Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:31:05 PM Wikipedia source
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 30 November 1973. It was produced by the band and recorded at Morgan Studios in London in September 1973. The writing process for the album, which began in Los Angeles, California, was initially hampered in part by the band's substance abuse and fatigue following its 1972–1973 world tour in support of their previous album, Vol. 4. In an effort to get past their writers' block, the band relocated to Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, where guitarist Tony Iommi conceived the main riff of what became the album's title track and lead single.
The album represented a stylistic leap forward for the band, incorporating synthesizers, strings, and keyboards into their normal heavy metal sound, in addition to other experiments by the band that ultimately would not end up on the album. For the first time in the band's career, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath received positive commercial and critical reception, later becoming Sabbath's fifth straight album to be certified platinum in the United States. The album continues to receive acclaim, both from critics and musicians.
Infobox
Tables
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| MusicHound Rock | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 4/10 |
| Chart (1973–1974) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | 5 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 17 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) | 25 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 49 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 57 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 6 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 4 |
| US Billboard 200 | 11 |
| Chart (2020–2021) | Peak position |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 62 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 13 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 25 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 71 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 12 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) | 2 |
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU) | 20 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI) | 94 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) 1973 release | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) 2009 release | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Record Mirror
- Discogshttps://www.discogs.com/release/2596401-Black-Sabbath-Sabbath-Bloody-Sabbath?srsltid=AfmBOoqUaBeeHo5jNG-5T_WT9xPN6i9Fh2BYmr4OjqTbbIHKyU_XFD2f
- Rosen 1996, p. 76
- Rosen 1996, p. 79
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- Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbathhttps://archive.org/details/ironmanmyjourney00iomm_0
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- Rivadavia, Eduardo. Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 February 2008.https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2002/review
- Rolling Stonehttps://web.archive.org/web/20120427215415/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/black-sabbath/albumguide
- Spin Alternative Record Guide
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- MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guidehttps://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612
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- Sabbath, Bloody Sabbathhttps://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/sabbath-bloody-sabbath-19740213
- Sabbath Bloody Sabbathhttps://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Sabbath%20Bloody%20Sabbath
- "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath > Billboard albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2009.https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2002/charts-awards
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- The Bicycle Music Company. (2014). Vintage Drowning Pool - Dave's Desert Island Albums UnluckySinner13. Retrieved July 2https://web.archive.org/web/20230721104031/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Y4m7hJ58Y