Music / Master of Reality

"Lord of this world, evil possessor
Lord of this world, he's your confessor now."

"So you children of the world
Listen to what I say.
If you want a better place to live in,
Spread the word today.
Show the world that love is still alive.
You must be brave,
Or the children of today
Are children of the grave, yeah!"

—"Children of the Grave"

Master of Reality is the third album by British Heavy Metal pioneers Black Sabbath, released by Vertigo Records in England and Warner (Bros.) Records in America on 21 July 1971.

It was the first Black Sabbath album in which guitarist Tony Iommi downtuned his guitar one and a half steps to reduce string tension and reduce the pain on his middle and ring fingers on his right hand^note while working in a factory as a teenager, he lost the tips of said fingers in an accident. Said downtuning led to a heavier sound that was put into good use for songs such as "Children of the Grave" and "Sweet Leaf", forming foundations for Doom Metal and stoner rock, respectively.

The album was a commercial success on release, going double platinum in the United States. Bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins were influenced by the album's sound.

No relation to the Reality Warper trope.

Tracklist

Side one

1. "Sweet Leaf" (5:05)
2. "After Forever" (5:27)
3. "Embryo" (0:28)
4. "Children of the Grave" (5:18)^note the original US LP press separates this into "Children of the Grave" (4:30) and "The Haunting" (0:45)

Side two

1. "Orchid" (1:31)
2. "Lord of This World" (5:27)^note the original US LP press separates this into "Step Up" (0:30) and "Lord of This World" (4:55)
3. "Solitude" (5:02)
4. "Into the Void" (6:13)^note the original US LP press separates this into "Deathmask" (3:08) and "Into the Void" (3:08)

Principal members:

• Geezer Butler - bass
• Tony Iommi - guitars, synthesizer, flute, piano
• Ozzy Osbourne - lead vocals
• Bill Ward - drums, percussion

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I love you, sweet tropes, though you can't hear:

• Drugs Are Good: "Sweet Leaf", an ode to marijuana.
• Epic Rocking: While subdued compared to Black Sabbath's first two albums, there is a track that exceeds six minutes: the last track, "Into the Void".
• God-Is-Love Songs: "After Forever" stated that "God is the only way to love". The song was made as a reaction to accusations that the band is Satanist, when the members were actually Christian and using themes of the occult as an act.
• Instrumentals: "Embryo" (a breather track between two five minute songs) and "Orchid" (starts side two and leads up to "Lord of This World").
• Longest Song Goes Last: "Into the Void", which was just above six minutes. Curiously, the song being split in half in the original US LP press is an exception.
• Minimalistic Cover Art: A black background with the band and album names.
• Miniscule Rocking: "Embryo" lasts just under a half minute, and "Orchid" only goes for a minute and a half. The original US LP press also split a couple of instrumental parts (both of which less than a minute) from "Children of the Grave" and "Lord of This World".
• New Sound Album: Tony Iommi's guitar being downtuned out of necessity has led to a heavier sound that sets it apart from the first two albums.
• Non-Appearing Title: "After Forever" and "Into the Void".
• Ode to Intoxication: "Sweet Leaf" is about the attraction to marijuana.
• Satan: "Lord of This World" is sung from the perspective of The Devil, warning the listener not to choose material things instead of love. Also mentioned in "Into the Void" as having dominion over Earth After the End
• Sampling: The track "Sweet Leaf" begins with a recording of Tony Iommi coughing upon first smoking a blunt.

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