Metal, but also can see the throughline to Grunge acts like Soundgarden.

sick. liked the songs that were a little melancholy or thoughtful

Vol. 4 is the fourth album from Black Sabbath, the band that arguably defined "heavy metal." Their first four albums are often regarded as among the best metal albums ever released. Vol. 4 does not include any of the bands biggest hit singles, but the album was still remarkably successful; a testament to the broad influence and appeal of the band's work. Black Sabbath's distinct sound comes from Ozzy Osborne's wailing vocals and Tony Iommi's screaming guitar riffs. The created the basis of heavy metal, and influenced generations of musicians in the range of genres that metal has evolved into.

This was an amazing album! It was a lot more complex than I expected. I have listened to them in my youth but I can’t say that I am a Black Sabbath fan but I think this is worth listening to more than just once for this project.

And thoroughly grungy rock album. Thick fuzzy guitars with non traditional arrangements. Ozzy sounds great although I’ve found is voice to be a little grating as I’ve gotten older. This album has clearly influenced everyone from Metallica to the Queens of the Stone Age. Probably my favorite Sabbath album.

This was cooler than I remember. I quite like this.

banco

not as perfect as the first 3 sabbath albums but still incredible

Good

Black Sabbath Vol. 4 shows why they’re legends in rock. The drumming hits hard, the guitars rip with heavy riffs, and Ozzy’s voice. They try new things here, and it all lands—especially “Changes,” which lets them step outside their usual sound. The opening track is classic Sabbath, starting things strong with that two-songs-in-one vibe. This album is solid and I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve listened to it.

This album didn’t do much for me, I liked the guitar parts but the overall sound and vibe got old for me fast. Lyrics were interesting which earned it an extra point. Favorite songs were: 5. Supernaut 6. Snowblind 7/10

This album is fun. Black Sabbath have such a distinct sound, they are unmistakable. "Changes" was a cool tone switch. This is the first song I recognize myself. "Supernaut" and "Snowblind" both rock. "Laguna Sunrise" is another nice tone switch to break it up a little. I enjoyed this album. The sound is a little too repetitive to give it an incredible rating, but I do like the sound a lot. They mix it up here and there to prevent it getting stale and the album has a pretty good run-time. 7/10

70S Sabbath is very good! One thing that Sabbath do well is mix heavy rock with beautiful moments. Changes followed by FX is a great example of that. I love Ozzy’s voice on this album. This album is great. Favourite song: Changes Least favourite: I hate a not needed guitar solo. Wheels of confusion has a very long one Album artwork: Cool cover.

Pretty solid

🤘

Not something I would typically listen to but it's a great album. Good driving music!

8/10 Truly some of the best guitar riffs ever on this album. Tony Iommi is a genius. Favourite Song=Changes Least Favourite Song=FX

Not really my genre, but there is no denying that this album rocks

None of the Black Sabbath songs I'm familiar with, but none of them really disappointed. Although, would be hard to pick a standout

I've always known and heard Black Sabbath, but it's only now, in my 50s, that I've heard a full album of theirs. Anyway, I think music is like books, they come to us and choose us when they think it's most appropriate (and not the other way around, as many people think!). Good album, I liked it... but now, for me, it's much easier to appreciate “heavy” music anyway :-)

Absolutely loved it. Only down side was two whiney songs that abruptly broke the grove imo. Why did metal bands in those days insist on making balads, even if they clearly werent very good at it?

My introduction to Black Sabbath was through my mom (my intro into most music), who always changed the station any time they came on because HER earliest memories of them are of my uncle locking himself in his (their shared) room, blasting Sabbath, and stinking up the place with weed. It was such a visceral experience for her when they came on and naturally, I was excited to discover a new way to annoy her. So, with my limited resources (I was 12) I acquired a Vol. 4 CD—not quite enough resources to also get weed—and would play it non-stop when she got home from her long workday. Anyway, Changes is an all-time favorite for me and I love its melancholic departure from their usual sound. That said, it's followed by one of the most baffling choices on any album ever. FX is an immediate skip with no hesitation from me. An experiment that doesn't come close to fitting the flow of the album at all. This is nearly a 5-star album for me for many reasons. But despite how much I love this album, it's the only Black Sabbath record I've listened to front-to-back. It makes me wonder why I never really explored them further. Also, I'm going to call my mom and apologize.

This is the Black Sabbath album I am handing to someone who has only heard the big hits. Changes is their best ballad and Snowblind rules but, I'm not sure who FX is for and the breakdown in Supernaut is really silly.

Not my favourite Sabbath album but enjoyable all the same

rock on

Solid rokk. Djöfulsins Ozzy. Góður experimentalismi, þetta er svo early stöff en samt svo satanískt og grjóthart. Love it.

Before: VERY curious, never really listened to them before After: LOVED IT! Loved the minor cords, the drama, everything. 10/10 (except changes, FX and laguna sunrise)

They went all in. There’s a beautiful range here that brings this album to another level. It rocks the fuck out even though there aren’t any of Black Sabbath’s big hits on here. Pitch perfect vocals, gorgeously innovative instrumentation, incredible writing. A bit of experimentation that worked in some areas and not in another, but mainly, fucking sick the whole way through. I’d give it a nine out of ten but I’m limited to half a denominator. 4/5

Preferred this to the previous Sabbath offering. Especially liked Supernaut.

Some classic metal, you can't really beat Sabbath. Stand out tracks: Changes, Snow blind and wheels of confusion

though this doesn't have any of their earth-shatteringly massive hits, this album still hits hard as only 70s hard rock and metal can. changes is a tune and ozzy is in prime form here. i listened the whole way through twice, and could see myself coming back to this from time to time. favorites: changes, supernaut, snowblind, laguna sunrise

Great easy listening metal album. So not really metal?

Great album - RIP Ozzy 🥲

Some real departures from their past work here, focusing on straight metal-oriented bangers, some acoustic work, and then the unexpected but unforgettable synth-charged ballad "Changes". You can really hear Iommi's presence in the production booth on this one, stretching his wings stylistically. While the heavy rock songs are often not quite as memorable, the explorations are warranted and interesting. There's plenty of takeaways such as the 1-2 punch of Supernaut and Snowblind to satisfy. No regrets on this listen, Sabbath forever.

While I know who Black Sabbath and Ozzy are I havent relly listened to a whole album of theirs before. Dreamer is the stand out song for me but the whole album was a good listen. FX as an instrumental song in the middle seemed a bit out of place but from what I knew about the band I guess I shouldn't be very surprised. Laguna sunrise as a later instrumental song fit the album much better in my opinion. A strong album but not something I would listen all the way through again.

fantastic album by one of the seminal bands in the history of heavy metal. while this album’s predecessor “master of reality” is often credited with creating the genre known as stoner metal, this album doesn’t simply retread those grounds, but expands upon them; the distortion is still there but the guitars are not always as dense. just a fine effort from the entire band, really. “you can only trust yourself and the first six black sabbath albums.” tis a quote attributed to henry rollins, and honestly it’s hard to disagree with that. you can’t go wrong with any of them. highlights: “wheels of confusion” “changes” “supernaut” “snowblind”

I have heard of Black Sabbath. I certainly know who Ozzy is, but mostly because of his reality show, which was, for a minute, somehow unavoidable. Before today, I'd never knowingly listened to Black Sabbath, and wouldn't have been able to name a song, album, or even that this was the band Ozzy was in. Honestly, this was great. I really appreciate that Ozzy actually sings with some skill, and the guitar and percussion are fire. Love the instrumental, Laguna Sunrise. This is far more melodious than I would have guessed.

Listening to Black bloody Sabbath and enjoying it, thoroughly? Who'd have guessed it. Wheels of Confusion, Changes and Laguna Sunrise as my favourites. Listened to this while walking along the Seine from Trocadero to Monnaie, odd choice for such a setting but it worked!

I loved this and was surprisingly prog-rock too. Will listen again.

Very good, unique instrumentally and sounds a bit like Jimi Hendrix/Cream.

While not quite as popular as paranoid, it is just as good, and a bit more experimental.

Oh man, this will be my last Black Sabbath album to review. I was really surprised by how much I loved their self-titled album and Paranoid, which both got five stars from me. I have pretty high expectations for Vol. 4 as well, so let's get this Metal Monday started! I thought Vol. 4 was a bit of a step down from the other Black Sabbath albums I've reviewed, but it was still really good. It seemed to me that this album had a bit more emphasis on rhythms that the previous Sabbath albums, and that made it really fun to groove to as I listened to it. Really fun to groove to. This album felt more like a traditional hard rock album than a heavy metal album, and while Sabbath excels at any hard rock, I think they're at their best when they're darker and more chaotic. Despite that, I really enjoyed "Changes," because I think it shows the band's talent and range as musicians and songwriters. "Laguna Sunrise" fell into the same boat, as far as being really different that the other songs on the album, and while it was good, I liked "Changes" better. On the other Sabbath albums I've reviewed, I really loved the drumming, but on Vol.4, "Supernaut" was really the only one that stood out to me when it came to the drumming. The additional percussion elements used on "Supernaut" were great too. One of the other miscues for me on Vol. 4 is that the more traditional metal songs (like "Cornucopia" and "Wheels of Confusion") just didn't have that special 'Sabbath touch' like their other songs typically do. Overall, this was a really good album, it just fell a little short with me.

The recording was plagued with problems, many due to substance abuse. In the studio, the band regularly had speaker boxes full of cocaine delivered. Ozzy: "Eventually we started to wonder where the fuck all the coke was coming from ... that coke was the whitest, purest, strongest stuff you could ever imagine. One sniff, and you were king of the universe." Prvo se pitam... kak su svi oni još živi... Drugo, album tako i zvuči. Odličan bend odličan album, omogućio je stvaranje jednih od mojih dražih žanrova glazbe doom i stoner. Vrlo dobar album! 8/10

8/10 Doslo ko naruceno! Sabbathe volim u zadnje vrijeme pustiti, pogotovo kad je ciscenje doma na redu ili mi nesto ide na k, ali valjaju i kad se zelim malo maknuti od 'svakodnevne' glazbe. Changes mi je odmah zapela za uho jer znam samo obradu od Charles Bradleya, Supernaut mi se odmah svidio a Snowblind me vratila u tinejdzerske godine jer sam ju iz nekog razloga cesto ubacivao u plejlistu kao crnu ovcu medju sve zivo sto nije slicno ovome (mislim da je Limewire tu bio zasluzan) Mozda premalo metal u odnosu na druge njihove albume (sto mi ne smeta) i neke stvari mi se cine tise od ostalih produkcijski, ali sve u svemu - good time!

Never listened to this. It rocked. Supernaut is an awesome track. Barely misses a 5 for me cause it was a bit draggy in a couple spots and it's not my style is music totally.

Pretty much exactly how I expected a Black Sabbath album to sound like. Stand-out: Under the Sun

8/10. More consistent but highs aren’t quite as high as the ‘Black Sabbath’ titled album.

Undeniable classic, very significant for rock music, but I just didnt jam with it. Ynn

\m/ one of the pioneers of heavy rock/metal music. Legends.

super

Nice blend of heavy and progressive

Ozzy

So much cocaine went into this that it had to be one of the more expensive albums of all time. Is this prog metal? I can’t tell, but it’s a great listen.

Great

Crazy to listen to this album after my Jazz Sabbath exposure. In a funny way, Jazz Sabbath made me appreciate “Snowblind” and “Changes” even more. Big fan of “Laguna Sunrise.” 4 stars.

Solid first track and can't beat changes.

Bra album med heavy riffs och experimentala låtar, inte helt lika bra som paranoid

Not my favorite Black Sabbath but still Black Sabbath. Laguna Sunrise was a nice surprise as well!

Test

Solid album that was really easy to listen to. I liked this one.

Great album. I was familiar with “Changes”, but there were some deep track surprises. Nice bonus for a Labor Day.

This is a surprisingly kick ass album. Maybe not quite as great as their first two, but really good throughout. From face melter riffs to unique time signature switching to ballad feels on songs like Changes, the band really starts to spread their wings here into the sounds that they would eventually be known for. Rock n roll indeed.

Another great one from the early years of this band. Couple weird inclusions here keep it from getting full marks, but honestly that feels nit picky given how much good stuff is on this.

Dang, Changes hits the feels button. Very simple lyrics but written and performed so well.

I feel a little silly about not exploring more of Sabbath’s catalog outside of their big hits. This is another solid record. Not on the same level as their debut and Paranoid but still great. 4/5

Pretty heavy but melodic guitars riffs, plus Ozzy, what’s not to like?

lækker! tror jeg foretrækker den en smule over s/t. så mange metalgenrer der virker meget påvirket af det her album

Helt vild guitarlyd på den her plade, super hårde riffs. Helt ok at der er lidt flere stille numre end på de andre Sabbath plader vi har haft, de var egentlig ret cool

Vanvittig plade når man tænker på hvor langt væk de var på coke. Det virker lidt mere "voksent" end de tidligere plader, så sangene er noget mere anderledes komponerede end BS/Paranoid

Marty McFly: “This album is heavy, Doc.” Doc Brown: “Is there something wrong with Earth’s gravitational field?” Marty: No, it’s just Black Sabbath. Tommy Iommi stands out on Vol. 4 (Snowblind). His guitar is the whole thing. It’s mostly heavy, but sometimes light as in the beautiful Laguna Sunrise. He taught himself piano during recording this album and wrote Changes, which is mind blowing. He also happened to collapse from doing too much cocaine too. So there’s that.

Melodic yelling Softens this metal album While guitars still shriek

Honestly, I'm as surprised by this as anyone.

Nice

Solid Standout songs: Supernaut Cornucopia Under the Sun

One of the best Black Sabbath albums

Lekker scheuren Ozzy osbourne is een medisch enigma

I’m not much of a metal/hard rock guy, but this is my kinda stuff. Never actually listened to a sabbath album in full before although I do own Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and a live LP. Will definitely be returning to this album in the near future, looking forward to the other BS albums to come… 9/10

not as good as van halen or anything but I can’t resist an electric guitar