BY JAY ROBERTS (SPECIAL TO LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE)

The Cassette Chronicles is a continuing series of mini reviews and reflections on albums from the 1980’s and 1990’s that I have acquired through Purchase Street Records in New Bedford, MA.

The aim of this series is to highlight both known and underappreciated albums from rock, pop and metal genres from the 1980’s through the cassette editions of their releases. Some of the albums I have known about and loved for years, while others are new to me and were music I’ve always wanted to hear. There will be some review analysis and my own personal stories about my connection with various albums.

These opinions are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of anyone else at Limelight Magazine.

Black Sabbath’s TYR (1990)

Singer Tony Martin’s third album fronting Black Sabbath found the band putting out an album that only slightly sounds like their trademark sound. I know it might not be seen as the most successful version of the band, but I’ve always kind of liked Tony Martin’s vocal work with them.

I remain slightly bemused at myself over the fact that the original version of Sabbath (with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals for those not paying attention), always seems to come out as my least favorite version of the band. Or if not the least, certainly pretty much on an equal level with the stuff that Martin did with Sabbath.

The music remains heavy but the doom laden methodical stomp is lightened for the most part. Initially, the lyrics make the album seem like a concept release surrounding Norse mythology but a little research online shows that while some songs are connected by that wtheme, the album was not conceptual in nature.

There’s a very cinematic feel to most of the tracks and I think that kind of stylistic approach helps make the music feel heavier than it seems at first listen.

Tracks like “The Law Maker,” “Heaven In Black” and the killer “Valhalla” find Tony Iommi’s guitar work in fine form. He just shreds on “The Law Maker,” a song that I wish could’ve been somehow included in the band’s live set during the two times I saw them in recent years. It would’ve made for a spectacular addition.

Since I hadn’t ever listened to this album before picking up the cassette, the album played like a brand new release to me. This gave it an extra kick because it was like discovering a hidden treasure. The potential of this kind of musical revelation is what makes me keen to check out the rest of the Sabbath albums with Martin’s vocal work.

Note of Interest: The band’s rhythm section for this album is drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray. They played together in the 1970’s as part of the group Cozy Powell’s Hammer and then again in the 1980’s in Whitesnake.