I had fun looking at Ultimate Classic Rock's Deep Purple album ranking, so how about we look at The Guardian's worst-to-best list of Black Sabbath albums? I looked at numerous other sites' rankings (including UCR), but chose The Guardian because I wasn't expecting to see a Sabbath list on their site, and also because I find most mainstream newspapers to be the tabloid equivalent of AIDS. I try to keep politics away from my blog, so I won't elaborate any further - let's just say that politically I fucking hate mainstream news journals, regardless of which way they lean politically. They're pathetic. Let's just leave it at that. Oh, it's also worth mentioning that they sadly left out the 2009 Heaven & Hell album The Devil You Know, aka 'the Black Sabbath album in all but name'.
Original article: www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/31/every-black-sabbath-album-ranked-ozzy-osbourne
19. SEVENTH STAR (1986)
What they say:
"Seventh Star was meant to be Tony Iommi’s first solo album, until label and management decided no one was going to buy it, and insisted it be billed as Black Sabbath, even if only Iommi was pictured on the cover. That it isn’t really Sabbath is apparent from the power ballad 'No Stranger to Love'. Power ballad? Sabbath? Madness."
What I say:
True. It was meant to be Tony's first solo record, and for that reason you can cut Seventh Star some slack for having the power ballad 'No Stranger to Love' on it. I'll admit that this number is about as far removed from Sabbath as it gets, but songs like 'In for the Kill', 'Turn to Stone', 'Danger Zone' and 'Angry Heart' are all great songs that prove Tony was capable of writing more than just doom and gloom - and let's not forget Glenn Hughes' outstanding vocal performance on here. Not the best Sabbath album by any means, but a perfectly serviceable Iommi solo effort.
18. DEHUMANIZER (1992)
What they say:
"Dehumanizer? Well, it certainly makes you feel like letting go of your humanity. The return of Geezer Butler and Ronnie James Dio should have been a good thing, but the band forgot to write any good songs to take advantage of the optimism. 'Letters from Earth' has a good Iommi riff, but the rest is subpar."
What I say:
Dehumanizer? At number eighteen? Really?! This is a stupendously heavy, doomy, killer slab of true fucking heavy metal. A fine comeback for Ronnie James Dio, who sounds angrier than ever. Meanwhile Tony's pumping out crushing riff after crushing riff on tracks like 'Computer God', '(After All) The Dead' and 'Buried Alive'. 'Time Machine' kicks ass while the monolithic 'I' is dripping with atmosphere. Terrific album.
17. FORBIDDEN (1995)
What they say:
"What long looked likely to be the final Black Sabbath album would have been a sad little footnote to their career. The appearance of Ice-T on 'Illusion of Power' – the album was produced by Ernie C of Body Count – signified a band who had lost their way as surely as a middle-aged executive buying a Harley-Davidson."
What I say:
Forbidden is the album that tends to rank at the bottom of most peoples' lists, so I was surprised to see it at number seventeen. I dig the songs, but I can't exactly deny that hiring Ernie C to produce it was the wrong decision. Cozy Powell's usually-pounding drums are lacking here because of it. There's still some gems to be found in the groovy 'Get a Grip', the haunting 'Kiss of Death' and the moody 'Can't Get Close Enough'. And Ice-T's appearance on 'The Illusion of Power' is a mere twenty-second or so spoken-word segment. I like Forbidden, but it's not without it's faults.
16. TYR (1990)
What they say:
"The 15th Sabbath album doesn’t sound much like Sabbath at all. The riffs are conventional mainstream metal: it would have sounded perfectly of its time five years earlier, but by 1990 – with Ozzy Osbourne-era Sabbath being exhumed by grunge and stoner bands – something more like the band of 20 years before might have hit home a lot harder."
What I say:
'The Law Maker' manages to sound more like Motorhead musically, and I do agree that some of the other riffs scattered throughout this record don't always sound like signature Iommi material. But 'Valhalla' and 'Anno Mundi' are epic, and 'The Sabbath Stones' is prime Sabbath. Tony Martin's lyrics are cool too; he took the Norse mythology path, and it only enhances TYR's atmosphere. Not one of my favourite albums, but solid.
15. THE ETERNAL IDOL (1987)
What they say:
"The first album with singer Tony Martin opened with an Iommi riff that offered hope of redemption: The Shining was more polished than, say, Wheels of Confusion, but it suggested Sabbath might be able to claw their way out of their hole. It often felt, though, as if the rest of the band were sanding down their leader’s riffs to fit an 80s template."
What I say:
The first thing that comes to mind when I think 'Eternal Idol', is the insane amount of absolutely brilliant riffs on each and every song (save for acoustic instrumental 'Scarlet Pimpernel' of course). 'Born to Lose' is ridiculously catchy, 'Hard Life to Love' gives me Zeppelin vibes, 'Ancient Warrior' is a mystical wonder, and as for the title track - holy hell, one of the doomiest songs Iommi ever penned! And yes, 'The Shining' is a fantastically epic opener. Tony Martin also gives a fine vocal performance, this being his debut with the band. No-one else sounds like him. And "sanding down their leader's riffs to fit an 80s template" - nope, not true. The production is the most 80s thing about this record, not the music. Classic.
14. HEADLESS CROSS (1988)
What they say:
"Some Sabbath loyalists make a case for Headless Cross being a neglected classic. They can make the case, but they’re wrong. It’s perfectly serviceable, but Martin was an identikit metal singer: he sings about Satan with all the menace of someone offering cheese samples at Morrisons deli counter."
What I say:
A fan favourite, and for good reason. Whereas individually I prefer hearing the songs that Eternal Idol had to offer, as a complete album experience I think Headless Cross is the better choice. The album has a sublime atmosphere like no other; and strangely, it's the big 80s production sound that actually contributes towards this. And as for the Satanic lyrics, how could 'Headless Cross', 'Kill In the Spirit World' and 'When Death Calls' have worked without them? Answer - they wouldn't have. Tony Martin is awesome.
13. TECHNICAL ECSTASY (1976)
What they say:
"Butler claimed Technical Ecstasy was Sabbath responding to punk. Given it was recorded in June 1976, that suggests they were either way ahead of the curve, or that Butler is mistaken. Back Street Kids may back his claim, but most of the rest of Technical Ecstasy was a mess."
What I say:
An undoubtedly unfocused album, partially because of the punk movement as the writer says. However, the band themselves were a mess at this point - the drugs and poor management had taken their toll on each and all of them. Ozzy even briefly left in 1977. I certainly don't agree with the statement "most of the rest of Technical Ecstasy was a mess" though. I agree that 'Back Street Kids' is great, but how could you forget about the doom-laden, almost proggy 'You Won't Change Me'? Fantastic tune! 'All Moving Parts (Stand Still)' is a groovy, hard-edged number while 'Rock n' Roll Doctor' is a good bit of fun. Hell, I even dig the Bill Ward-fronted 'It's Alright', which almost sounds like a Beatles song (!). That said, I could do without 'She's Gone'. A step backwards after the first six albums, sure, but not terrible in the slightest.
12. CROSS PURPOSES (1994)
What they say:
"For the first time in more than decade, Sabbath sounded like a contemporary metal band, rather than a group trying to sound like a contemporary metal band (and on Cardinal Sin, Iommi and Butler gave Martin the kind of preposterously epic setting that Dio had deserved). It’s no Master of Reality, but it was the best Sabbath album since the early 80s."
What I say:
They don't sound like a 'contemporary metal band' on Cross Purposes, they sound like Black Sabbath. I don't agree that it's "the best Sabbath album since the early 80s" either - Headless Cross and The Eternal Idol are still stronger Martin-fronted records in my opinion, but it's still nice to see Cross Purposes get some love here. I think it's a fine, well-crafted album, as songs like 'I Witness', 'Psychophobia' and 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle' prove.
11. BORN AGAIN (1983)
What they say:
"According to Sabbath mythology, Born Again should have been smothered at birth. Actually, it’s pretty good: Ian Gillan, whose only recordings with the band these were, still had his voice, and the other three are pretty focused. Of course, Gillan’s lyrics were awful and very un-Sabbath, but it was the best record he had been involved in since his time in Deep Purple."
What I say:
A favourite of mine - always has been, always will be. Born Again is one of the heaviest, most sinister albums in the discography... but also the most tongue-in-cheek. At times, it feels like the musical equivalent of a horror B-movie, and I love it. Ian Gillan's lyrics seem un-Sabbath on first inspection; 'Trashed' is based on his own experiences when he almost killed himself by crashing Bill Ward's car while 'Digital Bitch' is often rumoured to be about Sharon Osbourne. But calling them "awful" is total horseshit. The man's always been a brilliant lyricist, with Deep Purple or any project he was ever attached to. And his actual vocals on this album are off the hook. 'Disturbing the Priest', 'Zero the Hero' and 'Born Again' are three of the best Sabbath tracks of all time. Even the famously-botched production manages to work in it's favour. Love it, love it, love it.
10. NEVER SAY DIE! (1978)
What they say:
"The final album of the original Ozzy era has a terrible reputation, but it’s a quirky and enjoyable record, as long as you don’t expect Sabbath Even Bloodier Sabbath. The title track has garage-band rawness; Air Dance is – dare one say it – oddly beautiful. It’s hit and miss, but it’s still better than almost everything from 1981 onwards."
What I say:
An album I want to love, but just can't no matter how hard I try. The drugs were really talking at this point - 'Breakout'? The fuck is this?! SMOOTH JAZZ on a Sabbath record?! Even Ozzy refused to sing on it. The synths on 'Johnny Blade' bring down what is otherwise a great song while 'A Hard Road' is just an irritatingly happy tune. However, the title track is fun, 'Junior's Eyes' is brilliant (and surprisingly sophisticated) and I agree that 'Air Dance' is oddly beautiful. 'Swinging the Chain' is another rare Bill Ward-fronted track, and a cool one at that. A polarising album... some people love it, others hate it. I'm still on the fence with it after all these years!
9. 13 (2013)
What they say:
"The original foursome reconvened for the first time since 1978 – and for the first record by any Sabbath lineup since 1995 – under the guidance of producer Rick Rubin, who fairly evidently told them there was only one thing people wanted Black Sabbath to do: sound like Black Sabbath. It didn’t scale the original heights, but 13 was miles better than anyone dared expect."
What I say:
The worst Black Sabbath album of all time. Why? Because the whole thing feels like a money-making scheme and a couple of the songs even directly rip-off the oldies. 'End of the Beginning' is just a less-threatening 'Black Sabbath' while 'Zeitgeist' is a carbon-copy 'Planet Caravan'. Ooh but look, Ozzy's back!! So fucking what. The so-called 'fans' who wanted him back are the same ones who never even bothered to listen to all the brilliant albums without Ozzy. Black Sabbath is and always will be Tony Iommi, end of. But... but... Rick Rubin produced it! The biggest music producer in the world! Great, so that means we're dealing with a horribly dry-sounding record, with absolutely zero bass and reverb all in the name of the 'loudness war'. Fortunately I do like 'God Is Dead?' and 'Live Forever'...
P.S. "The original foursome" are NOT present here. Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk steps in because Bill Ward wasn't part of the project.
8. MOB RULES (1981)
What they say:
"After the success of Heaven and Hell (1980), Sabbath essentially made the same album again, just not quite as well. But what could have been a productive 80s was derailed by rows about the mix (Iommi accused Dio of sneaking back to the studio at night to turn his vocals up) and by Dio’s departure."
What I say:
What the hell is this guy on about?! Now look here Mr. Michael Hann, if you'd done your fucking research you'd know that all the supposed "rows about the mix" are only relevant when discussing 1983's Live Evil, which is the actual reason for Dio's departure - NOT Mob Rules, which features a terrific production job courtesy of Martin Birch. This is the first time I've ever heard anyone rag on Mob Rules' production. Also, the album does differ from Heaven and Hell in that it's heavier, darker in tone and the fact Dio's lyrics moved away from his signature rainbows n' wizards subject matter and sat more inline with traditional Sabbath values. 'Turn Up the Night' kicks ass on all levels, 'Voodoo' is an oddly bluesy metal romp that rules, 'The Sign of the Southern Cross' is a foreboding epic while the dirgy, murky instrumental 'E5150' provides the perfect intro to the storming title track. Oh, and 'Country Girl' is killer too. Fantastic album.
7. BLACK SABBATH (1970)
What they say:
"A tolling bell, the sound of pouring rain, then the riff that changed everything: Black Sabbath invented an entire worldview within the first 60 seconds of their debut. You can still hear the blues-rock band they had been – The Wizard; Evil Woman, Don’t Play Your Games With Me; an interminable cover of Aynsley Dunbar’s Warning – which makes it an album of greater promise than reality."
What I say:
One of very few legitimately unsettling LP's ever recorded, from the songs to the creepy album cover. Nothing else sounds like it. Even Ozzy's voice changed after this one. There's a strong blues influence on here, that much is true, but it doesn't negatively affect the songs in any way. Every song is a classic. Me personally, I'd have it much higher on my list, but the remaining albums in this guy's list are all superb anyway, so I can't really complain.
6. SABOTAGE (1975)
What they say:
"The last of the run of great albums (the fact you can see drummer Bill Ward’s underpants through his wife’s red tights on the cover is a handy metaphor for a band that was about to lose its grip), and still fantastic. Symptom of the Universe barrels along, before reaching a fabulous acoustic section – it is an album full of invention. And Osbourne, rarely an expressive singer, was at his best here."
What I say:
The last of the classic albums with the original lineup, that much is true. Not one of my personal favourites from this period, but still a fucking amazing record. The band's creativity here was still at an all-time high after the surprisingly ambitious Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and you can hear this on tracks like 'Megalomania' and 'The Writ', not to mention the bizarre 'Am I Going Insane (Radio)'. Meanwhile 'Hole in the Sky' and 'Symptom of the Universe' are absolutely crushing.
5. PARANOID (1970)
What they say:
"The title track! Iron Man! Rhyming “masses” with “masses” on War Pigs! The second Sabbath album was a leap into a different dimension from their debut: a huge, grim, monolithic edifice that brooked no doubt. You didn’t think it was OK; you thought it was the greatest thing ever. Or you hated it. For many years, virtually every critic fell into the second camp. The fools."
What I say:
Now this was a surprise. Most online ranking lists like to stick Paranoid at the top, because it's got 'War Pigs', 'Iron Man' and of course, 'Paranoid' on it - arguably the most famous Sabbath tracks. It's an absolute classic alright, but I agree with the author that it isn't necessarily one of their best. 'Rat Salad' is a patchy instrumental, a wannabe 'Moby Dick'. And Tony wasn't detuning his guitar just yet, making the album kinda cranky at times. Minor complaints, but still worth noting. 'Hand of Doom' is masterful; one of the most underrated songs.
4. VOL. 4 (1972)
What they say:
"The sleeve thanks “the great COKE-Cola Company of Los Angeles”, and you can hear it: Vol 4 is a powder-blown record, blank and unrelenting, grinding its teeth. Wheels of Confusion reduces the idea of the riff to its bare minimum. Snowblind – originally intended to be the title track – captures the essence of Vol 4. All your nihilist needs met in one place."
What I say:
'Changes' is a silly ballad, but aside from that the majority of this album is top-tier Sabbath. 'Under the Sun' is a sludgy doom-fest, 'Snowblind' is a tribute to cocaine, 'Tomorrow's Dream' is a catchy single and 'Supernaut'... holy shit!! 'Supernaut' is one of the coolest fucking songs EVER!! People like to rag on 'FX', throwing it in the 'filler' camp, but I like it. Kinda gives the album more atmosphere, in a way. Take away 'Changes' and you have a near-perfect record.
3. HEAVEN AND HELL (1980)
What they say:
"The opener, Neon Knights, served notice that Black Sabbath – with Dio replacing Osbourne – were revitalised. It wasn’t the only track on which the group sounded rejuvenated by the emergent new wave of British of heavy metal (see also: Die Young). The title track still had the Sabbath plod, yet they somehow sounded nimble with it. They were leading again, not following."
What I say:
In general, it tends to be most critics' favourite post-Ozzy Sabbath record, and I don't blame them - even if it's not my personal favourite. That said, it's difficult to pick holes. Maybe 'Walk Away' is filler, but the rest of this album displays a newly rejuvenated band. Dio's vocals and lyrics add a new layer of mysticism to the music, which is a little more theatrical and majestic than anything that came before. Not to mention the fact the man can actually sing, unlike Ozzy. 'Neon Knights', 'Children of the Sea', 'Heaven and Hell' and 'Die Young' are absolutely wonderful, choice-cuts for me.
2. SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH (1973)
What they say:
"The fifth Sabbath album saw them stretching out – Looking for Today has a flute break! A flute! On a Black Sabbath record! – but without sacrificing intensity. From the cover – some sort of satanic ritual in bed – through the title track, to Killing Yourself to Live, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath helped codify metal and extend its boundaries."
What I say:
The menacing album cover doesn't quite speak for the music on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Ironically, this album was less heavy overall than the previous four (aside from that riff on the title track... you know the one I mean... good lord...), due to the experimentation with keyboards and more usage of acoustic guitars. But does this make the songs any worse? Hell no! It's Black Sabbath showing off, and I don't blame them. You could even call the music 'progressive' at times, especially on the title track and 'Sabbra Cadabra'. No duff moments here, no sir.
1. MASTER OF REALITY (1971)
What they say:
"Master of Reality was Black Sabbath’s most subtle album yet and their most bludgeoning. Ward’s jazzy drumming – somehow swinging and precise – propelled even the most straightforward of the tracks. (Children of the Grave would be a pretty good boogie without Ward; he makes it monstrous.) The previous album was called Paranoid, but this was the one that sounded paranoid. The cause was perhaps the subject of the album’s opener, Sweet Leaf, on which a looped cough gives way to an Iommi riff so brutal that it is almost a caricature, before Osbourne spends several minutes explaining just how much he likes weed. A masterpiece."
What I say:
Correct. This is my favourite Sabbath album and I was surprised to see a critics' list with it at number one. Paranoid normally takes this slot with these people. Anyhow, Master of Reality is one of the heaviest, sludgiest, doomiest albums ever made. It's also one of the best albums ever made. Tony detuned his guitar, and just listen to those riffs on 'Children of the Grave' and 'Sweet Leaf'. Absolutely, bone-shatteringly heavy. The album even has moments of beauty, with 'Solitude' and the short instrumental 'Orchid'. I want 'Into the Void' to be played at my funeral - the heaviest song in existence. I've listened to this record a billion times and I'll continue to do so until the day I die.
In conclusion, this list was often disagreeable for me, and like many of these lists from popular publications, makes me wonder just how familiar the author really is with the discography they're critiquing. Still, the top ten was definitely fair. Well, aside from the inclusion of 13 that is, which IN NO WAY DESERVES TO BREAK THE TOP 10!! And I don't think I've ever seen Dehumanizer that far down anyone's list. That was baffling. That said, it was nice to see Mob Rules in the top ten, and Paranoid at number five instead of the usual top-spot. Here's my ranking:
19. 13 (2013)
18. Never Say Die! (1978)
17. Forbidden (1995)
16. TYR (1990)
15. Seventh Star (1986)
14. Technical Ecstasy (1976)
13. Cross Purposes (1994)
12. Dehumanizer (1992)
11. The Eternal Idol (1987)
10. Headless Cross (1988)
9. Sabotage (1975)
8. Mob Rules (1981)
7. Paranoid (1970)
6. Heaven and Hell (1980)
5. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
4. Born Again (1983)
3. Vol. 4 (1972)
2. Black Sabbath (1970)
1. Master of Reality (1971)
Like Deep Purple, I'm a Black Sabbath fanatic. Aside from 13, which I feel is mediocre on all levels, there's things I like about every album here. I think that every album after number fourteen (Technical Ecstasy) is great. So even if Cross Purposes only made number thirteen, I still love it.
