Search - Black Sabbath :: Black Sabbath

In the Beginning...

D. Haralson | Jackson, MS USA | 03/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quite simply, this is probably the most influential debut release ever. All hard rock and heavy metal that is in existence today, whether the artists performing it know it or not, is indebted to this classic. The question is: how does it hold up today, 36 years later? The answer: better than almost every hard rock or heavy metal album released since.



1. Black Sabbath-5/5. This song is superb. I can only imagine what was going through people's minds the first time they heard this song in 1970. It starts with a thunderstorm and a faint church bell and blasts into one of the most recognizable riffs in history. Slow and doomy, with some of the greatest lyrics ever. Perfect song.

2. The Wizard-5/5. Very cool bluesy song with some great harmonica playing by Ozzy. The lyrics are excellent and the vocals are superb.

3. Behind the Wall of Sleep-5/5. This one has a hard driving beat from Bill Ward on drums. The music isn't that heavy, but the beat is great and the lyrics are trippy. Great vocals, too.

4. Bassically-4/5. An excellent bass solo by Geezer. Just goes to show just how great of a player he really was back then, and he has only gotten better since.

5. N.I.B.-5/5. My personal favorite Black Sabbath song. The riff is super heavy. The lyrics are excellent and the vocals are perfect. This song really epitomizes heavy metal. Meant to be played REALLY loud.

6. Evil Woman-4/5. I don't particularly care for this song very much. It's a cover song that, I think, was forced on them by the powers that be in Britain, considering that it was not on the American release. A little wimpy, but they attempt to make their own.

7. Sleeping Village-4/5. A slow and sludgy song that's mostly instrumental. Great music that is played perfectly.

8. Warning-5/5. A bluesy, obscure cover song. The lyrics fit Sabbath perfectly. Instead of covering the song and leaving it at that, they use the opportunity to open the song up a bit and showcase how great the musicians, particularly Tony Iommi, the guitarist, really are. A little long, but never boring.

9. Wicked World-5/5. Another bluesy, but heavy, song. Really heavy riff by Iommi and great vocals by Ozzy. Excellent.



This album holds up perfectly. In fact, it may even be better than it was 36 years ago, because at the time, the only thing to compare to was Deep Purple's "In Rock." This just blows that release out of the water. In sheer heaviness, it can still compare to much of what is being released today. Highly recommeded to any fan of classic rock and modern hard rock or heavy metal."