Image From: Disastercouch
Photograph by Marcus Keef
Year Released: 1970
Genre: Doom Metal
Country: UK
Medias that have this album: iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Grooveshark, Amazon
Similar Artists: Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Trouble
Vocal Style: Ozzy Osbourne
Members you might know: All of them
Without Paranoid metal wouldn’t have thrived as much as it did. Sure, there was Black Sabbath, but there weren’t any mainstream hits on that album. Paranoid came to the record stores with a bang and delivered upon us “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” and “War Pigs.” How could we have survived without this album? This is the most vital album in metal history.
Now let’s talk about guitar and vocals and stuff. From the beginning riff of “War Pigs” to the final stretch of “Fairies Wear Boots,” this album punches you in the face with sheer metal goodness. The fathers of metal cannot be beaten when it comes to guitar. Not only because they are the founders of metal, but also because Tony Iommi was the greatest metal guitarist to ever breathe the same air we breathe. And he got his fingers chopped in a metal sheet factory. By doing that, he unlocked the secret to guitar: chopping off the tips of your fingers.
“Iron Man,” the song everyone knows, yet they still sing “I am iron man” even though they don’t say that once in the main part of the song. However, it does fit perfectly with the main riff. And what a beautiful main riff it is. There are so many good riffs in one song that it’s hard to believe they released two albums in 1970. You’d think it would take more time to make both of them, especially with all of the riffs that each song has. But they did it. And I love them for it.
Were you aware that “Paranoid” was supposed to be filler? Well, it was and it turned out to be as big of a hit, if not bigger, than “Iron Man.” That just shows how awesome Sabbath is. They can have a filler song become a world-famous hit.
Highlighted Tracks: Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, Fairies Wear Boots
Overall Album Rating: 94% Nothing but a Masterpiece. Without Paranoid there is no metal, and without metal, there is no happiness.
The Metal Void 