Creating Atmospheric, Smooth and Warm Soundscapes - A Review of Black Sabbath's Tyr

Black Sabbath's third studio record with dynamic, passionate and versatile singer Tony Martin has left an excellent first impression upon me but has declined slightly as time went by. Released only just one year after the stunning doom metal masterpiece Headless Cross, the quartet's fifteenth studio album Tyr aims for a much more atmospheric, conceptual and melodic vibe from start to finish.

Excellent opener "Anno Mundi (The Vision)" for instance opens with dreamy choirs recalling British rock legends Queen and takes its time to unfold progressively. While doom and heavy metal fans might need some time to appreciate this unusual approach, fans of progressive rock and symphonic rock should certainly dig this overlooked gem.

The quartet pushes things even further with the ambitious trilogy "The Battle of Tyr", "Odin's Court" and "Valhalla". Strictly conceptually speaking, these songs could legitimately be described as viking metal before this genre really became a stereotype dominated by bearded overweight men with ugly tattoos. All three songs are calm, melodic and short as they focus on cinematic atmosphere and lyrical depth over classic heaviness and ambitious musicianship. One has to congratulate the quartet to show the courage to evolve its sound so late in its illustrious career.

Another example for this courageous change is "Feels Good to Me", a very melodic pop rock song with surprisingly optimistic lyrics about the end of a romantic relationship. This is the kind of song one might expect to find on the soundtrack of an early Wong Kar-wai movie but it's a genuine surprise coming from the iconic heavy metal flagship.

Seasoned veterans will however still find several more traditional doom and heavy metal songs upon this output. Black Sabbath has pushed its soundscapes further but hasn't denied its roots either. "The Sabbath Stones" for instance is an intellectual doom metal masterpiece that almost equals the brilliance of the predecessor's remarkable title track.

The fast-paced "The Law Maker" also stands out on an overall smooth record with a warm production and must have worked splendidly in concert back in the days. Who knows, perhaps we will one day see a project of Tony Iommi and Tony Martin honouring these forgotten classics. I know for sure that I would attend a concert of the project.

The only issue with Black Sabbath's Tyr is that one needs to be in the right mood to appreciate this record. I most certainly couldn't listen to it every day. However, whenever I'm looking for an atmospheric, smooth and warm rock album, this album keeps coming to my mind time and again. This overlooked gem might not appeal to every seasoned fan of the band but it's certainly the one album that might appeal to a hard rock, progressive rock and symphonic rock audience that usually doesn't care much about doom metal and heavy metal. This unique album certainly deserves to be revisited three and a half decades after its release to be appreciated to its full potential.

Final Rating: 85%