There is no denying the cultural significance and importance of the band often associated with creating Heavy Metal: Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath was a fantastic group that recently played their last show, as singer Ozzy Osbourne has recently passed away. After being formed in 1968, the four main members included Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitars), Geezer Butler (bass guitar), and Bill Ward (drums). There were, of course, periods when Ozzy Osbourne was not in the band, but for the most part, the music of Black Sabbath was centred around these four men. This compilation is a summary of some of the best and finest moments of the band. It does run for two and a half hours in length, and was remastered by Andy Pearce, being released on 28 October 2016 during The End tour, the band’s final main tour. Let’s take a listen to this mega album, and we shall hear if it is any good.

1. Paranoid is the key Black Sabbath song from the Paranoid album (1970). It begins with some super heavy and fuzzy guitar, launching itself into a glorious song about depression, paranoia and otherwise. A great tune to hear which has power, energy and theatrics throughout. Ozzy Osbourne sings wonderfully here and emotionally depicts the negativity that one can have in a state of mental distress. The dual-tracked guitar solo throughout is a real joy to hear as well. If you haven’t heard this song yet, then you are missing out. An absolutely awesome and sweet tune to hear. A top-notch and inspired listening experience to enjoy. 100% worth it all. Upbeat but down. Absolutely awesome to listen to, to this very day.

2. Never Say Die is a strange addition to this compilation from the Never Say Die! album (1978). It begins with some energetic drumming and guitars, with Ozzy Osbourne singing well. It is a good song, although it is from one of Black Sabbath’s worst albums. Still, it is a promising music statement that has power, energy and wonder throughout. The music and sounds throughout are good, nonetheless. Ozzy is the clear star of this particular song. He sings with an emotional wonder and power that few Rock vocalists could ever match. In the second half is a nice, mellow section of guitar work that sounds very lovely and sweet. Absolutely good for what this is, and a memorable music statement from Black Sabbath. Very fresh and awesome to hear, this music is an enjoyable, powerful tune. The guitar soloing at the end is very AC/DC, and the conclusion is epic. Good work.

3. Iron Man is a legendary song from the Paranoid album (1970). It begins with a lone kick drum, and the most descriptively doomy guitars, alongside a voice proclaiming: “I am Iron Man!” It sounds like something out of a science fiction/horror film. It quickly launches into a terrific and iconic riff section, which sounds absolutely awesome to listen to. A wonderful and joyous tune about betrayal, tragedy and other human sorrow to behold. This is set to the heaviest and most enjoyable music at hand. A really awesome song to listen to. This is a superb tune. “Nobody wants him, he just stares at the world…” is sung by Ozzy, showcasing the fact that most people who have an evil mindset were once good, but nobody respects them for their goodwill. A wacky, dark and awesome listen. The second half of the song has a tempo change and a guitar solo that will blow your mind and sounds great in the process of it all. A fantastic and iconic listen throughout. This music is a truly sensational listen, and points out that in history, there is irony. Everything about this heavy tune is awesome. Towards the end is a proto-Thrash section of glorious guitars, thumping bass guitar and pounding drums. A gem of popular music history. Absolutely worth listening to.

4. Black Sabbath is the signature tune by Black Sabbath on their self-titled Black Sabbath album (1970). It is a six-minute-long epic that begins with the sound of rain, thunder and a distant bell eerily chiming away. This sounds extremely suspenseful. Soon enough, doom and gloom guitars with a gargantuan riff emerge, taken from the Mars section of Gustav Holst’s legendary composition suite The Planets. It gets a little more subtle as Ozzy Osbourne begins singing away moodily and very well. This is about fearing satan himself and the consequences that result from the Biblical concept of human sin. An absolutely amazing listen that sounds as relevant today as it did back in 1970. Ozzy screams in despair about his unfolding fate lyrically, before the band comes back in with a crushing rhythm section to boot. This is dark theatrics in a music sense, and it sounds absolutely wonderful to hear. This music is powerfully moving and interesting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, so to speak. This will place the fear of God into oneself. If you are ever concerned about being totally a sinner and you love Hard, Heavy Metal Music, look no further. Eventually, this tune launches into a change that is a frenzy of palm-muted guitar glory and details the apocalypse at hand. A truly awesome listening experience, and something that all musicians can appreciate, even if you dislike Heavy Music. Nonetheless, absolutely brilliant to listen to. This is mindblowing as a tune. Worth it from start to finish. Awesome.

5. Children Of The Grave is from the Master Of Reality album (1971). It sounds amazing from the start, with palm-muted guitars and thumping basslines, followed by fantastic drumming and percussion. This is extremely great to listen to, and it is certainly an enjoyable and rewarding song to hear. Ozzy Osbourne sings about chaos and revolution throughout human history, and that is more or less the case a lot of the time with humanity. A straightforward and amazing listening with some of the best sounds that Black Sabbath ever made. Welcome to the dark side, and from here, you will never go back. There is an excellent set of melodic changes in the midsection that sound top-notch, complete with a keyboard buried in the mix. This returns to the main riff section at hand. A thoroughly amazing and intricate sounding tune. Ozzy Osbourne sings to the children of the world, and he sounds magnificent throughout. The rolling tom-tom drums sound awesome, as does Tony Iommi’s frankly amazing guitar soloing. This is a supersonic tune that ought to be heard more by people of today. Some squealing guitar leads finish up, followed by some neat electronic editing of guitars and vocals. Totally awesome.

6. Fairies Wear Boots is from the Paranoid (1970) album. It begins with a delayed guitar part and matching drumming to boot. It quickly launches into a piece that, although inspired by Psychedelic Rock, is something much heavier and different to listen to. Bill Ward’s drumming here is fantastic, neither boring nor showy. This sounds mammoth, interesting and amazing throughout. Eventually, the song section emerges, and has Ozzy Osbourne in a bizarre scenario, tripping his mind out. A really cool tune with some awesome singing, playing and performing, Black Sabbath had a power and energy that was unmatchable. Drama set to proto-Metal Music, this is epic and legendary to hear. This music is seriously cool to hear. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler play some amazing and decent melodic lines as well. The second half repeats some of the sections of the first half of this song, with a passion and power that never could be matched by many of their contemporaries. Ozzy sounds fantastic on this tune, and he showcases to the world that has was, indeed, a fantastic vocalist. This tune wraps up with references to illicit drug use and sounds enjoyable overall. A very cool tune to listen to. Awesome and amazing. It fades out gently.

7. Changes is from Vol. 4 (1972) and begins with a moody piano, and is a sweet ballad, unlike anything else in Black Sabbath’s musical canon. Ozzy sounds deep and emotional as he sings about losing the love of his life. This is a fantastic song, even though it does not have electric guitars or drums. Now that Ozzy is gone, this tune makes a great deal of sense to listen to. A fantastic song and proof that Black Sabbath had many tricks up their sleeves. All in all, a truly fantastic and emotional song that every young man who is deeply romantic can relate to. This is the closest tune that could be considered a tearjerker by Black Sabbath. Absolutely wonderful to hear, with sweeping mellotron in the background. A very nice listening experience indeed. This tune gives Coldplay a run for their money. A fine piece of music that will move you. Again, a fantastic listening experience. Very wonderful music indeed from beginning to end.

8. Rat Salad is from the Paranoid album (1970), and is an instrumental. It begins with guitar volume swells and thumping bass guitar and drums. This is a fantastic moment in the Black Sabbath canon once again, which is sweet, powerful and divine. Tony Iommi plays his Gibson SG unlike anyone else, and this has some mental drum work as well. Really super cool to listen to. This leads into an energetic and powerful drum solo by Bill Ward, a clearly cool and memorable moment at hand. This is a great example of musicianship that is less than three minutes in length. Absolutely top to hear, and a great reference point for fans of Sabbath. Awesome.

9. Sweet Leaf is from 1971’s Master Of Reality album. In addition, it is the first real Stoner Rock anthem, hence the title of the song. It begins with some looped coughing, before launching into a downtuned and sludgy Rock anthem that is fantastic. Ozzy Osbourne sings sweetly about marijuana use, and regardless of whether you love weed or not, this is an impressive Rock anthem for the plant itself. To this day, the legalisation of pot is a divisive point between people in society. An absolutely awesome song nonetheless. This is energetic, pulsating and powerful in a heavy yet minimal riff-based glory. Definitely worth hearing and listening to. This is a song that can be appreciated when either dead sober or high as the sky. A gong enters in the midsection, followed by an expressive set of soloing licks by Tony Iommi, whilst Geezer Butler and Bill Ward fight for attention in the background. Absolutely awesome to hear. This music is magically upbeat and wonderfully beautiful, and rocking simultaneously. “Straight people don’t know what you’re about, they’ll put you down and shut you out…” sings Ozzy Osbourne, which is the honest truth about weed. Fantastic and a thrilling listen from start to finish. A solidly great and rocking song to listen to, with a repeated gong hit in the faded outro. Brilliant.

10. War Pigs is the opening track from Paranoid (1970). It is a fantastic tune to listen to, with gloriously distorted guitars, excellent bass guitar work and great drumming. This is an epic tune with a siren in the background. Awesome, it sets the scene for some extraordinarily heavy music. The music then leads into an intricate section, before Ozzy Osbourne sings gloriously about the evil nature of war itself, which is absolutely the point of this song. Politicians who operate from a comfort zone will easily send young men and women to their deaths in glorified wars, which is the main point of this song’s lyrics. It’s a fantastic song, too. This was recorded and released during the failed Vietnam War (at least from the West’s side), and this tune has soul, power and purpose of its own. Very, very catchy and listenable throughout. This is further proof that Heavy Metal could inspire those who listened closely. The guitar solo section is fantastic, and Tony Iommi plays a mean guitar solo to awesome effect. A very, very cool listening experience. It goes back into the subtle section at hand, and sounds gloriously fantastic with Ozzy’s iconic singing. Absolutely awesome to hear. Some references to satan himself are present as well, and this launches into a fantastic instrumental section that is totally enjoyable and memorable throughout. The unusual guitar riff section towards the end is matched by thumping basslines and expressive drum work that rocks out. All in all, a very awesome and decent Rock/Metal staple that all guitar fans should listen to. Amazing that this was all recorded back in 1970. It is a legendary slab of fantastic music. It ends with the riff being played and a sped-up tape outro. Top.

11. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is on the 1973 album of the same name by Black Sabbath. It begins with some awesome and gloriously crunchy-sounding guitar riffs that are likely scooped EQ-wise. Ozzy Osbourne sings fantastically on this tune, and he sounds like a true Rock God. The music has many interesting and intricate layers to this song. Ozzy clearly is the star of this song, however, and he sounds like a genuinely skilled singer. A superb tune that is gloriously good to hear. Welcome to the dark side, folks. It’s not as bad as you think. The acoustic guitar-led section in the bridge also sounds very sweet. This leads into a great sounding Gibson SG guitar solo section by Tony Iommi, backed up by the rest of the band. An awesome and amazing listen to hear throughout. It launches into a super dark and down-tuned second half with Ozzy reaching a high register that sounds really terrific, as he sings wonderfully. Multiple sections of fantastic guitar and bass guitar are present here, and the whole thing peaks nicely. Some interesting multitracked drums and guitars follow, and this has a dynamic solo section to conclude. Awesome.

12. Hole in the Sky is from the Sabotage album (1975). It begins with some loose noise and a count-in, launching into a loud and fantastically furious tune at hand. The guitar riffs are absolutely joyous and fantastic here. All in all, a pretty and outstanding Heavy Rock tune. Ozzy Osbourne sings very well on this song and sounds tremendously upbeat. An absolutely stunning and brilliant tune to listen to, this is a gloriously fantastic and wonderful example of how the 1970s were such a fantastic music era. Catchy and fantastic listening. This is a superb listen, blowing away those who imitated Black Sabbath in the years to come. The guitar solo is also fantastic. An absolutely awesome listen from start to finish, and a great four-minute-long slice of Black Sabbath. Absolutely top to hear. Joyous in all ways of expression. It fades out nicely.

13. Symptom of the Universe is also from Sabotage (1975). It begins with some original guitar tone and fantastic guitar riffing, launching into a monumental sounding track. The music and musicianship are classy on this track. It sounds absolutely driven and fantastic throughout. Ozzy Osbourne sings in a high-end vocal for his own register. An awesome song about existence and love, Ozzy’s screams are manic. This is, nonetheless, an extraordinarily fantastic and powerful song. Early Black Sabbath was absolutely fantastic and supercharged to listen to, and was truly groundbreaking in the early 1970s. This leads to another riff-heavy section that is enjoyable and top-notch. A powerful and magically musical piece of songcraft. The guitar riffs in particular are absolutely fantastic, and drive this song along very nicely. Ozzy rivals Tony Iommi with his singing, and all four members of Black Sabbath put on an incredible performance to listen to. This music is A-Grade and refreshing listening. The guitar solo in the second half is fantastic, and is Tony Iommi at his pseudo-Shred best. Soon enough, some pitch-shifting tape trickery emerges, leading into a sweet and unforgettable acoustic guitar section with percussion galore. Ozzy sings sweetly and on point, and this is an amazing tune to hear. A brilliant listen, and this is by far one of the best songs from Black Sabbath, even if it is underrated as a tune. The acoustic guitar-based section leads well on into the sunset of this song. A fantastic song to listen to, from beginning to end. Worth hearing from this compilation.

14. Spiral Architect is from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973). It is a gorgeous acoustic guitar piece that sounds absolutely wonderful with fingerpicking. A brilliantly pretty and powerful tune to listen to. Black Sabbath were not just the creators of Heavy Metal; it seems they knew other styles of music very well. Soon enough, electric guitars emerge, and this sounds a lot like The Who. This is a wonderfully concise and glorious tune to listen to. Ozzy eventually gets singing, and he sounds fantastic on this tune, as always. This is a great representation of the best music from the early 1970s. A string section emerges in the chorus, which adds a unique flavour to it all. An absolutely wonderful tune to listen to. This is a wonderful example of how and why Black Sabbath were so good. The riff-heavy music is simple, yet enjoyably fantastic to listen to. The climax of this song is truly stunning to listen to. The second half of the song has many multitracked guitars, the string section and fine playing by all of the group. If you dig Classical Music influences on Heavy Metal, you will love this song. A brilliant and artistic piece of music that is frequently overlooked today. Black Sabbath shine bright here in this gorgeous and artistic masterpiece of a song. Fine, fantastic and stunning to listen to from start to finish. It wraps up with the strings being prominent, and the sound of massive applause, sampled from elsewhere. Sweet.

15. Rock ‘N’ Roll Doctor is from Technical Ecstasy (1976). It is a straightforward and very 1970s-sounding song with guitars galore, and some neat shredding by Tony Iommi. It sounds a heck of a lot like AC/DC, though. It also has a piano in it, too. Bear in mind that this tune is a bit of a novelty listening experience for Black Sabbath. This tune, mind you, is from one of the noticeably weaker albums by early Black Sabbath. Still, the novelty of it all is absolutely fantastic. A pretty and supercharged tune, this sounds inspired and amazing, although it is more Rock than Metal, really. The Gibson SG guitars do sound sweet and fantastic throughout, all the same. A good and passionate three-minute-long song with energy and power throughout. Top stuff, and very, very enjoyable to hear. Fantastic music to listen to. It ends with a very typical Rock Music outro.

16. Dirty Women is again from 1976’s Technical Ecstasy album. It is a more MOR piece of Rock Music than the Heavy Metal that Black Sabbath pioneered. This is rather disappointing to hear on this compilation, as the later first-era Sabbath was seen as ordinary. Which it is. The keyboard present isn’t the best to hear, either. All in all, this tune could have been rethought or done better in the first place, and its position on this compilation leaves one scratching their head. Having said that, the guitar solos are awesome. Even so, this is an awkward addition to this compilation, and it does not sound that good. This tune is likely not really that listenable from this release, and you can skip ahead if you wish. The midsection sounds different and has some great drumming and riffing, however. This music is a typical 1970s statement of sex, drugs and rock and roll. However, this is rather lengthy and difficult to sit through in one go. This is a bit of a drag to hear after some time. Understandably, Black Sabbath wanted to highlight all the Ozzy Osbourne era music on this compilation. Still, this is not really needed here, and it is lacking. Not every Black Sabbath fan will dig this tune. All in all, a bit disappointing to listen to. A sped-up section emerges with chaotic drumming by Bill Ward towards the end, but this is definitely not that great. It finally reaches the end of it all after seven long minutes. A bit poor, to be fair. Not as good as other Sabbath pieces.

17. Evil Woman is from Black Sabbath (1970). It is a shorter tune that sounds a bit more straight-ahead and mainstream for very early Black Sabbath. Even so, this sounds musically wonderful and fantastic throughout. Ozzy Osbourne sings like a Rock giant on this song, and the chorus is fantastically catchy to hear. It’s a warning about relationship troubles with women from the male perspective. Although arguably sexist, there has been much more sexually derogatory material in the history of guitar music than this. The guitar playing and tone by Tony Iommi is fantastic, and the solo will rip your head off. It sounds energetic, inspired and fantastic to listen to. A good, short and interesting tune about the dark nature of love and lust, and a warning to young men out there about longing and desire in a relationship. Good tune.

18. A Hard Road is from the 1978 album Never Say Die! It is six minutes in length, and the guitar tone from the start isn’t the best to listen to. Nonetheless, this is a questionable addition to this compilation release, but it is okay. Just not absolutely phenomenal a song. The drums sound muffled as well, and Ozzy’s voice isn’t as well mixed as it could be. In other words, this rather average tune could have been removed from this compilation entirely. Still, one can sit through this tune, but it is surprisingly lacking to hear. The chorus is okay and sung well, but the mixing ruins it, to be fair. Good to hear, even if it is far from perfect. The music and performances represent a low point in the early Ozzy Osbourne era of Black Sabbath. Even so, compared to other bands’ lesser material, this does have its moments. Still, it makes one wonder why on earth this was put on such a compilation as this. Ozzy sounds good, though, as always. A joyous tune, but a naff one. All in all, a mixed-to-good listen overall. It is fairly bland and sounds like it could have been recorded and mixed better. There are some sing-along vocals in the second half, and this tune sounds better for it. It fades out eventually with the chanted singing ongoing.

19. Lord Of This World is a better pick from Master Of Reality (1971). It begins with a moody, deep-down-tuned guitar riff, matched by some sweet rhythm section to match. Eventually, it launches into a deep and thunderous tune that sounds awesome. Ozzy Osbourne sings very well from the get-go, and his voice sounds a little distorted on this tune with some sort of unusual sound effect to match it. A chugging and dark number by Black Sabbath with references to God and other Christian concepts, without necessarily toeing a Biblical line. It leads into a sweet percussion section that sounds awesome, followed by some dual-track guitar soloing that sounds top-notch and amazing. A great tune from the early 1970s that still sounds amazing and sonically warped to this very day. It very much has a magic of its own, and just sounds simply great. Each member of the group is an expert in their craft. The singing is infectiously good and awesome, with Ozzy pouring his unique, passionate and spot-on singing to win you over to the dark side. A neat instrumental section towards the end with some great guitar soloing, groovy bass and excellent drumming emerges. Very, very good to hear. A wonderful song from start to finish.

20. Into The Void is a six-minute-long piece from Master Of Reality (1971) with a gargantuan riff from the go. It sounds mammoth, exciting and amazing from the start. It emerges into an excellent groove with drumming aplenty from around it all. This is very great and epic music. One of the most underrated Black Sabbath music moments in the history of the group. It is instantly lovable. It then moves into a fantastic piece of palm-muted glory and enters a more regular-sounding and structured Heavy Metal song with Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic singing to match it all. This is one of the better moments from early Sabbath that all fans need to recognise from the group. Some iconic lyrics are present on this song as well, with references to outer space and other ongoings that sound far out. In the middle of the song is a drastic change, increasing in tempo and having more excellent riffs enter, with Ozzy singing nicely over it all. This music is certainly original and unique in its very own way. A stunning listening experience from start to finish, and proof that Black Sabbath had more than just Iron Man to attract listeners as a song. This is thoroughly enjoyable and simple, yet stunningly good to listen to. The music is absolute gold, and generations to come will appreciate these songs. Towards the end is a warped guitar riff that sounds really cool, followed by some mad stereo panned music with guitar soloing that sounds mental (in a good way). Top tune from the dark side of life.

21. Behind The Wall Of Sleep is a piece from Black Sabbath (1970). It begins with guitars and drums, sounding as fresh and wonderful today as it did back in 1970. Soon enough, drums lead this tune into the song section at hand, which sounds really great. A wonderfully sweet and valuable piece of music that illustrates some rather impressionistic lyrics and great Heavy Metal to match. Ozzy sounds wonderful, as per usual. This is a strange tune lyrically, but it matches with simple, yet powerfully intense guitars and drums. The guitar solo section is less manic than usual, but this tune still fits on this compilation very nicely. A good listen from the dawn of Black Sabbath, and it sounds glorious.

22. Snowblind is from Vol. 4 (1972) and is exactly what you think it is about, the drug cocaine. It begins with loud, crunchy electric guitars and enters into a midtempo tune that sounds really fantastic. A sweet, dynamic and excellent tune about the dangers of drug use, namely cocaine itself. This is a fantastically glorious, chugging and interesting song about hard drug use, and the perils and pitfalls of all of that. There are some great-sounding guitars and drums in Black Sabbath songs, and this tune is no different in this respect. Ozzy sings wonderfully here, and given his drug use over his lifetime, this is a tune many can identify with. Stick to things that aren’t harmful, readers. This is a great tune, all the same, and although it is a slow burner, the guitar riffs are really fantastic. Absolutely dynamic and awesome to hear. This eventually enters into a completely different section of guitar riffing in the second half that sounds nicely upbeat, and is a warning to the cokeheads of the 1970s and the 1980s who took serious pleasure in the drug. A fantastic song with some neat electronics and guitar soloing towards the end. A winner, by all those who hear this. The guitar playing at the end is fantastic to hear. Great song.

23. Tomorrow’s Dream is again from Vol. 4 (1972). It is a shorter piece with absolutely monstrous guitar riffs, which sound absolutely great. This music is energetic, vibrant and wonderful to listen to. Ozzy’s voice is soaked in a ton of reverberated delay, and sounds awesome and interesting throughout. This tune is awesome and interesting to listen to. A fantastic song at the time, which sounds awesome to this very day. A fine and top listen, Ozzy and crew deliver a loud and rocking music statement that is undeniably good. Some pitch-shifted keyboards lead into the guitar riff-based changes, before returning to the main section of mayhem. A great three-minute-long song. Top music to hear. Worth every moment of listening.

24. The Wizard is from Black Sabbath (1970). It begins with some iconic harmonica playing that is evocative of Black Sabbath. Soon enough, it launches into heavy guitars and powerful drumming at hand. This is again an undeniably great song to listen to. Rolling drums and some awesome guitar soloing follow, before launching back into the action at hand. A sweet and fantastic tune to listen to. Ozzy Osbourne sings about the mythology of wizardry and magic. This is obviously stoner stuff, but hey, it sounds absolutely great to this very day. A very wonderful song to listen to, and very energetic, loud and interesting throughout. Nobody did gargantuan guitar riffs better than Black Sabbath. This tune proves that brilliantly and melodically. The guitar leads by Tony Iommi are also fantastic, as is the groove from Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. A really top listening experience that leaves a fantastic impression on the listener. This is from an era of music that steamrolls a lot of the popular music of today. A great song to hear nonetheless.

25. N.I.B. is also from Black Sabbath (1970). It is a six-minute-long piece with some bass guitar soloing at the start of it all, proto-Cliff Burton, if you will. It is interesting to hear, nonetheless. It eventually leads into a distorted bass guitar riff that sounds sweet and insanely good to hear. A loud, driven and punchy tune about the pitfalls of heterosexual love at hand. This tune evolves into a glorious anticlimax with Ozzy Osbourne singing away with loneliness and desperation, “Your love for me has just got to be real, before you know the way I’m going to feel…” An amazing song with simple but absolutely amazing performances from the whole band. This tune is a solid gold winner throughout, with references to ladies potentially being the devil. The guitar work throughout is really fantastic to listen to, and the solo section in the middle of the song is great to listen to. A blistering and mindblowing tune to listen to, and a piece that deserves to be listened to. This sort of song is perfect for 18-year-old males who need to be aware that having a relationship isn’t just roses; thorns are present as well. Wonderful music to hear, all the same. This song is simply ace, and it works in many ways. The song wraps up with an excellent Black Sabbath styled guitar solo section that is multitracked. An awesome tune to listen to. It ends with a crashing finish.

26. Electric Funeral is from Paranoid (1970). It begins with distorted wah-wah guitar riffs and sounds absolutely awesome. This is a fantastic horror/science fiction styled tune, ahead of its time. Ozzy’s singing is melodically in tune with the guitar and bass guitar work on this track. A really top tune to listen to, with some surreal and impressionistic lyrics to listen to. This outlines a future full of doom and chaos at hand. This is a killer tune. Soon enough, a drastic change emerges with pounding drums and fantastic chord changes to match. Eventually, this reaches a fantastic midsection with a completely different riff, along with some fantastic singing by Ozzy Osbourne. An extremely wonderful tune to listen to. This returns back into the riff section from earlier, and has Ozzy singing about the prophetic doom that will enslave the human race, if the Bible is to be believed. It eventually wraps up with the main riff and a much more subtle music section to listen to. Awesome music to listen to, after all these years. It fades out gently.

27. Embryo is a sub-30-second-long piece from Master Of Reality (1970). It is a strange addition to this compilation, but nonetheless, it is pure and sweet guitar work. Sounds neat for what it is.

28. Killing Yourself To Live is from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973). It begins with loud and nice-sounding guitar riffs and drums. This is again a very interesting, simple and loud piece of music. Some watery sounds are thrown into it all as well. Ozzy Osbourne sounds awesome with his singing, as per usual. A really good tune to listen to about the world itself and the way that things naturally are. Ozzy gets socially aware on this tune. Soon enough, a loud and interesting set of dual-tracked guitar solos emerges, which sound inspiring and absolutely wonderful to hear. Tony Iommi certainly could play when needed. Ozzy returns with his trademark wail, before this tune launches into the second half, with keyboards and a more typical Rock styled riff progression. This tune is likely about drug use, which is seemingly synonymous with Rock musicians. All the same, this does sound like a fantastic song. This music continues on nicely for some time before launching into a brand new section of music via the guitar riffs that sound sweet. Another solidly good song to listen to. Worth your time and ears. The guitar soloing at the end of this song is amazing, and it concludes with riffs galore and drums to match. Superb.

29. Am I Going Insane? (Radio) is from the 1975 album Sabotage. It begins with Yes-styled keyboards, drums and enters into a song about losing one’s mind. This is a very good listen, all the same. Ozzy Osbourne sings in a melodic and catchy way about losing one’s mind. This is as Poppy as early Black Sabbath gets. If you suffer from a mental health issue of any sort, especially depression, this song is relatable. In any case, this is a fantastic song that deserves to be heard. It has some intelligent and neat musicianship throughout. Some watery sounds and rolling snare drums emerge in the second half of this song, which sounds good. A really good listen, followed by flanger watery guitar. An underappreciated and personal gem from Black Sabbath. This tune is a reassuring listen, and it sounds dynamic and simple simultaneously. It ends with the outro of the song being played over tape sections of distorted laughter in the fade out. Brilliant.

30. Wicked World is the first song that Black Sabbath recorded for their debut album, Black Sabbath (1970). It begins with hi-hats and has Tony Iommi playing a Fender Stratocaster, out of all guitars, that is, until he broke it, according to history, and switched to his Gibson SG. He used the Gibson SG for the most part afterwards. This is still a punchy and fantastic song to listen to. With some neat drum rolls, this tune emerges into a great-sounding and simply rifftastic tune to listen to. Ozzy Osbourne sings mournfully, but he sounds absolutely fantastic on this song. A really cool tune, all the same, this is a great mixture of what Black Sabbath did early on. A powerfully moving and enjoyable tune, this is one of the more notable listens in Black Sabbath’s history. In the middle is a great guitar arpeggio section that sounds sweet. It does sound really awesome to listen to. This is followed by a loud and blistering guitar solo that is dramatic and dynamic. Soon enough, the rest of the band return and this music delivers what it can to maximum effect. An amazing song to listen to, and a unique piece of music history. The guitar playing is insanely good on this song. It ends with a load of guitar feedback that sounds great.

31. It’s Alright is the last song on this compilation and is from Technical Ecstasy (1976). It has some non-Ozzy Osbourne singing on it from Bill Ward, alongside piano. This makes no sense to add to this compilation at all. It is not a very Black Sabbath sounding song, and although the song itself is average, why is this here? It’s typical 1970s stuff to listen to, which is not what Black Sabbath were about. Bill Ward is no Ozzy on vocals, and this falls apart very quickly. Some weird guitar solos are here, and this does not sound at all wonderful or natural to hear from Sabbath. You could likely ignore this track at the end of the album. Is this Black Sabbath trying to sound like Paul McCartney? Probably. Nothing special here. Black Sabbath are gone now, but at least we have their music to cherish. The acoustic guitar playing towards the end is nice, however.

This is a super long compilation that, although it is not perfect, is a decent snapshot of what Black Sabbath were. Sadly, Ozzy Osbourne is not with us anymore, but the music lives on. If you want a good listen, warts and all, of what Black Sabbath were from around 1970-1978 on a single album, this is a great place to start. Should you listen to this release? Yes, if you want to hear a historical and decent representative of Black Sabbath, who arguably invented Heavy Metal. Fans of Pop Music today will unlikely enjoy this release, however.

R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne.

8/10