Vol 4 (studio album) by Black Sabbath

This may not be as good as Paranoid or Master of Reality, but Vol. 4 is an essential heavy metal album in its own right. It is the best produced Sabbath album, with the guitar, bass and drums sounding very crisp and refined, with Ozzy’s vocals as good as ever.

A couple songs are a bit of a drop in quality from the rest of the album, namely the filler track, FX, and St. Vitus Dance, but they are still not enough to detract from what is indeed the third best in Sabbath’s career.

Standout tracks:

Wheels of Confusion

Supernaut

Snowblind

Under the Sun

Une incroyable collections de riffs mais il ne faut surtout pas réduire cet album à cela. Il y a aussi de belles melodies, des changements de rythmes, et de l'expérimentation,... Un des chefs d'œuvre du groupe.

This is probably Black Sabbath's most open and vulnerable release and I really think the music is better because of it. While the majority of their discography is consistent in style this is way more experimental and that gives us a lot to be able to explore. The ballad of Changes demonstrates this different approach they had all by itself with it being slow and delicate with some fantastic vocals on there. It is actually one of my favourite ever Sabbath songs as it is so easy to connect with and it gets stuck in your head so easily. Then there is the complete opposite style of this which is the classic darker and harder Sabbath on songs like Snowblind and Wheels Of Confusion/The Straightener which is still packed full of amazing quality. Instrumentally, the whole album is a marvel with that killer guitar work that really doesn't hold back. The issue I have with the album however is the drop off at the end, I always find those last three tracks to be quite dull and they lack the energy and passion the rest of the record has. Overall, one of the strangest but best Sabbath albums that was released as it is experimental and demonstrates that they can do a lot more outside of their usual style while still staying true to their roots.

Great record, with some real Sabbath classics and really unique riffs. In my opinion compared to the previous albums only fourth place, but it holds this one until the beginning of the Dio era.

Solid Black Sabbath album but not mind blowing. I would put Sabotage (first half) above it. Altough the opener and closer track are excellent, there is plenty of enjoyable tracks in between: Tomorrow's Dream, Supernaut, Snowblind. The rest is mediocre or filler for me.

From IlMala 01/23/2022 18:02

Actually i have changed idea many times, but... till now is my favourite BS album... if i need to explain to an alien what rock is i let him listen Wheels of Confusion.

From Jboy56 11/28/2021 09:50

When first heard in 1972, the heaviness and the selection of killer riffs took my breath away.
I think on this album Sabbath finally reached the epitome of their career and musical legacy. The riffs make this album a standout
So far they have invented heavy and doom metal in the progress.
Bangers:
- Supernaut
- St Vitus Dance (heavy!)
- Wheels of Confusion
- Snowblind

pretty standard heavy metal and changes

While not quite as popular as paranoid, it is just as good, and a bit more experimental. It even features a ballad!

Never been the hugest fan of this one. It has a bloated, brash feeling which is a world away from their previous works. Definitely a decent effort overall though.