Review Summary: This is not a Black Sabbath album.
Seventh Star shouldn't even have been a Black Sabbath record. Label pressure has led to more dissapointing releases, and the Black Sabbath name suffered from this ill fate just as many others. The group's twelth album, already rather strangely headed with
Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi, was meant to be Iommi's first solo album, but of course, the label (correctly) felt more money was to be made if the name Black Sabbath was put on the album rather than Tony Iommi. But who's that on the album cover? That's right: Tony Iommi. True Sabbath fans do not even consider this a Black Sabbath album, a claim which is completely justified.
There is nothing Sabbath-esque about
Seventh Star. Yes, Iommi plays guitar here, but those lines I hear could come from any other decent 80's rock guitarist. His playing is not necessarily bad, just not distinctive. On all of Sabbath's records up till
Mob Rules, it could be clearly heard who was playing guitar.
Born Again and this album do not have this, and Iommi was the one that made the band in the first place. Handling vocals this time is Glenn Hughes, formerly of Mark III/IV
Deep Purple, on bass we have Dave Spitz (yes, no Geezer either), and
KISS drummer Eric Singer can be found behind the kit. As is expected of a solo record though, it is really not those last two that stick out. Iommi rips away, which he still does with some flair, and Hughes performance is overdramatic but also fitting to the sound of the album.
What this all results in is a standard, uneventful cheesy 80's metal album. Tracks such as the short closing ballad
In Memory... are pretty laughable, but fans of the typical sound of rock and metal in this decade will find something to enjoy in huge-chorused songs such as
In For the Kill and
Heart Like a Wheel. Overall though, and certainly as a Black Sabbath album,
Seventh Star is rather poor. It is however a step up from the abomination
Born Again: this palette of musicians are a much better combination than Ian Gillan was with then original band, and the production is a blessing compared to the horror of the previous album. But all in all: you still won't be going to buy this anyway.
Seventh's Star Black Sabbath *cough* Tony Iommi's solo band was:
- Frank Anthony 'Tony' Iommi ~ Lead Guitar
- Glenn Hughes ~ Vocals
- David 'The Beast' Spitz ~ Bass Guitar
- Geoff Nichols ~ Keyboards
- Eric Doyle Mesinger ~ Drums
TO BE CONTINUED…
