Originally intended to be Tony Iommi’s solo debut, there is
no denying that Seventh Star has the
oddest status in the Black Sabbath discography. It doesn’t get torn apart like Forbidden or divides opinion quite like Born Again, but rather seems to have gotten
lost in the shuffle with its successor The
Eternal Idol. Context aside, this album is still responsible for many of
the tropes that the band would come to adopt through the late 80s and early
90s.
In addition to being the first Sabbath album to feature
Iommi as its sole original member, Seventh
Star saw them fully embracing styles that had merely been hinted at before.
Songs like “In For The Kill” and “Turn To Stone” show a proto-power metal sound
that Dio never could’ve predicted while “Heart Like A Wheel” is the band’s
first glimpse at the blues since their earliest days. There is also inevitable
influence from the time period in its prominent keyboards, reverb heavy
production, and all-out power balladry on “No Stranger To Love” and “In
Memory.”
The lineup may result in a faceless rhythm section but the
overall performances are worth noting. Iommi himself is as smooth as always
though his leads are more focused than his riffs as the always-underrated Geoff
Nicholls dominates “The Sphinx” and brings some nice Hammond touches to “Angry
Heart.” On the other hand, vocal legend Glenn Hughes contribution is sure to
divide listeners as he provides his amazing range and soul but lacks the
atmosphere that truly makes a standout Sabbath singer. At least Joe Lynn Turner
was busy at the time…
And with that to consider, it is hard to recommend this to
traditional Sabbath fans. It doesn’t quite match the riff-driven Ozzy era, the
majesty of the Dio era, or even the B-movie darkness of their other 80s
ventures. The new sounds are also a point of concern as they provide a source
of transition but ultimately make the album a true product of its time.
Black Sabbath’s twelfth studio album may essentially be the
best album that Rainbow never made, but it may have more in common with their
other efforts from the decade than one would initially think. It is worth wondering
how things would’ve been if this had been released properly, but thankfully the
band evolved well from here and Tony for a few more chances at a solo career in
later years. I’d go for Fused to hear
an astounding Iommi/Hughes collaboration or Headless
Cross for the best of late 80s Sabbath but this is still worth looking into
if you get the chance.
Current Highlights:
“In For The Kill”
“No Stranger To Love”
“Heart Like A Wheel”
“Angry Heart”
No comments:
Post a Comment