Black Sabbath (1970)

I disappear for over three months and come back with a no brainer, but at some point I would have to address this landmark in early metal music, so I may as well get back in the groove with an easy one. Most people call this the first heavy metal album, and while I think that is a bit simplistic, the fact is, the album is full of crushing riffs fairly unique for its era. Even to this day, Tony Iommi remains one of my favorite guitarists in terms of great riffs (I saw Heaven & Hell perform on every tour and own their album on both CD and vinyl), but it's important not to neglect the impact and skill of bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, each providing oomph to Sabbath's raw early sound. Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne is also fairly unrefined on this release, and I'm actually not in love with his voice on this first record.

There are a ton of hits on this album (three of the 8 tracks appeared on the compilation "We Sold Our Soul For Rock N Roll"), and I'll feature one of my favorite songs at the end of this post, but some of the lesser known tunes are a little more bluesy, reflective of their blues-based origins, of course. "Wicked World" best reflects these "other" songs, still heavy, but more in the Led Zep vein. "Evil Woman" is another track reminiscent of that period of time. The guitar distortion is clearly present, but there's a funky backdrop and a melodic chorus that could easily fit in with a more straight forward rock band of the late 60s.

Anyway, I don't think I need to spend much time with this record. It was a monumentally important album that many later bands were influenced by, from 80s doom bands to 90s grunge acts. I don't think Sabbath was the first to do heavy music or satanic lyrics, as many of the albums I will (or have) highlight(ed) will show, but Sabbath deserves its place in the pantheon of metal greats, and this album will be remembered for generations as a great start to a storied career.