TYR - Song By Song

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

This album makes great strides forward from Headless Cross. No longer are the songs lyrically cheesey and hell influenced, they are more adventurous but not unsabbathy (well, except for Feels Good To Me).

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The opener is Anno Mundi. Outside Ozzy/Dio releases this is my favourite album opener even better than Trashed. The gentle start opens up to a heavy main section with a nice mellower section in the middle to break thiings up. The riff is good and the vocals are among Martin's best. A nice all round effort from the band.

[Zzzptm]

The bass parts are much better here, thank you Neil Murray. Should note that the band is 40% former Whitesnake members in this lineup and the one for Forbidden.

Collectively, everyone seems to be working with the understanding that this *is* a proper metal song. That's good. I'll confess that Tyr is another album I didn't play often after getting it, so this will be interesting to see where it takes me. Overall, I'm happy with Anno Mundi. It's not a blazer, but it's not trying to be. It sets a mood, and I'm ready for what comes next - if it continues to go with that mood.

[Jack the Stripper]

I’ve turned around a bit on TYR over the years to what I originally thought of it. I use to think it was even worse than Headless Cross but I think it’s probably more the consistent album of the two. I do still think the best songs on HC are still better than the best on TYR though.

So onto the opener Anno Mundi and straight off we’re introduced with a softer Children of the Sea type guitar intro and a Queen like chant which I’ve never been completely sold on but at the same time I don’t hate it either. But where things really kick into gear is when the rest of the band joins in and Iommi switches to heavy mode.The song really drives along quite nicely from there with the strong rhythm section of Powell & Murray holding it together. Cozy’s drumming in particular is great on this song delivering some great fills throughout. I also like the build into the chorus but I still think Martin over does it a bit there and the cheesiness is still present. No real guitar solo to speak of but the song seems to work fine without one. Its far from the greatest Sabbath album opener but it’s not too bad either and it gets a tick from me.

[Zzzptm]

Law Maker is definitely fast and hard. Martin's delivery is reminiscent of Dio's from "Kill the King". So is Powell's drumming. Iommi does a Blackmore impersonation, so I'm not complaining at all. I had totally forgotten about this track, and now I'm finding that I have a taste for it. OK, that's a +1 for this album on my rating.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

The Lawmaker is challenging for my favourite song on the album. It's a fast rocker which reminds me a little of Neon Knights (not quite in that league but you know what I mean!). Great riff, great vocals... love it!

[Jack the Stripper]

Not really sure where The Lawmaker sits with me. Sounds like a fairly stock standard fast rocker with nothing unique or really standing out about it. I do get a little bit of a Maiden vibe about it but it just doesn’t really seem to get my juices flowing the way other past fast rockers from Sabbath do. It’s not a bad song at all, it’s just a very stock sounding uptempo rocker.

Another banger of a guitar solo from Iommi I must say though.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Next up we have Jerusalem. It's not a bad song, probably the weakest on side 1 but it's a good side all told. I like it musically and the vocals are good but there's nothing outstanding about any of it.

[Jack the Stripper]

Musically Jerusalem is quite sold but when the singing kicks in its getting back to those AOR stylings again. The chorus has a nice lift in it, albeit it is a little cheesy. The song comes across as a very Christian Rock song, so much so I can almost picture being sung on a Jimmy Swaggart TV ministry show.

[Zzzptm]

Jerusalem gets stuck in my head every time I see mention of the city. Doesn't matter if it's a news report, historical game, religious discussion, I get "JERUSALEM! Ohh-ohh-ohhhh-woah-a-ohhh!"

Every. Damn. Time.

And I'm playing a lot of Crusader Kings 3, so... yeah... it's an annoying little earbug, that song.

Full version's not half bad, though. Not amazing or anything, but I've heard worse.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

BTW When we get to it, I'm thinking we do the Odin trilogy as one, unless we have any obejections!

[Zzzptm]

Sure. That feels good to me.

[Jack the Stripper]

Was gonna suggest that myself. Makes sense to do the Viking trilogy as one.

[Zzzptm]

But to-day, we shall consider The Sabbath Stones...

I'm liking the track, very heavy especially at the ending which is kind of a combo of Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell. Really works well for me and my opinion of this album is very much lifted with that track.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

The Sabbath Stones has the crappest title ever... but it's also vying to be the best track on the album. Starts slow and gentle with a hint of mennace, speeds up, gets really heavy, great track and I love it!

[Jack the Stripper]

“The Sabbath Stones” is very much a classic old school Sabbath sounding song in vibe and structure, intertwining heavy doom parts with softer mellow parts and and a fast finishing outro.The only thing I don’t like is the words and delivery in the intro. Fire and water, wind and rain etc seems a bit too cliche a bit too easy to come up with when you’re struggling for the right words. I can’t imagine Ronnie or Geezer would ever come up with those words in that part. Besides that, it’s a fantastic track, very memorable with great playing.

Can anyone help explain to me what the actual Sabbath Stones are though?