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Rating: Defining the artistic journey of Tony Iommi's band is a particularly arduous task. As many know, after the departure of Ozzy Osbourne first, and James Dio later, the Black Sabbath project became a carousel of musicians where dozens and dozens of illustrious names took part, making it difficult to say that the band was tied to a particular genre over its long career. Line-ups change, and clearly, the style changes too.
We find ourselves in the second half of the '80s, after the mediocre success of 'Born Again' (with Ian Gillian on vocals), the group completely disbands and Iommi dedicates himself to his solo projects, still signed BS. After a sea of collaborations (one of which with Glenn Hughes for 'Seventh Star'), Iommi restores order with a stable lineup featuring Cozy Powell on drums, Lawrence Cottle (later succeeded by Neil Murray) on bass, and an extraordinary Tony Martin on vocals.
The new singer highlights the style of his predecessor R.J. Dio but brings the band a strong change in genre: let us forget about the doom of the early works or the hard rock in Rainbow style of the second period, now we can talk about true Epic Metal both for the music and the lyrics concerning devils, legions of knights, fear, and death (please do not confuse them with Satanism!). It is in these years that three masterpieces are churned out like 'The eternal idol', 'Headless Cross', and 'Tyr'. After such an introduction, we can proceed to present the 2nd work of this fantastic trident. The album opens with the keyboard intro (played by session-man Geoff Nichols) "Gates of Hell" that recalls in a particularly dark way the prelude of '2112' by Rush.
When imagination pushes towards desecrated churches and semi-dark crypts, we hear an explosion of drums as geometric as they are powerful, then enveloped by a guitar that presents a different sound from what we were used to hearing, now the reverb echoes it in the darkness, but we can still say that the riff remains purely Iommi's hallmark. It is time for the Title Track which indicates the direction the whole album will take: sharp and incisive vocals, precise and impactful rhythmic sections and an imperial guitar that doesn't invade others' spaces (unlike what was heard in Live Evil).
"Devil & daughter" is the quintessential '80s hard rock piece, truly in Dokken style, the voice begins to warm up and the strings increase their presence, moreover, there is no need to say how masterful the guitar solo is: it starts with a linear and moving succession of few notes on a very simple pentatonic and then bursts into full-force tapping. "When Death Calls" is the track that justifies the entire album, it opens with an intimate union between voice and keyboards, but when the chorus starts, some guitar lines vaguely remind us of the old times of 'Electric Funeral' or 'Iron Man'. Just as a tear of nostalgia falls, "Kill in the spirit world" lifts us with a melody that has little to do with BS, yet this impression is swept away when just after the 2nd minute we reach the classic rock-metal LA- SOL FA loop in 4/4 that accompanies the solo (a bit like "Beyond The Realms Of Death" by Judas Priest), but this does not deny the beauty of the piece.
"Call of the Wind" seems an appendix of the previous track, it doesn't say anything new: time is halved on the bridge but with a bitter note, namely the chorus in Duran Duran style in the refrain, unfortunately, it is the spirit of the time. "Black Moon" brings back a rock blues sound perhaps reminiscent of the previous decade to this, yet it slightly clashes with a now "metallic" solo, nevertheless these 3 chords in 12 bars can only make you think "Long Live R'n'R!". To conclude, we have "Nightwing", a ballad worthy of ending such a massive album, the structure is usual: an arpeggiated guitar followed by riffs that like "When Death Calls" ruminate on times now far away.
As I said at the beginning, this group has gone through a multitude of different phases, but it has managed to withstand every change. Certainly, 'Headless Cross' is not an album that marked history like "Paranoid" or "Master of Reality", by now it's a whole different music but still good music. Full credit goes to Cozy Powell and Tony Martin, perhaps too underestimated by critics. If you are Osbourne fans, I spare you the listening, for everyone else, enjoy this small milestone.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Headless Cross (06:29)
Look through the people and on through the mist
To the hill of the headless cross,
Where all witches meet, on a night such as this
And the power of darkness is host
They come face to face, eye to eye, soul to soul,
With an angel that fell from the sky.
Borne on the air, lot of screams and the wails
Of the masses appointed to die.
Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture,
At the headless cross, at the headless cross.
From the first evil night, when a black flash of light
Cut the crucifix half to the ground.
There's been no escape from the power of Satan.
On a nation so brave and so proud
Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture,
At the headless cross, at the headless cross.
Ahahahohohoh Ahahahohohoh
Ahahahohohoh Ahahahohohoh
Ahhhhhhh...
How do ya feel when the locks refuse the key.
And the master is calling your name?
Does the luck of the charm, really keep you from harm?
Does the tallisman protect you from pain?
Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture,
At the headless cross, at the headless cross.
From the first evil night. when a black flash of light
Cut the crucifix half to the ground.
There's no escaping from the power of Satan.
For a people so brave and so proud
Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture,
oh no oh
oh!
(Headless Cross), at the Headless Cross
(At the Headless Cross), ohh, at the Headless Cross.
Ooh where will you run to?
At the Headless Cross.
Look to the Headless Cross oh
03 Devil & Daughter (04:44)
Silence is mocking the dawn of a new day
Devil and Daughter are both on their way
The evil of her nature collects in her eyes
With him there's no fear of the dawn bringing light
Baptised with fire, too wild to be tamed
She's hot, evil and ready to take any man
Let no one put assunder the power of the pain
He is the master of hell riding again
Devil and Daughter - pleasure and pain
Devil and Daughter - is this the end
A thousand times over, you'll hear on the wind
in the name of hell, these sinners never sinned
But Satan never listens to the words that they send
Drenching the soul with blood, when will it end
Devil and Daughter
he's got the power, she's got the pain
Devil and Daughter
She'll break any woman and take any man
Devil and Daughter
Hand in hand with the reaper
05 Cloak & Dagger (04:37)
I remember the burning I felt inside
As you touched my frozen heart
I remember the screams and the pain within
As my soul was torn apart
I recall being hungry
And for years I stood my ground
Even though you were never, oh no never, never around
God, how I needed you
I remember they warned me, and oh how they told me
Yours was the kiss of shame
I remember the Devil coming to steal my soul again and again
I remember the dawn was breaking
In Cathedrals of unholy light
I was searching for answers where singers and dancers
Will travel on through the night
I've been hurt by Evil games
First you're here and then you aint
Cloak and dagger, yeah, yeah yeah
Cloak and dagger
Cloak and dagger, yeah, yeah yeah
Cloak and dagger
Oh there's something about you that doesn't seam real
You say if I don't sell my soul you will steal
A promise should stand I know the command
And me like a fool took it in
In the valley of Death do I stand in the shadow
Or fight for the right to be free?
09 Nightwing (06:35)
Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight
The silence is over, he's shattered the night
No other hunter has the power or the grace
He is the master of this place
Tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
So listen my friend
Nightwing flies again
They say he comes for those whose souls are weak
and call his name upon the wind
The night is cold and thick with mystery
Oh I can feel his beating wings
Tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
Nightwing flies again
Tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
Nightwing flies again
Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight
The silence is over, he's shattered the night
Life ain't for giving and forgiving ain't free
No soul will rest while the hunted run free
So tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
listen my friend
Nightwing flies again
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