Review Summary: The second big step into metal.
The explosion of Heavy Metal unto the music scene in the early seventies truly did influence a moderate audience. Not only hard rock fans, but other musicians and music lovers around the world took note of the new heaviness that had been presented unto them. Metal creators Black Sabbath had, obviously, introduced their self-titled debut, nowadays considered a modern day masterpiece, a monolith, whereas back then they were too Satanic. Raves can progress over the intelligent, unique pieces Sabbath has constantly created nowadays. After the major success of your first album, how do you create the next album? In some cases, it's never as good. Then Sabbath released
Paranoid. Although Sabbath would still of been moderately successful with their debut, Paranoid helped turned them into some of the visible stars on the planet. Arguably, an album like Paranoid doesn't come regularly.
Perhaps the criticism that Sabbath was too satanic was an unfair one. Sure, songs like
N.I.B. from their first album were done so darkly it blew a hole, to the media at least. But, time and time again, Sabbath never were satanic. So, they dropped that theme altogether and released Paranoid. And the title itself, not to mention numerous lines, constitutes a theme to the album, of insecurity and danger. It doesn't completely break off everything their self-titled debut had shown, as some of the darkest lyrical topics pop up in Paranoid, such as
Electric Funeral's cataclysmic atmosphere about a nuclear holocaust.
In that sense, the instruments played on Paranoid achieve the heaviness they are famous for: the hauntingly relentless guitar riffs, the crushing, fast drum work, and the thumping bass tempos. Most of the songs are consistently heavy, but do change up a bit, such as the slower nature of
Planet Caravan, that mixes sound effects and a bass / guitar-shared riff. That should almost prove that this album does a good job of expertly mixing in different sounds: a slight flaw that their debut constituted.
Although the best moments on the album (Caravan aside), are the heaviest on the album. The 7-minute magnum opus, anti-war War Pigs, should almost prove that Sabbath still goes strong, which laces nostalgic guitar solos and lightning-quick drum beats, but numerous different riffs and melodies. Electric Funeral shows off the greatest wah-wah example in the album, that sets the dark theme perfectly out of most in the album, describing a post-apocalyptic universe. Although a good deal of the song is slow, the frenzied midtempo section proves otherwise. Fairies Wear Boots is a massively unfitting follow-up to EF, containing, yet again, a nod to drugs, but in a more humorous style than the 7-minute Hand of Doom.
There are some problems present with Paranoid. First of all, the balance between message and atmosphere are severely lacking. Case in point: you have the nigh-playful Iron Man transition into the haunting Electric Funeral, the frenzied title track go right into the almost-soft Planet Caravan. Although shock tactics are never used, there are times in the album where it doesn't stay true to the overall message of it all.
But a 4.5 should denote an album that is worth listening to, and that almost everybody should admire it. For an album way back when, like this, it should prove a classic, an album that gives a sense of awe and nostalgia to most. And Paranoid comes closer than Black Sabbath does for ultimate appeal. It's incredibly heavy, witty in the oddest of senses (listen to Fairies Wear Boots), and maintains the dark theme multiple times (War Pigs). So how could it be any worse?
4.5 / 5
Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass
Bill Ward – drums
Further Listening
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Recommended Tracks
It's hard to pick a standout track here, but the opening, War Pigs, comes a little closer than most.
