Black Sabbath's "Master of Reality" should be in The Fallen
As with Black Sabbath's first two classic albums, the age-old consensus that 1971's "Master of Reality" is a "heavy metal" record doesn't stack up to closer scrutiny, at least not when you take into account the modern metal genre tree. If the album was released today by as the debut release from a new band then I feel confident that it'd be tagged as a stoner metal record which is in line with my long-term feeling that it doesn't sit all that comfortably alongside your Judas Priests & Iron Maidens.
For the record, this is how I've tagged the album:
1. Sweet Leaf - Stoner metal
2. After Forever - Hard rock
3. Embryo - English folk music
4. Children of the Grave - Heavy metal
5. Orchid - Contemporary folk
6. Lord of This World - Stoner metal
7. Solitude - Psychedelic folk
8. Into The Void - Stoner metal
The folk interludes are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things but it is worth noting that the only one of any length (i.e. "Solitude") has a psychedelic feel which again plays closer to stoner than it does heavy metal. Therefore, I'd like to see "Master of Reality" added to The Fallen under the Stoner Metal genre on top of its existing position in The Guardians.
This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.
Looks like Revolver magazine agrees with me on this.