Paranoid

I’m certainly not a fan of metal. Most of the time, I find it all too loud, dark and simplistic, not to mention clichéd. Then again, perhaps it’s because I discovered Black Sabbath at a very early age. For me, they practically defined the genre, which has left me rather jaded when it comes to most other metal and hard rock acts. Everything about this album is spot on: the guitar riffs, the driving rhythm section and the surprisingly thoughtful lyrics. Even Ozzy’s whiny voice fits perfectly. It's a milestone that remains as captivating as ever, even after 56 years.

Your head banging was on point for this. I once bought a beat of Black Sabbath album and later realised 70% was just this album. Absolute power house, with great interval tracks showing the diversity and talent of the whole band. Well worth a listen and a rock out.

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.

I can reconfirm my review of their self-titled: Sabbath (still) rules. They rock hard, are fun and punchy, have huge riffs, and have Ozzy’s epic wail on top of it all. Teetering on a 5, but I think I have to go high 4 at present. It would most likely tip if it had played a part in my youth, but sadly this was a first listen and my middle-age ass probably isn’t putting this on too often.

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.

6/10 No es malo, pero meh. Tiene buenos solos pero no resalta ni me llama nada

Great

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

Ok

Liked it more than I thought I would

Surprised that I actually liked this. Probably won't reach for it much though

Paranoid stupenda

Black Sabbath are the Godfathers of heavy metal music, and it shows in their best album. Paranoid is one of my favorite tracks, the lyrics not rhythmically locking in with the track is part of the magic of the song. This song does not sound like it was from 1970 to me, it sounds much more modern. War Pigs, Iron Man, and Fairies Wear Boots are good, but to me they sound older. One of the things I don't love about this album are the drum sounds in these tracks. It sounds like Ginger Baker was playing these tracks on plastic tubs. There's just a blah sound to them to me.

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!

Disco soberbio.

pretty cool

such fucking goated album

Solid all around.

one of my top rock albums of all time

The best of metal.

Paranoid-Fav song on album

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.

I don't listen to a lot of Ozzy or Sabbath. But I have to say that the production of this album, especially the drums, is pretty great. I will have to make sure I add a little more Ozzy and Sabath into the rotation.

Fucking hell it’s so good.

dosta dobro! sviđa mi se bluskastost, kao i nekonvencionalna (s današnjeg gledišta i valjda zbog moje predodžbe) strukturiranost ponekih pjesama. jako volim stvar »paranoid«, ne znam zašto mi je tako dobra

I never thought Black Sabbath was for me but last year I went on a little exploration thanks to the Geezer Butler biography and found lots to like. There is a super strong sequence of songs in the first half but the back half is slightly less successful to me. I’d want to listen to that again though.

Nah, not my cup of tea

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

classic rock with pretty good lyrics! especially liked 'war pigs' since it's political, i could relate to 'paranoid' and the best melody winner is 'electric funeral'.

Killer record. The guitar and pedal work on this is sick. It’s also more jam-my than I thought it would be but it’s pretty cool. A side is truly a back to front masterpiece. B side is weaker but tough not to be

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.

Ozzy Osborne uses his voice as an instrument, and I really appreciate that. Tbf, an absolute stonker of an album.

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.

Not a fan of the genre, but there were a few tracks that i liked

Almost perfect

This is the first album to have an average rating of over 4 so I’m pretty excited for this Ok so this is Rolling Stones #1 metal album of all time? I’m not a metal person so maybe I don’t get it but I don’t why this is like the best. I liked some of the guitar licks and the guys voice wasn’t too annoying so it definitely wasn’t bad but I really don’t think this is for me. I’d say it was fine, I’m suprised it was at the top of any list but maybe I would like it with more listens….though I probably won’t listen to this again. 2.4/5

Nothing about Black Sabbath excites me, but I don't mind having it on in the background

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

Given there is only 8 tracks on rhis album, you couldn’t get much stronger of a first 4. ‘War pigs’ showcases the individual elements of Sabbath superbly. Typical of a lot of Ozzy era Sabbath it manages to balance heaviness with a highly enjoyable (and listenable) groove. ‘Paranoid’ is well ‘Paranoid’, just simply a high energy classic. Strangely my first introduction to ‘Planet Caravan’ was through a Pantera cover rather than the original. I love how spaced out and chilled it feels compared to the first two tracks. It feels unfair to say the second half of the album doesn’t quite maintain the same level, but that’s the issue of having the first four tracks be that strong. That said there is still plenty to enjoy. ‘Hand of Doom’ meanders through various different styles of Sabbath, slowing down and speeding up at will throughout. If anything if probably goes on a little too long, but is still enjoyable enough to not prompt nervous glances towards the remaining running time.’Rat Salad’ is possibly the most unnecessary track on any early Sabbath album and could’ve been cut without issue.

“War Pigs” is a great opening to an album, then to follow it with “Paranoid” sets the bar high for the rest of the album - a high bar that is, sadly, not generally reached again. “Planet Caravan” harks back to the psychedelic 60s, which feels out of place in general for this album - especially when it is followed by “Iron Man”, which is this album’s other highlight. The rest of the album is never quite as great as the 3 big tracks, even if I do quite like “Fairies Wear Boots” - but you can’t deny the influence this has had in the pushing 60 years it has been since it came out. It’s probably a 2.5* for me, but the strength of the biggies is undeniably worth rounding up.

There are a ton of absolutely classics on this album, though as someone who loves weird cover versions with big genre-shifts, it did mean I spent a decent amount of time thinking about bluegrass and brass bands during listening. War Pigs is possibly my favourite on the album (shoutout for The Big Push's cover) because I love the sharp jabs of instrumental cutting out completely with Ozzy's vocal just taking attention. Paranoid is probably the standout track though (whatever the opposite of a shoutout is for Weezer's cover) as it's probably the definitive Black Sabbath song for most people. I've never listened to this album before so it was interesting to me how willing to slow things down they were. It's far from the (now almost cartoonish) heavy metal legacy of the band. Ultimately this is a genre of music that's not something I'll regularly want to listen to (ridiculously long drum solos outside of an actual gig make me want to break stuff), but I did enjoy the majority of this. 3/5

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

Obviously this is good. Everybody knows this. I love how, despite being some of “the” metal guys, Black Sabbath never devolves into noise for the sake of noise. It always feels more intentional than that.

Very cool, I had never listened to the whole album before and enjoyed it a lot.

not my thing kinda boring

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

Phat riffs

Didn’t even bother

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

I think the producer not putting paranoid as the opening track was a colossal mistake. That riff screams opening track all day. I’d put Paranoid on my greatest songs of all time playlist. Iron man is obviously iconic but lyrically I think it’s just alright. Some other stellar riffs in here. For me, instrumentally this would be a 5. I don’t LOVE the lyrics and vocal performance on some tracks which slightly holds it back.

Not bad at all and it has some nice moment but it never had any standouts

Jag kan uppskatta det långsamma lite otympligt tunga. Men egentligen är det bara marginellt bättre LZ, det är samma rifftunga bluessörja. Ljudbilden är fruktansvärd, 70tal när det är som sämst. Titellåten skulle ju kunna vara Gyllene Tider med ett påklistrat uppånedvänt kors. Överlägset bäst är den rejält nedrökta psykadelikan i "Planet Caravan"

Lite högt och lågt här. Paranoid är en jäkla bra rocklåt. Snyggt riff och bra sång. Inledande War pigs är däremot rätt tråkig riffrock. Ibland låter det lite taffligt när Ozzy sjunger unisont med gitarriffen, som i Iron man. Svårt med betyget, men jag kan bjuda på en trea. Bättre än mycket annan hård rock från 70-talet.

Heavy metall? Nä, snarare psykadelisk, progg blues. Och visst BS är betydligt roligare än annat, kategoriserats som metall, som tidigare slumpats fram. Bara för detta ska vi inte sänka måttstocken. Ozzy går knappast till historien som någon av de större sångarna. Rätt monotont vilket låtarna emellanåt också blir. Samtidigt bryter de jazziga inslagen av på ett fint sätt. Snarare än att lyfta fram vissa låtar som sticker ut finns partier i respektive med såväl toppar som dalar. Batteristen uppskattas ska också föras till protokollet. Det blir en trea som nog snarare sneglar uppåt än nedåt.

Jag är positiv överaskad. Ozzys närmast monotona sång och de långsamma riffen är på plussidan. På minussidan har vi att flera låtar ebbar ut i trista bluesrockjam. Mest överraskande är den jazziga Planet caravan ( det enkla pianot I slutet av låten är magnifikt). Den närmast funkiga Hand of Doom är också bra.

Not always a fan of Ozzie's vocals here. Quite liked some of the riffs that were new to me. Not a bad listen.

Not really my thing but it's a classic.

One banger but nothing else to hook me in

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.

Love this - can't believe I have slept on Black Sabbath for so long

Solid listen

The album was okay. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it either. I wasn't a big fan of the lead singer's voice. It worked for these songs, but it didn't bring me joy listening to him sing.

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

This kind of confirmed for me that I like Black Sabbath but love solo Ozzy, and very much confirmed that this should be the only Black Sabbath album on the list. (Replace one with Diary of a Madman, the other with an entirely different band) This rules, there’s no doubt about that, but anything else is diminishing returns really feels odd to start with negativity for an album I’m either giving a four or five but this list needs to get its act together

Qué me pasa con Sabbath? No me gusta él. No me gusta, no me gusta, no hay manera. Es como que le tengo un aprecio por quien fue y ya. Reconozco el despliegue progresivo y lo precursores que fueron, pero no me gustan. Y lo siento.

Iron Man

I liked this more than I was expecting too. Metal is just silly dark stories huh. "Rat Salad" is a crazy title and a very long drum solo.

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

Some really good highlight tracks. Not quite my cup of tea but you can see the roots of the metal genre and how it shaped it throughout the years

Loved it! Such insane drumming.

I respect this album but it just isn't really My Thing

When I am in the mood for something heavier, this is in the rotation. So good. I am IRONMAN!! 4.0

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.

The hits! Rockin' but melodic. A classic album. High 4 stars.

Classic AF. And for the record, it's Sabbath > Zeppelin all day, every day.

War Pigs is classic. Planet Caravan is not what I was expecting from Black Sabbath but I love the vibe.

Very of the era heavy rock, some good bits

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.

Planet Caravan peak

8 out of 10 classic album from black sabbath very famous

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

8/10

Even tho it is not my cup of tea i really enjoy it

Really enjoyed most of the songs.

A classic

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

Ótrúlega sterk plata.

Obra-prima.

Not adding anything to the playlists, but enjoyed a surprising amount of the songs on here

An amazing album, War Pigs still sounds epic today

How can you even rate something so influential? I guess by the fact that I like it, not love it.

I listened to this album on a late day walk in between chores. This day feels like a turning point for me, like the moment when someone with a snoking habit suddnely becomes a parent and never touches a cigarette again. I recognized way more songs here at a glance than I thought I would, which got me excited. This is the sound of heavy metal that I love: heavy, pounding, and intimidating without completely losing itself in rapid percussion too fast to click with and growling vocals I cant hear. I was worried that was what I was in for, but I was wrong to doubt Black Sabbath. The front half of this album, with all its singles, is an absolutely insane run, and I love how the band is not afraid to make weird sonic choices like the spacey, underwater-sounding Planet Caravan or the strange metallic voice that starts Iron Man. I sometimes forget that artists have always been making weird artistic choices, and that even "classic" pieces of art and music are strange and unique in what makes them so good; they are not the toned-down, somplified version of themselves which can sometimes exist in the public consciousness. I don't think the rest of the album quite touches the big hits, but this is deservedly remembered as an incredible album. Highlights: War Pigs / Luke's Wall, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Rat Salad, Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots

-War pigs is obviously awesome on here. Intro takes a second. -Iron man is on here as well

So many hits. It's familiar and not too metal so I did enjoy it

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??

War Pigs and Paranoid. What a way to start an album.

Напиться, неразделённо влюбившись в шлюху. Баллада по не выгоревшей интрижке с периодическим отвлечением на новые интересы и удовольствия, но с возвратом к основному желанию. Слушать целиком просто обязательно, альбом даже несмотря на такие длительности композиций не затянут и динамичен. Легендарность заслуженная и не навязанная. Оценка 8/10.

This is good. Never really liked Black Sabbath but I guess I just had some preconceptions based on what I thought about Ozzy. Fave Tracks: War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man 4.4/5

Another very good album by these guys. Besides the hits I particularly liked Planet Caravan. Maybe the album loses steam by the end, but it’s running red hot through the first half.

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

Fine

ура теперь запомню уор пигз и айронмэна! поняла что Оззи завышает

Kult album, selv om uttrykket er enkelt så er det gjort mye kreativt i å få til en stemning. Flere kule sanger også

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

Fav: the popular ones L: Electric Funeral 4 Yep, pretty good. I’m tired of rating everything a 2 or a 4 though

This album is the sort that I can imagine a meathead normie enjoying alongside someone with the worst politics ever. And me left dumbfounded on what they get out of it. Some songs maybe overstay their welcome, but in general the sound is great. Expressive lyrics, great production, virtuosic performances. My favorite and least favorite tracks are the same because I am a milquetoast baby. W: War Pigs, Iron Man L: War Pigs, Iron Man 4/5

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.

Helt perfekt från början till slut. Ganska jazzigt också, vilket jag aldrig reflekterat över tidigare.

Would never call myself an Ozzy fan, but this album is impressive.

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.

Classic. Great listen.

No skips album.

So pleasantly surprised by this one!

Maybe should be 5 star but I’m very hesitant to give my first 5 star rating

Fine I recognized a few. Not really for me. Started really strong and I was digging it, then toward the second half I was like it’s fine. Definitely think I enjoyed this more than the last Black Sabbath one. At least half of the songs on the album are very popular songs. More favorite album.

Great music. RIP Ozzy.

I’ve heard this one a few times and it’s pretty damn solid. This is a high 4, maybe a 5 upon re-listen. Highs: War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man Lows: Planet Caravan

Did not know Black Sabbath had this many big hits in a single record. The record is good and surprisingly laid back. At times it takes on an almost bluesy sound. It is strange that they helped pioneer a sound that nowadays sounds completely different.

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

Not a big heavy rock fan, but really enjoy this theatrical bit of nonsense. Some great tunes!

I don't typically like Heavy Metal, but some of these songs were catchy. I recognized a few, and I'm glad I listened to the whole album. Still not my genre, but I was surprised I liked it.

A lot better than the band name would suggest! Somehow maintains a lot of strong melodic lines even among their rock peers, and super memorable ones at that.

Great drums and guitars. Not so fond of Ozzy’s voice. Overall 6/10

Classic British heavy metal. Despite being nearly 60 years old it still sounds fresh. It won't be a regular listen but thoroughly enjoyable at volume

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.

maneirin ate

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.

73

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

Alright not good nit bad

I quite enjoyed this album which has made me wonder when metal as a genre lost the plot. When did band names become a competition of who could string together the most vile words they could think of and when did the songs start to have so much screaming in them? I know these are things people enjoy and I know that they have their place but I feel like a lot of the time it’s just being edgy for the sake of it and I can’t stand that. Anyways this was good, I liked this.

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.

listened

This is their best album, brilliant work!

Tracks longer than 3:59: Yes Long tracks interesting or special: Aside from War Pigs, none of the others need to be over 4 minutes. Album shorter than 58 minutes: Yes Will listen to album again: Not likely Overall: This is not a genre I normally listen to, but there was definitely some nostalgia tied into my enjoyment of the album. That said, I can’t imagine throwing the album on, but I will enjoy hearing Wars Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man in the wild.

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.

I dont think this stands up to their debut and aside from the first track the rest of the songs tend to wild a lot in how good they are. 4/10

Isoja klassikoita tällä levyllä ja ikonista soundia. Tää olis ollut siisti kuulla julkaisu aikana, mutta ei tää kummiskaan niin säväytä enää että olis ihan 5 tähteä, mutta kovaa kummiskin. Parhaat: War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Rat Salad, Planet Caravan

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

I wrote a review for this, but it was lost :/ In summary, Planet Caravan stands out the most to me. Paranoid was also pretty good, but otherwise the sound was kind of bland.

I liked this more than I thought I would, but the vocals are so wholesome and so silly.

Not my cub of tee

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

I see the appeal. Will I revisit it, most likely not but I can’t lie I was over here headbanging like a mf.

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.

Yes yes thank you

Probably Sabbath’s second best album after Masters of Reality. War Pigs and Iron Man are classics that take me right back to high school track practice. Fairies Wear Boots is the surprise goof sleeper track. Electric Funeral is terrible definitely hits and misses here. I’m torn between a nostalgic 4 and a realistic 3. It’s a 7 so I’m giving it the nostalgic 4 because I do like a lot of it.

I really didn't want to listen to this album -- too much metal! Don't want to listen to any of it! But I had forgotten that Paranoid is a very good song. Not sure that I ever knew what it's title was. So, that's something. Still -- no thank you.

I hate this voice and everything he's ever done. I didn't mind the intros as far as music goes but the songs as a whole were terrible. Hated it.

Yeccch. Among the many questions I have about heavy metal, one of the main ones is why people love this band and Osborne's singing. I can't stand it.

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.

I like this but I think they refine their sound over the next few. It's cool to hear this stuff and it's basically heavy nasty blues rock, not something I'd necessarily have expected when you see how this was rejected by critics at the time

War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Hand of Doom

Pretty darn good lads.

signature guitar sound

Nearly every track on here is ingrained into my brain. Extremely iconic from front to back, this record played a key role in birthing whole genres of music. I guess my only real point of criticism would be that personally speaking, songs played in this style have never been extremely evocative for me so while I concur that these tracks are heaters, they somewhat lack on the emotional front. That being said, I think the specific genre of classic Heavy Metal was pretty much perfected on Paranoid.

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.

2.5 - Some iconic songs, but the rest is underwhelming.

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

Classic Album, "Iron Man" is still my favorite.

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.

Surprised by how many songs I knew/liked

This album is so badass

Yeah, yeah. Better than I thought, I can tell why it's important but I never got off on the whole 'bogus ominoso'

really good. surprising

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..

3.5. Enjoyed the front half of the album way more than some of the middle or later songs. Added the first two to my playlist. Didn’t enjoy the quieter ones as much, but overall enjoyed the album.

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

I really liked the guitar and the energy, but I don't really think metal is the genre for me. I like the vocals to be a bit more refine, still I really liked the cover song and war pigs - the guitar riffs are pretty epic.

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.

Not my cup of tea

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would

Good

4,5

Banger

Been waiting for Sabbath to come up for ages :) Such a good album. Not the elusive 5* but very close 4.5

Good songs but just isn't enough to listen on repeat. 3.5

C'est la première fois que j'apprécie l'écoute d'un album de métal et c'est très sympathique.

otro 7/10, buenisimo pero pesado

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

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

Banger after banger

Some part were a little plodding, but when this album hits, it HITS.

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

Already listened to their debut, wow they got so much tighter. One of my loose "complaints" of that first album is it's a bit sloppy, kinda endearing though. But to go from that to this... awesome. Not only does everyones musicianship shine more, but they're tighter as a group. Their progressive side is coming out here, and I want to rate this 5 stars just for War Pigs and Iron Man. But idk wtf Planet Caravan was, and there's a bit of underwhelm so we're going 4 stars

Of course this is a classic. Despite hearing War Pigs and Paranoid far too often over the years. Not my favourite Sabbath album, and Planet Caravan lets it down a little for me, but it’s solid nonetheless.

3 of the most definitive rock songs released (war pigs, paranoid, iron man) . Interesting songs like planet caravan follow. The best sabbath album. The others dont match up to this collection

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

Buenisimo

Three genuine, bona fide rock classics on this album. There are excellent riffs and melodies; the musicianship is excellent and serves to accentuate the songs rather than dominate them; and the vocal work is a worthy reminder of how good Ozzy O was before he became a caricature. The other tracks are decent too but not quite at the level to get the album to a 5.

Was expecting to dislike it (the singles are a bit overplayed and not really my style) but was actually pretty good. Other albums tracks really helped with it - I was particularly fond of ‘hand of doom’ which was surprisingly jazzy. Memorable riffs and solos, pounding drums, clear vocal delivery - it’s still really surprising how well this has aged which I guess is a testament to the music it contains but also its following legacy.

Some great songs on here. Ironman, Paranoid, War Pigs. All so great. Also some sleepers like Rat Salad. I can imagine when this came out it was insanely heavy. Would have been cool to be there in that context listening to it. 7/14/26

First 4 songs are peak. Jack the stripper had decent melody Other songs were kind of forgettable and I'm not a fan of drum solos that last a minute

Starts out with a couple great bangers, mixes into a song I would never have guessed was by Black Sabbath, and then songs I associate more with them/their style (that are a good example of why, while they do have some stuff I enjoy, I wouldn't necessarily say I like the band). Wouldn't listen to the full album again.

I've never really listened to Black Sabbath before and was very pleasantly surprised by this album. Decent songs including the famous Paranoid. I listened again on the same day any it was great second time round too. It's great to find these gems.

Another gem from the greatest (and first) metal band of all time. So much to love here, especially the constant grooooove.

Absolute masterpiece

regonised few of the popular songs, likes it but doesn't have that "fullness" I like in songs. Makes sense though as this was the blueprint for much to come.

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

Slay

This is the stuff. Straight bangers. RIP Ozzy

As a big metal fan I never felt connected with Black Sabbath (except maybe few Dio era albums). I mean everything is just too raw for me, especially drum tracks. When Iron man is on a radio I'd rather switch it to Johnny Hates Jazz. I cannot give it lower than 3 stars based on the influence this album had on the later metal acts I listen to

Its good but gets boring from electric funeral to rat salad 5/7

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.

4 1/2

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.

It’s a classic, for sure, and it’s interesting how fully it has been folded into the cultural mainstream fifty years later. Some of the lesser known songs are just mid, though.

I would have loved to hear Ozzy use his nasally voice to sing some Blink 182. This is a Black Sabbath album. i guess it's THE Black Sabbath album because it has Paranoid & Iron Man on it. I just find this band to be so goofy....

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.

I've enjoyed the Black Sabbath records I've listened to, and this is their most famous, so expectations are high! War Pigs meets a lot of the expectations I have for a metal song, but it's not that heavy. It does confirm my view of metal as the nerdiest genre ever. I like it Paranoid didn't do much for me. Really like the mood set on Planet Caravan, completely different from anything I'd expect here. Don't love Iron Man. Kind of annoying actually. The only good part is the drums. Electric Funeral is kinda fun, but doesn't do much for me. I like the drumming in the second half of Hand of Doom. I like the song, despite the fact that it tries to do a lot of things at the same time. Rat Salad... sure happens The closer fits perfectly with the rest of the album. By which I mean it does nothing for me. What is with these guys and making random instrumental sidetracks? Most of them don't even feel earned. Yeah, I was disappointed with this one. I'm ready to enjoy Black Sabbath! I've enjoyed other metal projects before! But these guys just do not seem to like making music that pleases me. it might be because I'm not the world's biggest guitar guy. There are a lot of... interesting instrumental moments here and there, but a lot of the songs feel disjointed. The singing stops, then theree's some cool riffs, and then there's a drum solo, and nothing of it feels like it belongs together. Yeah, not for me. Whatever, I tried.

Still heavy as ever.

gaaahhhhDAMN this album is AMAZING

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

epic

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

Not my favorite but I can recognize its place in music history. Very cool guitar work

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

1: War pigs- 5/10 bit empty, but good 2: Paranoid- 7/10 like this one, classic 3: Planet caravan- 6/10 nice atmosphere, blends into background 4: Iron man- 4/10 weird Album feels bland so far 5: Electric Funeral- 4/10 Liked the harder bit 6: Hand of doom- 3/10 nice start, don't like 7: rat salad- 2/10 hm nice solo and time signature of drums. like focus on drums. ok too much focus on drums 1:30. not a fan of the solo it makes me want to skip. 8: Fairies have boots- 5/10 1:22 like this, now just waiting for album to end. 3:40 ooo nice switch up. Overall- 4/10 I have listened to planet caravan before and liked it, but not anymore. paranoid is the standout. the rest is mid in my opinion What would I still listen to? Paranoid only!!

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.

Love this album. Classic metal. Gets better with through the years

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.

Not my scene but I appreciate this is a good album of it's heavily metallic kind, he said generously.

Gefällt mir deutlich besser als die neueren Sachen mit Ozzy.

Super. Ich weiß immer noch nicht, welches mein Lieblingsalbum von ihnen ist.

This took me ages to review, but I just can't get myself to the level required to like it. It's not fun enough. It's not particularly virtuosic. The production is bad - that bass guitar needs some distortion really bad. Ozzy is better as an icon than he is as a singer on an album. After the album finished Spotify spun Killing in the Name Of, which is the same song as War Pigs but faster, punchier, more fun, more angry, better. It was a contrast.

TOO LONG.

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.

Superb album, not their best though

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.

sabbath rules. my favorite 60s album from the 70s. what metal should be, political and fantastic at the same time. the whole iron man is kinda glam tbh. fave track other than war pigs hand of doom

Incredible album! Not a bad song, and some phenomenal ones on top of that. My two favorites off of it were War Pigs/Luke’s Wall and Planet Caravan. That being said, I’m going to give it a 4.5/5 (mostly because I didn’t like Rat Salad at all 🤮)! 🌷😭🫡🫠

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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.