Description
Jazz Sabbath – Vol 2 – Vinyl Record
When Heavy Metal Classics Get the Jazz Treatment
Released on April 22, 2022 via Blacklake, Vol. 2 is the second album by Jazz Sabbath, the tongue-in-cheek jazz trio led by Adam Wakeman (aka “Milton Keanes”) that reimagines Black Sabbath classics as jazz pieces. The album continues the group’s fictional lore—that these heavy metal staples were actually written in the 1960s by this underground jazz ensemble, only to be “stolen” and turned into metal songs—and it leans fully into that story while showing real musicianship, wit, and creative reinterpretation.
Vol. 2 features seven tracks, each a reinterpretation of a different Black Sabbath original: “Paranoid,” “Snowblind,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” “Sabbra Cadabra,” “Symptom of the Universe,” “N.I.B.,” and “Black Sabbath.”
What makes the album striking is how faithful yet transformative it is—while the melodies are recognizable, the arrangements shift them into new spaces. Jazz rhythms, swing or second-line eels, acoustic piano, subtle percussion, sometimes horns or organ accents—they all factor into the reinterpretation. For example, “Paranoid” opens with a creative jazz intro that delays revealing the recognizable riff, and “Snowblind” softens the heaviness with lighter brushwork and more space.
The tone of Vol. 2 is playful but disciplined. Jazz Sabbath doesn’t mock the source material; rather, they pay tribute by stripping away the distortion and amp stacks and letting the compositions breathe in acoustic settings, exploring dynamics, texture, and harmony. The result is both a novelty (for metal fans curious how Sabbath songs translate into jazz) and a legitimately enjoyable jazz record for listeners who appreciate reinterpretation.
In terms of reception and significance, Vol. 2 builds on the success of their self-titled debut (2020) by staying consistent with the concept and raising the bar in terms of arrangement and character. It demonstrates the band’s ability not just to do covers, but to reinterpret in a way that highlights what made the original songs strong—the memorable riffs, the moods—and showing them in a fresh light. It also reinforces Jazz Sabbath’s place in the crossover niche of metal meets jazz, which has curious potential both for audiences who love Sabbath and for jazz listeners open to genre-bending.
It shows that reinterpretation can be more than “metal song played cleanly”—it can be a transformation that reveals new layers of a familiar tune. Vol. 2 is a creative bridge, bringing classic metal into acoustic, jazz-inflected territory while respecting both sides. For fans of Black Sabbath, of jazz fusion, or of inventive covers, it’s a fun and thoughtful journey. And in Jazz Sabbath’s discography, it’s the album that confirms their concept as sustainable, not just a clever stunt but a real artistic project.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Paranoid
Snowblind
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
Sabbra Cadabra
Symptom Of The Universe
N.I.B.
Black Sabbath
