•
Rating:
THE REVIEW
It's 1970 and Black Sabbath releases their second album: "Paranoid", which is considered their supreme work, and also their best-selling album.
The album opens brilliantly with "War Pigs", which, as can be inferred from the title, talks about war, more precisely about the Vietnam war. The song opens in grand style, with meaningful lyrics, something I wouldn't have expected, and musically it's superb; there are many dark traces, which suggests that there will be some musical continuity with the previous record.
We then continue with "Paranoid": who doesn't remember its fantastic musical theme? Or perhaps even the lyrics, which can resonate with many people; among the most beautiful songs on the album. We then have "Planet Caravan", led by Ozzy's "modified" voice, warmer than ever, many consider it the album's "weakest" track, along with "Rat Salad", but how can we talk about "weak" in such a fantastic album? It continues with a bang with "Iron Man", the most famous song on the album, with a beautiful, unforgettable riff, and a final solo from true artists. In my opinion, the best song on the album, and perhaps also the most "commercial": it sells to everyone.
We continue with the beautiful "Electric Funeral", with a theme that is pleasing on the first listen, but that may not remain in mind for a very long time: more niche. The vinyl proceeds with "Hand of Doom", a song that, as suggested by the title, opens the doors to darkness, a truly doom song, which, as it seems to me, opens the doors to "Doom Metal" (double thanks to Black Sabbath, the "forerunners" of two musical genres!); To some, the song may seem excessively lengthy, but to me, it's worth it: it is not just a "filler track", but a true work of art.
We continue with "Rat Salad", which as mentioned before is considered among the "weaker" tracks on the album, it focuses on a drum solo, and a riff by Iommi; If I had to choose, making a ranking, I would put it in last place: still of good level, remembering that we are talking about an album where nothing is bad (apart from the cover).
We conclude this album with one of my favorite Black Sabbath tracks: "Fairies Wear Boots", which opens with a wonderful riff, I would dare say like an invocation of the Devil: immortal!; the lyrics also hold their ground, alternating with drum hits by Ward.
A cornerstone of Metal, the foundations of a genre. In my opinion, a masterpiece.
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
The review praises Black Sabbath's 1970 album 'Paranoid' as a metal cornerstone, highlighting standout tracks like 'War Pigs' and 'Iron Man'. It discusses the album's dark themes, innovative riffs, and its role in pioneering Doom Metal. Though some tracks are viewed as less strong, the reviewer considers the album nearly flawless and a masterpiece of its genre.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Black Sabbath
English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968, widely credited as pioneers of heavy metal and led musically by guitarist Tony Iommi.91 Reviews
Other reviews
By 2+2=5
Every seed of what the Heavy scene would become from 1970 to today is here.
War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man: an encyclopedia from which no artist belonging to any fringe of the Heavy-Rock scene can deny having drawn.
By luca reed
Black Sabbath infused their music with a probably unconscious revolution that would alter the roots of the hard sound and reflect in all future heavy metal.
The lyrics actually combined the baroque-decadent fascination for English and non-English dark literature with the threatening sense of 'malevolent' everyday life of the present.
By Axlspark
"To highlight the greatness of this band among many successes and masterpieces, there is an album, certainly the greatest of Black Sabbath: 'Paranoid'."
"Giving 5 stars to this album seemed like an insult because the actual score it deserves is 10 with honors."
By kain3325
With 'Paranoid' Black Sabbath are at the peak of their creativity, pioneers of a genre that will see them on altars for many years.
The opening track is War Pigs, an incandescent riff by Iommy that turns into a pounding song punctuated by Ward’s snare drum and Osborne’s increasingly hypnotic voice.
By Battlegods
"Black Sabbath can be defined as the founders of doom, dark, and evil sounds which were later adopted in the metal of the eighties."
"The album is a beautiful lesson of true hard rock, still today!"
