Black Sabbath

Solid album but I like paranoid more

It's a vibe, but it's also kinda like metal Grateful Dead.

It's crazy to think how this was received in 1970. The heaviness and themes are common place now but in 1970 this would have been so very heavy.

First got me into metal despite it being a starkly different genre- at least through the contemporary metal perception. Solid and eternal.

If you build it they will come. Clearly the album that influenced so many future bands. This thing is so beautifully perfect in its imperfections. Tempo waivers, string drags, vocal cracks…and yet who cares. And the way it was recorded live from the floor makes it even more badass. Close to a 5 in my book.

Awesome album, terrifying album art. Loved this from start to finish, from riff to riff. The way they recorded this makes it feel like you’re listening to their live set. Just great, nearly a 5 for me.

Probably a good thing they didn’t stick to original name: The Polka Tulk Blues Band. Not quite the same ring. I wasn’t around at the time but I can imagine how different this felt to everything else at the time. And still relevant today. Shit, would love if something this came out now and set a path for the next gen of solid rock music! A solid 4.

God damn these licks are tasty! Thoroughly enjoyed this album. Rare case of me wishing an album was a bit longer. Easy 4* for me. Crazy that it was recorded in only 12 hours considering the influence on rock/metal. Good shit. 4.25/5

Just as I imagined this would be.

Black Sabbath isn't my usual jam, but I can see why this album is on the list.

Never heard this album in full before. often silly lyrics. one of very few bands that can have a silly song about wizards that's not a low point Black Sabbath knew how to make an awesome groove right out of the gate. The guitar and bass playing similar lines weaving in and out of time with each other is so cool. My biggest gripe is that this would be even better if it dropped some of the guitar solos. very impressive for something recorded in one day music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Endlessly funny that this is a document of some dopey British blues guys sort of accidentally inventing a genre. It rocks so hard. The line “without warning, a Wizard walks by” rocks so hard.

I could have done without the 25 jam but other than that this is a great album.

First impression: not sure if it's for me, I like a lot of the guitar but the singer's voice isn't my favorite Second listen: liked it a little more this time, probably wouldn't add it to a list of favorites but might give it a listen every once in a while. 3.5/5 stars

And the world was inflicted with both heavy metal and Ozzy Osbourne ever since.

Start of the album full of great songs and then the second half jam session got pretty boring

Black Sabbath's debut starts with the sound of church bells tolling in the rain. Atmospheric. It includes classic Sabbath riff fests such as N.I.B but also has prominent blues elements, particularly on Warning. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: N.I.B. Date listened: 03/02/24

Fun actually. Party and pot music.

Loved this for the most part, real rockin. Easy to jam out to, and some great riffs and vocals in there. Didn't feel the back end held up quite as much but still a really fun listen. Three and a half. Fave track: The Wizard

Really enjoyed this. Added a few tracks. 3.5-4/5

Great!

Hard Heavy Metal, kicking what was left of the 60s in the face. Like nothing you had heard before...

awesome start to metal even if its not usually my thing

Classic that changed the world.

Never really listened to Sabbath. It's a lot lighter than I expected. A lot slower paced. Grungy, grinding, bluesy rock. It's pretty good, standard rock, a little light on melody with it's own unique character.

The first metal album

Classic metal / heavy rock. Can hear the many influences to other albums to come in the future. Really liked the sound quality and rawness hearing the bass strings being plucked.

Ich mach das Review gfühlt mitere pistole ah mim chopf 😂 S Album isch ganz easy, ich han irgendwie nid viel dezue zsege. Es isch guet aber haut mich jetzt au nid so übertriebe us de socke wies gwüss anderi lüüt duet :D Ja irgendwo zwüsched 3-4 lieht da. Sones 3.7/5? Idk

My god I love Ozzy’s voice!!! Sounds so creepy cool. Love the haunting feeling to the songs. Also the crazy shit Apple Music has to say about Iommi. “When he was 17 years old, a young guitarist, born Frank Anthony Iommi, sliced the tips off two of his fingers while working at a sheet metal factory in Birmingham. The story goes that he was so determined to keep playing guitar, he fashioned prosthetic tips out of melted plastic bottles and detuned his guitar by a minor third because the looser strings were easier to play. ”

Buen sonido

This was a treat to listen to. Enjoyed each track, and of course, the Prince is awesome.

4/5 awesome album. Love the guitar, never listened to the first sabbath album. Just wish it was longer!

“They can put a man on the moon quite easy”

sorprendentemente me gustó.

SCC.

Good old Classic Metal Songs with Ozzy

Everytime I listen to Black Sabbath, I ask myself «Where did that come from?». After spending some time with this album, I do see how these four young musicians mixed their jazz and blues roots into something heavier than what the world had seen up to that point. It is, however, even clearer to see the influence they have had on what came after them. Brilliant album, that I listen to far too seldom.

feeling like a fool for not listening to this before now. love the theatricality. had me dancing

Cooley Album, rockig, aber auch nicht zu hart. Wohl das erste Heavy Metal Album.

Great album, I felt like one song started and blended right into the next.

Still a decent album, even if the song combos trend a little long for me.

great classic rock

Ozzy’s voice is extremely strong and the whole album has a depth I haven’t realized before.

Alfa metal. Great riffs, great vocals, great everything. Ez 4.5

Fantastic riffs. 4.5

Another classic. An easy listen with a bit of head banging.

Really good actually. Sounds like black sabbath. Muddy, grungy, loud. Like it a lot

I'll always have a soft spot for Black Sabbath, between Ozzy's rending vocals, Iommi's guitar lines, the trendsetting bass tone, and the tight drums from the guy whose name I never remember. The debut album isn't my favorite though, and I'm always waiting for the plodding title track to make it to the fantastic outro. N.I.B. is the noteworthy track for me, with one of the classic rock bass lines.

Los 10 minutos del tema 7 son pura magia.

Enjoyed the harmonica. Got a little repetitive. But I can see it's appeal.

Great album.

Instrumentally, it doesn’t quite get any more hardcore than this. Ozzy’s vocals fit in perfectly with the hard hitting drums, steady bass, and electrifying guitar. Everything meshes perfectly here and you have top tier talent in every facet. My problem is that with almost a forty minute run time made up of just five songs, you’re getting tracks that are unjustifiably long. They’re all epic, no doubt, but they could have toned it down just a notch with the guitar solos. 4/5

- Kannte ich nicht vorher nicht, da ich im Metal einfach meistens in der Core Abteilung unterwegs bin - gefiel mir aber sehr gut, echt eine starke Platte

Changed my whole perception of Black Sabbath! Enjoyed this far more than I expected 3.8

I enjoyed this one!

Quite enjoyed this, sounds very raw but I think that's a good thing. Definitely still finding their feet, vocals are a bit ropey, some songs are a bit too long, still must have been groundbreaking when it was released. Don't feel compelled to hear it again which isn't a good sign but was worth hearing nonetheless. 3.5.

Maybe not as good as Paranoid, but still pretty excellent. Eclectic and rather buoyant and bombastic. NIB likely my favourite song but I was thoroughly enthused about the final two tracks.

Heavy

first metal album.... is pretty great. there's a lot more funk here than i expected lol 8.2/10

Gruwelijk album, kende black sabbath wel maar niet zo goed. Echt een sick album

It was fun to find out that the first heavy metal album’s sound happened because of Tommy Iommi’s fingertip injuries and Geezer Butler’s inability to play the bass. Also fun to hear that Ozzy has ALWAYS sounded that way. Rather enjoyed this lovely little gem of doom.

Not bad, some of the songs are bit a too much of generic rock, but some are absolute bangers and have really good parts. It seems by african music as well giving at time a průhonice vibe again. A distinct one to the Pink Moon vibe though. The songs are generally quite long, but that doesn't personally bother me. Though I am still to form a better opinion with time, as of now I liked it overall. 7.5/10, because some parts are just *muah*💋 Also know what sabbath means now.

Might rate later didn't finsh coz slep

Primer álbum de Black Sabbath que oigo, me ha gustado bastante. Muy molones todos los temitas, y te deja con buen sabor de boca.

I heard this was the first ever heavy metal album? Not really my bag, man, but I can respect the music and the musicians' skill. N.I.B. was good. What does N.I.B. mean anyway? New In Box?

super pleasantly surprised - can honestly say not what i expected but what i got was way better

Rating: 9/10 Amazing debut album. The first heavy metal album, what an introduction to the genre and this fantastic band. Starts off particularly strong with truly evil sounding songs like Black Sabbath and N.I.B., the rest of the songs have a strong blues and hard rock influence which are all great. The riffs and tones of the instruments on this album are stellar. The second half of the album is not as good as the first half but still great, not a single bad song or moment on the entire album. I definitely prefer Paranoid and Master of Reality to this one though. Favorite songs: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B, Evil Woman, Warning. Least favorite song: Sleeping Village.

Obviously good and influential but the vocals are weak imo and the next album is more indicative of where metal would go.

It’s Sabbath. I was bound to enjoy it at least a bit.

It rocks pretty much all the way through, but lets face it, this is barely 'singing' - and it shows

Hey, it's metal.

Groundbreaking album given that it was released in 1970. Not something I'd listen to regularly these days, but I fully appreciate this album as the first heavy metal album ever. One of the earliest examples of "shredding" outside of Jimi Hendrix that I've heard. The dark aesthetic of the lyrics and album cover must have been truly wild in 1970.

The first half of this album is all killers. The second half mostly fillers. 4 small stars because of the strengths of the first half.

It was okay. Not blown away, but a good listen. A small 4 stars

\m/ jeg elsker at der var saxofon på Evil Woman

Meget bra bursdagsalbum

I liked it, but I can't get over how dated it sounds to appreciate how influential it was when it came out. There were several long instrumental breaks I could have done without. Vocal melodies were very repetitive, which is probably intentional to emphasize the "inevitable doom" vibe of the album. Highlights: The Wizard, Wicked World

Almost as good as Brown Sabbath!

Good album, more so since it is their first. Revolutionary based on trends in music. Some long songs should have been split up and it would have improved the album.

An album filled with some classic riffs by the Geezer and Tony. Such a classic heavy album.

Absolute banger

Remember this album fondly from my teenage years.

Perfect album for Sunday morning chores. 🤘 Great album.

zamn

This is an excellent album and I can’t believe I’ve never listened to it before! Fantastic guitar riffs and bass lines. Ozzy is Ozzy, and he was fine. I was probably put off by the marketing of it all when I was a kid. I wasn’t big into the occult, so the schoolyard rumours about what heavy metal bands do in the shadows turned me away. Not even close to as heavy as I thought it’d be. Will keep in my collection for listening over and over again. Mid 4

Heel goed album, maar voor mij hoeft dit nog geen 5 sterren te zijn. Ik weet niet wat het is. Als je puur de invloed en relevantie voor muziek later zou meenemen is het vast een no brainer, maar als album op zichzelf mist het gewoon nog wat, wat niet gek is natuurlijk. Dus 4 sterren voor de legende, voor de moeite en mooie dingen die volgden.

I thought I’d like this more than I did. I enjoyed it, but felt it lacked a certain something to really push it over the edge…Not quite as hard/heavy as I expected or hoped. Difficult to rate, but 3.5? Highlights: - N.I.B. - The Sleeping Village

Good, chill, would play again. 4 stars

No reasonable person could take this album for what it so obviously is: Pageant Rock on Halloween dressed up in its finest haunted house regalia. That's not to say a *lot* of very unreasonable people saw this as the sonic gateway to open up a portal straight to hell for the dark lord Satan himself to climb through. Hail, Satan. Glob bless Black Sabbath for giving generations of disaffected kids this accessible and delightful album dripping in sinister melodrama to needle their parents who eternally refuse to understand them.

- Heard Paranoid and Master of Reality before but not this one - Liked the others a bit more but this was still very good - Some songs I thought were only ok, but the good ones more than made up for it - Fav songs: NIB, Wicked World, Black Sabbath

Not my favorite Sabbath album, but they are the godfather's of heavy metal music, and one of my favorite bands. \m/

Honestly not bad.

Good

Doom and not gloom

Maximum headbanging... Black Sabbath delivers as usual. Every song is a banger, plus the tuplets in the guitar riffs are appropriate and catchy.

Though their debut is still a little rough around the edges, and very much indebted to the heavy blues rock that was around at the time, you can see them already carving a completely new path in rock music. The opening track especially is just haunting, and incredible that it came out in 1970, the blueprint for heavy metal right there. The next couple of albums are what really defined their sound and took them to godlike status, but this is undeniably a fantastic start to the discography of one of rocks most important artists.

Favourite tracks: N.I.B Warning Wicked world

I think it’s a great sabbath album but it’s not as good as master of reality and paranoid is better 4.5

Fun fact: I knew about Ozzy before I knew about Black Sabbath. If I have kids, that will be amended. Album #6. Of all of the popular late 20th century music genres I can think of, metal is definitely on the side of those I'm less acquainted with. I can name up to a dozen songs, have only actively heard a few artists, and have never in my memory heard a full metal album. Luckily, however, the band I've become most acquainted with from the scene is probably one of the best, most essential picks, and I happen to actually really enjoy their music! It's Black Sabbath! Who could've guessed. I knew this album would be good, but I didn't expect it to work so well for me in a variety of settings. Alongside being a perfect album to trudge around and bang one's head to, it's also surprisingly effective study music! The shredding is intense, the progression generally remains steady and interesting, and you can reach out and pull the atmosphere around you like a weighted blanket. A great album for a Friday. I still don't know where to start with metal (and with this project going on, I'm not sure if I want now to be my deep dive) but I can now say I have a favorite band.

Très bon album. Rien à jeter. Black Sabbath, The Wizard, N.I.B - des classiques

Really enjoyed this one. Such a crucial early metal album. Probably not my favourite Sabbath album, but still really excellent. 4/5

The first song is legendary. The other songs are pretty good but not nearly as good as the first.

there’s a reason sabbath are legends in metal and rock, and i found this more listenable than expected. it gets a bit boring halfway through, but overall i enjoyed it more than i expected based on my other experiences with metal

Warning is way too long for my liking, the rest of the songs were not too memorable but they were really beautiful

Surprisingly, I don't think I've ever listened to this one. Love the fact that it starts out with Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on the album titled Black Sabbath. Spooky vibes out of the gate on the title track. Love the patience in this track. Obviously early and pre-refinement, but the band still shows so much of what they tap into later in their career. Sludgy, moody progression with blubbering bass and flaming guitar work; not to mention Ozzy's one of a kind vocals. Track 3 is a weird one that is effectively four individual songs sequenced into one. N.I.B. is the standout and one that I had largely forgotten about. Very rough recording quality, but mixing is still pretty solid. Wicked World stands out as a (weirdly) jazzy rock song. Tight work during the introduction. This is a 4, near 5 for me. Genre defining and so much good in here. The album almost sounds like there is a layer of dust. Love me some early Sabbath.

Great album. Really enjoyed the listen and would listen again. I've heard all these songs but honestly never listened all the way through this album in one sitting.

Guitar shreds, Bassist shreds, Ozzy shreds the vocs. The Wizard is great. Whole album good, not many words needed.

Such deep dark Sabbath. I love how spooky it starts with the beginning of Black Sabbath then just goes into some face melting. The harmonica on Wizard to follow it up is a great transition. The remaining songs are just hard guitar riffs with Ozzys signature voice to go on top of it. NIB being the highlight of that. I like how it's only technically 5 songs but there are about 10 songs on it.

In love with this first song. Love the key change towards the end. Had this on in the background while working today but definitely coming back to it. Felt engaged in every song even though I wasn't 100% paying attention to it.

Aside from the album art and maybe "wicked world", this is no heavier than any Led Zeppelin from the same timeframe, and Led Zep I and II were released prior to this (not to mention the striking similarities between "The Wizard" and "Ramble On"). Not saying that Black Sabbath shouldn't be considered a metal pioneer, just not sold on them being the peak of the unholy trinity. Even so, this record is cool to death.

All hail the mighty Black Sabbath! Listened to all of the songs many times, but never the whole album front to back. That is the best part about this website in my opinion.

Rock and roll.

The birth of stoner metal

In 1970 this was absolutely 5 star with nothing that came close to it. But it was overtaken by Paranoid. Still... the title track is a doom laden killer, while we hear some great riffs from Tommy and that glorious swing that Bill brought to the party. It's still a great introduction to the band (including some naff lyrics from Ozzie).

Grappig, de heren meten zich een satanisch imago aan en gaan het vervolgens toch vooral hebben over relatieproblemen met hun vriendin. Deep purle-achtige klanken, vet Engels accent, ik vond het eigenlijk best geinig om te luisteren.

And with this the transition from the blues to heavy metal is complete. This is definitely one to think about in the context of when it was released. Supposedly recorded in its entirety in 12 hours, it's rough, chunky and dark. And it effectively launched a genre.

A seminal album, if like me, you like old school metal. The title track, and opener, is stupendous and other numbers - NIB, Wicked World, set the template for subsequent Sabbath albums and their many imitators. The deft musicianship belies their reputation for blundering riffs (although these are here too). A few fillers on here loses them a *

Big riffs and big drama! From the very first track, Black Sabbath knew exactly who they were as a band. The opening title track is a great mission statement for their career that followed. Style and showmanship are the focus here. The songwriting isn’t always memorable but who cares when the music rocks as hard as this?

Must've been a trip when this first came out.

I loved this in high school.... not so much now, but I can still see it's importance.

This album was quite enjoyable, particularly the guitar. I haven’t listened to much Black Sabbath over the years. So I have missed on how good Tommy Iommi is. He is the only non-bass guitar and he carries the sound well, which is impressive to do. His sound is one I’d like to emulate, but I’m not going to slice the tips off two of my fretting fingers to do it. I might try his down tuning though. It’s crazy to think his industrial accident contributed to his unique sound. I also like that they recorded the album live in the studio for the most part all in 12 hours. That makes sense with some of the rough notes and little mistakes throughout.

Pour la première fois, j'ai vraiment ressenti la qualité angoissante de la voix d'Ozzy, le mal de vivre qu'elle véhicule. C'était sombre et autrement plus sobre que je m'y attendais. J'ai vraiment aimé. J'ai hésité à donner 5 étoiles.

Really a 4.5. They shaped a whole genre in one album. In 1970! Like everyone was still doing smiley hippy, and then Sabbath did this. The b side gets a lil sleepy which is really the only thing holding it back from a perfect score for me, but the A side is unbelievable.

I have a very fond memory of one of those “I Love The…” shows where they interviewed Scott Ian from Anthrax, and he was recounting when he at a very young age came into possession of this album. He proceeded to play it on his record player while sitting there staring at the album art while listening, and he was overcome by not just a deep admiration for the sound but also a genuine fear and unsettling feeling stemming from the sound/art combo. This record is the real deal, such an amazing sound especially for the time. It works so well because it happens so organically. Tony Iommi isn’t tuning down his guitar to sound br00tal, he tunes it down because he lost his fingertips in a factory accident and it’s difficult to press down on higher-tension strings with his prosthetics. Ozzy isn’t singing about Satan and the occult JUST to freak people out, but also because that’s what he happened to be studying and learning about while writing. The sound is sublime. It works so well because this record especially showcases their uniquely evil twists combining with the sound of their influences and contemporaries (Geezer Butler’s basslines sound like they could be from rockin’ bands ranging from Cream to Blue Cheer and Bill Ward almost has a classic rock n roll swing to his parts). Ozzy’s vocal parts show us why he’s a household name. It’s easy to forget that he wasn’t always a legacy act, but at one point was legit as hell (who else could so expertly sell lyrics like “My name is Lucifer please take my hand”) as he sings here in a lower, almost pained register than we know him for. The one drawback that keeps this from being a perfect record is that the feeling of “weird guy you kind of know is taking you to see spooky shit in the woods at night” that makes this record so great does kind of lead it to meander a little too far off the path. The closing song suite does lose the plot a bit and drag with repetition, and for me The Wizard doesn’t quite have the same substance the other tracks bring to the table. Otherwise though…incredible stuff. I love this record. If you don’t fuck with the ramp-up at the end of the opening title track, or the twists and turns of the first song suite culminating into N.I.B., then Metal may just not be for you.

It’s so good but then it gets really boring and jammy at the end.Some amazing bangers but you could shave off like 20 mins of this album and it would be better I think.The wizard,black sabbath and n.i.b. Are some of the best metal song ever made though.

Great album

I expected a bit more since it is Black Sabbath, a quite known name. Thought already from the first song I didn't really jam with it. Like it's a good album, but not one that I find that interesting. It's a good album to have in the background. A low 4.

Aaaaait

The only kind of metal I really like. Hard riffs and limited screaming. Some more great Sabbath

Of the first three Black Sabbath albums I feel like this is they one that gets slept on the most. I feel like that may be because of how the tracks are put together with them being so long and some having multiple parts which can throw some people off. I still love this album, it has a sort of horror movie aesthetic to me in that there feels like there is a big focus on creating an atmosphere. I think it makes it feel fuller sonically. I love all four tracks with my favorite being "Wasp / Behind The Wall Of Sleep / Basically / N.I.B.". 8.5/10

later albums are better, but they were still cooking here

How rock music should sound. Super electric guitar playing throughout and a lead singer with a distinctive voice.

i get it now

It's a good album. The lyrics are dumb as hell (except possibly for "Warning"), but so what? This is Ozzy and the beginnings of doom metal, and the music rocks.

a vibe. not necessarily my vibe, but a vibe nonetheless.

Brill

The birth of heavy metal is glorious to hear, the talent on full display, a true pleasure to listen to.

3.75/5 Now *this* is the kale of metal. As in, if Def Leppard was Cheetos, Black Sabbath is a super food. It's dark moodiness was set so well at the beginning of the album and followed throughout in the weirdness of the album. The lyrics are kinda on the satanic side (I think) for most people, but as a Pagan it seems very sensational, Hollywood and even kinda cute. I really liked the heavy guitar riffs. Ozzy's voice is iconic. Black Sabbath was a mood.

Great album, I really like Black Sabbath, the fat riffs, the vocals, the groove, the solos. It's always a pleasure to listen to. Favorite Tracks : Black Sabbath, NIB, Evil Woman, Warning Rating : 4.25 / 5

N.I.B is one of my all time favs, super fun to listen to this album again!

Even before Paranoid, they were capable of inventing half of all metal music genres. There are only five tracks and they all blew me away in their own ways. With how long each of the tracks are, especially the jammy finale, the whole record goes by very quickly, making it a very easy listen and fun for anyone trying to get into Black Sabbath or really heavy metal as a whole. The titular intro track has such an eery stoner rock groove with clear vocals about Satan and black magic, telling you exactly what you need to know despite audiences never hearing anything like it. It breaks into a satisfying explosion of intense riffs. "The Wizard" immediately moves on as the most accessible track on the album, suitable as a contemporary to other early heavy metal albums at the time with its strong blues style. Just like Led Zeppelin, every member is outperforming yet complimenting each other. The "Wasp" medley could have been four songs, but it works better as a smooth flow of slow groovy parts. Resembles acid rock quite a lot here by the half-way point, embodying Jimi Hendrix-esque heavy distorted solos. "Wicked World" is a chaotic all-out blues track that seems to go everywhere. A bit of a mess but in a good way with where they take the song in under 5 minutes. We end the album with the 14-minute jam track "A Bit of Finger", with awesome guitar riffs but in particular a groovy and doomy bassline I fell in love with.

Unsure: Black Sabbath are meant to be the stereotypical, really good rock bad liked my a vast majority of rock heads. I’m not sure if I took this away from listening to it tho. At some point all the tracks sounded the same and it just didn’t quite hit the spot I was expecting. Neither bad nor amazing but I have to give the album credit for its influence.

Decent stuff

Very splendid album, amazing. 4 Stars since I like one other album from Black Sabbath even more

Awesome metal album

Some absolutely belting riffs. Wasn't too sure how much I would get on board with this album, but it is a cracker

Me sigue jodiendo que ozzy le mordiera la cabeza a un murcielago

Cuánta música que no existiría si este disco nunca se hubiera grabado

Sounds a little dated in places but still a strong album

This is such an important album that shaped the genre and is so influential till this day! Black Sabbath has some really solid songs on this album and prove they have a gift to show the world. Iomni’s great riffs, Butler’s solid bass lines, Ward keeping down the fort on the drums and Osbourne wailing away. The sinister edge in the lyrics and music made this band very interesting and what makes them special! 8,5 out of 10

Great. Like hearing heavy metal in a vacuum where the only precursor for something this hard and spooky is Zeppelin. But it lacks some of the raw energy of Paranoid from later that same year. What makes that sophomore effort so earth-shattering is it takes the cult, working-class heroes behind this album and puts the whole financial weight of the studio and support of the public behind them. The rest is heavy metal history. Also, parts of these songs are a bit too close to those on Paranoid for comfort. Like the first part of track 3, "The Wasp," and Paranoid's "War Pigs." I know "The Wasp" came first, but on Paranoid those ideas, while similar, are better fleshed out. In some ways Black Sabbath plays like the blue print for what would be realized on their sophomore effort.

4/5 amazing that they recorded this in one 12-hour session

not really my style, but good

The creepy album cover is one cool cover. This album may seem a bit simple by today's standards but I still think it holds up. Sure it doesn't have their most well known tracks but the sound is definitely there. Many of the riffs are great, I particularly enjoy "The Wizard". Once getting used to Ozzy's singing on the first track I enjoyed the whole album. Must've been bonkers to here this in 1970.

The blues influence is very strong on the debut album of Black Sabbath, but it's heavier rock than that - it's the birth of heavy metal. There are some very good riffs. The band recorded this album in late 1969, imagine how innovative this sound was at that time and how heavy it was for everything that was before. It was something completely different to what was before. Ozzy's voice or the lyrics are less interesting. For this reason, overall I give the album a rating of 4.

Pure, unadorned rock that leaves everything on the table. No gimmicks, tricks, or attempts to patch over potential weak spots with studio fixes - just one band showing off instrumental prowess by way of chugging melodic lines that break far beyond the blues scale woes of the time.

I loved it, great riffs

I liked this way more than I expected, even though hard rock/metal is one of my highest rated genres. I really liked that each song had its own flavor of hard rock and it didn't at all sound repetitive. At first I didn't like Ozzy's singing voice, but it eventually won me over

jsp jaime bien

Ik kende wel wat Black Sabbath werk, maar van dit album kende ik nog niks. Verrassend goed album. Staat bol van de blues-invloeden en dat maakt het voor mij bovengemiddeld goed (en dus ook beter dan ik had verwacht). 4 sterren omdat ik niet verwacht dat ik deze, ondanks dat het zo verrassend goed beviel, nog vaak aan ga zetten.

One of the great heavy metal albums of all time. If I selected only one Sabbath release it would be Paranoid, but this is where it all started and would an easy inclusion on my list. They run out of steam a bit on side two and the lack of subtlety doesn't help, but arguably creating heavy metal as we know it is enough to make this a must have.

Sida 1: cinq points Sida2 : trois points Le Black Sabbath: quatre points

Not sure if anything stood out to me, but as a whole I enjoyed it more then Paranoid.

Very solid! Loved the title track as well as The Wizard

This is not my favorite Black Sabbath album, but only because of the standard set for the next three releases. It's good enough and was the gateway to metal. Evil Woman and the title track are classics though.

Cat: so fucking awesome. Created their own genre. Dark and demonic. Guitar and bass are awesome. What a sound! The story about Iommi’s fingers and how he got his sound are insane. AJ: never really dove into these guys. Know the hits and love them for the most part. But this album fucking rules. It’s crazy it was their first and they’re just so fucking great together. Everyone is so good at their job! Just heavy bluesy 70’s goodness. Holy shit.

For the genre, this is classic.

I would definitely listen to this again!

Black Sabbath- we love a self reference straight out the gate 👍 The Wizard- Like this one, again lyrics arent really up to much 👍 Behind the wall of sleep- Some good guitar work, otherwise just okay NIB- Again, great guitar work, but the melody is v generic Evil Woman- lol didn’t realise this was a cover. I still liked it 👍 Sleeping woman- ooh this is interesting, a lot of guitar work which is amazing 👍 Warning- This is fine, but a fair bit too long for my taste Wicked world- Heavy handed but still strong 👍 I liked this well enough, especially for being a forerunner to a genre it still holds up 4/5

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on the album Black Sabbath

Great guitar and bass on this.

Ah, this is much more what I expected from Black Sabbath: shadowy, moody, bass-y, guitar-y, long noodly segments. I don't dislike it but it's not nearly as appealing as Paranoid and Vol. 4.

I was sure that I'd be worshipping Satan after one listen to this album. So much for all the propaganda of my youth. As a Halloween aficionado, I am surprised that it has taken this project to have me listen to any Black Sabbath. Seems tailored to a Halloween party, at least a few songs interspersed here or there. I liked this album more than Vol. 4, a little less than Paranoia.

Rocks pretty hard.

Great album could be a five if it was more nostalgic but I always listened to paranoid

Dark and moody. Love it.

Not quite as good as Paranoid, but still great.

Maybe to my surprise I really enjoyed this one. Lots of stuff that maybe I wouldn't usually be a fan of just seemed to click. Whole thing just has a bit of an aura about it which is rounded off by the absolutely brilliant album cover art. Stuff like Ozzy just screaming in despair in the first song and a handful of brilliant guitar solos were just a real enjoyment to listen to.

Jackson: Opening title track "Black Sabbath" pretty swell. Nice job dudes. Note in sony in-ears. He isn't my favourite vocalist, though I not my least fav. I am reasonably thoroughly enjoying this. Could be a 4. Wow warning just came out and did it. That in your ear finger electric guitar was cool. This dude is a good guitarist, like first album geez. Creative and dynamic, scare the hoes type musique. Peak: Black Sabbath NIB Pits: Overall: Pretty strong entry, varied (unlike some metal I have had to sit through). It seems a symptom of being on the forefront, they couldn't go "too far". Its really dark and creepy feeling, but its not just slamming instruments. I feel as though every song has a purpose. Its a decent 4, which is about as high as metal can go for me. (see the other two first three sabbath ratings, all 4s, really good start to a discog).

Amazing cover, great intro. Then the rest of the album is good, typical Sabbath minus the Celtic bores.

achei que por ser álbum de metal ia ser mais pesado mas acho que estava confundindo com heavy metal. gostei bastante do álbum.

I enjoyed quite a lot as non metal fan. This album is pioneer for heavy metal

Quality metal album, I can imagine how ground breaking this must have been in 1970. Can totally see the foundations of Black Sabbath went on to become from this album as well. Quality!

Probably the heaviest album ever at that time.

Incredibly heavy for 1970.

Banger Sabbath album.

I’ve never heard this record before. It reminds me of satanic panic. First song, self title and the namesake of the band, it’s got a real sinister sound to it. The Wizard is a lot more fun and almost has some precursor elements of War Pigs in the chord progression. Some real good jams. Ozzy’s vocal layering kind of sounds like a goblin sometimes. I saw him perform once and he was reading his songs on the teleprompter. We are so used to hearing the same old stuff (two songs) by this band but you forget that the guy can sing!! Some awesome noodling too honestly

Birth of many genres. Metal, doom, stoner rock. Iommi is a beast with raw riffs spread throughout.

The Sabbath debut is timeless in recording all the elements of later heavy styles, but lighter. The feat hasn't quite been duplicated, and over Black Sabbath it's not clear whether that's good or bad. To get noisier is a gimmick, but one that works; Meanwhile, the band dispenses with gimmick almost entirely. Victim of divergent European and American pressings, the album gnaws with the question of definitive version.

Pretty great album, never thought I’d like Sabbath, but have really enjoyed their early stuff

First Black Sabbath album I've ever listened to... somehow... which I guess is the whole point of this project! Banging album! More accessible than I expected. And always nice to hear a bunch of 20-somethings finding their way in music.

ozzy used to be so cool

Actually geriau, nei tikejausi. Still eh. Bet nu gal bsk maziau eh negu kiti 3 zvaigzduciu, tai 4 ig

This album surprised me in enjoyment

Very important, but has been done better by other bands since. Didn't realise there would be harmonica!

Classic, not as good as Paranoid but almost

Evil. Thick. Heavy. Dissonant at times. What else can I say? You know what time it is.

Good and highly influential.

I dig 'em. Blues-y and rocking, I'll come back to this (and their next few albums) for sure.

I particularly like the song The Wizard, but this album doesn't have the refined voice of other Sabbath albums, and doesn't have as many tracks that feel tineless like other albums. A great moment in musical history but far from perfect.

Wow! I'd never heard this before and it's really something else. It really was the start of something big.

Bill bättre än ja trodde

Solid debut laying the grounds to be improved upon only a few months later. 🤟

Superb cover! Och för att objektivt ha uppfunnit metal-genren är musiken ganska bra.

I was honestly surprised at how many songs off of this album I recognized. I've listened to other Sabbath albums, but never this one before. This album definitely has an immature sound relative to Paranoid, but all of the elements are here. It's a cool landmark in the history of heavy metal, and it makes it easy to see how blues rock became the heavy metal of the 80s that I'm more familiar with 4/5

Heel erg vet. Grondleggers van een genre, en dat kunnen maar weinig bands zeggen.

Classic

Wow, what a debut album! This has some of Sabbath's best tracks on it - the title track, The Wizard and NIB Give your ears a treat and put this on. LOUD!!!!

Black Sabbath is the debut album by the English heavy metal band of the same name. This album is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album. Amazingly, the album was recorded in a single day - consisting of the band's live set - and overdubs and mixing took place the following day. Dismissed by critics at release, the debut album has been lauded in recent years for being an innovative heavy blues rock album that ushered in the heavy metal genre. It was cool hearing the first album from Black Sabbath, and I actually enjoyed it. The sense of doom that the music instills is trippy and the guitar riffs are invigorating. Great album!

Really good. Not heavy. Interesting riffs. Quite lo-fi.

The original metal album. Spawned an entire genre of music. Learned about it in Metal 101 with Professor Duke

Very spooky. Much more in line with my taste in music than a lot of the recent stuff. It’s easy to forget how well Ozzy does as frontman until you really listen to him sing the lyrics. No songs really stood out as total winners to me, but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. Everything was just well done and cohesive. A lower 4, but still a 4.

My favorite Black Sabbath record, but how much does that really mean? It’s like a third grader saying their favorite movie. This is even better than I remembered. I only remembered liking Black Sabbath (song), but the whole album is great. More like a 3.5 for me, but closer to a 4.

Bands everywhere wish they had a debut album like Black Sabbath. Historical significance aside, there are so many instant classics on here that the band was swooped up in success. Fantastic.

Heavy af this totally rips!! I like it for the same reason Led Zep 1 is my favorite LZ album, I can't get enough of those heavy riffs!

Beautifully crafted. Wonderful piece of music. Looking forward to listening again. Reminds of early Tool songs in terms of lyricism and drum beats.

Quite the slow burn intro. Honestly not as metal as anything modern. More akin to stoner/psychedelic rock. Delightfully fuzzy guitars and baleful vocals.

Może nie tak dobre jak Paranoid, ale wciąż kawał porządnej pionierskiej muzyki. 4.5/5

Very good rock

Incredible classic rock!

Этот альбом скорее граничит над металом и психоделическим роком того времени, ежели является чем-то одним. Как прародитель самого жанра он воспринимается вполне хорошо, из особенного могу выделить виртуозные соло и инструментал в целом.

Less metal like then I originally expected. Went in thinking I wouldn't like it and was pleasantly surprised.

First, what an amazing album cover. This band did so much to solidify its legacy right out of the gate — evocative band name, sinister sounding guitars tuned to whatever note that is, ability to turn blues' riffs into sinister slow boils, lyrics that are one part horror movie and one part everyman poetry... it's no wonder this band is still a force. Still, somehow, I never loved Black Sabbath. I totally dig some of their major hits, I absolutely love what they represent, I get what makes them masters of the genre, but I don't particularly enjoy listening to the band. Maybe it's the sludgy guitars, maybe it's the incessant slow throb or Ozzy's particular pitch... whatever it is, they've never been a band I dug into. But this listen gave me a real appreciation for the blues foundation this band is built on and also showcased musicality (and drumming) that might not always get appreciated amid the unholy trappings that the group is best known for. Great debut album.

This album cover haunted me as a kid. All my brother had to do was flash this album cover (or Toys in the Attic) and I would run screaming. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this listen more than I thought. I wish I had the musical vocabulary to describe that distinct sound I hear over and over in Black Sabbath---dun dun dun du du... It's the beginning of Iron Man but I hear in nearly all of their songs. Is this part of their kitsch? I thought Black Sabbath was all Ozzy's brainchild. Having read the Wikipedia entry it's really Tony Iommi and the accident he had in a sheet metal factory at 17 that is the driving force and sound: "an accident at a sheet metal factory where he was working at the age of 17 in which the tips of the middle fingers of his fretting hand were severed. Iommi created a pair of false fingertips using plastic from a dish detergent bottle and detuned the strings on his guitar to make it easier for him to bend the strings, creating a massive, heavy sound." Now THAT is metal! However, I would classify Black Sabbath as rock. Good rock with a groove I can dig. They are nowhere near as scary nor hard as I thought as a kid. SIDENOTE: I saw Ozzy and family at the Roxy one wild NY night. Kelly was singing "Papa Don't Preach" at the club and we nearly got kicked out because Keith kept saying "hi" and trying to shake his hand.

My 2nd Black Sabbath album so far. The more I hear them, the more I really like them. Incredible album especially as a debut. They really inventes a new sound and feeling.

fantastic debut, still holds up

Liked a couple of songs

Very good. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 in reality.

This was quite a bit different from what I expected, but it was great. Interestingly, I thought the two most popular tracks were the two weakest ones on the album. Getting into a groove on hard rock tracks is so impressive to me. Favorite track: Wasp / Behind the Wall of Sleep / Basically / N.I.B.

like like like

Goddam! 4.5/5

the world today is such a wicked place

This is a classic. Not Sabbath at their best as far as I'm concerned (I like later and RJD-era better), but they had to start somewhere. And this is probably the beginning of what we know as metal. It has remarkable legs and resilience.

Better than Paranoid in my opinion. Great opener and closer.

Legendary. This album is so damn good.

I had never really delved into the Black Sabbath album. Was more of a fan of Paranoid album. On Black Sabbath, I was instantly drawn to the production. The drums sound awesome. And the style has early elements that were much more polished in some later material. All in all very good.

notes - again! - referred to as the first heavy metal album - pretty much entirely recorded live - i love the quote from drummer bill ward “we werent old enough to be clever” - the whole album feels very honest because of it - much more bluesy than paranoid other than the first song - i prefer paranoid between the 2 fav - the wizard - i like the harmonica and drums a lot on this least fav - not sure…. theyre all pretty much on the same level 4/5

Surprisingly entertaining from end to end. I'm not usually one for doom and gloom; I didn't expect to like it so much. I guess I can see why Ozzy is famous now! (at least at first)

Could I really be a Black Sabbath fan?

Classic Black Sabbath, really good listen. Two tracks not available on Spotify

There was no bad part in this album, it was all just amazing metal the whole time.

Wow! I’m used to all the typical mess that every jock had in their tape deck when ACDC wasn’t playing…but this was better than expected. Really good

Vreh

good good

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Black sabbath, NIB, Evil woman, Warning

This probably could have been a 5-star review for me, but I just really did not get the title track opener. I understand it's dark and morbid and what propelled Black Sabbath into defining a new genre, but it just didn't do it for me. The rest of the album absolutely slayed, however. It was more reminiscent of the progression of blues rock (i.e. Led Zeppelin) than it was "heavy metal" but I get that it's just a deeper sound. They totally nailed it.

Good shit

4.5

It’s not as heavy as I thought it would be to be honest which to be fair is good for me as i’am not really a fan of super heavy music. I think the 1,2 punch of having black sabbath and the wizard as the first two tracks was an amazing choice with the brooding riff that runs through black sabbath and on the wizard who would expect for a harmonica to be used on a metal track? I didn’t mind Behind a wall of sleep but it does feel like a letdown after those two. N.I.B also hit me as a very interesting track with lots of layers definitely not something that I would expect from an album recorded in the late 60’s and released just into 1970. Evil woman is an odd choice for the album it’s a jumpy little cover song but that bass work is nice. Sleeping village is almost two tracks in one first a short creepy little poem of sorts then it’s a flurry of little separate instrumental tracks not a personal favourite but great from the critical perspective. Like evil woman, warning is also a cover but unlike evil woman, warning is proper black sabbath tune especially like how much instrumental work there is here. 4/5

It’s got some good songs on there, it’s definitely too short and not the best they have. It was enjoyable and I could definitely see myself listening to it again. The stories behind the songs are very interesting too, the inspiration is cool

Amazing guitar-driven storm that ravaged the music scene in the 1970 and haunted it ever since. I know a lot of heavy blues and dark sounding rock that came before this, but after listening to this, I decided that yes. "Black Sabbath" is definitely the evil growl that triggered the avalanche of heavy metal in the music scene. The first thing that I heard are thunderclaps and rain, then the iconic tritone riff. I love the doomsy vibes of it, but my favorites are the wilder ones. Those riff-driven hard rocking tales really turned this album from slacky blues to a total dark storm. I love it as a whole. However, I have mixed feelings some parts of it. Ozzy's vocals is a big debate among the listeners. I was never a fan of that one, although I agree that it has a personality that fits the theme. I don't think it will be the same with different vocals. Another is the instrumentals, especially the last ten-minute track. I know it is driven by riffs from Iommi, whose damaged fingers gave way to their signature sound. But it mostly sounds like a demo. Of course, an album created out of a single twelve hour session could sound like that. But I don't think it means that the album needs a 10-minute demo session of random riffs. It has some good parts though, and maybe if those riffs were developed into a couple of songs, it would've been better.

the intro gives chills. ozzie is crazy and i love it. this album is so weird but so good.

This album was a game-changer. One of the creepiest low-res album covers ever ... an album leading off with thunder and then the "Devil's Interval" (tritone - which ancient cultures and probably today's fking amerikkkan south thought that simply playing notes in this interval - you'll know it when you hear it - conjured the devil.) ... dark and ugly songs that talk of possession and unfriendly/otherworldly spirits... Never done before. Probably never even *thought* of before. This will be the 8 millionth time someone has written "the birth of heavy metal" but it's more like the birth of doom/dark/"satanic"/scary metal-music. If you just know the name "Black Sabbath" or "Ozzy!" and have either never heard them or only heard the (few) radio hits, this is not gonna be what you expect. Sure I'll take a nostalgic teenaged trip and enjoy the cheesy Ozzy 80s "metal" (not metal) hit "Shot In the Dark" on occasion but that wasn't dangerous or frightening in any way (unless you saw Ozzy's makeup and outfit in the video). This album is terrifying - laugh if you will but try sitting in the dark by yourself after midnight...no other media or lights... and putting this album on at a high volume. A lot of it is slow. Sludge/stoner metal. There's no 80s wall-of-sound/guitars; rather in many/most places there's a lot of *space* which 100% contributes to the creepy feel. There's *harmonica* on this album. And then there's the vocals. Ozzy is... well, Ozzy. And there was nobody who sounded like him before and maybe since. Also and especially for 1970 it just sounds so fantastic - it sounds like the band is almost live in front of you (I mean, you can of course hear double-tracked guitars and vocals but there's a natural reverb to the entire mix and with enough .... kinda-sloppy playing it's easy to imagine 75% of this as being recorded in one take). If anything negative, I do tire a little of the album by the end - the uncomplicated blues-riffery starts to get stale and I find that I never want to put this on repeat, so for that I dock a point from personal preference. But if someone has to come up with a short list of albums that influenced millions of musicians and listeners forever after, this is a slam dunk. You very well might hate it, but you'll not deny the unique place this holds in rock history. 8/10 4 stars.

fkn bangin

Darkness Baby

Oh this album does it for me. Quickly recorded (one day recording, one day mixing, almost no overdubs, except for some sound effects and the occasional double tracked solo), this band accidentally turned their limitations into a whole new genre. Guitar and bass playing unison riffs, sludgy rhythms, wildly bent notes, horror movie lyrics, heavy distortion all feature here as marks of a road-tight but not particularly technically competent band recording exactly as they played live. I listen to a lot of doom metal and stoner rock, and accidental features of this record have been copied and codified into key elements of the genre (eg, the wah bass solo at the opening of NIB, the slow, simple riffs in the title track, the double tracked solos, the tri-tone, unison riffing). There is still a vestigial tail of Sabbath wanting to be a heavy blues band in the English fashion, but they clearly aren't Led Zeppelin, and you can see them discovering the things that made them Black Sabbath here (the name, the Hammer horror lyrics, the riffs!) which will reach its peak on the next few albums. The next few albums (Paranoid, Masters of Reality, Vol. 4) are the real classics, but I love the freshness and immediacy of this album. It was hated by critics at the time, but I love it.

The Wizard is THE track on this album. Great mix of blues and rock! Clearly, the triple punch of Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning is where the focus is, but The Wizard is going to stay in my playlist. Decent little rock album here. Clean, good riffs, Ozzy is Ozzy, and a helluva debut here.

10th August 2022 Listened while driving to London in the morning. Drove back and had Adna and Joe staying before heading down to Cornwall tomorrow. I think Black Sabbath are pigeon holed by Ozzy’s prince of darkness act. Yes there is a cult-metalness to them but their musical talent is overlooked, there are songs on here that wouldn’t be out of place on a Zepplin or Floyd album.

Very good, quintessential heavy metal/proto-doom record, though not my favourite Sabbath.

The album that codified so many heavy metal tropes into one. It has some brilliant tracks, such as the title track, The Wizard, and NIB. However, I think it falls flat in the second half, with some pretty unmemorable songs.

You can definitely hear shades of what they will become in this debut. Best track: N.I.B. 7/29/2022

Début d’un nouveau band. Début d’un nouveau genre. Ma seule critique serait qu’ils essaie de se prouver et que c’est souvent croche à cause de ça.

sleeping village and warning weren't avail on spotify; found on youtube.

Still heavy after all these years. It's crazy to think this was recorded basically live in 2 days. The front half is packed with iconic tracks that built the blueprint for aspiring metal bands. These guys had the guts to do something far removed from just what was going on a couple years earlier (this came out in 1970!). They take what Cream and Led Zeppelin were doing to the next level in terms of heaviness and throw in some fantasy elements. Great listen!

Not my typical type of music but I actually really liked it. It definitely made me want to delve deeper into this genre.

Solid album. The blueprints for the heavy metal genre.

Classic

Black Sabbath is a referent of hard rock. The best songs of this album are "Black Sabbath", "The Wizard", "Evil Woman" and "Wicked World".

Great solos, classic sabbath album

Ozzy’s performance really sells this album - he is utterly convincing as a man meeting the devil or whatever and fearing for his soul. The band create a haunting and eerie sound as they thrash their way through eight twisted tracks. It really is a fun ride and way more enjoyable than expected.

This is not an album I've listened to often actually, and I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy (and I didn't remember any of the songs). But I ended up enjoying it quite a lot :) The first song was my favorite - it's such a perfect album opener, not to mention it sounds exactly like how you expect a band named Black Sabbath to sounds like. Also there's a lot of mood changes that made the album engaging throughout... although some of the guitar solos could get a bit long, especially in the last song. I think I didn't get too frustrated by it, unlike with the Van Halen album, because this one feels more like jam music whereas Van Halen was basically trying to write more structured pop songs, in which case I want a bit more sense of focus and variation. A bonus point for not sounding too sanitized and instead having a palpable sense of ambience throughout.

Energy. Fast. Slow. Dripping between peaks and valleys, ranges in noise, pitch. Iconic riffs, bass heavy beats

I love that this used to be considered heavy metal.

awesome guitar solos can get a little samey with the bass lines and vocals more catchy than anticipated considering its "metal"

I'd pay $12 for a used copy. Love title track. 4/5 stars Not particularly heavy, but awesome guitar lines. Last song meanders a bit. The harmonica is cool. I've listened to this before, return to it on occasion

Brilliant debut, mental to think this came out in 1970. Maybe being harsh but misses out on five stars because better sabbath albums were to come as paranoid and vol 4 are just better in my opinion. But this totally deserves its place on the list.

Very solid. Enjoyed it

listened to again the gods of rock are at it

A great start to the band and heavy metal as a genre. Some real classics in here.

First time Black Sabbath has shown up on this list, and it's their debut album. The opening track sets a great tone of what to expect in their sound. The two songs I know from this album are The Wizard and NIB, and both are still great. Listening to this reminded me my playlist has no Sabbath on it so I remedied that and added quite a few. Definitely holds up, Ozzy's a bit of a nut but he makes some great music and this album really holds up, love the guitars on this album. Lowest point is the album, the song has some great guitar solos but it's all a bit directionless and just goes on for way too long, I was ready to give 5 stars but that lost one for me.

File under "a classic that brings back memories". Everyone classifies this as a metal album, but I don't know. It certainly doesn't sound like contemporary metal albums do. As far as I am concerned, this is heavily rocked blues, and I'm quite fine with that. Warning has to be the favourite track here.

First 4 tracks are all timers, the flipside is a bit mediocre. 3.5

Didn't realise how bluesy BS were at the start. You can see how they fit into the heavy rock family foundations.

1970. Black Sabbath, N.I.B

A pretty good album just not up to the standard of Paranoid or my favorite 4. But this one set the template for a slew of heavy metal bands to come. 4 🌟

Tomorrow I have an old friend visiting me in my new hometown for the first time. Yesterday I was looking at a map reviewing walking routes to see the things I want to show him. I noticed there is a new "Black Sabbath Bridge" which was dedicated in 2019. So I've been thinking about Black Sabbath and it made me happy to have this album come up for me today. The Wikipedia entry on this album is well worth a quick read. They mention "the bleak industrial nightmare" of the group's hometown, Birmingham, England. Although I'm glad I didn't grow up here in the 70's, Birmingham is actually a pretty fascinating place. The industrial revolution initially started in this area making Birmingham a center of manufacturing for the next 100+ years. JRR Tolkien grew up here and The Shire is Birmingham, both at the beginning of the series (his idyllic childhood memories) as well as after Saruman's Scouring of the Shire at the end (bleak industrial nightmare). This area also gave us another bloke with occasional middle earth vibes, Robert Plant. Interestingly, Tolkien was alive for the debut albums of both Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I wonder what he thought. Anyway, great album, two thumbs up.

Picks up towards second half, bluesy and reminds me of a heavier darker LZ1

They did several better but still seminal. Not that I play it much.

Black Sabbath from the album Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath is the best Black Sabbath song from Black Sabbath discography. 5/7/2022

Liked this a lot. 4 for now, but I think it might turn into a 5 on repeated listens.

My 100th review! And it's for a good album! Rather a nice coincidence. I only really got into Black Sabbath in my 30s; beforehand, I just unconsciously assumed that I didn't need to devote any time to listening to it. I guess I had become weary of metal in my twenties, not least because moshers seemed wilfully monocultural in their dismissal of all other genres. Still, by 35 I had repented and Black Sabbath became dear to my heart. So I am already well-disposed to this record. The opening, The imaginatively titled Black Sabbath, by Black Sabbath from the album Black Sabbath, is one of the great calling cards by a band; indeed, at the very least it makes the band's name clear. It also demonstrates the great originality of Black Sabbath, namely Tommy Iommi's riffs and Ozzy Osbourne's vocals. Famously, Tommy Iommi lost the tips from two fingers from an accident at the sheet metal factory where he worked (it was his last day and all). Making a virtue from necessity, Iommi almost unthinkingly developed a wholly new sound to accommodate his circumcised hand, fretting chords and detuning his guitar as these were easier on his poor fingers. The result was the heaviest noise yet conceived. As for Ozzy, "singer" is not the word. "Interpreter" is far more suitable. A troubled youth with a Beatles obsession (he avowedly idolises Macca), Ozzy's vocals shouldn't make sense (he has a Brummie accent for God's sake, objectively by far the worst accent across the whole of the United Kingdom), but it turned out he matched this dark, arcane music perfectly by dint of his instinctive ability to howl unearthily. Oddly, not many metal bands have sought to follow Ozzy's untutored vocal (lack of) technique, preferring singers that know how to show off their range. Punk was seemingly more sympathetic to the parable of Ozzy; it's not that far a distance from Ozzy Osbourne to John Lydon and Mark E. Smith. This is to punk's credit. Black Sabbath's debut album is not perfect. The best songs (Black Sabbath, N.I.B.) are visionary and enthralling, but the covers on the album, while not bad, are not essential; the closer and cover Warning in particular drags for 10 minutes. You're here to hear Black Sabbath be Black Sabbath, not an everyday blues-rock band. You want Satanic wails and anti-hippy gothic heft, not a Cream impersonation. In other words, four stars, with future albums promising 5. Anyway, with 100 album, allow me to take stock. The only album whose rating I'd change is Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, taken down from 4 stars to 3; imagining a time-travelling Cleopatra deciding to become a stripper just smack as silly sausage, not hypnagogic. I'm very chuffed with my choices for 5-starrers, and it's only Dire Straits' debut that I'd lift out of the 1-star oubliette (only to two stars; it's not a good album, but it's not a catastrophe like the others). The best discovery I have made is Gillian Welch's Time (The Revelator), the best album so far is between Never Mind the Bollocks and Unknown Pleasures, and the worst album by a distance of several parsecs is, of course, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The biggest lesson I have learnt on this quixotic journey is that a decent, intelligently deployed sense of humour can elevate an album to the highest echelons, but nothing is more painful than bad comedy. Also, when are we going to get an edit function? I wince at every typo I have made.

REALLY enjoyed the sound although the vocals, lyrics, and track length was not my favorite

zeer goed, vol4 was beter maar ga deze zeker nog luisteren

Great metal album, some insane guitar parts and I really embrace the dark magic vibe! Fav tracks were black sabbath and evil Woman

Great one, I mean it’s not Zeppelin but you know… Ozzy’s voice was great back in the day huh?

Didn't realize I would like this so much. Ozzy's not great at singing but he is a great singer. and holy cow the guitar licks. And from a leftie no less.

Never knew I liked Black Sabbath. This era at least. This rocked

Very good

Seminal metal

Phenomenal stuff. I didn't think I'd like it half as much as I did. The Osbornes doesn't show this at all.