PARANOID

Black Sabbath is mostly considerd to be the first metal band. So, this band may not be progressive in the usual point of view, but is by creating the standards for metal important for the development of later progressive metal bands.

Black Sabbath sounds slow - very slow in comparison of 80' metal - and very bassy. The sound is quit equal to the Blue Cheer, which is to be considerd as the pro-metal band. The difference is that Black Sabbath stopped playing in bluesschemes.

War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral and Fairies Wear Boots are all classics in the metalscene and show the typical Sabbath sound. An exception to this bassy and slow sound is Planet Caravan which deals with a clean sound. This song is also slow but sounds a bit eastern influenced with its percussion.

This record and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath are the only real good additions to any metal collection and maybe their debut. Four stars for this blue print of metal.