Sounds like Sabbath

My title is a statement that seems have become more prevalent in reviews over recent years. It's perhaps becoming a bit like saying 'it tastes like chicken' in that it's used just to have reference point and because everyone knows Black Sabbath. I admit that I probably drop names a bit more than I should, but I have always used other bands in reference to describing a band's sound. Then again this statement is also largely used because Black Sabbath were one of the first bands to really define the metal sound and they are perhaps the single most influential metal band of all time. You don't hear a lot of reviewers today saying "these guys sound like Helix" or "these guys sound like Krokus". The fact that young bands are still popping up playing riffs that show the influence of this band is a testament to their legacy. I think even music fans that aren't necessarily fans of metal tend to at least have respect for Sabbath. This is also even more surprising when you take into account that their real prime was just really the albums from their debut through Sabotage which is a total of six. The other two Ozzy albums were weak and even though the albums with Dio are very good, it's just a very different style. I know that I used this statement in my reviews and may continue if it apply, but I will try to elaborate on what I mean instead of just using like a catch phrase. They have been one of my top three favorite bands since I was a teenager.