Master Of Reality - BLACK SABBATH*****

Sweet Leaf/After Forever/Embryo/Children Of The Grave/Orchid/Lord Of This World/Solitude/Into The Void

By the time of the release of their third album Master Of Reality Black Sabbath had established themselves as the foremost heavy metal band, a genre that would increase in popularity during the next decade and beyond. (US:8 UK:5)

“Black Sabbath's third album, established a formula which the band would religiously stick to over several albums: crushing, sadistic riffs punctuated by light, almost medieval instrumentals. However, they would never match this, the prototype, an example of heavy metal music at its very best.”

“The blues influence is largely gone, the shambolic suites of the earlier records are pared back, the playing is tighter, brasher, more confident, and, in their way, funkier. People forget how good Sabbath's rhythm section was, sludgy and stoned as it might be, this was punchy, mobile, swaggering stuff.”

“A more than worthy follow-up to Paranoid, and if you’ve already got your head round that, then this is easier to digest too. They are on top form again with tracks like Sweet Leaf, Children Of The Grave and Into The Void. And like the last album there are some folky passages too, most notably Solitude where Ozzy sings so softly he’s almost unrecognisable.”

“From beginning to end Master Of Reality has a heaviness that's missing from any other Sabbath album ever recorded. The low distortion, the trudging, plodding pace, all of the songs truly shine with a life of their own. From the opener Sweet Leaf to the closing and heaviest Sabbath song ever Into The Void, this is a stellar album that is arguably one of the best and most underrated heavy metal albums in existence.”

“No other band can say they created a genre besides Black Sabbath. Although Paranoid began their reign of terror, it is Masters Of Reality that completely captured and perfected what they had started. Darker and slower this paved the way for many other bands. A timeless album, Sabbath took rock away from naïve hippies and idealists, and gave it back to the lonely, the desperate and the hopeless.”

“The riffs on this album are so massive and dense that they really steal the show from most of the other elements. There are many bands, and many genres of rock and metal, that owe their essence to this album.”