The Depths · All albums

Master of Reality

Black Sabbath · 1971

• Scores: Noise 3, Unease 2, Complexity 1 (each 1 to 5)
• Genre: Metal, Doom metal
• Mood: crushing, slow, ominous
• Sound: heavily downtuned guitars, slow tempos, short album, acoustic interludes

Master of Reality is the Black Sabbath album recorded in February and April 1971 at Island Studios in London with the producer Rodger Bain. Tony Iommi downtuned his guitar one and a half steps for "Children of the Grave", "Lord of This World" and "Into the Void", for what he called a bigger, heavier sound, and Geezer Butler downtuned his bass to match. The intro to "Sweet Leaf" is Iommi coughing, caught on an acoustic take, and he plays flute and piano on "Solitude". It is regarded as a foundation of stoner rock and sludge metal, and Billy Corgan said it spawned grunge.

Track list

1. Sweet Leaf (5:05)
2. After Forever (5:27)
3. Embryo (0:28)
4. Children of the Grave (5:18)
5. Orchid (1:31)
6. Lord of This World (5:27)
7. Solitude (5:02)
8. Into the Void (6:13)