Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Black Sabbath
Label: IRS Records
Release: 1990
Length: 39:58
Rating: 4.5/5
In Norse mythology, Tyr was the god of war and battle. He was depicted with one hand, having lost the other in a fight with the demon wolf Fenrisulf. The comparison between that Norse god and the Black Sabbath of the day was a pretty fitting one: every original member except guitar guru and band boss Toyna Iommi had been amputated, yet the band was still fighting furiously to survive.
By the time “Tyr” came out, which by the way, contrary to popular belief, is not a concept album, even though the lyrics and song titles are inspired by Norse mythology, since singer Tony Martin had always been in love with history, Black Sabbath were slowly getting back on their feet, even though they were still deep in the commercial doghouse. After Tony Martin joined, there was no avoiding the fact that a series of three quality albums followed, each one better than the last.
Compared to its predecessor “Headless Cross” (1989), which wallowed in the occult and assorted devilish hocus-pocus, i.e. traditional Sabbath subject matter, this album is closer in lyrical themes to what usually gets epic power metal bands fired up. In terms of song structure and overall vibe, the album is closer to epic hard rock than doom metal, which means it carried on the stylistic tradition Black Sabbath had laid down in the early eighties. The late Ronnie James Dio would surely have been proud of lyrics inspired by Norse myths. Of all the Tony Martin era Black Sabbath albums, “Tyr” is the one most akin to the legendary Dio period. The keyboards, in the hands of Geoff Nicholls, became more dominant than on any other Black Sabbath album, which is one of the main reasons for the epic, ethereal atmosphere that rules most of the songs.
The opening “Anno Mundi” immediately whisks us off into an ancient world of mysticism, mighty warriors and runes. The ethereal intro with choral harmonies in Latin is cut through by Iommi’s guitar riff and opens the door to Tony Martin’s phenomenal vocals, whose resemblance to Dio was one of the main reasons Black Sabbath slowly started winning back their lost relevance. The epic atmosphere is backed up by the breathtaking drumming of the legendary Cozy Powell, who, thanks to the changed production, is a touch less dominant than usual this time, but no less astonishing for it. “The Law Maker” sounds a lot like something that was sitting in a hidden treasure chest of Dio era Rainbow, except, thanks to Iommi’s unique approach to guitar, with a noticeably darker shade.
With “Jerusalem” the band makes a brief historical leap toward the Crusades, and the result is epic grandeur with a mighty chorus and a heap of thrilling harmonies. The high value of this superb song wasn’t forgotten, and in a somewhat different form it later turned up on Martin’s solo debut “Back Where I Belong” (1992). “The Sabbath Stones” is another classic, a hybrid of epic metal and dark hard rock, of piercing power ballad and a killer charge straight through the gates of hell. Martin’s vocals here truly reach dizzying heights, while Iommi once again proves that besides a bag full of punchy guitar phrases he also carried a handful of subtlety in his pocket whenever he felt like it. And the spectacular power metal ending is guaranteed to send chills down your spine.
This is followed by a trilogy of songs inspired by Norse mythology, which many would easily assume are conceptually linked to each other. “The Battle of Tyr” is a dramatic instrumental dirge directed by Nicholls, which flows straight into the acoustic ballad “Odin’s Court”, after which the mood hits its dramatic peak with the epic classic “Valhalla”, one of the heaviest things Sabbath ever did. Powell’s drum rolls fully blossom here, while Martin’s vocals reach almost mythological proportions. This is one of those songs that can still be a major source of inspiration for up-and-coming power and prog metal bands today.
The power ballad “Feels Good To Me” was written at the request of the label, which wanted a radio hit at all costs, and it shows, since it fits the album neither in style nor in mood. Its “Californian” vibe is more reminiscent of “1987” era Whitesnake than of Martin era Black Sabbath, but that doesn’t mean it’s a half-baked effort. The magical subtlety and excellent chemistry within the lineup come through in full force here once again, and the ending is carried off in very good taste, even smelling a little of Dio era Rainbow.
The closing “Heaven In Black” is a hard rocker in the truest sense of the word, with a classic Iommi guitar phrase and a thrilling solo section. Compared to most of the other songs on the album it’s built on fairly simple principles, but its quality lies precisely in that simplicity and directness, while it keeps the ominous atmosphere going successfully.
“Tyr” is a completely unique album within the majestic Black Sabbath catalog. The forefathers of heavy metal never again pulled off this kind of blend of ethereal mysticism from the Nordic horizons and dark visions from the heart of hell, which on one of their heaviest and most epic releases to date reaches truly enviable proportions. On this masterpiece, overlooked for far too long, Black Sabbath finally transformed into a modern metal band that nevertheless stayed true to its ominous roots.
It’s a real shame that the pressure for a reunion with Dio was too great, and Iommi was forced at that point to end his collaboration with Martin, Neil Murray and Powell (the latter because of an injury ), though he later admitted he regretted it and that it was probably a mistake, since this incarnation of Black Sabbath had only just found the right chemistry. The biggest irony in all this is that Martin era Sabbath sounded much more like the famous 1980-81 incarnation than any version of the band on the two subsequent studio experiments with Dio.
The next reunion of that lineup, in 1995, sadly didn’t end so successfully. “Tyr”, like the rest of the Tony Martin catalog (with the exception of the rather botched “Forbidden” (1995)), is sadly still waiting for its well-deserved recognition, thanks to an army of Ozzy era Sabbath maniacs, but music connoisseurs know how to recognize quality and reward long-overlooked gems too.
Line-up
Tony Martin – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Neil Murray – bass
Cozy Powell – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Production
Black Sabbath
Track list
1. Anno Mundi (The Vision)
2. The Law Maker
3. Jerusalem
4. The Sabbath Stones
5. The Battle of Tyr (instrumental)
6. Odin’s Court
7. Valhalla
8. Feels Good to Me
9. Heaven in Black
