HEADLESS CROSS

Further line up changes relating to the band. I have always enjoyed Cozy Powell behind the drum kit so that wasn't a negative to me relating to this release. A visit on the track "When Death Calls" by Brian May intrigued me. Unlike the previous album there are no real throw away tracks on this album - it is all pretty solid fare. Best tracks imo are "Headless Cross", "Devil and Daughter", "When Death Calls", "Kill in the Spirit world" and "Nightwing". What did worry me is the full on occult type content of the subject matter of the album however I took it to be done for effect - kind of Iommi searching for what made Sabbath popular originally with much of its fan base although it was never previously as overt as what it is here. I kind of wonder whether the previous album's "The Shining" track was inspired by the movie of the same name and whether "Devil & Daughter" here wasn't inspired by the Dennis Wheatley novel (To the Devil a Daughter) - nothing wrong with that as I love my horror movies and horror novels. A solid four star album from me aside from my skittishness relating to a lot of the subject matter in the lyrics - I love my horror world however I would hesitate to be related to it in any way other than through my love of the consumption of the movies and literature.