Ward One: One of my favorites.  Worthy of the original Sabbath Legacy.
922789
I don't consider anything after "Never Say Die!" a Black Sabbath album. Bill Ward has the spirit and soul of Sabbath in his music more than any post Never Say Die FAKE sabbath, and I happily place my "Ward One: Along The Way" CD on the shelf along with the classic 8. This album is GREAT!!!!  In addition to his surprisingly excellent songwriting, you can hear the raw emotion in Bill's singing, like his pal, the Oz, albeit with a different timbre and style.  He does not handle all the drumming here.  His excellent drumming skills are not highlighted on this album and i believe aren't the point.  I urge the true fans of Bill and the real, original Sabbath to buy this album.  It's that good.
949491
I am not going to go on about what a great album this was and is. You know all the songs if you are a Sabbath fan. This edition just sounds so damn good and crystal clear. All the original muddiness has been replaced with bright come to life music and then there is the audio 5.1 dvd. I don't proclaim to have the best surround system but it sure makes this album come to life. It's just a great musical treat having all the instruments attacking you from all around the room. It's still a treat in two channel stereo as well. If you appreciate good music this album is for you.
33695
The origrinal and best known Black Sabbath is, without question, the best Sabbath around. Ozzy was definitely in his prime, hitting the high notes. The rest of the band is as tight as ever. The songs and the lyrics seem to be more psychologically developed, focusing on internal fears and uncertainties of the mind.

One musical note for the listener,
Many may already know this, but "Am I Going Insane" is followed after "The Writ". The original release from Warner Bros. has "Insane" preceeding "The Writ". The screams at the end of "Insane" are axed on this release. I can understand why the record label left them out, as they are disturbing. Although the screams may not add any musical value to "Insane", I am strong supporter of musicians' abilities to freely express themselves on record, wihout any stipulations.
2398704
This one rocks. Period.

Children of the Sea is as good as anything the original line-up ever did, but it stands on its own.

Heaven and Hell, Neon Knights and Die Young are also classic.

The second side sags a little at the end, but this is definitely worth a listen.
2430794
Original motion picture soundtracks don't get any better than this, folks.  You won't here ME complaining.  There are so many great things to be said about this collection.  This is classic rock/metal at it's best.  Don Felder's 2 songs are better than anything that the Eagles have ever done.  Also you'll find one of the best (albeit lesser known) BOC songs - Verteran of the Psychic Wars.  And fellow Black Sabbath fans will be interested to know that Tony Iommi does a completely different lead solo on this version of 'Mob Rules.'  Believe me, I was surprised, too!  Speaking of different versions of songs, Sammy Hagar's 'Heavy Metal' is much stronger, here, than on his own album.  And if you haven't heard the song 'Crazy' by Nazareth, then you really are missing out.  I'm not a huge Nazareth fan, but this song rocks!  But I've said enough.  -- Scott S. <sghost1@cool.com>
1730801
What would my discography reviews of Ozzy's albums be without reviewing his Black Sabbath stuff too? Incomplete that's what.

One major strength of this album is the history behind it. This is probably metal's first album, right here. You won't hear me giving out any glowing praise on the production. Frankly I'm not a fan of the Black Sabbath sound at all. Generally I find that any covers I've heard have much better sounds, even Ozzy's live album, Speak Of The Devil, but fortunately I can look beyond that. This thing was probably the darkest album ever released, at its time.

The playing is solid, as you'd expect. Iomi is known for his riffs. The drummer seems to mix in a bit of a jazzy style at times. In addition to drums standing out, which really doesn't happen often enough, the album also has very noticeable bass, and it's played very nicely. Everyone has the opportunity to shine on this disc. Ozzy sounds fairly interesting, and probably slightly more normal than he would later, but I like his style from say Never Say Die through No More Tears. He has a very unique voice, and actually he's had several unique voices, because he's changed so much over the decades. Most vocalists today can't come up with 1 unique vocal style.

Overall this is a landmark album, and a very good one. My main complaint is its presentation. It seems several versions group tracks together, when they shouldn't be. N.I.B. should be its own track. Otherwise this is a very solid album.

Black Sabbath 8/10 classic tune, very slow and dark. There's a very sinister feel to it. I like the faster part which comes in later. There's a cool effect on the guitars during this part as well.

The Wizard 9/10 is a catchy song kind of up tempo, with actually an interesting tempo, not like most songs. Love the drumming in this one. Ozzy's vocals are solid, and Iomi's riffs are good. The harmonica adds something different to the song as well. Overall another Sabbath classic.

Behind The Wall Of Sleep 7/10 is a decent trackNot heavy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ozzy uses an effect on his vocals, which was probably inventive at the time.

N.I.B. 10/10 is another Black Sabbath classic. The riff is classic, and catchy, if for some reason you haven't heard it. The vocals are solid, with a good melody. The drums again add their own flare to the mix. Overall a very good song.

Wicked World 8/10 is a solid rocker, mid tempo ish I gues. There are more jazzy drum beats, and a catchy riff played in parts of the song.

The Warning 6/10 is a slower song, with some great melodies. Again the drums stand out. Iomi fills in with some nice guitar licks. Myy reason for giving this middle of the road marks instead of a high rating is the instrumental which lasts forever, way longer than it should.

Evil Woman 7/10 is a decent up tempo rocker. It's a bit simple, especially in the chorus, but it's pretty enjoyable.

Overall this is in a way the reason I like music today. Not that it was the first album I heard, but it was the album to start the hard rock, heavy metal genre, and for that alone, plus being a very solid album this will go down in history as a landmark achievement. And this is also a must own for any Sabbath, Ozzy, or rock or metal fan. Know your history, and it all started here.
3483337
Anyone who missed this period in Sabbath's career is lacking one of  the finest rock and roll (fantasy) albums from this period. Ronnie James Dio makes it.
963166
If you like the old Sabbath then you will love this album!! The sound is modern but the riffs are classic doom as only Tony Iommi can do it, this is as heavy as it gets without being thrash. I had high expectations for this after Geezer said the stuff Tony came up with was pure genius and not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded as I didn't expect the deluxe album to have songs that were as good as what was on the regular edition, the deluxe addition is a must if you're a Sabbath fan!!!
1824694
Interesting when a small gem like this slips through the cracks. Incubus were just another entry in the New-wave-Of-British-Heavy-Metal period (c. 79-83) standing in the shadows of Priest, Maiden, and Leapard as well as Saxon, Diamond Head and (my favorite) Witchfynde.
The three Crawford brothers who were the backbone of the band obviously grew up on a healthy steady diet of classic BoC LPs- more so than Sabbath or Zeppelin. This is obvious in their vocal harmonies. Best moments: "highway to Hell" (NOT an AC/DC cover!), "life beyond the grave", "night of vengence" and the title track. Very atmosphearic 80s metal.
Other great NWOBHM albums that most Yanks don't know about: WITCHFINDER GENERAL-"death Penalty", RITUAL-"Widow", WITCHFYNDE- "Cloak & Dagger" and "lords of Sin", DEMON- "Nigt of the Demon", PAGAN ALTAR- "Vol. 1", CLOVEN HOOF- s/t, DARK HEART- "shadows of the night", and HANDSOME BEASTS- "beasteality".
1367090
I remember when Sabbath was one of my favorite bands. I got into them in the summer of 2007, and got this album for Christmas. One of my favorite songs off this album was Snowblind! Other great tracks off this album are Wheels of Confusion, Tommorow's Dream, Cornucopia, and Under The Sun. Here black sabbath remained the edgey hard rock that would influence heavy metal! After this album they went for a more rock sound for a while.
762819
I'm very biased so I like about anything that Black Sabbath puts out. Especially their early work, which this still is. Great music for metal lovers who don't care for vulgar, satanic lyrics
2118740
Ok, so this isn't the best sabbath album ever, but it is so incredibly different from all the others that it is fascinating. Some very good songs on there, including 'Dancing Queen', one of my favorite Sabbath songs. If you're curious, you gotta try it. I'd love to know the story though behind the last song of the album which is NOT sung by Ozzy.
1506906
This is a fine (if redundant) collection of songs.  If, like me, you bought all the sabbath as it first came out on cd in 88, then you missed on the remastered editions.  Here is an easy way to get the greatest hits at least, in cleaned up, superb sound, without having to buy all of the albums again.
1675132
Well here it is, just like the time period between Sabbath's Vol. 4 and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath when you waited for that masterpiece you knew your boys were working on. Here it is Mos Generator's full realization of who and what they are. This is why I love them, and I celebrate the worship  and this album is their finest moment so far. Like an old friend you will play this over and over again and feel warm all over.
4140081
Many of us, I guess, associate Mrs. Ward with uptempo, revivalist tunes. Here she settles into a beautiful, affecting, rendition. Maybe the best I've ever heard/seen, on film-video. (Until someone locates footage of Little Richard's performance at Madison Square Garden, in 1972). :)
2186692
Released in 1972 Black Sabbath's "Volume 4" was the beginning of a musical change for the band. Not that I disliked this album, on the contrary I felt the band were maturing. Lead guitarist Tony Iommi in particular was showing a change in his guitar solos, not as frantic as in previous Sabbath albums, but toned down a tad bit where every note is placed in a particular part of the song for a reason.  Ther album is loaded with some very good songs, my favorites being "Snowblind", "Supernaut", "Tomorrow's Dream" and "Wheels Of Confusion". Surprisingly, the ballad "Changes" works well on this album and has been covered by other artists. The 2016 remastering is an improvement over the older version but still is not as crisp as the one from the Black Sabbath "Black Box - The Complete Original Black Sabbath" which sounds fantastic. If you still own the older version of "Volume 4" on compact disc you might want to update that one. I saw this at Best Buy for $7.99 as a single disc. Haven't seen a commercial Deluxe Edition as yet.
605813
If you have never heard Solitude Aeturnus, you don't know what you are missing.  This is one of the most criminally underrated metal bands of all time.  I didn't take them too seriously until recently and I'm extremely glad I did.  I think most people assume (as I did) that they are just a Black Sabbath copy, but they go far beyond anything Iommi & Co ever accomplished - and not just because they have two guitarists.
They definately have the heavy doom atmosphere of Sabbath, but they go quite a few steps heavier.  Plenty of killer leads, heavy-as-cement riffs, vocals that can go from dark and gritty to high and soaring, and some awesome song writing that is unique and technical while still remaining melodic and fairly accessible.  To top it all off, the production is killer.  They keep the doomy feeling of the 70's era while still having the intensity and heaviness that only modern production is capable of.  Basically, I can't imagine any metalhead listening to this without drooling.
This album is 100% metal and absolutely essential.  OK, so their vocalist doesn't bite the heads off of doves, but no band is perfect.