BLACK SABBATH

(UNITED KINGDOM)

BLACK SABBATH

(1970)
LABEL:

WARNER

GENRE:

HARD ROCK

TAGS:
Experimental, High-pitched vocals, Old School, Opera-Rock
"A founding work of an old testament of Metal whose influence is still felt in most of today's compositions, this "Black Sabbath" has a great potential that will explode with "Paranoid" a year later."
ZOSO (29.09.2008)  
4/5
(0) opinions (0) comment(s) (1) Biography + (4)
Attention cult album. We are in 1970 and the band Black Sabbath, from Aston, delivers us in this eponymous album their first studio effort. The result will quickly reach the status of founder of a powerful style: Metal.

Let's take a look at the context. The end of the 60's is overflown by the Hippie current, and in the wake of the Beatles, and before them Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, the trend is towards joyful and naive music. The few attempts at progressive and psychedelic innovations highlight new sounds, new virtuosity, but always within the framework of clear and luminous music. Ozzy Osbourne then makes the ingenious observation that there is no equivalent to horror films in music. This simple postulate opens a considerable breach in the current musical landscape (from 1970 for those who do not follow) into which 39 years of darkness, electricity, eccentricities and, unfortunately, prejudices will be engulfed.

The listener quickly finds himself in the bath thanks to a dark and gloomy cover, without being aggressive or excessive for all that. And the feeling of unease grows when the first sounds perceived through the crackling of the turntable (it's still 1970!) are rains and a gloomy bell. The Beach Boys are already locked in their toilets when the first dark chords of Tony Iommi's great collection ring out. The guitar then gives way to one of the notable elements of the mini revolution taking place there: The Madman's voice. The simple sound of this voice chanting evil verses inhabits the music in a brilliant way. In fact, big, gloomy blows of distorted guitars and accelerations remain one of the classic patterns of the band.

No need to describe a music that has already been described a thousand times. What is important to remember is the machine that has just been set up. Not everything is good in this album. "The Wizard" (with its harmonica intro) is classical and pale figure in the discography of the Lords of Metal. If some tracks are representative of what the band will do and magnify later (about a year later), the concept is not yet fully released, and "Wicked World" reminds us of Deep Purple, while "Evil Woman", remains in a rather classic Hard Rock register.

In spite of these few reservations, the album is excellent and some jewels ("Sleeping Village" and its anguishing arpeggios, the first track...) suggest a great potential, which will explode with "Paranoid" in 1971. The sound and the technique are undoubtedly outdated today, however, any metal or simply serious music lover must reserve to Black Sabbath the enthusiasm he deserves: That of a founding work, an old testament of Metal whose influence is always felt in most of the current compositions.
- Official website

TRACK LISTING:
01. Black Sabbath - 06:22
02. The Wizard - 04:25
03. Behind The Wall Of Sleep - 03:37
04. N.i.b. - 06:07
05. Evil Woman - 03:25
06. Sleeping Village - 03:46
07. The Warning - 10:33
08. Wicked World - 04:43

LINEUP:
Bill Ward : Batterie
Geezer Butler: Basse
Ozzy Osbourne: Chant
Tony Iommi : Guitares
   
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