Album of the Day

When Black Sabbath entered London's Island Studios with producer Rodger Bain for their final collaboration, they emerged with one of the band’s very best albums – MASTER OF REALITY. Released on this day in 1971, the collection is notable on a couple of accounts; lyrics were included in the package for the first time, making it clear that the quartet were far from the Satan worshippers of popular imagination. And both guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler tuned their instruments a little lower on this set, making tracks like “Children Of The Grave,” “Into The Void” and the pot-smoking ode “Sweet Leaf” even heavier than usual. A seminal influence on stoner, sludge and doom metal, MASTER OF REALITY became a Top 10 hit and was eventually certified double-Platinum.