Not my favorite Sabbath album. That would have to always be Master Of Reality. However, still brilliant and includes my favorite Sabbath song: A National Acrobat. Crazy about that opening riff. So burning. So swinging. Rock bands don't swing like this anymore. It's because they don't listen to jazz and blues like Sabbath did.

Many consider this Black Sabbath's high-water mark. Well, as a fan of the non-Ozzy eras, I have a problem with that. However, Tony Iommi has said it is a high point for him, so who am I to argue with the man who IS "Black Sabbath?"The stories about Iommi suffering writer's block in LA (more likely from the mountains of cocaine the band were hoovering up at the time), returning to the UK to the "haunted" Clearwell Castle for inspiration and scaring one another to death are well-known, so I won't go into detail. However, returning to home soil did seem to remove Iommi's writer's block, so all to the good.For years I didn't own this album because of the cover; as a Christian, I had issues with all the "666" stuff. However, though I am still a Christian, having done research on Drew Struzan's illustration of front v. back cover/nightmare v. dream and, of course, evil v. good, I understand the context better now.Nonetheless, I don't think the cover fits the content, either in a musical or lyrical sense. One could buy this album based on the cover and be expecting precursors to Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Slayer or Venom. That you will NOT find here.The album does open with one of Sabbath's heaviest songs, the title track. Iommi shreds here, Ozzy screams and Butler/Ward pound away, though there are some trademark Iommi acoustic interludes. What follows, though, is not really Sabbath's heavier content; even Iommi has said that this "wasn't a rock album, really."It is experimental. Keyboards take a greater place than before, and Iommi pulls out the flute here and there. The track "Fluff," an instrumental (supposedly written by Iommi for his wedding to his first wife, Susan), is almost completely Tony - layers of overdubbed acoustic and clean electrics, with the riffmeister playing piano. Yes keyboard great Rick Wakeman adds piano on "Sabbra Cadabra." Even Ozzy adds some ivories (courtesy of an early monophonic synthesiser) on "Who Are You?" Elsewhere, one will find acoustic guitars, sound effects (including a recorded audience applauding to close out the album) and even handclaps on "Looking For Today."The band is to be lauded for their experimentation here, rather than just repeating "War Pigs," et. al., ad nauseam. However, I shave one star for a lack of consistent heaviness throughout...which is one reason I love this band (in all its incarnations) so much.Oh...it is great in headphones!

Superb album and in my opinion the best in the Sabbath cannon. This is where it all came together for the band, listen on you tube for live bootlegs from the 74/75 US tour. Performance absolutely magnificent from a band at the peak of their power. Best tracks: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, KYTL and Spiral Architect.

Great album , peaking with a National acrobate and Sabbath bloody sabbath.

After Sabotage, Black Sabbath's greatest accomplishment. As with other musical masterpieces it can be enjoyed an unlimited number of times ( so far,anyway).

Best song: Sabbath Bloody SabbathI don't know this for a fact, but somehow I strongly suspect that this one cost Sabbath quite a few fans, even if it sold pretty well. Over-the-top gory album cover or not, this album is easily the band's least heavy, least dark, and least stereotypically Sabbath one to this point (not to mention the prominent presence of synthesizers on a few tracks), which basically means that diehard fans of the band's established sound will have a good chance of not liking this one anywhere near as much as the first four. But doggone it, I *like* this album, and were it not for a serious stinker (and another track that's really dull) I might call this one my favorite. The heaviness that characterized the previous albums is nowhere near as all-encompassing and suffocating on this album as on past ones, and while many will lament at this, I rejoice at the fact that this means there's some more friggin' diversity in the style of rockers Sabbath tackles.In short, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is an album made for people who wouldn't think of buying a Black Sabbath album, and made to largely annoy those who would. Since I fall into the category of "Music lover who kinda likes Sabbath sometimes" instead of "Sabbath fan," that description works just fine for me. If it works for you, get it, and even if it doesn't, it would do you some good to get it anyway. Just make sure to skip the stuff that sucks, of course.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was a fully "produced" album, using the studio for effects and extras, unlike the raw doom of their previous albums (most of which were brilliant). The production detracts not one bit! Tony Iommi's riffs are as strong as ever and the production comes across as a natural step from the spare and raw sound of the first four albums without sacrificing the essence of the Sabbath sound. I would not want all their albums to sound this way but i love that they went this route on their fifth album. I enjoy it every bit as much as Paranoid, Master of Reality and Vol. 4.

Sabbath continues the style with this there 5th offering..Its Heavy and Hot and even has Rick Wakeman adding his genius into the mix on the cracking Sabracadabra...The highlight has to be the title track and the impressive National Acrobat, however there is again not a weak track here, no filler stuff..This album showed that after 5 albums they can still crank it out and have in no way gone stale...The Sabs produced here a HM masterpiece that has stood the test of time and I still play it with relish 40 years after its launch date...A real classic!!

По-моему, этот альбом идеален во всём. "Killing yourself to live" посвящена состоянию группы на тот момент. Синтезаторы при записи этого альбома использовали активно, но грамотно. Это одна из лучших пластинок 1973 года. Особо хочется выделить заглавную песню, а ещё "A national acrobat", "Sabbra Cadabra" и "Killing yourself to live".

Favorite Tracks: 1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 2. A National Acrobat 5. Killing Yourself to Live 7. Looking for Today