Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

THE REVIEW

Dark times of Covid19! Doomsday of the Capitalist System!

So I put the metaphorical needle on a band I had always snubbed and listened to very superficially: the Black Sabbath.

I start with those of Ronnie James Dio, who confirms himself as a great singer, the unique Godfather of Heavy Metal.

But going back, I reach the original Black Sabbath, those of Ward, Butler (a great bassist, very underrated), Iommi, and that improbable frontman named Ozzy Osbourne, the shrill and scruffy crow of the Badlands.

The catalog of this historic group contains milestones of Hard&Heavy, foretelling both its merits and (many) flaws.

In this catalog shines the title "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," in the opinion of the writer, perhaps the group's involuntary masterpiece.

We are at the end of 1973, and the annals of rock music record absolute gems like "Selling England By The Pound" by Genesis, "For Your Pleasure" by Roxy Music, "Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars" by David Bowie...

"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is a heavy progressive album. Unrepeatable and unrepeated. The sound is still heavy, but it is contaminated by the sound of the moment. Iommi wants to dare, and for the Sabbath he anonymously recruits the most acclaimed wizard of the era: Rick Wakeman, who carves the tracks in his own way.

The record sounds fresh, inspired, and dynamic. Incredibly, Ozzy's singing is effective and indispensable to the pieces. Let's be clear, the four Sabbath members are always and only good craftsmen: however, even craftsmen can achieve the masterpiece of a lifetime.