Seventh Star

Seventh Star is a fulfilling work on which, while cored on Tony Iommi’s thick, powerful guitar, the soulful, soaring singing of the ex-Deep Purple Glenn Hughes gives an entirely new outline. Originally conceived as an Iommi solo work, it is a special record released under the name “Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi.” While the Sabbath-like darkness firmly remains, the songs also take in the flow of blues rock and melodic hard rock, having a more open, rich expression. From the sharp opener “In for the Kill” and the moving ballad “No Stranger to Love” to the title track “Seventh Star,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Turn to Stone” and “Heart Like a Wheel” convey the work’s fullness. Glenn Hughes’s soulful singing is beautifully in sharp form throughout. A record on which the sharpness of “In for the Kill” and the rich songcraft of “No Stranger to Love” powerfully convey the expressive breadth born of the great lineup change. An engaging record that, while holding the weight of the great name Black Sabbath, vividly reflected another side of Iommi as a composer — a record where a new side of the band shines.