There’s an eternal controversy: Who invented Heavy Metal? For many, it was Judas Priest, for others, Paul McCartney in The Beatles with his song “Helter Skelter,” among many other theories that undoubtedly influenced the genre. However, for us, the credit undoubtedly goes to Black Sabbath. Their sound and themes were tremendously influential for almost the entire Metal scene and its subgenres.
Coming from a time of war, they used the hostility of a generation living in an uncertain environment to express their anger through drums, guitar, bass, and vocals, drawing on blues influences to create a series of excellent albums that continue to evoke rebellion in humans over time. Today, we’re discussing their third studio album, “Master Of Reality” (1971), one of our favorite albums from the band, which was shaping their sound with each successive release.
What can we hear?
Literally, “heaviness by accident”: Guitarist Tony Iommi had previously suffered an accident with his fingers, so he played with rubber protectors on his fingertips. His fingers had worn out during their two previous albums, “Black Sabbath” (1970) and “Paranoid” (1970), which led him to lower his guitar’s tuning by a tone and a half on “Master Of Reality” to reduce string tension. Bassist Geezer Butler adapted to this, resulting in one of the heaviest albums in history. This new tuning made everything sound deeper and more devastating.
We hear a very young Ozzy Osbourne, who, although never having perfect technique, adapted well to the song styles. He could be as aggressive as in ‘Children Of The Grave’ or as gentle as in ‘Solitude,’ a kind of ballad that balances the darkness of the album. “Children Of The Grave” is undoubtedly one of the heaviest Heavy Metal songs, an extremely explosive track where Bill Ward fearlessly struck his cymbals and snare. We can also hear some tom-tom rhythms in the recording that were overdubbed onto the track, giving it a very different percussive touch. This song is so aggressive that the album itself prepares you with two instrumental tracks before and after it, the first being ‘Embryo’ and the second ‘Orchid,’ two classical guitar pieces that serve as interludes to give the listener a break.
The bass throughout the album is a work of art; Geezer Butler, from their first album, became one of the most influential bassists in the genre. He supports the guitar in tracks like ‘Lord Of This World’ but also makes his instrument an important element in songs like ‘After Forever,’ using riffs that fill the spaces while supporting the drums.
Masters of the riff
Black Sabbath established the foundations of guitar and bass riffs in Metal, using memorable instrumental figures that give each song its identity. This is something that has been lost in recent years, as commercial music trends since the 90s have focused more on ‘groove’ than on instrumental figures.
“Master Of Reality” is a memorable album because each instrument plays its part: Ozzy Osbourne created very catchy melodies with his voice, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler based their guitar and bass figures on the famous ‘pentatonic scale or blues scale’ to create memorable patterns, and Bill Ward understood very well how to make this album sound heavy. The majority of it is slow, except for the bridge in “Into the Void.” This same slowness, combined with modest production, creates a rawness and darkness that also contributed to “Master Of Reality” laying many of Heavy Metal’s foundations.
Although the album’s instrumentation is straightforward, as we only hear three base instruments (a root the band maintained), the correct exploration, execution, and interpretation of these instruments make it very engaging. For example, the bridge of “Sweet Leaf” that intensifies and speeds up before returning to its original structure.
Impactful for its time
Listening to this album in 1971 was like listening to Death Metal today. At the time, it was genuinely heavy music that started as niche but later became popular. In Canada and the United States, “Master Of Reality” broke sales records, and thus, the genre started to become more widespread. People began to understand it and found it fitting, as it represented the rebellious sound the generation needed, similar to the punk phenomenon with the Sex Pistols in England and their album “Never Mind The Bollocks.”
As mentioned, “Master Of Reality” is an album that influenced practically the entire Metal scene, a classic of true music that consolidated one of the most loyal genres in history.
What aspect of Black Sabbath’s ‘Master Of Reality’ do you find most influential or compelling as a fan of the band’s music and the Heavy Metal genre? Share your comments!
