Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
[Warner Brothers]
This is a worthwhile album, but it's also where Sabbath really
starts to veer from the heavy sound they created into regular 70's
rock.
The main riff is the epitome of classic heavy metal riffs, and it is amazing that they came up with it in 1973! (I don't use exclamation points much, so take note of this riff.) The solo in the song is short but fitting, even wrenching, the first time you hear it. And then, as if this song wasn't heavy enough for a time when bands like Led Zeppelin and Yes dominated the soundscape, the last half comes in with the kind of riff a death metal band might growl over twenty years later. It's low, solid, and as crunchy as any pre-thrash riff could be.
A National Acrobat is the only song that comes close to Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. It creates a grand, dream-like impression. Killing Yourself to Live is also a decent song, with a thick epic riff buried in the middle of it.
The rest of the songs are not nearly as good.
Fluff is a boring acoustic instrumental. It doesn't even come close to Laguna Sunrise (from Vol. 4). Sabbra Cadabra starts with a riff that reminds me of casinos and Woody Woodpecker at the same time, then continues into a "70's pop"-ized Sabbath song. Looking for Today is similar, but not as happy.
Who Are You? - despite a sort of funny (at first) "space keyboard," it is a good song. The piano interlude is very dramatic.
The final song, Spiral Architect, has a great acoustic introduction. It sounds even better when turned down low so that not every note can be easily made out. The longer ringing notes create a new rhythm, and the rest of the notes sound become eerie undertones. (I discovered this by listening to it after coming back from a concert.)
Unfortunately, they ruin in it by playing something that sounds like it could have been the intro to "WKRP Cincinnati." The song is worthless from there on out, except the end. There's clapping, and then the bass and drums quietly play a cool line that was previously use to support less tolerable guitar and vocal parts.
The album has some good songs on it, but is not a solid effort overall.
© 1999 abasmagorsulpherion
The main riff is the epitome of classic heavy metal riffs, and it is amazing that they came up with it in 1973! (I don't use exclamation points much, so take note of this riff.) The solo in the song is short but fitting, even wrenching, the first time you hear it. And then, as if this song wasn't heavy enough for a time when bands like Led Zeppelin and Yes dominated the soundscape, the last half comes in with the kind of riff a death metal band might growl over twenty years later. It's low, solid, and as crunchy as any pre-thrash riff could be.
A National Acrobat is the only song that comes close to Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. It creates a grand, dream-like impression. Killing Yourself to Live is also a decent song, with a thick epic riff buried in the middle of it.
The rest of the songs are not nearly as good.
Fluff is a boring acoustic instrumental. It doesn't even come close to Laguna Sunrise (from Vol. 4). Sabbra Cadabra starts with a riff that reminds me of casinos and Woody Woodpecker at the same time, then continues into a "70's pop"-ized Sabbath song. Looking for Today is similar, but not as happy.
Who Are You? - despite a sort of funny (at first) "space keyboard," it is a good song. The piano interlude is very dramatic.
The final song, Spiral Architect, has a great acoustic introduction. It sounds even better when turned down low so that not every note can be easily made out. The longer ringing notes create a new rhythm, and the rest of the notes sound become eerie undertones. (I discovered this by listening to it after coming back from a concert.)
Unfortunately, they ruin in it by playing something that sounds like it could have been the intro to "WKRP Cincinnati." The song is worthless from there on out, except the end. There's clapping, and then the bass and drums quietly play a cool line that was previously use to support less tolerable guitar and vocal parts.
The album has some good songs on it, but is not a solid effort overall.
© 1999 abasmagorsulpherion