You may have noticed - we're not a hugely metallic bunch here at TLOBF, generally speaking. It's always seemed to me that metal is a fairly self-contained area, as far as major rock subgenres go. To many, it's a type of music which either appeals or it doesn't, which makes the fuzzy border areas all the more interesting to mine, as they offer potential points of passage for fans of metal to potentially explore the rest of rock and vice versa. To me Black Sabbath have always occupied that kind of space. Having been founded in 1968, the band existed almost as early as their supposed genre is often thought to have done, essentially playing very thick and heavy blues rock in their early years. From there on they released a hefty haul of albums, most built chiefly around Tony Iommi's legendary gift for the riff and Ozzy Osbourne's rough-round-the-edges but crushingly effective vocals. Now they are seen as a virtually sacred pillar of metal, a status which along with their famous songs and enormous fanbase and influence, has brought them many "best of" compilations. The question is, in 2o09, what use is this new one?The trouble is, that there really isn't a huge amount of material here. 14 tracks from a band with the vast stature of Black Sabbath is a bit of a hard sell by any standards. Far more comprehensive compilations have been put together before, not least an identically-titled one from 2000 which has 32 tracks on two discs and is still widely available. The simple fact is that this is a largely redundant and inferior compilation put together by Rhino, who have recently released the debut studio album by Heaven and Hell, the band comprising some current and former Sabbath members. This relative redundancy, though, is countered by two things - one, the fact that this may make a nice small introduction for those unfamiliar with the band's work. And two, the fact that everything on it is brilliant.Black Sabbath always dealt in dread. They rarely dealt with faster songs but rather with tracks built around memorable riffs, precise drumming, and ominous lyrics to create an atmosphere of sustained doom. Having said that though, this compilation does capture a bit of their versatility - along with fairly typical examples like "Iron Man", there are also appearances by the subtly string-laden "Snowblind", the harmonica-dependant "The Wizard" and the piano ballad "Changes" which while hackneyed, is still a welcome departure. But the doom-laden tracks are here in force, and they still satisfy. From the rollicking groove of "Fairies Wear Boots" to the apocalyptic epic that is "War Pigs", this is a document of a band of sometimes terrifying but always enthralling power. Even if this is probably only of interest to those who want a concise introduction to the band, there is no doubting the historical significance and mastery of this uncompromising music. 80%Black Sabbath Official Site