BLACK SABBATH — The Eternal Idol (review)

BLACK SABBATH — The Eternal Idol album cover Album · 1987 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
bonnek
Sabbath needs vocalists that click with their sound. Nor Ian Gillan, nor Glen Hughes were really successful experiments, but Tony Martin was a match made in heaven, even though few people might agree to that.

The Toni Martin period is decidedly less fabulous and less relevant then the albums with Dio or the first few years with Ozzy, but throughout the 5 albums there are good moments aplenty, especially so on this first cooperation and also on the following Headless Cross and TYR. There are three tracks that blast with epic power and that I think every fan of Sabbath, power metal and even progressive metal should own. Both The Shining, Ancient Warrior and Eternal Idol are simply superb songs.

I would describe the remainder of the album as commercial and slightly metalized power blues. A certain blues highlight is Nightmare, while Hard Life to Love, Glory Ride and Born to Lose are all very enjoyable 80s hair metal tracks.

Sabbath still had a learning curve ahead with this new sound, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.
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