Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy

Technical Ecstasy is the seventh studio album by British hard rock band Black Sabbath, originally released in June 1976 by Vertigo Records.

Black Sabbath of the early 70's released some of the heaviest and dirtiest albums ever. After their fourth effort, Vol. 4, their sound gradually changed with the production was much cleaner, and the riffs became much more melodic.

In Technical Ecstasy, the band started experimenting with different sounds and types of music. A lot of the heaviness they were known for is gone, and synth use is prominent. Some of the tracks, and especially Rock N' Roll Doctor, can barely be considered metal, and is more an attempt at making a pop/rock hit, while All Moving Parts (Stand Still) and Gypsy are both groovy and upbeat with some sort of funk influences. The album also contains two ballads, It's Alright, (sung by drummer Bill Ward), and She's Gone. That leaves us with only three heavy metal songs on a Black Sabbath record, all of which are highlights of the record.

The opener Back Street Kids is fast and heavy with some great riffs and an unusual bridge to keep things interesting. The heavily synth-driven You Won't Change Me is extremely melodic and emotional, turning up to be one of the best moments of the album. The real highlight, though, is the closer Dirty Women. Over 7 minutes in length, this bombastic song shifts between some of the best riffs and solos the band ever preformed..

Even when leaving the metal tracks aside, the album still has some fine moments. The two ballads are both very nice, and the vocals by Bill Ward end up being very refreshing and fitting for a ballad.

Technical Ecstasy is an album most Sabbath fans love to hate. While the band's distinctive sound did change in it, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and the album contains some amazing and overlooked tunes.

This remastered LP on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl, comes with a CD of the album and is pressed in Europe by Sanctuary Records.