Black Sabbath- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

This is Sabbath's finest album- mature, creative, with amazingly structured songs that are actually about stuff. And "Spiral Acrobat" is one of the finest songs ever written.

Some say it's overproduced. I disagree, but find the criticism revealing. This is a criticism from those who don't think that metal (and we shouldn't limit Sabbath by a label they didn't and don't accept) should have that Andy Wallace glossiness- a glossiness which may be inoffensive with the contrasting splendid brutality of Slayer but ruined Nirvana's  Nevermind- and no, generally, it shouldn't. But the production levels of this album- which go far for 1973- are no more than is needed for the beautiful songs. This is the band's peak. And I say this as someone from the Steve Albini school of production.

Sabbath made many great albums after this, including from long after Ozzy left and, yes, including some very unfashionable ones. But they would never again (so far; may Tony Iommi's cancer remain forever in remission) quite hit these heights.