Album Review: Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

Overview: 

                This album was a bit more “complicated” than its predecessors.  By that, I mean that where the other albums were straightforward metal, Sabbath introduced synthesizers and string arrangements here that altered their sound a bit.  This is not the same Black Sabbath that you were used to hearing on the previous albums.  This was a more ambitious record, one that was actually well received by music critics (a first for Sabbath back then!) and was not as “doom and gloom” as the first four records.

Tracks you may know: 

“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”:  That opening guitar lick, followed by Ozzy’s wail.  Good lord.  This is probably the closest that the entire album gets to its predecessors, and is the purest “Sabbath-Sound” on the record. 

“Sabbra Cadabra”:  Opens with great, fast, kind of bluesy riffing, just faster than you would expect.  This is Sabbath at its best.  Between the slow, methodical title track and the speedier “Sabbra Cadabra” it runs the gamut of Sabbath’s past.  The synthesizer break isn’t anything write home about, and the inclusion of the keyboard is not entirely necessary, but when it rocks, it rocks hard and fast, as it should.

Tracks you should know:

“Spiral Architect”:  This is a song that utilizes more than just the traditional bass-drums-guitar formula of previous Sabbath songs, and does so in a grand way.  It’s an epic song and feels like one of the most genuinely uplifting tracks of the entire Sabbath catalog.  It’s a departure from the band’s tradition and may not be for everyone, but it is an interesting bit of experimentation. 

My personal favorite:

“Sabbra Cadabra”:  It’s light and fun while also being fast and heavy.  Each musician is on top of their game on this track (even Ozzy doesn’t sound like he’s reaching too far beyond his vocal comfort zone like he does on much of the album) and it just creates a great track.

Album rating: 

                This is not as complete of an album of the first three as a couple of the songs fall into more of a “filler” category.  It is a generally enjoyable album though and yields an instant classic in “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”.

6/10