Search - Black Sabbath :: Sabotage

Sabbath at their best

Conall Cash | Melbourne, Australia | 03/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is definitely Sabbath at their best. It just goes that tiny bit better than Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, mainly because it doesn't have any fillers like 'Fluff'. Hole In The Sky is a fast and furious opening, a classic Sabbath song. The lead-in to Symptom of The Universe, Don't Start (Too Late) is a very strange, fifty-second long acoustic interlude. Symptom of The Universe, although being possibly Sabbath's heaviest song (and therefore the heaviest song full stop until Motorhead came along), is a complex and brilliant song, which showcases Bill Ward's drumming quality as much as War Pigs, as well as Ozzy's singing capabilities. The acoustic outro is one of the greatest things I have ever heard. Meglomania, though, goes even further. A close second to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath as the band's best song, this 9 minute-plus rollercoaster does not cease to amaze. It was best summed up by someone on a Sabbath mailing list I subscribe to, who said it was 'a nine-minute orgasm. Everything is in here.' When the worst song on an album is as good as Thrill of It All, you realise how amazing this album is. Thrill of It All, though being the weakest on the album, is a great song, filled with riff after riff after riff, showcasing Geezer's lyrical brilliance. Supertzar is truly enchanting. Iommi's evil riffs accompanied by a Gregorian choir is a truly amazing combination, and shows how much Sabbath were prepared to stretch the boundaries. Am I Going Insane, I can never really work out why I like it so much. I have read the criticisms of it on this page, and I can understand where they're coming from, but when I turn it on, I am overpowered. The Writ tops it all off brilliantly. Geezer Butler's talent as a bass player is truly shown here, as he doesn't even contemplate sticking to the basic guitar riff. And that is why there will never be another Sabbath. That free-flowing style they have, in which one of them can just go off and do whatever they want, and it will still seem to fit into the song, is something that can never be equalled. Certain styles of metal became more and more structured and fast, that there was absolutely no room for that. I love bands like Pantera, Megadeth (in the 80s) and Metallica (also in the 80s), but none of them will ever have that Sabbath feel. Getting back to The Writ, though, this song also shows that Sabbath weren't afraid to stick to the brash heaviness that people who aren't true fans of the band know them for. All in all, this is as much a progressive-rock album as it is metal. Iommi's solos become faster and more stunning every album (until Born Again), and this is no exception. This album truly is Sabbath at their very peak."

The start of Sabbath's decline? Nah

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 01/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some Black Sabbath fans think Ozzy and the gang hit their creative peak with their fifth album, "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," thus their sixth album ("Sabotage") was the start of the group's decline. But other fans loved "Sabotage" and believe that it showed that the band were evolving and maybe even maturing. This reviewer is in the latter camp. Granted, when compared to Sabbath's first five records (especially "Master of Reality"), this album is not very dark or gloomy, and it actually kind of sounds "uplifting." (This brighter sound was made possible because of guitarist Tony Iommi, who brought in "orchestral"-like instruments, including keyboards and even a choir in the song "Supertzar.") But this is still Black Sabbath; "Sabotage" is still a heavy metal album, so the guitars are still very much involved. After all, the chug and churn guitar lick on "Symptom Of The Universe" is quite possibly thrash's first ever riff! The first track, "Hole In The Sky," is super catchy and has a memorable main riff. "Don't Start (Too Late)" is about fifty seconds long, and it's thought of by some people as a filler track, but I think Tony's acoustic string arrangement is very pretty in this song. Track four, "Megalomania," is ten minutes long. It begins as a slow, depressing ballad, but it becomes heavy by the end. The next song, "The Thrill of It All," is highlighted by a bluesy guitar solo, and track six, "Supertzar," is an instrumental with an ominous use of the aforementioned choir. "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" has a catchy sing along ("tell me people...am I going insane?") and some creepy, maniacal laughter too boot. Finally, "The Writ" is another long song (eight and a half minutes in length), but, unlike "Megalomania," this song features some great singing by Ozzy, as well as guitar work which wouldn't be out of place on an early Rush record. So, "Sabotage" is (yet) another classic album from a band who were seemingly incapable of making anything else. This is essential listening for all Black Sabbath/Ozzy fans and heavy metal fans in general."

One Last Hurrah! Sabotage Is Sabbath's Swan Song!

Mr. Sinister | El Cajon, CA USA | 04/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are a few things I gotta say about Sabotage, Black Sabbath's sixth album: First, it's one of my favorites. Probably my favorite over Paranoid just because I've heard Paranoid way too many times in my life. Secondly, that this is the decline of Sabbath. No doubts about that. If you think differently and are a huge fan of Technical Ecstasy, well... you're insane! This was the last time that Sabbah were all on the same page. Sure there are little bits and pieces of greatness after Sabotage, but very little. Sabotage is a grand and glorious rock epic! This is probably the only album that Sabbath put out that flowed perfectly! Where they started to experiment on Vol. 4 and Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage is the culmination of all that. Whoa! Taking a two-year hiatus from touring and recording will do that to you. Everything falls into place. Also, what a great album cover. Ozzy wearing a dress and those really cool giant-heeled suede Elton John boots. Bill Ward in his red spandex pants with his checkered underwear showing through. Geezer with a cane. The 70s! Wow!



Hole In The Sky - Great song! I'm looking through a hole in the sky, I'm seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie.... Great lyrics Great riffs. The productin value was probably Sabbath's best. Rocking!



Don't Start (Too Late) - Iommi finally did it, he made his little instrumental show-off pieces fit into the rest of the album without throwing it for a loop! Cool little 50 second accoustic blurb that heads right into one of Sabbath last classic cuts.



Symptom Of The Universe - All out metal goodness! This is one is one of those signaure Sabbath tunes that you will alway remember. Yeaaaaaahhhh!



Megalomania - Sprawling! That's is what this song is: sprawling! What a killer epic tune! This song is haunting. One of my personal favorites! Moody and dark and whoa! I love this song! The ghost of violence was something I'd seen. I sold my soul to be the human obscene.... Great!



The Thrill Of It All - Another personal favorite. The lyrical content on Sabotage grew to maturity seemingly overnight. Since Geezer wrote most of the lyrics I'm not sure you can blame Ozzy for most of the juvenile, hilarious lyrics of the past Sabbath albums, but these songs are definitely better written. Perhaps Ozzy was lending a hand? Can I ask the final question if the answer could be sold? Perfect.



Superzar - Sprawling instumental with moaning chior in the background. This is epic. No doubt about that. Are we in some dank, creepy monastery? Sounds like it. This is mood music for a human sacrifice. Beautiful. Cohesive to the rest of the album.



Am I Going Insane (Radio) - Pobably the most recognized song off the album becaus of it's induction onto the greatest hits collection We Sold Our Soul For Rock'N'Roll. Great song. Sabbath really clicked for the last time on this album.



The Writ - Apparently Black Sabbath as an entity were having a lot of legal problems at this time and Ozzy said once that they couldn't go onstage without getting served with a writ or a restraining order or whatever. Thus the birth of this lengthy album ender. Killer tune. Epic along the lines of the rest of the album. Fits perfectly into the Sabotage lineup.



Overall, Sabotage is the most consistent album Sabbath ever came out with. All the songs mesh into a whole and that was very hard for Sabbath accomplish over the years. The fact that they tok a two-year break before recording Sabotage suggests that they needed to be away from each other to come back and make some good music. If Paranoid is their landmark album, then Sabotage is their perfect album. What goes wrong after this is warring egos and drug-addiction and the end of Black Sabbath. Sorry. All good things must eventually come to an end.



Dig it!"