Four blokes from Birmingham who basically invented heavy metal by accident, that’s Black Sabbath for you. Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward started out as a blues band called Earth, but after seeing a Boris Karloff horror flick called “Black Sabbath” advertised outside a cinema, they figured that name had a better ring to it. Smart move, really. These guys weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel or anything, they just wanted to make some noise and maybe escape the factory life that was waiting for them in industrial Birmingham.
Paranoid came out in 1970, just seven months after their debut, and man did they nail it. This album is basically the blueprint for every heavy metal record that came after it. The production has this smoky, analog sound that makes everything feel like it’s coming from some underground bunker, which is perfect for the apocalyptic vibe they were going for. Ozzy’s vocals are raw and upfront, Tony Iommi’s riffs are absolutely massive, and Bill Ward hits his drums like he’s trying to wake the dead. The whole thing just sounds evil in the best possible way.
The title track “Paranoid” is probably their most recognizable tune, simple, infectious riff that gets stuck in your head for days. But the real heavyweight here is “War Pigs,” this 8-minute beast that starts off talking about generals and war profiteers and ends up with Satan himself judging all the bastards responsible for human misery. “Iron Man” is another classic that everyone knows, even if they don’t realize it’s Sabbath. These songs managed to sell four million copies in the US with almost zero radio play, which tells you everything about how powerful word-of-mouth was for this record.
Look, if you’re even remotely interested in heavy music, you need to check out Paranoid. This isn’t just some dusty old classic that sounds dated, it still hits as hard today as it did in 1970. Black Sabbath basically created the template that every metal band since has followed, and this album is them at their absolute peak. Plus, it’s got that perfect balance of genuinely heavy, doom-laden tracks and more accessible rockers, so there’s something for everyone. Just don’t expect any hippie love songs or flower power nonsense, this is Birmingham’s industrial decay turned into pure sonic brutality.