Black Sabbath has remained one of my favorite bands since I first watched their 1970 Live in Paris concert on YouTube as a kid. I must’ve watched that specific concert hundreds of times. The pure power and booming nature of the band remains an infectious overture not many bands have been able to replicate since.

Today is a special day in Black Sabbath history with it being the 50th Anniversary of their third full-length album Master of Reality, an impeccable and faultless album and my favorite from the group. Despite being initially panned by critics, Master of Reality today is regarded as a foundation of doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal.

What makes the album an even more monumental moment of the band’s history is it was their third full-length release within 18 months. Most bands and artists take two to three years in between full-lengths. Now imagine releasing three of the most iconic metal albums ever in a year and a half. It’s mind-blowing, to say the least.

The record as a whole took the formula of their first two records but expanded it to be slower yet faster and heavier yet more melodic. If you haven’t listened to Master of Reality yet, I urge you to throw it on as loud as you can and experience it devouring your musical enjoyment in the best way possible.