Black Sabbath Discography Appraisal

Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy Vinyl Record Album Cover

This is a 12-inch vinyl record sleeve for Black Sabbath's seventh studio album, 'Technical Ecstasy,' originally released in 1976. The artwork was designed by the famous graphic design group Hipgnosis and features a surrealist illustration of two robots on an escalator, depicted in a futuristic, industrial style. The robots are rendered in rounded, metallic white and grey forms with red accents, set against a background of yellow and red escalator rails and pinkish marble-patterned flooring. The color palette is vibrant, dominated by bold primary colors like yellow, red, and blue, contrasted with neutral greys and whites. The text 'BLACK SABBATH' and 'TECHNICAL ECSTASY' is printed vertically along the side margins in a clean, sans-serif black font. Physically, the item appears to be a standard cardboard record jacket with a semi-gloss finish. Regarding condition, the cover shows noticeable signs of aging and handling; there is visible corner rounding, some edge wear, and yellowish surface discoloration consistent with its age. Some light creasing is visible near the edges, and the white borders show some minor staining. There are no visible large tears or major water damage in the provided view, but the overall patina suggests a vintage original pressing rather than a modern reissue.