Reviews (page 5 of 16)
Amazing album. Not my favorite style of music, but I can hear all the influence Black Sabbath had on everything from Metal to Pop.
Dose not get much better than this!
Literally a groundbreaking album, a masterpiece and the foundation of a whole genre. Iconic, 5 stars. RIP Ozzy 🖤
Increíble álbum. Me encantó El ritmo, los cambios, cada detalle, está tan bien hecho Notable alto y claro.
uhm WOW. objectivament és un àlbum de 0 skips. molt fort. bastant heavy ns si posar-li el 5 o el 4 pq m'ha semblat super bo pero ns si lesoltaria cada dia i tal- mhe guardat totes les cançons menys la de la rata jaja. me lo pensaré rip ouzy ousbourne :C nice musik man. ns es un album q havia evitat molts ansy i ara que lhe escoltat m'ha sorpres moltíssim. TOP!
Absolute classic and one of my favourite albums by Black Sabbath. He wasn't perfect but RIP Ozzy.
Obra maestra. Álbum que sentó las bases del Heavy Metal para la posteridad. 10/10. No merece la pena destacar una o dos canciones ya que es una genialidad de principio a fin. Gracias Ozzy, ROCK IN PEACE!
Easily one of my top 20 albums of all time. Huge hit songs, powerful riffs, and Ozzy's haunting vocals all contribute to perhaps the perfect heavy metal album. My dad gifted me his original pressing from 1970 that I still cherish and play to this day. I love this album, I'm gonna listen to it again. 5/5
• one of my favorite albums of all time • love you dad
Yeah, very good album
Kind of ironic that I get this album recommended just as news that Ozzy Osbourne passed away (22/07/2025). Some great memorable tracks and electric guitar solos.
Yes
Holy shit dude. How do you even manage to get such a compilation of legendary songs in one album. Not only that, the sequencing is phenomenal. Yeah we’re starting out with war pigs and paranoid. Jesus. Even then planet caravan is a great calm before the storm. Every song plays with unique and interesting phrases, and always manages to find its way back to the premise. I played this shit at 7am and now I feel like I took crack before work. AND great storytelling about war. RIP ozzy
I not ure if this was deliberate bit I got this album the day after the death of Ozzy Osbourne. This album is just amazing. Osbournes unique vocal style, Iommi's heavy riffs, Butler and Ward providing excellent rhythm. Thee guys made metal and Ozzy will be greatly missed by all RIP Ozzy 🤟🏻
Great album, probably one of their best
Masterpiece. Iron Man, War Pigs, Paranoid, all timeless classic. Unbelievable to imagine buying and listening to this in 1970. RIP Ozzy Ozbourne. This album landed the day of his death, a good homage.
Classic from the prince of darkness
Listening to this on the day of Ozzy Osbourne's passing. Easiest 5 stars I've ever given. An absolute classic from start to finish.
RIP to the prince of darkness
Such a good album from front to back. RIP Ozzy. Pretty sure this is going to get a huge bump in the ratings with everyone receiving it after his passing. So many classic songs. War Pigs is definitely underrated and might be the best song on the album.
The original of metal on full display it seems
rest in peace ozzy
This one came up the day after Ozzy died. There is no arguing how important this album is to metal. Absolutely seminal. “War Pigs” might be the song that best defines heavy metal, in my opinion. A full album of a band at their peak, full of classics that came to define the genre, and many of the future subgenres of metal.
Grew up with this album
my first Black Sabbath album. Still a milestone.
R.I.P Ozzy.
So good!
There was a kid on my bus in middle school who I didn't particularly like. Did I hang out with him sometimes? Yeah. But something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I think he was going through some shit and I guess I wasn't very empathetic at the time. Anyway, he loved Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath and that kinda put me off of both for years and years. I've come around on both here and there since. I already basically knew that I was missing out on great stuff with Black Sabbath. War Pigs into Paranoid: What a 1-2 punch! Many classics here and the sound is a little more varied than I was anticipating. Not all the songs hit like the classics, but most are great. Not exactly my normal cup of tea, but will definitely be listening again. My rating: 4.5/5
I was but a wee lad when this hit the shelves, but you cannot imaging what a breath of fresh air this was at the times. A dividing line between the time before and after in much the same way Sergeant Pepper's was for what could be done in the studio. This was like the rebirth of Rock and Roll. Everything on the airwaves was glitter and disco balls and this new animal was on the scene like almost nothing that had been previously seen. The birth of Hard Rock or Heavy Metal. Jazz influenced, post-psychedelic, hard rock with serious subjects and dark themes. YES, thank you very much! Glad to be able to rate this one so soon after Ozzy's passing. This was a great catharsis.
RIP Ozzy. This is the best Black Sabbath album in my opinion. War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Fairies Wear Boots, Hand of Doom, Iron Man. All the best songs.
RIP Ozzy and thanks for this fabulous album which helped to start a completely new genre of music.
RIP Ozzy. Amazing album
Perfect!!!
I think people get distracted by Ozxy’s shenanigans sometimes that this is an amazing album. So heavy for 1969.
HAIL SATAN.
RIP Ozzy, you legend. I'll keep this one short. Truly one of the best, this album kicks ass from front to back. Guitar riffs are iconic. "Planet Caravan" is a masterpiece. It makes me feel alive. Every song is great. Easy 5 stars. I'll be mainlining more Sabbath today for sure
Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: Riffs so heavy they’ve developed their own gravitational pull. Paranoia has never slapped harder. Favorite Track: “War Pigs” – because if you’re gonna have a political meltdown, you might as well do it with evil church bells and righteous fury. Consistency With Me: 7.5/10 Why: I get the darkness. I respect the dread. But I don’t swing swords—I sharpen them and hand them to you. This album wants to burn the world down; I prefer to haunt it. Still—iconic.
Ahh, perfection.
Absolute metal and rock legend. Sleep well, Dark Prince...
One of the best albums ever release. RiP Ozzy
Classic, one of the albums that started it all for metal and heavy music. Hard to put into words just how groundbreaking this was, people had never heard anything like this before and it changed the shape of modern music forever.
Het is niet perfect (ahem Planet Caravan), maar het is nog steeds wel echt geweldig. War Pigs en Iron Man zijn twee van mijn favoriete nummers en de andere 5 zijn ook allemaal bangers Rock On Ozzy🤘
Best album ever made
Thank you, Black Sabbath. Thank you, Ozzy. RIP to a legend.
A phenomenal album that laid a template for heavy metal. Every song is great in its own way and you can hear both the psych rock, jazz and acid rock that influenced them and the heavy metal, doom metal and stoner rock that this album would later inspire. It's hard to go past War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man as the 3 best tracks though.
Still sounds great all these years later. A true classic 5*
War Pigs and Paranoid might be the best 1-2 punch to open an album, ever. I love the way they take on serious topics with serious music, yet still retain a sense of joy. As a songwriter, that is very difficult to do and makes the tunes so satisfying to listen to. An all-time classic banger from the godfathers of metal. R.I.P., Ozzy, but rest assured your legacy will endure.
Apropos that this was my album the day after Ozzie died. I dunno if everyone got it or what, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Yeah, I didn't think the randomizer was going to be so random today and was appropriately assigned the second studio album "Paranoid" by English heavy band Black Sabbath as album of the day. Most of these songs were developed during onstage improvisational jams. The album was originally going to be called "War Pigs" but the record label didn't like that. But, the album cover art was not changed and, hence, there's a guy dressed as a pig swinging a sword on the cover. By the way, that's the worst pig costume I've seen. Good thing it's blurry. The album is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. Black Sabbath was Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitars, flute), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums, congas). The album was and is their best selling album reaching #1 in the UK and #12 in the US. "War Pigs" opens the album with long stretch-out guitar notes, rumbling bass, drums and a siren. It's eerie. The music starts and stops and Ozzy eerily comes in with "Generals gathered in their mass..." A deep groove. Great guitar riffs by Iommi and drum fills by Ward. A song aimed at the politicians and people running the banks while they get the poor and working class to fight their war. The classic Iommi guitar riffs guides us into "Paranoid." The band kicks in. Driving. Charging. Geezer wrote this about depression and the crossover state after smoking a joint where the paranoia turns to depression. Hmmmm. We get another classic song intro with "Iron Man." Drums ticks, guitar strikes stretched, a demonic robotic announcing " I am Iron Man," and another great Iommi riff. You really start to hear not only the influence on heavy metal but also grunge. It's about a guy who goes to the future, sees the apocalypse, comes back, has a magnetic field turn him into iron, is unable to warn people who make fun of him but eventually gets his revenge on those people. (Hint: see Geezer's apparently state of mind in "Paranoid.") ""Hand of Doom" starts softly and gets louder. It's an evil-sounding song based on the band experience visiting two American army sites and seeing soldiers addicted to heroin. "Fairies Wear Boots" closes the album. Iommi at maybe his most melodic and Ward throwing down more great drum fills. Ozzy wrote this about a nasty encounter with a group of skinheads. Iconic Iommi guitar riffs and solos, Ward's great drum fills, Ozzy searing, snarling and demonic vocals and Geezer's underlying bass are just some of the highlights of the album. They create a heavy, grungy and eerie vibe. The band is tight. The topics cover war, drugs, paranoia, relationships and unwanted fights. Most songs are classic and you hear their influence. A great, classic album. R.I.P. Ozzy.
-Didnt realize that this was all bangers. heard most of it individually but had no idea they were all at the beginning -Planet Caravan is criminally underrated
55 years old, and still slaps.
What a banger. Odd that ozzy became such a distinct voice in rock cuz in albums like this he's not really at the forefront of it. Theres so much instrumental stuff, and his best stuff is just singing along to the best guitar riff youve heard. Its like robert plant singing every now and then with zeppelin and half the time hes just vibing out onstage. When every person in the back is killing it sometimes its ok to just chill
War Pigs is the best anti-war song, and one of the seminal songs in the genre from one of the band's earliest albums. Quintessential.
:pour_one_out: A true 5/5
This couldn’t have been a coincidence. This is one of my favourite albums from the 70s and plays like a greatest hits. I have listened to this so many times and it still sounds fresh. Fairies wear boots is one of my favourites and has a great backstory about its origins. As a teenager, this was the album that bands dipped into to beef up their repertoire as they always got people up and moshing. Sabbaths impact on music cannot be overstated and Ozzy, in all of his raw, beautiful messiness , will be missed.
RIP Ozzy 😢🖤 Quite fitting that this came up the day after his passing. As an album, it’s a classic for a reason. Dark, heavy, barebones. Great riffs, solos, drums, atmosphere, and of course vocals from Ozzy. Just cool. I can imagine this must have caused quite a stir when it came out in 1970 - after a psychedelic, hippie 60s, this is the antithesis. Cathartic.
i am ironman
This had me Paranoid that I was being watched by Jack the Stripper.
awful cover though
Godfather of Heavy Metal. Brilliant and classic. Endlessly influential.
Very fitting that this showed up the day after Ozzy died. One of the best metal albums of all time and essentially helped developed the genre. 5/5
RIP bat muncher lid
Full banger. RIP Ozzy.
As classic as it comes. You can feel how this sound is so different and heavy relative to everything else in this timeframe.
Overall, I see why this is considered an iconic album without even fully understanding its context due to my lack of knowledge about the 60s/70s metal scene. I'm a huge fan and connected to the music's sound at a very core level. Intro song (War Pigs) is iconic--Every instrumental is a banger. I love when music is just "war is evil, guitar solo." Paranoid taking half an hour to write is hilarious and a sign that sometimes the vibes are just immaculate. Just a great bop of a song. Planet Caravan was very pleasant, a major comedown from the energy of Paranoid. I liked it and could hear myself listening to it when I am in a focused mood. Love the instrumentation. Iron Man's verses are so catchy (positive). Thematically, I vibe with how the world can turn us hard so easily, it can be hard to care when nobody else seems to want you to. Cathartic listening experience. Great solos, which will be a trend. I almost wish it came back to one more verse at the end, but it could just because I liked it so much I could have had it keep going. Electric Funeral's sound was an immediate yes for me. Doom and gloom but make it sound sick. Love the unevenness in the sound overall, then the unsteadiness in the time structure in the bridge. Overall a mood. Hand of Doom just feels so heavy. The weight in the lyrics and the instruments, just bleak. Makes me feel a pit in my stomach. Headbanger for me though, just feel the instruments and vocals in my bones. Rat Salad (the Baltimore diet). Drums go boom, it's a good time. Doesn't overstay its welcome at all, I'm sure it'd go crazy to witness live. Fun addition and a good placement in the album. Fairies Wear Boots is a tough lyric choice for me to enjoy, so it turns me off the song a bit. My least favorite off the album, but I definitely will find the chorus get caught in my head.
Very appropriate that this was the album of the day immediately following the death of the legendary Ozzy Osbourne. This is an album I have heard countless times. Favorites include War Pigs and Iron Man. Metal was born with Black Sabbath.
Great album, on the day when Ozzy dies, I cannot do anything but 5 stars
Pure delight!
Har hørt mange av enkeltsangene før, men usikker på om jeg har hørt hele sammenhengende. Good shit! Dukket opp dagen etter Ozzy Osbourne døde, RIP!
A strong, classic timeless album
RIP Prince of Darkness
Speaking as someone who knows he is not a fan of Black Sabbath, I will refrain from reviewing this today. It would feel wrong to be critiquing someone who died so recently when their accomplishments should be celebrated. I know MTW will do it justice. xoxo Of course it had to be Sabbath and what an incredible choice in album for a wednesday of all days, RIP Ozzy man. What can I say about Sabbath that hasn't been repeated for decades, they're the origins of Heavy Metal and without them bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, the list goes on, would never have been. Right let's get started with what I believe to be one of the greatest opening tracks to an album, War Pigs, the song starts with the slamming of distorted power chords from Tony Iommi followed with Geezer Butlers heavy bassline before the section and the drum begin to tap tap tap in time, Ozzy then takes the stage with powerful lyrics describing the horrors of war and the politicians that back it for their own corrupt gain (very fitting message in the year 2025 right?) This leads us into the title track of the album and oh boy where do I begin? Arguably one of the most iconic guitar riffs ever written, the sound, the tone of the guitar, the thick chugging of the bass, the blues inspired licks from Toni Iommi, all backing Ozzy's rough vocals, chanting the words of a lost individual. The tone of the album drops with Planet Caravan and not in a bad way at all, Ozzy's powerful chanting are replaced with vocals that sound like almost the ghost of whisper, guiding the listener through and almost psychedelic dream like track and one that isn't out of place. Iron Man speaks for itself a powerful track speaking of the time traveller who witnessed the end of the world and skin was turned to iron as he comes back to seek vengeance on a world that ignored his warnings, I mean come on that is metal as fuck. Musically way ahead of it's time, heavy distorted riffs backed by Ozzy's almost haunting lyrics. The use of the Wah pedal in Electric Funeral leaves you with a overwhelming sense of doom, backed with Ozzy's cryptic lyrics and vocals, then the second half of the song kicks and the pace kicks up with harsh yells from Ozzy, only for the pace to return to that doom like riff and vocals. Hand of doom plays in a similar way, starting small with simple basslines and building up to the full bands thrashing sound. Rat salad stays consistent with heavy blues inspired riffs and licks with the backing bass and drums staying tight, the track is entirely instrumental and plays like a jam between the musicians. Fairies Wear Boots concludes album with heavy reverbed overdriven riffs, followed by consistent drum fills before Ozzy's ludicrous tale of what is likely a drug trip, all backed with Toni Iommis sharp bends, Geezer Butlers heavy basslines and Bill Wards rapid fills. Overall what a fucking album that pioneered what metal music became and will continue to evolve. 5/5 MTW
WOW LOVED THIS
Such a timeless album
FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS AND YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME!
RIP Ozzy but also great album
Love it
So good
Incredible throughout. The first half is stronger and more memorable than the latter, but I can't really fault it for that. Personal favourite: War Pigs.
Rip to a legend, what can I say that hasn’t already been said about this album, easiest 5 I’ve given so far and another I can listen to on vinyl, some of the greatest songs written and has one of the best sabbath deep cuts with planet caravan which you would not expect on a metal album. Awesome riffs and great production, just gets me so pumped listening to this album
I never really took the time to go in deep on this. Levels innit
If you loved it, you get it. Brilliant guitar work and great drumming. No words for Ozzy's outstanding vocals. Paranoid is a masterpiece!! RIP Ozzy.
Fantastic album
5 stars for one of the most influential albums of all time! War Pigs and Iron Man are obviously epic, but my fav is Fairies wear Boots
Ozzy kicks ass. RIP. Needed another 5 star on this list.
R.I.P Ozzy, you'll be missed🤟
Generals Gathered In Their Masses 1001 Albums Generator 80 (07/23/2025) Man I'm worried that my randomly chosen order is like a kiss of death. The day that Brian Wilson died, I was given Pet Sounds, and today, the day after Ozzy Osbourne died, I got my favorite Black Sabbath album. This band was my first concert and my band always ended our concerts with a cover of War Pigs, so this album really means a lot to me. From the politically scathing War Pigs to Fairies Wear Boots, inspired by a skinhead attack that the band endured after a concert, Paranoid covers a lot of ground. Musically, Black Sabbath expanded on the sound of their previous album with even heavier riffs, better songwriting, and more musical technicality. War Pigs is one of my favorite anti-war songs from an era where every band was making anti-war songs. The way the second verse talks about the cosmic judgement on the war pigs is haunting and you can feel the fury that Ozzy had for these warmongers. Not to mention, what a way to start a fucking album. The bass-led intro leads into the iconic, simple verse riff, and the ending Luke's Wall is amazing. The title track is a song detailing mental health issues and also has some great riffs. This one is also extraordinarily catchy for a metal song. Iron Man, from its unforgettable doom intro to the riff that every guitarist learns when they first start playing the instrument, was designed in a lab to be one of Black Sabbath's most popular songs. But the deep cuts are where this album really shines. Planet Caravan is one of my favorite Sabbath songs period. It is not a metal song at all (it's hardly even a rock tune), sounding more like a psychedelic jazz piece off of a completely different album, but it is done so well. Electric Funeral has my favorite riff on the whole album at around 2:30 and the way this song changes from the slow plodding verses to the blast in the bridge is genius. Hand Of Doom is led by the brilliant bass work of Geezer Butler and is another example of Black Sabbath incorporating a jazzy sound, but unlike Planet Caravan, this is certainly a metal song. In fact, is Hand Of Doom a prog metal song? Is War Pigs a prog metal song? I am not brave enough to say that they are, but they certainly have elements of prog. I just don't have anything negative to say. Even the weakest track, Rat Salad, is still fantastic. Bill Ward's drum solo drives the song and it is amazing and technical and impressive. Paranoid is my favorite Black Sabbath album (alongside Master Of Reality) and it's an easy 5/5. RIP Ozzy. Favs: War Pigs Electric Funeral Hand Of Doom Least Fav: Rat Salad
I only really knew the hits off this album: Paranoid, War Pigs/Luke's Wall, and Iron Man. But I was pleasantly surprised to listen to the rest. Planet Caravan is a soft instrumental groove that I would never have expected to hear, and I love the contrast it brought to the album along with other, softer sections like the beginning of Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots. Ozzy's voice is perfect for the band's sound and subject matter; for me it brings to mind a wailing proselytizer. The drummer is great, and I think his part elevates the music significantly. Rat Salad was fine but stood out a bit from the rest of the album as something you might want to hear live but doesn't beg a second listening.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. Felt similarities with The Doors
Is a fantastic album, glad I finally listened to it fully. Great tribute to Ozzy to have this album today.
Sabbath have still never really been bettered. RIP Ozzy.
Isso daqui mudou a minha vida e de tanta gente de um jeito tão absurdo que num tem nem como explicar. Todos os grandes hits num disco só, chega a ser bizarro como os caras estavam qnd lançaram isso. Como disse uma vez um grande sábio "you can only trust yourself and the first six Sabbath albums"
Fantastic from start to finish. Rest in peace, Prince of Darkness.
Nobody should be put in the ground without having listened to Black Sabbath. The blues inspirations are still clearly on display in planet caravan and war pigs. The dark sound has been refined and the lyrics are better than their debut (I will forgive rhyming masses with masses on war pigs). There was never anything satanic about Black Sabbath, it was very human above all, tackling anxieties of the time with a dark sound that befits those topics.
R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne :( Yeah this album wasn't random. Top to bottom there are soooo many hits and great songs here. Black Sabbath at their best. Ozzy is such a powerful vocalist and Tony Iommi writes some of the greatest riffs in rock. Doom Metal? Hard Rock? Whatever you want to call it. This is great. I am not a huge fan of "Planet Caravan" but this album is fun overall. "War Pigs" , "Paranoid" , "Iron Man" ...are you kidding me??? Actual rating....4.5. LOVED Songs: Everything except "Planet Caravan" and "Rat Salad" is good, but not my favorite.
liked songs: all Yep. 4.5
Warning. This is not a drill. Hey. It’s a 5. I don’t need to write jack shit about this album. Not a word. I will, because I’m an insufferable wind bag, but I don’t need to. It’s perfect in every way. It’s the invention and perfection of a genre in one single bound. It sounds like rage incarnate boiled in a terrifying, psychedelic cauldron where it is cooled, shaped into a monstrous spectre and let loose on the unsuspecting populace. Oh I would like to take this moment to send a big “fuck you” to people who breathe the names of other bands when discussing early metal music. If you listened to Paranoid and found that it reminded you of so much as “Smoke on the Water,” or Led Zeppelin, you are a musical moron. And that’s coming from ME. You only get to press play on perfect albums so many times in this life. I will relish in this moment. War Pigs - One of the greatest songs of all time. I don’t know if it’s incredible or just deeply depressing that the lyrics hit the same today as they would’ve back then, but either way, this is a disgustingly vile vocal line with sickening lyricism. Those lyrics contain imagery cool enough to be a bitchin’ mural on the side of a van whilst also boldly attacking the sociopaths that send the terrified poor to kill eachother in the name of meaningless advancement. The heaviness of this song, the riffs, the sentiment, the vocal performance are all completely untouchable. Paranoid - I can’t believe this song is as popular as it is. It’s just so heavy and aggressive. This is 1970, people. How the hell did this escape into the mainstream? Planet Caravan - Even the psychedelic break absolutely rips. It’s enough to induce emotion. Iron Man - I wasn’t alive in 1970. Imagine playing this on your parents turntable. The call to the exorcist would be made as soon as the needle hit vinyl. JESUS. This song is like Enter Sandman in terms of popularity but these riffs man. Evil incarnate. Electric Funeral - I remember these lyrics blowing my god damn mind as a 12 year old. I mean this whole album is just incredibly tough lyrically, but you mix “dying world of radiation” and “eyes melting to blood” with this disgusting wah drenched riff? I was hooked for life. Hand of Doom - This track was a sleeper discovery around the same time in my life. The quiet bass intro through my shitty 2008 earbuds start tricked my ear into thinking the song hadn’t started. Of course I would proceed to be repeatedly bludgeoned about the head and face with this riff and lyrical content. Rat Salad - When I’m loving a jam song, something has happened. I’ve either sustained brain damage, or this is the greatest album of all time. I wouldn’t rule out either possibility at this point. Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots - The opening to this sounds like a pre-game hype song for a 90’s basketball team. That is a slightly odd left turn, but eventually we make our way into the main meat of this song. More incredible bass and guitar work as I am more and more inclined to believe the tale that fairies do indeed wear boots. Ozzy Osbourne just passed away, so I assume this album was put here for that reason, unless it’s just incredible serendipity. His performance on this album is other worldly and his contributions to metal music from the early Black Sabbath period are unquestionable. He could’ve retired the day this album came out and he’d still be one of the greatest to ever do it. As far as the rest of the band, Tony Iommi’s riffs are absolutely disgusting. It’s a rare skill to play a guitar with soul and he has it in spades. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward form a colossus of a rhythm section that is single-handedly responsible for the heavy metal genre and each album that followed. Please do not get it twisted. Black Sabbath invented this genre and on the back of “Paranoid” have remained miles ahead of everybody for decades. THE Heavy metal record. THE Doom metal record. Absolutely perfect. 5 HIGHLIGHTS: War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom
This was pretty iconic. I never thought I was a Black Sabbath person, I'd always dismissed them and Ozzy. It turns out this is just my speed. 5 star.
One of the GOATs. It's not perfect, but it's close enough to get 5 stars.
Ozzy died yesterday. This album rips.
I don't think there can be much debate about Black Sabbath's importance and influence on music history and music as we know it. Also R.I.P. Ozzy Osborne who just died Standouts War Pigs Paranoid Iron Man 5/5
It was 5 every day of the week. Magic album, and one of my favourites!
RIP Ozzy
Just an unbelievable album all the way through. RIP Ozzy.
For so many reasons this is a 5.
I bit the head off a bat this morning to honor his holiness. Tastes like chicken.
Okay first of all, I refuse to believe this list is truly random. There's no way this came up the day after Ozzie died!!! That aside, this album still slaps. 10/10. Total classic. Guitar Hero overplays be damned.
That was really really good, and I’m not just saying that as a tribute. Izzy can fuck my ears up any day, but walking around nyc with this in my ears especially made me smile.
every black sabbath album I listen to in its entirety gets better and better. RIP ozzy
RIP Ozzy
What a great album! Hard to believe that it is 55 years old as it has clearly aged well. Packed full of so many great riffs and the first two tracks in particular set the tone. Again, it is obvious that this band and album have been so influential to many that followed. Three of the bands I like have covered Sabbath songs including Faith No More who covered War Pigs and it is the strength of the song that make the alternative versions so strong. RIP Ozzy - Holte ender in the sky🙏
While for me nothing beats their first album, this runs it pretty close. But that’s probably splitting hairs really. It’s got all their famous tracks, but my favourites are Hand of Doom and Fairies wear boots. They show off the true mastery of their songwriting and musicianship, effortlessly changing pace and mood several times in a single song. Ozzy’s (RIP you legend) vocals complementing the song rather than trying to be the focus. They really were the perfect band for their first 4 albums at least.
I remember hearing Paranoid, the song, for the first time as a kid and I was instantly hooked. This album is more commercial than their first album, but it is oh-so-good and always great to revisit.
What an awesome album. Between War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man, this album is loaded with Sabbath's best. Thank you to the algorithm for queueing this one up in the wake of Ozzy's passing. RIP Ozzy
RIP Ozzy. This is my second pass through on this album, it was in my list before we created the group. Still a 5. Always a 5. Play it loud. Play it often.
Such an influential album. And it rocks as well.
Heavyweight entry. Undeniably influential. Strange this comes up within a day of Ozzy passing. Does the algo know?
Hell of a way to go out. Goodnight sweet prince (of darkness). This album brings the hits.
Gritty and muscular with a dash of immortal
Once again bringing up an album in a timely manner. Of course everyone's eulogising Ozzy, but it's a belting album. RIP ya crazy bastard.
A lot of classics on this album. The guitar is clearly the shining star, but Ozzy’s singing was perfect in its role. The timing of getting this album the day after Ozzy’s death, along with the quality of the album, makes it difficult to give anything but a 5.
Iconic. Awesome melodies and still goes so hard.
This album rocks. Three quintessential rock hits on this album that have stood the test of time is enough for an easy five stars. RIP to the Prince of Darkness.
I really thought I would be done with this album after "Iron Man", but it just keeps going strong. I wish more metal was like this. I don't need a crazy amount of distortion and double peddle bass drums on every single track. This is heavy but its' also crisp and clean. It just goes, and I haven't even mentioned "War Pigs" or "Paranoid" yet! Fuck dude, this album really is that good. RIP The Prince of Darkness
A Milestone in Hard Rock. Wow. A very distinctive voice - R.I.P. Ozzy
Kein Zufall, dass das Album jetzt kommt, da Ozzy Osbourne gestorben ist. Und zeigt wieso er zurecht als Begründer des Heavy Metal gilt. Und er tönt wesentlich frischer als am Konzert als Senior welches ich aus Versehen besucht habe.
Top 5 stoner rock of all time
I never heard this album before Guitar Hero/Rock Band. A bunch of these are bangers. 4.5.
Easy 5. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
It's funny how genres evolve over time. If you asked me to assign a genre to this album, "metal" is not one of the words that would come to mind. That genre, to me, is so much heavier than what this sounds like, and a lot of that is just because of how the genre developed. Because this certainly was metal when it was released, but the genre has evolved into more thrash, more screaming, and/or more distortion. But anyway, this album rocks. My favorite songs below are by far the highlights, both in popularity and in best songs on the album. But each track has something to offer. And while the entire album isn't banger after banger, it is a great album that's elevated by its hits. Keep rocking in the afterlife, Ozzy. Favorite Song(s): War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man
Delightful. RIP Ozzy. I was on the fence between four and five stars for this album. Did current events tip the scales to five stars? Maybe. Is every song five stars? No. But when this album is good it’s really really good. And also surprisingly groovy.
Yes, RIP Ozzy. This and Master of Reality are in my opinion the best Sabbath records. Because that they are.
I was going to give this a 5 all along. But RIP, Ozzy.
This one popping up for the day after Ozzy's passing into the void. Absolutely no way this is random. Really solid, consistent classic album. Really dig the thematic elements.
RIP Ozzy
I will admit my rating is tainted by Ozzy passing away but still, it is a bloody great doom laden rock album. Being a fan of psychedelia, 'Planet Caravan's is the most appealing track.
I mostly experienced this album vicariously, my mates were far more into it than I was at the time. I have however come to appreciate its true magnificence for myself, and I'm glad to have done so. It's also worth noting that this is one of the worst album covers ever. Anyhow, cheerio Ozzy, a rock-'n'-roll life well lived. Bet he's biting the heads off angels as I write this.
"Can you help me occupy my brain?" Listened to B4? Yes Tracks Already Saved on Spotify: All Standout Tracks: All (98/100)
Man borde kunna ge den 6/5. Magiskt rakt igenom och lyckan när jag insåg att Iron Man är på samma platta🤩
Simply amazing. A classic, fantastic album.
Truly revolutionary. People reduced this album to “satanic stuff” but clearly they weren’t listening. Deep social commentary, amazing sound and lyrics definitely a 5
This album has lots of obvious inductees in the hypothetical Hall of Fame of Riffs. It's sparing with higher tempos, preferring to mostly plod along and focus on the heavy, grimy guitars. The drumming and bass provide a rock solid foundation, and the atmosphere is unrivalled. Ozzy does his thing. Still not my absolute favorite Sabbath album, but we have to give credit here. An all timer in the metal world.
1. War Pigs: Turn it up....the ur-gods of sludge...I am hooked. 2. Paranoid: Even better. 3. Planet Caravan: turn it down boys...let Ozzy sing with a Led Z groove behind. Oh and Tony gets to doodle at about 2:30 mark. 4. Iron Man...massively influential. Tony's guitar parts are now cliche but back then...rage. And Bill's drumming: worth the price of admission. 5. Electric Funeral: such a funk guitar intro, before Ozzy snarls. Tony is bending strings. 6. Hand of Doom. Watcha gonna do?....play some metal, that's what. 7. Rat Salad. Instrumental. 8. Fairies Wear Boot. What a way to end a classic rock metal album.
my first 5/5 on this app. this album is so cool.
A classic whose influence on music is immeasurable. Rat Salad is the only mid song on the album, the rest are bangers. Sure, Iron Man, Paranoid, and even War Pigs have been played to death, but they still stand as vital and exhilarating heavy metal songs.
Yes there is War Pigs, Iron Man and Paranoid on this album, but the rest is just as good. Easy 5 stars
There's not a bad song on this album, so you know what that means. Perfect record. I got this the day after watching Ozzy's retirement party on stream and what a legacy he left behind.
One of Sabbath's best albums from start to end. It starts out powerful with War Pigs and Paranoid and then... WTF??!?! Planet Caravan completely destroys the mood. Switch Iron Man and Planet Caravan in track order and you have the best 3 song start in album history! Oh well, the rest of the album makes up for that gaffe. Hand of Doom is so good, it often gets overlooked on this album which is just loaded with good songs. *headbangs to Iron Man's riff* Yeah, this is great. I love it. It's a must listen to any heavy metal fan. Probably in my top 10 albums of all time too. 5/5
This album is so good. Not a single song that doesn’t need to be here. “Iron Man” is a mainstay in my gym playlist; had no idea that the other songs from this album are just as good. It’s metal, sure, but it’s not screeching lyrics, gory graphics, or blown out basses; it’s singular in focus, coordinated, melodic, rhythmic, and passionate. Extremely good.
Remember when Ozzy wasn't a billion years old? Yeah, good times. This album? Full of amazing songs that still hold up even now. Yes, including Planet Caravan. Geezer's bass tone is great throughout, I love Bill Ward's feel on this album too.
Great album. It has some of the most iconic Black Sabbath songs and iconic rock songs in this genre. It has iron man which is often one of the first songs early rock guitarist learn to play. It’s iconic and still fun to hear.
9/10 - one of the all time greatest albums, war pigs is probably one of my favourite songs too. There’s a reason paranoid is such a pioneering album and it holds a real soft spot in my heart. Man I miss Stubbsy
Every song on here I'd ace, and it defined a genre. Bass could be louder. But doesn't take sway from the album
Absolutely Fuck Yeah dude
Does all metal flow from Iron Man? Maybe so maybe not but this is undeniably heavy with some of the best known riffs ever
First Black Sabbath album I ever listened to, and the best to my ears.
Great! Loved all the songs.
Very clean, its a classic and the father of metal music. Crazy how they peaked with their first two albums all in the same year after existing for only two.
My second favourite Sabbath album
This is a great album. Lots of different sounds in here and some absolutely classic tunes.
Classic rock/metal.
Love this
🤘
One of the easiest 5-star reviews to give ever. This is the birth of heavy metal. Everything that could be said about this album has been said already, no reason for me to rehash it. All the tracks are excellent however one specifically deserves a mention - planet caravan. IMO supremely underrated. Love that track.
No debate, one of the seminal albums of all time
What a record. Year after hippy summer of love and then war pigs comes out. Outstanding record. The riffs are relentless and geezer butler is criminally underrated as a bass player.
IIIIII AMMMM IRON MAAAAAN
Noided
Paranoid is the only song I've heard before. I've been missing out apparently. I love 80s Ozzy but didn't go further back. But I still instantly knew the riff in Iron Man. This album sounds more 1985 than 1970. It's an easy 5 as the blueprint to every metal album of the 80s and 90s.
I love this album. I love that it's recorded like heavy jazz. I love that Tony was obviously influenced by CSN&Y in his solo for Planet Caravan. I love how many iconic songs are on this album. Such a great album and my first five star since starting this project!
Yeah man. It fucking rules.
One of the best. Glad it came up as it's been a while since I've listened to this in entirety.
Do I need to explain ?
This is a great album.
Creía que eran jevis y son jipis
1) War Pigs: Lyrics might be a bit too on the nose, but everything else about this one is perfect. 2) Paranoid: An undisputed all-time metal classic for a good reason. It's rare that a song sports this kind of relentless energy. 3) Planet Caravan: A strange fit for this album, but what a song! 4) Iron Man: I feel that this tracks reliance on that guitar riff is both its main strength and weakness. It's so dominant that everything else seems to take a backseat. 5) Electric Funeral: Frantic. Yet also, strangely gloating? Sarcastic? A credible soundscape for a nuclear apocalypse. 6) Hand of Doom: Heavy, uncompromising. The lead guitar playing a sweet escapist high over the bass' harsh reality. 7) Rat Salad: Short, purely instrumental. The drum solo sounds outright experimental, at least by this band's standards. Adds very little to the album, but I don't mind it. 8) Fairies Wear Boots: Fun lighthearted little song to close out the whole thing. Consistently strong from start to finish. Some of Black Sabbath's (and metal's) most defining hits, as well as some "hidden gems", all unified by the band's signature sound. Couldn't possibly ask for more than that.
5/5
Vocals lyrics and music come together to create an incredible sound. A vision. They present as wizards atop a mountain -casting dark spells, warnings, and wisdom from up high. The album has so much fuck yeah, and so little fat.
Superb this. Only knew 2 songs but whole album very good
Easy 5 stars
Still one of the greatest albums of all time.
Love it
excellent - although not really full metal
Classic
Genre defining early heavy metal. The dark side of the psychedelic dream. Filled with bleak lyrics, great songs and a heavy vibe.
A classic. Here’s to Brum! :)
This is an actual masterpiece. The fact that Iron Man is probably the worst track on the album speaks volumes. I’m not a metalhead by any stretch, but the mix of Iommi’s riffs, Butler’s baselines and Osbourne’s spooky vocals is sublime. Hand of Doom and planet Caravan are standouts.
Seminal heavy metal album. Arguably the best ever in that genre, and one of the greatest of rock in general, too.
As a drummer, all I can say is BILL FUCKIN' WARD, man! Absolute monster who played just as big a role in paving the road for Sabbath's success as the other band members, while laying down some truly thunderous grooves/fills on this album in the process. And don't get me started on "Rat Salad" - even non-drummers can appreciate the gloriously schizophrenic mess that Bill left us with.
Galið gott stöff. Á engan rétt á að vera svona heavy 1970. Ozzy geggjaður en hljóðfæraleikurinn á hjartað mitt í þessu. War Pigs á vel við í dag.
Hard as fuck
This album is considered by many to be the first heavy metal album. In 1970 there was no music like this. Three of the tracks from the album are still played today on radio. The album is not overly long. Because of the historical significance this album gets a high rating.
Wait…why this album slay?? Banger after banger for all the divorced dads out there
Classic rock/metal album with songs I have heard growing up. Ozzy's voice and the guitar riffs are so classic it gets me in a great mood. I could, and probably will, listen to this all day!
One of the best metal albums, wait strike that, best albums of all time. Starting it with war pigs, and hammering through paranoid and iron Man, makes it a classic on its own. Even the lesser know like planet caravan, and electric funeral are real bangers. Also, special mention to Jack the stripper/fairies wear boots. It's had a special place in my playlist since high school, didn't know why, other than awesomeness. This totally goes against the pattern I saw yesterday.
🤘
The only thing you can trust in life is the first four Black Sabbath albums
This was an immediate 5! One of my favorite albums ever.
I always enjoyed Sabbath, but I think it finally clicked. It was always relegated in the classic rock camp for me, but as I do more of these exercises, I'm seeing more and more evidence of how they did it best before anyone else could use that influence. I'd probably ding it for that bongo track, but it makes more sense to just round it up to 5.
Sometimes 5⭐ simply aren't enough
I'm an Ozzy guy what can I say? Best Song: War Pigs Rating: 9.5/10 Stars: 5/5
Black Sabbath have never been a top heavy rock band for me. I was always more a Deep Purple fan. Yes they were similar in a lot of ways but Purple songs were a lot more appealing due to their melodic value. But this Sabbath album is an enormous favourite of mine. It is the subsequent Sabbath albums which never resonated. One track alone and that is the title track, make this album a solid 10/10. Paranoid the single means a lot to me. I mean which 17 yr old in 1970 could resist that riff? Or with his mates stand round in a circle, armed with air guitars, shaking their hair to disrupt all the girls who all they wanted to do was dance to Band Of Gold? A top record which alone gives it top marks but in all honesty every track on this album is a banger. Pity it was for me never replicated. 5/5 6/6/25
As a teen metalhead in the early 80s "new wave of British HM" was my thing. Sabbs were has-beens to me so I never looked at their back catalogue. I have heard most of these tracks since and the whole album is a classic. 4½ bumped up to 5 for being such an influencer to all those NWOBHM bands
I mean obviously 5. What an album
welcome to mass. come, let us worship. war's destruction, human weakness, nuclear winter, the inevitability of death (and what comes after), fairy footwear. sometimes wrapped in biblical, druggy, and fantastical metaphor, sometimes straight up. says more than most other albums and does so in a revolutionarily heavy way. throw in a heady dose of space travel, killer tone shifts, and an all-time sci-fi archetype, and you've got yourself one of the greatest rock albums ever. it came out in 1970 when lots of artists were shaping blues to fit their own visions, and this is no exception. it makes sense that doom was born of a genre obsessed with sadness and death, but also obsessed with expressing it in tones that extend beyond melancholy. the genesis of stoner and doom, and of so much more that has come since. a great record with a phenomenally stupid and absolutely perfect album cover.
Electric fucking funeral baby, new fav Sabbath song. That riff is juicy and the breakdown in the middle is wild. Electric Funeral, Electric Funeral… Electric Funeral. This band has a constant vibe and I have come to learn just can randomly choose a track and it will be solid. Ozzy’s voice is a storm and with thunder and lightning backing him as we strap ourselves to the crows nest. “Is that all you got” we scream as Forest calls our name below…”Lt. Dan!!!” We can’t hear him cause we are caught, thrashed and hurled in every direction. We don’t know if we’ll survive, and right now, we don’t care. We are in the storm and we feel alive!!!!
My prayers have been answered. Cover has a bro larping in a laser tag warehouse. Bad Ass. How Bad Ass is Sabbath? Real Bad Ass. Took me a while to find Sabbath, which is embarassing - considering how much they've influnced so much of the music I love. I can partially blame it on Dumb Ass reality TV in the early 2000's making ozzie look not Bad Ass, when he was truly Bad Ass. I put the rest of my blame on my father for not raising me right. Paranoid falls short of unseating Vol. 4, but doesn't fall short of being Bad Ass. 5.
Instant classic, where it all began!
Overall: 10/10 I don't even know where to begin. This album is 55 years old and it hasn't aged a single day. It's dark and doomy and may be the most important metal album of all time (or tied with Sabbath's debut). War Pigs is still the greatest metal song ever written in my opinion. It's heavy, lyrically relevant and every member of the band gives such an incredible performance. It blows me away every single time I listen to it. Every other song is amazing as well. Paranoid is pretty much punk, Planet Caravan is hypnotizing, Electric Funeral and Hand of Doom are both epic and Fairies Wear Boots is one of my favourite Ozzy performances. Tony is a riff lord, Geezer showed me how creative bassists can be and Bill is just incredibly underrated, bringing ferocity while adding bits of jazz influences. One of my favourite drummers of all time. I'll stop there because I could go on forever and still never say anything original because IT'S PARANOID. I love it so much. Fav Song: War Pigs Least Fav Song: Planet Caravan
Fantastic album. 4.5/5
NIB
War Pigs is probably the greatest metal song of all time and the rest of the album is pretty great too.
A classic. Great guitar riffs. Incredible Ozzy range. And a clear rejection of all things hippie.
Black Sabbath at their best, iconic riffs, plus Ozzy
straight up bare en af de mest inflydelsesrige heavy metal albums. inspirerede slayer, soundgarden og metallica. Det har en meget gritty og raw lyd. blev udgivet under vietnam og tappede lidt ind i krig og social unrest og paranoia
Stone cold classic. I felt genuinely excited when I saw this come up as my album today - purely based on a desire and excuse to listen to this masterpiece. Early sabbath really puts me into that dark folklore, psychedelic wizard headspace that I love. Perhaps this album is overplayed and thus overrated for some, but it is still near perfect to my ears. 4.5/5
I AM IRON MAN>
Black Sabbath's best known work, and for good reason. Each song is a banger, made up of nothing but massive riffs and swinging grooves, set off against lyrics which provided a counter to the counter culture. Peace and love are dead, this is the world we live in - welcome to heavy metal. Just for the record, I prefer Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Vol. 4. They go into a new sonic dimension, but couldn't exist without the foundations laid by the debut and Paranoid. Favourite tracks: everything, especially War Pigs - my most played bassline and the greatest opening track of any album ever.
Not my first intro to them, but as soon as Fairies kicked I knew it was over for me. Their self titled was perfect for teen me, but when I got my hands on this at KMart fuuuuuccckkkkk. Front to back, front to back. There was no stopping them at this point.
Ok, you start off with War Pigs and then it doesn't go downhill from there? It goes straight into Paranoid? A lot of these songs are long in the tooth because they get played so. much. but even with that they're still great. And 1970? Man, I've given other bands on this list credit for doing less, later. Sure, it's kind of rehashed blues, and it's a little formulaic in how the songs are constructed, but that's looking 50 years backwards. The rehashed blues and formula-driven sound are on fire. Hell of an album.
Between the concepts of the “big bang” and Freud’s “primal scene” there are some pleasing symmetries. Among them, there’s the implication that all that now is was once “one” – a one that was both the impossibly expansive potential of everything that could ever be, and also, weirdly, this. This narrow now. I guess a “narrow now” might have been what Birmingham would have felt like in the 60s, too. While down the road a cultural revolution was in full swing; for the Midlands and the north it was a bit more kitchen sink. Some angry men writing angular, spiky things … but a fair few more in the foundries and factories. In one of them, a sheet metal factory, Tony Iommi was to lose the tips of a couple of fingers; initially delaying his progress as a guitarist, that is before a couple of bespoke prostheses were developed … and Tony realised that detuning the guitar might help with corralling the strings. A few years later, Sabbath’s darker, “heavier” sound clicked magnificently into place. “Paranoid”, the band’s second album, is perhaps their defining statement. A collection of songs so absolutely brilliant, original and audacious that the only sensible reply, here in 2025, has to be “thank you”. (A full list of thank yous – for Maiden, for Mayhem, for Converge and Cursed – would be daft, but I’ll say that this listen through was particularly enlightening of the debt the entire 90s counterculture owes to Sabbath, too. While it’s fairly obvious how influential Sabbath was to RATM, I hadn’t ever really considered how it is that grunge might be the sound of a load of young American musicians trying to rescue and revive what they loved about Sabbath from a group who’d pushed their Sabbath in another direction entirely. Or to put it another way, a clear Sabbath influence is about the only thing that Nirvana’s “Bleach” and GnR’s “Appetite for Destruction” share … and that feels significant.) While there’s no doubting that Iommi’s gift for a riff would have seen his band right – especially when considered in context of one as individually world-beating as Sabbath were; let alone Ozzy, for god’s sake – it’s at least in some respect to the lost fingertips that we owe the “heavy” bit. (And when I say “we”, I really do mean “history”.) For psychoanalysts and physicists alike, there are no accidents. And here, at Sabbath’s big bang, we find the primal scene of all that’s heavy. It’s a simply incredible record. Thanks.
No complaints.
One of my favorites. "War Pigs", "Paranoid", and "Iron Man" are absolute bangers, and "Electric Funeral" inspired another renowned doom metal band's name. This record still holds up 55 years later.
Could have given this a 4 if I was to put it in direct comparison to the s/t (still one of my most favorite discoveries from this list) but as it stands, Paranoid is an incredible second 1970 TKO from Black Sabbath that further cements their place as legends. Wish it was a little more doom, but my boys in bummer rock are still capable of laying down solid gold.
4.5
Absolute classic. Bangers from start to finish. Listening always makes me nostalgic, thinking of my dad’s beat up old record full of pops and clicks. Highlights: Literally the whole album but if I had to pick - War Pigs (one of my favourite songs), Paranoid, Hand of Doom.
Heh, ozzy!
One of the greats of the genre for a reason. Truly pioneering and endlessly imitated to this day. Plus the songs just rip.
Fuck yeah, more black sabbath.
Another 8 bangers from Black Sabbath. It’s wild they released this album in the same year as their debut; 1970, what a year! This is such a great collection of songs that it’s difficult to think of what else to say. Just perfect.
Classic through and through. Not sure I remembered that it had a softer side as well. Top track - War Pigs
9/10
The greatest metal album ever recorded period. One of the greatest albums of any genre ever. A masterpiece in every facet.
One of the reasons why I'm such a music fanatic - beyond that, really- music is one of the great joys in life for me up there with kinky sex & pizza. Cute kittens (they are all cute) and puppies too. It will always blow my mind how four humans created something so magnificent & humbling. This goes well beyond being a beast of a record (it is that) but a life changer, released during the very early days of my favorite genre of music HEAVY METAL one of my earliest concerts back in 2013 (I was 11 & already lost to the cause) was Black Sabbath's farewell tour with my dad who got us very near the front of the stage tickets- I was in heaven- Tony Iommi was mesmerizing to watch that late summer night -he stood there like a shadow, a Rock God mere feet away from me EVERYTHING after that concert was BBS (Before Black Sabbath) and ABS (After Black Sabbath) the fire had been lit. You NEED this album if you love Rock music to any degree but careful there as there might be no coming back.
It is a milestone album, so therefore I give a 5, but it is a weak 5. Planet Caravan and Rat Salad is the weakest points of the album.
More variety in the album then the three songs I know so well
Lets start with WHAT AN AMAZING DRUM SOLO...... This is Black Sabbath I was always going to give this a great score, I have owned this album in most forms and many times, this is one of those albums that plays so well from start to finish and it's one that everyone will know at lest one track on. Classic album
This is just an undisputed One Of The Greatest Ever. All tracks are awesome and the musicianship is off the charts. How anyone can not appreciate snarling Ozzy, the wicked drumming by Ward, the slapping bass by Geezer, the fingers of Iommi, and especially the mix of them all together is beyond me. Five stars without question.
I feel like I’ve listened to this record in its entirety on my own lately. So I could probably skip it and give it 5 stars. But the drum groove on war pigs alone is worth it. I love the bass on “Planet Caravan”. I really love this record. Love this album.
My review last week in my other “project”: “Not much to say on top of all the other reviews. It's a colossal, classic. 5 stars without listening, 6 because I listened to it anyway. No? Ok, 5 is it.”
Classic/5 One of the greatest metal albums of all time. Filled with absolute bangers with a sprinkling of psych rock and blues. The guitar tones throughout this album are perfect and nostalgic. Will continue to be in rotation.
Not my favorite Black Sabbath album, but probably their most popular / catchiest. It slaps. 9/10
Man, good couple of days for album recs 10/10, no notes... Ok, one note: Ozzy has got to be one of the laziest vocalists of all time on this one, lol. Still fucks tho
An album so good, so perfect, you quickly learn all the words and sing along....50 years after its release. Genre defining. I doubt there are any criticisms by people with ears.
Très bon album, une référence
War Pigs is nearly a 5 by itself, what an album 🤘
All time great album. Damn near every song on this is an absolute classic.
Three of the first four songs are absolute classics. You can't listen to this without a little head banging! Liked Songs Added: War Pigs/Luke's Wall Paranoid Iron Man Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots
Not much to say on top of all the other reviews. It's a colossal, classic. 5 stars without listening, 6 because I listened to it anyway. No? Ok, 5 is it.
rat salad drum solo you are so beloved to ME! This rocked so hard. RAHHH
This album is for you who finish with your woman cause she couldn't help you with your mind. For you who agrees that politicians hide themselves away after started the war. For you, living in the crimson eye of Great God Mars. For you, that just stares at the world. For you, living in a dying world of radiation. For you, who knows what to do when time's caught up with you. For you, banging your head at the Rat Salad. For you, who believes that fairies wear boots. It's a day to dust off the old LP or CD, or even type the album's name in that green app, and let loose! IRON MAN LIVES AGAIN!
Hard not to let yesterday’s death impact this, but regardless I loved it. Couldn’t get into it in my teens but love it now.
Another all-time banger. This is actually my fouth favorite Black Sabbath album after the debut, Heaven & Hell, and Mob Rules. I still say one of the RJD Sabbath albums should have been included. Still, this is one of Ozzy's finest moments... War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom, and Fairies Wear Boots are all killer classic Sabbath to me, it seems to be the third song on each side that slightly dips it for me. Rat Salad is utter filler. 9.8/10 ★★★★½
My favourite Black Sabbath album. Solid from start to finish. 5 stars
Duh.
1053 albums in, and I am still amazed that Black Sabbath came out with this sound in 1970. A lot of the 1001 albums have helped me learn about the evolution of different genres and styles, and a lot of it makes sense. But for Sabbath to come out with “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” and “Iron Man” at that point in the evolution of rock and roll was so far ahead of their time. This was Sabbath’s second album (both in 1970!), but I like it much more than the debut. Looking back on all my metal reviews as we near the end of the list, and although I still need to go back and review a couple of Metallica albums, I think “Paranoid” may be my favorite heavy metal album. (I don’t actually count Zeppelin as metal.)
It’s hard to believe that this album came out in 1970. The sound is as classic as it gets, as fresh today as 55 years ago. This is the defining heavy metal sound to me. I prefer The Cardigans’ cover of Iron Man over the original, but that is neither here nor there.
One of the most influential metal album of all time - an absolute game-changer. It is astonishing what these musicians created in the late '60s and early '70s, redefining the genre in a truly revolutionary way. Personally, Paranoid was one of the first track that introduced me to metal - the opening riff is just something unforgettable
Butler and ward, so underrated.
The album that started my journey into metal. Easy 5.
killer
We need to stop pretending and just admit this is a psychedelic rock album
Iron Man, top Song, Avenger and Kids' book
Side A has to be in contention for “greatest first four songs on an album.” Second half is a slight let down, but anything would be. Another pivotal childhood album. My friend who grew up to be a gigging bassist got into the Dead, this album, the Doors, and Blue Oyster Cult in junior high, and introduced me to all of them. (I don’t *think* he was getting stoned in junior high, I just think his parents were, and they introduced him to this music.) BOC, meh. The Doors, meh. GD is hit or miss. But this album stuck and has never gone away. Odds are extremely high I’ll practice Paranoid, Iron Man, or War Pigs on the guitar later. And I don’t think it’s a hot take to trace back all my favorite sub genres of metal to this album, “Planet Caravan” in particular. The band Sleep doesn’t exist without that song, I’m convinced. (I now see the top review for this album credits “Electric Funeral” for sludge metal. The review’s not wrong. The real marvel is the diversity of sound among these songs, and the credible claim several of them would have on later subgenres. It’s a little like hearing a foundational document of a religion that later had all kinds of schisms.)
I knew it would only be a matter of time before I got one of my all time favorite albums. This, along with the self titled album, Master of Reality, Vol 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Sabotage are all 5-star perfect albums. Fun fact about Paranoid- it was the last album with guitars tuned to E standard. Starting with the next album (Master of Reality) Tony Iommi started de-tuning 3 steps to c# and Sabbath became the heaviest thing in the known universe.
Classic album by a classic band, this is prob the album but most everyone knows because of the fact it has three of their biggest songs on it!
holy shit
Wow - I never realized that I was a massive Black Sabbath fan. This is undeniably a 5. Lyrics are so solid. Concept type album. Innovative and super unique (for the time) sound. Like if Led Zeppelin was pissed. I am grading this a 4.75 on my personal tracker, just because this isn't exactly my style of music. Something about Ozzie's voice just rubs me a bit wrong, but it's probably because it's so "70s" and I generally find the 70s a bit gross.
Classic
Yes please, the birth of heavy metal.
Ain't no way that so far I got Johnny Cash and Black Sabbath in TWO DAYS. wow. Welp, Paranoid is a staple. This album birthed the entire heavy scene, from Maiden to the little mid-western screamo bands I like to listen on the low. I am beyond grateful for its existence. Also, I've known War Pigs for 20 years now and I still get goosebumps at the beginning.
It’s literally unbelievable the sounds they do
this album has been a favorite since I was a teenager. The heavy riffs of Toni Iommi, the pounding bass of Geezer Butler, Bill Ward’s drums, and Ozzy’s singing make this a classic album in the heavy metal/hard rock genre. Geezer Butler’s lyrics are ominous and timely for the era. Some are still timely today. I can only imagine hearing this album at its release date when music of this type was a rare treat. I love every song on this album but if I narrowed it down, favorite songs for me are “Electric Funeral”, “Hand of Doom”, “Iron Man”, and “War Pigs”
There is nothing I can say about Sabbath that hasn't already been said by better writers than me.
What can I possibly say about this great album, instead I will share a story from the 2019 Remaster liner notes. During the recording sessions, Vertigo was not hearing a potential single, and asked the band to come up with one. The story goes, when everybody went out for a lunch break Tony stayed in the studio and came up with this riff. When the rest of the band returned Tony already had the bare bones of a new song in place. Without a word the rest of the band plugged in, got behind the kit and just started grooving with him, Ozzy just started singing along. In an hour they had Paranoid exactly as you hear it on the record. Roger Bain in the booth said "That's pretty good, what is it?" The band replied, "You're joking, we're just pissing around we just made it up!" Roger replied "No that's really good, that's a really strong riff, let's do it!" Eventually they dropped the original name of the album 'War Pigs' for 'Paranoid'. At that point it was too late to change the cover art, so the guy in a crash helmet waving a sword, the "War Pig" they felt also looked Paranoid! The rest is history. Favorite tracks ... all of them!
Kinda surprised
This belongs to the stars.
Nicenice
Almost as good as their self titled. Origins of doom metal, and many a band, start with this album.
Still kicks ass!
1970. I think this has to hit the 5 based on its legendary status. It is withstanding and pervasive to this day.
I didn't know this was from 1970. No wonder people lost their minds. An all-time classic.
Great album. Couple classics, some cool interlude songs, didn’t ever find myself looking for the next song.
Come on its paranoid what else can I say except that it's one of the best albums of all time and one of my favourite albums of all time. The guitar tone is great and I really appreciate the bass playing in this album you dont hear it a lot in modern metal and it's refreshing to hear it here R.I.P Ozzy 10/10 Favourite: Fairies Wear Boots Least Favourite: None
Awesome album! Excellent instrumentals and vocal work. 'War Pigs' is my fave.
Oh! So this is where all the great songs live! “War Pigs” alone would get it five stars. But also “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” …and all the album tracks are pretty great too. I never really got into Black Sabbath but this album might be my gateway (to hell!)
An absolute classic!
What a tracklisting!
I mean. Come on. This is all a rock fan can ask for. Crazy amazing.
Legendary and maybe the most-influential heavy metal album of all-time? What else is in the conversation? In college I would occasionally take naps while listening to this album and my dreams during "Hand of Doom" .... that's still the coolest deep cut here. Ozzy was a great vocalist - no qualifier. A unique style and voice (obvs), he was what you immediately noticed and perfect for the original incarnation of this band but Geezer was the backbone - writing the riffs and laying down the bass so Toni Iommi could get that evil guitar drone down pat. I would argue that the absurd grade-9 (at best) intro-to-photography album cover with a wonky font actually *adds* to the brilliance inside. Funny how raw and *basic* the album is - Bill Ward's drums are so dry (they're great; underrated by me for years especially on this album) it hardly portends the massive-room / reverb and effects-laden genre that they spawned. TL;DR: I know a 5 when I see it and it's the triple-exposure cheesy cosplaying sword guy for me every time. 🤘🏽to classic Sabbath (and UpTheVilla!) 10/10 5 stars.
knew i really liked paranoid and iron man but was awesome to go thru the whole record. incredible drumming. on par with zeppelin in influence
No matter your age, race, gender, or even whether or not you like metal, we can all come together to say "hell yeah, I got Paranoid today," and I think that's beautiful.
One of the ultimate metal albums. Genre defining. The bass in War Pigs is fantastic.
I love Ozzy but a whole album too much for me
I was young when this was released. I never understand why adults were all up in arms over black sabbath. I never listened to much of thier stuff until now. I was surprised by the quality and depth of the songs. Great album. And of course we all love Iron Man.
This one should get 5 stars from everyone! Without this album we wouldn't have had a lot of the rock and metal music that followed. And the sound is just iconic. Great riffs, instantly recognizable voice, amazing bass lines, pumping drums, and it still mantains a certain heaviness that is undeniable. A perfect record, packed with important hits for the music history.
Heavy metal was borne right here, dammit. Even if it’s not my main thing, you’ve gotta give credit when guys invent a whole genre. An apocalyptic breeze of riffs and ruin.
Absolute Banger.
Paranoid is an album that’s so good that you TRY to look for a flaw, and every time you try, you come up short. I don’t think any single album has ever been so influential. Like, sure, Black Sabbath “invented” metal on their debut, but if you want to know where every subgenre of metal comes from, it’s on a song on Paranoid. But it’s also more than a history lesson. It’s also just a perfect listen, even today. If you’re a casual fan of music, these are just 8 perfect songs, and even if you’re anti-metal, I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll love among these tracks. If you’re already a metalhead, a revisit may reveal something amazing– I personally remember being floored by “Hand of Doom” during a revisit years after becoming a metal girly myself. If you’re a musician, well, you can spend 40 minutes admiring the songwriting, or the playing. Bill Ward’s jazz drums always blow me away with how interesting yet natural they feel here, Iommi’s guitar dubs are something else, and, as a bassist, Geezer Butler is inherently one of my idols whose playing style I’ve been trying to emulate since I was 12. The production choices only enhance this hyper-nerd listening experience. And then the doomsday lyrics that feel ever-more-relatable, unfortunately, and Ozzy, man…..when that day comes….. Paranoid is one of those flawless, undeniable, 11/10 perfect albums that only a fool or a contrarian would try to dismiss. It’s the kind of album you expect everyone to love, and if they don’t, then you should probably remove them from your network. It’s also the kind of perfect album that’s lame as fuck to put in a Personal Top 100 Albums™️ list, especially high up, and yet, I still think it truly and sincerely belongs there. I listen to Paranoid a LOT. It’s essentially my bass practice album, if only because I can play like 85% of it from memory (minus a lot of his fills; I’m pretty sloppy and too ADHD to remember those off the cuff). It’s also just a great fucking album. Amazing fall/winter record. I adore it front to back. Like, truly, it’s probably the one album I found when I was 11 and getting into Classic Rock that has not only stuck with me, but grown with me over the years. The most important and essential album in this book. Not the best, but like, arguably Top 10, objectively speaking. Also subjectively speaking, because it kicks ass. Fuck yeah, dude, fuck yeah!!!!!
classic album in early heavy metal scene, no skips.