NEVER SAY DIE!

One of the great Sabbath albums, though clearly a structural break from the classic Sabbath sound 1970- 1973. This follow up to the mediocre Technical Ecstasy was recorded with Ozzy already with one foot out of the band and the other members of the band with serious dependency problems, but the creative touch is not affected, just the opposite, Black Sabbath deliver one of the finest and more progressive works of their careers, with leaks in Johnny Blade, Junion's Eyes, Shock Wave and Air Dance, featuring a terser than ususal guitar sound by Toni Iommi (reminding me of Steve Howe's sound in Drama) and dramatic synths by Don Airey. Ozzy's voice is just fine, Geezer's a monster as usual, and Bill Ward discrete drumming finds a highlight in the marching sound of Johnny Blade. Too bad Sabbath's history with Ozzy (after the 1990s reunion) ends on a sad nore, with an instrumental track, the jazzy Breakout, and the last song of the album, Swinging the Chain (a good song) featuring an unknwon singer (not Bill Ward).