BLACK SABBATH

At their peak, which is how they are remembered, Sabbath were all about myth and power. Their very name had an ominous resonance, capturing their murky, foreboding sound perfectly. Taken at face value, the lyrics of lead singer Ozzy Osbourne were ridiculous, but delivered in his banshee wail and supported by the oozing, primeval sludge of the band, they could sound positively frightening, the last testament of man slowly being pulled into the dark corners of hell (there's something about their music that lends itself to florid writing, as well). That sound was intact on their 1970 debut, and it seemingly came out of nowhere. Sure, some psychedelic and acid rock bands were heavy, but nobody approached the gloom of Black Sabbath, nobody had the same sense of dread.
The remastering is good, the digipacks are nicely done, the black velvet cover has good liner notes and testimonials from musicians, and the art direction cleverly is only in black and white, with not a color shot to be found in the whole 78-page book. Best of all, there's also a bonus DVD containing footage from the widely circulated "Live at the Beat Club" performance; it's only four tracks, but it's a great example of Sabbath at their prime, and it enriches this box.

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