Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath

THE REVIEW

How can one define fear? What is its function?
An emotion capable of alerting the senses, adrenaline increases and so does the heartbeat. The body prepares for battle.
Fear is therefore something alive and pulsating.

A slow, heavy, and rhythmic sound is not frightening. It causes anxiety, which is something worse. You remain immobilized, nervous, confused, and dazed.
When anxiety gives way to fear, you can react, maybe run away. But until then, you are an easy prey for that enemy who managed to defeat you from afar.

This is the beginning of our black sabbath. The pouring rain, thunder, and bells create the atmosphere. A loop of three notes repeated obsessively is the formula that completes the rite.
The black demon we have evoked is now before us. The gates of hell are now open. In the final acceleration, the darkest creatures are released from the abyss, now treading our earth.

It so happens that you encounter a wizard, or live a controversial love affair with Lucifer himself, a shining angel now fallen, like our hopes, our defenses, plummeted into our world, a wicked world. There is no light, no glimmers, no dreams to get lost in, nothing to hold on to.
You can only fall, deeper and deeper, sinking into the mud. And once at the bottom... keep digging.

"Black Sabbath" appears simple yet unsettling, starting slow and then exploding into a frantic finale.
It continues with "The Wizard" which surprises with the presence of a harmonica but maintains the frenetic atmosphere of the previous conclusion.
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" offers an anthology competition between Iommi's guitar and Butler's bass.
"N.I.B." is the manifesto of Iommi's musical idea, which prefers to rely on a single riff that then blooms into a solid final solo; the lyrics are among the most shocking and controversial.
Next is the cover of "Evil Woman" and then "Sleeping Village," which presents itself as an interlude with its calm initial arpeggio and Osbourne's voice as warm as few times, but it becomes a stage for the different musicians to showcase their skills, especially the usual Iommi.
"The Warning" rests entirely on a bass loop, until Ward on the drums decides to stop as well to admire good Tony losing himself in a trippy deviation from the theme.
"Wicked World" returns to the initial discourse, and concludes it.

The ritual comes to an end, the seals are broken.