Paranoid

Solid, seminal Heavy Metal album.

Kind of the quintessential Sabbath album.

A delight. Not quite a 5 because there were a couple songs I could take or leave but I had a lot of fun with this one. Would rate 4.5 if I could

Hard as fuck

Really good A side and the B side doesn't fall much short of that bar.

Tiene algún tema histórico, pero a decir verdad me ha aburrido un poco escucharlo. Es muy chulo el instrumental pero se me ha hecho repetitivo. Es cierto que Iron Man es increible

This album is considered by many to be the first heavy metal album. In 1970 there was no music like this. Three of the tracks from the album are still played today on radio. The album is not overly long. Because of the historical significance this album gets a high rating.

In the 2000s when "The Osbournes" was a show, I found it very incongruous that Ozzy was in Black Sabbath because he seemed like a very unserious man. Not that I ever listened to Black Sabbath. I do not like an 8 minute song, but this album is mostly fine. Not my style but not the worst. I like that 'Paranoid' is Finland's 'Free Bird'. Highlight: 'Iron Man'

Already fav

This is a great album that still stands the test of time. It wasn't quite metal yet but hard rock but somehow close to psychedelic and a bit of prog. I wish there would be more albums like this today because it has a truly special place in that style. That all being said, I feel there could be some more special stuff in the middle of the album.

Wait…why this album slay?? Banger after banger for all the divorced dads out there

Classic rock/metal album with songs I have heard growing up. Ozzy's voice and the guitar riffs are so classic it gets me in a great mood. I could, and probably will, listen to this all day!

The Good: We know we are being followed… The Bad: We think… The Ugly: Constantly having to look over one’s shoulder… Okay, Okay, that was terrible… thing is, I am way behind on rating the last 7 albums which were released to me, and several of these albums were enough to break my spirit… Not this one! What an album! I never realized that I really do appreciate metal music… I know I like rock, but hot damn, the way that this album just kicks off, is more than awesome! The only gripe which I have with this album would be the fact that there are moments when you just wished they’d get on to the next tune… which made me give the 4* Should this list ever be redone, where we could score through 10, then this album would be a 9!

One of the best metal albums, wait strike that, best albums of all time. Starting it with war pigs, and hammering through paranoid and iron Man, makes it a classic on its own. Even the lesser know like planet caravan, and electric funeral are real bangers. Also, special mention to Jack the stripper/fairies wear boots. It's had a special place in my playlist since high school, didn't know why, other than awesomeness. This totally goes against the pattern I saw yesterday.

🤘

The only thing you can trust in life is the first four Black Sabbath albums

This was an immediate 5! One of my favorite albums ever.

I always enjoyed Sabbath, but I think it finally clicked. It was always relegated in the classic rock camp for me, but as I do more of these exercises, I'm seeing more and more evidence of how they did it best before anyone else could use that influence. I'd probably ding it for that bongo track, but it makes more sense to just round it up to 5.

So much effort spent on pushing the narrative that this guy was the devil the whole time he just hates war and fascists. Go off king

Very nice album, three of the songs being quite popular and the rest also having this Black Sabbath sound to them. Overall, pretty alright but I feel like we've gotten spoiled with the music that came our a few years after this album, although this was definitely important in rock music history.

Not for me, might be ahead of their time but it feels dated.

Sometimes 5⭐ simply aren't enough

A lot of the songs sound very similar to me.

I'm an Ozzy guy what can I say? Best Song: War Pigs Rating: 9.5/10 Stars: 5/5

Classic

Black Sabbath have never been a top heavy rock band for me. I was always more a Deep Purple fan. Yes they were similar in a lot of ways but Purple songs were a lot more appealing due to their melodic value. But this Sabbath album is an enormous favourite of mine. It is the subsequent Sabbath albums which never resonated. One track alone and that is the title track, make this album a solid 10/10. Paranoid the single means a lot to me. I mean which 17 yr old in 1970 could resist that riff? Or with his mates stand round in a circle, armed with air guitars, shaking their hair to disrupt all the girls who all they wanted to do was dance to Band Of Gold? A top record which alone gives it top marks but in all honesty every track on this album is a banger. Pity it was for me never replicated. 5/5 6/6/25

As a teen metalhead in the early 80s "new wave of British HM" was my thing. Sabbs were has-beens to me so I never looked at their back catalogue. I have heard most of these tracks since and the whole album is a classic. 4½ bumped up to 5 for being such an influencer to all those NWOBHM bands

I mean obviously 5. What an album

welcome to mass. come, let us worship. war's destruction, human weakness, nuclear winter, the inevitability of death (and what comes after), fairy footwear. sometimes wrapped in biblical, druggy, and fantastical metaphor, sometimes straight up. says more than most other albums and does so in a revolutionarily heavy way. throw in a heady dose of space travel, killer tone shifts, and an all-time sci-fi archetype, and you've got yourself one of the greatest rock albums ever. it came out in 1970 when lots of artists were shaping blues to fit their own visions, and this is no exception. it makes sense that doom was born of a genre obsessed with sadness and death, but also obsessed with expressing it in tones that extend beyond melancholy. the genesis of stoner and doom, and of so much more that has come since. a great record with a phenomenally stupid and absolutely perfect album cover.

Electric fucking funeral baby, new fav Sabbath song. That riff is juicy and the breakdown in the middle is wild. Electric Funeral, Electric Funeral… Electric Funeral. This band has a constant vibe and I have come to learn just can randomly choose a track and it will be solid. Ozzy’s voice is a storm and with thunder and lightning backing him as we strap ourselves to the crows nest. “Is that all you got” we scream as Forest calls our name below…”Lt. Dan!!!” We can’t hear him cause we are caught, thrashed and hurled in every direction. We don’t know if we’ll survive, and right now, we don’t care. We are in the storm and we feel alive!!!!

My prayers have been answered. Cover has a bro larping in a laser tag warehouse. Bad Ass. How Bad Ass is Sabbath? Real Bad Ass. Took me a while to find Sabbath, which is embarassing - considering how much they've influnced so much of the music I love. I can partially blame it on Dumb Ass reality TV in the early 2000's making ozzie look not Bad Ass, when he was truly Bad Ass. I put the rest of my blame on my father for not raising me right. Paranoid falls short of unseating Vol. 4, but doesn't fall short of being Bad Ass. 5.

Instant classic, where it all began!

Listened mostly in the truck and the last few songs on the phone via YouTube Music. Been a while since listening all the way though. Planet Caravan, Electric Funeral, and Hand of Doom were all great to hear again. Definitely the foundation for a lot of music that came along later. Dynamics were also better than I remembered.

Overall: 10/10 I don't even know where to begin. This album is 55 years old and it hasn't aged a single day. It's dark and doomy and may be the most important metal album of all time (or tied with Sabbath's debut). War Pigs is still the greatest metal song ever written in my opinion. It's heavy, lyrically relevant and every member of the band gives such an incredible performance. It blows me away every single time I listen to it. Every other song is amazing as well. Paranoid is pretty much punk, Planet Caravan is hypnotizing, Electric Funeral and Hand of Doom are both epic and Fairies Wear Boots is one of my favourite Ozzy performances. Tony is a riff lord, Geezer showed me how creative bassists can be and Bill is just incredibly underrated, bringing ferocity while adding bits of jazz influences. One of my favourite drummers of all time. I'll stop there because I could go on forever and still never say anything original because IT'S PARANOID. I love it so much. Fav Song: War Pigs Least Fav Song: Planet Caravan

Too heavy for me

Great. Sabbath. Lots of hits. Easy listening

Fantastic album. 4.5/5

NIB

3.8 2x classics all around

War Pigs is probably the greatest metal song of all time and the rest of the album is pretty great too.

I liked the songs I already knew. The other songs were too long and too many instrument solos.

A classic. Great guitar riffs. Incredible Ozzy range. And a clear rejection of all things hippie.

Black Sabbath at their best, iconic riffs, plus Ozzy

straight up bare en af de mest inflydelsesrige heavy metal albums. inspirerede slayer, soundgarden og metallica. Det har en meget gritty og raw lyd. blev udgivet under vietnam og tappede lidt ind i krig og social unrest og paranoia

Stone cold classic. I felt genuinely excited when I saw this come up as my album today - purely based on a desire and excuse to listen to this masterpiece. Early sabbath really puts me into that dark folklore, psychedelic wizard headspace that I love. Perhaps this album is overplayed and thus overrated for some, but it is still near perfect to my ears. 4.5/5

-it was good but the only song i would reach for again was iron man

a nice background record!

Didn’t finish it as I’ve been pretty busy but in my books it gets an automatic 4 just for iron man

I AM IRON MAN>

Black Sabbath's best known work, and for good reason. Each song is a banger, made up of nothing but massive riffs and swinging grooves, set off against lyrics which provided a counter to the counter culture. Peace and love are dead, this is the world we live in - welcome to heavy metal. Just for the record, I prefer Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Vol. 4. They go into a new sonic dimension, but couldn't exist without the foundations laid by the debut and Paranoid. Favourite tracks: everything, especially War Pigs - my most played bassline and the greatest opening track of any album ever.

I was always intimidated by the tough heavy metal kids in my school (and by extension their music), so I didn't discover Black Sabbath until I was middle aged. This is a great album. It's heavy, but more importantly it's fun! The music is accessible and skilled and - even 55 years after its release - interesting.

It’s a good album. No notes.

Jedinica iz principa. // Bila bi trica jer su na ovom albumu sve njihove pjesme koje išta valjaju.

Not my first intro to them, but as soon as Fairies kicked I knew it was over for me. Their self titled was perfect for teen me, but when I got my hands on this at KMart fuuuuuccckkkkk. Front to back, front to back. There was no stopping them at this point.

Ok, you start off with War Pigs and then it doesn't go downhill from there? It goes straight into Paranoid? A lot of these songs are long in the tooth because they get played so. much. but even with that they're still great. And 1970? Man, I've given other bands on this list credit for doing less, later. Sure, it's kind of rehashed blues, and it's a little formulaic in how the songs are constructed, but that's looking 50 years backwards. The rehashed blues and formula-driven sound are on fire. Hell of an album.

Between the concepts of the “big bang” and Freud’s “primal scene” there are some pleasing symmetries. Among them, there’s the implication that all that now is was once “one” – a one that was both the impossibly expansive potential of everything that could ever be, and also, weirdly, this. This narrow now. I guess a “narrow now” might have been what Birmingham would have felt like in the 60s, too. While down the road a cultural revolution was in full swing; for the Midlands and the north it was a bit more kitchen sink. Some angry men writing angular, spiky things … but a fair few more in the foundries and factories. In one of them, a sheet metal factory, Tony Iommi was to lose the tips of a couple of fingers; initially delaying his progress as a guitarist, that is before a couple of bespoke prostheses were developed … and Tony realised that detuning the guitar might help with corralling the strings. A few years later, Sabbath’s darker, “heavier” sound clicked magnificently into place. “Paranoid”, the band’s second album, is perhaps their defining statement. A collection of songs so absolutely brilliant, original and audacious that the only sensible reply, here in 2025, has to be “thank you”. (A full list of thank yous – for Maiden, for Mayhem, for Converge and Cursed – would be daft, but I’ll say that this listen through was particularly enlightening of the debt the entire 90s counterculture owes to Sabbath, too. While it’s fairly obvious how influential Sabbath was to RATM, I hadn’t ever really considered how it is that grunge might be the sound of a load of young American musicians trying to rescue and revive what they loved about Sabbath from a group who’d pushed their Sabbath in another direction entirely. Or to put it another way, a clear Sabbath influence is about the only thing that Nirvana’s “Bleach” and GnR’s “Appetite for Destruction” share … and that feels significant.) While there’s no doubting that Iommi’s gift for a riff would have seen his band right – especially when considered in context of one as individually world-beating as Sabbath were; let alone Ozzy, for god’s sake – it’s at least in some respect to the lost fingertips that we owe the “heavy” bit. (And when I say “we”, I really do mean “history”.) For psychoanalysts and physicists alike, there are no accidents. And here, at Sabbath’s big bang, we find the primal scene of all that’s heavy. It’s a simply incredible record. Thanks.

3.5

No complaints.

One of my favorites. "War Pigs", "Paranoid", and "Iron Man" are absolute bangers, and "Electric Funeral" inspired another renowned doom metal band's name. This record still holds up 55 years later.

Another thing I would have never listened to but should have. My musical enlightenment continues.

Could have given this a 4 if I was to put it in direct comparison to the s/t (still one of my most favorite discoveries from this list) but as it stands, Paranoid is an incredible second 1970 TKO from Black Sabbath that further cements their place as legends. Wish it was a little more doom, but my boys in bummer rock are still capable of laying down solid gold.

Great metal album, one of the first albums that got me listening to heavier stuff. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I good.

4.5

Absolute classic. Bangers from start to finish. Listening always makes me nostalgic, thinking of my dad’s beat up old record full of pops and clicks. Highlights: Literally the whole album but if I had to pick - War Pigs (one of my favourite songs), Paranoid, Hand of Doom.

Heh, ozzy!

One of the greats of the genre for a reason. Truly pioneering and endlessly imitated to this day. Plus the songs just rip.

Fuck yeah, more black sabbath.

Another 8 bangers from Black Sabbath. It’s wild they released this album in the same year as their debut; 1970, what a year! This is such a great collection of songs that it’s difficult to think of what else to say. Just perfect.

I knew this was a banger when it popped up. Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs are all bangers and the rest of the album keeps that hype.

great soundtrack for replastering the bathroom walls on a long weekend

Still sounds awesome today

I really liked this one. I knew a lot of the songs already but didn’t realize they’re all on this album. I remember learning to play Iron Man on guitar and showing Collin how to do that long note at the beginning (hold on the string above the fret board) I’d do 4.5/5 if I could — just not a 5 because I think I’d have to be in the right mood for this one

Classic through and through. Not sure I remembered that it had a softer side as well. Top track - War Pigs

track 1, er et meget fedt nummer med meget godt guitar og soloer. track 2, er et virkelig fedt nummer track 3 er meget hyggeligt og afslappende track 4, er faktisk meget godt og ikonisk, men ikke den bedste track 5, er fint nok stoppede albummet ved track 6 da jeg syntes at det generelt var lidt kedeligt efter track 3

Opens great with War Pigs and Paranoid. Iconic voice, awesome guitars and drums. Album goes hard. Some songs (Electric Funeral, Planet Caravan) are just ok.

9/10

The greatest metal album ever recorded period. One of the greatest albums of any genre ever. A masterpiece in every facet.

One of the reasons why I'm such a music fanatic - beyond that, really- music is one of the great joys in life for me up there with kinky sex & pizza. Cute kittens (they are all cute) and puppies too. It will always blow my mind how four humans created something so magnificent & humbling. This goes well beyond being a beast of a record (it is that) but a life changer, released during the very early days of my favorite genre of music HEAVY METAL one of my earliest concerts back in 2013 (I was 11 & already lost to the cause) was Black Sabbath's farewell tour with my dad who got us very near the front of the stage tickets- I was in heaven- Tony Iommi was mesmerizing to watch that late summer night -he stood there like a shadow, a Rock God mere feet away from me EVERYTHING after that concert was BBS (Before Black Sabbath) and ABS (After Black Sabbath) the fire had been lit. You NEED this album if you love Rock music to any degree but careful there as there might be no coming back.

It is a milestone album, so therefore I give a 5, but it is a weak 5. Planet Caravan and Rat Salad is the weakest points of the album.

More variety in the album then the three songs I know so well

Ironman is a bit rubbish, other tracks are good

hate it... no stars... heard it long ago... and no need to revisit this drivel that, somehow, has become a legendary record we all should hear... lol... amazing what repetition and mind control can accomplish... some good players in this band... the lyrics are comical... the singing is grating and amateurish... the fake "bravado" is laughably weak to a real man... who did this scare? lol... pass... hard...

Sehr cooles Album mit einigen Klassikern des Heavy Metal. Muss aber auch ehrlich gestehen das es sehr stark anfing und am Ende etwas nachließ. Dennoch, dieses Album hat verdient in den Geschichtsbüchern zu stehen - 4 Sterne

Gut Angefangen, gut nachgelassen. 3,5 Sterne

I cannot objectively rate this album. It was one of the first secular albums I ever listened to after trading a playset of Magic cards (Craw Wurm, specifically) to borrow a friend’s CD copy of it so I could tape it. I thought it would be impossible for music to ever be faster or harder than Electric Funeral. My grandmother cried when she heard it. 5 stars.

Lets start with WHAT AN AMAZING DRUM SOLO...... This is Black Sabbath I was always going to give this a great score, I have owned this album in most forms and many times, this is one of those albums that plays so well from start to finish and it's one that everyone will know at lest one track on. Classic album

Good listen.

This is just an undisputed One Of The Greatest Ever. All tracks are awesome and the musicianship is off the charts. How anyone can not appreciate snarling Ozzy, the wicked drumming by Ward, the slapping bass by Geezer, the fingers of Iommi, and especially the mix of them all together is beyond me. Five stars without question.

I feel like I’ve listened to this record in its entirety on my own lately. So I could probably skip it and give it 5 stars. But the drum groove on war pigs alone is worth it. I love the bass on “Planet Caravan”. I really love this record. Love this album.

Very nice! Classic of course, but great production, overall excellent songwriting, even if a bit tedious here and there.

My review last week in my other “project”: “Not much to say on top of all the other reviews. It's a colossal, classic. 5 stars without listening, 6 because I listened to it anyway. No? Ok, 5 is it.”

iconic album. ages really well. everything up until electric funeral is forever in the zeitgeist of rock n roll.

I kind of enjoyed this. There are some great songs on this album!!

Classic/5 One of the greatest metal albums of all time. Filled with absolute bangers with a sprinkling of psych rock and blues. The guitar tones throughout this album are perfect and nostalgic. Will continue to be in rotation.

Not my favorite Black Sabbath album, but probably their most popular / catchiest. It slaps. 9/10

This is an excellent album. If I could I’d give it 4.5/5

Man, good couple of days for album recs 10/10, no notes... Ok, one note: Ozzy has got to be one of the laziest vocalists of all time on this one, lol. Still fucks tho

Du lourd … qui s’éternise quand même sur plusieurs morceaux Bonne surprise de rat salad, court et pêchu Un classique du genre !

War Pigs and Paranoid are both songs I’ve heard a ton - wouldn’t have been able to tell you the artist or the album though. Plus, Iron Man of course. And that’s just Side A.

Nice. I learned to appreciate it when my son played it over and over. Ozzy is cool.

An album so good, so perfect, you quickly learn all the words and sing along....50 years after its release. Genre defining. I doubt there are any criticisms by people with ears.

Sabbath was never my thing, but mostly I disliked their attention getting gimmicks. That said now older and wiser I can stop and appreciate their offerings a little more. The songs are well written and with one exception I enjoyed the whole LP

Très bon album, une référence

classicão mas batidão. já ouvi mil vezes.

War Pigs is nearly a 5 by itself, what an album 🤘

This will be a first. I didn't not enjoy it. It just wasn't what I expected.

Bättre än väntat men det var de man hört innan som var bäst

Classic album that I really enjoyed 8/10

i like the riffs and music generally, not really something i see myself listening to again though but still throughly enjoyable and nice enough to have on in the background

A classic, simple as that.

Some of the best classic heavy metal!

Not a metal fan but I enjoyed that

☀︎j’aime bien Fairies Wear Boots 3.75

All time great album. Damn near every song on this is an absolute classic.

Three of the first four songs are absolute classics. You can't listen to this without a little head banging! Liked Songs Added: War Pigs/Luke's Wall Paranoid Iron Man Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots

Rock and Roll defined. I love the hard rock guitar and the fact that even the long songs went by fast. The musicianship was great and emanated the spirit of hard rock.

unbearable and overrated

The music was decently good, but the singing was lousy. Also in most of the songs, the voice follows music exactly, like beat for beat, which kind of sounds weird. Planet Caravan was nice and chill, and Rat Salad was good because it was an instrumental. A couple other songs had some nice shredding in them, but the vocals just turn me off. Best song: Planet Caravan

Not much to say on top of all the other reviews. It's a colossal, classic. 5 stars without listening, 6 because I listened to it anyway. No? Ok, 5 is it.

rat salad drum solo you are so beloved to ME! This rocked so hard. RAHHH

I've said it before, cake have the superior cover of war pigs

War Pigs / Luke's Wall - Really cool intro Paranoid - okay other songs - listened to them in the car, but wasn't able to write each individual entry. was a cool album! Want to come back and relisten for sure.

Papaparapaparapa

Not into hard core music but still pretty good album.

Really enjoyed this

This album is for you who finish with your woman cause she couldn't help you with your mind. For you who agrees that politicians hide themselves away after started the war. For you, living in the crimson eye of Great God Mars. For you, that just stares at the world. For you, living in a dying world of radiation. For you, who knows what to do when time's caught up with you. For you, banging your head at the Rat Salad. For you, who believes that fairies wear boots. It's a day to dust off the old LP or CD, or even type the album's name in that green app, and let loose! IRON MAN LIVES AGAIN!

Hard not to let yesterday’s death impact this, but regardless I loved it. Couldn’t get into it in my teens but love it now.

Another all-time banger. This is actually my fouth favorite Black Sabbath album after the debut, Heaven & Hell, and Mob Rules. I still say one of the RJD Sabbath albums should have been included. Still, this is one of Ozzy's finest moments... War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom, and Fairies Wear Boots are all killer classic Sabbath to me, it seems to be the third song on each side that slightly dips it for me. Rat Salad is utter filler. 9.8/10 ★★★★½

My favourite Black Sabbath album. Solid from start to finish. 5 stars

4 stars

“Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry”. The joke being that this has quite the most overblown rating on here and on RYM despite at best having at best three great songs. Granted War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man are quite fantastic all-timers and very definitively peaks of early heavy metal. Planet Caravan on the first side is a right snoozer though and pretty much all the second side congeals into one moderately doomy indistinct average dungeony metal blurp. Still a 4 because of how good the top few tracks on here are.

Love this album. Natural progression from their first album which is more of a blues-rock jam, it’s no nonsense musicianship - guitar, bass, drums and vocals and yet it never sounds like it is lacking anything further. The quiet space in it only adds to the difference in dynamics of when it gets loud and heavy. Despite being no fan of the heavy metal genre, it’s impossible to ignore just how influential this album is to that scene and how it still sounds kind of fresh today. Feel like i’m handing out the 5 stars like candy, but it is a strong 4.5/5 but I’m not sure it can be considered the same level as my top of all time so i think i will round it down to 4/5

Duh.

1053 albums in, and I am still amazed that Black Sabbath came out with this sound in 1970. A lot of the 1001 albums have helped me learn about the evolution of different genres and styles, and a lot of it makes sense. But for Sabbath to come out with “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” and “Iron Man” at that point in the evolution of rock and roll was so far ahead of their time. This was Sabbath’s second album (both in 1970!), but I like it much more than the debut. Looking back on all my metal reviews as we near the end of the list, and although I still need to go back and review a couple of Metallica albums, I think “Paranoid” may be my favorite heavy metal album. (I don’t actually count Zeppelin as metal.)

Black Sabbath definitely turned it up to 11 on Paranoid compared to their debut. The title track and Iron Man are standard bearers of the genre. This may not be the heaviest of heavy metal on this list but extra points for leading the charge.

And a half

It’s hard to believe that this album came out in 1970. The sound is as classic as it gets, as fresh today as 55 years ago. This is the defining heavy metal sound to me. I prefer The Cardigans’ cover of Iron Man over the original, but that is neither here nor there.

One of the most influential metal album of all time - an absolute game-changer. It is astonishing what these musicians created in the late '60s and early '70s, redefining the genre in a truly revolutionary way. Personally, Paranoid was one of the first track that introduced me to metal - the opening riff is just something unforgettable

Butler and ward, so underrated.

The album that started my journey into metal. Easy 5.

killer

We need to stop pretending and just admit this is a psychedelic rock album

Iron Man, top Song, Avenger and Kids' book

About as dark as it got back in 1970

I liked it. Some epic metal anthems, some great singing. The lyrics are a little juvenile at times, which makes it hard to hold up to aging, but overall a solid album. 3.25

Bit rocky for me. Like track one

Good

Classic. very good 9/10

Seminal rock, opens with some crackers. Nothing gets my head bashing like war pigs. Few of the tracks are a little gratuitously long!

2.5 stars Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The non-hits didn’t interest me much, but Planet Caravan was a chill, trippy surprise.

This is what the the Sex Pistols shoulda been... first and great. Sabbath started a genre and were still able to make incredible records that hold up decades later. Very impressive. It's actually kinda shocking how well this album holds up. I can't believe War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man are all on side A. It's almost overwhelming. In my head they were spread out across their entire discography. And then there are the deep cuts. Also great. Whenever I had an inkling of boredom, the album would cut in a fun new direction. The middle sections in Electric Funeral and Hand of Doom are so hype. In general, I think Sabbath is best when they up the bpm. Rat Salad with the drum solo is excellent. Planet Caravan is weird and spacey and slow, in a good way. Feels like a totally different band, especially with the vocal effects and hand percussion. It's just a great fucking record. I honestly didn't think Ozzy had it in him. I feel like I know him more as a media personality than musician. I underestimated him. He's great on this record.

Overall, this was a fun listen. While I have some issues with its production, it clearly influenced a lot of music that followed it. --------------------------- LISTENING NOTES BELOW --------------------------- War Pigs -my favourite War Pig is Arabella -drum tones from this time are so FLAT and weak. Feels out of place on a "heavy metal" album. This is something that the next cohort (eg. Van Halen) did better. -guitar tone, however, kicks ass Paranoid - just a tight, wicked rock song Iron Man - iconic intro - the lyrics are a bit...childish? "Has he lost his mind? Can he see or is he blind?"...woof - the drums feel sloppy at times, lots of pushing and pulling. As was the style at the time? Electric Funeral - that breakdown part at 2:20 is so damn groovy. Hearing pangs from the first Wolfmother album Rat Salad - cool "drum solo"... same 3 fills on a loop (beginner Bonham triplets, TOM-KICK-TOM TOM-KICK-TOM, snare so fast)... it was a relief when this one was over

This record absolutely rules. Production wise, it is a joy to listen to. Songwriting wise? Theatrical and dark and epic and… well, basically everything you want from a heavy metal record, no? I really enjoyed this one, and for me there wasn’t a single moment that felt stale or drawn out — even the 8 minute opening track (which usually I scoff at).

I expected to hate this and ended up really enjoying it, likely because I was familiar with the first half of the album from Joe playing the songs on guitar. Exceeded expectations!

Wasn’t as horrible as expected, but not great. This was only a moderately popular album when I was in high school, appealing to the more hardcore stoners, not to imply my friends and I were less hardcore stoners.

Side A has to be in contention for “greatest first four songs on an album.” Second half is a slight let down, but anything would be. Another pivotal childhood album. My friend who grew up to be a gigging bassist got into the Dead, this album, the Doors, and Blue Oyster Cult in junior high, and introduced me to all of them. (I don’t *think* he was getting stoned in junior high, I just think his parents were, and they introduced him to this music.) BOC, meh. The Doors, meh. GD is hit or miss. But this album stuck and has never gone away. Odds are extremely high I’ll practice Paranoid, Iron Man, or War Pigs on the guitar later. And I don’t think it’s a hot take to trace back all my favorite sub genres of metal to this album, “Planet Caravan” in particular. The band Sleep doesn’t exist without that song, I’m convinced. (I now see the top review for this album credits “Electric Funeral” for sludge metal. The review’s not wrong. The real marvel is the diversity of sound among these songs, and the credible claim several of them would have on later subgenres. It’s a little like hearing a foundational document of a religion that later had all kinds of schisms.)

I knew it would only be a matter of time before I got one of my all time favorite albums. This, along with the self titled album, Master of Reality, Vol 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Sabotage are all 5-star perfect albums. Fun fact about Paranoid- it was the last album with guitars tuned to E standard. Starting with the next album (Master of Reality) Tony Iommi started de-tuning 3 steps to c# and Sabbath became the heaviest thing in the known universe.

Classic album by a classic band, this is prob the album but most everyone knows because of the fact it has three of their biggest songs on it!

Oozes quality

This one really drew me in. Excited for a re-listen sometime.

Il fallait bien que ça arrive, dans ce projet un peu fou qu'est l'écoute des "1001 albums", on savait qu'on allait tomber sur des monuments. Des trucs si énormes, si fondateurs, qu'en parler relève presque de l'insolence. Et puis on allait aussi tomber sur des disques qui, même s'ils ne font pas partie de notre panthéon personnel, forcent un respect quasi religieux. "Paranoid" de Black Sabbath, c'est exactement ça. Un monolithe noir, tombé du ciel en 1970, sept mois à peine après leur premier album, pour annoncer à un monde hippie qui n'avait pas encore rangé ses fleurs que la fête était terminée. Déflagration !!! C'est le premier mot qui vient à l'esprit. On est en 1970, le "Peace and Love" a pris une vilaine gueule de bois à Altamont, le Vietnam s'éternise, et l'optimisme des sixties commence à sentir le rance. Et pendant ce temps, à Birmingham, quatre types à l'allure de prolos sous-payés, loin des paillettes de Carnaby Street et des plages californiennes, branchent leurs amplis et accouchent d'une musique qui sonne comme la bande-son de la désillusion. Une musique lourde, poisseuse, menaçante. Une musique qui ne cherche pas à plaire, mais à écraser. Il faut comprendre le miracle Black Sabbath. Ce son n'est pas né d'une stratégie marketing, non il est né d'un accident. Tony Iommi, le guitariste, s'est fait amputer le bout de deux doigts dans une usine et pour continuer à jouer, il se fabrique des prothèses et, surtout, il baisse l'accordage de sa guitare pour que les cordes soient moins tendues. Bénédiction déguisée car ce geste, purement pragmatique, invente un son. Un son gras, caverneux, qui va devenir la pierre angulaire de tout un pan de l'histoire du rock. Ajoutez à ça la basse de Geezer Butler, lourde comme un jour sans pain mais incroyablement groovy et inventive (le type venait du jazz, ça s'entend), la frappe de Bill Ward, un bûcheron qui aurait mangé un métronome, et puis... Ozzy. Ah, Ozzy, le type n'est pas un chanteur, c'est une sirène d'alerte. Une voix nasillarde, angoissée, qui ne cherche jamais la performance vocale mais qui transperce par sa sincérité brute. C'est la voix du mec du coin de la rue, celui qui voit le monde s'effondrer et qui le gueule comme il peut. Pas de poésie absconse, pas de métaphores fumeuses. Quand il chante "War Pigs", on est dans la boue avec les soldats, quand il geint "Paranoid", on sent la crise d'angoisse monter. C'est ça, la force du groupe : une authenticité totale, une absence crasse de prétention. Ce ne sont pas des rock stars, ce sont les messagers du marasme ambiant. Et c'est là que "Paranoid" devient plus qu'un simple album de rock lourd. C'est un document sociologique. Oubliez les histoires de filles et de bagnoles. Ici, on parle de maladie mentale ("Paranoid"), de la guerre et des politiciens corrompus ("War Pigs"), des dangers de la drogue ("Fairies Wear Boots"), de l'apocalypse nucléaire ("Electric Funeral")... Merde, en 1970, qui avait les couilles de balancer des thèmes pareils à la gueule d'un public qui découvrait à peine le hard rock ? Personne. Eux, si. Ils ont mis en musique le côté sombre du réel, l'anxiété collective d'une époque qui sentait le soufre. Alors, pourquoi 4/5 et pas la note maximale ? Peut-être parce que, malgré son statut de pièce maîtresse, l'album reste ancré dans une structure blues-rock qui, pour un mec comme moi biberonné au post-punk et à l'indie, peut parfois paraître un peu... basique. On sent les fondations, la racine bluesy qui n'a pas encore été totalement dynamitée. C'est brillant, mais on n'est pas encore dans la déstructuration totale que des groupes plus tardifs (et que j'affectionne, avouons-le) pousseront à son paroxysme. "Paranoid" est un album de riffs, des riffs de l'enfer, certes, mais la construction reste parfois classique. N'allez pas croire que je boude mon plaisir, loin de là. Écouter "Paranoid", c'est comme visiter un site archéologique, tu regardes les fondations et tu comprends tout ce qui a été construit dessus. Sans "Iron Man", pas de stoner, sans la lourdeur de "Hand of Doom", une bonne partie de la scène sludge et doom, de Godflesh à Sunn O))), n'existerait tout simplement pas. C'est le Big Bang, le point zéro de tout ce qui est lourd, sombre et puissant dans le rock. C'est le disque qui a prouvé que la noirceur pouvait être une matière première aussi noble que la mélodie pop. Ce n'est pas un disque qui caresse dans le sens du poil. C'est un parpaing dans la gueule mais un parpaing nécessaire, fondateur. Il a ouvert une brèche dans laquelle des légions de musiciens se sont engouffrés, une faille sombre et béante qui, plus de cinquante ans après, n'a toujours pas fini de résonner. Pour ça, et pour cette collection de riffs qui pourraient faire trembler les murs de n'importe quelle cathédrale, le respect est éternel.

Some classics, a little to metal for me but not unbearable

I am really glad that I finally listened to this classic album and that this has been the first album I got. I’ve never been into anything metal-like and this has been my first album in this genre. It wasn’t really my cup of tea. Ozzy‘s singing didn’t really resonate with me. I quite liked some of the guitar parts especially in the last 3 tracks of the album. I totally understand the appeal, but it isn’t something that resonates with me at the moment. I will come back to some of the tracks for the guitar though.

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I remembered it when I listen to it years ago. I feel like this album is a good example of how an entire album can sometimes be greater than the individual song.

holy shit

Wow does this album start strong. The first 4 songs are all incredible hits one after another. Back half of the album doesn't reach the impossibly high standards of the first half but still a great album. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

Wow - I never realized that I was a massive Black Sabbath fan. This is undeniably a 5. Lyrics are so solid. Concept type album. Innovative and super unique (for the time) sound. Like if Led Zeppelin was pissed. I am grading this a 4.75 on my personal tracker, just because this isn't exactly my style of music. Something about Ozzie's voice just rubs me a bit wrong, but it's probably because it's so "70s" and I generally find the 70s a bit gross.

Surprisingly enjoyable. I don’t like metal generally. But this was good fun. This is probably 3.8 so I’m gonna generously round it up to a 4. You’re welcome Ozzy.

Classic

Trött på rock

Less irritating than I expected this to be based on my preconceived idea of Black Saabath. I respect what they're doing but I don't enjoy it.

Yes please, the birth of heavy metal.

Sludgy. Proto. Appreciate but don't love.

Ain't no way that so far I got Johnny Cash and Black Sabbath in TWO DAYS. wow. Welp, Paranoid is a staple. This album birthed the entire heavy scene, from Maiden to the little mid-western screamo bands I like to listen on the low. I am beyond grateful for its existence. Also, I've known War Pigs for 20 years now and I still get goosebumps at the beginning.

It’s literally unbelievable the sounds they do

this album has been a favorite since I was a teenager. The heavy riffs of Toni Iommi, the pounding bass of Geezer Butler, Bill Ward’s drums, and Ozzy’s singing make this a classic album in the heavy metal/hard rock genre. Geezer Butler’s lyrics are ominous and timely for the era. Some are still timely today. I can only imagine hearing this album at its release date when music of this type was a rare treat. I love every song on this album but if I narrowed it down, favorite songs for me are “Electric Funeral”, “Hand of Doom”, “Iron Man”, and “War Pigs”

There is nothing I can say about Sabbath that hasn't already been said by better writers than me.

What can I possibly say about this great album, instead I will share a story from the 2019 Remaster liner notes. During the recording sessions, Vertigo was not hearing a potential single, and asked the band to come up with one. The story goes, when everybody went out for a lunch break Tony stayed in the studio and came up with this riff. When the rest of the band returned Tony already had the bare bones of a new song in place. Without a word the rest of the band plugged in, got behind the kit and just started grooving with him, Ozzy just started singing along. In an hour they had Paranoid exactly as you hear it on the record. Roger Bain in the booth said "That's pretty good, what is it?" The band replied, "You're joking, we're just pissing around we just made it up!" Roger replied "No that's really good, that's a really strong riff, let's do it!" Eventually they dropped the original name of the album 'War Pigs' for 'Paranoid'. At that point it was too late to change the cover art, so the guy in a crash helmet waving a sword, the "War Pig" they felt also looked Paranoid! The rest is history. Favorite tracks ... all of them!

Kinda surprised

A classic. Had never listened to the full album but I can see why the hits are popular.

Good album. Not devil worshippers!

Not my style but I respect the music

Never been much of a metal head, but i’ve always liked Black Sabbath among few others. This album includes many Sabbath classic riff’s that have taught generations of guitarist’s to play.

This belongs to the stars.

Nicenice

Almost as good as their self titled. Origins of doom metal, and many a band, start with this album.

Not sure I like this sludgier version of Black Sabbath versus other albums I've heard so far. This almost went to three for me - maybe because the first four tracks are some of their most renowned and have been played so much that there is no sense of discovery here. The back half drags a bit but Jack the Stripper really saves things at the end.

Still kicks ass!

1970. I think this has to hit the 5 based on its legendary status. It is withstanding and pervasive to this day.

I didn't know this was from 1970. No wonder people lost their minds. An all-time classic.

Great album. Couple classics, some cool interlude songs, didn’t ever find myself looking for the next song.

Come on its paranoid what else can I say except that it's one of the best albums of all time and one of my favourite albums of all time. The guitar tone is great and I really appreciate the bass playing in this album you dont hear it a lot in modern metal and it's refreshing to hear it here R.I.P Ozzy 10/10 Favourite: Fairies Wear Boots Least Favourite: None

Awesome album! Excellent instrumentals and vocal work. 'War Pigs' is my fave.

Oh! So this is where all the great songs live! “War Pigs” alone would get it five stars. But also “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” …and all the album tracks are pretty great too. I never really got into Black Sabbath but this album might be my gateway (to hell!)

An absolute classic!

What a tracklisting!

I mean. Come on. This is all a rock fan can ask for. Crazy amazing.

Legendary and maybe the most-influential heavy metal album of all-time? What else is in the conversation? In college I would occasionally take naps while listening to this album and my dreams during "Hand of Doom" .... that's still the coolest deep cut here. Ozzy was a great vocalist - no qualifier. A unique style and voice (obvs), he was what you immediately noticed and perfect for the original incarnation of this band but Geezer was the backbone - writing the riffs and laying down the bass so Toni Iommi could get that evil guitar drone down pat. I would argue that the absurd grade-9 (at best) intro-to-photography album cover with a wonky font actually *adds* to the brilliance inside. Funny how raw and *basic* the album is - Bill Ward's drums are so dry (they're great; underrated by me for years especially on this album) it hardly portends the massive-room / reverb and effects-laden genre that they spawned. TL;DR: I know a 5 when I see it and it's the triple-exposure cheesy cosplaying sword guy for me every time. 🤘🏽to classic Sabbath (and UpTheVilla!) 10/10 5 stars.

8/10 I love it 4-22-2025

knew i really liked paranoid and iron man but was awesome to go thru the whole record. incredible drumming. on par with zeppelin in influence

I’m not the biggest rock fan or at least not of this type of heavy rock. I did enjoy a lot of the songs and I feel like people just aren’t playing their instruments in the way these guys were or maybe I just don’t listen to this genre enough. Favorite song (besides the most well known one): Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

9/10, really good album.

Several songs I knew but didn’t know they were Black Sabbath. Interesting to learn more of the band and what their songs were about.

So many iconic songs

No matter your age, race, gender, or even whether or not you like metal, we can all come together to say "hell yeah, I got Paranoid today," and I think that's beautiful.

One of the ultimate metal albums. Genre defining. The bass in War Pigs is fantastic.

More than one Classic song on the album great listening

I love Ozzy but a whole album too much for me

not really a fan

Honestly enjoy this. Probably won’t revisit except for the hits but it’s good lowbrow rock

As far as heavy metal goes this is iconic stuff I just don't love the genre. I think this is our 2nd Sabbath record and I still want to know how can Ozzy sing but not talk 🤔

alr done

I was young when this was released. I never understand why adults were all up in arms over black sabbath. I never listened to much of thier stuff until now. I was surprised by the quality and depth of the songs. Great album. And of course we all love Iron Man.

I've never heard a Sabbath album all the way through - I just knew some of the hits. Wow these guys are incredible. The guitar riffs, the energy, the vocals... I got transported back to the 70's the entire time I listened to this. I absolutely LOVED this

This one should get 5 stars from everyone! Without this album we wouldn't have had a lot of the rock and metal music that followed. And the sound is just iconic. Great riffs, instantly recognizable voice, amazing bass lines, pumping drums, and it still mantains a certain heaviness that is undeniable. A perfect record, packed with important hits for the music history.

Heavy metal was borne right here, dammit. Even if it’s not my main thing, you’ve gotta give credit when guys invent a whole genre. An apocalyptic breeze of riffs and ruin.

Un clásico de clásicos, grandes canciones como War Pigs y Faires Wears boots son mis favoritas, con rat salad lo intenté pero no me terminó de encantarme

Absolute Banger.

Thought I’d be more into it than I am.

Surprised at how much I enjoyed it

Sabbath...the most influential band (and album) that I just ain't into. It's fine for what it is but it never really works for me. 2.5/5

Reminds me of old classic rock station I used to listen to in Wichita, Kansas at his best

Paranoid is an album that’s so good that you TRY to look for a flaw, and every time you try, you come up short. I don’t think any single album has ever been so influential. Like, sure, Black Sabbath “invented” metal on their debut, but if you want to know where every subgenre of metal comes from, it’s on a song on Paranoid. But it’s also more than a history lesson. It’s also just a perfect listen, even today. If you’re a casual fan of music, these are just 8 perfect songs, and even if you’re anti-metal, I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll love among these tracks. If you’re already a metalhead, a revisit may reveal something amazing– I personally remember being floored by “Hand of Doom” during a revisit years after becoming a metal girly myself. If you’re a musician, well, you can spend 40 minutes admiring the songwriting, or the playing. Bill Ward’s jazz drums always blow me away with how interesting yet natural they feel here, Iommi’s guitar dubs are something else, and, as a bassist, Geezer Butler is inherently one of my idols whose playing style I’ve been trying to emulate since I was 12. The production choices only enhance this hyper-nerd listening experience. And then the doomsday lyrics that feel ever-more-relatable, unfortunately, and Ozzy, man…..when that day comes….. Paranoid is one of those flawless, undeniable, 11/10 perfect albums that only a fool or a contrarian would try to dismiss. It’s the kind of album you expect everyone to love, and if they don’t, then you should probably remove them from your network. It’s also the kind of perfect album that’s lame as fuck to put in a Personal Top 100 Albums™️ list, especially high up, and yet, I still think it truly and sincerely belongs there. I listen to Paranoid a LOT. It’s essentially my bass practice album, if only because I can play like 85% of it from memory (minus a lot of his fills; I’m pretty sloppy and too ADHD to remember those off the cuff). It’s also just a great fucking album. Amazing fall/winter record. I adore it front to back. Like, truly, it’s probably the one album I found when I was 11 and getting into Classic Rock that has not only stuck with me, but grown with me over the years. 

The most important and essential album in this book. Not the best, but like, arguably Top 10, objectively speaking. Also subjectively speaking, because it kicks ass. Fuck yeah, dude, fuck yeah!!!!!

🤘🤘🤘🤘 Superb.

classic album in early heavy metal scene, no skips.

i hate ozzy as a person but i was ready to like this album, and overall I'm very mixed on it. one minute into War Pigs, i thought "wow, this kinda fucks." three minutes in i thought "wow, this is really long." both are true. what ended up surprising me the most about this album was how sleepy and boring so much of it was. Planet Caravan made me need to go make coffee. it almost feels like it's missing an instrument at times or the remaster is off or something. in my opinion the long track times only work for Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots. neither my feelings on ozzy nor sabbath have changed but by the end it managed to sway me up to a 3; Rat Salad and Fairies Wear Boots are bangers, there are some great riffs and solos in here and I really don't hate his lyrics. i won't revisit it but if anything it's nice that this is one i really had to think about. 3/5 rat salad, yummy yummy

This album immediately goes hard with War Pigs and keeps up the energy pretty much all the way through. Black Sabbath are classic hall-of-famers for good reason, and I really enjoyed listening through this record. The only song I didn't enjoy as much as the others was Electric Funeral, but overall I thought they really kept it interesting, tight, and fun. I've only ever heard a handful of Black Sabbath's songs before, and only in one-off scenarios instead of as a cohesive album, so this was a fun listen. You can hear so clearly how much they influenced other artists who came after them and that's just super cool. Big fan and I didn't know I would be. Also I feel like I look like Ozzy sometimes when I'm sweaty

How did they even come up with this Everything is so simple yet so hard I love how the drums are not super loud or overplayed - it lets that sexy fuzzy guitar drive the band for the most part Rock n roll 🤘

I always forget how much I love Black Sabbath (the Ozzy Osbourne years), especially this album. Tony Iomi is such an incredible guitarist. They’re all amazing musicians and from a historical standpoint point this shit is so innovative to what was going on at the time, but simultaneously is an incredible album that stands on its own today. Hilarious that this was heavy back then and we have like Full of Hell now. I don’t know, I’d take this over a cream album almost any day.

Black Sabbath rocks. This album rocks. One of the pioneers of metal. Literally everyone in the world has heard almost half of this album at least. This holds three of the most important and recognizable and badass songs of all time. Ozzy is one of the coolest mfs out there. Everybody loves him. Everybody loves Black Sabbath. I can't find a reason to not give this album a 5. 5

5/5 every song saved except Rat Salad which was still a great break on the album No one crushes a riff like Black Sabbath. Bands have based their entire music career on this record, and these dudes cranked this out in the studio in 2 days. Whatever they say about Black Sabbath is true, they’re the best heavy metal band of all time.

Genuinely an incredible album of early Metal that is as fun to listen to now as it was back then, I assume. You wanna know what album I wish was on this list? Coven's Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls. Came out the year before this one and is awesome Proto-Metal. Anyway, 5/5 already rated it before.

ya me habia aparecido long time ago

Decent metal album I like Ozzie’s voice here. One of the better heavy metal albums so far

Already listened to this, I understand why this is such an integral album to the mythology of metal. Ozzy and Tony really show their strength here.

Very familiar with this one and it never disappoints. Classic rock songs that stand the test of time. Also, love that the Arkansas Razorbacks use “War Pigs” as the football team runs on the field.

One of the funniest album covers of all time. If it wasn’t for one of the most important albums of all time we’d all laugh at how dorky and 1970 it is. Anyway. It’s Black Sabbath. It’s awesome. There’s one hiccup and it’s barely that. This album rules

79/1089 - Smart use of effects to cover up Ozzy Osbourne's pitchy vocals. Some cool songwriting throughout. I also liked the more subdued drum groove on "Hand of Doom." It might grow on me.

WTH! This is my second Black Sabbath in less than a week and third overall! Metal is just not my thing but I did actually like the song Planet Caravan. It's probably the least metal song on the album and kind of jazzy. No more of this crap please!

Eight songs, all bangers

This is better than I remember!

Pretty good, lots of classic songs

Definitely would have been amazing in 1970. Some real highlights, but too many tracks I'm less bothered about to get the full marks.

Hieno albumi! Välillä oli enemmän vauhtia, välillä vähemmän. Laulusta sai hyvin selvää, ja kitaransoitto kuulosti ajoittain hyvinkin taidokkaalta.

Aivan huippu ja yksi ensimmäisistä ostamistani rock-levyistä. Oli älyttömän hyvä silloin ja on sitä nytkin. Rock-klassikko, ansaitsee täydet 5!

Näistä ajan ja genren legendoista sabbath mulle vierain joka ei tarkoita että todellakaan vieras On ollut aikoinaan uraauurtavaa ja en ihmettele miksi. kyllä jytää edelleen ja kovaa. Hand of Doomin kakkososa oikein piti toistaa

Heavy metallin evoluutiobändi nr.1! Levy on täyttä 💎

Voi vain kuvitella miten päräyttävä kokemus tämä on ollut 70-luvun tallaajille. Hyviä riffejä ja mukavan vaihtelevaa meininkiä! Seassa myös mielenkiintoisia tahtilajimuutoksia!

Ein eindrucksvolles und einzigartiges Album, dass vor allem durch seine perfekte Mischung von ruhigen Momenten und ausgefallenen Gitarrenriffs und Drumskits glänzt. Paranoid ist wahrscheinlich eines der einflussreichsten Alben aller Zeiten und schafft es durch den progressiven und unverwechselbaren Sound jedes einzelnen Tracks, trotz des stolzen Alters von 55 Jahren, absolut zeitlos zu sein. In jedem Fall eines der besten Alben, die jemals produziert wurden. Underrated Track: -Planet Caravan Least Favourite Track: -Electric Funeral Favourite Track: -Iron Man

Kick ass album. Between the exhilarating start with WAR PIGS, PARANOID, and other well know hit, IRON MAN, to subtle genre hybrid tracks, HAND OF DOOM, this album bucks conventional definition of Heavy Metal. Another highlight for me was the stirring ELECTRIC FUNERAL. With additional listens, I might be convinced to attach an additional star to my rating.

I am pro this album, I don't think some of these needed to be as long as they are

Starts so strong and then fails to disappoint from there

All of the Black Sabbath hits with me singing Move Bitch throughout War Pigs

The amount and quality of riffs this album spawned is insane. War Pigs is goated. Ozzy sings like Jack Black.

Amazing always a classic!

Gave it a listen but not for me

Great

9/10

Pretty damn good.

Screeching is not music

Classic rock album

This is #day237 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... to me, as a Ukrainian based in my hometown Lviv, it’s unsettling listening to War Pigs with its air-raid alarm at the start, especially since February 24, 2022, when russia’s full-scale invasion began. It’s hard not to see the russians (or rather ruscists) as war pigs (and I don’t want to offend pigs). Invaders must die. Meanwhile, here's to the band that pioneered heavy metal... "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" are stone-cold classics, but the whole album is a masterclass in heavy metal, doom metal, and beyond. Listening to this record, you can almost taste the metal in the air. The music? Just as they say: tight, loud, simple, and exciting. I must be on a roll, as it's my fourth consecutive 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day238.

Strong contender for one of my favorite albums of the last century. Ahead of it's time and went on to define an entire genre of music. Planet Caravan, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom, Fairies Wear Boots, I mean there are so many awesome tracks on this album. Rare occasion that I want the daily album to be longer.

I loved everything about this album, and that worries me….

Time for a reappraisal. It's been a little over 100 albums since the last collection of tunes from Black Sabbath, with this album apparently being the last of theirs on the list. I remember disliking Vol. 4 for reasons that I may or may not currently agree with, though I don't actually recall having any opinions on their debut album. Fortunately, I've received word from my assistant that I do, in fact, like the title track of this album. We'll see where that takes us. Uhh. Not far. There's something deeply unappealing about the guitar performances of Black Sabbath that make it hard for me to get into their albums. There's a lot of "crust" on em, which is to say that they lack any bass and are completely blown out. The sheer amount of dead air on this album is staggering. "Hand of Doom" starts out promising with a cool bassline, but quickly devolves into the guitars that I find oh-so polarising. The track anticlimatically returns to the beginning of the song as if nothing happened, which didn't do much to win my favour, either. I also can't say that the long, annoying, pace-killing drum solos on "Rat Salad" appealed to me. On the bright side, the first half of this album is markedly better. I enjoyed the more melodic approach of "War Pigs", even if the song is way too bloated for it's own good. The aforementioned "Paranoid" is the highlight of the album. It's carried by a very good central guitar hook and is refreshingly concise. It's the kind of song I envision when I think of the "hardcore" appeal of metal, which is why I'm always disillusioned by how bloated and meandering metal albums wind up being. "Planet Caravan" is also pretty cool. I like the atmospheric, "spacy" sound, which I haven't really heard on other metal albums. I can finally concede to the fact that Ozzy Osbourne is a good vocalist. I remember feeling mixed and underwhelmed across the previous albums, though I can see how his voice and range is well-suited to this style of music. Adios, Black Sabbath. That being said, I may revisit this band in the future if I ever find the time to do a metal binge. I'm favourable to metal when it is intersected with other genres of music, though I've really struggled to find it appealing on it's own. The genre may grow on me if I expose myself to more of it.

I was surprised by how much I would like this album. I have heard Iron Man, War Pigs, and Paranoid countless times. But I didn't realize how different the other tracks on this album were. I enjoyed Planet Caravan very much. The album is much more psychedelic than I would have expected. I feel like like this album is a much heavier version on the Doors debut album. You can definitely see the influence that this album would have on other bands that came later. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Just not a fan of this kind of stuff

I liked the faster songs. When is slowed down it was a little weird for me.

HELL YEAH

Not really for me. It was okay I guess but clearly didn't hit like it should have

This album is great, definitely a feeling of nostalgia here.

Love this album.

This album is awesome! It feels like a history class if you analyze the lyrics closely. The wars, the heavy criticism against atomic bombs, the hopeless and almost nihilistic lyrics and instrumentals, the experimental approach, and the discovery of the new genre. It's a wonderful experience.

Jumped the gun with this one and listened a few weeks ago. Incredible stuff.

I'll take this over pretty much all of the death metal, thrash metal, prog metal, black metal and heavy metal it inspired. Obviously Ozzy Osbourne isn't the only rocker to have fried his brain and become a bit of a sad meme in the 21st Century but it feels like that's how my generation remembers him. Hopefully future generations will remember him more for albums like this. When Sabbath were good, they were really really good.

I love this album so much I got it as my first album I have to listen to before I die but I've already listened to it lol. Great album I'd give it a 4.5/5

6/10 Quintessential Black Sabbath album, but not necessarily to my taste. Planet Caravan is the clear standout but there are a couple of other pleasantly surprising moments, such as the funky rhythm section in Hands of Doom. Listens: 1

Much more psychedelic jamming than expected.

This album is pretty much flawless - great musicianship, lyrics on point, clean but organic production and amazing songwriting. These songs are timeless and sound as fresh as ever. Sabbath just sound effortlessly cool on this one. This isn't my personal favorite of theirs but there's undeniable hits on this album and I can't find a reason not to label this record perfect, front to back.

another record in the Always Great In Exactly The Same Comfy And Reliable Way Every Single Time Over Years And Years Of Occasional Listening category. while most hyper-creative 60s bands often reveled in some kind of studio trickery or diverse pastiche or just A Lot Of Drugs, to escapist and idealistic ends, black sabbath despite their theatrics rly channeled their imagination in much more down-to-earth ways. every song is built around not just a melody or a riff or a lyric but clear Ideas that inform the total construction. even theoretically similar ideas are diversified extremely smartly...the title track and iron man could both be called Incessant and Hypnotic, but where the title track's repetition creates an almost modal experience where the riff and the vocal melody switch focus (creating that frantic Maddening experience perhaps!), on iron man the riff and the vocal melody are the Same, along with literally everything else, creating its own single-minded display of raw strength. the whole record is similarly evocative and thoughtful...and while the lyrics are v silly, there is enduringly something to how much tension and darkness of the times they have a genuine (if clumsy) interest in...in tone if not always in subject matter. not one of my personal fave fave records or anything but a wonderful demonstration that if a band is inventive enough to be accidentally inventing a new genre, their creativity is probably expressing itself in smaller but equally meaningful ways across the music itself

Das ist ein og banger

Bangers present, I give it 4/5.

It's good, but kinda drags.

Iconic band with a decent album. Revolutionary for their time i guess. First time listening a full album and wasn’t disappointed. Favourite songs: - Paranoid - Iron man

iconic groovy riffs

Decent, better than first listen.

Early 70s hard rock. Heavy metal. One of the earliest heavy metal albums. Basically invented the genre.

I'm not a big heavy metal fan, but to me, Paranoid is the pinnacle of the genre. It's the best heavy metal album I've ever heard, and I’d bet it's one of the most influential too. The guitar riffs and instrumentals are phenomenal, and the vocals are both unique and powerful. This is the kind of album you’ll want to play on repeat. Favorite songs: Paranoid and War Pigs Least favorite: There isn’t a bad track on the album. Album artwork: A cool and memorable cover that fits the vibe perfectly.

Love the variety in this album. Really, really good.

Quite familiar sounds. Sounds old, goes hard. Stand-out: Planet Caravan

Great album. One of the best by Black Sabbath.

Truly amazing

Cant beat it!

Absolutely still slaps.

Para la época en que se estrenó tiene un sonido adelantado, un álbum tranquilo que volvería a escuchar

maybe it's because im listening to this >50 years after release, but it is a little corny for satanic proto metal, but the foundation is there and the riffs are iconic. i can listen to planet caravan on repeat for hours.

I'm shocked by how much I enjoy this album since I avoided it my whole life. It just rocks, it's a timeless album.

Oh man, the hits keep coming. Paranoid is an all-timer, War Pigs is great. All metal is at least a little corny, but this is so damn good.

Rock Band introduced me to the hits from this album. 1001 Albums introduced me to the fact that all the songs on this album are hits. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

A monumental album, like this album essentially invented a genre. Pretty much all of Black Sabbath's massive hits are on this album. I can. totally see why so many would say this is one of the greatest of all time. While I definitely think this is an incredible album its just not something I think to listen to that often. Still though, this album kicks ass Favorite track: Paranoid 4.5/5