Paranoid

Grandma Died On This Day. Allh Yar7em El Fey9a

Never considered myself a fan of metal but I can appreciate the genre because of albums such as this. Going through the lyrics of some of these songs shows them talking about generational topics (such as war pigs with them referencing, I’m assuming, Vietnam), to having an abstract story (Iron Man). Musically, everything from the guitars to the vocals made this album an absolute banger. The simple replay-ability of this album gives it a 5, no contest.

5/5 While metal wasn’t invented by a single artist or band, Black Sabbath did bring together a blueprint that is referenced to this day. This album is fun to listen to and full of that dark energy you are looking for when listening to metal, without feeling obscene or “evil” just for the sake of sounding that way. The Heavy and distorted riffs and Ozzie’s iconic voice are of course great but listening to the drums and bass specifically show that they help support the band just as much as everything else. Of course the big three hits are amazing but the rest of the tracks are great listens as well. I enjoyed “Planet Caravans” slow paced spacey feeling (the traveling bongos are fun), “Electric Funeral” has intense imagery in the lyrics and really brings forward the bass and drums, and “Rat Salad” is a fun jam session and drum solo. I guess I’d say that “Fairies Wear Boots” is the weak point of the album for me but that’s not saying much as it isn’t a bad listen. Fav Tracks: No point in choosing

A stone cold classic. I actually like it BECAUSE the guitar relys more on tone than on histrionics. The first half is incredible from War Pigs through Iron Man its one classic after another. I especially the moody Planet Caravan. The second half can get a little heavy handed, but not enough to dim the status as an all time metal classic; 5 stars.

What's to say about this album that hasn't already been said? A great trip from start to finish. I think when I was younger I wasn't a big fan of Planet Caravan but I love the trippy groove of that track now and it makes a good bridge from Paranoid to Iron Man. On side two It feel like Electric Funeral pays an homage to early Pink Floyd with the vocal melody at the beginning.

This album is great because it also contains the 1001 greatest guitar riffs you must listen to

Ох, это же Блэк Сабат Гитары звучат сочно. Слышно каждую ноту, плотно. War Pigs - ох какой соляк! У баса интересная партия тоже. Теперь я понимаю, за что любят Томи Айоми. У него просто ахерительные рифы и вкусные соляки. Paranoid - тут всё понятно Planet Caravan - вау, вот это перкуссия! Раньше я слушал только кавер Пантеры на эту песню, оригинал вообще другой. Бас всё так же творит чудо, гитара потихоньку подыгрывает, дополняя атмосферу. Интересно звучат соло Томми (уже в трех песнях подряд), они звучат сухо, практически без эффектов. Слышно лишь короткую реверберацию. Но эта реверберация создает невероятную глубину в песне. Iron Man - классика хэви метала) Опять же гитара звучит очень собранно и хрустяще. Есть непопадания, когда после паузы все немного играют мимо, но почему-то это не звучит как что-то прям очень плохое. Типа трушно, что-ли. Хм, концовка очень интересная, только сейчас обратил внимание на неё. Electric Funeral - Оззи снова не парится и поёт в унисон с гитарой Томми) КАК ЖЕ ОФИГИТЕЛЬНО ЗВУЧАТ ЭТИ ГИТАРЫ! Во всех песнях! Hand of Doom - барабаны очень панчевые, слышится каждая атака. Rat Salad - похоже на импровизацию. Барабанное соло драйвовое. Fairies Wear Boots - как всегда крутые рифы Томми Айоми. Интересно меняется ритм на протяжении всей песни. Хорошее закрытие альбома. ---- Буду ли я переслушивать этот альбом? ДА.

Such a great album. These guys were ahead of their time. You can see where so many future bands got their influences from.

ground breaking stunning album.

So fucking tight. Riffs for days. Can’t wait to drink a few rockshores and drift away to planet caravan.

When I first met Luke in a crowded Bot garden. Sandwiched between Laura and Jenny and opposite himself, I accidentally made out I was a massive metal head by talking to him solely about Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. That man was no liar. 8 tracks of pure godly tunes.

Legendary!

Classic

Amazing!

It's nice listening to a familiar classic after a decent string of new listens. I don't really share the near universal love for Black Sabbath, but they're undoubtedly a brilliant band. Paranoid is just full of undeniable bangers. Rat Salad is the only slip in quality and even that track is just slightly weaker than the rest. Favourite track: Hand of Doom

Insane album, every other song I caught myself thinking "oh it's from this album?". Only reason it didn't leave even MORE of an impression is because I've heard the individual songs used on popular media so often

This album goes hard. Can definitely see why it’s a classic.

4/5: metal, but not obnoxious

Starting with back to back mega hit classics "War Pigs" & "Paranoid" then rolling into the most unique song of their Ozzy years career, "Planet Caravan", followed by yet another metal classic, "Iron Man". Lethal way to kick off the album! That right there, and the fact that they created this heavy sound that still resonates today, gets this into the T1001 for sure. The listen counts across all 8 songs is unreal. This is still a very popular album, longevity achieved! "Electric Funeral" is the weak link, not much to it. Strong finish with "Fairies Wear Boots" Solid 4 stars for the firepower contained on this album! (And Ozzy died today, how ironic!)

4/7

This slaps. Some legendary songs on here, really cool. I like the album cover too.

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

Finally some classic albums that truly deserve to be on this list. But not something I'd seek out myself.

7/10. Car music. Long drive music

Wow I have been missing out, this is quite solid stuff. 4/5, I enjoy the instrumental songs as well

War pigs is such a banger start to an album. The rest keeps up the energy

👍

The perfect bridge between the 60s and 70s — hard rock and psychedelia giving way to metal, spritely fantasy turning into demonic nightmares, groovy collectivism becoming dissatisfied individualism.

It's Sabbath, and I'm a metal head. Having said that, it's not a brilliant album, and you can tell its the birth of metal as a genre. There are some excellent tracks, but it could use some refinement. It us still a good album, just not one of the very best.

Staple thrash metal infused with riveting use of stylistic bar variations and impactful guitar riffs. Ozzy Osbourne's immediacy in his vocals create intangible catharsis for the record. Cohesive and a CHB, 'Paranoid' (album) is instantly recognizable to many listeners alike regardless of genre.

Rockin album!

I'm torn. At the moment I'm giving this a 3. And I feel terrible about it. Knowing that this is THE Black Sabbath album, and that I'd certainly give a 4 to the first one, makes this feel like heresy. Every song here is strong. Paranoid is the only one I was familiar with, and it's clear why it's so iconic. I find the other songs interest me more, though. Take Electric Funeral. This one reminds me more of the first album, and what I've come to think of as the 'Black Sabbath sound' (even though clearly, not having listened to this album before, I'm not qualified to decide on one). Planet Caravan is another interesting one, and Hand of Doom is possibly my favourite. I appreciate that the lyrics are pretty audible on this album. I have difficulty processing words from background noise, so it makes a difference to me when it's possible to tell what the vocalist is saying. I think the most striking difference between Sabbath and more modern 'metal' bands (if Sabbath may still truly be considered metal at this point) is Osbourne's more conventional vocals, in my opinion much more listenable than the screeching or death chanting of his later counterparts. The reason why I'm not rating this as highly is, I suspect, because this sound is overly familiar to me. I've listened to too much music that was inspired by this album, and so this one feels basic... when it was probably very fresh at the time. It just doesn't really stand out to me. Shit. I may have to change this later but I've just had too many good albums recently. I believe this is a 3 for now. RIP Ozzy, you were a man of huge talent.

Rest well now, Ozzy. I'm not going to pretend I was the greatest Black Sabbath fan because just he's dead but I quite liked his solo album "Blizzard of Oz." Moving onto today's album, the title track was fantastic, of course, but I found "Paranoid" uncomfortable overall. Might be my panic disorder kicking in but the structure in certain songs was extremely irritating (i.e. "Electric Funeral's" suspense), and sucks to be me, the songs were all same-y! I didn't enjoy the album as much as I anticipated, which is a surprise, 'cus I heard the album in '23 and I remember liking it back then. Times have changed.

RIP to the Prince of Darkness… This record serves as one of founders of heavy metal, and stands the test of time. The obvious classics are belters but I really enjoyed Planet Caravan and the mellow sections of Hand Of Doom.

Would have liked it more if it were a rock-opera. Bright costumes. Choreography. Lights.

I appreciate Black Sabbath. Hell, I used to listen to this album a lot. I appreciate what it has done for historical reasons and who it influenced (even myself as a teenager). But this album just hasn't stood the test of time (at least for me). Still acceptable, just not great like I once thought it was.

It's a miracle that Ozzy Osbourne is still alive

Short and sweet. The guitar sound >>> Ozzy’s vocals. Of course this album is on this list, no problem saying that even though they’re not my favorite band.

Disappointing! War Pigs and Paranoid together made a tremendously strong, energetic start from out the outset, but all my enthusiasm was lost by the time Iron Man came on—at which point the album descended into lyrics that were edgy but shallow, and settled into that unfortunate aimless, rambly guitar/drum combo that seems to have dominated rock in the years prior. An easy five stars if the momentum had carried through, but as it stands, three is being generous. Recommended season: Winter

While I appreciate the significance of this album, this is not music I would ever choose to listen to.

- better than seeing them live (saw them live in Wacken and they are just too old for this) - still old man metal, not mine

fu Zionist Ozzie

*squalking guitars, banging instruments, screaming vocals! No music here, just noise

Have always hated Black Sabbath and that hasn't changed.

Five just because it was so much better than megadeath

9/30/26. Consistently great throughout. Knew a handful of songs already, but the rest of the album is loud and exciting. Definitely understand why many people view this as a classic.

The first entry where I can say "I've seen them live", and boy it's a great kick-off. Listening to this album's classics like War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man live was a very surreal experience, despite our awful seating. As an album listening experience, Paranoid truly is a great project, having one of the best album openers of all time and some underrated hits like Hand of Doom and Rat Salad. Favorite Song: War Pigs Score: 90/100

Don't even need to listen to give this a 5/5. One of the best albums ever created that had a massive impact on ALL heavy music that came after it. There is so much here to enjoy. So many hits. Just fucking incredible. History is here in spades with early Black Sabbath. You owe it to yourself to listen to this through at least once.

What can we say that wasn’t been said for Paranoid by Black Sabbath. Absolute classic. The riffs are iconic, Osbourne voice is insane. If you have a high-end setup, it’s even better. 5/5. Already in my heavy rotation. War Pigs / Luke’s Wall : 5 Paranoid : 5 Planet Caravan : 4 Iron Man : 5 Electric Funeral : 4 Hand of Doom : 5 Rat Salad : 4 Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots : 4

Those early Black Sabbath albums were a huge part of my teenage years, the sound is huge, raw and dripping with power. Ozzy, the untameable frontman, and the thundering energy created by Bill and Geezer, Tony's unmistakeable and unique riffs, together they created a sound that influenced hordes of heavy bands to come. I loved it then and I love it just as much now, almost fifty years later (for me that is). War Pigs, Iron Man and Electric Funeral are amongst their greatest ever album tracks. The title track, conceived at the time as a bit of a throwaway single, came to be one of the most recognised riffs in the history of metal. A five star album all day long.

I don't usually go in that hard for metal generally speaking but if there was ever going to be an exception...

Hell yeah! So heavy, so groovy so psychedelic

Another great album from one of the most meaningful bands in the world for me. Always love listening to this one.

One of my favorite Sabbath albums. This is the kind of record where basically every song has something going for it, and it’s wild how much of heavy metal’s future you can hear packed into 42 minutes. “War Pigs” is still one of the best anti-war songs ever written. Those opening lines “Generals gathered in their masses/Just like witches at black masses” paint such an immediate picture, and the whole song just keeps building from there. “Electric Funeral” is so sludgy that you can practically hear the path toward bands like The Melvins, Acid Bath, Pantera, and a ton of other heavier stuff that came later. Funny enough, I actually heard Pantera’s version of “Planet Caravan” before I heard the original, so that song always had a strange familiarity to it. “Iron Man” is obviously a classic, and “Paranoid” is still a straight banger no matter how many times I’ve heard it. This whole album is basically a blueprint for generations of metal that came after it. Favorite song: “Electric Funeral”

I feel like this album would have blown my mind if I were alive at the time. It still sort of does since it sounds so ahead of its time. Ozzy's voice cuts through a thick, heavy pit of sludge delivering iconic lyrics on some of the most well known metal songs of all time. Paranoid is a very dynamic album with a lot of different styles going on often in the same song. Really well put together. It's hard to compete with the first half but the second half holds up great. The drum solo in Rat Salad was sick. 9/10

One of the best of all time worth a listen every single time

It’s great. No notes. 5/5

metal is back on the menu baby. perhaps the most influential metal album of all time? hard to think of another contender. mega riffs. mega hits. mega.

Das legendäre BS Album, genial!

Holy shit. This album is amazing. War Pigs is one of the best openings to an album I've ever heard. I didn't "grow up" with this one, so giving it 5 feels a little like an overreaction, but holy hell, it's that good.

A part of me thought the album deserved a 4, because Planet Caravan completely doesn't fit with the rest of it. But a much larger part agrees the other 90% is perfect.

It's all been said

топ

Paranoid stupenda

Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970) On Day 263, I really took my time with this spin, and for good reason. This record was my original gateway into understanding what heavy metal is all about, and there is a rare quality to it that cuts through whatever initial hesitation or "metalphobia" you might have. Because it laid the blueprint, the heavy riffs feel deeply musical and grounded in genuine groove rather than just abrasive noise. "War Pigs" is a monumental banger—its seven-and-a-half-minute runtime feels completely justified because you simply don't want the groove to end. The frantic drive of the title track "Paranoid" cements that classic opening run, while "Planet Caravan" serves as a vital splash of cold water, cooling the tension with its mellow, hypnotic textures before the heavy riffs return. The sheer weight of "Iron Man," along with the sludge-heavy craft of "Electric Funeral," "Hand of Doom," and "Fairies Wear Boots," makes the entire tracklist essential. The iconic artwork alone hints at the greatness inside. An undisputed foundation of heavy music. A clear 5/5.

A classic metal album brimming with creativity, political innuendos and killer guitar riffs. Sign me the fuck up!!

Electric Funeral Electric Funeral Electric Funeral The best!

pretty cool

such fucking goated album

one of my top rock albums of all time

The best of metal.

I respect this list (book) a hell of a lot more now knowing this album has been recognised for what is is…one of the best albums of all time! Undeniably the bones of what was the birth of heavy metal, this band, this album, it is everything an album should be and more. From the now late Ozzy’s vocals to the genius that is Geezer Butler and Tony Iomi alongside Bill Ward. This will forever be an iconic marker on the timeline of music’s life. It should be in school’s curriculum and for anyone that cares about music at all, a must have. 10 Stars Would I buy this record if I saw it in the $5 bargain bin - 10 times over and more, everyone should have this album.

Fucking hell it’s so good.

Obviously just chock-full of bangers. I mean, the undeniability of the A-side alone is enough of an argument for it being one of the better albums ever made. The simple presence of three songs as good as “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” and “Iron Man” all on the same album makes this a first-ballot hall of famer for sure. I mean, have you HEARD “Iron Man?” How good can you get? Though I have formally established my distaste for the eponymous debut of this band, Vol. 4 is still one of my favorite metal albums ever created, mainly due to the way it creates a dynamic between the heavy and the soft, all the while fostering an atmosphere of darkness. This album does a similar thing, but much more directly. Every song feels otherworldly, and the one softer song only confirms that. Almost every song serves as a bombastic anthem for anyone who likes rock in any serious way. The only reason it’s not an outright 10 is simply because it sidesteps my own personal tastes, in a way that, say, Vol. 4 does not. That being said, this is a must-listen for any rock fan. 9.8/10 DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: YES REASON: It’s an essential album. Essential.

these crackers know how to rap

A favorite

incrível.

Ozzy.

This is a legendary album. Listening to it felt powerful and completely locked in from the first track. Ozzy’s voice is legendary in its own right, raw and unmistakable, and it sits perfectly with the rest of the band. The instrumentals stay strong all the way through. Guitars, drums and vocals just play so well together that nothing feels out of place. The whole record has a dark, heavy and interesting sound that still feels unique. There is a real sense of weight and atmosphere in the playing, and the band chemistry is obvious. Everything moves with a clear purpose and a rough edge that gives the music its character. The production by Rodger Bain is straightforward and effective. It keeps the sound raw enough to feel alive while still making sure every part comes through clearly. Nothing is overly polished, which suits the material perfectly. Paranoid remains one of the defining heavy records. Strong performances, great chemistry and a sound that still hits hard.

My dad had this on cassette and I wore it the fuck out in middle school. A true key text in the development of my music taste. I guess if Side 1 was ALL bangers, it probably would've killed somebody. It is funny that one of the seminal records in hard rock/metal history has such a chill song in the midst of three of the hardest songs of all time, but the boys had range, what can I say. Side 2 is barely a step down, which is an incredible feat. Any fears that they couldn't possibly follow up Iron Man when you flip over the record is allayed by the absolutely sick riffs in Electric Funeral. What a great fucking record.

The first Sabbath album I heard, bought on vinyl from a tiny push-around cart at Glastonbury in 2015 and I know it very well already. Only 8 tracks but every one is a a killer! The riffs are colossal, the atmosphere is dialled up... everyone's on their 'A' game and the production is fantastic. I've not lived with this album perhaps as much as others so the 'hits' haven't tired on me but even still, I do prefer the other tracks generally.

Peak

2nd album by Sabbath in the same year they drop their debut self titled album, which in itself is amazing. The 2nd mind blowing part is that Paranoid has no misses or skips on it. Each song is amazing, influential and a valuable piece of Sabbath’s discography. Legendary well known songs like War Pigs, Paranoid & Iron Man grace the earlier part of the album. While a heavy influence and precursor to doom metal like Hand of Doom and Electric Funeral round out the 2nd half of the album. Sabbath even threw in Planet Caravan which was a massive change in sound from their work up to that point. Overall this album is a pioneering album that laid the groundwork for future metal and heavy metal albums. The influence of which can still be felt today

First Listen Favorites: War Pigs / Luke's Wall Paranoid Hand of Doom Honorable Mentions: Planet Caravan Iron Man

Phat riffs

Absolutely phenomenal album, especially for 1970. What a way to invent heavy metal.

At the festival this day (see previous two reviews) began with Charlotte Church singing War Pigs. Then I woke to find this was my album of the day. The rain was incessant. The festival is in the farm yard next to a castle. On the Great Lawn the wars of the roses was reenacted. Whilst in the drawing room Stewart Lee read a gruesome retelling of the Owl and the pussycat. Later a polar and a grizzly dueled during the headliner. Walking through the castle grounds what did a spy but fairies in boots dancing with dwarves. I tell ya I tell ya no lies for I saw it I saw it with my own two eyes. 5 stars highly recommend.

A masterpiece Diary of a Madman and at least one other solo Ozzy album should also be on this list

Iron Man

Over 50 years and still heavy as fuck. The Gold standard for Metal.

Loved it! Such insane drumming.

My first full listen through of any Black Sabbath. I was familiar with a few tracks. Pretty solid album.

Loved it

I mean, this is ‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath. Three of the biggest hits ever. There’s a B side too, though it’s quite a bit slower and more vibes-y. I think a very high four rounded up to a five because ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ is a great closer.

Today I saw a gal wearing a shirt with Black Sabbath logos on it, I think in the same colour palette as Paranoid's cover. I thought it was a good reason to get to this album today. What should I say? Paranoid is ridiculously good. It is unbelievable. You know that the song's gonna be gross either from the first few riffs or with the two couple of minutes and not later. It's so great in so many ways that I doubt I'll be able to enumerate. So I never really listened to the band specifically in the past. I was somewhat hyped expecting some hard rock tracks but undoubtably wasn't ready for such outsanding musical genious as tye guys are showin' here. Take Osbourne's vocals. He adds so much value to their compositions. The vocals serve as a standalone instrument, and he uses his voice so smartly, toning it down when required, setting the whole thing up and essentially perfecting the sound (Ozzy died last year; rest in peace, genius). The guitars are arguably the defining part of the record. They're used in such varied ways and yet keep on delivering tons of epic sound. The solos on this album are legendary. The group even uses some sound effects and make it feel like they're using some electronic effects (or maybe protoelectronic sounds possibly?) Anyway, the sound of the guitars is just perfect. Sabbath manage to split one composition in an unconventional way (War Pigs) which sounds novel and works out just great. They add the anti-war sentiment to the lyrics which deverves an extra star from me. They use really nastly riffs and low notes (Iron Man, which I was already familiar with but likely only in reduced versions such as OSTs). The drums are not falling off, too; the drummer is doing a wonderful job. Take Rat Salad, for instance. Is it really Ward producing all those sounds alone? Damn it's good. Virtuosity, exceptional artistic expression are the defining features felt all through the record. Sabbath even make the low-tempo and relaxed track Planet Caravan outstanding; while it's dramatically different from the general style of the album, it is great and serves as a standalone meditative poece or perhaps an extended interlude. The album's full of bangers. It is the 93th album on my ran and THE FIRST one where I added every single track to my playlist. No exception. I bet Sabbath's shows were cosmic. Really wanted to hear that live. Endless energy, ability to combine simple and accesible stuff with complex song textures - all these feats of the band leave me no choice but to rate Paranoid A+. One of the greatest achievements of mankind in modern music. Made me sweat without even dancing or nodding much lol. An ecstasy of an album, having no single best tracks as all of them are sublime. And you should hear the whole thing at once be4 you die.

Rules. Every track on this album birthed an entire subgenre of metal music.

Love this album ! I had already had some music saved so it’s the kind of music that i like and listen but discover the other songs of the album. Some of them more chill and i also like it. The album made me realise that it has influenced some group that i really like !

Classic. Love war pigs, iron man, and of course Paranoid, my favorite BS song

Listened to this album many times. Electric Funeral stood out this time. 5/5

Every song is good, absolutely fantastic album!

Nánast fullkomin

Obra-prima.

When I was a kid, this was one of a handful of albums my dad put on rotation for bedtime. Some of them scared me shitless, but this somehow wasn't one of them. I love you, dad <3 Favorite tracks: War Pigs ; Paranoid ; Iron Man ; Electric Funeral

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 (rounded up because like dude) Okay, so, obviously, Paranoid is a five-star album, and I’ve known that since middle school. The hits are as perfect as ever: on every re-listen, “War Pigs” still give me chills from its he doleful opening sirens to Satan’s spreading wings, and sneering riff opening “Hand of Doom” remains masterfully, gleefully creepy. Every time I listen, though, I find something new to like: “Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots” has always been an underrated favorite of mine (and not just because of that title), and I will never forget being blessed by Sabbath on their farewell tour with a rendition of “Rat Salad” so good, I can pinpoint it as the exact moment I realized drum solos rule. This go-around, I came to appreciate “Planet Caravan,” which is both so dated and somehow still unique in its essence—even though there’s a lot that’s approximately like it, nothing quiet captures that specific, ethereal atmosphere. I want to say there’s no denying Paranoid’s near-perfection but, as with all of these things, there’s a little bit of denying it. Even I’m not often in the mood for Paranoid; the title track, “Iron Man,” and “Electric Funeral,” undeniable classics as they may be, have even so been flattened by their classic status, and they rock in a way that’s become a bit bland for me at my most stuck-up pickiest. When I think of Paranoid criticism that sticks, two things come to mind (though with time only one will remain). The first comes from Jeff Tweedy’s substack, where he recorded a really wonderfully foreboding acoustic cover of “War Pigs” the week Ozzy died. Tweedy there remembers how he used to scoff a bit at the clunkiness of Black Sabbath’s lyrics, and even in middle school, I couldn’t deny that either—rhyming “masses” with “masses” in the opening lines always felt a little, I don’t know, stupid to me, and their habit of awkwardly stretching phrases to fit a rhythm didn’t really help. Sometimes, Paranoid even feels like that musically—even songs as sublime as “Hand of Doom” are subject to abrupt tempo changes that bring the song to a complete halt, and I can’t imagine this achieves the intended effect. But, in their defense, Tweedy says that—and I’m paraphrasing—you don’t critique someone’s eloquence when they’re shouting “fire!” Thinking of that always makes me misty; behind all their cackling, satanic wrath, these were angry kids, and they were angry because they were scared, and they were scared because the evil they are so often accused of glorifying had turned their world upside down. It’s just raw, man, but fantastically so—not the same sort of raw that leaves me ragged and defenseless, but the concussive, wild rawness of fireworks or surviving a brush with the unknown. This brings me to the second critique I keep thinking of, and certainly the less tenable of the two: a two-star review on this site that I found both thoughtful and condescending comparing Sabbath’s songs to kebabs. Rock, so they say, is a simple cut-and-paste template and, to their credit, they think Sabbath maximizes its potential, stacking as much cheese and meat on as they can. But apparently, within these limited confines, it fails to express the rip-roarin’ groove of, say, James Brown. I guess I can’t hold it against this person if they simply don’t get it—I’m no better for not getting Joni Mitchell, if that’s the case, feeling zero resonance though her soul is oozing out of each piece. Then again, I don’t get how you couldn’t get Paranoid, couldn’t feel moved by it. I’ll admit it: I’ve always found a slight flatness (maybe just intonation-wise) in the way most Black Sabbath sounds, like it could go higher, deeper, angrier—despite what a shock it must’ve been in its day, part of me will always concede that it sounds old. Yet I think this is essential to the rough, rusty, roadburn of it—the industrial, crumbling backdrop, compressed as if broadcast across the gales of an irradiated wasteland of time. I saw another review I loved that said these songs could’ve been chanted in the Stone Age, and that’s why they overcome the flattening aspects of their production. Paranoid is not molten, it’s tough—it’s an attack, it’s a blast, each song as driving as the last, but that heat comes from the clashing metal therein. 1: Bad | 2: Below Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

potentially one of the most influential albums of all time, executed to perfection. Lyrically, rhythmically, production, how is it possible this was released in 1970??

Haven't listened to this one in a while. Hot damn, this is such a good record.

This album is a masterpiece. I had listened to it before, but picked it up again when Ozzy passed away recently, and every song on this album is quite frankly amazing. Making it even better is how they invented this style of music and it still is maybe the best of the genre. It’s great heavy metal with great lyrics that feel like it is still very relevant today. One of the greatest albums of all time.

YEAH FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS AND YOU'VE GOTTA BELIEVE ME Favorite Songs: War Pigs / Luke's Wall, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Jack The Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

What a treat, getting Paranoid so soon. A few songs off of this album are overrepresented in media but I can't deny how exquisite the mixing on this album sounds. Very few things compare to how well it sounds in my ears. Mr. Sabbath's voice can feel a bit samey but I think it adds to the albums themes. An excellent record, definitely makes me want higher quality listening equipment. Eat your heart out Iron Maiden. "My father-in-law is an audio engineer. We were listening to 70s rock/prog-rock together years ago and I asked him how we could properly mic a drum kit today like they did. I will never forget his answer… 'We can’t, we don’t know how to do it.'" Favorite(s): War Pigs / Luke's Wall Planet Caravan Least: None :) 5/5

This is, in fact, an album that everyone should hear before they die.

Fuck it. FIVE!

Back then, we considered it hard rock; now, Wikipedia classifies it as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. I don’t know what people read into it. In my opinion, that term didn't even exist in 1970. I’m reading now that bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple are also supposed to fall under the heavy metal banner. That makes no sense to me, but never mind. To me, this record—like those from the aforementioned bands—is pure hard rock. Hard-hitting, sometimes melodic, with every instrument clearly audible. Simply a magnificent style of music. I can still see myself with long hair, headbanging amidst the hard rock fans. Thank God, I’ve always had a broad taste in music. What I listen to—and what I’m actually in the mood to hear—always depends on the situation! This record is really hitting the spot for me this morning! I don’t own it, and I’d never actually listened to the whole thing before. But this is simply great rock music; Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward are at the top of their game. It’s not just "Paranoid" that’s great; "Iron Man" is fantastic—heavy and dark. But really, I don’t want to single out any one song; it’s a number-one album, without a doubt. After just one listen, I really like the whole record—even though it’s early in the morning, and I’m still filled with painful emotions following the memorial service for Glen Hansard yesterday.

Every time I remember how quickly this album was made (allegedly six weeks), it simultaneously makes zero and 100% sense. How could riffs this good, this timeless, arrive so effortlessly? But also, could something this primal, dark, and exciting ever come from overthinking? Who knows—and who fucking cares! Songs like "War Pigs," "Iron Man," and the title track are pure guitar-driven crack, with "Planet Caravan" providing a relaxing respite before "Electric Funeral" dives into proto-doom metal. I do find that the last three tracks drag somewhat compared to the first half, but... c'mon, man. This is a stone-cold classic. RIP Ozzy. Fav Tracks: War Pigs / Luke's Wall, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Electric Funeral Least Fav: Rat Salad Score: 8.5

9 - EXCELLENT

Classic and one of the great albums. Favorite tracks are War Pigs, Planet Caravan, Hand of Doom. One of the easiest 5s on here.

No skips album.

Whenever I listen to black Sabbath, I am reminded how chill and groovy black Sabbath often is. They know how to sit back just as well as to when to fill the space.

5. Amazing start to finish

BEFORE: More familiar territory. I have this on CD somewhere. This is a classic, foundational metal album. It's kind of wild to think this came out in 1970, although I know music was already getting heavier by then. AFTER: Just as good as I remember. I enjoyed focusing on some of the tracks I don't know as well - particularly through the second side. I don't really have a lot of say about this. It's just classic, early heavy metal. HIGHLIGHTS: The compositions and musicianship is exceptional, Tony Iommi's guitar work laid the foundation for countless bands to come - so many of these riffs have been adapted and recycled over the years - and Ozzy's voice is an absolute force of nature. Some of the sonic effects on here - treated vocals, the guitar work - are way ahead of their time. Bill Ward is an incredible versatile drummer across the 8 tracks here. The more familiar tracks (basically all of Side One) are always welcome, but I really enjoyed the second side this time through. LOWLIGHTS: None for me, but then I love this music. Sure the lyrics can get a bit silly, but I think metal works best when it retains a sense of fun. VERDICT: 5 stars. This is a heavy metal classic and anyone with even a passing interest in metal or hard rock should be all over this. MISC: My reviews so far really lean towards 4 and 5 stars. When I look up others' reviews, I am always kind of shocked that there are so many lower scores for albums considered classics (although to be fair I have encountered a few lesser efforts and have been surprised at their inclusion), often from people who just outright reject certain genres or styles of music. I'm lucky to have very broad tastes and most of these albums are in these books for very good reason, even if some of the music is outside my usual listening preference. It's a shame more people don't approach this with quite such an open mind, and I honestly wonder what people with narrow tastes and obvious prejudices expect to get out of such a wide-ranging exercise.

War Pigs nee Paranoid. Pretty amazing album and a very easy 5/5. The band/sound that spawned a million bands. A classic in every sense of the word.

Good rock album. sweetleaf an faires wear boots are rocking.

Drum sound was very 60s. Cool jazzy tracks that you don't ever hear. Whole album flowed well together.

Well this is an easy one for me. I love this album from the very first second until the very last second. This is a masterpiece! 5/5

One of the original albums, I own when I was a kid mom and dad were not happy. I was a ecstatic still a great album.

This is a classic! Love Paranoid

Not my favourite Sabbath album, but it’s clearly their most important in the rock canon. 3 stone cold classics, 3 excellent tracks, a drum solo and a decent bluesy closer. The bridge between their early, bluesier work and the doom metal to come.

This is their best album, brilliant work!

osobiscie dalbym 4 ale wielki Jan patrzy

Tony is good at guitar.

Awesome, I'm so close to giving this a 5. I know they're pioneers, but I can't give everything a 5 can I? Fuckit, it's a 5.

9/10. El mejor disco hasta ahora. Lo conocía pero nunca lo había escuchado enteramente. Los primeros temas hasta Ironman inclusive son tremendos. No me gusta el heavy metal, pero este es el perfecto punto medio entre heavy y prog que realmente me hacía falta conocer. Increible.

Album 264. Paranoid (https://open.spotify.com/album/7DBES3oV6jjAmWob7kJg6P?si=l_MlzCpsRvSCqot0mrEamg) — Black Sabbath (1970) One of the greatest metal/heavy metal bands with one of the greatest albums that has influence as vast as a galaxy. I like how the first half of the album is made of mainstream legendary songs and the other half is almost undiscovered by the masses but they're also masterpiece songs I think the variety of sounds makes this album so great. You can hear here some psychedelic, blues and jazz motifs etc. 5/5 Liked: — War Pigs — Paranoid — Planet Caravan — Iron Man — Electric Funeral — Hand of Doom — Rat Salad — Fairies Wear Boots

Paranoid is a powerful album with a heavy sound and lyrics that still feel meaningful today. It explores themes like war, destruction, depression, and the darker sides of human nature. I really connected with the messages behind these songs, and I think the combination of the memorable riffs and emotional lyrics is what makes the album so impactful. While not every song became a personal favorite of mine, the ones that did really resonated with me, and I can understand why this album is considered such an important record.

4.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/black-sabbath/paranoid/ I'm still a bit hesitant to give this the full 5 stars, because there's 1) Planet Caravan and Rat Salad that I consider a lot less than the rest of the album and 2) a shit in quality in the second half (which, in all honesty, says more about the first half than the second half).

One of my faves from Black Sabbath

Goddamn this was way better than I was expecting. I knew "War Pigs" "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" going in obviously, and those are great, but I pretty much enjoyed every song on here. The weird etherealness of "Planet Caravan" was a nice break between the loud guitars and "Electric Funeral" and "Hand of Doom" were also great.

the Joni Mitchell’s Blue of frowning all the time

nice choice for the first album lol. have always known this band but never rlly listened i think? bro iron man is PEAKKK

Great album. What strikes me is that came out in 1970 yet its critiques of power and state sponsored violence are as relevant today as ever. War Pigs? Yeah we know about it. Never had a chance to listen to this completely but I am glad I did today. A true highlight on this listening journey so far. Easy 5. Don't like seeing its meta-score dropping backwards in 2026.

First side of the album is flawless. The bass guitar and drums are incredibly good and the musicality of the group works so well along with Ozzy's uniquely weird vocals. They put this together in 1969 but hasn't aged a day and must be the genre classic album.

This is the album that supposedly invented heavy metal. The "singles" from this album are iconic and the songs that don't get much radio play are still very good. It is hard to overstate how important this album was.

Happy to have this again. Yeah. It was a revelation the first time I heard it. I gave it a 5. It’s still a 5. Awesome. Cover to cover. 5 Boolean: TRUE

Their greatest album and the beginning of heavy metal rock.

The title track from "Paranoid" is one of the earliest memories I have of rock music, alongside Deep Purple's 'Black Night'. A few years later, when I was thirteen or so, it became the first Black Sabbath studio album I bought. At the time, I didn't know a single other track on the record. I remember getting the album home, dropping the needle, and being hit by 'War Pigs' blasting through the speakers. It remains one of the greatest metal tracks ever written - an immense, towering piece of music that is brilliantly sung by Ozzy Osbourne, setting a perfect tone for everything that follows. What has truly secured the album's remarkable longevity and enduring relevance is how the lyrical themes bypassed traditional rock-and-roll tropes. Instead, the band explored warfare, mental illness, nuclear dread, and addiction - subjects that have not dated in the slightest. Musically, the album deliberately moves away from standard blues structures, and the production feels entirely timeless due to its minimalist approach and lack of studio gimmickry. The producer, Rodger Bain, essentially captured the raw power of a brilliant live band playing together in a room. The songs themselves are excellently written, arranged, and performed, shifting seamlessly in pace, nature, and dynamics. These are truly exceptional songs - not just within the rock and metal genres, but in the wider musical canon. Lastly, Ozzy Osbourne's vocals deserve a massive shout-out. His performance here is just as remarkable as anything delivered by contemporaries like Robert Plant or Ian Gillan, standing out for both its unique melodic sensibility and its technical range. People often forget just how high Ozzy could sing in his youth without ever relying on a falsetto. He sings with a piercing, full-throated belt right at the top of a tenor range. You only have to listen to 'War Pigs' when the instruments drop out, leaving just Ozzy and Bill Ward's drums; he holds those incredibly high, sustained notes with absolute clarity and zero straining. On 'Iron Man', he matches Tony Iommi's monolithic guitar riff note-for-note with incredible precision. Of course, I didn't appreciate the nuances of recording techniques or vocal ranges when I first bought it. To a thirteen-year-old, "Paranoid" was simply heavy as hell and a brilliant album. It still is. It's got a god awful album cover though! Album Rating: 5/5 Side one 1 "War Pigs" (5/5) 2 "Paranoid" (5/5) 3 "Planet Caravan" (4/5) 4 "Iron Man" (5/5) Side two 1 "Electric Funeral" (4/5) 2 "Hand of Doom" (5/5) 3 "Rat Salad" (instrumental) (4/5) 4 "Fairies Wear Boots" (5/5) Total - 37 Average - 4.63 378/1001 201/378 albums reviewed were new to me.

Это один из лучших альбомов вообще и один из центральных альбомов в метале. Если вы никогда не слушали метал, это должен быть один из первых, если не первый альбом, который вы должны послушать. Абсолютный монумент человеческой культуры. Легенда.

Classic. Absolutely a must listen.

I can't believe I never listened to this album as a whole, even though it is in my dad's collection. Really enjoyed it.

This album reeks of my childhood. An album I have no desire to hit the next button on any of the tracks. Loved it

Paranoid is one of my favorite albums of all time. It is the first CD I bought for myself. Every track on this is iconic. There's no out of place notes. Just the birth of heavy metal.

Groundbreaking, fantastic, their best.

I’ve heard this before and I own it. This was in my dad’s collection and it’s probably the first metal album I listened to; he never really played it when I was growing up but I put it on sometime in 7th grade out of curiosity and it blew my mind. The metal I had heard before then was all hair metal so I was expecting something like that, instead I heard a few songs that were recognizable from classic rock radio and some of the heaviest shit I’d ever heard before. This is my personal favorite sabbath album, and I know many people will disagree and say Master of Reality or another of their first 6 albums is the best or for some reason will say a post-Ozzy album is their best; no one has ever told me Technical Ecstasy or Never Say Die is their best at least because that would be ridiculous. I love every second of this album, even all of Rat Salad. This is an all-timer.

I wish I had listened more to this when I was younger, but I never got the introduction to it. Of course I know the hits, but this album is more than the hits. The basslines and the drums really stands out to me (I know most of the riffs and the voice of Ozzy). Easy no skipping album classic. Favourites: Paranoid, War Pigs, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom.

Legendary album! Rest In Peace Legend of Ozz 🤘🤘🫡

Wauw. This is an amazing album! I listened to it twice in a row and just can't believe why I didn't listen to it before. Favourite song is Planet caravan. Just wauw!

Day 330 Amazing album, way ahead of its time. Highlights War pigs Paranoid Hand of Doom

I think I am a black sabbath fan now..

Day 26 , First artist with the 2nd album in my list. I had "Black Sabbath" on day 5. This album with offcourse Paranoid and War Pigs speaks more to me than the previous one. Great guitar riffs that became defined as "Heavy Metal" a new genre was born. This can only get the full 5 stars

Don’t love it as much as Master of Reality but understand how monumental it was. Electric Funeral is my favorite on this album

Ihan ok

Instantly giving the listening a sense of dread as air raid sirens kick off the record, I'd argue that the first side of this album is strongest side of any record period. You get three early heavy metal hits in "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" with the trippy "Planet Caravan" providing a brief respite. The second side is also excellent, boasting fan favourites "Electric Funeral" and "Fairies Wear Boots". This is one of those records that feel like a greatest hits compilation as it is so stacked. I can't believe that this came out so soon after the debut. They created heavy metal on that record, and perfected the formula here. The playing is still exceptional and they smoothed out some of the edges without compromising their art.

Heavy Metal in the 70s and 80s does not exist without the influence of this album. The lyrics are dark and mercurial, and it's easy to overlook what a great, idiosyncratic singer Ozzy was.

Absolute classic. You hear so much about how important it is but then you listen to it and realize it may actually be UNDER-rated.

4,5

Absolut perfection there is not a single bad song on the album

This is such a clear 5. Not even a glitch.

One of my all-time favorite albums. I’ve listened to it countless times, and it never gets old. Every riff feels timeless, and it remains one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever made. RIP Ozzy.

Metal so heavy they went Prog. First half is 5 stars. Second is 4. Gonna round up cos I’m nice

Nothing will ever go quite as hard as this album does and few songs will ever top War Pigs. RIP Ozzy. Love you forever.

Absolute masterpiece

War pigs - 5/5 Paranoid - 5/5 Planet caravan - 2/5 Iron man - 5/5 Electric funeral - 4/5 Hand of doom - 5/5 Rat salad - 5/5 Fairies wear boots - 5/5

This is the stuff. Straight bangers. RIP Ozzy

Iron Man and Hand of doom holy shit

#174/1001 🇬🇧🤘 The app is throwing some really strong albums my way at the moment and i'm hovering between a 4 and 5 here. The first side of the record is near perfect with 4 amazing tracks. The second has the brilliant Hand of Doom, but instrumental Rat Salad lets things down fir me. Best Tracks: War Pigs, Planet Caravan, Paranoid, Hand of Doom.

I think I'm finished with the Sabbath albums on this list. They're all good, but this one is special.

i love it

Black Sabbath, 5/5. Period.

KIEDY JADR NA MOTORZE WIATET MI POWIEWA TWARZ

Classic. Amazing riffs, brilliant drumming, Ozzy's wail. The DNA of metal.

AMAZING

Megabra.

I don't think even your average Black Sabbath fan understands how socially conscious and political this band was. In 2020 they released a line of BLM merch and the chuds were so mad. Like, it's immediately obvious hearing War Pigs and Hand of Doom that Sabbath had a LOT to say about justice. Not much else I can say that hasn't already been said.

My gateway to heavy metal. Still grateful for it to this day, this record is all-killer, influential and groundbreaking.

gaaahhhhDAMN this album is AMAZING

Possible the most important rock album of the 70s? Heavy Metal where every song could be a single. 5 massive cross pendants.

Here I am again saying I don’t like heavy metal, and yet here I am again saying this is a great Black Sabbath album. Maybe it’s just the loud screamo stuff I hate, but this is really good. The themes, the instrumentals, and the riffs just capture you. Each instrument can be heard and works perfectly together again with Ozzy carrying it on the vocals. Likes: War Pigs; Paranoid; Planet Caravan; Iron Man; Electric Funeral; Hand of Doom

Feels like a piece of Birmingham history, I love this album!

Looking back, I’ve given their debut and Vol. 4 5 stars and I think I like this album even more than those. Solid riffs. Great grooves. Pointed lyrics. It’s a heavy metal masterpiece.

I've been getting albums all week that haven't clicked with my mood. But, oh did today's scratch that itch. This album is just what I needed. Every track. 5/5

Ooh that opening chord is just so dirty and sloppy. The intro drags on for almost a minute before Ozzy’s mellifluous tone start to rant about old guys sending their kids off to die . Add on top of that great riffs . Steady drumming from ward and almost funky bass by geezer. Normally political statements in metal are hackneyed and trite (looking at you Dorro) but even at 7 minutes war pigs does not over stay its welcome lyrically or musically. Oddly war pigs is not the best song on the album . It’s followed immediately by Paranoid , before slowing down for the trippy but brilliant planet caravan before Iron man kicks in . With 3 of those 4 opening songs being the perfect song to describe not only Sabs but heavy metal as a genre.. 5 stars for everything but the cover. If only this had a mob rules styles cover.

Holy peak dude. This album just clears everything around it at its time and even now. All timer, no question. And man I am ashamed I haven't listened to this sooner, it's so much better as a whole-album listen rather than piecemeal songs. One of the easiest 5s so far.

Goated

Somehow one of the first , and still one of the best, heavy metal albums.

1970. They wrote the song "Paranoid" in five minutes, then sat down and wrote the lyrics as quickly as they could. It was all done in about two hours. The album was supposed to be called "Warpigs" after the anti-war opening track but they changed it because the record label feared backlash.

Yeah not much to say here

I'm not sure if I even need to listen to this gain, I know every single song of this great album, super-duper easy 5-star rating without needing much else to be said here really, another heavy metal masterpiece, rest in piece Ozzy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mörkt och tungt men ändå melodiskt på ett sätt som inget annat band lyckas med. Slås fortfarande hur före sin tid de vare. Texterna kommer fram, melodierna finns finns där och riffen, som är Black Sabbaths signatur, finns där. Det är grovigt på ett sätt som är sällsynt i modernare metall, speciellt på Fairies wear boots och på vissa spår hör man till och med Wards bakgrund som jazztrummis och dör det nästan är lite swing. Ozzys röst är perfekt för få till den "Haunting-känslan". Bas och trummor gör så mycket för det tunga bluesiga soundet och utan de karakteristiska riffen skulle det inte finnas något Black Sabbath. Vilket grymt band de var och frågan är hur tung musik hade utvecklats utan dem. Tröttnar aldrig på detta album och då är det förmodligen i min mening inte deras bästa heller. Det enda spåret jag har en aning svårt för är Iron man, men då inte för att det är dåligt utan för att jag tycker den är lite "tjatig" och har börjat tröttna på det, men med detta som album som dagens album har jag konstigt nog ändrat uppfattning igen och tycker den är helt ok igen. Bäst är War pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Hand of doom och Fairies wear boots.

Two all-time great albums in a week. Happy days for me.

Perfect album

Somewhat questionable cover art belies the mighty riffs held within. Personally, I’d be happy if they’d left Paranoid the song on the cutting room floor as the throwaway track that it is but that aside this is an amazing collection of varied tracks and as good as the mighty Sabbath get. Desert Island Disc for me. 5

YES

Listened to. Amazing Record.

Need I say more. One of the most influential rock albums of all time. Absolutely humongous hits still relevant to this day. Absolutely amazing.

Truly brilliant. Every song is good and half are classics. Amazing that for those first five or so years they put out a flawless album less than a year apart

In my recent exploration of metal music, I quickly found one of my preferred genres was doom/sludge/stoner metal. Listening to Paranoid and it’s abundantly clear how much modern metal bands owe to their forefathers. This album is easily one of the best metal albums ever recorded.

All time classic! I love this record, love early Black Sabbath. It kinda stands head and shoulders above all the other late 60s early 70s proto metal for me. I particularly like the really moody psychedelic bits like 'Planet Caravan' and 'Electric Funeral' that show the freakier side to the band and juxtapose really well with the big rock hits

Even tho ım not really into metal, this album is something really. The instrument, ozzys voice, really put me up on a mountain and pushes me down to a volcano I dont really know if that makes sense. War pigs prolly a fave.

Suco do metal clássico. Queria ter ouvido esse álbum em vinil no lançamento.

Great songs, like the earlier Deep Purple album, Paranoid pushes this one past a four for me

Brilliant. Massive hits and a whole new genre. You can hear all sorts of future bands in here.

The first five Sabbath albums are undeniable, and this one is up top I reckon. It's actually hard to believe this was released all the way back in 1970 - the riffs, guitar tone, bass playing, groove, and Ozzy's (sorry, Geezer's) lyrics set up a million rock, stoner and metal bands to follow in the decades to come, none of who came close to this.

5/5

I liked this a lot more than I expected to. I thought it would be super screamy and over the top. But it was really good.

À part la pochette d'album tout est parfait.

So perfect I could cry. I think Black Sabbath might be one of my favorite bands. Just brutal, smart, bloodthirsty music that's always memorable and never predictable. Every single one of these fellas is perfect for the genre, which comes as no surprise because they fucking invented it. Flawless, top to bottom. Actually flawless.

Очередной топ-альбом. 5 баллов

Everything I love about heavy music has roots here. Elder, All Them Witches, King Buffalo, Bongripper, the whole lineage — trace it back far enough and you arrive at four working class kids from Birmingham in 1970 playing riffs so heavy they invented a genre by accident. Paranoid doesn't need me to explain it. "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid" — landmarks. But then there's "Planet Caravan": calm, psychedelic, floating. They could do that too. The range is part of what makes it matter. Maybe I need convincing. But they deliver easily. 5/5 — where it all began.

legend. long live ozzy

Changed music undeniably, probably sounded like evil music to the people of the time, every track is written masterfully and complimented by the gritty vocals,

tremendisimo, bangers todo

Surprising nuance for such a hard album

a very cool and heavy album. planet caravan is so underrated. metal music is always best when done by a bunch of stoned nerds

War Pigs and Paranoid were exactly what I needed to hear for my mental state. Whenever I think of Black Sabbath I think of a metal band and I don't like metal. I have to give this album a five even though it is far outside my style or favored genre. Iron Man!? Pure talent. Amazing!

this is maybe 2nd or 3rd listen and it obviously rocks. the way it morphs from rpunch riff to punchy riff expanding and falling. it's gud

war pigs and iron man are fireeee. amazing album

90

What a good day :)

What an album. Had heard 3 of the songs before (the obvious ones) but I was stunned by the ones I had not heard before, such as “Planet Caravan” and its softness. “Hand of Doom” just wow I think if I listened to this in 1970 I’d have levitated

War pigs, paranoid, and iron man alone set the ceiling pretty high on this one. Great album front to back. Favorite song: hand of doom

I’m surprised by how smooth the whole affair is compared to other metal albums to come down the road this one plays great

the best emtal album oat

Classic record. Classic for rock, classic for metal, classic for Sabbath. Indisputaby so.

Uuhh

Love it!

Five stars. No notes.

Amazing

An absolute ripper. Riff heaven. Some of the classics here suffer a bit from Zeppelin IV/Dark Side-style overexposure, but the one that feels fresh and wild and as relevant as the day it was born is War Pigs, which somehow makes rhyming 'masses' with 'masses' sound like poetry. Probably not my favourite Sabbath record to listen to now because I've heard some tracks literally thousands of times in my life, but easily the one that has the catchiest riffs and is most recognisable. An all-time great.

solid 9

I don't know, man, maybe my mother was right and these guys really *did* make evil seem cool. The contemporaneous reviews all dismissed this as basically inferior to the more technically inclined rock that was in fashion at the time; by comparison, Ozzy & co. were slower, dumber, more literal. But that's where this album's undeniable power comes from - the fact that you *feel* every note, because you get the chance to. And the lyrics are smarter than you remember, notwithstanding the rhyming of "masses" with "Masses" on "War Pigs"; the title track is casually harrowing, while "Hand of Doom" is even scarier, making heroin use sound like the end of the world. Thing is, it simultaneously makes the end of the world sound totally fucking awesome. Same with "War Pigs," a nominally antiwar song that makes you want to kick everyone's ass (or at least lift a bunch of heavy weight). Likewise, "Fairies Wear Boots," a description of a bad trip that sounds like a good trip. The result is a masterpiece of deniability: "no, Mom, they're *against* that stuff," you can say, while throwing up devil horns when she turns her back. On behalf of sheltered kids everywhere: Iron Man lives again.

I really loved this. I only initially knew the hits from this album. I didn't realize how much blues rock there was, but I liked it a lot.

i have already listened to this album

This is such a fun and enjoyable album, short and sharp, catchy and influential. At the time I bet it sounded so aggressive and heavy and now it’s far softer and poppier than where heavy music went, but you can’t deny the excellence of this album.

Classic

I mean perfect album aint it. After hearing the first half 1,000,000 times the last half of the albums even better. I could listen to hand of doom forever. Just dirty funky little bassline. Rat salads amazing. Fairies wear boots makes ya jump up and down. Makes ya think fairies are real and that Very happy memories of sabbath at download while Ozzy was still able to perform.

Classic! Imagine hearing this in 1970 for the first time!

Easy 5 stars. But still not my favourite sabbath album. Give me vol.4

Honestly, War Pigs alone deserves all the stars in the sky.

I was SO happy to see Black Sabbath on here after Billy Joel… I just love their moody growly sound, especially Ozzy’s vocals. It’s definitely something I have to be in the mood for to fully enjoy, but it’s a great album nonetheless, especially since it’s been so influential to heavy metal as a genre.

It is so interesting to see how "heavy metal" has evolved over the years. Because when I listen to this, it doesn't sound heavy at all, but I guess that's sign of the times (and my ignorance on the genre). Regardless, I fuck with this heavy. It rocks when it needs to but then has a bluesy touch throughout. Highlights: Paranoid, Planet Caravan

Goes hard.

I’m sure metalhead will have more profound things to say about this than me, but I’ll add my bit. I got the first Black Sabbath album earlier in the project and thought that as enjoyable as it was, my main reaction was, “Wow, I wonder what it was like to hear this in 1970?” Its main value was creating the genre. “Paranoid” is something else entirely. Every time I hear it, I think how urgently people need to hear “War Pigs” and the way Ozzy throws the accusation of Satanism back at the warmongers who truly deserve it. They deserve it now just as much as they did then. And every moment of the rest of the album feels just as urgent. I have no doubt it deserves its place as one of the best albums of all time.

4.9

5 stars. Obviously.

sick fucking album, gets me so hyped every time. kinda cool that they made a whole Robert Downey Jr movie based on this. Paranoid is fire and so is war pigs. goated

This one is a firm favourite of mine. A tour-de-force of massive guitar riffs and lyrics about death and destruction that helped create a whole new genre of music. The epic opener ‘War Pigs’ and the title track start the album on the strongest possible note before the softer, psychedelic ‘Planet Caravan’ showcases another side to the band. After that it’s more thunderous guitar riffs, and great musicianship from all members of the band throughout.

Utterly foundational to heavy metal, and still one of the genre’s best offerings, this is surely Black Sabbath’s finest album. It’s so stacked with bangers it’s almost a greatest hits album on its own. ‘War Pigs’, ‘Paranoid’, ‘Iron Man’, ‘Electric Funeral’, ‘Hand of Doom’, ‘Fairies Wear Boots’, all rank among the band’s best songs. They have range as well; the spacey/psychedelic folk-acoustic track ‘Planet Caravan’ is another standout. The only slight misstep is the drum solo vehicle ‘Rat Salad’, but it’s short and has a cool riff so I’ll allow it. Brilliant performances all round, undoubtedly worth 5 stars.

Escucha número 823984983279 y aún tiene cosas que me sorprenden. El solo de batería de Rat Salad es increíble.

Just remember everything I said about Vol. 4 and how it was a signal of regression from their masterpiece albums, and note that this is THE masterpiece album. Only the pair of Hand of Doom and Rat Salad are lacking, otherwise it's impossible to deny the rest are basically permanently imprinted onto popular culture and (besides Faeries Wear Boots, which has come to be one of my favorite tracks - unbelievable groove on that song) and deservedly so). I remember getting into a quasi argument with some dude at a furry boardgame night (ask me about it if i've not told this story) who was in some new age metal band about how Sabbath is still the heaviest. I guess he was operating from the point of view that certainly some blokes in the 70s fucking around in E standard playing blues licks could not be the heaviest instead of these gay asses playing in Drop G with double kicks and breakdowns yadda yadda yadda. He failed to consider that metal and art in general does not get better as it continues, it's merely expanded upon. And something like the genre of metal is niche enough that any expansion, especially at this point, is pale imitation of what came before it or just absurd withdrawal into the niche that means nothing to those not sucked into the cult. I think the only band who does battle with Sabbath's spot in my mind is Boris, and they're barely even metal half the time. Sabbath, and especially Paranoid, has the mark of the masterpiece - it is timeless. It is timelessly heavy, hellish, chilling, and also kinda funny.

Hell yeah. My favorite Sabbath album. Everything about it is so good. Bill Ward's drumming on this whole album is some of my favorite ever but War Pigs especially is such a perfect drum part. Linking this image of Eloy Casagrande crying meeting Bill Ward at the last Sabbath show cause its so relatable and fits perfectly with our Slipknot > Sabbath weekend. Its also basically the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel of Adam and God. 4.5 https://images.ctfassets.net/r65x6q43xsmv/52pRmo9juzId08uuUTmlYt/003688ade78f0ba54b67a45e281bd89a/Eloy.png

just incredible. what can you even say? i probably don't know enough metal to say things like this but this is the absolute pinnacle of the genre for me, which is funny, since it's like the second metal album ever recorded. thank you geezer and thank you bill ward especially

now that's more like it. 4.5-5.

One of my all-time favorite albums

AWAWAW

Iconic and still sounds miles better than so many albums that have been spawned because of it. The only real negative thing I have to say is that I hate, and always have hated, the last 3 seconds of War Pigs. A weird blemish on an otherwise great album.

can't imagine just how fucking GOOD it would feel to have written these songs. did they seem like classics? did they know they were drug-inducedly riffing their way towards a new genre? fucking surely. can't imagine writing something like Iron Man and not being certain of its longevity anyway. maybe not, as confidence is not this record's lyrical forte. what's always been striking to me about this set of songs, especially placed against the genre it helped spawn, is that these aren't songs of anger, or despair, or determination - the primary register for this record, true to its title, is abject fear. fear of war, of industry, of insanity (drug-induced or homegrown), of fear itself. it's a vulnerable thing to write such muscular songs about being so scared. the thundering drums, smothering guitars all start to feel a whole lot less like weapons and more like armor. i think it helps that that music, heavy as it is, never feels like it's quite going for Evil. maybe it did in 1970, but now, it feels so close to the classic rock of the time, just played by a band with real clarity around the darkness of the blues and the hedonism of the rock n roll lifestyle. in this way, Paranoid feels as honest a followup to Robert Johnson as anyone else - apart from the large blues influence on the songs, there's a prophetic, doomsaying quality to the lyrics that assesses the difficulty of being alive in then-modernity, with personal troubles given way to the ambient hell of just being alive. anyway anyway anyway. wonderful record! works equally well as a real Issues Album and as a piece of total Halloween-schlock, as fun and as horror-movie catharsis. it's an incredibly delicate balance that Sabbath make look like the only way you could ever play this kind of music, which is why they're one of the best to do it

Legendary, classic, fantastic, overplayed, kinda underated, kinda funny in hindsight (at least compared to the debut). Side A is surely one of the best, most consistant, popular, well ordered, memorable sides of any album in history. Side B is completely overshadowed by A, but the case needs to be made for Electric Funeral, almost as good as the famous tracks; Hand of Doom is slightly repetitive, but fun; Rat Salad is in the pantheon of great drum solo songs like Toad and Moby Dick; and lastly Fairies Wear Boots is sort of an extention of Iron Man to bookend the whole album that disolves into darkness.

YUS!!!! Everything about this album rocks. The drum work on "Planet Caravan" drives through. The hits ring true, closing out with "Fairies Wear Boots". Even the lesser known tracks are awesome. How can you rate this lower than a 5? It's a crime. Greatest heavy metal foundational album ever. My Rating: 5/5

turns out ozzy osborne rocked hard. insanely stacked tracklist!!!!

Yayyy awesome

Incredible album. Every single song is a banger, hits such a particular mood and has an all together unique sound even after all this time. Played this one almost three times in a row today.

Super fun and very influential

This is an album that I would have loved as a teenager. Unfortunately, I did not have the pleasure of owning it at the time. Call me crazy, but I never really liked Ozzy’s vocals. Now I hear what I was missing. It works well on this album, and presents early heavy metal at its finest. There’s a little bit of a psychedelic vibe here, but the real focus is the Led Zeppelinesque blues rock that defined early heavy metal. Today’s metal bears little resemblance to this, but it evolved from it, for better or worse. Hint: (It’s definitely for the worse) 4.5 stars

Pedazo de álbum, nada que agregar, un viejo conocido

I've head all these songs before... but wasn't an active listener of Black Sabbath to realize they are from the same album. Not my usual jam, but this one rocks!

Was not thinking this would be a 5 for me, was never a Sabbath fan growing up (I mean, I was eight when this came out), and really did not dig Ozzy in the 80s. But I must admit, this album hangs together pretty well. The songs are really quite good. The opening to “Iron Man” is one of the most iconic riffs in metal, and “Paranoid” is a great single. Will give it 4.5 stars, and round up for them being there firstest with the mostest.

Strong contender for the greatest album of all time. Caravan, War Pigs, and Iron Man are all astonishing accomplishments of songwriting. So well paced, so well played, such an incredible journey. Perfect 5

An album full of so many riffs that it feels like a best of, but then that’s the magic of Sabbath, the band of killer riffs. Planet Caravan is one of the best interluding songs ever written imo, and shows Sabbath’s ability to push the genre that they were themselves creating. 5.0/5.0 not even my favourite Sabbath album Best Song: Hand Of Doom

It is obviously a 5/5. It is probably the best album we have had so far. 8 5/5 tracks in a row. Groundbreaking music, so far ahead of itself for 1970. You could run out of words to describe quite how good it is. Best Track: Impossible to pick, Iron Man?

Just a really banging album with great riffs. The entire band seems at their peak

Can definitely see the starting points of metal here, but also got some nice grooves in Planet Caveman and Electric Funeral.

Classic!

No notes needed.

Otro clasicazo

Onnnn se vaan!!!

unsurprisingly, this rules! total classic right here. not one that i've ever sat down to listen to in full before but i don't think any of these songs were new to me. every track here is gold with absolutely no fluff at all. for this to come out in 1970 and still sound as modern as it does? downright impressive. it's campy too i love it. the title track might be my fave but it's all great. the guitar work across this album is second to none. pretty much no notes.

... Like what am are you expecting me to say here of course this is peak. War Pigs, Iron Man and Paranoid are all hall-of-fame songs in their own right, but the thing this album really taught the 70s was that you could really make heavy metal HEAVY. I just really don't know what to say about this album that hasn't been said, the reasons its so good and influencial are startlingly obvious. I guess a criticism could be that its slightly front loaded in terms of the greats. Then again, the second half of Electric Funeral as well as the guitar and drum work throughout hold up so hard that they are only eclipsed because the first half is so larger than life.

Will never forget hearing Hand of Doom for the first time. RIP OZZY

Not my type of music, but this is a really good album

EDIT: Po 14 dniach słuchania albumów, to jedyny który został ze mną na dłużej. Życzę sobie więcej takich albumów niż różnej maści Bjorków XD, same bangery, album spójny i każdą piosenkę z przyjemnością się słucha. Kocham odtwarzać muzykę albumami, ale póki co to jedyny na liście, do którego da się wrócić

This is what badass means.

Obv

Hello, ol' friend. Lovely to hear you once again. Thank you for all the memories.

Really brought me back to summer of 07 when I first began learning guitar. Never listened this closely to the lyrics before. Didn’t realize the rebellion and political nature of this record back then. Amazing to think of what this was like when it came out in 1970 during the height of the war. The birth of a new type of music it seemed.

It's one of the first 6 Sabbath albums- so it's perfect in every way.

Great

Best Song: Fairies Wear Boots This would probably make my top 20, and possibly even crack the top 10 favorite albums ever so a 5 is a no brainer. Now for the conundrum, the best song. For those who are new to Sabbath and this album, you are safe with anything from the first half of the album - especially War Pigs, Iron Man, or Paranoid. I have always been a massive Fairies Wear Boots fan and am going to put that as my favorite but not sure if it could be said it is the best on the album. But, that's why things are subjective. 5/5.

Legend.

Stacked album.

Classic RIP Ozzy

Iconic no skip album

Proto-Doom metal. Thanks for the blueprint! Also for Jay in the white pickup truck in high school who blasted Iron Man in the Burrito Stop parking lot every day at lunch. And War Pigs, covered by Faith No More and Dresden Dolls. RIP Ozzy.