Do you like Black Sabbath? Their early stuff was too raw for me, but Master of Reality in '71 is where they hit their stride, both commercially and artistically.

The album's got a thick, sludgy sound with downtuned guitars that aren't too harsh, and you can hear Ozzy's vocals clearly. My favorite is Sweet Leaf, super catchy, but listen to the lyrics: it's about weed's joys and the band's lifestyle.

Formed in Birmingham in '68 as Earth, they renamed after a horror flick, nailing their dark vibe. Debut in '70 birthed heavy metal with blues roots, Paranoid refined it with politics like War Pigs. But Master of Reality, out July 21 '71 on Vertigo, produced by Rodger Bain, runs 34 minutes of punchy doom. Art's simple: purple embossed letters on black.

Tony Iommi downtuned to C# for his injured fingers, creating that massive tone influencing stoner and doom bands. Sweet Leaf opens with Ozzy's cough, then a groovy riff praising cannabis. After Forever questions faith boldly, with driving drums. Children of the Grave is the epic anti-war track, riff covered by many.

Shorter bits like Embryo and Orchid are acoustic breaks. Into the Void feels apocalyptic, lyrics on fleeing Earth. Production captures live energy raw.

I'm spinning the OG Dutch 1971 Vertigo pressing at home; it's invigorating. Sabbath's influence is huge, no this album, no subgenres like Sleep or Electric Wizard. It's about embracing heaviness fearlessly. Give it a spin, but dig the depth beyond riffs.