BLACK SABBATH

After the disjointed and underwhelming Seventh Star, The Eternal Idol marked a much-needed return to form for Tony Iommi!

Despite a turbulent production process that involved multiple producers, lineup changes, and even a change in lead vocalist midway through recording, the final result is far more coherent and focused than one might expect.

Right from the start with The Shining, it's clear that this album is aiming to reconnect with Black Sabbath's darker roots. The production is much improved over Seventh Star, and the guitar tone is heavier, more oppressive, and closer to the band's classic style. New vocalist Tony Martin makes his debut here, and what a debut it is. His vocal style, reminiscent in moments of Ronnie James Dio, is powerful, dramatic, and perfectly suited for the material. Though relatively unknown at the time, Martin would go on to become arguably the third most important frontman in the band's history.

Ancient Warrior is perhaps the best track on the album. With a haunting, slightly eastern flair and some of Iommi's most inventive riffing in years, it builds a dark and mystical atmosphere. Hard Life to Love follows with a more straightforward hard rock feel, featuring some stoner-adjacent riffs that are enjoyable, if less remarkable.

Glory Ride is the album's weakest point, a bland and overly glossy hard rock song that feels more like Europe or Survivor than Sabbath. Thankfully, Born to Lose restores some energy with a fast-paced delivery and strong vocals, even if the songwriting itself is relatively simple.

Nightmare brings things back into more atmospheric territory. Originally intended for the Nightmare on Elm Street 3 soundtrack, it features excellent guitar work and a brooding tone that fits the band much better than the radio rock attempts earlier on the record.

Lost Forever is a solid uptempo heavy metal song, but at this point the album does begin to show signs of fatigue. Fortunately, the title track, Eternal Idol, closes things on a high note. It's a doomy, brooding epic that captures the sense of dread and weight that made the early Sabbath records so memorable. The slow-burning riff, mournful atmosphere, and expressive vocals make it a true highlight.

Conclusión: The Eternal Idol is clearly Iommi's attempt to reclaim the darkness, low-tuned guitars, and groovy heaviness that had been mostly abandoned in Seventh Star. With Tony Martin stepping in confidently as frontman, this album feels more focused, more traditionally Sabbath, and more promising.

While not without its flaws, it started a hopeful new chapter for the band back in 1987.

Best tracks: The Shining, Ancient Warrior, Nightmare, Eternal Idol.

After the collapse of the "Born Again" lineup, Black Sabbath returned in 1986 with "Seventh Star", a strange and controversial chapter in their history!

Originally intended as a Tony Iommi solo album, it was released under the Black Sabbath name due to label pressure. As a result, the record feels disconnected from the band's legacy, both in sound and spirit.

Right from the start, In for the Kill sets a tone that has little to do with the classic Sabbath sound. It's a fast, cleanly produced heavy metal track, with Glenn Hughes delivering a strong vocal performance. However, it leans more toward the Gary Moore of the 1980s ("After the War", "Wild Frontier") than anything resembling early Sabbath. Things quickly get worse with No Stranger to Love, a forgettable soft-rock ballad that fails to justify its presence on any Sabbath record.

But luckily, Turn to Stone is a highlight! With its NWOBHM energy and powerful riff, it feels like it could have belonged on one of the Dio-era albums. It's one of the few tracks that leaves a solid impression. Sphinx (The Guardian) follows as a short mystical instrumental that sets the stage for Seventh Star, a mid-tempo heavy track with eastern flourishes and one of Iommi's best performances on the album. These two songs offer a glimpse of what the record could have been.

Unfortunately, the second half of the album drags. Danger Zone is flat, formulaic hard rock, with verses that go nowhere and a chorus that feels like something out of a B-grade action movie. Heart Like a Wheel is a slow blues number that features some thick, expressive guitar work, but overall lacks inspiration. Angry Heart starts strong with a punchy riff and some promising keyboard work, but collapses under a syrupy chorus. Finally, In Memory ends the album on a somber, forgettable note, more melancholic than memorable.

Despite these flaws, Iommi's guitar playing is consistently excellent, and Glenn Hughes brings a unique voice to the record. The production is polished, perhaps too much so. Crystal clear but sterile, lacking the grit and weight expected from a Sabbath release.

Conclusion: "Seventh Star" should never have carried the Black Sabbath name. It's a sometimes competent but generally directionless album with a few redeeming tracks. A curious footnote in the band's history, more notable for its context than its content.

Best tracks: Turn to Stone, Seventh Star, In for the Kill.

After two years of silence and the departure of Ronnie James Dio, Black Sabbath returned in 1983 with Born Again!

An album that began almost as a drunken joke and ended up as one of the most fascinating and divisive entries in their discography. With Ian Gillan (from Deep Purple) joining the classic lineup (Iommi, Butler, and Ward), some fans saw this record as a bizarre side project, but for others (myself included) it was a true rebirth of the band, both artistically and musically.

Unlike the Dio era, which tried to position Sabbath as the vanguard of modern heavy metal, or the last two Ozzy albums, where the band seemed lost, "Born Again" brings Sabbath back to darker, grittier ground. The fantasy and epic tones of the Dio years are replaced by twisted riffs, raw production, and an unmistakable doom atmosphere that recalls a bit albums like "Master of Reality" or "Sabotage".

The original mix was infamously bad. The bass was so over-saturated it drowned out the guitars. In the new remastered version, the sound is much more balanced (though the bass still feels slightly too forward at times). Even with its flaws, this version allows the album's qualities to shine.

"Born Again" opens with Trashed, a fast, autobiographical rocker from Gillan that sets the tone with energy and personality. Stonehenge follows, a short ambient interlude that works better than expected. Then comes Disturbing the Priest, the first true classic: unorthodox, theatrical, and menacing, with Gillan delivering one of the most intense performances in Sabbath's history.

The Dark leads perfectly into Zero the Hero, perhaps the best song on the record. Its hypnotic structure, crushing riffs, powerful bass, atmospheric keyboards, and Gillan's commanding vocals build one of Sabbath's most underrated masterpieces. Digital Bitch brings speed and attitude, clearly echoing Deep Purple in the vocal phrasing. Born Again (the track) is slow and heavy, with an astonishing vocal delivery that shows Gillan at his most expressive.

Hot Line and Keep It Warm are solid, with the latter showing bluesy roots and a more positive tone. Personally, I think the album would have ended more effectively with the track Born Again instead.

The remastered edition includes The Fallen (a strong and fast metal track that should have been on the original album), an extended version of Stonehenge (interesting for fans, though the shorter version works better), and a full live set from the Born Again tour. In these recordings, Gillan brings an entirely new energy to classic Sabbath material. He doesn't just fill in. He reinvents, adding vocal flourishes, creative lines, and real depth to songs that once belonged to Ozzy.

His stage presence elevates both the new material and the old classics! It's a shame that Gillan never fully fit into the band due to his very different style and the Deep Purple reunion in 1984, because I believe he could have become a true pillar in the band's history, but unfortunately his time with Sabbath remained a short (yet fascinating) chapter.

Conclusion: "Born Again" remains one of Sabbath's most misunderstood and underrated albums. It's raw, theatrical, dark, and full of character. With the remaster now available, it's the perfect time to rediscover a true cult gem in the band's catalog.

Best tracks: Trashed, Disturbing the Priest, Zero the Hero, Born Again.

The Dio era continued with strength and confidence, but not without its limits.

"Mob Rules" is Black Sabbath's second album with Ronnie James Dio and marks the beginning of a lineup many fans consider the second best after the original: Ronnie on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Vinny Appice on drums. This lineup would later return for "Dehumanizer" in the 90s and the Heaven and Hell project much later.

Turn Up the Night opens the album in a similar spirit to Neon Knights from the previous record. Fast and energetic, but unfortunately not particularly memorable. Voodoo follows as a straightforward hard rock track that does its job, but also fails to leave a lasting impression.

The Sign of the Southern Cross is the first major highlight of the album: a heavy, atmospheric epic that showcases Dio's power and Iommi's mastery of dynamics. E5150 comes next. An eerie instrumental that introduces an ambient, experimental layer to the album. It hints at the more atmospheric direction Sabbath would explore further in the superior "Born Again".

Then comes The Mob Rules, a powerful burst of fast-paced heavy metal that stands as one of the most aggressive and solid songs on the record. It arguably would have made a better opener than Turn Up the Night. Country Girl delivers some darker hard rock with decent energy, but it doesn't fully stand out. Much like Slipping Away, which adds a slightly funky groove and allows Geezer Butler to return to the spotlight with a few tasteful bass flourishes.

Fortunately, the record picks up again with Falling Off the Edge of the World, which may be the second-best track on the album. It has drawn comparisons to Iron Maiden's early style, with some fans noting it sounds like something Paul Di'Anno could have sung, and others calling it the best Iron Maiden song Iron Maiden never wrote.

That strong momentum continues with Over and Over, a slow-burning closer filled with dense, mournful riffs and a powerful sense of emotional weight.

Conclusion: "Mob Rules" is a solid album, featuring strong performances and a rawer, more aggressive sound than "Heaven and Hell". However, it doesn't quite reach the same level of inspiration or consistency. Too many filler tracks prevent it from being truly excellent.

Still, it remains a very respectable entry in the Sabbath catalog, and a key chapter in the Dio era.

Best tracks: The Sign of the Southern Cross, The Mob Rules, Falling Off the Edge of the World, Over and Over.

And without Ozzy, they were finally back on track!

After two directionless albums, Black Sabbath returned with Heaven and Hell, and from the very first moments of Neon Knights, it's clear this is not the same band that recorded Master of Reality or even Sabotage. The heavy metal here has more in common with Deep Purple or Judas Priest than with early Sabbath. The presence of Ronnie James Dio (whose voice is more powerful and versatile than Ozzy's) marks a huge shift, and it works.

Children of the Sea offers rich, fantasy-tinged hard rock that unmistakably echoes Dio's time in Rainbow, a vibe that permeates the whole album. Lady Evil is a more conventional hard rocker that doesn't stand out much, but it gets the job done. Throughout the record, Tony Iommi delivers some of his most thoughtful solos, and nowhere is that more evident than on Heaven and Hell itself: a monolithic riff, a hypnotic bass line, Dio at full power, and even a closing section with a medieval flair. It's the highlight of the album and one of the greatest heavy metal tracks of the 1980s.

Wishing Well brings back a more upbeat hard rock feel, with Geezer Butler's playful, creative bass lines at the forefront. Then comes Die Young, which starts dark and contemplative, before exploding into fast, furious metal. It's another standout moment. By now, it's clear this album thrives the most when it leans fully into heavy metal. The band sounds more confident here than they had in years, and even the experimental touches feel focused (unlike the confused meanderings of Technical Ecstasy or Never Say Die).

Walk Away opens with a riff that feels almost AC/DC-like. It's another decent hard rock track with a solid chorus, but ultimately forgettable. Finally, Lonely is the Word slows things down, offering a doomy, mid-tempo riff that evokes echoes of the Ozzy era. A long, expressive guitar solo over haunting keyboards brings the album to an emotional and satisfying close.

Conclusion: with Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath found their way again, at the cost of sacrificing much of their classic identity (which had already been diluted in the two albums before). In return, we get a tighter, more focused record that navigates confidently between hard rock and heavy metal. Interestingly, the result feels closer to Ritchie Blackmore's bands than to early Sabbath, but the quality is undeniable.

Dio brings a stunning voice, tons of personality, and a new lyrical dimension rooted in fantasy and mythology, just like he did in Rainbow. His presence helped shape the future of the genre. And it's not just Dio. Each member of the band shines in their own way, from Iommi's powerful riffs to Butler's creative bass and Ward's tight drumming.

Best tracks: Neon Knights, Heaven and Hell, Die Young and Children of the Sea.

Oh no, boys... They were completely lost by now!

Compared to earlier masterpieces like "Master of Reality" or the splendid and not so far away "Sabotage", 1978's "Never Say Die!" shows a band struggling to find its identity. The album opens with its title track, where Ozzy's unusually high-pitched vocals and the upbeat tempo hint at a more radio-friendly (even proto "Heaven and Hell") direction. It's decent, punchy, and far from the worst thing here.

But things go off quickly. Johnny Blade leans too hard into keyboards again (like in so many tracks from "Technical Ecstasy"), though it does feature a halfway decent riff midway through. Junior's Eyes isn't bad either, one of the few moments where the band sounds semi-focused. Then comes A Hard Road, which is frankly quite poor. The whole album feels unusually bright, completely abandoning the dark, heavy atmosphere that made Sabbath iconic. Shock Wave throws in some stoner-like Iommi riffs, but it's inessential and forgettable.

Air Dance is where things get truly weird. Its jazzy-prog vibe might seem bold at first, but it ends up as a disjointed mess that doesn't fit this band or this album at all. Over to You could've worked, thanks to a promising riff, but unnecessary piano softens the track and kills any impact it might have had. And just when you think they can't get more directionless, Breakout brings in a brass section of sax and trumpets that screams desperation more than innovation.

The closer Swinging the Chain (sung by drummer Bill Ward) is actually not bad, a gritty harmonica-led tune that feels at least somewhat grounded compared to the chaos that precedes it.

Conclusion: despite a few okay tracks, "Never Say Die!" is a confused, patchy, and mostly uninspired effort. Sabbath were still trying to experiment, but without the vision or coherence that made their earlier detours interesting. It's maybe slightly better than "Technical Ecstasy", but it's still far from good.

The classic Sabbath darkness is gone, replaced with something brighter, scattered, and far less compelling.

Best tracks: Never Say Die, Johnny Blade, Junior's Eyes, Swinging the Chain.

It is fair to say that the most unfairly overlooked Black Sabbath album from the seventies is 'Never Say Die!', which is of course the final album released by the classic lineup of Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler in the twentieth century, and their eighth consecutive studio offering. An interesting album by itself, 'Never Say Die!' concludes the monumental first stage of the British heavy metal progenitors' evolution, and in many ways it does so in a beautiful way. After the experimental, flowery and not-so-consistent 'Technical Ecstasy', we have a return to a more discernible heavy sound here, all while the band still dares to play around with some new ideas and experiment with new genres. Sabbath are joined by guest musician Don Airey, who handles all the pianos and keyboards on the album; and yes, much like its predecessor, this record has a lot of piano playing.

Unlike the group's preceding studio album, 'Never Say Die!' has stronger riffs and a more compelling, guitar-driven sound, topped by the really solid vocal performance of Ozzy. Some of the heavier numbers on here and really effective and the pop-sided experiments of preceding releases are neglected for the sake of a harder, punchier sound, and yet this release has several weak spots, which have necessarily contributed to it being seen as patchy and inconsistent over the years. The title track comes first here and is a more standard hard-rocking number with a lot of commercial potential (maybe Sabbath were indeed trying to land a hit song), while their more sophisticated and exciting writing is reserved for the following tracks 'Johnny Blade' and 'Junior's Eyes', the latter being absolutely brilliant, melancholic and richly emotive. We have a return to the progressive ambition of albums like 'Sabotage' or 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', and this is later on confirmed by the jazz-influenced 'Air Dance', a very interesting and really rewarding experiment, and the instrumental 'Breakout', both unusual Sabbath pieces but welcome on this otherwise fascinating album. Other good songs on here include 'Shock Wave' and 'Over to You', where we have a really discernible heavy metal leaning with clean, straightforward sounds and playing.

The entire album is quite good, the cover design by Hipgnosis is excellent, and while the music can get really exciting and unusual, it is true that this is far from the best-sounding Black Sabbath album, with occasional weak moments still present. As an album completely ignored by the band members and later on by many music fans, 'Never Say Die!' has been unfairly treated as the odd one out, while in reality it has several daring moments that redeem its bad reputation.

Around 1976 Black Sabbath were once again trying to reinvent themselves, yet on their seventh studio album all their problems had caught up with them, and as many have correctly observed, 'Technical Ecstasy' does indeed mark "the beginning of the end" of the band's classic era. With the rise of punk, art pop and electronic music, the dark and doomy metal explorations of the band's legendary early recordings had become an anachronism, and the Birmingham-founded quartet had been looking for an updated musical direction, something more in line with current trends - surprisingly enough, bands that had initially been influenced by Sabbath were now influencing them, with Tony Iommi being rather preoccupied with the idea that sounding like Queen or Foreigner might put his band back on the map. So internal problems and an overall artistic misdirection had guided one of the confusing and less consistent Ozzy-era Sabbath releases - 'Technical Ecstasy'.

The band resorts to the extensive use of pianos, synths as well as orchestral parts, which really brings a somewhat pastoral, almost flowery tone to the record, definitely an unusual charm on a Black Sabbath release. This album also lacks the big riffs and instead explores more memorable melodies and hooks, as it can be heard on the opening track 'Back Street Kids', quite a digestible hard-rocking number with a semi-banal chorus. 'You Won't Change Me' might misguide you with its doomy opening, which then gives way to a mellower, moody verse replete with lush synths, as we have a more theatrical art rock presentation, while Iommi's shredding adds a rockier flair to the song. 'It's Alright' is a straightforward pop number that works well but sits strangely on a Sabbath album (with Bill Ward handling the vocal duties), while 'Gypsy' is a cool song with subtle flowery tones and FM rock leanings (think of Supertramp or Foreigner). On side two 'All Moving Parts (Stand Still)' gives us the first big riff on the album, leading quite the danceable rock tune here, something unthinkable for earlier Sabbath, while 'Rock 'n' Roll Doctor' is silly and boring. 'She's Gone' is an orchestral, acoustic ballad, and the closing track 'Dirty Women', with its proggy undertones, is the most interesting song off the album. And again, 'Technical Ecstasy' is confusing and inconsistent when compared to the first six albums by the band, many of them masterpieces of the genre - still, it is an artsy rock record that has some strengths as well as several really decent moments.

'Sabotage' from 1975 is the sixth album in a row released by the classic lineup of Black Sabbath, and what an album that is! Following yet another demanding tour as well as an ongoing legal battle with their former manager (Patrick Meehan), Sabbath reverted to a more aggressive, angry and bombastic sound, perhaps enthralled by the desire to write a proper heavy rock album (which 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is not necessarily). We definitely have a hard-hitting, in-your-face heavy metal bravado on 'Sabotage', the compositions and the playing here are dynamic, aggressive, and powerful. Of course, given the band's previous experimental trials, this album retains a lot of the progressive flair that defines 'Vol. 4' and the fifth LP and ultimately manages to find the right balance between the two stylistic leanings of this mid-70s era of Black Sabbath.

The sublime and remarkable side one, arguably the greatest achievement for the band, starts off with the thundering heavy rock number 'Hole in the Sky', featuring yet another excellent, jarring riff from Iommi. Ozzy's vocals here, on the other hand, are ferocious and vivid, and the drive and the energy of this song are quite illustrative of Sabbath's strengths. 'Symptom of the Universe' has an infectious, evil tone to it, reminiscent of the group's early doom metal days; instrumentally, this is one of the better recordings of the band, approaching the progressive and soulful aspects of rock in the final section, and what is there to say about the mighty epic 'Megalomania' - the band's dark, menacing, and vibrant progressive masterpiece, one of the most sophisticated and enthralling opuses of theirs. These three songs are so significantly impactful for the genre that their influence might as well be immeasurable.

Side two once again hides a few surprises, much like the preceding LP from Sabbath, with the rock-solid number 'Thrill of It All', and the Alan Parsons Project-infused instrumental 'Supertzar', a more theatrical entry on the album. Plenty of synths and digestible, almost radio-friendly sounds on 'Am I Going Insane', taken a bit further by the experimental album closer 'The Writ', where the band venture into more daring, kind of artsy writing territory. The entire 'Sabotage' album, despite that below-par cover photo, is massive, ambitious, heavy and really consistent. Some of the best Sabbath material is on here, alongside some of the most unusual experiments conceived by the classic lineup, which definitively renders this an influential heavy metal (with strong progressive tendencies) masterpiece.

Black Sabbath's fifth studio album was created during a difficult period for the band, with an extensive touring schedule and a deteriorating substance abuse problem, following a short break and a relocation for recording, 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' was released to much amazement - exhibiting a very prominent progressive ambition, this album really took a step further from the eclectic 'Vol. 4' and became recognizable for its sophisticated songwriting and expanded artistic scope. With the introduction of pastoral, psychedelic and even boogie rock passages, Sabbath's November 1973 release remains one of their most innovative, daring and ambitious offerings. The extensive use of keyboards on this album is noteworthy, as much as the inclusion of string arrangements, flutes, organs, bongos, the harpsichord, and even Rick Wakeman (coming off bored from the 'TFTO' sessions with Yes and laying down some fine moog leads for one of the album tracks) - this record really tries to deliver a bit of everything.

Kicking off the set with the monumental title track, it has to be said that this Iommi riff is what initiated the direction and the writing of the album - it is a powerful piece of heavy rock with an earth-shattering rhythm section and a particularly tasty bass tone - a simply astounding song. Continuing on that high note, Sabbath present 'A National Acrobat', an edgier piece of sophisticated rock that sees them taking in some of the doomy ambience of earlier records, followed by the picturesque instrumental 'Fluff', a composition that could have easily landed on any of the classic early Genesis albums. Closing off the perfect side one, we have 'Sabbra Cadabra', another heavy track that catches Rick Wakeman playing the piano and the Minimoog. The second side of 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is the more "adventurous" and unpredictable one, and hence, the more difficult one to appreciate - 'Killing Yourself to Live' is really good and the chorus is strong, but 'Who Are You?' just fails to hit that sweet spot, especially with the punctuative synths, which sit somewhat strangely on this record. Then again, 'Spiral Architect' is excellent and strikes a fine balance between heavy and experimental, while 'Looking for Today' is not necessarily as remarkable.

And although the band was going through a tough period, they managed to rise above and deliver a triumphant studio album, one that really sees them nurturing their experimental side with even greater attention, quite often to fascinating and flamboyant results. Is 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' the perfect Sabbath album? Perhaps not, but it remains one of the most ambitious and enthralling works of theirs.