Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
1970, Warner Brothers
Ozzy Osbourne...Tony Iommi...Geezer Butler...Bill Ward-- not a bad rock band if you ask me! Of all the first generation metal bands, Black Sabbath was the only one that released a metallic debut. Sure, the record is slow and chock full of lazy hippy jams, but every band has to start from SOMETHING (Deep Purple was originally a pop band, and Led Zeppelin was {and remained} a tragically white ensemble recording crack-headed interpretations of the blues). On the upside, the record is consistently morbid, beginning with the gothic opener, "Black Sabbath" (later re-maimed by Type O Negative) and continuing with "The Wizard", "Behind The Wall Of Sleep", "N.I.B.", "Wicked World", and so on. While the record's sound is equally bluesy as it is metallic, I find it throughly enjoying when I'm in a certain laid back mood.
RATING: 7
Paranoid
1970, Warner Brothers
Sabbath's second album is a thoroughly metallic opus, and maintains a constant air of despondency. "War Pigs" is a cynical yet utterly realistic look at the politics behind warfare...and good ol' Satan is even thrown in for good measure. The title track became a staple on FM radio, as did "Iron Man". "Electric Funeral" is a cool, creepy song about nuclear holocaust, and eerily predicted the 80s power struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Overall, the record is awesome, and only drags during the pointless, but trippy, "Planet Caravan", and the mediocre instrumental exercise of "Rat Salad".
RATING: 8.5
Master Of Reality
1971, Warner Brothers
Give this record a chance, and it could easily become one of your favorites. Even though only 6 songs on the album actually have vocals (the other 2 are awesome instrumentals), they are all great and vary enough in texture and tempo to make this an utterly enjoyable metal experience. Tony Iommi never sounded better, though he came very close at times. Highlights: "After Forever", "Children Of The Grave", "Into The Void", and the stoner classic (get a life, and get a job!)- "Sweet Leaf".
RATING: 10
Volume 4
1972, Warner Brothers
This album has a lot of experimentation, but it's the metallic tracks that shine the brightest. "Tomorrow's Dream", "Supernaut", "Changes", and (possibly) "Under The Sun" manage to rise above the sludgy, tuneless turds like "Wheels Of Confusion", "St. Vitus' Dance", and to a lesser extent, "Cornucopia". While there are some good moments on this record (including the acoustic "Laguna Sunrise"), it's really for Sabbath completists only.
RATING: 7
Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath
1973, Warner Brothers
This time, Sabbath's experimentation works wonders for them. While some of the band's heaviness has been traded for prog-rock pomp, the album is very consistent and enjoyable. The title track is an instant classic, while "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Killing Yourself to Live" remain some of Sabbath's unsung gems. A keyboard-less "Spiral Architect" is featured on "Reunion", and it's one of the only tracks on the album that isn't utterly predictable.
RATING: 9
Sabotage
1976, Warner Brothers
While overlooked by some Sabbath fans, "Sabotage" is still a force to be reckoned with. "Sabotage" contains some of the experimentation found on "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" and, though uneven, the album contains a handful of killer tracks. From the driving, psychotic riff-frenzy of "Symptom Of The Universe" to the evil opera of "The Writ" (Queen meets Dennis Wheatley), "Sabotage" rocks the house. However, this record is not without it's turds, and they come in the form of "Megalomania" (9 minutes of it!) and "Supertzar" (an instrumental tune with a Russian chorus...which actually isn't that bad on the first listen).
RATING: 7.5
Never Say Die
1978, Warner Brothers
Despite the album's title, Sabbath's reign as metal gods was definitely beginning to slip by the time "Never Say Die" hit stores. The entire second side wallows in lazy riffs, uninspired vocals (which is rare for Ozzy), and failed experiments (Bill Ward even sings a kinky little tune at the end of the record). Side 1 is quite good, however, although "Hard Road" comes dangerously close to being a Flower Power song. That leaves us with the driving title track, the menacing "Johnny Blade" and the corrosive wah-wah barrage of "Junior's Eyes" as the leading lights on this pedestrian hard rock outing. But hey, it's Sabbath. I gotta give 'em a few brownie points in their rating.
RATING: 6.5
Live At Last
1980, NEMS
Although a bootleg-quality album (released by Sabbath's sleazeball ex-manager, Patrick Meehan), "Live At Last" reached the UK Top Five However, it was more than likely because a live Sabbath album was long overdue. While this 9-track excursion is not exactly what you'd call an inspired performance (the hurried encore of "Paranoid" sounds like cutlery being dropped on a kitchen floor), it contains many bona fide classics like "Children Of The Grave", "War Pigs", and rarities like "Killing Yourself To Live" and "Cornucopia". However, this album should only be tracked down by diehard fans who absolutely MUST own a vintage live recording by the Masters of Metal.
RATING: 7
Heaven And Hell
1980, Warner Brothers
After the acrimonious departure of the Ozz Man, Sabbath recruited diminutive banshee Ronnie James Dio to fill his shoes. Dio was a veteran singer (i've heard he even fronted bands as far back as the 1950s!! Damn, i didn't know he was THAT old!), but his amazing voice had yet to make him a household name (despite being Ritchie Blackmore's do-boy in Rainbow). "Heaven And Hell" eventually went platinum behind crushing rockers like "Neon Knights" and the ominous title track. There are a few uninspired moments on this album, but it's still one of the best comeback albums in the history of metal.
RATING: 8.5
The Mob Rules
1981, Warner Brothers
Divided equally between manic shred-rockers ("Turn Up The Night", title song, "Slipping Away") and lazy prog-rock anthems ("Southern Cross", "Falling Off The Edge Of The World"), this album is utterly inconsistent but manages to be enjoyable because of the sheer mosh-ability of certain songs. Ronnie James Dio would soon fly the coop after he was accused of botching the mix on "Live Evil" (Tony apparently went as far to say that Dio and drummer Vinny Appice broke into the studio and "altered" the mix, which is an utterly shitty one, to be sure). I wonder if Sabbath's credibility and respect would not have taken a downword spiral in the 80s, if the band's line-up had been stable.
RATING: 7.5
Dehumanizer
1992, Reprise
The elfish one (Dio...whose else?! :) and his partner in crime (Vinny Appice) are back in the fold, though this reunion would be short-lived. Despite sounding updated for the 90s (the production is modern and heavy, and Dio's voice is consistently menacing), Sabbath has neglected to write many hooks for their heavy sludge-rockers. "Computer God", "T.V. Crimes", and "Time Machine" all leap out and impress upon 1st or 2nd listen, but the rest of the album drags like a grave-robber with Parkinson's Disease. I gave this album a point or two, because of it's lack of cheesiness, which is rare for a v
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