BORN AGAIN

Perhaps the most insanely heaviest and ominous album Sabbath did since Sabotage both musically and lyrically up to 1983. You just have to read down the song titles and you pretty much know what you`re in for here, Digital Bitch, Disturbing The Priest, Trashed etc. Suprising to hear this combination with Ian Gillian of Deep Purple making his single album appearance with the Sabs work so well. It niether sounds like a Deep Purple Clone nor anything the Sabs had previously done with either Dio or Ozzy with plenty of flat out Iommi power chords solos plus an E5150 sequel, Stonehenge. Spooky, spooky.

Appropriately titled Born Again with original drummer Bill Ward returning to the fold after overcoming health problems, he brings back a certain heaviness to the band which was lacking on the previous Mob Rules album with Vinny Appice on the drum stool. The heaviness never relents and sort of returns to the earlier plodding rythms heard on earlier Sabbath albums such as Master Of Reality as they bulldoze their way through 40 minutes of unmitigated mayhem. Great stuff to play while you hand out the candy to the kids on Halloween. An additional track entitled The Fallen is also available on the unmixed demo version of the album if you can find it. Crank this gem up to eleven for full scare effect.