Reviews (page 11 of 17)
Yeah, some really cool hard rock, lots of great songs. Very high 4 star, barely missing out on a 5
My only gripe is that it's so short.
obviously very good overall but that opener of War Pigs and Paranoid is absolutely crazy
Pretty good. Miss seeing Ozzy around
Boss album with the big tunes on
Never listened to Black Sabbath but I actually really like this album
Fun times sounds like weed
It sort of plods on like a wooly mammoth on quaaludes, but other than that it's great.
CLASSIC and FOUNDATIONAL kinda decent
Black Sabbath goes hard
Very good.
killer guitar riffs throughout this record. amazing drum solos. great range between tracks like “black caravan” and “iron man”. a monumental metal album
Quintessential stuff. Well produced, I especially like the dryness en crispness of instruments - drums in particular. The vocals are recognizable and probably for that time especially outstanding.
By far my favourite Sabbath album 🤘🔥
Heavy. This seems like just as much a cultural touchpoint as Altamont in terms of the end of the 60's.
Wow, I've heard and enjoyed so many of these tracks, but all put together I can see why Ozzy was so famous. This album is stupendous.
More varied than expected on the deeper cuts.
Their second album. Rock / Metal. War Pigs and Paranoid are one hell of an opening ! Planet Caravan changes the pace before Iron Man kicks in with that classic riff. It'd be cool to go back to 1970 and play this to see reactions. A genre defining moment.
Nowt wrong with that
Iron man
I really like the first Black Sabbath album. This one I don’t feel as strongly about. Part of it is the pop-y-ness. For example, I don’t like Iron Man. I find that one very boring
Sån jävla föregångare. Sången och gitarren är otrolig! Några klassiska låtar som Warpigs och Paranoid. Vilken jävla bangerstart! Ändå sonar jag ut; hårdrock är inte riktigt min grej. Så en stark fyra.
There's a lot of "this song really rips after the initial Ozzy drone part" here. Also there are songs called Electric Funeral and Rat Salad. HOT TAKE: The second half of this is as good as the first half.
Good, good shit. Hadn’t listened to this in a while and was struck by how groovy the drums are on this. MASTER OF REALITY is still my fave Sabbath, but this is obviously a strong album.
Best Song: War Pigs. I love how bluesy this track is, and how heavily the guitars drip onto the tight, running bassline. Every member of the band manages to stand out here. Worst Song: Planet Caravan. I appreciate the attempt, but I don't think this soft ballad was needed in an album like this. Overall: Great. Musically great, tonally great, thematically great. Ozzy's voice is maybe at its best here, and some of the solos (guitar and drums) absolutely fucking rip. Apart from the one blemish in "Planet Caravan", an album that's meant to be played loud.
Awesome record. Kind of front-loaded with the quintessential Black Sabbath tracks, but the whole thing is enjoyable. 4/5
Oh, this is why people like Black Sabbath.
3.5
I listened to this one awhile ago. Has some great songs! “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” and “Iron Man” are the best on there.
Really enjoyed this. A a non-metal guy I was surprised at how much I knew and enjoyed. Some absolute bangers on this.
Classic. Three huge hits but there is so much more beyond it.
"Oh wait, I have heard Black Sabbath" The 70s bombast aint my thing, but can't deny my enjoyment, incredibly tight vocals, varied textures, and (perhaps thanks to the remaster) sounding crisp.
I will say that while I’ve heard of Ozzy and Black Sabbath, it’s not my favorite genre. However, I did kind of enjoy this! So that’s a win haha.
Fairies Wear Boots
pretty good can understand why it was so famous
A lot of nostalgia from this album. I remember listening to it a lot as a teen. Upon listening to it again, I actually forgot how great it is. It's a shame that some of the bigger some (iron man) are so overplayed because the rest of the album is fantastic.
I can only imagine being a kid, putting this record on in your room for the first time in 1970 and hearing the bomb sirens of "War Pigs/Luke's Wall" for the first time. I think I would have started levitating and my head would have exploded. No wonder people thought metal was devil music back in the day! I feel like drawing a pentagram on my floor as we speak! I feel like there isn't much I can add to the conversation of this record that hasn't already been said in the months following Ozzy's passing. Contextually, this album struck a moment with those in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and, being from Birmingham, living in a place still rebuilding from WW2. Flower Children and giving peace a chance was out. Feeling the anger and anxiety of a generation that has only known one terror after another - this album hit because people needed to be given the space to process their anger and grief. "Planet Caravan" is a nice bit of respite after two mountains we just climbed with "War Pigs" and "Paranoid". The instrumental outro feels similar to The Doors in the guitar's choice of phrasing. That break is immediately followed by "Iron Man" with its thumping and iconic guitar riff heard around Guitar Center's across America.
I am shocked. We've established i tend to not like British music and I'm also not a metal guy. I love nu metal and the occasional metalcore but straight up metal? Not my jam. But i REALLY liked this album. Even when it was stupid like silly lyrics and goody drum fills, it was stupid in a way i like. I love that they have an anti-robot stance and see Iron Man as a villain, I love the storytelling fantasy/scifi lyrics I'm shocked that i can understand Ozzy's singing more than his speaking, i LOVE the composition and the musicianship. I'm surprised and impressed that sometimes it got jazzy and sometimes it got funky. This is the first album i feel like is a SOLID 4, not graded on a curve. Maybe 4 and a half. Not 5 because I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again but if i do, i won't be mad at it.
I own this on vinyl. I grew up listening to a lot of music in this vein being blasted in my dad’s shop so albums like this and Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin all smell like oil and welding to me. This project has taught me that I actually like Black Sabbath more than I realized. The music is great for a solid stank face and head rockin’. Lyrics are good with some clever lines. I love that albums back in the day were meant as albums. They bring you up and set you down and it’s a wonderful ride. Queens of the Stone Age definitely listened to Hand of Doom on repeat. In this album you can hear the direct influence Black Sabbath had on lots of early aught bands.
This album pretty much invented heavy metal and you can hear it. You’ve got some absolutely rock standards on this record. Everyone knows Paranoid and Iron man of course. I feel like War Pigs is really getting its flowers this last decade or so (wonder why?). Electric Funeral is so damn fun and crazy. Feels like an era where the drugs were pure. This feels like a band innovating and straight up inventing sounds. The way Led Zeppelin 1 is inventing arena rock in real time, Paranoid is inventing its harder, scarier cousin. RIP Ozzy!
Great early metal album. Some.huge hits as well as some deeper cuts. 4/5
Fuck yeah!
The head is nodding along, this gallops along off the back of some tight beats & vocals floating over the top
Eh..
uh oh! this is gonna be good. edit: it was.
Obviously, you have a big songs on this one but there are some tunes that don’t really hold up that takes a star. My sleepers on this our planet caravan which the Jefferson airplane wish they could’ve written and fairies wear boots which isn’t really a sleeper. I’ll take the next three albums over this one, but it’s Black Sabbath so it’s still great. Four stars.
Ykkösluokkaista tuon ajan taatusti kukkahattujen epäsuosiossa. Satanismin ja metallin hatunnosto
this is cool
This is my second Black Sabbath album and tunes out I really like them? Great songs, super interesting. The fade out at the end is really something else.
Great
Quintessential rock album.
There are some absolute monster tracks on here, and i love the bluesy feel of it.
I wanted to like this album, and I do, but... the praise seems a bit OTT; it's not one of the best albums of all time. Even the three big hits aren't quite as thrilling as I remembered - beyond the iconic riffs there are long sections of rather lumbering, meat and potatoes rock. Nor is it as pioneering as is claimed, given the hard rock albums that had come before (including their own debut). Still decent though! It grew on me with each listen. The quieter bits provide a welcome counterbalance to the rockin' they're known for.
Classic Black Sabbath - RIP Ozzy (9/9/2025 Listen Date) War Pigs - Classic Paranoid - Have been listening since a kid, learned on guitar.
No ha sido mi rollo, pero el bajo me ha gustado mucho.
Another top Sabbath album.
A classic. The songs you haven’t heard a million times are worth your time.
This album slaps. This record has a lot of iconic tracks, and the deeper cuts still bang hard too. Favourite Track(s): War Pigs, Paranoid Least Favourite Track(s): Planet Caravan
Somehow hadn't listened to this album in full before Very little to say that hasn't been said already. Arguably the album that started the entire genre of metal. Riffs are awesome. Ozzy's awesome. Album's awesome. Fav Track: Fairies Wear Boots 8.7/10
already heard t his album before, but i forgot how much i still love black sabbath. really sounds like a product of it's time and that's a huge compliment because i love music from the early 70s. iron man (2008) has done irreparable damage to the song to me, but we keep it moving. war pigs goes hard no matter where or when it's heard. for example i just listened to it at my desk in the bowels of a marriott hotel while listening to a guest bitch at my coworker on speakerphone. and it still went hard. my favorite tracks: war pigs (duh), paranoid, rat salad and electric funeral. ozzy brother we miss you already.
Ok so this album is obviously iconic, and the big hits are huge and unforgettable. So heading into this I wondered how do they all weave together and what songs support them. There's a similar vibe across all of the songs. Slow and sludgy riffs with some of those notes highlighting how they used to be a blues band (fun fact!). Electric Funeral and Hand of Doom are fun, and it's all just a vibe. Very inventive for 1970, gotta give it its props.
I thought this band was louder. It wasn't bad though. I enjoyed the vibe, it felt like rap but rock. The beats (what I would call it for hip hop) were repetitive, and some instrumental bits. Fun. 7/10
Damn. First time listening to the whole album and it's fucking great. War pigs, paranoid, and iron man are of course the stand out classics but I also liked electric funeral and Jack the stripper.
Great album, heard it a million times.
Interesting album. Not a band or genre I would typically listen to, although I know of Ozzy. I like that you can hear the early influence of metal. It's kinda funk like Pink Floyd from hell, or something like that. Overall I was pleasantly surprised.
Brilliant.
A classic. The back half isn't anywhere near as strong though. RIP Ozzy.
Really good. I enjoyed this from front to back.
The opening riffs of Iron Man will never fail to psych me up.
🤘🤘
guys the perseverance paid off 😍i liked this album yippee! unsurprisingly my favourite song was the most mellow one (planet caravan) but the whole album was a solid good time 💪
Had a lot of fun rocking out to this in my bedroom. Really talented instrumentalists and vocals. Basically every song was a banger. Only giving four stars because it didn’t absolutely blow my mind, but will definitely be revisiting
4.1 fucking classic man
Solid. 3.5-4
Jcommence a vraiment aimer Black Sabbath, la guitar et les batteries vint super bien ensemble dans War Pigs
While it's definitely not as hard or fast as modern metal, you can argue this is one of the places where it all began. The sounds they produce here are kind of timeless, and a lot of the songs are unavoidably catchy. I think early metal like this isn't quite my sound, but I can't deny it's good, and its impact on the genre speaks for itself.
Yo! This rocks! I always assumed Black Sabbath were a metal band but this is pure hard rock. I groaned when I saw this was my album assignment for the day but this is a fucking banger. I knew I'd love it when the songs I wasn't familiar with were making me head bang while brushing my teeth. Opening tracks War Pigs/Luke's Wall and Paranoid are perfect. So epic. Knew those ones going in. The guitars are healing me. Very influential, I see that now. Obviously thinking about Ozzy RIP. A weirdo I once knew said Ozzy had one of the best voices he'd ever heard and ofc I thought he was a poser. But yeah I get it now. 20+ years later. I should definitely listen to this again on headphones.
This is the one with all the hits, not the critical acclaim, but still wild to think this was the first of its genre essentially, especially given how chock full off hits it is.
Classic of all classics!
Muy buen álbum, él inicio del heavy metal y un álbum legendario, mi favorita fue la qué abre él álbum, war pigs. En general un álbum muy experimental por qué ayudo a crear este subgénero, legendario y único, le doy un 8.7 teniendo en cuenta importancia, época en la qué se hizo, sonido y qué encima, todos los miembros de la banda estaban probablemente en su más alto nivel.
Great album. Reminds me of learning guitar in high school.
Nice!
Lots of great songs.
Rockin! Straight up unbelievable to think that this album is contemporary with CSNY's "Deja Vu" which was also "pushing the boundaries of guitar playing" lol
Que entiendo lo que fue en su época, pero hoy es un poco tostón. Pero un discazo
Not much to say. Rocks like few albums can rock, but there's enough lulls that I can't give it a 5.
Lemppari: Paranoid Vähiten lemppari: Electric funeraö
This album has some heavy hitters ( War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron man). If it had one more banger or if the others were better this would be an easy 5 star. Right on the bubble. Very instrumental in to heavy metal
Contains "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" and "War Pig" and "Hand Of Doom" and, basically, its entire track listing. RIP Ozzy
RIP, once more. didn't know he played an ironman on rs tho
It's hard to believe these classic Black Sabbath tunes are from 1970. RIP, Ozzy
Cool album
Never listened to this one all the way through. I knew the hits and it makes sense that they were the hits. That being said I enjoyed the majority of this album. Planet Caravan was interesting but I wouldn’t listen to it again. Otherwise it was a great album. Rest easy prince of darkness.
This is a landmark; it is a super important album stuffed with incredible songs... that I'm not sure resonate with me much anymore. Which is wild, but the truth. Great, innovative work all around, but I never need to hear Iron Man again. Still, legendary stuff. RIP Ozzy, the world will never see another like you.
now this is what im talking about
There's nothing I need to say this is a must listen
Opening gives defintion to HEAVY metal Planet Caravan's use of stereo adds depth to the song and guitar solo Dark Side...I'm not sure if it glorifies it or not but the music is fitting for the lyrics Hand of Doom may be my favorite. Some nice musical changes in Jack the stripper/ fairies wear boots
RIP Ozzy
you can hear the guitar style throughout the whole album. Much of it sounds like the song paranoid but there are a few bangers. Pretty decent, would buy the LP.
All the hits! Love this one.
A classic
Never took the time to listen to an entire black Sabbath album before. Really liked planet caravan, it was like proto-tool. Obviously paranoid has one of my favorite solos of all time. Electric funeral was not my favorite song ever but it really picked up in the second half. Dynamic range is great, but the difference in volume between a few of the songs is jarring. The mix is gone, about what I'd expect for a 1970 release, not bad, not great. Pretty sure I've heard a cover of hand of doom, but I'm not sure by who. Very proggy at times which was unexpected but not unwelcome.
classic rip ozzy
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Gute Scheibe.
Great ostinatos.
Dope
Оценка была бы выше, если бы в конце немного не поднадоело. А начало очень даже понравилось. 7 из 10.
Some exceptions songs on this album but then also a heap of filler which means I can't say it deserves five stars.
It sounds tame in 2025, which isn't to say it's bad, because it totally rips
Getting this album the day after Ozzy died (and maybe got reincarnated as Trisha Paytas' 3rd kid) is insane timing.
Really good! I’m sorry I didn’t listen to them earlier. Though i can hear that it might have made a younger me feel isolated and angry. Ozzie’s schtick turned me off. But he’s really talented. His delivery is great, especially considering that the lyrics are super simple — childlike. The musicianship is great; they create a mood that holds throughout the album. This is a four.
Cover Art aside, this was a pretty solid album. So much music was created based on this blueprint
Classic influential, still rips
this is what I expected black sabbath to sound like. 3.5
Classic album. War pigs. What a great eong.
Well as Ozzy passes this was obvious for today. Not a lot to say about this record, for the last 55 years many a band have used the template of this for their whole careers without really getting close in most cases. It’s a considered a classic for a reason.
Essential ! Heavy if simple no holds barred guitar trio with Osborne’s sui generis vocals. Template for much that came after.
This album rocks, now and forever. RIP Ozzy! Or maybe I should say Rest in the Joyful Chaos you were so terrific at creating!!
This is still a magnificent album with some terrific songs on it. The lyrics to Paranoid itself are not about paranoia but more like melancholy. RIP Ozzy.
This was well timed. Ozzy Osbourne died yesterday, and this is today's album. My dad is clearly not much of a reliable source on music. Growing up, I didn't think this was metal. I was told this is hard rock, and Metallica was metal, which led to me thinking all metal was thrash, and I hated metal, because I hated thrash. I still haven't found any thrash that I like, but there's so much in metal I do like. Like this album. The first side is amazing. It's got three of the most iconic songs in metal. I also noticed that this was recorded eight months after their debut album, and four months after the release. This release schedule is the perfect recipe for a sophomore slump, and this album is better. They either wrote three iconic songs in a few months, or had these cut from their first album. Either way, amazing.
To paraphrase Nuke LaLoosh, War Pigs announces this album's presence with authority. War Pigs and Paranoid are so insistent that Planet Caravan is a real shock. Iron Man is a great song...and Busta Rhymes turned it into This Means War which is also good. I could do without British people pissing and moaning about Vietnam. You didn't have to fight, you didn't lose loved ones there. I don't see the British writing a bunch of antiwar songs about the Falklands War.
rip
4- Stars (10/15)
Post Ozzy's death, it's a fitting album to pop up. Another I hadn't heard much about, apart from the title track and Iron Man.
8.5/10 Highlights: War Pigs Paranoid Iron Man Electric Funeral
Some absolute bangers, but some are just bad. Uneven album thats closer to 4 than 3
Ozzy Rules!!!!
RIP Ozzy
Amazing metal, and really wants me to get back into this type of music. Only issue I had is I wanted more! More weird sounds, more riffs, more vocals, and a bit less calm within the storm.
Lots of songs I never knew were from this album and band. This was good, fun rock with impressive riffs.
Guitar riffs so hot they could pop your blisters! Banger after banger
Bona fide classic from a genre defining band!
A must-have classic, even if your not into hard rock.
I forgot how good this album is!
Actually loved this! Has some really good songs on it. Wasn’t as heavy as I thought it was going to sound.
great rock classic
En klassiker.
masterful instrumentals
Not sure if it was intentional but it was nice to listen to this right after Ozzy died
Un álbum legendario, pionero del metal donde casi la totalidad de las canciones son muy buenas (War pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man...). Riffs poderosos, letras oscuras y la voz de Ozzy, que, aunque no sea la mejor, encaja a la perfección con la música. 4'5/5
holy mama peak
Classic!
Particularly enjoyed planet caravan and a couple of the others I’d never heard before. On some songs you can really hear the Led Zeppelin influence.
Obviously influential and iconic, it’s not an album I have reached for too often over the years. Deserves more attention than I have given it really though
Fantastic album that sounds astonishingly fresh for its age. RIP Ozzy.
interesting
Holy sheeeeit this was way better than I was expecting. RIP Ozzy, thanks for rocking 🤘🦇
Classic metal. Vale Ozzie
Great album, all the best aspects of the original band represented. Such a modern sound for 1970, definitely ahead of its time. While the “evil” vibes the band leans into are pretty tame >50 years later, Black Sabbath made the trail for decades to follow
Qué bueno, nunca le había prestado la suficiente atención.
With an exception or two this album is in your face rock n roll. What later would be dubbed Metal. And while “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” tend to get the headlines don’t sleep on “War Pigs”. As an opening song it’s a fantastic tone setter for this album.
Amazing, groundbreaking.
A tour de force
RIP Ozzy
Good and solid metal album. Hits like Paranoid, iron man, war pigs have prevailed for a reason. RIP Ozzy!
Rest in peace to the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Your music inspired generations. 🖤🎸 #RIPOzzy #Legend #ThankYouOzzy
Whoa! What a coincidence! Or did "1001" app people push this album through to multitudes on the day Ozzie Osbourne died!? Tributes are starting to flow to make the man an even bigger personality than he had already portrayed in life. PARANOID the single was my favourite tune for a long time since being gifted it for St Nicholas ☺️. It hasn't lost any of its brilliance over the years WAR PIGS is a poignant reminder that not much has changed in 55 years: a protest against those in power making decisions that affect the masses.
Great album, iconic sound. A must listen to hear the origins of metal and just great rock music. I slightly prefer the original album but this is a great follow up.
Great album with some absolute classic songs.
Solid album, many bangers.
Amazing proto-metal masterpiece. Great songs, incredible riiffs, good musicianship all around, hell - even Ozzy sounds good.
Metal is one of my least preferred genres. I typically find it very same-y and boring. With silly lyrics. That was my expectation for this album. Ozzy died yesterday, so I tried very hard to listen to this critically and without emotion to his passing and I think I succeeded. I was pleasantly surprised by the anti-war theme of the album, as well as more subtlety than I’d have imagined. I did not feel bludgeoned over the head by all of it. I understand now why it has such a positive rating on this site. It’s a solid 3.5 for me, which I’ll bump up to 4 due to positive shock factor.
J - 4/5 Best Track - "War Pigs" F - 4/5
The blueprint for heavy metal and a near flawless record.
Highlight Song/s: Paranoid, Iron Man and Fairies Wear Boots This is probably one of the very few albums that influenced multiple generations of musicians. Some of the greatest riffs are on this album; I don't feel the need to say which ones specifically, as it's just innate. Although 'Paranoid' is a good album I can't help but think the next album 'Master of Reality' is just a LOT better (which sadly isn't on 1001.)
RIP Ozzy
Post ozzy death. 4/5
hmm. got a Beach Boys album the day after Brian Wilson passed. got a Sabbath album the day after Ozzy passed. what is the universe saying to me? I've never listened to a Sabbath album all at once and all the way through. perhaps that dates me. I can see why these are the guys though. everything is good. I will say that Iron Man is overhyped and overplayed. also, the front half of the album is much better than the second half. still a classic. still a good time.
🤘🏼
4.2
So many of their iconic tracks on this album! RIP Ozzie 😭
8/10
Certainly in consideration for one of the best metal albums ever.
Хтонический первопредок из древнего болота рок-музыки. И повод послушать, в виде смерти Осборна.
This album is really on the edge for me. I can’t say I enjoyed it as much as their debut, but there were still some great songs on it. Overall, I think that this album lacks a bit in cohesion but is really good at its peak. Favorite Track: War Pigs
My whole life I thought I don’t like black sabbath. Turns out this shit rocks. RIP
Love black sabbath!
Heard it before. RIP Ozzy, he really was one of the rock greats and those figures that you just know about whether you listen to rock or not, so losing him is really sad. Paranoid is one hell of an influential and interesting album 4/5
Absolute classic. Heavy rock at its bedt
Enjoyed this. This is the second album I’ve been given where the day before someone in the band has died. In this case Ozzy himself. Is this random? Seems a bit to coincidental. I’d have given it 3 stars, but because I’m a stickler for my own principles I have given any metal band that is better than Metallica (which is all of them) an extra star. 4 stars, which even with my +1 for being better than Metallica, which all metal bands are, is more than fair.
Rip Ozzy, great album. Really usually not a fan of metal but genuinely liked this one
8/10… hard rock / metal
Not often you encounter a skipless album (though obviously no coincidence). Great banging tunes.
War Pigs Paranoid Planet Caravan Iron Man Fairies Wear Boots
Still hold up
Brilliant 4/5
RIP, Ozzy.
I gave Black Sabbath the album 3 stars, when it’s clearly 4 or 5 star worthy. I won’t make that mistake again. RIP Ozzy
Whatever you think of Ozzy Osbourne, you can't deny that he is the best example of a rock legend. Good and bad. RIP. As for the album, I love the three 3 most well-known tracks , but then also hated Planet Caravan because it took me out of it entirely, as if it belonged on a different album. And that feeling stayed with me throughout, even though Iron Man came right after. The songs that followed just weren't enough to shake that feeling, sadly. Still a great album by a great band, just with one big fat bruise on it.
Hard to come against this album. War pigs, iron man, paranoid etc. crazy album.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It was not as heavy as the heavy metal as always seemed. I was also surprised by how many I knew, mostly from Rock Band. 4/5 stars. I might listen to this again. And I wouldn't turn it off if I heard it.
Classic,
Damn, le lendemain Rest in Power
I saw Ozzy Osbourne at a 2 night rock festival in 2008. Unlike the band I'd come to see (KISS. Yep, I know...), and Alice Cooper, I'd not really listened to a lot of his stuff. Nor much Black Sabbath. I think I learned the riffs to Paranoid and Iron Man in a guitar lesson as a teenager. In fact, I'm not even sure I'd watched the Osbournes on TV (apart from that cameo they had in Goldmember). It was a fantastic concert. He performed well and it since led me to have some appreciation for his work. Not that I've ever bothered to actively listen to it. It's a shame that he died, he was clearly a talented guy. But, I digress. Black Sabbath: Paranoid. Extra points for a brilliant cover. War Pigs! What a tune! My wife and I listened to it on a drive today to pay some homage to Ozzy, and then when I checked the website and saw that it was todays album, we listened again. She mentioned that she really liked the drums on the song. I agree. But the riff, and many on this album, are rather epic. Got to throw out a mention for it's use in 'Metal Lords' (love that movie!) To kick off an album with 'War Pigs', into 'Paranoid' is quite a statement. I'm not sure your average heavy metal fan in the 70s would have appreciated the softer and more sombre 'Planet Caravan'. But, it felt like a welcome change. Particularly with the follow up of 'Iron Man' Alright, that's the songs I knew (minus one). So, the rest! It's dark, brooding and sludges away. Not normally my bag. It's loaded with riffs and Ozzy's singing has a lovely drone to it. The drums were surprisingly enjoyable. The drum solo on Rat Salad was a highlight! I've stood at the back of crumbling music venues and watched people try and emulate the sound over the years. Tony Iommy has certainly inspired the masses. I like the riff idea, but I prefer when it's used in punk... Heavy Metal is a genre I wished that I loved more, but sadly, it just doesn't paint my wagon. I liked the rest of it. But I didn't love it. My take away track would have to be 'War Pigs', I know I'm looking for new tracks to add to my 1001 albums playlist, but it's the song that I thought I liked, but actually loved. So, some growth there for me. RIP Ozzy. 4 Stars - Album 3 (23/07/2025)
This album is like the third or fourth day of a massive bender. At this stage there is more alcohol in your veins than blood, and deep down you’re not too sure how you’re still functioning. Yet still you march forward. Sitting in a grimy lounge, surrounded by grimy accomplices, you power through the next box of beers slowly yet purposefully. There is a strong aroma of cigarettes from last night, and a matching taste at the back of your throat. There are less people in the room today than there were yesterday, but you know the missing ones will make their way back at some stage today. They can’t back out now. The couch you sit on is somehow crusty and damp at the same time. Occasionally you gat a euphoric rush of blood to the head, causing you to jump up and challenge the room to finish their drinks. You’re not sure if it is actually you doing that though, or if your soul has shifted to a new dimension. R.I.P. Ozzy
Much better album than Self Titled. A bit of guitar wankery, but some interesting stuff going on musically.
rip ozzy
FINISHED WITH MY WOMAN 'CAUSE SHE COULDN'T HELP ME WITH MY MIND. 👌🏼
Was not into metal growing up, do I learned a lot today and was pleasantly surprised.
Great album. Just a fun and often unpredictable listen.
Even though I haven't spent a ton of time with this album, I felt like I knew every song by heart and every riff brought with it a flood of sense memories. When I first listened to Black Sabbath in earnest, the music felt so much less dangerous than the stuff happening in New York in the 70s that I didn't understand how they had a reputation as the church's Public Enemy No. 1. Ozzy's public image in the 90s and 00s didn't help anything. It all seemed like a parody of itself. A few years ago I listened to Master of Reality in earnest for the first time (possibly for the first time period) and it was just a right-place/right-time situation where everything clicked and I couldn't get enough. I'd spent so much time tracing the lineage of my favorite 90s bands through Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Roger Waters, and/or Page & Plant that I never fully appreciated how much more influential Black Sabbath were on some of the giants. Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and the Smashing Pumpkins all owe a far greater debt here than to whatever was happening at CBGB's. Paranoid is one that deserves more of my attention. Aside from the ubiquitous War Pigs/Iron Man/Paranoid triumvirate, "Planet Caravan" caught me off guard in the best way, "Jack the Stripper" was a whole lot of headbangin' fun, and the sniveling vocals wrapping themselves around the monster riff on "Electric Funeral" went a long way to explaining how these guys could put the fear of lucifer into an impressionable young fundamentalist. Reserving a star because Master of Reality is ahead and Vol. 4 has, to my ears, so much more going on songwriting-wise. But this is a stone-cold classic.
Great album with a load of great songs, little overrated but still good
Don’t get me wrong, I get the “importance” of this, but Black Sabbath often feels to me the same as trying to run quickly in a dream.
Like everyone else who was eligible for a Black Sabbath album I received one the day that Ozzy' s death was announced. Of all the Black Sabbath albums this is the one that I have the most familiarity with as I bought this album when I was 15 after hearing "Paranoid" on the Dazed and Confused soundtrack. Prior to that my experience with Ozzy was his solo stuff (mainly ballads) that were popular on MTV in the late 80s and 90s. After listening to this yesterday for the first time in several years I am torn between a 4 and a 5. It could be a 5 just for War Pigs through Iron Man. But I am rating it a 4 because of the remainder of the album as it falls off a bit. The remainder of the songs are good but not great and slightly take away from the highs of the first part of the album.
A great time, kept vibing with the recommended songs after as well. Fun song titles too
Iron Man is one of my favorite songs. It will forever remind me of Jack Black, which is a pretty good association. I wanted to give this album a 5/5 but hated the song Planet Caravan so much that it took it down a notch.
Un peu moins mon affaire que d'autres groupes hard rock mais il y a de très bons passages/riffs et de très bons grooves. La voix de Ozzy m'écorche un peu.
Os inventores do Heavy Metal (que a rapaziada descolada agora chama de "Metal") ao lado de Led Zeppelin, em seu disco mais emblemático, definindo um estilo. Numa época em que o "metal" ainda tinha melodias e dinâmicas de mudança de tempo, sem a preocupação obstinada com velocidade e barulho. A sequência final com "Hand of Doom", "Rat Salad" e "Feiries Wear Boots" funciona tão perfeita, como partes de uma suíte harmoniosamente intercaladas.
So far ahead of its time. Top to bottom great album
On their knees, the war pigs crawling/Begging mercies for their sins/Satan, laughing, spreads his wings/OOOOOOOH LORD, YEAH!!
First half of the album is a 5. Second half is a 3. Get averaged.
Excellent album. I know it’s supposed to be one of the early metal albums, but it’s just a really good rock album, with a lot of variety.
Classic
RIP Ozzy
Was fun listening to this album. I’m surprised how not aggressive it sounded compared to MC5. Black Sabbath sounds really rehearsed and cleaner than punk (which isn’t good or bad). I liked the bongo drum song.
Apart from a couple of songs, the album is close to perfect.
I don't know if the website admin manipulated this for the death of Ozzy but what perfect timing. A fantastic follow up album to the first heavy metal sounds - incredibly both in 1970. This got my dad off of The Carpenters and into Sabbath; he still mostly listens to heavier guitar to this day. War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man are timeless. Jack the Stripper was a new find for me too!
If this project has proved that I don’t like punk, it might also have proved I like metal. This is the good shit. Too bad that other bands took this template into sometimes really boring directions. This album is exciting, heavy, bluesy, and sounds like nothing that came before. I remember finding this record in my dad’s collection as a child and being scared by the cover and the name. I guess that means they succeeded.
Somehow getting this today didn’t seem random. I’m not a metal head but you have to admit that Black Sabbath is a cut about the modern metal bands - there was a lot of melodic element and some quiet songs I. The mix. Excellent album.
RIP Ozzy.
Not a huge fan of Black Sabbath but I like this album. 4 stars or B+.
Really interesting to hear how this album has mellowed through the years. A few cringes with the gothic folk sound, but there are also a few treats, like tracks 1, 3 and 7, to go along with the two classic tracks. Rounding up slightly.
Close to a 5 this one
Pretty decent shit.
Like many others, this was my album the day after Ozzy died. I'm familiar with War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man, but hadn't heard the others. It's not something I would normally seek out to listen to, but I enjoyed it, and I recognize the influence Ozzy & Black Sabbath had on heavy metal. I don't want to give it a 5 just because of Ozzy's death, but it's a solid 4.5 for me.
War Pigs an all timer, lots of little sections that themselves could be the best part of a killer song. There are not words for how much I think War Pigs rocks. The main riff in Iron Man sounds like it has to be ancient. I find it annoying! A rumbly rocker built around an obnoxious earworm. Besides Paranoid I don't think the other tracks are familiar to me. 4 stars but it's a round down. I looked at my review of the first album - awesome grooves but think it could do with less guitar solos - and here it is. Could learn a lot about group dynamics listening to this over & over. As a guy who's always thinking "Led Zeppelin would be so good if they could just be a rhythm section" it's odd that I don't listen to more Black Sabbath. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
I wish this pre-Zionist version of Ozzy to forever rest in peace.
Heavy and punishing, it set the foundation for so many bands
I've never listened to this album all the way through, and it really is full of bangers. War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man being three of the first four tracks is just an absurd packaging of great tracks, and the fourth of those tracks, Planet Caravan, is a terrific tonal switch to keep things interesting and stop the sounds from running together. Really solid album.
Early metal. I know I should like it, but compared to what was to come in metal it just sounds a bit weak and flat. Nice vocals though, and it's good to let the bass have space. Interesting how the lyrics have that fantastical/morbid side, probably quite unlike what anyone else was singing about then. Production is good too (yes this is a remaster but the tracks must have been well separated to remaster this well) Actually, with 4/8 songs very good, with others just not my style, I'm appreciating this more. Best track (other than Paranoid and Iron Man) - Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots 4 stars
I love how Planet Caravan almost sounds Can adjacent. Has that same kind of hypnotic, meandering quality. Rest of the album was still really great. I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve actually liked Black Sabbath so far
Awesome
Great album. I was never a big sabbath fan, but this album is iconic.
Three absolute classics and the rest solid.
Surprising that was the start to heavy metal. I don’t think it got much better than that. Served to me on the day Ozzy died.
I did not use a private session for this one. The day after Brian Wilson's death I was given a Brian Wilson album to listen to and I thought that was a happy coincidence. Now the day after Ozzy's death I am given a Black Sabbath Album to listen to, so no, neither was a coincidence and Bravo to the 1001albumsgenerator. A lot of classic metal on this album.
Knew this was coming, fire
Not sure if this was intentional or not, Ozzy died the day before I got this album. Nevertheless, great rock, and an inspiration for so many amazing artists since.
Interesting that this comes up the day after Ozzy died. I think this is their most complete album and has my favorite song by them on it (War Pigs). The influence this had on the hard rock/metal genre cannot be understated. Of the 100+ albums I've listened to on this list this is one of a handful that deserves to be on a list like this.
Excellent album that really broke new ground and started a genre of music. Brilliant guitar work really stands out as well as fantastic lyrics from a legendary singer. Yesterday, as I'm writing this, Ozzy died at 76 years old. It's really amazing that he lived to be this old considering the lifestyle that he led for a large portion of his life. The guy is a total legend and will not be forgotten.
8/10 Appropriate album today to honour Ozzy. Black Sabbath are a fantastic example of the good this list can do - I would have assumed I would hate them, but this is the third album by them I have had and they are very good. This album occasionally plays in the same areas as bands like Zeppelin, and I have to say I vastly prefer this. Lead by rhythm, riffs, vibes. No ego fuelled guitar solos. Just get the mood and pout across. Really good. Best: War Pigs
As I listened to Ozzie (RIP) yell “I AM IRONMAN!” in a monster voice, I couldn’t help but think “this is kind of silly.” But then it occurred to me, all of rock & roll is silly. Long hair and leather pants and guitar solos and riffs and drum fills and rhyming about girls or the government or your feelings. It’s all silly. Even introspective sensitive indie rock is silly. Rock & Roll is just a silly thing. So if I have a problem with “I AM IRONMAN!” but not REM’s Murmur or Modest Mouse, is there just a line of silliness up to which I’m okay, but beyond that I’m not? Cause I don’t think that’s fair. In for a penny, in for a pound. So let’s get silly. This is a good album. If they had stopped making metal after this - and I mean all humanity, not just Sabbath - I would be a fan of the genre. It’s just every note of every metal song after this album came out is worse than the one before. But up to here, metal is A-OK with me. This is still kind of blues rocky like their first album but not quite as much. I was surprised how psychedelic “Planet Caravan” was. The drumming is really good when it’s not in the form of a drum solo. The songs on this album rock and make you want to head bang and make the devil horns sign like Beavis and Butthead. All in all this is a pretty great album.
Good solid album
What an amazing opening to an album. War Pigs and Paranoid back to back really set up this album and let you know what to expect from the band as a whole. Nearly every song on this album is a hit and the ones that aren't are just weird and fun, in their own way. I'll be looking forward to hearing more from the Prince of Darkness (R.I.P. Ozzy). Favorite songs: War Pigs Paranoid Iron Man Hand of Doom
Classic Album, with classic songs, there’s a bit of variation like with the first song but they all kinda sound the same. Liked the first and last track
Ive always preferred Ozzy's 80's and early 90s solo work over Black Sabbath, but this album is fantastic. A lot of riffs are a bit too sluggish and drawn out, but overall a well composed album with some great stories and messages looped in.
Great album
holy shit. the instrumentals, especially the GUITAR. the lyricism, its incredible. i love the tone shifts in the middle of the songs, truly incredible. 4.3/5
4.5 favorites: war pigs, iron man, electric funeral least favorite: rat salad
Classic album
Best heavy metal there is. What a game changer
Classic record, RIP Ozzy!
Rock anthems for real!
great
Iconic, timeless and full of character. Hard to believe this all began in Aston. RIP to the Prince of Darkness, a true legend and inspiration.
4.5/5 - The origin point of Hard Rock - Warm and driving - Electric and urgent - A record with something to say ... Fuck the War Pigs - RIP Ozzy
Classic metal 4/5
Decent album. The production is a problem though.
The forefathers of heavy metal don't disappoint. Solid album but some weak songs after the classics.
Was this a coincidence
I enjoyed this much more than I thought it would, and I really appreciated how revolutionary it must have been in 1970.
Great metal hits in here. 9/10
Mmuuuy chulo e interesante. La voz de ozzy genial la portada me encanta…
Aww. RIP Ozzy. He died yesterday, July 21st, 2025.
Solid, strange, and fundamental rock music
Iconic
There were only two or three songs on here that were familiar to me, but the whole album was really great! No surprise that Black Sabbath enjoyed the popularity it did for so long, and even listening to this album from 1970 in 2025, it's easy to see what solid rockers they were. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a few more "mellow" tracks from these gods of rock 'n' roll. A great rock album!! RIP Ozzy.
Yes
This goes to11.
Very important and impactful album, many of the songs are very popular even today.
I mean, hell yeah. RSVP Ozzie
Yeah it’s a 4. War Pigs has some great moments, Planet Caravan and Iron Man are worthy ballads, and it’s just got a nice sound.
1 tag nach Ozzys Tod dieses Album bekommen... War seit ich das debut album gehört hab hyped für mehr. Persönlich fand ich das "Black Sabath" Album besser, aber man kann den Einfluss den das Album hatte nicht übersehen. Kein lied ist schlecht aber ich hätte mir die Abwechslung zurückgewünscht 4/5
As an album, it kind of works. I'd never listened to it all the way through and I was never a fan of Ozzy's singing voice but this album is OK. Bonus drum solo too - something you don't get much of on albums these days!
I have fond memories of my older brother playing Black Sabbath, Blu Oyster Cold, Led Zepplin, etc loud on Saturday Mornings. Love them. 4.5/5
I was really familiar with three of the songs on here, and relatively familiar with another, but I'd never listened end-to-end to a Sabbath album before. These songs work out a lot better in album format than when crammed between "Midnight Rambler" and "Master of Puppets" on some dumb-ass hard rock radio station. I was impressed with the amount of groove on most of these songs. Ozzy's lyrics are obviously stupid and written to impress eighth-grade boys, and there are some really bad moments (i.e. the Moby Dick-esque drum solo on Electric Funeral), but this was better than I thought it would be.
3.5 RYM
So many interesting and informative 5 star reviews for this album. Not really a metal fan but I loved this
The coincidence that this came up in my list the day after Ozzy died, a good way to remember
Good mix of sounds
Yes sure why not
Super Solid Album. Great Riffs and a good atmosphere.
This rules - war pigs, paranoid, iron man….thanks for it all, oz ❤️
The Oz. May he Rest in Peace. A great album with some of his most memorable tunes. War Pigs and Iron Man being two of my favorites.
4 out of 5. Another classic I really should have listened to by now in the books. Electric Funeral however did drag it down for me a bit but not enough to drop my score to a 3.
I expected this. This is good. It’s not as heavy as I used to think Sabbath sounded. Not as dark either. I don’t know what I thought. There are some weak songs on here for sure. Planet Caravan and Electric Funeral are the weak ones. Interesting note, the first time I heard War Pigs was by Faith No More Also, the first time I heard Hand of Doom was by Danzig. That’s just how I roll. So ya, this is sludge rock, blues, jammy and metal, all intertwined with each other. It works and will make one return to them at another time. Choice cut: Hand of Doom
War Pigs 4.4 Paranoid 4 Planet Caravan 3.3 Iron Man 4.1 Electric Funeral 4.3 Hand of Doom 3.8 Rat Salad (instrumental) 3.6 Fairies Wear Boots 4.4 Score: 3.9875
Sick guitar riffs. Before this project I thought I wasn't a fan of heavy metal, but I've come to a more nuanced understanding of my preferences. It's noisy, high-distortion instruments and screamy vocals that I don't like, and this doesn't really have either of those
all respect for black sabbath
RIP Ozzy
Coincidence I get this album the day after Ozzy passes? RIP to a LEGEND. Genuinely liked this more than I thought I would.
Fu king awesome! Confession - I’d never listened to black sabbath until meeting Jon S! Honest. They’re great, particularly Tony Iommi. Being enlightened enough to move past the Satan foolishness as theatre and just listen to the music, this is the best of 80s hair rock done a decade earlier
Side A is amazing. Those first 4 classic tracks are fantastic, great heavy sound of course, but great variety too. Side B dips a bit for me but the closer 'Fairies Wear Boots' is so good. Quirky trippy lyrics, so dynamic, such brilliant changes of pace. I don't like Heavy Metal, and don't like that much heavy rock, but Sabbath pretty much created it all and at their best they were brilliant.
I quite liked this
The seminal album of metal by all accounts, though shouts of steppenwolf are also valid.
Wut was that?
A big fan of this album. Other than heavy metal classics like 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' this album shows off some much softer, more musical tracks, like Planet Caravan.
Really has some bangers on it and even more impressive the guitarist has two fingers
it made the sound of hard rock/metal
they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.