Artist: Black Sabbath
Label: Warner Bros.
Release Date: 1970
Rating: 3 Skulls
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Title: Black Sabbath Artist: Black Sabbath Label: Warner Bros. Release Date: 1970
Rating: 3 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Solomon:
Where did "heavy metal" begin? Metal/hard rock as a genre got its start in the late 60's and early 70's, and several bands could be construed as "fathers of the faith," including Led Zeppelin, Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Iron Butterfly. However, if one band is to be crowned as the godfather of metal, Black Sabbath gets the prize. Not only in musical but lyrical terms as well, Sabbath helped introduce a darker, heavier approach to rock that contrasted with the "peace and love" philosophy commonly associated with Woodstock and the anti-war movement. One look at the cover to Sabbath's self-titled debut and you know something sinister is brewing: a grainy photo of a lone figure dressed in black (a witch, perhaps?) set against a pastoral, "earthy" scene (pun intended). This picture pretty well sums up the music contained in the record, but Black Sabbath isn't as evil as the band's reputation would have you think. Of course, the opening title track is the mother of all that is doomy, the infamous bells (gee, where have I heard those before) giving way to rock's primal example of the "devil's" interval, the diminished 5th. This track is an early example of metal's penchant for contrast, as found in the soft/loud dynamic between the verse and chorus sections and the NWOBHM-type driving riff featured later in the song. "NIB" is also distinctly metal in orientation, especially as a blatant hymn to the Great Horned One. You know people had to be soiling their shorts when they first heard those tracks, even though they're fairly tame by Emperor or Mayhem standards. Overall, the record is not a full "metal" composition, and I think it shows a good variety of material. "The Wizard" and "Warning" are heavy and upbeat at the same time, and even have a certain sense of humor (dig that harmonica). Despite my aversion to long jam sessions, "Warning" is my favorite track with its simple but damn catchy bass line (the beginning of stoner rock, dude). Ozzy is not exactly stunning as a vocalist, but his bluesy singing on "Warning" is too infectuous to ignore. Iommi's soloing on this track follows predictable blues/pentatonic forms but is energetic, nonetheless. The intro "A Bit of Finger" features Ozzy's best vocals on the album joined by a very cool, somber guitar accompaniment. This is the moodiest moment on the record, and it's a shame the band didn't take the idea and expand it out into a full song. The particular copy I have of "Black Sabbath" is the European version, so "Wicked World" was replaced with "Evil Woman," a complete throw away track if you ask me (tell me if I missed something). The record as a whole, despite its historical significance, is a bit loose and simplistic for my taste. This sounds like a recording of a very good garage band, but I can appreciate the band's open-mindedness in writing material. Sabbath was lucky: they were "metal" before the term gained acceptance, so they didn't have to worry about being "metal" all the time. In the end, I think bands that have been influenced by Sabbath, from Metallica to Type O Negative, have taken the tools used by the Masters and used them to craft a better product. But, hey, you gotta respect where it all began.
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