November is Doom- Black Sabbath - 'Sabotage"

 For the sake of transparency, I will go ahead and admit this is my favorite Black Sabbath album. I think Ozzy's voice is at it's piercing finest. The songs might not be their greatest hits, and is more of a sleeper hit for true Sabbath fans, it blends heaviness with psychedelic atmosphere, making me suspect this is a by-product of the drugs on their mental health, and perhaps it's darker when you get into the thick of it, I have been listening to these albums as I write about them, but think I have played this one so many times pover the years I could just write about it off the top of my head. The opening stomp of "Hole in the Sky" is Ozzy at his most urgent, and the cranks through in a powerful manner. The production is more layered to create a trippier feel than the previous album as well, finding them blending the experimentation they wandered off into on the previous album with their more tried and true ominous song for the perfect storm. 

'Symptom of the Universe' might rival "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath as the band's heaviest song, and is the most well-known on this album, but still might be considered by novices to be a deeper cut. Ozzy sounds awesome and gives them the kind of preformance that has a clarity and power rivalling Halford or Dickinson. As amazing as those two songs are, it's "Meglomania" that is the album's best song , and perhaps the band's best song period, as it's their darkest. After they take you on that ride wild "The Thrill of it All" is not as impressive. It shuffles along their more typical brand of hard-edged blue rock. that we call metal. 

"Supertzar' is a dramatically atmospheric instrumental that fits the whole album, mood. Not a song I think, damn I need to hear that one, but I enjoy it in the context of the album." Am I Going Insane?" always struck me as being happy for the subject matter, but it grew on me over time. 'The Writ" closes the album with the kind of darker vibes you now expect from Black Sabbath with a vocal preformance that more closely resembles Ozzy's solo work in the songs' more melodic passages. I think this album warrants an 11 as it shows a legendary band at their peak. 

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