BLACK SABBATH (UK) - Tyr (LP, I.R.S., 1990)

RATING: **

As I'm sure you already gathered by reading the previous reviews (if you ever read it, that is), the second half of the 80s was a long period of soul-searching for Black Sabbath. Carrying the torch pretty much by his own, Tony Iommi just put on his bravest face and went from poorly-received albums to not-really-successful promoting tours, one straight after another and with very little time to ponder on anything that was going on. Being well aware that Sabbath were fighting a losing battle in the USA (where no one bothered to buy their LPs and shows were constantly cancelled due to poor ticket sales), Mr. Iommi set his sights on markets yet unexplored, with a very successful jaunt to Russia during the "Headless Cross" tour being just what the band needed to boost morale. Some people still wanted new music from Sabbath after all - and, faithful to their work ethic during those troubled times, the axeman and his cohorts (now augmented by much-travelled bassist Neil Murray, whose associations are too many to mention really) duly entered studio once more to craft what we now know as "Tyr", one of the less typical records on the entire Sabbath canon, if truth be told.

Though not exactly a concept album, fact is that the whole package tries to conjure a sense of thematic unity around Norse mythology, going as far as using some runes on the front cover - though the symbol drawn as an 'y' would actually be a modern 'x', and I'm positive they didn't wanted to name the record "Txr" after all! It transpires that the whole idea evolved around the lyrics written by Tony Martin, who tried to distance the band from the quasi-satanic imagery of previous records in favour of something a bit less predictable and/or tongue-in-cheek. I guess it was a moderate success on that matter, though you're going to have a hard time trying to find a more subtle meaning on verses like "When the winds of Valhalla run cold / Be sure that the blood will start to flow", I'm afraid.

But perhaps the most radical departure comes on the music department, actually. I tend to think that Tony Iommi, though not at all unhappy with his status as the world's very first metal riffmaster, would just feel weary of such persona from time to time. Nothing objectionable of course, and even a positive sign of artistic yearning many would never want to give him credit for. I would say that "Tyr" was another one of those instances; I mean, he just kept most of the riffs for himself this time around, opting for power chords, ethereal melodies and/or E-string stroking on nearly all of the songs here featured. It's not a bad thing perforce, and it even works quite well on some tracks (more on that in a minute), but Sabbath just need prominent riffs to be the Black Sabbath we love, this being almost a second line of storytelling in the band's formula along with the vocal tracks. When it's nearly gone, an unique feature of the Sabbath brand disappears as well - and it shouldn't come as a surprise that "Tyr", far from a disaster it is, sounds like nearly an anomaly in the band's discography, being closer to heavy/power territory than anything else (I kid you not).

I happen to like opening number "Anno Domini" quite a lot - though it starts with a guitar picking uncanningly similar to "Children of the Sea", its grandiose vibe (enhanced by prominent keyboards and some multilayered vocal choirs) sounds far from predictable or contrived, not to mention it also showcases some of the finest riffing from the entire record. Surely a winner. "The Sabbath Stones" is also a strong number, with a slow, grinding built-up to a pretty cool chorus, and a faster final section highlighted by a fiery solo. If this one was on a Ronnie James Dio record it would be regarded by some as a classic, no doubt about that! "The Lawmaker" is also respectable, fast and engaging enough to make the grade, but "Jerusalem" (decent song construction, but the rather pointless oh-oh-ohs during the chorus are kinda annoying) and "Heaven in Black" are serviceable at best, and "Feels Good to Me" is a yawn-inducing ballad completely at odds with the rest of the material, and it should never have made its way into the final product if you ask me. The arc formed by "The Battle of Tyr", "Odin's Court" and "Valhalla" is also something of a letdown, as it pretty much fails to tell a proper story and never attains the sense of unity one would expect from such an exercise. It's not that bad, admitedly, but it's nothing to write home about either.

On many later interviews, Tony Iommi would tell of his regret about disbanding this particular incarnation of Sabbath, expressing his view that the band had a good thing going and would eventually have regained most of their former status if given enough time. It seems to be an honest opinion (and who would not have enjoyed playing alongside Cozy Powell and Neil Murray for as long as possible?), as he would even regroup this exact set of musicians for the ill-fated "Forbidden" album in 1995. Still, I think good old Tony is wrong on this one: though mostly a respectable album, "Tyr" was nowhere near a return to top form, and it also marks the first time the band ever failed to book any shows to promote a record in the USA, which is hardly a sign of greater things to come. Trying to rekindle Sabbath's fire by bringing old stalwarts back home was something of a predictable move by this juncture, and when Geezer Butler and Ronnie James Dio both signalled their interest in rejoining the band, I guess there wasn't much room for second thoughts in Tony Iommi's mind. As for this LP, it's a good one to have around the house if you are a dedicated metal fan, but it's hardly a world beater, and those less concerned about Sabbath's history should not be ashamed to invest their hard-earned cash on something else.

Tony Martin (V), Tony Iommi (G), Neil Murray (B), Cozy Powell (D), Geoff Nicholls (K).

01. Anno Domini 6:12
02. The Lawmaker 3:53
03. Jerusalem 3:59
04. The Sabbath Stones 6:46
05. The Battle of Tyr 1:08
06. Odin's Court 2:42
07. Valhalla 4:41
08. Feels Good to Me 5:44
09. Heaven in Black 4:05

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

SAXON (UK) - The Eagle Has Landed (LP, Carrere, 1982)

RATING: ***

I'm sure no one involved with the production of "The Eagle Has Landed" intended it to be any sort of end point or new beginning for Saxon, you know. Quite the opposite, actually: I think it's pretty clear that the whole point was trying to go from strenght to strenght, keeping the band in the public eye with an explosive live album (and shifting a sizeable number of units in the process) while taking a much-needed break from the grind of touring and gathering forces for the challenges to come. And it would also be a nice way to introduce new stalwart Nigel Glockler, who stepped in at very short notice when Pete Gill resigned from the drum kit following a hand injury - nothing too serious for his health, fortunately, as he would lend his drumsticks to Motörhead not a long while later.

Everything very plausible and full of good (or at least understandable) intentions, I guess we all agree - and the resulting LP was considerably successful on many aspects, as it did sell very well and is still regarded as a classic by most fans and critics. Still, the first official live register from Saxon turned out to be something of a finish line for the lads, as the magic of their 1980-1982 input would never be fully recaptured from that point onwards - and it's curious to verify that, though encapsuling most of the elements that made their golden era so memorable, "The Eagle Has Landed" also shows the first (albeit incipient) signs of gradual decline to come.

Saxon was a huge live atraction back in 1982, to such an extent that they had no less than Ozzy Osbourne as an opening act in a sold-out European tour (yeah, kids, I tell you no lies). With this information in mind, no one will be surprised to learn they had a lot of live favourites to choose from, all raptuously received by audiences all over the world. To shoehorn all those soon-to-be-classics in a single LP would never be an easy task (and the band itself seemed to know it, as they wanted it to be a double package, a suggestion turned out by Carrere), but I'm afraid they still made the wrong choices on a few cuts here. I mean, where are "Denim and Leather", "And the Bands Played On", "Dallas 1 PM" or "Stallions of the Highway" - all staples to their setlist at the time and arguably way more significant songs to Saxon's history than, say, "Never Surrender" or "Machine Gun"? It's not a major fault in here, admitedly, but it renders the LP less representative than it should and takes away a good chunk of the record's context and impact.

I know I may sound a bit too grumpy here, but I also have an issue with the sound production. It's all perfectly loud and clear of course, and there's nothing indisputably wrong with the recording and/or mixing, but the crowd noises are all wrong IMHO, too loud in between songs and way too distant in the singalongs - if you want me to hear the audience on "Wheels of Steel", for instance, just crank it a bit louder, will ya? And some of the band's punch is kinda lost too, with tracks like "Heavy Metal Thunder" and "20,000 Ft" sounding messy and wavering where they should be powerful and convincing. I mean, I'm damn sure it's way less a problem than it seems to be when put on written words, but it annoys me a little, and I guess I just had to take it off my chest, you know.

Most of the songs here featured are immensely enjoyable of course, with "Princess of the Night" and "747 (Strangers in the Night)" being particular highlights. And it would take a huge deal of incompetence for songs like "Motorcycle Man", "Fire in the Sky" and "Strong Arm of the Law" to misfire in a live recording - so you can rest assured all works mostly to great effect, as these five lads from Barnsley are all but unfit to boogie upon a stage. But I still think that "The Eagle Has Landed" just didn't fulfill all of its promises, being a very decent and serviceable set of live renditions, but not much else - and let's face it, a live opus from a band eager to conquer the world just have to be more than that (think Iron Maiden, Deep Purple or UFO and perhaps you'll catch my drift). Though miles away from any sort of disaster, "The Eagle Has Landed" is something of a wasted opportunity to make metal history, and falls short of being a truly memorable record. A must for fans, mostly for its historical relevance, but you shouldn't feel like running straight to the record store in case you still don't own a copy.

Biff Byford (V), Paul Quinn (G), Graham Oliver (G), Steve Dawson (B), Nigel Glockler (D).

01. Motorcycle Man 4:22
02. 747 (Strangers in the Night) 4:38
03. Princess of the Night 4:20
04. Strong Arm of the Law 4:39
05. Heavy Metal Thunder 4:09
06. 20,000 Ft 3:26
07. Wheels of Steel 8:52
08. Never Surrender 3:54
09. Fire in the Sky 2:41
10. Machine Gun 3:52

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

SAXON (UK) - Denim and Leather (LP, Carrere, 1981)

RATING: *****

Back in 1981, the aftershocks of the NWOBHM explosion were quickly moving beyond UK and becoming a continental phenomenon - and Saxon were, without any room for a doubt, one of the forerunners of such a movement. You good reader must remember that it was a time before "The Number of the Beast" started to cement Iron Maiden's worldwide reputation, and at least a couple years before "Pyromania" rocketed Def Leppard into mainstream charts. Therefore, it's totally fair to say that Byford, Quinn, Dawson, Oliver and Gill were as strong contenders as they could possibly be at this point, head to head with the best-selling young metal acts of the period. After playing relentlessly all over the world, Saxon knew it was time to give their fervent fanbase a new LP to call their own, and they duly delivered with "Denim and Leather" - an album that closed their triptych of classics with near-universal acclaim, a mostly very strong and cohesive record that showcases nearly all the atributes that made the group such a household name back in the day.

It was one of those moments when everything falls into place, you know. The unpolished (yet careful) production by Nigel Thomas, the no-frills approach to composition, the street-level attitude and lyrics... And they even had more than a few weeks to do it, you know! Though never close of being a punk-infused band, Saxon looked and sounded like guys from the streets with real-world aspirations, and it surely stroke the right chord with the growing metal fanbase of those times - and one should always keep in mind that the whole NWOBHM was most of all a working-class phenomenon, maybe even more so than the safety pins and spit parties of the punk rock ethos (well, at least before the spandex trousers and fluffy haircuts and harmonizing keyboards and all that). These five guys had the sound, the looks, the energy - they had pretty much everything that was required to make it big. And back in 1981, they were getting very big, believe me.

This LP opens with perhaps the most memorable composition from the band's repertoire, "Princess of the Night". The built-up at the start of the song (the main riff, the instantly recognizable vocals, the simple drum roll and then the explosion of the chorus) is one of the most exhilarating moments from the entire NWOBHM, not to say British Metal as a whole - and all with good reason, you know. The lyrics about a retired steam locomotive are far from usual, but still work to huge effect, and if the final solo from Graham Oliver is not enough to set your pulse racing, then sorry my friend, but I'm afraid you're already dead! It kicks ass like a monster, and the fact that most of the other tunes here feature do not pale that much in front of such a killer opener speaks volumes about just how worthy of attention this record is.

Most songs are not that fast, actually, keeping their feet away from the pedal and exploring mid-tempo avenues most of the time - though sounding way more intense than most of their competition, readers take note. "Never Surrender" shows some early, fleeting signs of self-parody perhaps, but its main riff were cloned so many times by so many bands that it would be unfair to draw any criticism on Saxon by inspiring the crowd, you know! Songs like "Midnight Rider" and "Rough and Ready" are also pretty cool, and even when the band rides to more accessible highways (such as in "Out of Control") they do it with such a sense of conviction that you can't help but having loads of fun listening to it. Even more impressive is "And the Bands Played On", a song carried along by a guitar lead that works like a riff and that conjures the feeling of being in a rock festival (Donnington's Monsters of Rock in 1980, that is) like few ditties done before or ever since. Brilliant, brilliant stuff. Maybe only "Play it Loud" didn't manage to stand that well to the test of time, but still it's far from a failure, and hardly diminish the overall feeling of pure metal enjoyment.

Being a record that opens in such breathtaking fashion, it would be suitable to close proceedings with a similar amount of power, you know. "Fire in the Sky" is a scorcher, one of the fastest songs ever penned by Saxon at the time, and its proto-speed-metal approach surely made a difference for hundreds of even faster bands to come. And the title-track is perhaps one of the most efficient metal anthems ever written, shifting its attention from the sheer power of heavy music and blah-blah-blah towards the fans themselves, who truly made the dam begin to burst and all that. It's a song about communion, and it pays a nice tribute to the band's following while painting a pretty interesting (and mostly accurate) portrait of the whole NWOBHM sub-culture. Sterling stuff, and still one of my favorite album closings to this day.

It's nearly impossible to say just how different things would have been if Saxon had managed to stretch their claim to world domination for a longer period - I mean, bands like Maiden and Leppard paved their way to super-stardom not by lack of competition, but most of all due to their own merits. Still, "Denim and Leather" is the last truly classic LP from a band at the height of their powers, being a mandatory listen to everyone with at least a passing interest not only on NWOBHM, but heavy music in general. Many bad decisions would hamper their progress in subsequent years, to a point that Saxon got close to become a laughing stock for the metal community - and, though sure they recovered their strenght and kept a mostly very pleasant run of releases in later years, their thunder would never sound as loud as on their early 80s heyday. But oh well, all things are due to pass anyway, and I'm very glad that Biff Byford and Paul Quinn (the remaining members from the classic line-up) are not just churning out old favorites on stage for a living, you know (not that it would be at all a shame to do so, mind you). If you don't have this one, make no questions and go get it straight away. Now!

Biff Byford (V), Paul Quinn (G), Graham Oliver (G), Steve Dawson (B), Pete Gill (D).

01. Princess of the Night 4:01
02. Never Surrender 3:15
03. Out of Control 4:07
04. Rough and Ready 4:51
05. Play it Loud 4:11
06. And the Bands Played On 2:48
07. Midnight Rider 5:45
08. Fire in the Sky 3:37
09. Denim and Leather 5:25

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

BLACK SABBATH (UK) - Headless Cross (LP, I.R.S., 1989)

RATING: ***

Perfectly adequate musical contents aside, saying that "The Eternal Idol" rejuvenated Black Sabbath would be a glaring overstatement. Contemporary reviews were tepid at best, and the controversial decision to play a handful of shows in South Africa (a country still enduring the abject Apartheid regime at the time) draw huge criticism by public opinion and activists, with a strong backlash from European promoters meaning that few shows were performed to support the album. Sales were consequently very poor, and both Vertigo (in England) and Warner (in the USA) uncerimoniously dropped the band as a result. Faced with such difficult circumstances, the musicians involved with the venture started to jump ship, with Tony Iommi, Geoff Nicholls and Tony Martin being the only ones determined to soldier on. It would surely be a long way back to the top, but musically they had a reasonably good thing going with the previous record, so they pretty much decided to stay on that road for what would become "Headless Cross".

For the songwriting sessions, the remaining trio were joined by much-talented drummer Cozy Powell (of Rainbow/Whitesnake/MSG fame), and this nucleus managed to craft a pretty respectable set of compositions. Some recent critics go as far as to consider it the best Sabbath album sans Ozzy or Dio, which I tend to consider a bit too over-the-top, but there you go. Still, it's clear for all to hear that Tony Iommi still had the chops to make it happen musically, and the supporting musicians (augmented by bassist Laurence Cottle for recording purposes) were of sufficient high calibre to honour the band's name on the front cover. Stylistically, it tries to build on the same formula used on "The Eternal Idol" less than two years previously, merging the eerieness and muscular riffing associated with the Sabbath brand with generous doses of then modern-era heavy rock - surely an attempt to summon back the old faithful fans while still keeping things accessible enough for some much welcomed rock-radio airplay (not that these songs ever received any, you know).

After a somewhat pointless intro ("The Gates of Hell"), the title track explodes with a memorable main riff and atmospheric keyboards used to great effect, enhancing the mysterious atmosphere rather than softening it. And Tony Martin, treated with utterly unfair derision by many fans and critics, does a truly commendable job here, this tune easily being one of the most memorable cuts from Sabbath in quite a long while. Side A of the record is particularly enjoyable, with "Devil & Daughter" being a more catchy tune with very interesting hooks and "When Death Calls" conjuring an impressive, spine-chilling sense of malevolence and dread. It's not easy to balance eerie ambiences, hard-rocking power chords, a catchy chorus and many tempo changes all in the same song and still keep it all cohesive and truly interesting, and that's exactly what Iommi and his partners in crime reached with this fantastic track. And it even showcases a guest solo by none other than Brian May, so let's face it, you have more than enough reasons to at least give it a chance.

Unfortunately, the album starts to lose breath on the flipside, with "Kill in the Spirit World" failing to blend its radio-friendly intonations with a few murky riffs and a somber chorus. It sounds a bit too disjointed for its own good, though the good intentions are all over the song. "Call of the Wild" is reasonably strong and presents perhaps the finest performance from Tony Martin on the entire album, but I must say that "Black Moon" failed to convince me, sounding too much of a Dio-era leftover for comfort - though it would be sure unusual for Sabbath to have such an harmonized and often-repeated chorus way back in the early 80s! Fortunately, "Nightwing" is a truly brilliant final track, and quite an original one for late-80's Sabbath standards, with a nice, very evocative atmosphere enhanced by acoustic interludes and another creative keyboard contributions by Geoff Nicholls (a man rarely acknowledged by his input in Sabbath, by the way). It's a tune that moves slowly but without ever getting pointless or dull, closing proceedings in a truly graceful manner.

Though far from being a return to top form, "Headless Cross" enjoyed a modicum of success in some European countries and in Japan, enough to boost the band's morale after some truly disheartening times. It's not a record you're likely to spin on a daily basis, and some more demanding fans may feel it is too detached from the archetypal Sabbath to be truly enjoyable. But I tend to think that its interesting features more than surpass its shortcomings, the resulting album being a nice listen and a worthy addition to the band's canon. If you happen to spot it on your local record shop for a reasonable price, give it a nice and warm place to call home, will you?

Tony Martin (V), Tony Iommi (G), Cozy Powell (D), Geoff Nicholls (K). Guest musicians: Lawrence Cottle (B), Brian May (guitar solo on "When Death Calls").

01. The Gates of Hell 1:06
02. Headless Cross 6:29
03. Devil & Daughter 4:44
04. When Death Calls 6:55
05. Kill in the Spirit World 5:11
06. Call of the Wild 5:18
07. Black Moon 4:06
08. Nightwing 6:35

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

SAXON (UK) - Strong Arm of the Law (LP, Carrere, 1980)

RATING: ****

Apart from being one of the defining records of the NWOBHM (perhaps only rivaled in terms of influence by Iron Maiden's eponymous debut), "Wheels of Steel" was also a hit for Saxon, charting at #5 in the UK and prompting a series of very successful tours across the country, highlighted by a prestigious performance at Donnington's very first Monsters of Rock in 16 August 1980 (a single day after I was born, incidentally). Not at all suprisingly, everyone involved with the band agreed that a new album should be out as soon as possible, just so to keep momentum going, you know - but it's truly mind-blogging that they somehow managed to spawn "Strong Arm of the Law" only four months after "Wheels of Steel", which must be something of a world record I guess. Being written and recorded in such a rush, it's understandable that Saxon's third LP turned out to be a bit less cohesive and impressive than its predecessor - but let's face it, it's way enough an achievement that it ever managed to be a pretty respectable (and sometimes truly inspired) album after all.

Given the insane rush they had to go through to have the album out on schedule, it will cause no surprises to find little (or no) new features in Saxon's musical pallete this time around. It's in-your-face heavy metal with simple (but mostly very effective) riffs, simple (but catchy) choruses, simple (but engaging) song structures and simple (but not too cheesy) lyrics about... Well, there's actually a change of subjects on "Strong Arm of the Law", leaving the tales about motorcycles behind for a little while and focusing on more thoughtful matters such as living on death row ("To Hell and Back Again"), the assassination of US president John F. Kennedy ("Dallas 1 PM"), being pulled over by police in a US highway ("Strong Arm of the Law"), errm, girls having fun in a saturday night ("Sixth Form Girls"), the sheer power of metal ("Heavy Metal Thunder") and oh well I guess we better leave it to that. Anyway, I suppose you got my point here: no stunning signs of reinvention, just a truly competent band exploring the road they chose to the last consequences.

There are highlights, you can bet your ass on it. Opening number "Heavy Metal Thunder" is actually quite a scorcher, its main riff being a pretty decent prototype of faster things to come, almost like thrash metal painted on rock caves. Seriously, it surprises me that no thrash bands (as far as I know, at least) ever tried to give a run on this tune, as it sure have what it takes for a very Bay-Area-oriented rendition! "To Hell and Back Again" is also an immediate winner, being forceful and quite emotional at the same time, a contrast created not only by its heartfelt (if unpolished) lyrics but also by some nice melodies floating above the usual barriage of straight-to-the-point riffing. Great great stuff, really. "Strong Arm of the Law", the song, is pretty average mid-paced, heavy-rocking stuff, but with a chorus as catchy as that you can't just go there and dismiss it, you know. "20,000 Feet" is another inspired adventure on fast-paced territory, and "Dallas 1 PM" closes proceedings with a nice piece of heavy metal storytelling, enhanced by some astute (and, at the time, not very usual) samples of real-life broadcasts from the event it depicts. Five highlights out of eight songs, how's that for a short-notice release like this one?

Now, I understand many fans and a number of critics consider this to be the finest Saxon album, but I have to stick my neck out and humbly beg to differ. "Taking Your Chances" is admitedly a perfectly decent song with a few good riffs to its credit, but I'm afraid the songwriting isn't as refined as it could, with a few rough transitions and a unspectacular chorus. It should have stayed on the oven a little longer, I'm afraid. I also fail to enjoy "Sixth Form Girls" as most people seem to do: I'm being a bit too picky here perhaps, but it seems to me that this song starts quite promising and loses steam halfway through, with a chorus that sounds more like a bridge repeating itself over and over and a long final solo thrown in at short notice just to round things up. And "Hungry Years" is truly monotonous bluesy-metal stuff that never seem to get going properly, unfortunately. To my ears, these three tracks are those who suffer the most from the ridiculously short amount of time Saxon had to hone their ideas before entering the studio - nothing remotely shameful of course, but enough evidence to dispute the idea that this LP is beyond criticism.

I will still give "Strong Arm of the Law" a 4-star rating anyway, as it belongs on the holy trinity of early Saxon releases and shows a band full of talent, energy and sheer enthusiasm. Anyone with a sincere passion for heavy music will find things to enjoy around here, and its place on British metal history can never be understated. The flaws will pale in front of the many winners within the grooves, so let's not overstate the minor shortcomings: this album is good, pretty bloody good actually, and if you ever wore leather pants and a denim jacket full of patches this is a record you should really listen to from time to time. And I just gave a huge clue on the following album from Saxon I'm about to review - not that you really needed it, but there you go!

Biff Byford (V), Paul Quinn (G), Graham Oliver (G), Steve Dawson (B), Pete Gill (D).

01. Heavy Metal Thunder 4:21
02. To Hell and Back Again 4:48
03. Strong Arm of the Law 4:43
04. Taking Your Chances 4:21
05. 20,000 Feet 3:25
06. Hungry Years 5:08
07. Sixth Form Girls 4:19
08. Dallas 1 PM 6:27

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

BLACK SABBATH (UK) - The Eternal Idol (LP, Warner, 1987)

RATING: ***

Things were far from stable in the amazing world of Black Sabbath back in 1986. Though he sure did a perfectly fine job on "Seventh Star", singer Glenn Hughes always stated that, in his point of view, the whole thing should have been a solo album from Tony Iommi rather than a Black Sabbath record. Disenchantment with the whole thing just followed suit, and the fact that substance abuse was taking its toll on him didn't help matters at all. Hughes left halfway through the tour to support "Seventh Star", and Ray Gillen (then singing on Bobby Rondinelli's solo project) swiftly signed on the dotted line. After a short and not-really-successful tour (nearly half of the USA dates were cancelled due to poor ticket sales), Tony Iommi put on a brave face as usual and work duly commenced on what would, after considerable duress, become "The Eternal Idol".

The whole production process was plagued by problems. Original bassist Dave Spitz left in an early stage, being replaced by Bob Daisley (ex-Ozzy Osbourne/Gary Moore/Uriah Heep etc) - a safe choice in more than one sense, as Daisley's songwriting skills would also counterbalance the lack of creative input from the other guys, most of all Ray Gillen. After some internal friction, the singer would pack his bags soon before work on the new album was over (he would later join Blue Murder and Badlands), forcing Iommi to hire then-unknown Tony Martin - a recruitment made at such short notice that he had to record his vocal tracks in a separate studio, with instrumental cuts concurrently being mixed somewhere else.

With such internal turbulence, it would be quite unreasonable to expect "The Eternal Idol" to be a supremely well-crafted and/or stunningly cohesive record. Still, it's actually quite a good album most of the time, with some truly inspired performances and a fair deal of very respectable songs to its credit. In a time when everybody seemed to see Black Sabbath as a dead entity and a thing of the past, Iommi and his accomplices somehow managed to conjure quite a strong album out of all the mess - not an all-time monster for sure, but a worthy addition to the band's discography nonetheless.

I always thought that most (well, almost all) of the ridicule directed towards Tony Martin throughout the years was unjustified and immensely unfair. He is quite a talented singer actually, and the fact that he managed to deliver such a strong performance in a very short period of time speaks volumes about his commitment and professionalism. Some may say his voice is far from distinctive, and I concede it's fair enough a point to be at least considered, but I think it's way more important to acknowledge just how fine his clear-yet-powerful register gelled into the songs here featured. Standing where Ian Gillan and Glenn Hughes once stood (and I don't mean to compare any technical prowess here, readers take note), Martin does indeed sound like an improvement, in the sense that, with him, Black Sabbath sounds way more like the Sabbath we all learned to love. Just listen with an open mind to his excellent performance in songs like "Hard Life to Love" and "Nightmare" and perhaps you'll catch my drift.

Tony Iommi is also a highlight, bringing some seriously strong riffing to the table. Actually, I would stick my head out and say it is perhaps his best showcase of riffs since "The Mob Rules" at the very latest, though I'm sure some of you won't agree with this statement at all. Along with Bob Daisley, he managed to craft tunes like the truly impressive "The Shining" (one of the finest songs Sabbath wrote in the 80s, no less), the eerie "Ancient Warrior" and the nice hard-rocking "Born to Lose", all more than worthy to feature on the repertoire of such a heavy metal behemoth. There's not that much a change in style from "Seventh Star" in fact, as tracks such as "Glory Ride" bear more than a passing resemblance with the hard-rock-almost-AOR vibe of the preceeding album - but the whole endeavour is surely enhanced by more prominent riffing and tighter songwriting, most songs here being way more substantial and powerful as a result.

It's Black Sabbath from the 80s, you know, with prominent keyboards and all that, and most lyrics are actually too silly to deserve any serious mention. The album also loses steam towards the end, with the in-your-face, but somewhat confuse drive of "Lost Forever" failing to impress and the title track's somber-Sabbath-by-the-numbers vibe being a slightly disappointing finish line for the album. But "The Eternal Idol" gets a very strong three-star rating (I actually considered giving it four stars for a while, you know) for recapturing a fair deal of the magic that was quickly slipping away from the band, getting as far as being genuinely bombastic in a few moments. And it's also something of a coup for Tony Iommi himself, as it comes to show he was indeed capable to keep Sabbath's musical coherence at a pleasant level even without the presence of any other founding members. It's unmistakeably a Black Sabbath album through and through, and a pretty good one on that - perhaps it will lack appeal for less devoted listeners, but I'm positive there's more than enough here for Sabbath fans to justify their money. Just quit the "No Sabbath without Ozzy/Dio" bullshit and give this one a few spins, will you?

Tony Martin (V), Tony Iommi (G), Bob Daisley (B), Eric Singer (D), Geoff Nicholls (K).

01. The Shining 5:59

02. Ancient Warrior 5:34

03. Hard Life to Love 4:59

04. Glory Ride 4:49

05. Born to Lose 3:43

06. Nightmare 5:21

07. Scarlet Pimpernel 2:07

08. Lost Forever 4:05

09. Eternal Idol 6:36

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!

SAXON (UK) - Wheels of Steel (LP, Carrere, 1980)

RATING: *****

And there it is. Although not a flawless record by any means, "Wheels of Steel" is one of a handful of absolutely essential albums for anyone who wants to have a clear vision of what NWOBHM was all about and to understand how it came to influence almost everything done in heavy metal music ever since. So, I totally think it deserves the maximum 5-star rating: I mean, if you're reading this, you have at least a passing interest in NWOBHM, and if you do, you just have to listen to this album, no excuses.

Learning from the problems faced while recording their first LP, Saxon found a good producer (Pete Hinton, a man whose role in forging the NWOBHM archetypal sound is never properly acknowledged, IMO) and captured in the studio the sheer intensity that was so evident in their live performances. Conjuring the biker spirit that lived in rock music since Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild", mixing it with the obligatory influences of '70s metal (most of all Judas Priest) and adding loads of youthful energy, Saxon forged its own interpretation of what heavy metal should be to survive the '80s and created something that now is almost synonymous with heavy metal, period.

"Motorcycle Man" is almost an epiphany, a near-revelation of what early '80s heavy music should strive to achieve. The simple-but-strong riffs, the intense pace, the unique vocals of Biff Byford...it's exactly what the potentially huge fanbase of long-haired metalheads wanted to hear - unashamedly upbeat heavy music played with unbridled enthusiasm. And it was so groundbreaking that I'm sure nobody even knew at first that this was the new metal they were looking for. Listening to it 35 years into the future, the crudeness of the whole thing is too loud to be ignored, and I'm sure dozens of bands have done it even better in subsequent years. But it sure gets easier when the vocabulary is already at hand, and that's what Saxon did with this single tune: they created a landmark, an example to be followed. That's quite something, if you ask me.

As above stated, "Motorcycle Man" was an instant classic, but some other songs deserve the same accolades such as "Freeway Mad", "See the Light Shining" (with a not-really-complex but extremely effective tempo change that grabs you by the neck and just won't let go), the nice semi-ballad "Suzie Hold On", and the slightly less upbeat (but equally intense) title track, among others. Personally speaking though, I consider "747 (Strangers in the Night)" to be not only the best song on here, but perhaps the finest song Saxon ever recorded. It unites a dramatic feeling (the suspense building of the lyrics about two airplanes with difficulties to land is near perfect) with a main riff that is pure genius, an opening solo to die for, and a driving rhythm that will make you bang your head without even noticing. What a classic metal tune, my friends.

I don't think that "Street Fighting Gang" is in the same league that the other songs are in here, and "Stand Up and Be Counted" is perhaps slightly inferior to the others, too. But make no mistake, "Wheels of Steel" is an album you just have to add to your collection in case you still don't have a copy. This record resumes Saxon and also a fair bit of what NWOBHM was, is, and forever shall be. No less. And oh yeah, it also rocks like a monster, so you won't be disappointed with that, either. Believe the hype and go get it straight away.

Biff Byford (V), Paul Quinn (G), Graham Oliver (G), Steve Dawson (B), Pete Gill (D).

01. Motorcycle Man
02. Stand Up and Be Counted
03. 747 (Strangers in the Night)
04. Wheels of Steel
05. Freeway Mad
06. See the Light Shining
07. Street Fighting Gang
08. Suzie Hold On
09. Machine Gun

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!