Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 Super Deluxe

Black Sabbath
Vol. 4 - Super Deluxe
(BMG)
10/10
By Decibel Report

Legendary Midlands metal band Black Sabbath curated a rare and huge career arc, and a testament to this is their much-lauded back catalogue that grows in stature and kudos as the years roll by. They possess a history which speaks volumes for itself and, as 100% proof, there is an ongoing reissuing programme of their back in the day albums in expanded form that's been in full swing for a while now.

Following hot on the heels of the recent and superb Paranoid redux, Vol. 4 grandly arrives in similar expanded fashion. Similar in as much as it clears all the hurdles in the extras department and then some.

A large part of Sabbath’s allure was the danger and drama they presented in the music that they created and there’s more than a glimmer of musical contraband running right through Vol 4’s drug-fuelled original tracks. Up to this point, Sabbath subverted the prevailing rock scene with more than a few satanic tropes. However, with stonewall classics Wheels Of Confusion, Tomorrow's Dream, Supernaut, and the apposite Snowblind they steered a more progressive and transformative narrative path summed up on the rare ballad Changes.

Among the many loud delights compiled within is a complete and contemporaneous concert, compiled from recordings during the Vol. 4 1973 tour, that finds Sabbath confidently relaxed in their own skins; like any group should be with four albums slated next to their in-demand name. Outtakes, New Mixes by Steven Wilson, Alt Takes, False Starts and revealing Studio Dialogue dig right down beneath and between the tracks and recording process of this heavy milestone record. Further goodies include booklets featuring liner notes, rare photos, and a poster featuring unpublished artwork of the album's original self-explanatory working title Snowblind.

A few might fulminate at the price of this sumptuous super deluxe set. However, most true fans, seeing its real value, will invest in it and enjoy the carefully assembled expanded contents for many more years to come.