Published on Jun 7, 1997
Any time a band changes their style even a little bit, they run
the risk of being accused of “selling out.” This is especially true
of heavy metal bands. Metallica has been (correctly) accused, as
has (though unjustly) Megadeth.
Back in 1974, Black Sabbath probably heard the same cries in
reaction to their release
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Egads, string arrangements? Acoustic
guitar pieces? This
had to be blasphemy, even for such a band whose very name,
song titles and lyrics (“Would you like to see the pope on the end
of a rope / Do you think he’s a fool” from “After Forever”) struck
fear in the religious right.
Fear not, kids – Tony Iommi and crew knew exactly what they were
doing – and in the process they were able to top even
Paranoid, their magnum opus to that point.
The opening title track sets the pace for the album. Ozzy
Osbourne’s vocals have never sounded more focused, and were
definitely taking shape into the slightly whining drone that has
become his trademark. Iommi’s guitar work is simply incredible –
his use of acoustic guitar to create a mood is subtle but powerful.
Even the slight tempo shifts add to the mystique of the song.
But just when you think you’ll be fighting Excedrin headache
number 17 from slamming your head into the desk/wall/dashboard, the
shift in style begins. “A National Acrobat” shows the band more
interested in actually crafting a song than writing a heavy metal
song. And while this lags a little bit, especially after the power
of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” it is a decent enough track.
Iommi occasionally has experimented with tracks written to
revolve around the guitar, but he has rarely been better than on
“Fluff.” His acoustic work is remarkable – even more so when you
realize he lost the tips of two fingers on his fretting hand as a
youngster. Even more surprising is the sparing use of electric
guitar, which is even more gentle than the acousitc!
Remarkable!
It is on the second half of
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath that the band’s style change is the
most evident. Once again, Sabbath focuses on writing a true song on
“Killing Yourself To Live,” and this time they succeed with flying
colors. The band has never sounded so solid and tight as on songs
like this. The very next track, “Who Are You,” has the band
experimenting with synthesizers – an interesting move, fortunately
enhanced by some darker lyrics.
The climaxing songs are the masterpieces that draw the album
together. “Looking For Today” is a powerful song that merges both
hard rock and pop without bastardizing either. The closing track,
“Spiral Architect,” was the best song this band ever put out – a
mostly acoustic guitar-based piece with some of the best vocals
Osbourne has ever delivered. The use of strings here adds to the
power of the track, and shouldn’t be seen as a turning away from
the band’s roots.
This experimentation did not just result in Black Sabbath’s best
album, it resulted in their last great work. After this, the band
would still put out some good tracks, but they never equalled this
one. Fans shouldn’t worry about Black Sabbath “selling out” – they
should have been worried about a band about to “hit the wall.”