Basking in the infernal glow of old favourites I don't listen to much any more, plus the rubbish ones I hardly ever did anyway. Heed The Top 20 Black Sabbath Albums!
Vocal Key:
Ozzy Osbourne (1970-78, 2013)
Ronnie James Dio (1980-81, 1992, 2009)
Ian Gillan (1983)
Glenn Hughes (1986)
Tony Martin (1987-90, 94-95)
I remembered this being the nadir, but maybe I was being too swayed by things like the Ice T guest spot, Iommi disowning it and the implicit mercy killing for coming at the end of the line (at the time), so I kept an open mind.
'Sbollocks.
Fave: Didn't make it all the way, none that I heard would qualify
In its defence, this wasn't supposed to be a Black Sabbath album and subjected to this scrutiny, but that's how it turned out, and I've now had to sit through it twice across three decades. There were no revelations. My customary grouping has never linked this with the other Black Purple album because they have so little else in common, not least any other remaining Black Sabbath originals.
Fave: Danger Zone, I don't know
Not a promising start to the third substantial era, I can understand fans choosing not to venture any further if this was their first port of call there. Fortunately, my chronological voyage got choppy around this point and I had a more positive first impression of Tony Martin than this one, which I haven't listened to any more than the other dregs. Shame they couldn't all be like the title song, but there's always Candlemass.
Fave: Eternal Idol
The Martin era gets stripped down to basics for no-nonsense 90s consumers who weren't buying it anyway. It's more blandly palatable than Dehumanizer, and I appreciate its intermittent Christian-baiting theme, but it's not something I've ever listened to outside of obligations, I don't see the point.
Fave: Psychophobia
When the brash thrash upstarts were wimping out for radio play, the old school of 'Sabbath, 'Priest and 'Maiden ventured further into darkness. Which sounds commendable, but I was quite enjoying the melodic cheese and this heavy stomper gets rather boring, even if it makes some sage points. Sorry, bad metal fan.
Fave: Time Machine
Dio's third coming was a predictable nostalgic melange of their earlier work together and could also be mistaken for much of the singer's own repetitive discography, so this only ended up being notable for outside factors.
Fave: Rock and Roll Angel
My initial disappointment might have led to me underrating this one (that weird cover and overpromising title didn't help), but even a relatively obscure release from the classic line-up of a famous band is going to be massively overlistened to in the grand scheme of things, so I don't need to give it any more chances. There are good bits, but I forgot it was on after a while. This will become a trend.
Fave: You Won't Change Me
I've always considered this the slightly better half of a two-part half-arsed Ozzy denouement, but it makes more sense in the timeline as a drawn-out whimper. They don't sound much like Black Sabbath any more, but that gives it more character than Technical Ecstasy's faxed-in filler, and I appreciate the meta denouement with Ozzy's sign-off and the return of the evil harmonica.
Fave: Junior's Eyes
I thought a fitting 13th place would be too optimistic, but this ended a Hell of a lot higher than expected, even without tacking on all the bonus tracks and EP. I don't know why I was down on this full-circle self-tributing finale at the time, or what exactly I'd been expecting that it failed to live up to, but the distance of years helps. It's already accumulating its own nostalgia.
Fave: Loner
If they'd committed more fully to the Viking concept beyond a few songs, this could have been legendary in its way. Instead, most of the rest is fairly bland low-capacity-stadium metal that lacks the atmosphere of its predecessor and mainly holds its own with really catchy choruses. Still worth the occasional listen when you're in a specific mood.
Fave: Heaven in Black
Working through the discography in batches at a measured pace meant that certain pairs of albums have always been inextricably grouped, none more so than here. In the grander scheme, the harder edge of Vol 4 is back and the forgettable second half is probably the beginning of the late '70s downfall, but I still consider this the duller counterpart of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath with a couple of exceptional highlights.
Fave: Symptom of the Universe
More understated is a polite way of saying the more forgettable of Dio's debut duo, but part of that might be that the best stuff's in the middle and I'd forget to be patient. Dio's own derivative discography steals some of its thunder too, but it's a solid effort and the wacky experimentation starts to creep back.
Fave: The Sign of the Southern Cross
I'm not much of a Deep Purple fan, so was never very interested in this one beyond it being a weird curio. It's the first that's benefited from reappraisal (hopefully not the last), possessing the same ratio of hits and misses as most of the albums, but with a notable rough and nasty edge that hits the spot if you're in the mood. The briefest era, but the only one that really lives up to the popular misconceptions of what Black Sabbath was about.
Fave: Born Again
Disliking a couple of songs meant I rarely listened to this as a complete album experience, instead gravitating to others with more atmosphere or consistency that I ended up a lot more familiar with, but it still has more than its fair share of greats to pick from when I remember to. When your second album in a year is this strong, you're doing fine.
Fave: Electric Funeral
I've been enamoured with this alternative take on 80s gothic rock since I first heard it. A revolving door line-up will sync up perfectly eventually, and with all members sharing writing credits, this is one of the most cohesive slabs in the catalogue, even if it requires tolerance for AOR excess.
Fave: Headless Cross
Sabbath's '80s fantasy metal rebirth over the Rainbow still has three quarters of the original members (for now), but I've always considered it pretty much a separate band, as it would later be canonised for legal reasons. Ace riffs make their long-awaited comeback accompanied by more upbeat solos and a technically superior singer. Ozzy would always overshadow them, perhaps even deservedly, but I'm on Tony's team, for better or worse.
Fave: Heaven and Hell
The most freewheeling and unpredictable since their debut, this is also a shade brighter than its predecessors (which isn't difficult), even outside of the piano-mellotron ballad. It's always put me in a good mood and might be the one I've returned to the most. What were they on?! Oh, yeah.
Fave: Wheels of Confusion
Despite the scary cover and swear word, it feels as if the band has lightened up considerably. The guitars are as catchy as ever, but bouncy rather than creepy, washed in strings and synthesiser to mixed success. This was always a favourite, and it's their last album that's compelling all the way through, with the possible exception of Ozzy being transfixed by a Moog. Alright there, mate?
Fave: A National Acrobat
I'd enjoyed the famous songs from the follow-up, but they didn't become a favourite band until I started from the top and was instantly transported to a strange world out of time, where a harmonica, mouth harp and jazzy blues jams expanded my narrow mind. It's still one of the best albums to get lost in, the innovation can excuse the excess of covers.
Fave: Black Sabbath
Tightly packed with powerful tunes and meaningful messages, this is an impressive feat even before you consider that it was their third album in less than 18 months. Then you remember all the other great songs you'd forgotten were even on it.
Fave: Solitude or just about any of them
