BLACK SABBATH - The Eternal Idol

When you look at the album cover it’s as if you’re seeing the statue with the Mosfilm studio logo, the one with a man and a woman representing the proletariat unite their hands towards a future they sickle and hammer together. Well, the pose on the Idol cover is different, with him kneeling before her for unknown reasons. 

The first Sabbath album with Tony Martin as singer. While the recordings had been made with Rey Gillen, the disc came out with the new voice on it, Martin’s. It is not their best album, but it is not the worst either. Songs keep the Black Sabbath atmosphere, their brooding riffs, the typical lyrics for the metal albums of the time. Above all, the endless quarrel of the fans: without Ozzy, with Ozzy, at least with Dio, and this and that, which also applies to other bands where X has left and Y has arrived.

It looks like master Iommi would have liked to release this album solo, but the record label didn’t go along. All in all, it’s no big deal if the songs were written for Gillen, since Martin is not that different, so he was a pretty good match and things turned out all right. Otherwise, I don’t think he had any chance to go anywhere near the next albums.

A few tracks stand out I’d say: The Shining (yes, slightly inspired by Stephen King’s novel or Kubrick’s movie, if you please), Ancient Warrior, Glory Ride. The pocket ballad Scarlet Pimpernel is pretty, short and wordless, as a child tiptoeing to give flowers to the nation’s most beloved son.

All things considered, an OK album, (“my opinion! Hic!”) at least for the given circumstances. I can give it a 7 if I think about it, but not too much or I’ll get a headache. Not more though, ‘cause there are a few songs that are just there so that it’s a LP, not EP.

Cristake Nota: 7