Well, yeah, at this point "metal" didn't really exist, did it? Sabbath gets called metal because they're among the darkest and heaviest of '70s hard rock and are metal's clearest forefathers. And they already had the imagery pretty much down.

My only point is that I was expecting something, I don't know, more 'metally' or something that met my construct or qualia for the genre. It hasnt really done so, but has exceeded my expectations for enjoyment. I don't know if the two are related.

It was called heavy metal at the time, so yeah, it existed. The genre back then included a lot of bands that stretched the definition (just like '70s punk), and for whatever reason subsequent generations of metalheads latched on to the Sabbath strain as the only true "metal".

as a kid in the early-to-mid-'70s, i remember the term "acid rock" being used a lot back in those days, before "heavy metal" entered the mainstream vernacular

heh, yeah - as a child of the 80s, I remember this term as well. Tame Impala, Flaming Lips, Butthole Surfers could all be labeled this way.

The book Rock Revolution, written by the editors of Creem and published in 1973, had an entire chapter devoted to heavy metal.

Acid rock as a term is pretty self-explanatory. I don't remember it as an accepted genre, per se - it seemed to be more a term of denigration used by fearful "squares" - but even then it would've included the likes of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, neither of which were ever considered metal (even in the days of hazy definitions).

this is correct. Heavy Metal definitely existed back then.

i think the reason Metalheads latched on to Sabbath was because at the time, especially in the early years, it was darkest and heaviest music, even with their blues slant.

I always find it interesting how many genres start out defined broadly and over time get narrowed down to the point where 20 years out people are arguing that key originators of said genres were actually something totally different because they don't fit squarely into the little box subsequently created. And yeah, punk stuff is totally subject to this phenomena.

Also, if Sabbath isn't metal, nothing is.

The main riff on After Forever is probably my favorite Sabbath riff ever. Great call on it being 'modern sounding' Dj, because it is exactly what a lot of bands since have modeled their 'heavy sound' after.

Lord of This World is as stoner as it gets. Plodding, hazey riff, and Ozzy fucking kills on it.

Into the Void is classic Sabbath imo. The riff that comes in at 1:15 is fucking METAL brother. that 'chug chug' style is still heard all over the place in Metal, Hardcore, Punk, Doom, etc. My fav orite part of this track is when it picks up speed at 3:15 or so. God I want to take acid again and just listen to this fucker.

I think what likely happened is that my oblivious, out-of-touch mother lumped any "loud" music from that era (Heavy Metal included) into the catch-all category of "Acid Rock" when imploring prepubescent FT not to listen to it.

But what we consider "metal" now did not yet exist. A lot of the defining characteristics were not in place yet, but Sabbath probably exhibits more of them than any of their contemporaries, at least to modern ears and how we think of "metal". So yes there was something called heavy metal, but it wasn't "metal" as we currently think of it.

I guess Josh Homme built the QOTSA sound solely on that proggy change midway (2:11 - 2:21) through the song, eh? And the outro is where the Friday The 13th movie sound designers got the echoey "choo choo" effect from.

My dad still calls heavy music "acid rock" or the even more descriptive "hard acid rock".

this is definitely Metal dude.

OK, I don't think this argument can get any dumber! My bad!

This is more or less what I was driving at, Drinky. I was expecting something else from Black Sabbath based on my preconceptions of what seems to be "metal" in contemporary terms.

you're right, your comment is dumb.

'A lot of the defining characteristics were not in place yet'

well, you're dead wrong. the example above proved that point.

then again, your idea of what 'metal' is, is probably very narrow.

Thanks. Moving on.

So I listened to Master of Reality just now.

It's really good. Better than the debut, but not as good as Paranoid. I'm not going to do a track-by-track, but this one is probably the most cohesive album of the first three, at least in terms of sound. For some reason, I've never found it to be very memorable, though. Maybe I just haven't listened to it enough - I certainly haven't listened to it as much as Paranoid - but I do own it. So I have spent a decent amount of time with it. It sounds great, but nothing much about it has ever stuck with me after I listen to it.

I'm not going to get to this at all today or probably tomorrow based on my schedule but wanted to share this if people still wanted to post some thoughts.

fuck yes! will be able to listen and comment tonight.

This one I've only ever listened to once or twice so I'm definitely looking forward to hearing it - and the next few - again.

OK, Vol. 4....

First thing that hits me is the guitar tone. Probably the best Iommi has sounded yet. Clear, fat, heavy and powerful. Main riff on Wheels Of Confusion....open and thick. God damn it sounds great. Never a real fan of the end of the track when the keyboards come in.

Tomorrows Dream has that classic stoner sound Sabbath are known for. This would fit well on Master or even Paranoid. Ozzy sound particularly great on this track imo, love the little melodic part that comes in and brings a slight prog feel to the track. When the track picks up at 1:56 with that weird synth/tone for just a moment, it adds a nice touch.

Changes is a popular tune from them, with Ozzy shining, but it's never interested me really. Oddly, this has been in many Mix CDs and DJ sets over the years, including one from Air (who also have been known to play Laguna Sunrise).

FX is pointless but sounded cool and weird when i was a kid.

Supernaut is the tune every Metal/Rock band wish they would have come up with. It's a fucking monster, and still sounds incredibly fresh to this day. IOMMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't help but hear a bit of Hendrix...the raw sound, the way Iommi plays those riffs, real loose. Ward KILLS it on this track as well. Everything sounds amazing on this...the guitar tone, the open hats, this mid-point Latin inspired bit. Easily one of my fav Sabbath tracks ever. As a kid, I remember playing this fucker over and over and over....on vinyl. My uncle would tell me 'let the record play for christ sakes' when I listened to it at his place. Timeless.

Snowblind is some bluesy, stoner business. Fat sound, cheesy lyrics that I got in trouble for repeating as a kid. The temp0 change at 3:27 rules. When I brought this album in to 3rd grade show-n-tell, at a Lutheran school mind you, my teacher had the front office call my parents and let them know that it wasn't OK for me to bring this in anymore. He mentioned this song in particular. He ended up being fired a few years later after being arrested for cocaine.

Cornucopia is a hugely influential for many doom metal bands. Cathedral, Candlemass, Trouble, My Dying Bride, all rating it as a heavy influence. Ward and Butler kick some serious ass on this. Very bluesy track, fucking love the riff at 2:20.

Laguna Sunrise is a delicate acoustic interlude that sounds better now than it did when I was a kid.

St. Vitus Dance...I always thought it would have sounded better on their debut. Upbeat feel, and not overly memorable on this album imo.

Under The Sun is some straight up Sabbath DOOM. The doom metal genre owes a lot to the way Iommi and Ward play on this track. That galloping style can also be heard in everything from Iron Maiden to Anthrax. Love how this song switches up and picks up tempo. Ward shines here. Every Day Comes & Goes finishes off the album nicely, slowing the tempo back down with some killer riffs from Iommi.

I think it's worth pointing out that Black Sabbath steamroll over a lot of the bands that are still playing from that era, Rolling Stones included. There's not even a contest, even with Ozzy being incoherent at times.