Black Sabbath’s album Vol. 4 was originally going to be called Snowblind.
The band recorded the album in Los Angeles in 1972, during a period when its drug use heavily affected the sessions. “Snowblind,” one of the album’s songs, openly refers to cocaine, and the proposed title carried the same association. Record-label executives considered the title too controversial and changed it to Vol. 4 before release.
Issued on September 25, 1972, Vol. 4 became the band’s fourth studio album, following Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality. Tony Iommi took a major role in production, and the record expanded the group’s sound beyond its most crushing material with tracks such as “Changes,” “Laguna Sunrise,” and “FX.”
The title is sometimes confused with a later album or with the song “Snowblind” itself. “Snowblind” remained on the track list, while the album received the neutral title Vol. 4. The final record was commercially successful, reaching number 13 in the United States and eventually earning platinum certification there.