Reviews (page 6 of 16)
This album immediately goes hard with War Pigs and keeps up the energy pretty much all the way through. Black Sabbath are classic hall-of-famers for good reason, and I really enjoyed listening through this record. The only song I didn't enjoy as much as the others was Electric Funeral, but overall I thought they really kept it interesting, tight, and fun. I've only ever heard a handful of Black Sabbath's songs before, and only in one-off scenarios instead of as a cohesive album, so this was a fun listen. You can hear so clearly how much they influenced other artists who came after them and that's just super cool. Big fan and I didn't know I would be. Also I feel like I look like Ozzy sometimes when I'm sweaty
How did they even come up with this Everything is so simple yet so hard I love how the drums are not super loud or overplayed - it lets that sexy fuzzy guitar drive the band for the most part Rock n roll 🤘
I always forget how much I love Black Sabbath (the Ozzy Osbourne years), especially this album. Tony Iomi is such an incredible guitarist. They’re all amazing musicians and from a historical standpoint point this shit is so innovative to what was going on at the time, but simultaneously is an incredible album that stands on its own today. Hilarious that this was heavy back then and we have like Full of Hell now. I don’t know, I’d take this over a cream album almost any day.
Black Sabbath rocks. This album rocks. One of the pioneers of metal. Literally everyone in the world has heard almost half of this album at least. This holds three of the most important and recognizable and badass songs of all time. Ozzy is one of the coolest mfs out there. Everybody loves him. Everybody loves Black Sabbath. I can't find a reason to not give this album a 5. 5
5/5 every song saved except Rat Salad which was still a great break on the album No one crushes a riff like Black Sabbath. Bands have based their entire music career on this record, and these dudes cranked this out in the studio in 2 days. Whatever they say about Black Sabbath is true, they’re the best heavy metal band of all time.
Genuinely an incredible album of early Metal that is as fun to listen to now as it was back then, I assume. You wanna know what album I wish was on this list? Coven's Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls. Came out the year before this one and is awesome Proto-Metal. Anyway, 5/5 already rated it before.
ya me habia aparecido long time ago
Very familiar with this one and it never disappoints. Classic rock songs that stand the test of time. Also, love that the Arkansas Razorbacks use “War Pigs” as the football team runs on the field.
One of the funniest album covers of all time. If it wasn’t for one of the most important albums of all time we’d all laugh at how dorky and 1970 it is. Anyway. It’s Black Sabbath. It’s awesome. There’s one hiccup and it’s barely that. This album rules
Eight songs, all bangers
Aivan huippu ja yksi ensimmäisistä ostamistani rock-levyistä. Oli älyttömän hyvä silloin ja on sitä nytkin. Rock-klassikko, ansaitsee täydet 5!
Näistä ajan ja genren legendoista sabbath mulle vierain joka ei tarkoita että todellakaan vieras On ollut aikoinaan uraauurtavaa ja en ihmettele miksi. kyllä jytää edelleen ja kovaa. Hand of Doomin kakkososa oikein piti toistaa
Heavy metallin evoluutiobändi nr.1! Levy on täyttä 💎
Ein eindrucksvolles und einzigartiges Album, dass vor allem durch seine perfekte Mischung von ruhigen Momenten und ausgefallenen Gitarrenriffs und Drumskits glänzt. Paranoid ist wahrscheinlich eines der einflussreichsten Alben aller Zeiten und schafft es durch den progressiven und unverwechselbaren Sound jedes einzelnen Tracks, trotz des stolzen Alters von 55 Jahren, absolut zeitlos zu sein. In jedem Fall eines der besten Alben, die jemals produziert wurden. Underrated Track: -Planet Caravan Least Favourite Track: -Electric Funeral Favourite Track: -Iron Man
The amount and quality of riffs this album spawned is insane. War Pigs is goated. Ozzy sings like Jack Black.
Amazing always a classic!
Great
9/10
This is #day237 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... to me, as a Ukrainian based in my hometown Lviv, it’s unsettling listening to War Pigs with its air-raid alarm at the start, especially since February 24, 2022, when russia’s full-scale invasion began. It’s hard not to see the russians (or rather ruscists) as war pigs (and I don’t want to offend pigs). Invaders must die. Meanwhile, here's to the band that pioneered heavy metal... "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" are stone-cold classics, but the whole album is a masterclass in heavy metal, doom metal, and beyond. Listening to this record, you can almost taste the metal in the air. The music? Just as they say: tight, loud, simple, and exciting. I must be on a roll, as it's my fourth consecutive 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day238.
Strong contender for one of my favorite albums of the last century. Ahead of it's time and went on to define an entire genre of music. Planet Caravan, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom, Fairies Wear Boots, I mean there are so many awesome tracks on this album. Rare occasion that I want the daily album to be longer.
I loved everything about this album, and that worries me….
HELL YEAH
Love this album.
This album is awesome! It feels like a history class if you analyze the lyrics closely. The wars, the heavy criticism against atomic bombs, the hopeless and almost nihilistic lyrics and instrumentals, the experimental approach, and the discovery of the new genre. It's a wonderful experience.
Jumped the gun with this one and listened a few weeks ago. Incredible stuff.
Much more psychedelic jamming than expected.
another record in the Always Great In Exactly The Same Comfy And Reliable Way Every Single Time Over Years And Years Of Occasional Listening category. while most hyper-creative 60s bands often reveled in some kind of studio trickery or diverse pastiche or just A Lot Of Drugs, to escapist and idealistic ends, black sabbath despite their theatrics rly channeled their imagination in much more down-to-earth ways. every song is built around not just a melody or a riff or a lyric but clear Ideas that inform the total construction. even theoretically similar ideas are diversified extremely smartly...the title track and iron man could both be called Incessant and Hypnotic, but where the title track's repetition creates an almost modal experience where the riff and the vocal melody switch focus (creating that frantic Maddening experience perhaps!), on iron man the riff and the vocal melody are the Same, along with literally everything else, creating its own single-minded display of raw strength. the whole record is similarly evocative and thoughtful...and while the lyrics are v silly, there is enduringly something to how much tension and darkness of the times they have a genuine (if clumsy) interest in...in tone if not always in subject matter. not one of my personal fave fave records or anything but a wonderful demonstration that if a band is inventive enough to be accidentally inventing a new genre, their creativity is probably expressing itself in smaller but equally meaningful ways across the music itself
Great album. One of the best by Black Sabbath.
Truly amazing
Cant beat it!
Absolutely still slaps.
maybe it's because im listening to this >50 years after release, but it is a little corny for satanic proto metal, but the foundation is there and the riffs are iconic. i can listen to planet caravan on repeat for hours.
I'm shocked by how much I enjoy this album since I avoided it my whole life. It just rocks, it's a timeless album.
Oh man, the hits keep coming. Paranoid is an all-timer, War Pigs is great. All metal is at least a little corny, but this is so damn good.
Rock Band introduced me to the hits from this album. 1001 Albums introduced me to the fact that all the songs on this album are hits. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
How did I forget how good this is? 100% the best album on the list. I won't even try to describe the music, I'm sure there are volumes written about it. A lot of the time when we say an album is a classic, it's more of a historical marker in the development of the genre, so a person not familiar with the classic status probably wouldn't be able to pick it out of a selection of just really good albums in a similar vain. Also, they would probably prefer to listen to the more contemporary iteration of the style. Not in this case - Black Sabbath are truly in a league of their own, and always will be - metal hasn't gotten "better" since then, just different.
5/5
One of the greatest albums ever in the entire history of the world.
Das zweite Studioalbum der britischen Rockband Black Sabbath, das 1970 veröffentlicht wurde. Es wurde in den Regent Sound Studios in London aufgenommen und von Rodger Bain produziert. Die Band, bestehend aus Ozzy Osbourne (Gesang), Tony Iommi (Gitarre), Geezer Butler (Bass) und Bill Ward (Schlagzeug), wurde mit diesem Album zu einer Schlüsselfigur im Genre des Heavy Metal. Das Album selbst vereint Elemente des Hard Rock mit dunklen und mystischen Themen, die später zu Markenzeichen des Metal-Genres werden sollten. Besonders hervorzuheben ist der Titelsong „Paranoid“, der zu einem ihrer bekanntesten Stücke zählt. Weitere bemerkenswerte Songs auf dem Album sind „Iron Man“ und „Fairies Wear Boots“. Diese Tracks sind nicht nur musikalisch prägend, sondern auch inhaltlich prägnant, da sie oft düstere, gesellschaftskritische Themen behandeln. Musikalisch lässt sich Paranoid dem Heavy Metal zuordnen, wobei auch Elemente des Psychedelic Rock und Blues zu erkennen sind. Die verzerrten Gitarrenriffs, der treibende Schlagzeugrhythmus und Osbournes markante Gesangslinie gaben der Band einen einzigartigen Sound, der sie von anderen Rockbands der Zeit abhob. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass Paranoid ein wichtiges Werk der Rockgeschichte darstellt. Es trug nicht nur maßgeblich zur Entwicklung des Heavy Metal bei, sondern bleibt auch heute noch ein Eckpfeiler des Genres. Das Album ist ein Klassiker, der die musikalische Ausrichtung von Black Sabbath und den gesamten Heavy Metal maßgeblich prägte.
These mf' spittin "Son, Son you've gone too far, Cause smokin' and trippin' is all that you do YYEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH"
On the self titled you could hear the blues base as it coalesced into a whole new genre. Here they transcend, making some approaching denovo shit. All the classics are on here, love the tumbling drum bits breaking up the high hat pulse in war pigs. Ozzy and the boys find their voice in spectacular fashion.
Their debut is a solid 5, and this, their second album, is even better. Classic riff after classic riff
Good album.
First song already starts off heavy metal, slightly haunting with alarm sounds. Amazing start to an album, and very solid progression. Immersive. Second song starts really good, nostalgic and kickass. One of the best songs in the album. So short, yet so damn good. Third song starts off very immersive and spacious with Pink Floyd vibes. Easygoing and nice to listen to. Fourth song starts very heavy. Nostalgic, amazing, and badass! One of the best songs in the album. Progression makes the song better. Fifth song starts off amazing, doom and psychedelic guitars. Sounds epic and unique! Progression throughout the song becomes better. Sixth song starts off with nice vocals and becomes better when the guitars kick in. Song progression becomes better. Doom metal elements emerge at halfway of the song, then subsides and re-emerge again. Seventh song starts off nice, immersive, psychedelic and heavy. Overall, nice song. Eighth and last song starts fuzzy and psychedelic, really great intro. Song progression, as always like in the other songs becomes better. Buildup at halfway of the song was really great, and the shift to another melody. 9 out of 10 rating. 5 out of 5 stars.
Amazing album. I must admit I haven't listened to this in a while. It sounds as fresh as ever! Every track has something about it.
Where’s the 10/5 button?
Didn’t listen to all of it but seemed oka
For some reason I always had in my mind Black Sabbath as a 90s band. This in 1970 seven zero is crazy. Thank you website for making me finally listen to this
Excellent. Never listened to the whole album but it is foundational to so much of the progressive rock & metal that I love from the 90s and 00s. Now in rotation
I know they get credit for initiating metal - that thematically, there wasn't much like it, and their riffs established something heavier than Zeppelin or Jeff Beck - but I can't help but feel they're magnitudes richer and more pleasurable than most metal, not merely b/c they came first, but b/c they're really another sort of thing entirely. They may sing of Iron Man, electric funerals, and hands of doom, but they can hardly be said to embrace the make believe, so realist is their ethos, whereas much metal as I see it is Halloween w/o recreation. For instance, this isn't fantasy, but portentous: 'Burning globe of obscene fire / Like electric funeral pyre.' And the riffing is an impossibly sustained adventure - so luxurious it's nearly unfair.
Ground breaking. 4.9/5
Favorite Track: War Pigs
Masterpiece start to finish, the number of iconic hooks and riffs is incredible. Can’t pick out a favourite song but I’d forgotten how good Hand of Doom is 5/5
You might think you've heard Iron Man too many times in your life, but what you've actually heard too many times in your life is the first 30 seconds of Iron Man. The rest of it, I need to occasionally remind myself, is an absolute fucking masterpiece.
you can only trust yourself and at least this black sabbath album.
Goated album
classic
Fantastic album. War Pigs and Paranoid are some of the best songs ever written. This is metal I can understand and I think is pretty good.
Dit is zo één van die albums die je op max. volume afspeelt terwijl je aan het koken bent ofzo. Sorry buurman. 4.5
10/10. Absolute BEHEMOTH of a record and a masterpiece of original sound. You have to remember that Sabbath was making this noise in 1970. Metal wouldn't peak for another decade and who doesn't love the psychedelic blues influence on these numbers? I mean c'mon now if you rated this anything below a 4 star, I simply can never be your friend and hope that you can get to a doctor to check out whatever you've got going on inside of your messed up head. This is a masterpiece on all fronts and is one that I will blast on the way to dropping off my son at school with no remorse. Perfection.
It's crazy that this album came out in 1970 and was this hard. Warpigs is a wild album starter- the sirens make you feel like we're about to get into some shit. I've heard Ironman, Paranoid and Warpigs a million times, but never really listened. Ozzy was speaking some truth 50 years ago. Musically everything was awesome, I may have enjoyed the songs I've never heard more than the big three tracks. Is Ironman one of the most iconic guitar riffs ever?
Easy 5 stars. Great album that still holds up. Brutality’s cover of Electric Funeral and Pantera’s cover of Planet Caravan are both worth a listen.
Finally, a metal album. Praise be to Satan 🤘🏻🤘🏻. I have not listened to this album all the way through since my brother threw a party and my CD case went “missing” back in 99. Black Sabbath are the grand daddies of Metal, and I assume every 13 year old metal curious kid gets a copy of this at some point. So fucking good. Although admittedly pretty tame by today’s Metal standards, this thing still rocks. Everyone knows the hits, but I’m a sucker for Electric Funeral. This album was the soundtrack to many a Magic The Gathering game back in the day. I really should buy another copy.
A classic for sure. Side A is perfect. 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid', AND 'Iron Man'?!?! What else needs to be said? Black Sabbath must have blown people's minds in the 70's.
Дает сил и желание что либо делать
No need to talk, just listen.
Basically one of the 19 best albums of all time according to me ... its sooo epic and ozzy is soo stupid which I love about this band
Great album. 5
I went straight to my record player to listen because it was already queued up. This is a masterpiece and I will fight anyone who disagrees.
5 stars
ominous lyrics with themes of war, nuclear annihilation, and addiction. one of the most important albums in the history of heavy metal. highlights: “war pigs” “paranoid” “electric funeral”
easiest 5/5. in my top10 of all time.
Was familiar with the big three on this album, but really enjoyed the entire thing. Awesome musicianship across the board, nice production that doesn’t muddy the heaviness of the rock. Perfect length where it’s not too bad to listen a second time, great album!
Classic album, classic songs. Really fun to listen to
This is the Black Sabbath album that belongs here.
Is Black Sabbath underrated? They certainly were by me. Perhaps they just weren't fashionable when I was in high school, but their influence and talent for writing power cord riffs is perhaps un parallelled, and in evidence on 3 classics on this album; War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man. Their sound is so heavy, I don't know if the term Heavy Metal was coined for them but it shuld have been. What appeals to me is their NON-RRELIANCE on guitar and vocal histrionics, the musicianship is in service of the song. Sure the lyrics sometimes are sophomoric but that's a minor quibble. I even enjoy the "quiet" songs which have a depth and gravitas that is rare in this genre. A nearly perfect Heavy Metal album. 5 stars
This is crazy timing. A buddy asked me which I liked more, Paranoid or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I gotta go with SBS, but it’s damn close. This is a classic!
Excellent, familiar. Energy
I only just listened to this a few days ago after seeing Sabbaths farewell gig in Birmingham on the telly. It sounds as dark, heavy and fantastic as it did 40 odd years ago when I first heard it. Fabulous musicians who know how to play, I always thought Ozzy was the weakest link but I am so used to him now that it couldn’t be any one else! I saw Ozzy live a couple of times but never managed to see Sabbath.
It is actually insane this came out in 1970. I feel like they basically invented metal out of the blue. Listening to the album as a whole you can hear the influences of the 60s bleed through, but it's like they had this vision, twisted the music of the time to their wills, and invented something completely new. Still sounds amazing, too. Definitely a classic.
Many bands would kill to have an album like Black Sabbath have atleast 5 like this in their catalog
One of the best things I've listened to on this list so far.
Riffs on riffs on riffs, over great drums. The lyrics are pretty corny these days, but I'm here for it. The opening salvo of War Pigs and Paranoid is hard to beat, and the reprieve of Planet Caravan is welcome before Iron Man completes one of the strongest side 1s I've heard. I was fully expecting it to drift off a bit after that, but side 2 is strong too
Minor key proto-metal blues rock. The foundation
Peak
Fucking hell, it's good Widely understood Children devil-warned Whole new genre spawned Tuning sounds amiss Lyrics look like this
5 star heavy album. What a statement. Geezer Butler created an entire ominous universe and use the most suited musicians to bring it to life. Punishing tracks that still manage to be catchy. Listening to this it isn’t a surprise this band spawned entire genres. 5s all around for songs, sound, band members, album cover. A goodun
GREAT ALBUM
The black sabbath album along with heaven and hell to listen to.
When I was 15, a school friend taped Queen's Greatest Hits for me, and on the spare room at the end of the cassette he included War Pigs, Paranoid and Iron Man. I played that tape incessantly and fell in love with those Sabbath tracks. I used to buy records from this weird UK catalogue printed on cigarette paper with 6 pt font lists of new (not secondhand) overstocked or deleted records from warehouses around Europe. The records were cheap, but they took about 3 months to arrive in Australia via sea mail. About one in three records would turn out not to be available, but what did turn up were like Portuguese pressings at substantial discount. I am sure that is where I bought my German pressing of Paranoid, still one of my favourite albums. Black Sabbath aren't great musicians, but they managed to turn their shortcomings into a whole new genre. You can hear them desperately trying to be Led Zeppelin, but it turns into their own thing through sheer hamfisted-ness. There are some classic tunes on here (War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Calm Caravan). But, as a fan of stoner rock and sludge metal, this is one of the seminal texts and all the tracks are worth a listen. The Rat Salad drum solo is a bit rubbish, but even that isn't too long, and everything else I find super fun, rockin' and charming in its own way. I mean, it's all as dumb as a box of hammers and Lester Bangs wasn't far off the mark when he described them as "unskilled laborers... just like Cream! But worse!" But I also agree with Charles Shaar Murray (review of Hammersmith Odeon show, NME, 1976) that the key to enjoying Sabbath is to listen to them REALLY LOUD! I find Black Sabbath really fun; they rock hard and get me all worked up whenever I listen to them (especially if it is REALLY LOUD!!). I also refer to Henry Rollins' spoken word piece titled 'The Virtues of Black Sabbath' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovATokHcqw) as uses Iron Man as an example of why Sabbath is awesome (short version; because rejection sucks and AAAARRRGH!) Five stars, perfect. Wouldn't change a note! I even like the famously shit cover.
I’ve never listened to this album as a whole and it’s phenomenal. Planet caravan took me for a ride . . .
Un clasico
Banger
Heavy metal was never as fun as on this record. All killer no filler. Is one of those few albums in which each song gave birth to a whole sub-genre.
Hand of Doom and especially Rat Salad are a bit weaker than the rest, but overall an absolute classic.
What a romp. I love every song on this album!
One of the all time metal greats, and definitely deserving of its status as a GOAT. This album is immensely top-heavy, but there's a whole lot of substance once you get past the first 4 or so songs. War Pigs, Iron Man, etc. have all been done to death, so I'll take a deep dive into the lesser known 4 songs on the album. Electric Funeral is hands down the worst song on this album. Ozzy is a real let down with his vocals I adore every song on this album, except for this one. This song is genuinely a bit of a miss for me. It picks up nicely at the end, but the start of the song really wigs me out. Hand of Doom is probably the most exciting song on the album. It is really similar to Paranoid, but I think it plays better on the ears. Rat Salad is a nice solo, with some great drumming in between. It's a great song, but I think it would have gone really well placed further up the album to break up some of the similar sounding songs like near Iron Man. The drum fill definitely does drag on, and it does show when you compare streaming rates of this song to the others. Fairies Wear Boots is another pretty good song, that seems to combine pieces of all the previous songs into one. I enjoyed this song, and it's a nice way to top off the album. Genuinely an incredible album, and deserving of a 5. Well worth its spot in the top 10 of all time on this list.
It feels kinda stupid to write something about a universally loved album that I don't really have any issues with. What the fuck do you want me to say 'ooohhh the melody is so rich' yeah we all know the album is cool I guess my take away is start feeding the kids in the music industry today some live bats and see if we can activate the same kind of shit that caused these guys to drop Paranoid and their Self Titled Album in the same year
That bat had it coming.
10/10 Fav tracks - All -1 Least fav - panet caravan
Hands down, one of the most significant albums created. From start to finish, I can listen to this entire album over and over. A true progenitor for so many flavors of rock and metal.
One of the best opening tracks ever? Paired with one of the best closing tracks ever? A regret I have in life is not really getting deep into Sabbath until much later in life. So many wasted years!
I loved this album when I first heard it in the early 70s and it still sounds fresh today. Probably the best album Sabbath ever recorded IMHO. Pure heavy metal bliss!
10
EASY 5 stars. This album is perfect. No notes. Favorites were all of them.
With their first album Black Sabbath basically invented heavy metal. With their second album Black Sabbath perfected heavy metal. This very well may be the top of the mountain. It’s not even my favorite Sabbath album (Master Of Reality), but the timelessness is undeniable. I love how Planet Caravan is a brief reprieve from the super iconic moments on the first side that feels like you are listening underwater. Electric Funeral is my favorite kind of metal song with the slow tempo and chunky guitar riff. Rat Salad is the Sabbath equivalent to Moby Dick. Everything is great here.
Amazing album from start to finish.
If this truly is the beginning of metal it was all downhill from here. Metal ranks easily my least favorite genre, but in my opinion this is one of the greatest albums ever. War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, and Faeries Wear Boots are all extraordinary
Heilt king Kong. Kanskje beste så langt
I don't think there's anything to be said.
Paranoid is an interesting album. From one point of view, it doesn't feel complex, I'd even call it a bit basic. But that's maybe because it's a precursor to all the other ones, and then... being a bit basic doesn't mean it's not good. It employs the tools it has effectively. I knew some songs off of it, but the ones I didn't, I was vibing to them. Feels like the delivery of it is perfect for what it wants to achieve. Well, maybe, for an album called *Paranoid* I'd expect to hear something that makes me feel paranoid, but no. This is my biggest problem with the album, it sells you on the vibe, but not so much emotion. I'm a bit hesitant to call it a masterpiece, it'd be a 5/6 for me, but it's pretty good and solid. A bit hesitant 5.
No matter how dubious the credentials of selectivity are of this list, there's one thing that is beyond doubt when it comes to music: that Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' belongs on a far more exclusive list of album's that can truly be described as 'seismic'. This record is a hulking behemoth of sound, and it remains an utterly astonishing listen today. Curiously, the band weren't rated much by contemporary criticism. To these naysayers back in 1970, their music wasn't quite the revolutionary yardstick for heavy metal that its eventual canonisation would have you believe. In fact, the first two Sabbath records were derided as subpar attempts at some bluesy space rock. The reason why it holds up so well today is that it doesn't fall into the well-worn science fiction tropes that have dated so much of that scene. The song structures are elaborate, but they're purposeful and never overstay their welcome. Tony Iommi's playing is deliberate and offensively catchy - here, he demonstrates why he's the undisputed king of the riff. His playing presages an entire spectrum of sound that would follow in the monumental trail he blazed on this record for the next forty years (without even coming close to the ear worms he hammers out on this album). Paranoid is one of the few 'classic albums' that more than deserve that accolade. A record that delivers its groundbreaking gut punch with as much force today as it did back then.
This album is easily one of the best I've heard so far and I've already heard a fifth of the album's! It cemented metal as a genre to be taken seriously. There are eight be songs on this album and somehow they're all 8/10 or higher. Other than the obvious highlights (War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man), I really enjoyed Rat Salad, Hand of Doom, and Planet Caravan. As someone who listens for the drums in songs, this album blew me away with one of the best drum performances in an album. The guitar is also incredible and those solos are otherworldly they're so good. Everything about this album is peak metal and a permanent member of not only the top 1001, but top 50 albums of all time!
Seminal
One of my favorite albums of all time. The godfathers of heavy metal at there best.
About 100 albums in now and a handful of metal albums have come up - stuff from Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, and a few others - but Paranoid is the clear frontrunner. This album rules. It kind of nails exactly what I want out of the genre, lyrically and... uh... guitarically. Never heard "War Pigs" before but it's perfect.
Amazing album from beginning to end!
Obviously the greatest album of all time and not-surprised it came first.
Can’t argue with the massive impact this album had on so many that came after it. Still holds up.
Heavy.
CLASSIC. Just one of those albums that is completely necessary for all music listeners. As a metalhead, this is one of the most well-written and well-aged records to ever be made. War Pigs <33 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)
The one-two punch of "War Pigs" and "Paranoid" is hard to beat in this era for hard rock power and mastery. Suddenly, though, with track 3 we are a bunch of hippies ("The Earth, a purple blaze / Of sapphire haze ... While down below the trees / Bathed in cool breeze / Silver starlight breaks down the night") before "Iron Man" melts our face again. Side two tells us "Dying world of radiation / Victims of man's frustration / Burning globe of obscene fire / Like electric funeral pyre"... now THAT'S the Sabbath we know and love. Ozzy tells us how doomed we all are then in "Hand of Doom" tells us how ridiculous we are for doing drugs to escape the pain of our destruction. We end with "Fairies Wear Boots" and our singer hallucinating, not heeding his own advice... it's a chaotic mess in the Sabbath brain, but the simplistic sludge riffs are epic and have been copied for 50+ years now.
Was it my favorite style? No but it was enjoyable and solid overall. I already like Ozzy though. The guitar was remarkable.
Loved this. First Sabbath album I’ve ever listened to. The hard guitar riffs combined with great bass playing, and incredible drums to tie it all together. The vocals are great as expected. Lyrics were surprisingly really mature and very interesting. Loved the variety on the album too, not many metal bands can do that well. Superb
easy five stars. i was -22 years old in 1970, but it would've been wild to hear this album for the first time when it released (and to see everyone else's reactions to it). this album is chock full of classic sabbath tunes and really feels like their magnum opus. war pigs is one of the best album openers i can imagine, paranoid is straightforward but powerful, planet caravan shows another side of sabbath's musicality, iron man is another powerful track with an iconic riff... and that's just side A. maybe the best rock/metal side A of that generation. the back half is pretty good too, definitely takes a turn for the weird but i enjoy it. anyway i don't have anything terribly new or groundbreaking to say about this album but the wikipedia article was a fascinating read. oh, i also wish rat salad were a better song because it has the best name imaginable. that's all. favorites: war pigs, paranoid, planet caravan, iron man, electric funeral, faeries wear boots
🤘
All bangers, great fun!
10/10 THE Black Sabbath album. Favourite Song=War Pigs Least Favourite Song=
This was awesome. I knew War Pigs, Iron Man and Paranoid, but the rest of the tracks were new to me. Such an awesome proto-metal sound, even all these years later. Totally hummable and grooving. I listened to it twice -- five stars easily.
I mean, how can you not like it?
Am playing catch up and following Ozzy's sad death I thought to tackle all 3 of the Sabbath albums on my to listen list. Had not really listened to much Sabbath before and had previously found Ozzy to be a bit of a clown. Was therefore really surprised how much I enjoyed each of the three albums (Black Sabbath, Paranoid & Vol4) - the rhythm section in particular is really tight with some great hooks and riffs. Dug a little deeper and was fascinated about Ionni's missing digits and how he had to adapt his playing style and how this influenced his way of playing. Fascinating to see how influential these albums were in establishing metal and all its various sub genres. I do not particularly like heavy metal but I do really like Black Sabbath - so will score all albums a 5 - with Paranoid being the stand out.
Oh hail thee Prince of Darkness! I probably set a world record with war pigs and getting stoned. One of my favs of all time. The kings of dark metal rising to power. If you listen to this record backwards it tells you to worship Satan, but it might screw up your turntable and needle, so don't try it! 🤘🏻 😈
Seriously solid first half, drops off a bit at the end but still loved alot of this
Hail Iommi
War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man on one album is insane
What a treat!!
No skips
No notes.
Absolute monster album for the history of metal and it's held up incredibly well. 4.5
You know, this sophomore Black Sabbath record has always been one of THOSE classics, the one where, maybe, on a purely conceptual level, its slow and sludgy presentation always turned me off of it ever-so-slightly, it's just never been MY style. But when it comes time to sit down and listen to the thing, I can just fucking hear it, I can hear all of why this album is so beloved. I'd say it usually clicks on that faster switch-up on 'Electric Funeral' with those squawking guitar hits right before the song, once again, muddies itself in that swampy riff that evokes this lethargic and almost comatose-inducing feeling within my gut. 'Paranoid' is just flat-out catchy, like a banger rock tune with some of the most haunting Ozzy lyrics out of ANY Sabbath song. The other huge song, 'Iron Man', I'm maybe more indifferent towards as a standalone track, I've never been a fan of that lead guitar and synched vocal melody, though in the track listing here it works really well in reigniting the album's momentum after the slower 'Planet Caravan'. And I do like 'Planet Caravan'...it's a much-needed, Black Sabbath-standard, slow switch-up - it's ethereal and warm, something the rest of this album is very much not. Case in point, 'Rat Salad', which if the name isn't raw enough for you, its short instrumental run-time sounds like an atonal punk track trying its hardest to squeeze its way onto a large radio station's queue, all while its ugly personality can't help but rear its head. The two undoubted highlights for me though are the two "two-part" songs here. First is 'Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots', which may have my favorite intro on the whole thing with that reverb guitar and tribal drum pattern. More than anything though I love how well it works with Ozzy's fantastical and dream-like imagery, especially as the song comes to its explosive closing and his insane ramblings come to a head. Then there's the opener 'War Pigs / Luke's Wall' which may be one of the greatest songs of all time. I just love everything about it. The ominous opening with those atomic sirens, the lyrics painting the destructive nature of the world's governments, as the ones who pull the strings hide behind the ones pulling the triggers. And maybe the most horrifying part is how many of these pigs will die peacefully, likely of old age, with no charges brought against them - but Ozzy almost seeks solace in the fact that they will pay their dues come Judgement Day. And when I call the music on this album dramatic, I reference moments like this song's opening 2 minutes with that effective tension-building and unpredictable song structure, right before it bursts into that sharp groove. I haven't listened to this album enough to dub it "memorable", but every time I do put it on it's just so much fun to get through. Well maybe not "fun", if there's one thing this album is, it's unabashedly dark and troubled. But it's a familiar kind of darkness, one that takes the shape of this addictive classic rock album. Like Iommi's constant riff switch-ups, those fat, melodic basslines, Ozzy's wailing vocals, and those staccato, stuttering, dramatic, and fill-heavy drums are like fucking crack. 'Paranoid' lands perfectly between those late '60s hard-rock sounds, and the sounds of '70s metal to come...a sweet spot very few other bands (and even albums) have ever found themselves in. This is what rock music was always meant to be.
Forging together elements of the blues, jazz, and classical music, Black Sabbath created one of the finest examples of early heavy metal with 1970's Paranoid. Building off of their pivotal self-titled debut released just 7 months prior, the band brings their songwriting skills to new heights with several all-time classic compositions, including apocalyptic war protest War Pigs and the instantly catchy and anthemic Iron Man. Even the "afterthought" title track purportedly written in 5 minutes became an enduring staple of the heavy metal canon. Vastly underappreciated by music critics of their time, Black Sabbath's influence cannot be overstated. Ozzy Osbourne's eerie vocals, Tony Iommi's dark blues riffs, Bill Ward's masterful drum fills, and Geezer Butler's melodic basslines and imaginative lyrics all come together to make a truly unforgettable record. Highlights: -War Pigs/Luke's Wall -Iron Man -Electric Funeral -Hand of Doom -Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots Lowlights: -Planet Caravan
Oh man, such a great album. Every single track is killer. Truly a foundational album for any metal fan. The sludgy guitar, the funky bass, the driving beats, and Ozzy's singular voice, all come together to form a monster.
Pretty iconic, not much else to say that hasn't been said already by my peers.
Very good like it very very much
Probably the best metal album out there, they got it down on lock by the second album, incredible, back to back classics on this. It’s like if Led Zeppelin had Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and Stairway to Heaven on the same album. Not my personal favourite from them but hard to argue that it isn’t their best output
An absolute staple in music history, if crazy train was on here it very well could be a top 10 album personally. Rat salad isn’t up there with something like Moby Dick, but the kits tone is beyond supreme and Bill ward has the moves of Muhammad Ali on war pigs.
For the last record I reviewed, I wrote that popular music would not be the same without. Without this record, I would not be the same.
This was really good. No fillers in this album. Really enjoyed listening and will definitely listen again 😏😏😏 I knew some of the songs on it, but never listened to them exclusively. Better late than never I guess 😅
While I didn't appreciate it initially, seeing them as fairly one dimensional compared to their '70s peers, I have come to appreciate Sabbath so much over the years; there is so much more going on that the, admittedly spectacular riffs. Listen to Geezer Butler's bass runs, especially at the end of War Pigs, the way Bill Ward plays, like a jazz drummer, and always to serve the song rather than merely to keep time, and Planet Caravan which holds the listener, at least this listener, spellbound for the duration, despite consisting of two repeated chords - Tony Iommi's deft jazz guitar solo skipping over the top. Black Sabbath would go on to even greater experimentation on later albums, particularly Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage but Paranoid built on the promise of their debut and laid the groundwork for even better things to come.
OK, again one of the rare times that I agree with this list. This is an album that stands alone in human history as one that everyone should hear. 5/5
War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man are absolute classic tracks and on their own make this a 5/5 album. Planet Caravan was a surprise for me and might be my favourite song of the bunch. I love how they could switch gears into this rather delicate song but still carry over some heaviness in the drums and ethereal, psychedelic tone in the vocals and guitar.
Nearly a perfect album. Iommi’s riffs kicked off a new genre but just a sensational group top to bottom. Their run from 68 to 81 was unbelievable!
What can you say that hasn’t already been said about this album? Legends.
Like there's really any other score that this album can be given?
Yes great
Never listened to this before all the way through. Every element rocks, but especially the guitar work Contains some classic songs but will give a nod to Planet Caravan. Pacing is an overlooked album quality I think, and this provides a nice moment of calm between the chaos of Paranoid and crunching riff of Iron Man.
So many great guitar riffs, love the raw feel to this album, hits hard, very iconic
Songs i know: most of em Songs i like: all of em Beast of an album, this should probably be on one of the voyager golden disk tbf other than that instrumental track. Imagine knocking about when this shit dropped, I'd be full of tatts and off my skull constantly eating bats heads. Low 5.
The OG. Anyone who knows me knows I loves me some stoner metal, and this is the progenitor of pretty much all of it. It strikes a great balance between sick riffs and bong rips, and the production on it is perfect. There isn’t really a duff track on it. Even though Rat Salad is an instrumental, it’s a bloody good one which doesn’t outstay its welcome. 5/5 would bong rip again
Mammoth-sounding stoner metal by factory workers from the West Midlands. What's not to like. Pretty much invented the genre and its bluesy sound hasn't aged like a lot of their peers. When the songs are this good they don't age though. Starts with an absolute hammer with War Pigs and doesn't stop. I remember finding my dad's vinyl copy of this as a kid and trying to scratch Paranoid. He was fuming. Absolute Riffageddon from Tony and the lads throughout the album. It never gets stodgy either with some great key changes in songs like Iron Man when he gets shreddy. Highlights: Hard to not pick the whole album but... War Pigs Paranoid Iron Man Rat Salad - Exercising their jazzy chops and I’m here for it. Fairies Wear Boots Lowlights: If I had to pick anything it would be I don’t love Planet Caravan as much as the rest. Think that bong might have been too packed for that one lads.
Best album I’ve had to rate so far. Not a bad song on it. It has the hits on it “War Pigs”, “Paranoid”, “Iron Man” and every other track is well crafted. It’s the original Stoner Rock, you can hear the influence bands like QOTSA get from this album in songs like “Planet Caravan”.
10/10
I don’t know if it was Iron Man or War Pigs that I heard first, but I remember hearing it and somehow realizing that there was more than music than the soft rock pop in the 1950s that my dad had been playing for me on public radio. Black Sabbath was hard, fast, heavy, everything my young brain wanted when I was 12. Matter fact, my brain still wants that. This album was the beginning of heavy metal as we know it. I don’t think there’s any heavy metal aficionado or even just general appreciators who wouldn’t agree that this was the start of the genre. Paranoid is just a banger that every guitar player in bass player needs to add to the repertoire. Most of this album has been covered over, and over, and over again. Planet Caravan had its best cover on Pantera‘s third album Far Beyond Driven, and I had the honor of watching it live at RedRocks with giant pot leaves emblazoned the rocks (it’s was almost as good as watching the Sabbath Reunion in 2001). What I liked about this listen were the deep cuts like Fairies Wear Boots and Rat Salad which don’t get a whole lot of radio play. Overall, this album is a must and a top entry for the 1001 Must Listens albums. Classic.
i'm pretty new to sabbath but the two albums i've experienced have been great! this one is obviously no exception. metal in the purest form, just loud guitars, moody riffs and ozzy's iconic vocals. the only song that lacked for me here was 'planet caravan' but other than that, this album is pretty much perfect. and now i'm bummed i never got into black sabbath until now!
What are we talking about. I am a metal fan so this album is like the beginnig of everything for me. I really like the doom vibes, and obviously a lot of legendary songs
Amazing
Yeah this rocked. Their three most classic songs are all here and the rest is great too. Really well done arrangements, and awesome guitar parts. Some of it was jammier than I expected which was fun too.
Some face melting riffs. I like the album cover. There are some older recordings of Black Sabbath in which they are much closer to a straight blues band. I don't know enough about how they made it here, but they took the heavy blues roots and elevated them. Ozzy's voice works so well dancing over the guitar riffs. Planet Caravan a more psychedelic jazz track had me captivated on this listen. The mixing is so good. Electric Funeral. Tony Iommi is so good. Bill Ward killing it on every track. Geezer Butler bass so good I have just realized that this is one of my favorite albums.
At the time of writing this, the album is nearly 55 years old. How on earth does it sound so fresh and relevant after all this time. Great album. Deserves top marks.
Great album,love it
one of the best albums of all time. Some off songs but full of monumental hits.
Class
Brilliant
One of the best albums ever released. Has a little bit of everything: doom metal, rock, instrumental, killer parts from all members. I don't think there's a weak spot anywhere to be found, and that's while it's one of the most iconic albums ever. The hits are incredible, and the lesser known tracks are just as enjoyable
Flawless
One of my favorite metal albums. Every cut here hits, even if it isn't as hard as it was in 70.
The embodiment of all killer no filler
Previously rated: Vol. 4 (5/5) ********************* Fantastic metal album. 54 years old and still gets a lot of play on classic rock radio (War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man). Some other great new-to-me songs like Electric Funeral. Easy 5/5 and will listen again.
soittakaa paranoid!!!!! heh... tarkotti albumia... ei biisiå.... biljardi soittoa spotifyssä... prkl.. hand of boom 20 miljions... voivoi kun itkettää... voivoi kun huohottaa.. noh... yksi parhaista albumeista ikinä juuh jassoo.. eiköhän se ole tullut seleväksi.. valtavirtaaa valtavirtaa valtavirtaaaaaaaaaa...... noh.... astu jokeen... anna virran viedä... ehkä opit jotain...... ei tarvitse olla itse rautamies nauttiakseen tästä pätkästä. juu ei ole meikän suosikki sapatti albumi (olen homo) mutta voisin kuunnella koko homman kerran päivässä ja kyllästyisin vasta ehkä kolmantena päivänä. jeesuksellahan se kolme päivää kuppaili ennen kun ylösnousemus (Boner heh). hand of doom
From the first chords of 'War Pigs' you know what you are going to get! I haven't listened to this album for years and had forgotten how good it is; that Iommi guitar with Ozzies vocals just fit perfectly; just like they do in in 'Paranoid'. ... but then they can also do distracting stuff like 'Planet Caravan' which is almost an America west coast sound, brilliant. Then there is 'Iron Man' with that amazing riff that says it all. Butler and Ward create a solid backing for tony and Ozzie. Every track on this album is different and great, from 'War Pigs' through 'planet Caravan' and 'Hand of Doom' to 'Iron man' and 'Electric Hero' finishing off with the ubiquitous (for that time) instrumental/drum solo of 'Rat Salad' and the almost bluesy 'Fairies Wear Boots'. We were so spoiled in the early 70's with the four greatest rock/metal groups of all time - Black Sabbath, The Who,Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.
iconic
Simply a masterpiece. It's insane that Black Sabbath released this record the same year as their first album, which is also 5/5. Some of their best and most recognizable songs are on this album. This was one of the easiest 5 stars I've given.
4-5
Perfect early metal from Ozzy and co! A very influential album too. I like that it still sounds very musical, not a compressed impenetrable wall of distorted guitars.
What other score could I give?
Classic, but also very great ;)
Classic Sabbath.
Classic Sabbath.
Banger! War Pigs alone is 5 stars
Jetzt schlägt der Nostalgiebonus bei mir voll durch. Dieses Album ist für mich ein "Were it all started" Moment. Damit wurde nicht nur meine Metal-Fackel entzündet. Meine ersten 5*
Worried I'm giving too many 5s. But the first half of this is top tier.
What an awesome timeless album! I believe if it were released today, it would fly to number one. This is simply a great album for those that rock…and even those that don’t!
Let it run many times. Bangers galore. 4.5 rounded up
p202. 1970. 5 stars. The only heavy metal album you need. Not a weak track on it, and it still sounds fresh today.
Holy sh*t, what an album. I didn't use to like Black Sabbath at all, until I heard this album. I am not sure I would call myself an all out Black Sabbath fan of their newer stuff, but this album they did back when they were basically hippies, before they started wearing black trench coats and eating bats on stage, really is gold. But I digress. Just hearing the first opening note of 'War Pigs', you know you're in for a heavy ride. The guitar on this album might just be the sickest tones I've heard on a guitar actually. It just sounds so rich and heavy, almost doesn't need a bass with how thick it is. Ozzy might be a loony, but he is actually outstanding on this record and delivers much energy. The drumming throughout the record is also exceptional and powerful, and lifts all tracks. The whole album is just filled to the brim with good songs. The opening track, 'War Pigs', might be my favourite song of the album. It has a nice long progression, and you're rewarded in the end with a sick end to the song. Then there's also the absolute bangers of 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' that straddles 'Planet Caravan', which is a calm an mellow song with a completely different tone with its feverish song. I actually think this sits so well where it's at, and is actually a really good track in itself. The only critique of the album would really be that the first half of the record is an order of magnitude stronger than the first. But I think the second half still holds up pretty well, I enjoy them as well. Overall I think this might just be a top contender for one of the greatest records ever. Strong 5.
As always with the Black Sabbath albums I am struck by how early they created this sound. It sounds so heavy and modern without the need to play fast or loud. It just feels heavy. Starting with "War Pigs" is such a good opening to the album. It's insane they manage to put "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" on the same album. Besides the hits I actually think the tracks from "Vol. 4" are stronger. Still the hits make it a 5 star.
To everyone who's not impressed with this album, I want YOU to try playing guitar this good when the tips of your fingers are missing.
ozzy is back with another classic heavy metal staple; plenty of iconic tracks and forgotten gems are scattered about in this edgy and psychological album. with headbanging-level songwriting, flashy drum fills and gritty guitar riffs, this is a pretty good example of black sabbath and early heavy metal as a whole in its prime.
First album I bought and still a jolly good listen
BANGER
the grandfather. the origin of metal. every song is iconic. not a missed beat.
metal.
Classic bangers
Oh man, from the first heavy riff, to the last, this album is a banger. Long been one of my favourite albums, it doesn't fail to delight. Deep, heavy riffs, amazingly hard hitting drums, and vocals and lyrics that have inspired generations of metal performers. I don't think this is a perfect album. The "Electric Funeral" background vocals don't hit right. Rat Salad as a series of solos, feels a little dated. However, this was my favourite album for a time, and still definitely ranks up there in my top 10.
Do you like heavy music? Same here. ~217 days after their debut album Black Sabbath drops Paranoid. It's like the question was asked and answered in 1970 and forever. 🤘🏻
Never listened to the album before, but know many of the songs. Pretty interesting to step back in time to 1970 when this came out. Listening to this you can hear them stepping away from the typical rock blues of the time into something new and different...heavy metal. Also didn't expect this to remind me so much of an early Zeppelin album.
I liked it
Loved Black Sabbath since long time thanks for reminding
Naurahdin kun näin päivän levyn (en oo ikin kuunnellu black sabbathii...) Mutta siis mitä hittoo tää oli ihan erilaista ku aattelin ja kauheen hyvää??? Tai varsinkin tää albumi kokonaisuutena oli kyl bänger ja Planet Caravan mun lempibiisu
AIAIAIAI oon kuunnellut tätä niin paljon tänä vuonna. Yks lemppareista tällä hetkellä! Pelkkiä hyviä biisejä alusta loppuun!!
Already knew I liked this one. Since Webelos Scout camp
Perfection
Still hits just as hard as it did in 1970. Truly ahead of its time.
Full of heavy well crafted songs
The GOAT metal album Faves: War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Electric Funeral
This is a great album. I had never listened to the whole thing at once before, but track after track is intense but fun. It is smart in a way I didn't expect, too. Iron Man - grrrrr...you have to love Ozzy.
Loveeeee it
I knew a couple of songs, even did a cover of Paranoid ages ago with a band I was in. But I never really gave Black Sabbath much credit. Turns out - credit is definitely due. Great album. And it's in luck because I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 and feeling like I'm giving out too few 5 star ratings.
Rock completo rock todo rock
Top tier. Every song is amazing. The production is pretty much perfect.
Such a solid album - starts out strong and just keeps on going. Has War Pigs and Iron Man - my favorite Black Sabbath songs.
I mean, it's Paranoid. What do you want me to say? This is easily one of the greatest, most important metal albums of all time, and by extension, one of the greatest albums ever. Everything I said about prior Black Sabbath albums applies here. The sound is still phenomenal. This album takes the feeling of doom that their debut captured so effortlessly and refines the sound to be a bit more accessible, yet still so special and awesome. There is not a single bad song on here. I could say something good about all 8 of them, so I will. "War Pigs" might be one of the greatest album openers ever. I love it. "Paranoid" is an absolute classic that shows that the guys were able to increase the energy of the sound perfectly. "Planet Caravan" is so radically different from the other Black Sabbath songs and it weirdly works. "Iron Man" is just awesome. Everything in it just works. I really like the weirdness of "Electric Funeral." "Hand of Doom" is super underrated. It's great. "Rat Salad" is a very fun instrumental that really shows the technical capabilities of the band's instrumentalists, especially drummer Bill Ward. Finally, "Fairies With Boots" is a great way to close the album. Tony Iommi's guitar work is just the best, Ozzy Osbourne's vocals capture the themes of each song perfectly, Geezer Butler is a great bassist, and I already complimented Bill Ward. This album is just amazing. Easy 5/5.
Easy five star. Such great sound. Amazing guitar.
Such a fantastic album
While I was familiar with many songs on this album, I have never listened to it in its entirety until now. WOW! This is heavy metal at its finest. Stop what you are doing, listen to Paranoid, and bow your head in reverence to these heavy metal geniuses.
The first album I bought with my own money. Classic!
Them drums! Good music does not age.
5 One of the best ever. Perfect album.
More melodic than I thought. Classics you didn’t know you knew. Made me feel badass walking alone through the city. Energetic.
So good!!! Favs: war pigs, paranoid, planet caravan, rat salad and hands of doom
One of the easier 5 star ratings. All tracks slap, and accomplish their goals. Hot take: Iron Man is the most mid track
An incredible metal album, one that has a strong argument for best ever. It’s so atmospheric, sounds amazing even today, and Ozzy’s otherworldly dark charisma dominates throughout. War Pigs, Paranoia, Iron Man… these three tracks alone are 5 star worthy, but it’s fantastic throughout.
Iconic. Minus a half star for the stupid sped-up ending of "War Pigs" that I've always hated, nearly ruining an otherwise perfect song. But that still rounds up to a 5 star album.
Adoro el rock ingles!!! 🤘🏻🖤🖤🖤🇬🇧
Hell yeah. Sometimes I ding stuff on here for being too simplistic, but the simplicity here really works because the guitar riffs are so cool. This album rocks, and it's a prime argument for 70's music over 80's music. 4.9
10/5 One of the most important metal albums of all time.
Absolutely incredible from start to finish. Not a dull track on this album.
Solid album back to front and a nice nostalgic ride for me
Absolute masterpiece, arguably Black Sabbath's best album released in 1970 after their killer debut album from the same year. There is not a single bad track. I recently read Geezer Butler's autobiography and found out that the track Paranoid was recorded in the studio on the spot to meet LP length requirements. It ended up being the most popular song they ever did.
A masterpiece and so incredibly iconic
Если, вот это классическое, меня разбудить в три ночи и под дулом пистолета заставить петь песню от начала и до конца, я бы пел Paranoid. Еще я всю жизнь думал, что вот эта розовая размазня на обложке - это какой-то вепрь. Вплоть до прямо сейчас, 17:17, 23 августа 2024 года. Супер альбом, все хиты. Лучшая песня - Paranoid.
Instant 5 stars. You wouldn’t have metal without Sabbath.
#319. I agree with what everyone else said. 5/5: amazing.
Not my kind of music usually, but this album is really good.
5/5
An absolute classic.
A iconic and influential record that still holds up after so many years. Everyone in the band plays their part perfectly. The OG of all heavy metal albums. Best - War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Hand of Doom, and Fairies Wear Boots Worst - no duds on this at all 4.50-4.75/5
The reason you do this project is to hear songs like “Planet Caravan”! The only “down side” to this album is knowing how much more impact these songs all have as performance pieces.
Just bloody awesome! Early metal, and it's brilliant!
Pretty sure this no skip yall
Really showcases how good ol drums and electric guitar can get the job done. I also like the anti-war sentiments throughout. There are some stinkers in the middle of the album, but I don't think they're bad enough to knock it down to four stars.
Buenísimo, cuna de inspiración.
I mean, obviously one of the greatest metal albums ever made. The fact that Black Sabbath were the first metal band pretty much ever, and even their early works hold up this well truly demonstrates how timeless their music really is. Bravo Ozzy.
OMG! The birth of heavy metal! Still out metals most metal even today.
Day216 - it’s good to get an album that i know but not all the songs are familiar and it holds up to the reputation
Perfect from start to finish. Not a single bad track in this album. Love it
Really good! I love so many songs from the beginning, and it has a original, if not reptitive sound. The latter songs especially are just more of the same. That being said, iconic and amazing.
not the heaviest or best or vibiest of their many great records but certainly the sturdiest...always a pleasure 10/10
Should be given to everyone as heavy metal 101 - in fact the first four albums are basically untouchable!
Easily a contender for greatest album of all time.
A classic and cornerstone of metal.
Saving me from my brain
5/5 - few albums rock this hard
Possibly the worst album cover in music history. Formative album for me, couldn't imagine a word without Sabbath. Like a comfy pair of slippers. Just wish they spent more than 75p on the cover.
I love Black Sabbath. Every track has something I enjoy singing along and getting lyrics wrong
What a way to start an album with them opening tracks! Iconic riffs, classic tunes - what more do you want 🤘 5 ⭐️
Finally, we're back on the winning track with these! You're locked in right away with War Pigs. Lots of bands try to capture it but Faith No More is the only one that got close. I always loved Paranoid as a faster Sabbath song. My friends' band played it some years back at a show and I was going off. Planet Caravan: If you start talking about the Pantera version, I'm going to call you a baby. Iron Man: Overrated? Probably. Hard as hell? YES. Electric Funeral: Frenetic. Hand of Doom: I'm pretty sure this is about Black Sabbath's mission statement. Recently, I've been listening to a lot more Dio Sabbath, and I really don't get how this list didn't include ANY Dio, but that's an aside to this - It's fucking Sabbath. It's not Technical Ecstasy, Born Again, or 13 - THIS is textbook Sabbath.
One the the greatest albums ever made, put out by the greatest band to ever make music! If I could give it 10 stars I would. This masterpiece defined an entire new style of music that 50 years later is STILL pulling its best moments directly from it. If you don't like this album, I KNOW I don't like you!
And another nearly perfect album. Not much more to say here.
Fairies Wear Boots is low-key one of the best Sabbath songs I saw it and I tell you no lies
One of the greatest albums ever made by the heavy metal masters at their peak. Has there ever been a stronger opener than the thunderous War Pigs? From the opening riff they convey the doom of war and then follow it up with the masterful title track. Lyrically poignant and instrumentally flawless, this album truly has everything you could want from a metal band. And there is variety rarely seen in the genre.
the sound and quality of the music, the lyrics, ozzys voice. all so so good.
Have always liked Sabbath without ever being a huge fan. First album I’ve heard in it’s entirety and it proves how amazing they are
Stone cold classic. Why did metal abandoned this and embraced the clownish incel style it has today?
legendary album
Obviously, I went into this very familiar with the big 3 hits off this album. However, I really was pleasantly surprised by how much I appreciated the other songs that I wasn't familiar with. I found it ironic that I heard a familar rhythm that sounded a lot like The Doors, "Roadhouse Blues" off the album "Morrison Motel, which was released 6 months prior to "Paranoid". I don't who influenced who in this case or it was just purely coincidence. However, it very easy to see how Sabbath influenced sounds that would later show up in bands like Iron Maiden and even Van Halen, especially if you listen carefully to "Jack the Stripper". I also loved how they experimented with tones off the mic and toyed with speeding up song and vocal tracks throughout the album. It was a balsy thing to do and it worked out well. We should also talk about some of the change ups they used and the smooth transitions, which speaks to how amazing they are in thier musicianship. I really appreciated the album in it's entirety. I garnered a whole new respect for this album and Black Sabbath.
First time I heard Iron Man, over at Brad Johnson's house when his older brother Seth put it on after their parents left, I was so scared I had to leave the room.
It's hard to go wrong with such a classic album and three epic hits! (It also makes me wonder why we also had their debut album in this collection, as this album so clearly exceeds "Black Sabbath" in most aspects, except perhaps how quickly their first album was recorded). I don't think I've heard most of this album before, ironically, and some songs are surprisingly mellow--well, really only "Planet Caravan", I suppose, especially sandwiched between two foundational metal songs ("Paranoid" and "Iron man"). I'm also really impressed at how political/topical many of the songs' lyrics are; a far cry from the average metal band's sophomoric topics. I also enjoyed reading about the background to some of their songs, like how "Paranoid" was literally last-minute filler for the album (and then became their only top 10 hit), and how "War pigs" was originally titled "Walpurgis" after some loosely-satanic-connection to a Saint-day, but the record label felt it went too far on the Satanic spectrum. Also hilarious that the album was renamed from "War Pigs" to "Paranoid", but the album cover remained the same (odd) photo. I'm very torn about how to rate this album, I'll admit. It seems like only a 4-star album, but the heavy metal legacy of the band and this album in particular seem more 5-star.
141/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
war pigs, paranoid, iron man
When I was in high-school I found someone’s discarded brown paper bag book cover in the hall. It had doodles and stuff on it, as well as a few lines written in alternating black and blue pen. “Make a joke and I will sigh And you will laugh and I will cry. Happiness I cannot feel Like love to me is so unreal” This was before the internet so if you didn’t know what it was you had no way of just looking it up. But it stuck with me for years until I happened to actually be paying attention to the lyrics of Paranoid and it blew my mind. I’m not sure who the metal head was in RBC circa 1994-95 but I thank them for inadvertently introducing me to Sabbath.
Amazingly clean drums
Perfect album. No notes.
What a great guitar sound, and there are at many classics here. Favorite track has to be War Pigs
I love this album! It is the best of Black Sabbath, IMHO. It is a masterpiece. All tracks are very-very nice but some like "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" are absolutely perfect! Long live Black Sabbath! Ozzy forever!
I mean with the hits that are on here and the rest is pretty good too….
War Pigs!!!!!!and then into Paranoid has to be one of the best 1 2 punches on the entirety of the list. Planet Caravan is super weird, then Iron Man comes in. The back half of this album has enough heavy experimentation to almost fit in with a jam style band.
Fuck yes. En fest af den anden verden, og genialt musik at smadre igennem til. Fløde i øregangene, solskin på en regnvejrsdag… giga sang på sang på sang. Denne plade burde være et grundværk i almen musisk dannelse.
Et alt for fedt album at vende tilbage til. Det her var, og er ægte gateway metal. Hvis man ikke kan lide dét her, så fortjener man ikke øre. 💀
Det er 3 ikoniske metal numre i Warpigs, Paranoid og Ironman. Som helt album spiller det også max. Særligt Electric Funeral og Hand of Doom burde være på et hvert metal repetoire.
Metal baby
Very good album. Rivals their debut. Very good and very cool!!
Black Sabbath is so interesting. They are indisputably one of the starting points for metal, and I am no metal fan. Yet, their music has very little in common with metal beyond 1980. Cool band. Makes me wonder what Ozzy’s library might have been like if he didn’t leave Black Sabbath or allow his *manager* to dictate his professional choices.
Awesome album - first 5 rated
An absolute classic that can’t be faulted if viewed within the microscope that is 1970. I’m a huge fan of this band, particularly from their inception through to the closure of Dio’s first stint as their singer. However, I rarely play any of their first four albums, as they are just too dated. They are, and this is, a very important part of our musical history. They invented stuff on this album, and 5 of the tracks were regular inclusions in my tribute band’s set list. This album is symbolic of rock creation and evolution.
Planet Caravan is eh but the rest is great.
Chad metal
peak
That was pretty awesome. Definitely would not have listened to it without this album generator. I feel like everyone should listen to it at least once. Never forget Dirty Dan. I throw the javelin.
The Prince of darkness reigns supreme.