Vol. 4

Great riffs, love the vocals - feels bluesy in places, much more closely related to hard rock than the thrashier metal of the 80s and extreme metal of the 90s. Has the sensitivity of Changes - which somehow fits right in with the other tracks - and the nice folkiness of Laguna Sunrise. Rest of the tracks all rule

Well done generator. Always knew of Sabbath, but never did any intentional listening. Reading the Apple summary of the album, I was surprised/not surprised by the shear amount of...em, nose candy, being used in its creation. Despite being being very much in an altered state, the sound is tight and reasonably well put together. I think this would have been better as a 6 song ep to be 5 star worthy.

Not my thing, but I like that the “random” generator paid its respects to Ozzy, and there was more diversity to the music than I was expecting.

that was some solid rock!

Well rounded album

This is a big slab of proggy metal by a band that paved the way for so much of the music I grew up obsessing over, but even in my most metal-devouring years as a young teen, I never fully clicked with Black Sabbath. I ‘get’ them today but this isn’t an album I find myself turning to (I’ll take Sabbath Bloody Sabbath though, or Master of Reality). I find a lot of the stuff on here to be a bit stodgy for my tastes, and ‘Changes’ and ‘Laguna Sunrise’ sound like they’re on the wrong record. I love that Black Sabbath existed, but I can take or leave this one.

Given recent news apologies if this seems a little irreverent but to me Sabbath have always been a spotty teenager in denim kind of band. I am sure they were forerunners etc.but I don't feel it has aged well. What first strikes me is how slow and long the songs are. There are Black Sabbath songs I quite like, but they aren't here. Revisit?: unlikely

Why ya gotta do this to me, man? Black Sabbath the day after Ozzy's passing? That has be intentional, right? If not, then it's a huge coincidence. As for rating this album. Not my favorite from them, but still pretty good. Would rate it a 3.6 or so, but he's getting a full 5 stars today. RIP Ozzy. I know people dig the "Changes" and "Snowblind" according to the number of plays it gets, but I think the one I like most is "Under the Sun", and that one's going on the playlist.

Black Sabbath is amazing. RIP Ozzy.

Liked more than I thought. Good music to work to.

4.3/rip to a real one

No one sounded like these guys at the time and no one has really sounded like them ever since. As the years went on metal became really loud and chaotic and busy but this is just fucking heavy. The entire band played (and sang) like John Bonham drummed. Then some really nice interludes with changes and Laguna Sunrise. Bravo. Fare thee well, Ozzy.

I listen to a lot less hard rock and metal now than I did when I was a teenager but this was good enough to make me want to revisit the Megadeth album we got a couple months ago that I gave a firm 2. Hard to believe this and the other early Sabbath albums were happening as early as they did. Truly one of the few bands dropped from outer space.

RIP to a king. You're classic heavy metal with some surprise changeups (Changes, Laguna Sunrise) that highlights their collective talent.

RIP Ozzy. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It isn’t as drone-y as their last album we reviewed - it has a nice variety. Definitely a psychedelic flavour to this. My mind is kind of blown that Changes, of Big Mouth theme song fame, is a originally by Sabbath. It feels very poignant today.

Sigh. I found this album kind of underwhelming. I went in with the hype of Paranoid bouncing around in my head, an album that took me completely by surprise. I love that album. Add to that the hype from looking up "best Black Sabbath albums" and seeing Vol. 4 at the top of almost every list. So I was expecting something even better than Paranoid, which I gave a 4. And to add even more to that hype cocktail, the passing of Ozzy. I really wanted to his "best" work as a way of honouring him. Sooo ya, my expectations were high going into this album, and it just doesn't live up to the hype. Sigh. Maybe I ruined it for myself. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. And the worst part is... *whisper voice* I think Ozzy is the weak link. He just doesn't deliver many memorable vocal melodies or lyrics throughout the vast majority of this album... except for one notable exception that i'll get to in a minute. Weirdly the rest of the band totally kicks ass on this album. The riffs are iconic and heavy and familiar in that they've been ripped off by 1000 other bands. The song structures are full of those rave up sections I loved so much on Paranoid (i still think fast Sabbath is better than slow Sabbath). There's a solid amount of instrumental variety. A folksy acoustic song (Laguna Sunrise). A dramatic piano ballad (Changes). A weird ambient noise cut (FX). All fun and welcome asides to the hard rock/metal that fills the rest of the album. The production is great, much more polished (which I like but I'm also a sucker for scrappy, lofi production so i'd probably prefer Paranoid, but I understand that on paper this is better). It feels like musically they have really pushed their original sound to its apex, and finally realized it (I bet this sounds like it sounded in their heads back in Birmingham when they were nobodies). I just wish Ozzy delivered a more memorable performance on top of all this badass instrumentation. Outside of Changes, which I'll get to in a minute, the only other memorable vocal melody I can think of is on Snowblind (which if i'm not mistaken is about the mountains of cocaine they were doing while recording this album). Maybe the cocaine was not helping him focus on the lyrics and melodies... but whose to say. Compare that to Paranoid... you've got War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man where half the planet knows the words and lyrics to at least one of those 3. Then you have the deep cuts with great, interesting vocal lines like Hand of Doom and Planet Caravan and more. Other than Changes, this thing doesn't even have a hit on it. Not that that means it's a bad album. But it's a symptom of the greater issue, that vocal performance is very underwhelming... again, except on Changes. And the piss off is... you know he still has it in him to craft hooks and good lyrics, he still hasn't written Crazy Train yet when this album is released and on this damn album there's the song Changes which has this absolutely incredible, heartbreaking, iconic chorus. It is by far my favourite song on this album. I love the simple lyrics, the minimalist piano, the synthesizer strings... and at the centre of it all is the wonderfully sad performance by Ozzy. It made this album worth checking out. I had no idea this was a Black Sabbath song. I only knew it from the Charles Bradley cover that's also the theme song for Big Mouth. Such a great song, both the Sabbath version and the cover. I really wish Ozzy had put the effort into the rest of the album that he put into Changes. The rest of the tracks are underwhelming in comparison. Sigh. This is a 2.5 for me, but in honour of Mr. Osbourne (and the effort the rest of the band put into this album), i'll round up to a 3. "You can do it Ozzy, bite his fricken head off" RIP.

Not the best but some good songs. Rip in peace

crazy coincidence listening to this album today

R.I.P OZZY

RIP Ozzy

Very timely. Pretty solid.

Not my favorite Sabbath record but it’s got some good songs on it.

RIP Ozzy. Not a big fan of this genre but Black Sabbath/Ozzy does stand out as being one of the better examples of it. 5.5/10 (2.75/5)

Appropriate choice, random album generator. I listened to a few Ozzy solo albums yesterday but didn't dig all the way back to Sabbath. And I don't think I've ever actually heard this album so I'm interested to see if I recognize any of it. Having read the Wikipedia section about this album's provenance, I'm hoping this cup of black coffee will be enough to put me in the right frame of mind. When "FX" came on, I wondered what the story behind it was, and Wikipedia did NOT disappoint: "'FX' came about unexpectedly in the studio. After smoking hashish, the crucifix hanging from Iommi's neck accidentally struck the strings of his guitar and the band took an interest in the odd sound produced." P.S. - I remember reading about "Snowblind" but otherwise none of this sounded familiar.

Suprinsingly good. Escpecially after reading all the stories about the everest of snow and other substances they blew during the recording. It's my first Black Sabbath and I didn't think they were that old/early relly being pionners in the genre. I guees there's a good algorythm prompting an album after an artist death.

Overall, I prefer this album to Paranoid. I really like its sludge/stoner edge and some grooves are impressive for 72, thanks to Tony Iommi. A miracle since the band was deeply into drugs at that time. But Ozzy’s nasal, limited voice is just awful and somehow ruins what could have been a great album. Now that he’s gone, I can say that his personal success has always been a mystery to me. Was it pity? Was it confusion? The guy had been funny sounding, unintelligible and off-key for decades, and honestly came across more like a tragic pathetic junky clown than a rock icon to me.

A classic

RIP OZZY! Really impressive album where the band, now well established, got an opportunity to show off that there was more to Black Sabbath than doom

“You can only trust yourself and the first six Black Sabbath albums.” -Henry Rollins

I was hoping the languid blues cold open was a continuation of a final fadeout on Masters of Reality, like a drugged-out Finnegans Wake or something, but Black Sabbath does what Black Sabbath does - fill the shadows of one's heart with a gothic potential and actually offer something different. The fathers of bleak metal were really a hippie rock band of the finest order and Vol. 4 might be the peak, album-wise., of that trajectory. RIP Ozzy, god of teenagers, scourge of uptight parents, most successful myth maker since the Greeks or at least Kiss, one of the greatest male singers in rock.

Talk about timing! The intro on “Wheels of Confusion” is one of my favorite album opener anywhere. It feels like a soundtrack to an epic, chamber-clearing bong hit, going straight to the brain and transporting you to a different plane where time and perception shift. Vol. 4 is book-ended by the absolutely filthy riff-fest of “Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes.” In between is plenty of dark and doomy playing, adventurous songs and excellent vocal performances by Ozzy. “Laguna Sunrise” is a gorgeous palette cleanser of classical guitar, but the sentimental “Changes” misses the mark, portending sappy 80s hair metal ballads (Charles Bradley completely reinvigorated the song with his wrenching, soulful cover; look it up if you’re not familiar). There are some stone-cold classic Toni Iommi riffs here.

Odd timing with ozzys death, but whatever. Will always get at least a 3 from me for supernaut, especially after al jourgenson showed us what a banger it could be.

Wait...what? Is this intentional? A bizarre random coincidence? Ozzy speaking to us from the great beyond!? I listened to the record twice yesterday. And then on the radio while driving (KEXP playing solid Ozzy all day). And then on Spotify while driving home. Still not sick of it. So listened to it again today. My favorite Sabbath album due to having two of my favorite Sabbath songs (Supernaut and Snowblind). RIP, Prince of Darkness.

Fucking great album. Supernaut is a jam. So is Cornucopia, and Under The Sun…the whole album really. Was lucky enough to catch both Ozzy and a reunited Black Sabbath at OzzFest way back in 1997. R.I.P. to the prince of darkness. Hope you’re partying it up in hell with the devil shooting Hitler in the dick with paintballs, giving atomic wedges to Ronald Reagan and whatever else cool shit they got to do down there 👹🤘🏻🤘🏻

Really good but not up to par with the first three albums. Still rocked out to it and would listen again and again. 4.5

a perfect album. what strikes me on the millionth relisten is how dynamic it is for a genre that can certainly struggle with sounding the same. I don’t think tony iommi gets enough credit for his guitar god status. rip ozzy. what a treat this was

what those hands do

Stunning.

This sound drills right into my ear snail, thanks. I was surprised by all of the range in this album, absolutely excellent. RIP

Actually really epic. RIP Oz and all but god damn Tommy Iommi is a beast!!

Not quiiite as good as Paranoid since that one had all the bangers and this one had not any that I knew, but still a 5. Not sure they can miss. RIP Ozzy

This album is not as good as Black Sabbath’s earlier albums. I suppose if you’re a big fan you would enjoy this one, but I thought it was mostly standard Sabbath. Not horrible.

Not too surprised to get this one today since Ozzy died yesterday*, but I am a little surprised since it means that there are 3 (or more) Black Sabbath albums on here! The first one had a lot of hits, the second one was about wizards, so I wonder what's the vibe on No.3 (aka Vol. 4)? Good album cover, anyway. Nice font decisions; fight on, Halloween Ozzy! Well, I find the vibe kind of boring. Not actively unpleasant to listen to like your Led Zeppelins, but still a lot of Guitar Time. The very sleepy 'Changes' rhymes "way" with "way", one of my greatest music pet peeves. I also vaguely remember this song from Kelly Osbourne's album, lol. (A father-daughter duet is cute though; you don't get a lot of those, other than in rap when the daughter is like, 3.) This is probably a 2.5 for me, but since I'm mentally in knots about not wanting to be biased, I'll round down. *Here's my favorite of the Ozzy stories going around social media: ❝I thought America was fabulous. Take pizza for example. For years I’d been thinking, I wish someone would invent a new kind of food. In England it was always egg and chips, sausage and chips, pie and chips … anything and chips. After a while it just got boring, y’know? But you couldn’t exactly order a shaved Parmesan and rocket salad in Birmingham in the early ’70s. If it didn’t come out of a deep-fat fryer, no one knew what the fuck it was. But then, in New York, I discovered pizza. It blew my mind wide fucking open. I would buy ten or twenty slices a day. And then, when I realized you could buy a great big pizza all for yourself, I started ordering them wherever we went. I couldn’t wait to get back home and tell all my mates: ‘There’s this incredible new thing. It’s American and it’s called pizza. It’s like bread, but it’s better than any bread you’ve tasted in your life.’ I even tried to recreate a New York pizza for Thelma once. I made some dough, then I got all these cans of beans and pilchards and olives and shit and put them on top—it must have been about 15 quid’s worth of gear—but after ten minutes it just came dribbling out of the oven. It was like someone had been sick in there. Thelma just looked at it and went, ‘I don’t think I like pizza, John.’ She never called me Ozzy, my first wife.❞ —Ozzy Osbourne, from ‘I Am Ozzy’ (Grand Central Publishing, 2010)

My roomie had this album and played it constantly. At least the band didn't seem to take their image too seriously. Thump thump chunk chunk, but in a fun sorta way

This is surprisingly catchy, it doesn’t feel edgy or tryhard, but more like pop/blues/folk music meandering down a dark alley, into a weird headspace. I found it easy to get into; good vocals and drums. RIP Ozzy. I’m glad we could all take part in this together.

Aww Ozzy. 💔

Powerful yet melodic

Remember Ozzy and Kelly releasing their version of Changes in 2003 and thinking it was one of the worst things I'd ever heard (two people who can't really sing taking on a big ballad?). Turns out the original is just as unlistenable. Not for me. Cool that he managed a final show though. Even if a sex offender was on the lineup.

Lovely to touch giving the timings, but not for me. RIP Ozzy.

MET0L! Rest in Paradise Ozzy! It is crazy to think that he only performed about 2 weeks ago in Birmingham with the whole metal ensemble. I'm kind of remorseful of not going to Ozzy's leaving party, but I have to remember I'm not really a metalhead anymore. This however, was great to visit. I have not listened to this before but I really enjoyed it. A wide variety of musical styles blended into one great 42 minute package. Special thanks to their sponsor: Columbian Marching Powder

I mean, it rocks. It also kind of blends together and I don’t see myself coming back to it. Idk maybe it’s a 3 album day fatigue

Good night, sweet prince

RIP Ozzy :***( Klassischer Ozzy Sound, aber für mich jetzt auch nicht n legendäres Metal Album. War gut

Im going through changeees. Hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich Black Sabbath so mag \m/

Could be the most iconic rock band. Not their greatest album but still 5 stars. Opening and closing songs are crazy good and Changes deserves a mention because of how completely different yet amazing it is. RIP Ozzy, not sure how he managed to live that long tbf.

While its not their greatest album, everything they did was pure gold & so genre-defining. Hell yeah

Shit, I think I like this more than Paranoid...

Perhaps given the prescience of Ozzy’s recent passing, the opening of Wheels of Confusion felt like it had an eerie sense of finality to it. It does give way into your standard Black Sabbath fair afterward though with some pleasantly lengthy tracks. Nothing on here that I would say tops Paranoid but that’s a fucking mount everest of a hurdle to leap frankly. I love how without making anything overly intricate, Sabbath were able to culturally shape the sound of darkness and evil that is still present to this day. RIP Ozzy, even before I had properly listened to your music and only knew you through your cameo in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged me I could tell you were a real one

Pour one out for the fella but this is not Sabbaths best work by a mile. The start and end of this album are standard fare but I feel the middle drops off as far as my personal taste is concerned. When I think of Black Sabbath I am typically thinking of the groove their music has, I think my lukewarm feelings about the middle tracks are really down to a noted absence of the groove that makes the tracks march along.

Great album. Definitely prefer paranoid though. Its more dynamic, varied and complex. Extremely backloaded Snowblind through to Under the Sun are phenomenal. 8/10

RIP Ozzy The first album of Black Sabbath's I ever went out of my way to listen to because a girl I met at an Iron Maiden concert recommended it to me and I was super keen on her so I listened to it a bunch (you can guess how this ended). That was ten years ago and now it's time to revisit it (along with all my trauma-blocked embarrassing memories)! Overall, it's not exactly what you expect from a metal album with my two favourite tracks being the soft ones (Changes and Laguna Sunrise). The variety here is what makes this a great album. Rather than being a one-track metal/rock album, the band experiment and change things up. Sometimes this even happens on the same song (Wheels of Confusion and Under the Sun feel like they're frankenstein'ed together in the best way possible). The original title for this album was Snowblind, owing to the fact that these guys were consuming marching powder by the kilo during its making. Whatever they paid for all of that, it was well worth it. Highlights: Wheels of Confusion, Changes, Supernaut, Laguna Sunrise, Under the Sun

FUCK YEA! How did I miss this album? I think I had only ever listened to the first 3, but this might be the best one. Sounds shitty, but after Ozzy died I started the day saying Black Sabbath might be a bit overrated. I've always been a fan but where he/they sit in Rock lore seemed a bit overblown. After listening to this I take it back. Black Sabbath fucking rocks. At work I've been dealing with the most corporate political bullshit for a year, went to the gym and put this on and it was the PERFECT antidote. Snowblind instantly made me want to smash my laptop and rob a convenience store. The off speed stuff on here is perfectly placed too. What a fucking album! RIP Ozzy!

Never been much of a metal guy, so didn’t know much behind Ironman, paranoid, and war pigs, none of which ever really grabbed me. But this album is really good - heavy in a fun way, but also interspersed with softer stuff I didn’t know they had in their catalog. My favorite is changes, which I think is the most distinct of the songs on this album. If I have a criticism, it’s about lack of catchiness despite the abundance of riffs. While I liked listening to all of these songs, after three spins through this album the only one I remember the tune to is Changes. Anyway, RIP ozzy. Even though I blame him in some ways for the rise of the kardashians, he seemed like a fun dude so I don’t hold it against him. And he had better pipes than I thought.

Holy mother fucker. This album hits wayyyy harder than I thought it would. I did a quick run through of Ozzys hits with my wife last night. Some fun tracks, sure, but I left thinking that we’ve moved beyond his style. It felt a little depressing This flipped me big time. Supernaut sounded like a Hendrix song with a little Paul Simon in the middle. Changes was pure theater. Snowblind and Cornoucopia were great as well. The album sounds metal, but has hits of pop and random all over the place.

I’m of a generation that knows Ozzy more for the Osbournes than for his music. I was never allowed to watch it in grade school but would sneak it in the basement or at a friends house after school. I knew Crazy Train and some other hits not by name, but this record is so different from what I expected from Sabbath. Kind of psychedelic and proggy at times. And Changes was just so surprising - did not expect them to have a ballad in them. Not going full 5 - this is rocks and will come back to it, but none of the songs are super memorable or iconic in the end.

Obviously not their best album but clearly not their worst. RIP Prince of Darkness. 6/10 fav songs : Supernaut & Under the Sun

I just never got into this. Not for me.

I was listening to Janes Addiction's Pigs in Zen the other day and thought - this sounds like a Black Sabbath song. They are incredibly influential. This album had a few surprises including a ballad (Changes). R.I.P. Ozzy.

Was never much of a Black Sabbath fan, and this didn't change my opinion. RIP, Ozzy...

Wow. I surprised myself, I can actually say I listened to the whole thing and have a new appreciation for these guys-went and read Iommi's story, amazing-he lost 2fingertips in an accident on his last day of work in a factory-to still play made a prosthetic !? and started playing lefthanded

Solid album. Each band mate is at the top of his game.

Given Ozzy's passing this week, "Changes" has taken on a new meaning and level of somberness. The Mellotron gave it that church feel. Extra. I like this album, especially "Supernaut". It's funny how dark this type of metal seemed decades ago. Now, it feels thoughtful and introspective.

Hell yeah. The band is operating at the peak of their powers. This album outright rocks and rolls and avoids their (occasional) tendency to plod. It comes roaring out the f the gate and straight into Tomorrow's Dream - an absolute monster groove. Changes is an all timer - a song many band would have killed for in the era. Supernaut is less played than unleashed. Side two continues the onslaught (Snowblind referencing their ample consumption of the many offerings of LA) before slowing things down for Laguna Sunrise and then closing things out with two bangers. Not many have done it better. Funny what a little sunlight can do. Just a little...

Honestly I don’t like this one as much as the other Black Sabbath album we reviewed but it’s still good. My view is admittedly a little skewed by Changes which for some reason was my High School class song. I’ll be generous and say 3.5 stars rounds up to 4.

I mean, even with some minor personal quibbles about this album it’s still a damn good album. Easy 5 stars, not shocked this album popped up the day after Ozzy passed.

RIP Ozzy!

Oh, man. The day after the Prince of Darkness passes... Was this just a coincidence? Just some good, classic stoner metal here. A few psychedelic guitar leads mixed in. Then, you get to Changes, which isn't metal in the least, more of a soul song. I guess it's kind of metal to put a soul song on a metal album... FX is cool. Just having fun in the studio type shit. Perfect song title for Laguna Sunrise. Matches the music, which also isn't metal. This album broadens their horizons, showing they not only rock, but are also able to roll. This album is a 5.

Now I am convinced that whoever is running this website has the ability to push out specific albums on certain days. I've seen a few other well-timed albums like this occur here, but getting assigned this album right after Ozzy's passing probably isn't a coincidence. Today was Ozzy's funeral, and after watching some footage of his procession, I was inspired to jump way ahead in my backlog of assigned albums and listen to Vol. 4 today. I've never listened to this album and haven't ever heard the songs, except for Changes, but that was mostly as the awesome Charles Bradley cover used as the Big Mouth theme song. I found this album really easy to like. It strikes me as well balanced, containing some looser jams, but it's still structured enough to be cohesive. Heavy riffs, rock grooves, and yet also some moments of real beauty. It's full of energy, and I love that it retains some rawness to the production. Drums, guitars, every part has their moments to shine here. And soaring above it all like a banshee, cutting through the haze, delivering the simple yet poetic lyrics is Ozzy's unmistakable, piercing voice, which brings a lot of emotional expression to the mix with his instinct for phrasing and melody. I listened to this album twice today, which I almost never do, and I could already feel it growing on me. I would definitely listen to it again. I'm so stingy with 5's, but I feel like this could grow into a 5 for me, so why not?

I've always liked Ozzy but never got too deep into Black Sabbath beyond the radio songs. I am impressed. What's funny is, mixed in with all Ozzy's antics and craziness, the guy can actually sing. This album has catchy melodies . I don't know why, but for some reason it just didn't strike me that Ozzy could really do this. I was also struck by how much Soundgarden has pulled from Black Sabbath. I find Iommi's guitar work to be really cool also. All the musicians are strong actually, and it seems like Ozzy was actually lucky to be able to front a band like this. RIP Ozzy. His music and persona will be missed.

quite good, but not a classic like the previous albums.

Not as good as paranoid but still good music. Changes was a standout

The black lord lives!

Icicles within my brain (cocaine)

RIP Ozzy. This album is one of Black Sabbath's best. Definitely worth coming back to.

RIP Ozzie (they gave us this album the day after he died)

Didn’t go as hard as I thought.

I first heard snowblind via a SOAD cover. Lotta songs on this obviously blueprints for the armenian boyz structure wise. Continue to develop their sound and expand it.

Changes usem 1972😂

he ich bin am autofahre gsi bim lose, au scho ufmerksamer gsi. changes isch super. susch au eaaaasy geili sache aber cha nüm sooo viel gnaus sehe. het meh afoch guete rock aber nüt wo mi meega umhaut. e starchs 3.

hahahah noaaaml gad nomal es black sabbath album kenn mich glaub nöd so uus mit vol. 4 I'M GOINNN THROUGH CHANGEEEEES isch det druff oder ahh ja obvio kennis aber sicher nöd so guet wie anders ahh classic sabbath solo I'M GOOOIIING THROUGH CHANGEEEES sehr es komischs aber soo guets liiied hahaha fx isch es meisterwerk de zappa hegi supernaut gern, freumi puuuh de iommi het da spass druff hä KOKS snowblind isch richtigrichtig geil laguna cuute! under the sun typischs iommi-riff WOW BILL WAS 1 FILL jaa hans gfühl das album isch meh gitarre-fokussiert und weniger catchy. immerno sehr guet aber für mich weniger guet wie paranoid, sabbath bloody sabbath oder heaven & hell wird glaub es guets 4i! (nach 1001-massstäb wärs glaub es 5i eifach will nach dem massstab fast alles vo black sabbath es 5i wär aber jo)

R.I.P 🦇

I'm realizing that while I'm quite familiar with 80s/early 90s guitar pyrotechnic Ozzy era, Black Sabbath is an oversight for me outside of the bigger songs. Fascinating to see that while 80s Randy Rhodes/Jake E Lee/Zakk Wylde Ozzy defined a certain shredding era, 70s Black Sabbath was its own thing that seems to have help lay the framework for 90s grunge.

RIP Prince of Darkness

4/5

A very timely listen, due to the sad passing of Ozzy Osbourne the day before. For me, one of the key albums in the history of Black Sabbath, and a huge influence on some massive names in heavy rock. R.I.P. John Michael ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne

On my newly-discovered scale of angsty teenage boy music, for which Slipknot is the actual, literal bottom, this rates pretty well. I wouldn’t listen to Black Sabbath outside of this project, but I’m not disliking this album. I’d even go so far as to say that I actively like Laguna Surprise. Also, RIP Ozzy Osbourne.

Can’t be a coincidence this album comes up the day after Ozzy dies. The band seems to have evolved quite a bit in the two years since Paranoid. The songs sound more complete, whereas a lot of their earlier songs sounded more like just a heavy guitar riff and Ozzy singing with a lot of space between. Was surprised to hear a couple slow songs which Ozzy can pull off with his voice (especially Changes). Liked it, didn’t love it.3.3

2.9 By far the most progressive effort of the early Black Sabbath albums, but I am unfortunately going to argue I don't really think that it works, the progressive parts felt disjointed from within the songs and didn't feel like there was a ton of flow, song to song. Iommi's guitar work is outstanding on its own and so is geezer's, and ward's. Changes is a cool song, Charles Bradley does an unbelievable cover (especially a live version with George Stroumboulopoulos, even if Charles isn't exactly nailing the lyrics). Still a decent album, but for me the weakest of the first handful of sabbath albums. RIP Ozzy

Nothing was bad, but also nothing seemed particularly noteworthy on this album. This is perhaps another victim of not reading the details in the book that highlight why this album holds a place on the list.

So, yeah, Black Sabbath was awesome. Part of me wonders: did Black Sabbath discover all the coolest guitar riffs in the early 70's, leaving nothing but scraps for every band that came after? I know the answer is no because there have been a million awesome bands that came after them, but there's a finite number of ways to arrange notes in a 2-5 minute song, and Ozzy and co. sure found a bunch of badass ones. 4.5

Hell yeah. RIP Ozzy Best song: Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener

A road map for metal to come down. It’s a little all over the place but also rocks hard. Play loud.

Black Sabbath’s first 5 albums are all outstanding!

Is the list preordained or is this only because he just died? I confess being an acolyte of the first three and feeling at the time they were starting to pander to new fans (now I would call myself a bitch-ass rock snob), though why did I immediately not revel in the brilliance of Wheels of Confusion/Straightener? Maybe I was confusing polished self-awareness for lack of urgency? That being said, what fool allowed Changes to be recorded? There are a couple more lapses but all in all they are at the height of their powers.

Well, how apposite for this to turn up on Ozzy’s death day. Not a fan but I was strangely moved today. We’re going through Changes - RIP Ozzy!

As news broke about Ozzy's death, a co-worker asked if I was a fan of Black Sabbath. I had to think about it. Yes, I recognize their significance, really like a bunch of their tunes, generally think the band is cool, but I never reach for a Black Sabbath album when I'm looking for something to listen to (and am not participating in this fabulous adventure). So... I don't know that I'm a fan. And as much as I was appreciating Tony Iommi's soloing and riffs on this record, I do get tired of the sludgy guitars after a few songs. But there's something undeniable at work, somehow these guys transcend their individual talents and have created a behemoth, and music is better for it. And even though they bury it under a mountain of plodding thunder, the blues are under there, writhing and grinding. And after all that... who knows if I'll ever spin it again. RIP Ozzy. Long live Black Sabbath.

My least favorite of the first 4 Sabbath albums, but it's still decent. Supernaut is one of their best tunes. Wheels of Confusion is great, too. I don't love Changes or Laguna Sunrise, and some of side two is a little less than inspired. They're still my favorite metal band, though, so while this is probably more of a 3.5, I'm giving it the half-star bump.

Honestly, I’ve always liked Ozzy’s voice. Is he known for his vocal chops? Hard not to be sentimental with this one…today. Black Sabbath rocks.

RIP. Never been a big fan of his music but an indisputable icon. Snowblind was my favorite on this one - loved the slow solo. The rest was decent. Very consistent sound.

Good hard rock (doesn't feel thrashy enough to be metal to me). Never been a big fan but I liked the album. Changes seems a little out of place though.

Wow this rocked. Even if Ozzy didn’t die yesterday this would have gotten a 5 from me and I’ve never heard any of it before. Toni Iomis guitar parts were unbelievable and the sound of the band was massive. Hard to believe there were only 3 instrument players in Black Sabbath. “Snow blind” was the highlight for me and I also had no idea that the big mouth theme was a cover

Volume 11

but it goes up to 11?

I expected a heavier sound! I don’t really care for the vocals or lyrics but there’s definitely more interesting guitar riffs here than I’ve heard from most of the 70s rock on this list. 5/10

Early Sabbath at their heaviest, most psychedelic and progressive. One of their best.

Got this two days before Ozzy's passing and listening to it one day after. RIP but even putting that to one side, this is fantastic. Sounds amazing, heavy af and some of the best riffs ever. Love it.

\m/ \m/

Great stuff. No notes.

I didn't hate this!

R.I.P Ozzy :(

I enjoyed this. A good album with some great songs. You can hear the echoes of influence it has had on future bands.

Sabbath are great, listening to this album it was very shortly after his last concert and it does make me remember how special they are

Great album!

Never listened to Black Sabbath. Some good tracks. Quite different than I thought it would sound--not that cheesy hard rock proto-metal at all. 1st one has a bunch of time sig changes. 3. "Changes" chill and somber--I like the reverb I am sort of reminded of Yes, though Yes' bass and drums, i think, ties it all together. With some of these tracks, the guitars' slimy and drifty quality makes everything less solid and impactful. So you got some great tracks, though sometimes the incompleteness takes over. The ideas are there, I just need it to be taken home. Sometimes the singer's voice succeeds in this though, I can't lie. 7. "Cornucopia" hits it pretty good 8. "Laguna Sunrise" another chill song. Great guitar playing, and what seems like violins and strings in the background. Not what you'd expect from a band called "Black Sabbath".

Not a fan, this album is not my favourite, but I've enjoyed listening to it. But I won't be coming back to this album and I like a few Black Sabbath songs in general.

Standout Songs: Tomorrow’s Dream Snowblind Cornucopia Under The Sun

Nothing that blew me away. Solid album nonetheless.

I dig this one, though there's not a ton of recognizable tracks on it. The riff driven musicality of Sabbath shines through, and Ozzy sounds fantastic.

Four whole sabbaths?!?! Call that Black Month

This is metal. Holds up over decades.

7.5/10 Second Sabbath album, and they are definitely my speed of metal. Good stuff. Really well played and put together. Ozzy’s voice is excellent. Doesn’t feel insincere like some of the other stuff Best: Changes

Surprisingly nice, might give it a listen again sometime

Possibly the best of all Sabbath albums (though a case could be made for Master of Reality). Just relentlessly awesome! I’ve even come to appreciate “Changes”.

What an album to draw on the day of the big mans death. A masterpiece start to end, you can really hear their blues roots in this, and the sounds that defined a whole new genre growing from that. Rest in peace Ozzy, and thank you for the music

Half of these songs made me surprised the album is categorized as metal. Surprisingly coherent and fluid with this genre stretch

favorite so far

Very good. Tempted to give it 5 stars after the first track. But a solid 4 stars overall.

metal

Jeg elsker Svart Sabbat, og den fjerde platen deres er en av favorittene mine. Når jeg har gleden av å høre en sang så legendarisk som Snøblind så er det umulig å ikke gi full pott. I dag var tilfeldigvis dagen den enestående Ozzy Osbourne tok sitt siste pust. God natt, prinsen av mørket!

3.5/5

Solid metal album through and through. Except for Changes. It sticks out like a sore thumb to me. It's a good song, but it just sticks out. And that's not just because Charles Bradley's cover of it is better than the original.

Some good riffs but nothing really caught my attention

You have to love this album, even if not a fan of that genre.

"Cocaine is a helluva drug." -Rick James. 11/10 album -Germ. Great stoner/sludge album, but compared to their entire catalog there must be other of their albums on this list. - mitona

COCAINE!!!

I’ve been thinking this was randomized, to get this the Monday after the final show is pretty coincidental timing

FOREVER

Was good. No SFX would've been better

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

One of the greats

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

I still don't like that one dumb noodle tacked on to the end of the killer riff of Under the Sun

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

If I didn't know this was Black Sabbath's album, I wouldn't have guessed it. Vol. 4 wasn't completely out of the realm of Black Sabbath but was more progressive than you think Black Sabbath could be. At the same time, heavy metal isn't far from progressive music. And Vol. 4 was definitely heavy metal, through and through, but I heard more of the artistic/progressive side of this band. The best part of this album is definitely that guitar, which slayed throughout.

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.

A definite departure from earlier Sabbath, and I'm sure diehard Sabbath fans (I'm not) did NOT like Laguna Sunrise. A soft rock song on a heavy metal band's album!?!?! It's definitely going through Changes (I really dislike that song). 3.3/5 stars = 3.

Not my thing but not horrible!

This lands with full-on, coke-fueled, long-haired-loner rock energy. It's gritty - I always found BS a little absurd—but that's part of the charm. The lyrics do hold up surprisingly well; “Changes” in particular flooded me with the emotion (maybe it was the PMS). But also, listening made me smile - it took me back—summer break at my friend Liz’s house, smoking weed and spinning her mom’s old Sabbath records. We’d belt out the songs in our grungiest deep-metal-dude voices, collapsing in laughter on piles of laundry. Liz was a total chaos queen—one of the messiest people I’ve ever known. Black Sabbath was fitting.

Cocaine is so fucking annoying. Anyone who's ever been cornered at a party between the hours of 12 and 3AM by someone totally lit up on the stuff knows what I'm talking about. That said, this is the one exception I'll make. This record is arguably the best thing that 4 bandmates doing heart-stopping quantities of the devil's dandruff ever produced (... and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is the absolute fucking worst). I said what I said. Tommi Iommi has always had such a penchant for writing riffs just soaked with foreboding heaviness. Imagine having the terrifying and dark reputation for making some of the most anti-establishment occult rock and roll ever recorded to date and then what? Oh, yeah, go and break everyone's hearts from out of nowhere by writing and recording the incredible "Changes." It's a tall order to make a 70s hesher cry into his 5th can of Strohs but they did it. The rhythm section showed up every damn day to WORK. Osbourne's vocal melodies are sometimes repetitive and follow the guitar rhythms rather than have their own cadence, but when he breaks out of it, some real genius phrasing emerges. Well played, boys. Nearly every song on this album is great, if not incredible. "Supernaut" sounds as fresh, energetic, and vital in 2025 as ever. I wish it didn't fade out though, ugh. I listen to Sabbath pretty regularly, but usually as single selected tracks within playlists. It's another thing entirely to immerse oneself in the record front to back and get taken for a ride the way the band intended it. I would have changed the track order and probably nixed "FX", myself, but it is what it is. I blame the cocaine for this record being almost, but not quite, perfect.

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

Нет, не моё

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

Pretty darn good.

Brings back memories of simpler times in Lincolnshire barns! Good, honest, simple heavy rock, what's not to like!?

A few head-scratchers, but overall I liked it

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.

Pretty solid record. Enjoyed it, but not sure how much I'd come back to it.

I’ve only ever listened to the album Paranoid in the past, but I really liked this as well. RIP Ozzy.

This rocks so hard. Almost every track goes hard. The combination of Changes and FX builds to Supernault in an amazing way, but I find both of those tracks too long. Doesn’t matter. This album rocks!

I can appreciate ozzy Osborne, but this album was just ok.

It's black Sabbath - classic

Good not great. More in line with what I originally expected from Black Sabbath than Paranoid.

Dark and powerful. I loved the heavy guitars and drums across the whole album. Didn’t love the drug themes, but the overall atmosphere really worked for me.

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.

Legendary!

Not their best but comparing this to other albums on this list, this is great.

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

Same feelings as the last Black Sabbath album I got (Paranoid). I love the guitar work, but I don't really like Ozzy's voice. Wheels Of Confusion had really good shredding. Changes had nice piano work. Supernaut and Snowblind were kinda fun. Laguna Sunrise was a good instrumental. Best song: Supernaut

My second favourite black sabbath album

Dark and heavy riff rock, fantastic stuff

10/10 BANGER AND I KNOW BANGERS! i know bangers.

decent to be fair

v good

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

** 1/2 Well, gave it a try ( again). However, Never been a Sabbath Fan…hasn‘t changed.

yeah this is a great record! everything i've heard from sabbath has been really great. it's a wonder i never got into them ever, and i'm really sad i hadn't until this project! the guitars are fuzzy and loud as ever, ozzy's vocals are great. there's even some variety on this one with the great piano ballad 'changes.' now that being said, it's not my favorite sabbath, BUT i still had an absolute blast listening to this one!

4 but only cause changes is a terrible song

Very satisfying

these guys ARE METAL. tho it's hard to say it as the guys who kinda made metal into what metal is. cool stuff overall.

It’s Black Sabbath and it’s a really great album. Love it!

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

what the supernaut

Good one, not the best

their best album

Awesome. Great Sabbath album.

9/10 What an awesome album! Really surprised... Black Sabbath, or at least Ozzy Osbourne, we're a joke really for all the time I've been into music. Stupid reality show, Sharon, biting heads off bats etc. But that did them a massive disservice, because this is a great album with Rick solid riffs wrapped up in great songs. Maybe only an 8, but my Mum was a fan in the early 70s, so they get a nostalgia point.

Not a fan. Deep Purple and Led Zep did it better. Laguna Sunrise the best track. 2

not bad, quiet , great for overthinking in a away

I admire the diversity, but the doom songs are too similar. And I swear I started to hear the solo from 'War Pigs' creep in somewhere.

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

Not for me

"Changes" is a great song, but the rest are pretty forgettable. I dig Sabbath's sound, and Ozzy's voice is near the platonic ideal for hard rock like this. But most of these songs go nowhere interesting. A star less than the brilliant *Paranoid*.

Another masterpiece by Black Sabbath. Their first four albums are their best and classics. The ones after during the Ozzy era and Heaven and Hell with Dio are still great but doesn't quite reach the same flawlessness.

Great from the very first strum of the guitar. Way ahead of its time.

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.

This slaps

Black Sabbath rocks I’m finding out

I enjoyed this more than I thought that I would

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

Epic

I was really impressed with this album - great songs from start to finish!

Okay, sorry, but this just washes over me. Nothing really sticks, good sounds though.

I can really see why people like it, but it ain't for me!

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

Prior to this album popping up, my only connection to Black Sabbath outside of the big hits was my stoner uncle who loved them so much that they ended up being the soundtrack to his funeral. Honestly, I kinda get it now. This album kicked all kinds of ass. It’s less metal and more hard rock, and peppier than some of their other stuff, which made it fun. From what I’m reading in some other reviews, that might be related to unprecedented amounts of cocaine. I’m fine with it. It started great and ended great, with some great stuff in between. FX was weird but I just kinda consider it an interlude and it doesn’t take away from the kickassness of the rest of the album. Supernaut was an instant like. What a fun time!

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

This is fine. There were a few really great songs on here but I don't think it measures up to their debut. Really had to think hard about how I would feel listening to it in 1972 and that did make it a 3 for me when accounting for cultural impact.

Some good moments and songs but I feel like towards the end it's started tapering off - This however is an album that feels very harsh to rate after just one listen so maybe I will hold off

3.5/5

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!

1970-1972 may be, pound for pound, the most important years for metal, and all because of Sabbath. It’s a crime that Master of Reality isn’t also on this list, but we do have Volume 4, aka Snowblind, which only ups the ante from what may be their masterpiece. This is Sabbath at the peak of their powers, with the riffs, drums and Ozzy’s vocals in absolute lock step. Everything sounds incredible, and they may sound the heaviest they’ve ever sounded. Still, you can sense the piles of cocaine mounting, as opposed to the weed and liquor that had dominated prior sessions. The music is crackling and bursting with energy, along with different genres. Reading up on the album, it’s easy to tell this wouldn’t be sustainable, and Sabbath wouldn’t ever hit the same heights, but this is a pretty masterful cap to a run that redefined music forever, with more and more songs and riffs clearly influencing all sorts of metal to come.

yeah guys go ahead just keep inventing metal

Jedinica iz principa. // Bila bi možda dvica ali Changes je najgora pjesma ikad, kako mogu ubiti pjesmu jer doslovno želim da to uradim.

Liked

Standard Sabbath. 3/5

Pass

It’s probably really insensitive, but I find Changes by Black Sabbath really funny. I think it’s because the first time I heard it, it was Ozzy and Kelly Osborne singing it together and it sounded awful. Otherwise, this album seems to experiment more with genres than I was expecting (Changes being a prime example of this, to be fair). It was a fun album, but I’m not sure it should be considered an essential one.

Listened to the 2008 and 2021 remaster and vastly preferred the 2021. Even so, this wasn’t really my thing.

Way more lowkey than I expected from the bat biters. 3.5

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

Could not do it. This album ground me down.

Personally, not my favorite Black Sabbath album but good nonetheless

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.

Decent album, didn’t connect with any one song but it felt polished. Enjoyed it.

great driving with the windows down!

Excellent album

I guess I like Black Sabbath?

I am very excited about this, Black Sabbath is one of those bands that just lives in my DNA. And while I can play Paranoid and Master of Reality in my head if I think hard enough, its been a minute since I've given Vol. 4 a spin front to back. Vol. 4 is smack in the middle of Sabbath's classic era, and sort of feels like a conclusion to the first arc of their career, it just feels like a conclusion to their artistic evolution at the time. That being said, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage are also both excellent, just more essential for Sabbath converts than a general audience. Anyways, to provide some context, I would like to quickly trace Sabbath's career up to this point. The Self titled is the iconic birth of heavy metal, with a foot still sort of in the '60s, but the Pandora's box has been opened. Paranoid is a galvanization and expansion of the metal sound, and an absolute classic, it served as something of a launch pad for Sabbath's contemporaries including (to my ears) the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that was coming over the horizon. On Master of Reality, Sabbath rocket past just about everything else happening at the time, this is plodding, thick and *heavy* and is more or less the formal birth of doom metal, a genre whose existence would finally catch up to this in the late '70s and early '80s. And finally, we have Vol. 4, on which Sabbath both once more double down and make some of their heaviest songs yet, and radically expand their sound. At this time, Black Sabbath were a *fantastic* band, the rhythm section is in perfect lockstep, Geezer Butler anchors this music and Bill Ward can throw fills with the best of them. Not to mention Tony Iommi's fantastic guitar work and truly iconic riffs. Ozzy Osbourne sits atop all of this, and establishes himself as one of the greatest front-men of all time with his charisma and distinct wailing. This is all on display on Vol. 4. The compositions here are among Sabbath's most intricate, these songs twist and turn through plodding chugs and spidery runs and on Supernaut, even an unbelievably groovy rhythm break. The lyrics here are also shockingly good, where previous Sabbath albums had very literal, often narrative lyrics, here Ozzy looks more inward, writing compelling songs about addiction and psychological torment. Some of the best songs here are among Sabbath's best ever, songs like Snowblind, Under The Sun, Cornucopia and Supernaut. These are all exciting, blazing and again *heavy* tracks even today. Some of the shorter songs, like Tomorrow's Dreams and St. Vitus Dance have been consistently growing on me as well. Most interestingly, even the more experimental songs here pretty much all work. Laguna Sunrise is a beautiful and lush instrumental piece, and FX seems kind of inessential, but I think it is vital as a transition between Changes and Supernaut. Speaking of Changes, it is truly fascinating, it is a bona fide ballad, and it is actually really good. I will say, that it feels a little odd tonally, but the more I listen to this album, the more everything seems to slot together. I don't want to be hyperbolic, but I *love* Black Sabbath, and this is a super exciting listen, with many of their best songs ever. Any complaint I have almost seems to work as a "more than the sum of its parts" thing, this whole album is just spectacular.

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

Nah I couldn’t get into it, instrumentals and vocals were both meh. I hope this isn’t their best work. Wasn’t a huge ear sore though.

Kind of run of the mill, and not even all heavy metal. No standout songs in my not very knowledgeable opinion.

I like.

Snowblind!

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.

great to listen to while studying, is heavier than typical rock for the era, an dis well produced, not too experimental for me but not too boring or poppy.

Interesting and at times good, but I also tired of the dude vibe loudness sometimes

5/9

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!

This is a struggle to get through, and honestly, nothing really stuck with me.

Great! Supernaut is insanely good, didn't know I like another Sabbath album outside of Paranoid.

Very good classic metal. Maybe it's not the best now but thinking that they are one of the innovators of this sound is pretty amazing. Very ground breaking stuff. Fun to listen to with great vocals and music. I'm sure I will listen to this again.

Another Black Sabbath album. Another album that I think is fine.

there's a few cahnges

05.23.2025 4☆/5

Sounds like Sabbath. Good, but peaks after the first song. Tony writes some killer riffs though.

point2.

Technically very impressive but not my vibe.

Good album.

While I’m not a big fan of Ozzy’s voice, and I had always shied away from Sabbath maybe as a result. I remember thinking they were so heavy, and as a young kid I was sort of scared of them. So I never really listened to them. I’m glad I did, this is okay.

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

3.5 stars. This album has a nice flow to it

I felt the maelstrom of despair in the tip of my veiny dih

Não me pegou tanto quanto eu achei que fosse 😩 Tiveram umas 3 que amei, mas o restante não me chamou muito a minha atenção.

This great album is the proof that a five-star album doesn't need to be full of hits (and that an album full of hits is not necessarily a five-star album, right, Thriller?) Amazingly consistent, one of the most amazing guitar works I've ever listened to. Black Sabbath at its peak!

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.

It's giving noise, it's not bad noise it's just making me kind annoyed listening to them one after another. If they were in a mix I'd like them more

Favorite: Changes

3.9 Would be 4 but not their best. Some of their best songs, but not the best album

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

Solid, albeit a bit disjointed. Back half was more enjoyable that the front half, but this album did push itself past a 3.5.

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.

3+ Stars (9/15)

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

Black Sabbath. Enough said.

Quite a bit sharper, more polished, and more upbeat than the first two Black Sabbath albums. I liked it but didn't love it. Doesn't quite capture the fun or creative feeling their earlier work had, and rarely matches the more serious feelings of doom and gloom. It's all very competent and very energetic but I can't help but be slightly disappointed. Vocals are better and with less awkward lyricism, but that was kind of the charm of Black Sabbath and Paranoid. Also a bit too extravagant for my tastes in many areas.