Black Sabbath: Master of Reality (2009 Remaster)

Everything that is called doom or stoner metal today probably started here. Guitarist Tommi Iommi detunes his guitar to make it easier to play. Three semitones lower, he finds a "sound that is as powerful as it is heavy" and forces bassist Geezer Butler to do the same. The result had a lasting effect on generations of musicians - whether Nirvana, Soundgarden or Smashing Pumpkins - they all refer to this milestone. Ozzy Osbourne claims that he "can't remember anything" due to all the fog in the studio, but at the same time notes that "Children Of The Grave" is probably the best "kick-ass song ever composed". The audience thanked them with double platinum. "Master of Reality" is Black Sabbath's iconic third album, a dark and heavy milestone that helped shape the blueprint of metal. Released in 1971, the album delves deeper into the band's signature mix of brute riffs, dark atmosphere and gloomy lyrics. With classics like "Sweet Leaf" and "Children of the Grave", the album combines Sabbath's signature heaviness with a more experimental edge, including the use of down-tuned guitars and eerie, psychedelic elements.