Black Sabbath are a heavy metal band from Birmingham, England. Formed in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne (lead vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums and percussion), the band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members. Originally formed as a heavy blues-rock band named Earth, the band began incorporating occult- and horror-inspired lyrics with tuned-down guitars, changing their name to Black Sabbath and releasing multiple gold and platinum records in the 1970s.
As one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath helped define the genre with releases such as 1970's quadruple-platinum Paranoid. Black Sabbath has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and were ranked number one on MTV's Greatest Metal Bands countdown.[3] Ozzy Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, and while initially replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio, Black Sabbath would see a revolving lineup in the 1980s and 1990s that included vocalists Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen and Tony Martin. The original lineup reunited with Osbourne in 1997 and released a live album, Reunion, which spawned the Grammy Award-winning single "Iron Man" in 2000, thirty years after the song's initial release on Paranoid.
Currently, the early 1980s line-up featuring Iommi, Butler, Dio, and Vinny Appice are recording a new album under the moniker Heaven and Hell, a title taken from the 1980 Black Sabbath song and album of the same name.
Black Sabbath (1970)
1.)Black Sabbath
2.)The Wizard
3.)Behind The Wall Of Sleep
4.)N.I.B.
5.)Wicked World
6.)A Bit Of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning
Paranoid (1971)
1.)War Pigs/Luke's Wall
2.)Paranoid
3.)Planet Caravan
4.)Iron Man
5.)Electric Funeral
6.)Hand Of Doom
7.)Rat Salad
8.)Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots
Master Of Reality (1971)
1.)Sweet Leaf
2.)After Forever
3.)Embyro
4.)Children Of The Grave
5.)Orchid
6.)Lord of This World
7.)Solitude
8.)Into The Void
Black Sabbath Vol.4 (1972)
1.)Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener
2.)Tomorrow's Dream
3.)Changes
4.)FX
5.)Supernaut
6.)Snowblind
7.)Cornucopia
8.)Laguna Sunrise
9.)Saint Vitus' Dance
10.)Under The Sun/Every Day Comes And Goes
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
1.)Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
2.)A National Acrobat
3.)Fluff
4.)Sabbra Cadabra
5.)Killing Yourself To Live
6.)Who Are You?
7.)Looking For Today
8.)Sprial Architect
Sabotage (1975)
1.)Hole In The Sky
2.)Don't Start (Too Late)
3.)Symptom Of The Universe
4.)Megalomania
5.)The Thrill Of It All
6.)Supertzar
7.)Am I Going Insane
8.)The Writ
Technical Ecstasy (1977)
1.)Back Street Kids
2.)You Won't Change Me
3.)It's Alright
4.)Gypsy
5.)All Moving Parts (Stand Still)
6.)Rock 'N' Roll Doctor
7.)She's Gone
8.)Dirty Women
Review:
By 1976, Black Sabbath was splitting at the seams internally and externally. Hell, Ozzy even had to be coaxed back into the fold to just record the album, and there was even a misfire with Geezer. The result of this turmoil is the great, but largely under appreciated Technical Ecstasy.
One of the things I really dig about this album is its sound, its got this gloomy spacey groove vibe tone to it, and Tony Iommi's guitar sound is just something so out
of this world its amazing. The only downside to that is, the tumultuous void the band was falling into is quite apparent here, with strain in disinterest showing through in certain parts, but at the same time it works because it adds some really raw emotion to the gloom. The experimentation here sort of sounds like Rush meets Black Sabbath at
times as well, which I really enjoy. The cover to this album is just so bizarre its always managed to stand out to me too, I love it, robot sex never looked better.
"Back Street Kids"
a great rocker that continues to show off their experimentation with synths and other instruments added into the classic doom Sabbath usually crafts. One of the things I really love about this is the fuzzy dingy sound the guitar has, almost like there's an electrical storm in the amp the notes have to flow through. Some great riffs thrown off
underneath a bit of a mystical sounding synth work, but the overdubs of the different melodies sounds great, like there's many guitars playing on top of each other.
"You Won't Change Me"
Fucking DOOM! This track is perfectly crafted Sabbath. Starting off with a monster rage of doom and fades into one of the creepiest synth lines ever. The guitar tone flows beautifully with it and along with Ozzy's almost desperation like vocals and dark lyrics give it that great gloom feeling that's almost immediate. Another great solo run in
this run, when Iommi was in the drivers seat he sure kicked out some greatness!
"It's Alright" This is what I consider to be the albums first real misstep. Not a bad song, I
actually quite enjoy it as well as Bill's vocals, but its not Sabbath, and doesn't sound like it belongs on this album at all. Quite melodic, and also quite sugary it sounds more like a 70's radio hit, but its crafted quite well with Iommi adding his own personal touch to it.
"Gypsy"
Easily the worst song on the album, what starts off with a neat primitive drum beat and guitar intro (show casing that tone quite well) it just sort of fades off and never really picks itself up out of mediocrity, the band really just sounds disinterested on this track,
though if you listen closely, youll hear some of what Ozzy would later lift for one of his solo records.
"All Moving Parts (Stand Still)"
Chock full of that classic heaviness, its a good Sabbath track, but it feels like its in too comfortable territory with no dynamics to it. Good song, but not much building going on here.
"Rock N Roll Doctor"
I like this song quite alot, but its not really Sabbath either, its got a very 70's boogie rock type groove to it (which almost sounds more akin to Mott The Hoople) with that overly cheesy piano tuning. As usual though, Iommi comes out with a real great riff and solo combo that stands out and chugs the song right along and it sounds like they have
alot of fun with this which I like. Despite being a bit of a departure its one of the best tracks here.
"She's Gone"
Easily Sabbath's best ballad ever, totally blows "Changes" and all the others away. The string section and harpsichord parts are absolutely beautiful, with Ozzy just bleeding out emotion through Geezer's lyrics there isn't a sadder more raw song in Sabbath's catalogue and I think it perfectly encapsulates how they were all feeling at the time as well.
"Dirty Women"
Another true Sabbath classic and the longest song on the album, perfect example of how this album shouldve sounded throughout (along with "You Won't Change Me") had the band been in a better and less drug bent frame of mind. The vocal effects here are great and compliment that guitar excellently with that thundering tight rhythm section in perfect unison and Iommi throwing out one of the best solos in Sabbaths catalogue.
Despite some misfires writing wise, this is a very solid album and had everyone been semi regular, the sound here couldve been explored to its extent and a near perfect album made. But as it stands one of the best and definitely most overlooked of the Ozzy era
4/5
Never Say Die! (1978)
1.)Never Say Die
2.)Johnny Blade
3.)Junior's Eyes
4.)A Hard Road
5.)Shock Wave
6.)Air Wave
7.)Over To You
8.)Breakout
9.)Swinging The Chain
Live At Last (Live 1980)
1.)Tomorrow's Dream
2.)Sweet Leaf
3.)Killing Yourself To Live
4.)Cornucopia
5.)Snowblind
6.)Children of The Grave
7.) War Pigs
8.)Wicked World
9.)Paranoid
Heaven And Hell (1980)
1.)Neon Knights
2.)Children of The Sea
3.)Lady Evil
4.)Heaven And Hell
5.)Wishing Well
6.)Die Young
7.)Walk Away
8.)Lonely Is The Word
Mob Rules (1981)
1.)Turn Up The Night
2.)Voodoo
3.)The Sign Of The Southern Cross
4.)E5150
5.)The Mob Rules
6.)Country Girl
7.)Slipping Away
8.)Falling Off The Edge Of The World
9.)Over and Over
Live Evil (Live 1983)
Disc 1:
1.)E5150
2.)Neon Knights
3.)N.I.B.
4.)Children of The Sea
5.)Voodoo
6.)Black Sabbath
7.)War Pigs
8.)Iron Man
Disc 2:
1.)The Mob Rules
2.)Heaven And Hell
3.)The Sign Of The Southern Cross/Heaven And Hell (continued)
4.)Paranoid
5.)Children Of The Grave
6.)Fluff
Born Again (1983)
1.)Trashed
2.)Stonehenge
3.)Disturbing The Priest
4.)The Dark
5.)Zero The Hero
6.)Digital Bitch
7.)Born Again
8.)Hot Line
9.)Keep It Warm
Notes: Ian Gillan is the vocalist on this album.
Every second of this record reeks of line-up perfection, it just doesn't get any better than this one! Ian Gillan of Deep Purple fame steps up to the vocal spot of Sabbath here after the departure of Ronnie James Dio and just absolutely tears it up. The songs are incredibly heavy with great riffs aplenty, and even the two "noise" tracks (Stonehenge and The Dark) work perfectly in with the feel of the album and serve as great intros to not only two of the best songs on the album, but two of the best Sabbath songs ever. Those being "Disturbing The Priest" and "Zero The Hero" respectively. "Trashed" starts off the album with a kick and just shows that Deep Sabbath was a perfect melting of two different artists, with an awesome riff, solo, shattering rhythm section and top notch vocals by Gillan. Which than jumps into "Stonehenge", one of the aforementioned weird noise tracks that serves as more of an intro/mood piece than an actual song. From there jumping into "Disturbing The Priest" which is incredibly heavy and just shines along with Gillan's opening laugh being infinitely more chilling than anything Ozzy ever uttered while in the band. Well actually this whole album for me ranks above anything else they've done really. Than fading slowly into "The Dark" and buliding up slowly to the next monster song "Zero The Hero" with an awesome riff youll never forget and just stellar all around. "Digital Bitch" is another great fast paced rocker, which also has lyrics inspired by non other than Queen Bitch sharon osbourne. The title track serves as the albums ballad, which in itself is just epic. "Hot Line" is another fast paced one, which is just as great as the others (if not better than "Digital Bitch" actually), and then the whole album closes nicely with the more mellowed out "Keep It Warm" (lyrically a tribute from Gillan to his wife). My only complaint with the album is that it comes up short on songs from such an excellent line up, although "The Fallen" is an unreleased track thats floating out there in demo form which is just as excellent as what actually made the album. The original production is a little muddy, which doesnt detract too much from the songs, but in any event the remaster corrects this. In short, get this album!
Seventh Star (1986)
1.)In For The Kill
2.)No Stranger To Love
3.)Turn To Stone
4.)Sphinx (The Guardian)
5.)Seventh Star
6.)Danger Zone
7.)Heart Like A Wheel
8.)Angry Heart
9.)In Memory...
The Eternal Idol (1987)
1.)The Shining
2.)Ancient Warrior
3.)Hard Life To Love
4.)Glory Ride
5.)Born To Lose
6.)Nightmare
7.)Scarlet Pimpernel
8.)Lost Forever
9.)Eternal Idol
Headless Cross (1989)
1.)The Gates Of Hell
2.)Headless Cross
3.)Devil & Daughter
4.)When Death Calls
5.)Kill In The Spirit World
6.)Call Of The Wild
7.)Black Moon
8.)Nightwing
TYR (1990)
1.)Anno Mundi
2.)The Law Maker
3.)Jerusalem
4.)The Sabbath Stones
5.)The Battle Of TYR
6.)Odin's Court
7.)Valhalla
8.)Feels Good To Me
9.)Heaven In Black
Dehumanizer (1992)
1.)Computer God
2.)After All (The Dead)
3.)T.V. Crimes
4.)Letters From The Earth
5.)Master Of Insanity
6.)Time Machine
7.)Sins Of The Father
8.)Too Late
9.)I
10.)Buried Alive
11.)Time Machine (Wayne's World Version)
Cross Purposes (1994)
1.)I Witness
2.) Cross Of Thorns
3.)Psychophibia
4.)Virtual Death
5.)Immaculate Deception
6.)Dying For Love
7.)Back To Eden
8.)The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
9.)Cardinal Sin
10.)Evil Eye
Forbidden (1995)
1.)The Illusion Of Power
2.)Get A Grip
3.)Can't Get Close Enough
4.)Shaking Off The Chains
5.)I Won't Cry For You
6.)Guilty As Hell
7.)Sick And Tired
8.)Rusty Angels
9.)Forbidden
10.)Kiss Of Death
Notes: The japenese version has a bonus track, "Loser Gets All". Ice-T is featured on this album.
This album is just kind of boring, the whole band really sounds uninspired here. Iommi even slacks a bit with his usual monster riffs, going so far as to reuse one from "Zero The Hero" in the song "Get A Grip". Which is a damn shame given all the classics he's cranked out over the years. Ice-T also comes on as a collaborator (with Ernie C from Body Count also producing) ,which doesn't really help much. The song itself he does vocals on and co-wrote (Illusion Of Power) isn't too bad, but it feels more like a Body Count song with Martin singing as opposed to a Sabbath song. The only real excellent "Sabbath" song here is "Sick And Tired", very blusey and sounding like Martin era Sabbath should. On the whole, its not terrible, but the band really just sounds like they're going through the motions and you only have about 4 good tracks to take away from it with maybe a handful of good riffs, but still worth getting for those.
More coming!