Paranoid

Clearly one of the best pre cursor metal albums to ever exist. Ozzy (RIP) belts it like no one else has ever before. Magnificent

I knew of Black Sabbath and recognised the odd line or riff but only really sat down and listened to this album a couple of years ago and I hadn't realised how good the band are are. Great album top to bottom, no skips. Love the psychedelic elements. Fast becoming one of my favourite albums.

oh boy, here we go

Album #72 Black Sabbath: Paranoid There are a few tropes in music that are simply true of everyone: If you don’t like country music, you still like Johnny Cash; if you don’t like electronic music, you still like Daft Punk; and if you don’t like metal, you still like Black Sabbath. These are largely true of me (though I also like Townes Van Zandt, and I haven’t fully gotten into Daft Punk yet), but this especially rings true for my feelings toward metal and Black Sabbath. I sort of have a pre-disposed discontent towards metal, since the popular variant of metal during my adolescence was Nu-Metal and Screamo, which is the type of music that I often associated with people that I didn’t want to be around. My entire perception of the genre was warped to the point where when I heard songs like “Paranoid” and “Iron Man”, I didn’t even consider them metal; I just lumped them in with all my other classic hard rock. I still haven’t had my metal awakening yet, but one thing I am awake to is that Paranoid fucking slaps. I am a pretty basic guy when it comes to most classic albums; the more hits and iconic songs that an album has, the more nostalgic and positive I feel towards it. My favourite Doors album is their debut, my favourite Who album is Who’s Next, my favourite Led Zeppelin album is IV, and my favourite Sabbath album is Paranoid. The opening run of songs is iconic and ranks amongst the best openings to any album that I’ve heard. No matter how many times I hear Paranoid or Iron Man, I still can’t help but get hyped. This album may also have the most iconic opening words to an album ever. Once you hear “Generals gathered in their masses”, you just know what you are in store for. I might not be quick to think of this album when selecting my favourite of all-time, but my criteria for scoring this list was that something would only get a 5-star if it was amongst the best of its type, and when comparing Paranoid to the other metal albums that I’ve heard, it is clear that this album is in a league of it’s own. Some of the best electric guitar work of all-time, Ozzy’s iconic one-of-a-kind voice, and some really dynamic drumming (the solo on Rat Salad goes hard): the result is a masterpiece. Best Tracks: Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs Worst Track: None Score out of 10: 10

Fav Songs: War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral Least Fav: Rat Salad 9.6/10

Absolutely phenomenal album. Not sure whether this is rock or metal or something in between, but it just works - versatile, strong and dramatic. War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man amongst other songs, absolutely amazing.

Best album so far! Has to be a 5 star for me

Every song is brilliant. Pure metal influence. Loved it.

9/10

Masterpiece

Although I marginally prefer their debut this remains a classic of dark metal and also contains probably their most well known songs.

Great

chef's kiss. perfect

Fuck yes. 41 minutes of legendary metal. All killer no filler.

Black Sabbath at they're very best. They would never reach these heights again, at least not for a complete album.

hell yeah

Black magic.

I came to this record late. I absolutely should have found it when I was 14. It may have changed the direction of my life. It still managed to, even though I didn't hear it til I was in my mid 20's. It is an obvious 5 star record. Genre defining powerhouse. A true band effort. There are no laggards here. The sound of post-war optimism being melted down to make new weapons. Heavy metal in it's prototypical form. The next 50 years would find bands galloping faster, drums pounding harder, singers flailing ever farther from melody, to gutteral howls. Guitars with ever more distortion and fingers flying across fretboards. Tony Iommi didn't even need all of his fingers to make this crush into our skulls. But for all of the bands that went farther and faster. None were darker. This is still the blackest.

A rare album that surpasses it's genre. Often copied never bettered.

Such a great listen - no skips. Great for cubicle work 🤣 An easy 5

How can anyone give this less than 4 stars?

Makkelijkste 5 sterren tot nu toe. Een van mijn favoriete albums beste en metal album ooit. Metal is hierna niet meer beter geworden. Helaas te laat ontdekt, dit komt met name door de serie the Osbournes. Hoewel ik de serie the Osbournes erg leuk vond was het tegelijk ook een een reden om niet de muziek te luisteren. Ik zag niet hoe deze verwarde man eerder een briljante muzikant was. Misschien mijn favoriete nummer planet caravan laat zien dat de band en Ozzy als zanger zoveel meer kunnen dan allen rocken. Het is niet een gepolijst album maar desondanks is de productie van dit album is erg goed. Het is zwaar, moody bas, goede drums en die gekke energie van Ozzy maakt het helemaal goed. Drum op rat salade is ook briljant paar keer repeat.

Guess I first heard this beginning of the 80's. Still great after all those years

I love the first 6 Sabbath albums. Vol. 4 is my favorite, but this is probably number 2.

This deserves its reputation. It was one of my hardest choices for favorite song thus far.

I love the sounds it brings to my ears and the lyrics are a added bonus

My favourite sabbath album

Banger after banger - how it’s done!

Great album

Black Sabbath releasing two of the most well-made and important metal albums in their first year as a recording artist is absolutley insane.

Pretty funny album, I can definitely see why it's a classic

Love this album. Not a single bad song

You know an album is good when "Planet Caravan" might be the weakest track of the bunch, just an iconic record from start to finish.

Into Black Sabbath now!

легенды

I'm by no means a sabbath-head, but Paranoid is a truly excellent album. Not much else to say. Every track has merit

It always blows my mind that the guys in Black Sabbath were like 20 when they made this debut record. Lightning in a bottle kind of stuff. I've always felt it sort of a shame that many of a certain age (myself included for a long time) knew/know Ozzy as more of a pop culture icon than what he really was - one of the towering figures of rock and roll history, deserving of just as much praise as anyone else in that conversation. Thankfully, following his death, there seemed to be a rightful emphasis placed on Ozzy the musician and not just Ozzy the reality show personality. 5/5 Highlights: War Pigs Paranoid Iron Man Electric Funeral Fairies Wear Boots

Actually loved this.

Iconic metal and a lesson in how to make an album ROCK

He did all of this basically tripping all the time with is very hard to fathom. But I do think that’s why it’s lyrics just kind of fit, good start to the 70s. RIP Ozzy

Album Review 058 Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970) Rating 5/5 The review of Paranoid on the once great AllMusic.com site concludes “Monolithic and primally powerful, Paranoid defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history”, and it’s hard not to agree. Amongst all the sludge and heavy riffs, Black Sabbath also show very different, more subtle and melodic psych side, with the unexpected but brilliant Planet Caravan, but most of the album is exactly what we’d expect. Only negative for me is the late-Ozzy Osbourne’s pro-Zionist views and general dickheadedness in later years, although I try to believe that he was just an idiot who didn’t know any better and was just influenced by the malignant SHARON, although this is likely just wishful thinking and the man was indeed a c***. Still, I’ll separate the art from (one of) the artists and call an easy 5/5 rating.

Ohhh, that's a great classic album! Love it

FIVE STARS ... I don't think my mom liked that I had this album. But I also had their first one, so .... They don't make 'em like this anymore!

classic

Easy 5 stars

Very very influential album! And it's great to listen to

Maybe the Best álbum of BS

2026.01.26-01.27

RIP Ozzy

The flex to put "Planet Caravan" inbetween "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man". RESPECT.

My favorite Sabbath album. Brilliant.

This is a favourite of the baby’s and I really liked it too. Interesting and varied but makes sense.

\m/(-_-)\m/ Fuckin Metal dude Each song meticulously placed within the track list, seamless transitions between songs and within. Not a dull moment throughout the whole thing. 9/10

Really fun. Lots of ideas.

From start to finish - impeccable.

Love me some Black Sabbath!

another album that i wasnt expecting to like much. it wasnt bad. I like atlantic city i saved that song

I only started listening to Sabbath very late, probably 2010s, which is pretty shameful. I guess I grew up knowing mostly of Ozzy's solo work, which was always a bit cheesy. And I was never really into metal in general, so I just didn't give Sabbath much attention. But it's never too late and having been much more into metal in the past several years, I enjoy Sabbath immensely. This album is spectacular. The hits are great but so is every other track. It's a thoroughly engaging listen from start to finish.

It's a shame I didn't appreciate Black Sabbath's greatness until middle age, but that also seems fitting. But even in my younger days I knew that "Paranoid" was a ripper. I came to "War Pigs" via Faith No More's cover of it, and it was my introduction to these supposedly scary bands being a lot more conscientious than hysterical conservatives gave them credit for. Anyway, this is great. A bunch of classics with deeper cuts I appreciate and yet another harrowing song about heroin.

Probably the best metal album I've heard. The low-key tracks on this album are just as good as the singles I feel. Just an amazing album all around.

YESSSSSS

I liked the other Black Sabbath albums on this list, and if I had to pick one, this would be the "essential" listen. It has their most notable songs, "War Pigs", "Paranoid", and "Iron Man".

All killers no fillers, this is so sick. Perfect outro as well

brilliant

Is this experience making me realize I like metal?!

Planet Caravan é transcedental!

One of the best of all time. Every song is great, even the slower tracks have great guitar sounds and Ozzys singing is unique. No one else could do what Ozzy does. Love this album and is one of my favourites

Truly their masterpiece. The first part from war pigs till Iron Man, might one of the greatest runs ever.

todas las canciones me parecieron increíbles, tal vez planet caravan no, pero es un álbum increíble e iconico. mis canciones favoritas están entre paranoid, hand of doom o rat salad

Gran álbum y en especial Planeta Caravan fue un grandioso descubrimiento.

Any true rock/metal fan would give this album 5 stars. It is objectively amazing. Black Sabbath INVENTED metal, Ozzy Obsourne is THE frontman. This goes beyond personal test, it gets to a point where an album deserves 5 stars for its impact only. And this album is truly great

the guitar on this is so awesome oh my god

Absolute banger. Black Sabbath could do no wrong in this early era. Perfect mix of political commentary, face melting rock and roll, and weird wizard fuckery. 5 outta 5 classic

🥞

Incredible to think there was a time before this album. Listening to Paranoid today is to be immersed in the broad, sadly now-clichéd sounds of modern metal and hard rock contemporaries in one ~40 minute listening session. Deviating from the bright atmospheric rock of the 1960’s, the contrasting nature of Sabbath’s sophomore release blends jazzy melodies with claustrophobic, dark blues; this album is wall of lush sounds and a testament technical skill. From the classic heavy sludge of Ironman to the atmospheric dreamscape of Planet Caravan, Sabbath reigns supreme and infinitely influential. If a 5-Star album exists, it must be judged on a scale defined in its extremes by Paranoid.

Classic hard rock birthing heavy metal. Slow heavy riffs and powerful drumming. Easy 5 stars.

Would not have guessed that Black Sabbath would sound so fresh on the re-listen/in this exercise. They straight up rock. I have stated that I've grown to love "Black Sabbath grooves" and this album has fewer of those (Hand of Doom), but they make up for that with a lot of variety and start to finish solid performances. Osbourne sounds GREAT.

Hell of a one two punch to start the album. The rest is varied and dynamic. I love how they sing about death and the devil but it’s kinda silly and fun. Strong contrast to butt rock like Metallica that takes the heaviness but none of the stuff that makes the heaviness work. Also, maybe an unpopular opinion but - Led Zeppelin woulda been better w Ozzy over Robert Plant. He hits all the high notes but in the lower registers his voice is more bluesy and natural. Also has an archness about his delivery and isn’t obsessed with lord of the rings and new wave bullshit. Plant almost ruins several songs with his histrionics.

I listened to this one for the first time back in July when Ozzy passed. It seems super reductive to call these guys metal after hearing what they’re capable of on this album. Sure it rocks, but I’m hearing more in common with Zappa than with Metallica. So much range, like a jazzier LZ. This one has to go somewhere near the top overall.

Forgot how tight this record is. 100% killer riffs.

this is also another album i already listened to but i do say it is a great metal album, i can see how important this album and band is to basically the whole metal genre. Ozzy makes this album sound like your fighting vampires like dracula for some reason but it’s so epic. I also want to notice the song Planet Caravan, that song itches the brain like no other, it’s so trippy. The title track of course is good and Iron Man has to be my favorite track if we are being honest. Short Album but it feels like a nice journey. RIP OZZY OZZBOURNE 10/10

birthed a genre. Absolutely Legend

Very heavy for a 70's album. War Pigs is probably their most political song. The song Iron Man is their most popular. Electric Funeral is really heavy and really good! Overall, I give it a 9/10

One of the best albums of all time to me

It's Sabbath's most famous album, with their biggest songs. A landmark in Metal. Is it their best? Who knows. But I have to score the best Metal albums five stars so they get more appreciation than the random indie/jazz/folk/RnB faff which has had zero cultural impact.

Foundational rock album! Full of classics and who doesn’t love Ozzy!

one of the defining albums of heavy metal as a distinct genre. i salute my flag

YEAHHHHHHHHHH

1/5/26. Didn't realize so many hits were on this album. 9/10

As someone who loves heavy music it’s a pretty easy 5

Because I don’t know too much about music only how it makes me feel. Obviously the music itself is incredible. Feelings I felt listening to the album: confident, curious, loud, rebellious

Beast of an album and crazy to think how much of a step forward this was for heavy music (not sure you'd quite call it metal yet) in 1970. 3 of the first 4 songs are all-time great riffs, and a few of the latter half songs essentially created the template of sludge/doom metal. Ozzy and Iommi get a lot of the credit (rightly so) but the rhythm section is pretty underrated I think - really appreciate Bill Ward's playing on this one in particular. A stone cold classic.

Hits you right in the stomach even now. Can’t imagine what hearing this at the time must have felt like.

so its fire like we alr knew

Fantastic album each song better than the last. I will not only put this on at any time but frequently seek it out. Mixed well, bass sounds fantastic, guitar work amazing - drums incredible. I understand Paranoid more and more every year. Hand of Doom personal favorite boosted by Tool’s cover last summer. Ironman is tired. 5/5 all day long.

This album begins well, has a good middle and finishes well. Favourite songs: War Pigs/Luke's Wall, Paranoid, Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots

Top shelf album. Easy 5

👌Strong start and strong finish👌

Top 5 hard rock/metal album of all time, and likely not 5. Here we have Sabbath's 3 biggest hits. The band just said to the world, "oh yeah, here's this thing called heavy metal. Enjoy. Or fuck off; we really don't care." Influence 5. Hits 5. Quality 5. Intangibles 5. I prefer a little more nuance in my rock, but this is really great 4.

Banger, j'adore Black Sabbath, le batteur une pépite, les rythmes et sonorités reconnaissables en toutes circonstances, un groupe qui a une vraie identité

Greatest album of all time.

Truth be told: I’d only known Ozzy Osbourne as this old dude from this MTV show … never checked out his work. But… wow. This record rocks. I like the moody guitars, the great drums, the bizzare lyrics and - his voice! I am impressed. Not sure if I’d start listening to this on the regular but I did like this. This record is a condensed reduction of what heavy metal should be like.

So many hits and classic ageless sounds. 5/5

Partly heard before Saved 7/8 Top track: War Pigs

The description of this album said that this album and Black Sabbath's discography were the first heavy metal albums and helped pioneer the genre. Heavy metal (not the Cameron Winter album) is not normally a genre I choose to listen to but I loved this album. I really enjoyed the anti-war themes and lyrics as the album came out during the Vietnam war. I knew of a few of songs like War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man but the songs that were new to me matched and built upon those songs very well. Overall an absolute banger of an album. R.I.P Ozzy.

The beginning of an era

Such an amazing album. It still sounds heavy today. The riffs alone are just incredible. Probably my favorite Sabbath album.

My step brother was really into Black Sabbath, who I defiantly decided not to get into as his tastes veered closer toward thrash metal, a genre I’ve never enjoyed. So I’ve always kept some distance from Black Sabbath. But fuck, “War Pigs” just made me realize how much I’ve overlooked them. The song is heavy, but melodic. The lyrics are biting social commentary that I always ignored for its overt satanic imagery (which I tend to find juvenile). So many great guitar riffs, and the bass guitar slaps. Its timing is also notable: 1970 seems so early for music that sounds like this. Yes, Led Zeppelin released their first two albums in 1969 (which is remarkable in and of itself), but I actually don’t consider them to be metal in the way Black Sabbath is. Even in the moments where I thought “maybe this isn’t a five star album,” something awesome would happen that would change my opinion.

SO FIRE, next fucking question

Black Sabbath seems to be the only metal/metal adjacent band I can get into

This album, kind of classic rock, kind of metal, kind of... not what I would commonly listen to, not typically my thing, etc. is the bomb! What? From start to finish. Lots of it I have heard, some of it a lot, but some of it I had never heard, and ALL of it is amazing. Truly. Wow! What an absolute must hear corker of an album! It doesn't get much better than this in ANY genre as this is a masterwork. Black Sabbath sits at the head of a rock/ metal, high talent band table. Wow! Just wow...

great album

Probably greatest metal album.

Black sabbath’s tone, space, feel and dynamics are unique and inspirational. They set the peak for creativity combing melody, rhythm and back to back amazing riffs.

Classic Sabbath cuts, album is raw and great end to end. Nuff said.

ITS GOOD!! I thought it would be more like hard rock idk what that means but i genuinely enjoyed this album.

Never really listened to Black Sabbath before. I was impressed this was very good.

Iconic. Truly one of the greatest

One of the greatest albums of all time.

first album I bought on an iPod

This is flawless. It's just the right length, leaving you wanting more. Every song has it's own identity and is memorable. Every sound is perfectly produced and balanced with the others so it all works in harmony, nothing overwhelms anything else. Sabbath know when to be quiet among the loudness. It doesn't have to be everything all at once, this is all very measured to have the most impact consistently throughout. It's a genuine masterpiece of artistic expression, and should be compulsory listening for all.

I mean I’m kind of at a loss for what to say. It’s incredible. It’s such a thrilling ride from start to finish, not to mention how it changed the music landscape AND what it has to say about the time period in which it released.

This album makes its case almost immediately. The riffs are undeniable, the songs are lean and memorable, and the atmosphere is heavy without being bloated. You can hear exactly why Paranoid became the template so many bands chased, often without ever quite getting there. It’s not just influential in a vague, academic sense. The songs themselves actually hold up. What really pushes it over the edge for me is how durable the writing is. Tracks like “Iron Man” aren’t locked into one genre or era. They’ve been covered, reinterpreted, and reshaped across styles, which only happens when the core idea is strong enough to survive translation. This isn’t heaviness for its own sake. It’s structure, groove, and mood working together. The production is raw, but that’s part of the appeal. Nothing feels overworked or indulgent. The band sounds focused, confident, and completely unaware that they’re defining a genre. That accidental quality gives the record a kind of purity that a lot of later metal never recaptured. This lands as a five. Not because it’s flawless, but because it set a standard that’s still relevant, still enjoyable, and still hard to beat.

no skips, every song is so good faves: war pigs, paranoid and probably iron man

War Pigs - 5/5 Paranoid - 5/5 Planet Caravan - 4.5/5 Iron Man - 5/5 Electric Funeral - 4/5 Hand of Doom - 4.5/5 Rat Salad - 4.5/5 Fairies Wear Boots - 4.5/5 So this is what the original first heavy metal album sounds like. I had already known about some of the more popular tracks (War Pigs and Paranoid specifically) but had never given the album a whole listen. Easiest 5 stars I'll probably ever give. Overall: 5/5 Favorites: Literally the Entire Album

Certified banger.

Classic.

A classic album, and a deep one. The title track may be my least favorite song on here, and that's not a criticism. I like "Paranoid," but it's probably the most conventional and least interesting song on the album. The songs were mostly developed from riffs that the band came up with while jamming, which is very apparent. The songs are very loosey-goosey and extremely bluesy (with the exception of the psychedelic "Planet Caravan") with very little apparent intent beyond "craft a song around this killer riff" and it works better than it has any right to, because the riffs are strong and the added elements work really well. I think this is just due to really good songcraft from guitarist Tommy Iommi and strong embellishment from bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, and the result is a masterpiece.

My 1001 Albums Generator listen today was Paranoid by Black Sabbath. I knew Paranoid, and listened to War Pigs after Ozzy's death after my gf recommended me various songs of his. Hell yes this was awesome. Excitingly hard-hitting and more variety than I was expecting

These guys got grooves, riffs, tones, vibes down to an elemental level.

Never listened to Paranoid front-to-back, and obviously the universal hits are fire, but high key so is the entire album

Great Guitars. Great Drumming.

Classics almost all the way through

We never listened to the whole album. Several songs were so familiar. Growing up, we all thought Black Sabbath was so hard and intense. No harder than the other bands at that time. Worth the listen. Ozzy's voice is very recognizable, but not as transporting or melodic as Robert Plant's. Rat Salad reminds me of Moby Dick. One of my new faves

I had never REALLY listened to Black Sabbath before - EPIC album. Especially the first half.

~40 minutes of classic metal glory, plus Planet Caravan. 🤷‍♂️ Enough has been written about War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man that there's not much else to add, but don't skip on Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom or Fairies Wear Boots either!

Nostalgia factor makes me wanna push this to a 5. This was the first record I ever bought and I would listen to it on repeat. War Pigs is an all timer in my life. So why not, this shit rocks it’s a 5

Full of bangers

One of the most important albums for the history of rock/hardrock/metal. Exactly why it is good and correct to have it here on this list.

God album

Favorite track(s): it's all straight bangers Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS YEAH YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME

If you are interested in understanding popular music in all its genres from the last 70+ years then this album is genuinely one you need to hear before you die. Even more than the debut so much of Metal and loud rock music has its roots here. Weirdly, though the one thing almost nobody takes from it is the 'swing' that Bill's drums bring. Required extra treat if you enjoyed this: The life in Paris 1970 version of War Pigs on YouTube. Bill's drumming on that is a thing to behold.

Y'know, I spend a lot of time gassing up Black Sabbath's debut album as the start of heavy metal. The legendary record birthed straight from the fires of Hell to deliver crashing drums and crunching riffs unto the world... That sort of thing, y'know. I mean, heck, that record excited me so much, I spent half of my 1.5k review on prose adapting the first song 'coz I felt that was the only way to really get across how I felt about it. Whether or not that was a waste of space is up to you, but you can't say it didn't inspire me. For much as I pile hype on BLACK SABBATH, though, I think it's also worth taking some time to acknowledge that it's still **very** early metal — "primordial metal," as I think of it. Like, as much as it is the very first album where you couldn't get away with calling it anything else (hard rock, heavy psych, etc.), there is still a **lot** of blues influence evident to my ears. Just go listen to how much harmonica there is on that thing past the title track. Obviously, it's not enough to disqualify BLACK SABBATH from its claim to fame; you can never take away from it. I'm just saying, where BLACK SABBATH birthed metal, it's with PARANOID that genre was perfected and solidified. Let's not mince words: PARAOID is, without a doubt, one of the greatest metal albums ever made. Absolutely a top five contender in my book, if not top three. Hell, if MASTER OF PUPPETS didn't exist, I'm pretty sure I could argue my way to it being **number one**. It takes everything the band's debut had going for it, and pumps it all up to a whole new level. BLACK SABBATH set the foundation, but PARANOID set the standard, believe you me. I mean, I could go track by track here to prove it to you — honestly now. In fact... "War Pigs" is a monster of an opener, introducing war as one of the most common topics in metal songs. I use "epic" to describe a lot of songs, but believe you me, Black Sabbath have no other song that's as much of an epic as "War Pigs" is. The solo in this thing is so famous and classic, guitarist Tony Iommi has never changed the way he plays it in live shows. And that circling riff at the end? Oh, so incredible. Then you got the title track, which is a protopunk-type, "Communication Breakdown"-stye ripper. It was literally written as an afterthought, to fill up an empty three minutes, and yet it goes off **so hard**. Like, it's the most straightforward and uncomplicated thing on the album: just a kick-ass rocker. Following, you have a bit of a break in the track "Planet Caravan". It's the only song on the album that's 100% not metal, instead being this lowkey psychedelic space rock track. Tony Iommi even plays a flute on it! And yet, I feel like this sort of pace changing break track would become a standard on future heavy metal albums — or it should have. You can't go to 11 all the dang time, y'know? It's a very nice, relaxing track between iconic songs, feeling like you're floating through space and quietly taking in the expanse... And if nothing else, it's a good demonstration of their range. Side one then closes with maybe the single most iconic song from the entire album: "Iron Man". Everyone knows this song, or at least the part Ozzy sings "I AM IRON MAN" through a fan followed by the riff kicking it. It's such a good riff: don't let how many times you might've heard it convince you otherwise. Besides, the part in there where the tempo switches up to a faster beat? Oh, that's great. And I gotta pause for a second here to point out how many iconic, classic and, hell, signature songs are on this album's first side alone. That's three outta four — and it should be dang four outta four! (Give "Planet Caravan" some love.) Even their debut couldn't manage that many, and it started by inventing doom metal. This is just straight-up quality, y'know? How could you even complain about this? In fact, this side is so good, it... Honestly can kind of overshadow side two a little? But let's not act like it's any weaker; it's still strong as hell. I mean, side two opens with a riff like "Electric Funeral"'s. It's one of the best riffs on the entire album, on an album stacked with riffs. It's slow, sludgey, and, ah, incredibly memorable. And then **this song** has a tempo switch-up, too — and it's here I wanna highlight the bass sound on this album. It's very, like... "Gadong-gadong," if I can try and make a word out of how it sounds, but seriously, let us not pass Geezer Butler by. A metal album is nothing without a good bass line (well, ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL got by, though it really shouldn't have), and Geezer has some damn good ones. "Hand Of Doom" is one of the very first songs in metal about how drugs are bad, and, oh, they could not have done it any better on an early go around. When they put "doom" in the title, they mean it: this is the doomiest song on the album, with this dark, foreboding atmosphere about it... Until the tempo switches up, which, hey, we're three for three! But heck if I care if they pull this trick three times in a row; it's always amazing whenever they pull it off, and each one is unique from each other, so... Yeah, good shit. The riffin' nearly 4 minutes in is killer, too. Continuing on from there, we come to the closest thing this album has to a miss, I feel like, in "Rat Salad". It's this album's "Moby Dick" — the drum solo track — and... Y'know, I've never been the biggest on drum solos? I mean, I love percussion just fine when it's working in tandem with other instruments, laying down a beat... But on its own? I've just never been as big into it as I have any other instrument. But all said, hey, Bill Ward is still a real good drummer, and this ain't a bad solo at all. I mean, heck, even if it's riff ain't as iconic as the one on "Moby Dick", I think I'd still take this over "Moby Dick", and not just 'coz it's shorter (and either way, apologies, Bonzo). Finally, the album ends with "Fairies With Boots", a song about... Something? I'unno, and I don't think anyone else does either. I've seen a few explanations, but the best one I've heard is that it's basically about a guy tripping the shit out on drugs on the way home and seein' a whole lotta weird shit. And for a song about **that** of all things, it's a fantastic closer. May not be "Into The Void" from their next album, but I'unno, it just works super well. Get another good-ass riff, more bashin' drums, gathunkin' bass, and of course Ozzy doin' his thing... Can't think'a no better ending for an album as classic as this. And yeah, to this point I haven't mentioned Ozzy's vocals yet... And legit, what do you want me to say about them? He was one of the best metal vocalists to've ever lived, and his performance across this whole album is spectacular. There's no one particular song I can choose to highlight it, 'coz whether he's singing softly on "Planet Caravan" or going full force (or doin' that one voice where he goes "'LEC-TRIC FYUN-RAAL"), it's just that consistently strong. Goodness me. So, yeah, put it all together, take this album as a whole... It's just so fuckin' classic, and I can't think of a single other album that compares to it. Sure, other albums would be harder, and heavier, and faster, and more brutal, and more crushing, and all'a that... But this album is just no nonsense, pure, clean and uncut heavy metal. Honestly maybe the best you'll ever hear with no gimmicks attached. I mean, if you don't like metal, I don't think it's gonna change your mind too much... But I'unno even know what else to say that isn't just me using the word "good" for the millionth time. If you're reading this, you might have already listened to this album, but please, go do it again. It's just that... Well, you know.

If the debut album was the blueprint, this record is the Metal genre fully realized. Solid 5 Stars.

It’s obviously a 10. That is the definitive blueprint for metal music, although I’m struck by how much this album leaned way more into prog sensibilities than I ever realized. Everything about the writing & supernatural aspects of this album pull away from the more demonic / satanic imagery of their debut album (save for a good chunk of “War Pigs” & “Electric Funeral”, and even still, they’ve got more of a religious bend with God punishing them by letting Satan loose on the damned), and lean a bit more into the surreal with an occasional sci-fi lean. “Paranoid” is probably the most ‘normal’ track here – that’s just a sad guy who wants to be loved. I’ve heard “Iron Man” before, but I’ve never comprehended it as a self-fulfilling prophecy brought about by societal neglect. “Planet Caravan” surprised the hell out of me with how serene & ethereal it was. “Fairies Wear Boots” is also sort of a drug trip gone wrong, but it’s a real diss track towards skinheads (in the non-racist sense, apparently), and it works well. “Hand of Doom” is a drug trip gone horribly wrong to the point of death, and a solid bit of commentary on how we occasionally treat our veterans. Oh, right, yeah – War Pigs is an anti-Vietnam track. I suppose that should’ve hit me over the head years ago, but for some reason, it only really clicked this time around, perhaps with a bit of recent CCR in the brain. I knew it was an anti-war track, for sure, but the specific context of Vietnam has felt lost over the years, with how many ways it’s been repurposed for commercial usage, given the instrumental energy. I don’t think I need to touch on it that much – just a masterclass across the board, though like I said, much more of a prog lean than I realized, and for 1970, there’s still definitely parts here that feel like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones with a guitar turned up to 10, at least in terms of an instrumental rhythm. I’m a little surprised that the soundscape wasn’t sort of ear-melting all the time, like an AC/DC album might be, but I do like that choice, and for 1970, it works very well. “Rat Salad” hits that point, but in more of a dazzling drum solo sort of way. Ozzy’s vocals are great; maybe a tad nasally at times, but not in a way that ever detracts from the tracks, & his presence / power feels really strong here. There’s really not that much to say; I’m just throwing out some thoughts people have probably typed a million times before. I know it’s good. Everyone knows it’s good. The only question going in for me, as someone who only knew the 3 big singles going into this, was simply if the rest of the album would hit the same high points to pull this all the way up to a 10, & it easily delivered in spades. This is about as good as it gets right here, and there’s not a single flaw I can think of. It’s a very easy 10. Once again, rest in peace, Ozzy.

FIREEE

The only Sabbath I have. Starts very strong and stays strong, only hands of doom/rat salad dip in quality. Fantastic album. 4.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes: 33/130 (25%) Will I get? Already have

🤟

Excellent. Pleasantly surprised by the 4th track, too. Overall a very strong album, and War Pigs was probably my favorite.

Never heard this album in its entirety up until today, but I swear I went through this album like "I know this song, wait I know this one too, wait I heard this one yesterday." For all that, my favorite song of the album was one I've never heard before, Electric Funeral. Anyways, I wasn't expecting 70s metal to be so hard. It feels really reminiscent of modern Doom Metal in some parts. I love Doom Metal, and I also happen to love this album. Obligatory RIP Ozzy Osbourne.

OZZY

What can I say about Paranoid that hasn't already been said. An album that practically invented metal as a genre, influenced decades of artists, and still holds up well even by modern standards. It feels like an album that should've come five or ten years after prog rock and the likes of King Crimson, but unbelievably was released not even a year after In the Court of the Crimson King. Every single track carries with it a disgustingly classic riff, to the point I sometimes let the genius of the rest of the album pass me by. It's Paranoid, what more needs to be said.

I have not paid enough attention to Black Sabbath. This is a fantastic album that brings so much more to the table than the hits we know (but oh those hits!). Only niggle is that I'd like a hotter mix- maybe it's my equipment, but if the guitars hit a little harder on a few tracks they would be devastating.

This album makes me agree with my friend “I have not paid enough attention to Black Sabbath” even if I know most of these songs

Gear: SIMGOT SuperMix 4 Artwork: 🗡️🛡️🤺 Production (2012 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🪦🐐♾️ Rating: 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇/5

Legendary album

if the recommended songs that came on after an album are 40+ years newer and sound the same that tells you a lot

I'm not a fan of metal. Sabbath is the exception. Everything on this album is just great.

Awesome!!!

Classic Sabbath. I don't dig a ton of heavy stuff but have always have loved Ozzy and Black Sabbath. This album is solid start to finish.

straight up perfect i guess in 1970 i would’ve been totally mind blown

Legendary

good shit. Not a single song I would say I dislike and 3 (maybe 4) songs out of 8 I would say are very good. Longer instrumentals are usually not my thing but my god this album slaps. 4 songs I would rate a 5 and the others are a 4 or 4.5. It's either a very high 4 or my first 5 and I'm choosing the latter

Goated

Great doom metal album.

Stone cold classic

Necesario como el aire que respiramos

Not first listen. 5 This is the easiest 5 so far out of about 20 albums. I've listened to this record before, but what stood out to me this time is just how deliberate every second on this record feels, especially the bass and drums. And this is in addition to all of the classic guitar riffs. The songs are very powerful and driving, but at the same time very methodical and under control. It's amazing how strong of a record this is without being over the top. And after listening to more music over the years, it's interesting to hear the roots of so many other types and genres of music in this album.

Magnifique !

truly this album fucks. i cant divorce the objective rating from the subjective experience of how much this sound rules. Paranoid (title track) is still the goat but even when there's a break in style every song delivers something special. NO SKIPS ON THIS ONE

Rating: 10/10 The grandfathers of metal were so good that still almost nothing compares to the collective talents that this band had during this run. Ozzy isn’t the only legend here, because Tony Iommi is one of the best metal guitarists ever, Geezer played incredibly groovy bass lines and his political and dark lyrics hold relevance to this day, and Bill Ward is easily one of the most underrated drummers. Paranoid is absolutely sick all the way through with its classic metal tracks and deep cuts both. Impossibly heavy for its time

Album goes hard. 9 <removed by Marvel>s out of 10 lizard wizards.

Wonderful package with well thought out, almost "neatly organized" metal that served as a great introduction to the genre for me. Lyrics were simple yet powerful and relatable throughout the entire album. A great listen all around that I'll definitely be coming back to!

Everyone needs to listen to this album, there's a certain type of person who will always hear this and have their mind blown

Black Sabbath - what more needs said

Just a perfect record - massively influential, but just some of the best heavy rock/metal songs ever written. It has serious range too, Planet Caravan is a spacey track, a special song.

wild, wacky, wonderful. it's so great to listen to albums like this and look back. you can hear all of the different bits and pieces that served as inspiration for the artists that came after. this shaped so many artists and still continues to shape music today. rest in power Ozzy 🖤

Yeah it's a 5/5 Ozzy certainly earned the title of Price of Darkness. Iconic look, creator of heavy metal. A worthy member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Probably did too many drugs but he lived a full and long life. Despite his health conditions the legend even put on a Back to the Begining event only 17 days before he passed away... Paranoid is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time, often cited as a key influence for the development of the genre, as well as one of its earliest albums. It was ranked number one on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Easily my favourite artist and was really sad when he passed away.

Without a doubt, the best heavy metal album of all time, and certainly one of the best rock albums ever written. War Pigs is such a huge opening anti-war anthem. Then the title track Paranoid, basically one of the most iconic heavy metal tracks. That was written in about 20 minutes because they needed to fill another 2 minutes on the record. Planet Caravan is such a beautiful, serene, cosmic love song that sits perfectly between the heaviness. Then it blasts right into Iron Man, which is just the best riff in all rock music. Electric funeral and Hand of Doom, are really dark and sinister tracks and then Rat Salad is just where the band gets to show of their technical skill. Then it closes with the slightly more fun and whimsical track Faries wear boots. The album is the easiest 5/5 I could ever give. It is absolutely perfect, there isn't a song in there that I could say is better or worse than any other.

The progenitor of modern metal with some real classics. Not quite as much to my taste as the self titled album, but undeniably genius

Lovley

That’s a good album

How do you out-Black Sabbath Black Sabbath (the song) from Black Sabbath (the album)? With War Pigs, that's how. If the guitar riff, accompanied by its unsettling bassline isn't enough, an air raid siren wails, warning you to get ready for something ominous incoming. War Pigs is followed by Paranoid, Planet Caravan and Iron Man. That's a hell of a four song run. Ozzy's vocal melodies, Geezer's basslines and dark lyrics, and Iommi's iconic riffs are held together by some criminally underrated drum fills from Bill Ward. The first album was a lot more bluesy, but Sabbath had settled into a much darker sound here. Besides the riffs themselves, coming from the darkest dankest depths, there are some really interesting pauses and moments of almost silence in between that creates an atmosphere of anticipation. There's some interesting choices in experimentation too, with the vocal oscillation of Planet Caravan, the tape speed change at the end of War Pigs, and the intro to Iron Man, where Ozzy apparently sang into a mic through a metal (unfortunately not iron) fan. It still hits hard almost fifty years later.

My 3rd favorite Sabbath album. Still fucking perfect

A classic!!

5 I can tell how influential this album was, and is. It’s the basis for a lot of music today.

Solid 🪨

I like

As easy as this gets. Every track is an unimpeachable stone cold classic. The biggest, most important building block of metal. I’ve heard these songs 1000s of times and spending the day with them yesterday was still a thrill.

0 bad songs straight heat

Very good album, really enjoyed this

I love classic metal and this band are one of the prime immortals of this group. Powerful vocals, thumping drums and bass, all tempered by wonderful lyrics and beautiful melodies. As Ozzy clearly tells us Enjoy Your Life and I know my life has been better with these guys in the world.

This album is so damn good. Black Sabbath created my favorite genre: metal. Most of the bands I listen to today such as Bongripper, Sleep, YOB and Windhand were directly influenced by this band. Their first three albums are just about flawless. Paranoid is probably their peak as a band, no notes.

Heck yeah

Iommi guitar double-tracked, Geezer on low end, Ward bashing, prince of darkness. What more do you need? Keep it simple stupid.

Didn’t think id love it like I did

Brings back so many memories. I understand better now how Ozzy, Geezer, and Iommi would have grown up in the shadow of the Beatles, Stones, Who, and American rock. To feel so close in age, yet still an outsider. You hear both the severance for electric guitar, but also the anger of wanting to create a new type of music of their own.

For me the best Black Sabbath album. Love every bot of it

Well the first half of the album is three stone cold classics plus Planet Caravan. That song is also pretty damn tasty. Then Electric Funeral keeps up the typical Sabbath energy. Hand of Doom and Rat Salad are pretty good times too. And then Jack the Stripper. Terrific album! A seminal work. Insane to think of the influence this album had. And it's 1970! It's like 15 years ahead of its time!

Incredible, beginning to end. Oddly for me, Iron Man is the weakest song, the rest friggin rock.

Still holds up so SO well. No notes, all love.

A great album all the way around

Iconic classic ily imy ozzy

This album is the reason why 95% of the shit I listen to exists. God bless Ozzy Osbourne and God Bless Black Sabbath.

Would have been a 4 if Ozzy was still alive

Amazing album Great guitar solos and vocals

musica 2, não tem como. as 3 primeiras músicas são uma sequência potente demais.

I don't even need to listen to this one to rate it. I definitely will, though! Absolute classic from some of the progenitors of heavy metal. War Pigs never fails to get a crowd singing. Paranoid is an amazing little song. Planet Caravan is a beautiful little departure from the heavy stuff. I'm a bit over Iron Man, but it was obviously a big deal when my music tastes were developing. And for me, side 2 is an insane four-song combo. Electric Funeral is one of my favorite songs to play on bass. Hand of Doom is a ton of fun too. Rat Salad is a great instrumental and Fairies Wear Boots is a fantastic closer. Insane album. Definitely among the greatest.

Bangers back to back. I think planet caravan remains a revelation into just how great sabbath are

Tremendo álbum de Black Sabbath. Creo que de los que he escuchado hasta ahora es el que mejor suena. La calidad de la grabación y la ejecución es sobresaliente. Las ideas en la guitarra y los efectos que utilizan, la duplicación de riffs y solos en combinación con el trabajo de paneo hacen que la música suene tridimensional. Las temáticas sociopolíticas de las letras le dan más peso a una lírica que en su álbum anterior tenía el foco en la mística y el oscurantismo. Si considero que por momentos las melodías que canta Ozzy Osbourne son poco imaginativas, en tanto que imita el riff de los instrumentos. Pero podría también considerarse una elección estilística más que una falta de imaginación. Definitivamente es memorable.

🤘💣🎸🤖🔥

I’m just gonna say it: greatest metal album of all time.

If Black Sabbath’s self titled album was the starting point of heavy metal, Paranoid is heavy metal perfected. It’s crazy how an album can have such a stacked first half, and still have enough to deliver a stacked second half. Honestly, it’s a little funny that such an album would cause a lot of Pearl-clutching back then. It’s just a lot of fun fantasy and one great anti-war anthem. Everything that was amazing about the previous album was done tenfold here. From Iommi’s riffs to Ozzy’s vocals to Ward’s drums, it all comes together to create a gloomy, brooding masterpiece. It’s really one of the best metal albums of all time. (Also, RIP to Ozzy. Got the debut instead of this on the day of his death. Not that that was a bad thing. Still, RIP to an icon.) Favorite track: Paranoid Other hits: the rest of the album

Paul McCartney is fond of saying that the Beatles "invented heavy metal" with "Helter Skelter," but come the FUCK on; this is the root of an entire genre of music, a sound and attitude, a lifestyle, and billions of records sold by thousands of bands.

Your album receives a 5 when 3 of the 8 tracks on your album are all time standards that every metal band has covered at least once. While the rest of the album falls between very good and great as well. Doesn't get much more influential than this album.

>>>>> the Beatles

War pigs and planet caravan

One of the best metal albums of all time. Heavy riffs, solos, dark arts - it has it all.

Heavy Metal peaked here.

sim

Classic

One of the best metal albums out there. Black Sabbath embodies the revolt against the powers that be, calling out their selfishness and callousness of our leaders.

One of the greatest. Riffs galore

Absolute peak✋🤚 Some of their best work. Stable old school rock/metal album. 5/5🎉

Iconic

É maravilhoso ouvir do que o Black Sabbath era capaz. Esse álbum é pesado, assustador,divertido, crítico... Que som sensacional! Tudo combina. QoA Adonis New.

I knew this was a classic album but I've never listened to it. Wow. Every song is either a great 4 minute rock song or has an outro if pure self indulgence

What an explosive start to an album that is - War Pigs & Paranoid are sensational classic metal songs to set the tone for the album to come with roaring guitar riffs, heavy instrumentation and Ozzy’s iconic vocals. What follows is an interesting, brilliantly written metal album that stands strong as a genre defining album.

Classic metal! RIP Ozzy

the best.

I mean, it’s one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. This is unimpeachable stuff.

9/10

Classic

Classic metal album

It feels odd to review an album that’s so engrained in your psyche. As I said with Vol. 4 by Sabbath, it’s like reviewing my own genetic code. My opinion won’t change how rooted it is in the zeitgeist of what we call heavy music. There’s a reason why Sabbath remains so present 50 something years later. Why they still spawn so many disciples of their revelatory sound. Take away the nostalgia factor, the hype and what you’re supposed to feel about it. The reason why it still holds up is it could been recorded yesterday. Aside from the minutiae of the production of the record, some lyrical themes, it’s not wrapped to a particular time. Four broke ass dudes from a very rough part of England created a soundtrack to their environment. It wasn’t glamorous, it was raw, real and relatable to people around the world to this day. The craziest one of the bunch used his voice to rail against unjust wars, toxic skinhead culture and a myriad of other social ills that plagued people in his working class neighborhoods beyond the British Isle. This is a building block of rock.

Thanks, any excuse to listen to one of my most formative albums. It is, of course, flawless. Every lyric and every riff is iconic. This is the essential ur-language of heavy metal. Oh to be a young bloke in 1970, transcending the shadows of war and nuclear winter with righteous minor pentatonic guitar solos.

This album is great, and is a reminder as to why Ozzy Osbourne is the godfarther of metal

Awesome

I regret not listening sooner

Sabbath at their peak.

My very first Black Sabbath album and still my favorite. So many good ones: War Pigs Paranoid Electric Funeral Rat Salad and of course, Iron Man Wow,

Something I wouldn’t typically listen to but definitely a big hitter

Reminds me of being 16

This was a journey! Living in Brum now, I see why Sabbath are such a big deal!

mui bom

What an epic album. One thing I noticed is that Bill Ward’s drumming is amazing on this. Izzy’s voice always gets the love you you gotta hand it to the other members as well

42 minutes of perfection.

Wonderful!

Finner ikke så mye å trekke for her. Legendarisk album.

I'd never listened to the non-radio tracks before; great album. Easily a 4.75 for me, but I gotta round up to 5

Love it!

Maybe best Metal/Hard Rock album ever...

sounds great now, must have been mind blowing on release

4/1001 ~ are you fucking kidding me? Easy-peasy 11/10. Too much love for every individual song and this LP as a whole. Worthy side quest: check out Tuluum Shimmering’s 38 minute cover of “Planet Caravan” for a blissfully paralyzing journey to the center of your soul.

Odlično. Ker dobr album za zaključek tega tedna. "War Pigs" - amazing začetk albuma. Ful mi je všeč ta komad, že od prej. Pr Black Sabbath so mi velikrat še najljubši del komadov bobni - res so fakin hudi. In, ne morm poudart kok sede ta album po včerajšnji Bonnie. Mogoč sm bla pikico preradodarna z oceno včer. Oh, 8 minut mine v trenutku. Ampak, ni panike, je kle "Paranoid". Ta komad pozna verjetn še tisti, k nima pojma od benda, razn mogoč, 'aj to tist od Ozzyja?'. Ker chill predah s "Planet Caravan". To je komad, ki ga morš poslušat poleti in ponoči, na ležalniku pod odprtim nebom, z zvezdami direkt nad sabo. S pivom v eni in đolo v drugi roki. Al kakor vam paše. In šibamo nazaj, z "Iron Man". O, sorry, ne, tole bo poznal še vsak fakin Joža s taprve gostilne. Kje je un pepel moj, da se spet posipam z njim? Ampak, ne pomen pa to, da je komad kakorkoli slab. Amazing, kvečjem. (A ni zanimiv, kako je kšne občutke ful lažje izrazit v angleščini, sam pol maš pa briljantne besede v slovenščini kot so 'kvečjem'? <3) Ok, a sm rekla bobni na začetku?! U, "Hand of Doom" mi je na začetku, k da je iz 90h somehow padel v 70a, sam poj se pa band spomne, ker let je. And repeat. V bistvu ful zanimiv komad k gre skoz neko 7 minutno evolucijo. Booobni. "Fairies Wear Boots" - sori, že sam naslov mi je ena najljubših fraz, k sm jo kadarkoli slišala, poj pa še komad najbl hud? Kva pa še hoč za finale albuma? Ta gre na stalno rotacijo.

Awesome

Classic. RIP Ozzy

🐐

Alla faccia del caciocavallo

Il miglior album in questa lista per il momento. I black sabbath nel 1970, prima con l’album omonimo e poi con paranoid, hanno inventato il metal (thank god). Atmosfere cupe, riff veloci alternati a melodie lente e incessanti, un’estetica che ha contribuito allo sviluppo del genere come musica “del demonio” (che 🐧1). L’influenza di questa band è presente ovunque, e non solo nei gruppi metal. 10/10

uno degli album più importanti della storia anche se non è il mio preferito dei sabbath. poco da dire, 5 strapieno pezzi preferiti Planet Caravan/War Pigs

molto sorpresa da quanto mi sia piaciuto!!! sempre avuto pregiudizi sul metal perché capì paura cos e invece no assolutamente mamma mia mi sono proprio divertita bellissimo album godo

Hits

Pure gold!! Listened to it 3 times today

Ran this on loop for my back set , just hit different today. RIP.

Black Sabbath, Paranoid 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 War Pigs in itself gets this album to three or four stars. Just incredible from the cacophony of siren wails to the grind of the guitar that really didn't exist before Iommi. But then! Speed it up! Make it manic! Osbourne makes you believe O, Lord, yeah! The crunchy groove of the verses. That kinda precision of a two-note repetition (turning a riff into a groove) is tougher to do than you think. And they nail it. And while some of their stuff goes from metal heaven to bong drum circle (see: Supernaut) and just kinda wreck the vibe, this one never gives up the edge. And that's one song! There's a reason grunge acts cited Sabbath among influences. Just raw. Listen to Kyuss "One-inch Man" and its riff is just a cleaner Sabbath. Listen to Helmet and they're just a 90s Sabbath. The influence is there for the good of all. The rest holds up. I mean there's the occasional miss.... Faeries Wear Boots and this silly Hobbitty bullshit. Like they could never quite separate entirely from the hippie era here. But in other tracks like The Wizard yaknow.... They do OK. We'll let it pass. Planet Caravan though is half jam, half jazz and it's brilliant. There's crossover between Sabbath and Zeppelin but it's tracks like this that really keep Sabbath on their own groovy side. I can't say I've listened to every Sabbath album, but this one brings it hard and I love it.

*listened before the project* the best heavy metal without No doubt

The first album is proof of concept and a move to hard rock and heavier vlues, but this is the first real pioneering metal album. That makes it one of the most important records of all time. Also, it fucking rocks.

Fairies in Boots clears most other albums by itself Not to mention War Pigs Rest in peace, Prince of Darkness

5 stars of course. Love almost every song of this album, and it was a big influence on other artists. RIP ozzy🙏🏻

I've never followed Black Sabbath, but I really enjoyed this album. 9/10

banger

RIP Ozzy, but forever grateful for this masterpiece. Incredible and influential tunes beyond belief. Truly too much success for one lifetime.

THE Black Sabbath album.

RIP Ozzy

Not much to say about this, some absolute stonking riffs. Probably not my favourite Sabbath album but they have some choice when it comes to defining metal. And you can’t help but smile when it starts with War Pigs.

The perfect album

Rip

🐐

Jeg falt inn i Black Sabbath-periode her forleden, og innså på nytt hvor idiotisk sterk denne skiva er. A-siden består av fire ikoniske tracks; FIRE av rockehistoriens mest legendariske låter. (Jeg er litt usikker på hvorvidt Planet Caravan regnes som like ikonisk som sporene som sandwicher den, men for meg har dette vært en unik og sublim låt siden jeg hørta Panteras cover* av den.) B-siden åpner med Electric Funeral som er nesten like ikonisk som låtene fra A-siden, og de tre siste låtene er egentlig ikke noe dårligere. B-siden er kanskje mer groovy enn A-siden, og hinter på mange måter til Master of Reality. Jeg har alltid vært bestemt på at Master er den sterkeste skiva til Sabbath, men i det siste har Paranoid sådd tvil i meg. Det eneste det ikke er noen tvil om, er at begge skivene får 5 av 5 par fairie boots. *Jepp, det var i hvert fall da jeg første bet meg merke i den. Når jeg hørte den igjen i dag, er det lett å høre at Pantera ikke tilføyer denne låta noe nytt (noe som er typisk når et metal band covrer favorittlåtene sine), men vi kan ikke bestemme vår egen origin story. Om ikke annet taler det for at Pantera skjønte at Planet Caravan er låt, ass.

Having just reviewed a BS album a few weeks ago (self-titled), I won't go super long here. I'll try only to repeat myself to the extent of expressing RIP Ozzy. I found this album to be better than Black Sabbath, their first album, for a few reasons. Definitely having a full album of songs instead of a half-album and a jam was part of that, but also because the songs themselves were well constructed. You could tell the group was growing and gelling musically here. I already knew many of the tracks on Paranoid, as a few are iconic in metal (and really music in general). They stand up as great songs decades after they came out. The whole album's influence and lasting power also speaks for itself. Even the songs I weren't as familiar with were good. There wasn't a whole lot here to dislike, though I could see the genre/length not working for some listeners. They were part of the enjoyment for me. I consider this album in the high-good/low great range. I thought about keeping it at the high 4-star level, but I can't come up with any real reason that it doesn't deserve to get up to 5 from me. It just rocks. I'd definitely listen again, in full. Overall: 4.5/5

Seminal metal album establishing the groundwork for decades to come, pioneering the genre and sound with heavy bass riffs, complex guitar solos, insane drum work, and Ozzy’s metal singing voice, 5/5

It's fuckin Sabbath man

Perfekt

Rip Ozzy Produksjonen var mye cleanere enn jeg husket Geezer er en helt

supeerrrrrrr i loved it and the drum was so pleasing

This album I know well, not because I listened to it over & over as a kid, but most of these songs are mainstream now, War Pigs, Iron Man, Paranoid. It seems like your grandma knows about Black Sabbath & the late Ozzy Osborne. This was Sabbath’s 2nd album & it’s the one that really broke them. Paranoid was a hit single for the group. That had to really broaden their audience, which led to the right people finding this music, which led to the best metal bands being birthed. It’s amazing how things come together & work perfectly. Tony Iommi with the riffs, Ozzy with the melodies, Geezer Butler with the lyrics, and Bill Ward with a jazzy drum style that really kept the group tight. This isn’t my favorite Sabbath album, probably because I’m still an a-hole at heart, but it’s a must-listen masterpiece. Hand of Doom and Faeries Wear Boots are my faves off this album. Mostly because they are heard less than the hits. Electric Funeral just sounds evil, so it's great as well. Paranoid is a masterpiece & you can hear where heavy metal came from after one listen.

Partire con War Pigs vuol dire aver già vinto. Per me la miglior canzone dei Black Sabbath, seguita a ruota da altri classici come Paranoid e Iron Man. Electric funeral è puro Doom ed è stupenda, ma tutto l'album non perde un colpo. Fondamentale!

Amazing album, sees the band really finding their groove and leading a path lots of others would follow

The second Sabbath record I get and quite the noticeable improvement. First listen and I get the hype around this release. It has all the hits of course but it makes out to be a well balanced release. Overall, it wins at kicking ass and lots of it too. (9/10, bordering on 10, 5/5 on this scale)

Good, need to listen this again

Ooo finally a legend, tho he's deceased now. I remember listening to this album, but I don't remember any of the songs, it was too long ago I suppose. Mm I think I'll like this so high hopes. First song, mmm like the start, the headphone play and the whole introness of it all. Needn't make a comment about how good this is tbh. Rather listen to it with full immersion than waste time writing. So many changes and work from the sonical part. Second song, this is very known, the delivery is amazing. The upbeatness must be noted too. Everything came together here somehow, full and giving every element song could entail, but that can be said about every one of this album's song I assume. Third song, mm it starts quite slow, but it'll pick up, as it always does. It didn't pick up nvm. It's pink Floyding in its own way, the song. Apparently this is one of their lighter song, didn't remember that, as I already said generally. The instrumental break in my right ear is amazing right now. 4th song, evil start already mmm. This is an instant bop, wonder why I don't have this saved hm. The ending part is too good, something is extra working. No words to describe how joyful it is to listen to a quality album finally. 5th song, talking guitar y'all, Ozzy was making a hell of this song as usual. If I have something to say I usually have a lot, can't critic anything here that's what I can say rn. 6th song, this is a classic one, not in a popular sense, it's just so Black Sabbath somehow, perfectly cooked. The part where it becomes a fully new song, mmm so good, didn't expect that. 7th song, this feels like a bigger than usual interlude that actually is good on its own too. 8th song, I thought this song would be muuch longer, nevermind that I guess. The main catchy part of instrumentals is too good, really grasps the idea of what my ears like to hear. Well this was such an amazing experience, I'll head to writing the finale, as I'm listening to it mm. If I knew more about music and how it works, I'd probably talk a lot more about how pleasing this was. It's a definite 5 star album that will be in my rotation one way or another. Mm I hope they have one or more albums here for me tucked away. Otherwise rest in peace Ozzy..

The best black sabbath album, basic pick but every song here is absolutely amazing. This album got me into metal and therefore also got me into music in general, it holds a really special place in my heart. RIP Ozzy

Ozzy's passing is still fresh, but even without that this is a banger of an album. Didn’t realize how political it is too, which makes it even better. Drive fast with the windows open and blast this one.

I don’t have to say much about this do I? It rocks so hard.

SABBATH! jaaaaaaa! Kaum eine andere Platte ist so gespickt mit Hits. Eins der besten Alben aller Zeiten.

Why didn't they give me this when Ozzy Osbourne died? This is a million times better than their self titled thing

Am I a bigger Black Sabbath fan than I realized? This album fucking rocked. The sounds on this are haunting, guitar riffs that will melt your face off. Setting a clear standard for anything to come after. No notes. clear 5/5

First time listening to the album beyond the singles. I can see why it’s considered a classic, amazing riffs, vocals and rhythms!