Band's List Heavy Metal Black Sabbath Master of Reality

My recent acquisition in the catalog of the first metal band, I knew very little about this album save for the fact that "Children of the Grave" had been in Brutal Legend.

Well, popping it into my car and listening to the whole thing from front to back shows that its not exactly a long album. But that matters little.

Track number one is the pot-head's anthem: "Sweet Leaf." As will follow in various other albums, it seems that the band has decided that drug addiction is the only way in life. Having read Ozzy's autobiography, I know that it was during this time that the band's solid addiction to drugs began, which contributed to the current state of the Prince of Darkness.

I guess "Sweet Leaf" turned sour in The End, despite "Volume 4" and this song praising it of its usefulness.

Track two is one of those Black Sabbath songs that nay-sayers of the band seem to gloss over, in favor of the darker, more serious ones (N.I.B., Hand of Doom), or the misconstrued (Paranoid, etc.). This song actually rises up in defense of Christ and God, saying that He is "The only one who can save you now from all this sin and hate", furthermore declaring those who seek to stifle Black Sabbath (on religious reasons no doubt) that "people like you that crucified Christ."

Which leaves this question...if they are here defending God, how come the first song is praising weed as the solution to life, and further songs (Supernaut) say that drugs are still the answer ("I wanna reach up and touch the sky"), while trashing on religion at the same time ("Got no religion, don't need no friends. Got all I want and I don't need to pretend")? Just a bit perplexing...

Three and Five are totally instrumental, showing that even with two fingers, Tony Iommi can still play like the pros. Track four is perhaps the most recognized off this album, and is another revolution-style track, with the theme being the generation rising up against their oppressors.

One of my favorite tracks from this album is "Lord of this World". Like "After Forever", it is often neglected by the over-zealous seeking to stifle this great band and their message. It talks about the stupid people of this world who accepted Satan as their master.

Your world was made by someone above
But you choose evil ways instead of love
You made me master of the world where you exist
The soul I took from you was not even missed

Track seven is another underrated and overlooked masterpiece from the catalog of Black Sabbath. It is not Bill Ward singing, but happens to be Ozzy Osbourne. Furthermore, it is living proof that emotion is what is needful in music, especially metal. Emotion does not make a band of the emotive hardcore genre (derogatorily known as "emo"), nor does it make a band weak to speak their emotions. It is another one of my favorites, mostly because I can relate profoundly to the lyrics of the song.

Track eight features the theme of space travel (which had become major in that time what with the Moon landings - which were mentioned in Wicked World on their first album: "They can put a man on the Moon quite easy"), with the hope that they can find a place to make a world better than the one they are leaving.

Is it a good album? Hell-freakin'-yes! It's worth the money!