Black Sabbath - Master of Reality

With Paranoid, Black Sabbath perfected the formula for their lumbering heavy metal. On its follow-up, Master of Reality, the group merely repeated the formula, setting the stage for a career of recycling the same sounds and riffs. But on Master of Reality Sabbath still were fresh and had a seemingly endless supply of crushingly heavy riffs to bludgeon their audiences into sweet, willing oblivion. If the album is a showcase for anyone, it is Tony Iommi, who keeps the album afloat with a series of slow, loud riffs, the best of which -- "Sweet Leaf" and "Children of the Grave" among them -- rank among his finest playing. Taken in tandem with the more consistent Paranoid, Master of Reality forms the core of Sabbath's canon. There are a few stray necessary tracks scattered throughout the group's other early-'70s albums, but Master of Reality is the last time they delivered a consistent album and its influence can be heard throughout the generations of heavy metal bands that followed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Bill Ward Vocals, Drums Chris Walter Photography Geezer Butler Bass Hugh Gilmour Original Sleeve Design, Liner Notes, Reissue Design Keef Photography, Poster Design Mike Stanfod Art Direction Mike Stanford Art Direction Ozzy Osbourne Harmonica, Vocals Ray Staff Remastering Rodger Bain Producer Ross Halfin Photography Tony Bain Producer Tony Iommi Guitar