Black Sabbath

Vertigo

13/2/70

The debut album that shook the foundations of music turns 55. The raw palette that Sabbath painted with erred on the side of deep and dingy colours - murky, mud-filled, straight up dirty. The beginning of one of the greatest album streaks in music history has to start somewhere; and it started right here. 

Black Sabbath soundtracked the downfall of the 60's - the psychedelic stupor that the decade promised would always end in tatters. Leisure and love can only go so far before they fall off the cliff that they live on. The opposite end of a climactic experience is rock bottom and vice versa - both ends will always get their time to balance out. The 70's had turned a dark corner. 

What is life in the absence of light? Hell on earth. Infinite pleasure turns to pain in the blink of an eye. Choke the threshold and an infinite abyss awaits - the spiral goes deep; deeper than you could ever envision. Freedom is chaos. You're one step away from calling it a day at every given moment. The dark side presents itself as a one-way route to bliss - the cloaked shortcut is enticing. The clouded hands of comfort will have their way with you if you let them; be careful, they're heavy-handed.

Heavy, heavy blues. A loose swing and stern intent. Iron boots and iron fists. Blooming burden. Weather thereunder. Clouds fit to burst against the grey sky. The pitter-patter of rainfall thereafter. Soaked psyches - damp and determined to prove life wrong. Your love for me has just got to be real!

'What is this that stands before me?'

Black Sabbath are set to reunite the original line-up for the first time in 20 years to play their final show at Villa Park - the home of Aston Villa Football Club - in Birmingham on July 5th.