Released just 18 months after their debut, Black Sabbath's third album, 1971's Master Of Reality, saw Ozzy and co hitting their heavy metal stride. And unlike the newly expanded version of their first album, this release has some real treats rescued from the archives.
Master Of Reality shows why Sabbath has been so influential over the last three decades. The band had developed a trademark sound and here for the first time started to be more experimental with the song writing. The guitar and bass are detuned to great effect but the album isn't just about heavy metal.
Crunching fuzzed up guitar solos like those found on marijuana anthem 'Sweet Leaf' are interspersed with quieter moments. 'Orchid' sounds like the type of mellow introduction that Metallica would use for many of their '80s anthems a decade later, and 'Solitude' shows that Ozzy can actually sing without shouting. The latter also served as the template for later songs such as 'Changes'.
With more depth and instrumentation than its predecessors, Master Of Reality truly is a masterclass in how to make a metal record. These tracks sound rejuvenated because of superb remastering and feature inspired lyrics such as: "When you think about death/Do you lose your breath or do you think you're cool?/Would you like to see The Pope on the end of a rope/Do you think he's a fool?" But wait, there's more, the extra disc of unreleased material is actually worth listening to.
'Weevil Woman' is the only track that's new on the second disc, but most of the other eight songs have very noticeable differences to their final versions. If you're already familiar with the original album, a rewarding game of spot the difference ensues when you listen to the bonus material. Ozzy sings completely unfamiliar lines over parts of three songs and elsewhere the inclusion of a piano or alternate guitar tuning helps to change the atmosphere of songs such as 'Solitude'.
This is a fascinating exploration of the construction of an influential album and as such is of interest to new and old fans alike. The material on Master Of Reality hasn't dated as badly as perhaps Black Sabbath's debut and therefore is more accessible to a wider audience outside of just metal fans. It's a perfect example of why some albums truly do deserve the deluxe edition treatment.
Rating: 4/5