Digitally remastered edition of this 1972 album from the veteran Heavy Metal maniacs. By the time Black Sabbath began work on what was to be their fourth album in '72, they were very much in the ascendant. Musically, the band weren't prepared to superglue themselves back into a comfort zone and just do what was expected of them. They wanted to go beyond the darkness and gloom which seemed to surround so much of their music until that point. Here was an opportunity to open Sabbath out to unexplored worlds, to be the band who led, rather than one of the many who merely followed. And they succeeded, as there's an elegance about Volume 4 which underscores the way in which the band had matured and developed, both as songwriters and musicians. This remastered and sumptuous gatefold digipak edition of the album boasts comprehensive story of the album sleeve notes by renowned Rock critic Malcolm Dome and a plethora of rare and previously unseen photographs and items of memorabilia. Sanctuary. 2009.
A**H
This & Master of Reality are tied as my FAVORITE albums.
I really think this is the peak of Sabbath,not saying the albums after this are weak because they aren't.Every Sabbath album is good in it's own ways.For me particularly the Ozzy era Sabbath is the best. I'm not a fan of Dio at all,not in Sabbath but at all.Which is strange cuz i own some Dio and Rainbow.It's not that i dislike him cuz im stubborn ad have not given it a listen.I own every single Sabbath album and i enjoy Mob Rules.But this album here VOL.4 is the heaviest,most unique album yet.The songs all have a strong,fast paced groove to them,there is a constant churn of heavy riffs coming out of the speakers.Starting off the album with Wheels of Confusion,this is one of the heaviest album openers since Sweet Leaf ! I think the song has a good sound to it,great lyrics from Ozzy as always.Ozzy has such great range on this album with his vocals & the lyrics he writes. The next song Tomorrows Dream is another equally heavy thick groove track.Then the album takes a slowdown break,however it does not lighten the mood,the song is sad yet beautifully tragic. The feelings from inside this mans heart can be felt in my own,when i hear this song i think of my own troubles & realize there are other people out there who feel the same.So to me music is an outlet and it's songs like Changes that makes not being deaf a real treat.Changes is one of my favorite songs on the album. FX is just about 2 minutes of Iommi i think messing with his guitar,making strange somewhat eerie sounds with the effects(hence title) Then the album picks up with the wicked groovy heavy Sabbath sounding,oldschool fuzz distorting riffs with some mind melting lyrics.Really a staple on this album,classic Sabbath sound with that rhythm that makes you want to just bang your head & move your body.After that you got Snowblind....now this song right here is one of my other favorite songs on this album,particularly because i can relate to what Ozzy is saying,talking about being Snowblind in the sun.If you know what the song talks about then you get what i'm saying,great track that i just can sing along with and just gets me moving.Next on the album comes Cornucopia which i thought was pretty cool when i heard it,i put it together that on a Type O Negative live dvd concert Symphony For The Devil they play the intro to a song entitled:Cornucopia. Only then did i put it together that that riff was from Sabbath.A great song with some of my favorite basslines,seriously the bass on this track is incredible,and the lyrics really are quite unique.It gets you thinking really,well it does for me.The next song is another track that just slows down the pace of the heaviness with about a 3 minute interlude of some of the most beautiful acoustic works iv'e ever heard,such a pretty warm sounding song(hence the name) Then the album picks up with my personal favorite,i mean this is absolutely the best song on the album.I love the groove of the song,the guitar track is so cool. I could just imagine those guys jamming and being on whatever they were on(prolly speed,coke,lsd and booze) then decided to make this sick ass song. Seriously this song is so upbeat,fast paced,groove-layered track. The lyrics are great,this is a song i would love to cover to pay tribute to these guys.Incredible song with such good energy.The song just stands out to me for some reason that just makes it so superior to me,not that i don't love the entire album.Then the album ends with Under The Sun,another powerhouse of a track.Such good grooves in here,the lyrics are really deep(discussing opinion of religion)The speed of the song is just razor sharp with the guitar riffs.On the overall 10 songs.Each song is a 10 for a score.Seriously i love every single song through and through,i do have favorite songs like....St. Vitus Dance,Snowblind,Supernaut,Changes,Under The Sun,Cornucopia.See pretty much the whole album,and the songs i like best are all 10s,the others are all 10s as well,so it's hard for me to score this one.My honest opinion of this album is that it is a must have album for a true Sabbath fan,or someone new to the band,or even just someone who wants a good metal music album,without being over the top with things that may annoy people(screaching,growling,feedback) this is a great album for anybody of any ranking in the metal world.If you enjoy heavy music,if you enjoy good guitar,great vocals and legendary songs then Volume 4 is the album for you.I think this is the pinnacle of Black Sabbath.Also some other Sabbath albums that are best are Master of Reality(tied as my favorite album with Vol.4) Sabotage,Paranoid,Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and of course the original album.Those are the best of the Ozzy albums.And Ozzy is the best.If you like Dio try Mob Rules,other than that alot of people are not big on the later Sabbath with Tony Martin. I personally think that Tony Martin is better than Dio. I think Tony has a better voice,better albums with Sabbath and better lyrics. Go grab this album you can't go wrong.
H**D
"THE END OF A CLASSICAL ERA"
Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Masters of reality and Vol.4 are the four classic albums of the band. The great classics of Black Sabbath are in these albums.Strongly recommended for anyone who likes hard rock.SOUND: Production was handled by Patrick Meehan in conjunction with Black Sabbath, and the difference is instantly apparent. Geezer's bass isn't as dominating, and Tony's guitar sound has become FULLER, heavier and more aggressive. The drums are mixed nicely, with just a little more hihat presence than before. Ozzy's voice is also slightly lower in the mix as well.THE TRACKS:1-Wheels Of Confusion :This track feels like 3 different TRACKS pieced together as one. It starts out with a really bluesy section built upon an arpeggiated riff, before going into a powerchord riff, and finally a stomping uptempo section featuring some nice chord-melody work2-Tomorrow`s Dream: Great tune, heavy riffs with a beautiful mid song break down.3-Changes: Being entirely piano-driven, in stark contrast to the guitar-driven nature of the rest of the album.4-FX : Is a collection of digital delay steeped sounds made on a guitar that are devoid of anything musical5-Supernaut - Quite simply one of the most aggressive tracks they'd done up until this point. That verse riff is crushingly HEAVY, and is accented by Geezer's bass and Bill's drumming.6-Snowblind; A KILLER track with great melody. It opens in a very melodic tone, sending chills down your spine.The main riff is just godly, and Ozzy's vocals are just plain outstanding here.7-Cornucopia:The beginning of this song is one of the heaviest moments on this album, you'd have to lock your head in a vice to prevent yourself from headbanging to it.8-Laguna Sunrise: This instrumental non-metal piece "adds to this albums variety and has some great playing by Iommi.9-Saint Vitus Dance: A short sweet hippie song, whit a bluesy feel10-Under the sun:This song is extremely heavy, especially for it's time and has one of my favorite Sabbath riffs and a real bitch to play up to speed.
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