From the Vault #5: Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1971)

Master of Reality is a decisive moment in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. It cemented Black Sabbath as the undisputed masters of doom and brought a previously unexperienced heaviness to rock music. From the opening cough (yes, it´s Tony Iommi) and the sludgy guitar riff of "Sweet Leaf" to the infectious grooves of “Into the Void”, Master of Reality still stands out as a blueprint album of heavy metal. For this album, Iommi tuned his guitar down to achieve that evil doom-ladden sound that made Black Sabbath one of, if not the first metal band ever. Nowadays every time you turn on MTV, you see some Nu Metal moron trying to mess with the master´s technique, but in 1971 this must have been a revelation.

Tracklist:

1. Sweet Leaf
2. After Forever
3. Embryo
4. Children Of The Grave
5. Orchid
6 .Lord Of This World
7. Solitude
8. Into The Void