TYR

I have never been a fan of Black Sabbath for a multitude of reasons, never really impressed with Osbourne's average vocal prowess to start but that means little because I really admired both Dio and Gillan so perhaps it was never really getting into their sledge hammer style (Iommi is a riffer and not a maestro soloist by his own admission). So I never really took the plunge except for one measly album which BS fans are not particularly fond of and which remains the hardest Sabbath album to find. "Tyr" has a special Nordic tinge that is hard to describe, as well as some damn fine musicians with Neil Murray (the Canterbury guy), the legendary Cozy Powell and unknown keysman Geoff Nichols helping Iommi and lead lung Tony Martin, the George Lazenby of Sabbath vocalists (ah, look it up!). The artwork is phenomenal, one of my very favorite album covers of all time, giving a new meaning to the term 'Dark Ages'. I have the vinyl since 1990 but finding the CD has been a harrowing experience and way too expensive for my war chest. So I just burned a copy and uploaded it to my PC. Nine tracks that are all imbued with a Viking feel, you can almost feel the 'fjordic' air blowing through the grooves but it's really more about the Crusaders going to free Jerusalem from the Ottoman yoke and sending its meanest Norse warriors , fresh from Odin's banquet. I guess it's all the Middle Ages history part that hooked me, but whatever it is, it worked!

I loved it then and I treasure it now, my only Black Sabbath album! It kicks off with the ice- cold steamroller "Anno Mundi" where a sweet voice and acoustic guitar suddenly evolves into a merciless assault, very grandiose and bombastic, gritty and chilly, laden with doom and some mystical air of chivalrous adventure. Martin wails like a man possessed "As the wind in the night blows cold Your eyes are burning, As the sands of our time grow old, Anno Mundi". Resonating track that just sets the table perfectly for the entire album. A couple of 4 minute ditties are next. "The Law Maker" is reckless, energetic and maddening, a short basher, a Rock 'n Roller as the Brits called it at the time, Iommi lashing out with some serious zest in his elaborate solo, all tortuous and swerving. A fun piece. Next up, "Jerusalem" , one of the highlights for me but knowing Sabbath purists hate it , a rather simple but howling chorus, thrash/slash rapier-like guitar battering and battering ram rhythms (the sadly departed Powell sure could drum, eh?). "The Sabbath Stones" is a more epic track, clocking in near 7 minutes, featuring Tony Martin gregariously fueled by a slow avalanche, this poor guy got little love but still could outscreech Ozzy but not Dio , so why the cold shoulder? Maybe he was hard to get along with (LOL). This is a whopping piece that just muscles along until Tommy decides it's time for a little gentle interlude, showcasing 'contrastual' obligations, Murray shuffling brilliantly on the 4 string bruiser and Powell powering along. "Battle of Tyr" is the highly orchestral keyboard interlude that truly gives the impression of a symphonic orchestra, something The Enid would conjure up. It introduces nicely the brief "Odin's Court", more a typical bluesy guitar driven ballad in the Scorpions vein, Martin once again showing off his manly pipes, as it segues into the my preferred track, the very windy and ultra-Scandinavian "Valhalla", chugging guitars 6 and 4 strings ablaze, intense drumming, all in the cause of a massive melody. The Iommi solos are sudden, stark and to the point, while the Powell rumble is outright stupendous. My favorite BS track, by far. Yeah, so what do I know? "Feels Good to Me" is the one track that somehow does not fit with the concept, a hot bluesy guitar foray that precedes a simple lilt and relatively puerile lyrics and also happens to be , by far, the most recognized song here, I even heard this on the radio a few times way back when. It has a slight Whitesnake feel as Martin sounds a lot like Coverdale but what do I know? The axe solo is restrained and glittering in a way, stinging notes and a hectic outcome that is not the cooler norm. I enjoy the tune but not as much as the other icier songs. "Heaven in Black" is probably a classic Sabbath style rocker, nothing too fancy, just plain old fashioned heavy metal formula, certainly not as progressively-tinged as the previous material. Again, it's utterly pleasant.

I bought their next album "Dehumanizer" and, sorry Day of Rest folks, had absolutely no connection to the music within, in fact, it was unlistenable to these ears. Over the years I have heard all the classic songs, know them well but not enough to buy albums and include them within my collection. I am simply not a fan but respectful . Hey I only have one Iron Maiden record ("Brave New World"), so leave me alone!

4 Shadowy Pebbles