Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1971): Album Review, Tracklist & Fun Facts
Released in July 1971, Master of Reality is the third studio album by Black Sabbath and the record that fully locked in the band’s heavy metal identity. It’s famous for one crucial innovation: Tony Iommi tuning his guitar down to C♯, creating a thicker, darker, and heavier sound that would influence doom, stoner, and sludge metal for decades.
This album doesn’t just follow Paranoid—it goes deeper, slower, and heavier.
Album Overview
With Master of Reality, Black Sabbath embraced a more oppressive and monolithic sound. The riffs are slower, the grooves are thicker, and the lyrics explore themes of religion, addiction, spirituality, and inner conflict.
Tony Iommi’s detuned guitar work is the album’s backbone, while Geezer Butler’s bass becomes more prominent and melodic. Bill Ward blends heavy grooves with jazz-inflected fills, and Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals feel more haunting and vulnerable than ever.
Tracklist – Black Sabbath: Master of Reality (1971)
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Sweet Leaf
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After Forever
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Embryo
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Children of the Grave
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Orchid
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Lord of This World
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Solitude
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Into the Void
Album Review
The album kicks off with “Sweet Leaf,” featuring one of the most famous coughs in rock history—a direct tribute to cannabis culture—and an earth-shaking riff that defines stoner metal.
“After Forever” surprises with its pro-faith lyrics, while still delivering crushing heaviness. “Children of the Grave” is a proto-thrash monster, driven by pounding drums and apocalyptic urgency.
The acoustic interludes “Orchid” and “Solitude” provide eerie breathing space, revealing the band’s softer, almost psychedelic side before plunging back into darkness.
The album closes with “Into the Void,” often regarded as one of the heaviest riffs ever recorded, foreshadowing doom and sludge metal decades before those genres had names.
Fun Facts, Trivia & Did You Know
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• Fun Fact: Tony Iommi tuned down to C♯ standard to ease pain in his injured fingertips.
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• Trivia: Sweet Leaf was originally titled “Scum” during early writing sessions.
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• Did You Know? The cough at the start of Sweet Leaf is Ozzy Osbourne after a heavy smoking session.
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• Fun Fact: The album’s running time is under 35 minutes, yet its impact is monumental.
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• Did You Know? Into the Void is cited by bands like Kyuss, Sleep, and Soundgarden as a major influence.
Cultural Legacy
Master of Reality is considered the birth record of doom and stoner metal, influencing everything from grunge and sludge to modern heavy rock. Its down-tuned guitars and hypnotic grooves reshaped how heavy music could sound.
Many fans and musicians view it as Black Sabbath’s heaviest and most influential album—a blueprint that still resonates today.
Black Sabbath Full Discography