The Contrarians Panel: Dark Horse Album #25 - Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi Seventh Star

[@LeatherRebel75]

If you listen to "Seventh Star" looking for a 70's Black Sabbath album, you're going to be disappointed. But if you listen to this, as well as all of the post-Dio Sabbath albums, as something different, you'll discover a highly underrated gem of a doomy, classic-styled heavy rock album. Glenn Hughes is a treasure, and it was awesome that he got to work with Tony Iommi in a project like this.

[@sinbysin666]

I can't wrap my head around someone not liking this album. What, so you're gonna throw out catchy hooks, awesome performances, and classic sounding riffs, because it doesn't sound like War Pigs? So strange. This album is like the best of all worlds.

[@JCStorm76]

I agree. It’s pretty good. What confused me though was this was a dark horse episode yet nobody seemed to really love it. We even had some 6/10 reviews. 7.5 for me

[@SuperStrik9]

To put it nicely, No Stranger To Love among other songs on the album are easy not to love. The album's just not my cup of tea but to each their own.

[@BlindArthurBlake]

@@SuperStrik9 I never warmed up to it much either myself

[@sinbysin666]

Stranger to Love is not great, but I'll take it over Changes any day of the week.

[@garyh.238]

@@JCStorm76 Agreed. Personally I rate it at least an 8.0 - it is a very strong, melodic hard rock album with fine performances by both Iommi and Hughes.

[@samhouston1979]

it was awesome to be invited and to contribute

[@TheChadTI]

I love this album. The first release that came out after I became a fan. Saw the tour (Glenns last gig)

[@blacjack]

My favorite album ever. One of only 3 albums I have purchased in cassette, Vinyl and CD.

[@tomojay28]

This album's vibe is as if Tony Iommi took over JLT-era Rainbow; as a side note, I listened to the album on shuffle when I was first getting familiar with it and after "In Memory" played it cut right into "Danger Zone" and that killer riff---if you put those 2 songs together it sounds like an '80s version of "Megalomania" off Sabotage.

[@peteramstrup7873]

Great performance by Glenn Hughes. It's the only album in his entire career where he doesn't over-sing.

[@LEEFORDJAGG]

‘Addiction’ Glenn’s 1996 solo album, was an album where allegedly,the producer (Marc Bonilla), got him to reign in his tendency ‘over sing’-Stevie Wonderisms.

[@mmmcosta]

I'm absolutely CRAZY about this album!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@SWEETFA24]

I saw a disastrous show of that tour with Hughs at the Meadowlands. His vocals were shot and the story goes that the remainder of the show Geoff Nichols was doing the singing with Hughs pretending. Iommi said that it was a long time since he was in a big arena and just lost it mentally.

[@agentstanley29]

Wait I thought his vocals were shot because he got punched in the nose and blood coated his throat?

[@damiankarras]

Ray Gillan’s vocals on that live show are absolutely god-like. Especially Children of the Sea. What an absolute perfect vocalist he was. He’s not discussed enough because of his extra-curricular activities.

[@dmacnic]

That's the truth. I went to them in concert for this album and was excited to be able to see Glenn, but Ray was the singer instead. I didn't know who he was, but he blew the audience away with his vocals and stage presence. It was a great show. It really sucks that Tony didn't have him as the singer for the next album. I love that 1st Badlands album

[@mmmcosta]

Ray Gillen. 👍🏻

[@markpavlica1269]

The deluxe addition of this album is a must have.

[@agentstanley29]

Gilleen, not Gillan Easy to get those names mixed up 😂

[@williamthompson5504]

​@@dmacnicHe did record Eternal Idol. There's a 2cd set with both versions.

[@quarterjukebox208]

I was serving in the Army at Fort Carson back in 1986 when I saw this album in the PX..I was a black Sabbath fan and thought cool I'll buy it! And I really liked it at the time...I still like a couple of cuts....PS, If I had saw Bill on the street I would have given him a few bucks.

[@brandonbelt5055]

I give this a "7", so I'm in line with the consensus here. Good point raised about it really being more of a Glenn Hughes solo album than anything else.

[@livingdeadwax]

Really fun album. If it didn’t have the Sabbath name on it I think it would fare better.

[@RightBetweenTheEyesPodcast]

I found this album because of Eric Singer. When he was announced as the new drummer in KISS in 1992 I started looking for his other recordings to familiarize myself with his playing. I knew of Badlands and he was in Alice, but when I saw that he was in Sabbath I was surprised to hear that. I sought out this album and would also be my first Sabbath album, having no idea what to expect.... until I got to track two... "No Stranger To Love". I had bought one of those rock completion cassette tapes back in the day.. you know the ones "Hard and Heavy Power Ballads of the 80's" lol (don't you hear that in your head from the cheesy TV announcer).... anyway I digress. On one of those tapes had No Stranger on it, I bought the cassette because KISS's "Reason To Live" was on it. I was like I know this song! That just brought some failure ground for me for some reason. The opening track just knocked me to the floor, of course I was really listening to Eric on this album but Tony's play just hit me like a truck. Of course I knew the big Ozzy/Sabbath stuff that I heard on the radio, but I did not expect his playing to be like this. Glenn wow, his voice still sends chills. I still come back to this album again and again. The mix could have been better but I think it was what it was back in the day for its time and I try and keep that in mind, but once the needle drops I just enjoy the ride. I don't know when I listen if I think oh this is a Sabbath album as much as i think this a good rock record. this album opened the door to me listening to more Sabbath. Favorite tracks "Turn To Stone" (yeah of course Eric's opening is killer) "In For The Kill" "Danger Zone" and Stranger. Sorry for the long comment. Like Bill said i just love this album I wanna say 10 because its my first and because I was so jazzed that Eric was coming to KISS, but if i take a breath it's probably and 7.5/8. Great episode guys!

[@bathtubgeorge]

I had this on tape back in the late 80s. Wasn't sure what the idea was with the "Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi" was all about at the time. It makes sense as a Tony solo album, and it may have bene wiser to push ahead with that solo idea, regardless of the venue size when touring. Though I lost that tape, I eventually picked up the record, which I have played only sporadically in the years I have it. To be honest, I'd find it hard to give a rating right now, and I certainly have to revisit it properly before I do

[@inmyhouse11]

Good album for a Tony Iommi solo album. 8/10 as a Iommi solo album 6/10 for a Sabbath album

[@garyh.238]

I love the Seventh Star album....the first of a trio of excellent collaborations between Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes (the others being the Dep Sessions 96 and Fused). One of my favourite Sabbath albums in fact, the others being Mob Rules, Born Again, and Heaven & Hell. See any sort of a pattern there?

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Maybe not anything important, I'll just mention that Dio were on Vertigo as well at this time like Tony.

[@garyh.238]

@@LarryFleetwood8675 I think It has more to do with the common denominator in those 3 vocalists' backgrounds.....Ritchie Blackmore; as well as the musicality of their singing which they brought to Black Sabbath.

[@chargree]

Also, no Ozzy

[@garyh.238]

@@chargree Correct! 😊

[@stevetobin7495]

fused is just incredible

[@bmboldt]

This is a great album. So what if it was called Black Sabbath. It's better than most of the Tony Martin albums and the last two Ozzy albums before he went solo. Better than 13 also. I don't care about the tour or him singing the old stuff. This album rocks.

[@rockshoal4267]

I play this album more than the others. then born again , bloody sabbath.

[@dmacnic]

Love that album!. In for the Kill. Glenn Fking Hughes!

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Curiously enough, one of the panel felt that Glenn looked a bit like Kenny Loggins here he had a big hit that year with a song called "Danger Zone" incidentally, from the Top Gun movie.

[@LEEFORDJAGG]

Glenn’s vocals delivered on the studio cut. Being a GH fan,I was grateful to have this album to enjoy. Tony could experiment away from doomy Sabbath sound, on Seventh Star.I still wish that Glenn & Tony would tour and feature a chunk of those three releases .

[@proggydoggie]

Whatever drama was going on internally, Iommi and Hughes sound great together. Iommi is restrained but still recognizable. It's very 80's but in a good way. The songs are not particularly memorable, but they are pleasant while they are on. A solid, professional, enjoyable album. However, it lacks the strokes of genius that characterize the best Black Sabbath material.

[@Intermentor]

This was the first Black Sabbath release I heard. Not a flying start, but I enjoy some songs.

[@LEEFORDJAGG]

Before Glenn’s proper comeback in ‘94, I was grateful to hear Glenn in good form. Ditto the ‘Phenomena’ debut and on Gary Moore’s ‘Run For Cover’. Those were generally dark days for Glenn & though I craved a full return,live shows but it wasn’t to be. I enjoy Tony Iommi’s guitar sound, it seemed appropriate with the material on offer. No classic ‘doom riffs’, which probably fed into the overall apathy,the Sabbath fans viewed this album. Glenn sings in Rock mode.

[@alightintheblack]

From Martin Popoff's "The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal": Black Sabbath Featuring Tony lommi -Seventh Star (Warner Bro. '86) At possibly the weakest point in Sabbath as a group concept, and after a depressingly lengthy absence, lommi stands alone clutching his cross and namesake, steering an assortment of players towards an under. standing of his imposing visions on a record that justifiably was originally intended as a solo album. Distracted by the inappropriate flouncy 'n' flirtatious signatures of vocalist Glenn Hughes, one is almost put off the rails of this quite elegant, thickly recorded collection of tracks, from OTT opener In For The Kill through weary death knell No Stranger To Love (talk about a cheesy video), to side two's awesome Danger Zone, featuring a melodically brooding but marauding riff from the man at the helm. Overall, this is one of the Sab's furthest departures, coloured with blues patterns, blues-sentimental lyrics, bluesy vocals and even a literal heavy blues in lengthy trudge Heart Like A Wheel (no relation to Steve Miller!). Again, tunes live or die on the lommi effort, as the rest of the backing band are not Sabbath-like creatures in any form, although future Kiss and Badlands drummer Eric Singer assumes the Ward pocket with an uncanny instinct for desolate percussive moors. Definitely less the spooks and witches sellout of Tyr or even Headless Cross, Seventh Star retains a pride in workmanship despite foreign personnel and a lack of musical direction or intensity. Lacking in fireworks, I've got to say it still pays my turntable (remember those?) fairly regular visits due to its digestibility. Rating 7

[@drewmarshall4422]

One killer riff after another from Lord Iommi

[@markpavlica1269]

When I first heard this album I was totally shocked at how different it was from earlier albums. I agree that this was the template of what was to be the "Tony Martin" era. None the less, I really like this album and I'm surprised it's rated so average. "In for the Kill" and "Turn to Stone" kick ass! The ballad and title track are a little weak but the second side is solid. "In Memory" is very heartfelt and is a good closure to the album. 8.5/10.

[@paulcropper4717]

8 out of 10 for me. Loved this album from the day it came out when I stumbled upon it in a record shop. I don't have a favourite track as I think every track is good, not great or bad, just good.

[@samhouston1979]

feel free to take a drink every time i say “anyhow” 🙄

[@theclassicrockjunkie7353]

Excellent bluesy hard rock album not a Sabbath album, got the deluxe CD edition it is worth picking this up and have it on vinyl as well. The DEP sessions are really great too.

[@jimekberg]

Great album ,my favorite songs are Turn to Stone and Seventh Star.

[@garyjoyce2160]

This album could be looked at the way people look at Deep PURPLE s Joe LYNN Turner led 1990 Slaves & MASTERS. Me personally I liked this album a lot. Glen HUGHES, a freak of nature at 7️⃣1️⃣: still sounds tremendous, after pure abuse of his body. 7.7 out of 10.0 scale my ranking. Great show guys 👍💯

[@MsKalachakra]

This is unfair, you should include that "it's a 10 for me" totally subjective rating in there, so that would make it at least 7.5 or so.

[@1Vettefan]

Love this album! Great tracks all the way thru. My only complaint is it's a little too short.

[@robrichardson7079]

More like an 8.0 for me. Angry Heart is one of my favorite all-time songs by anyone in any period.

[@aleksandarfrick2656]

Good album . Like it all these years .

[@Almeida5]

Sometimes one has to just pretend that an album is not a part of the discography. This was never truer than this effort. When I'm able to do this, then I find ways to like certain albums. Some other instance of this would be the latter Kingdom Come discography where Lenny Wolfe was the main songwriter but didn't have any of the original members. To a lesser extent, this would include the band Days of the New, after the "Yellow" album. I would probably give this around a 6.5/10.

[@purpletemple1]

It's a more than very decent album. The songs are pretty strong, the performances are real good, but I don't like the production. Never liked it in fact. The drums sound awful, tons of reverb/ echo, I don't think it's very kind on Eric Singer's playing as it makes it very muddy especially on the fast tracks. I listened to the album again this afternoon after watching part of this show, and my view on it hasn't changed much since its release. Glenn Hughes is amazing on it, he's a bit raspy at certain times but it suits the songs. I've also always liked No Stranger to Love, it reminds me of Phenomena (probably the sound and Hughes voice). I remember being happy to hear from Glenn after some silent years, he's always been one of my fav singers. I don't really consider The Seventh Star a classic Sabbath album, but I think it's their last exciting album (the Martin era was just ok to me, don't like Dehumanizer and 13 is rather shallow). 7.5/10. Cheers.

[@agentstanley29]

The "livin on the street" line. Was that a jab at Bill Ward? He was homeless, I think in '84, no joke. And I think in the 80s Tony was not on good terms with him or Ozzy at all.

[@richardhincemon]

Tony Iommi and Bill Ward have always been on good terms and still are. Bill and Tony started playing together in 1966 in the band the Rest. The 7th star album was Tony Iommis first solo album but the record company insisted on the Sabbath name.

[@Jermeister12]

1st I met Glenn Hughes in the 80's .Uh he weighed more like 270lbs.Also Martin it's Chesh-ire.I know it's really hard for you habs to pronounce words right 😀

[@matsetizar65]

Not a Sabbath expert by far and I just listened to the album for the first time after watching this vid. Its not heavy metal, and sounds more like 80s Rainbow. Very surprised its released as a Sabbath album. For a Sabbath album I’d rate it 6/10. As a hard rock album a 7/10. Dont think I’m gonna revisit it anytime soon.

[@michaelcarpenter2498]

I liked this album. Different but should have been a solo album. By far not the worst album.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

I've always liked it a lot too, as good as Hughes is it'd also been a fun idea with different singers for all the songs.

[@wernermoritz882]

The more interesting question is: do you still like it?

[@michaelcarpenter2498]

@@wernermoritz882 yes. I have on vinyl, casette, CD and the remastered two pack.

[@TheRageaholic]

I wish you would stop spreading the false "solo album" narrative. David Donato was not announced as the singer of a Tony Iommi solo project. He was announced as the singer of Black Sabbath. Jeff Fenholt did not record the Star of India demos as the singer of a Tony Iommi solo project. He was announced as the singer of Black Sabbath. The record company were given the Seventh Star demos long before release... and it wasn't a solo project then. This was a Sabbath album. It was always intended to be a Sabbath album. And the only evidence we have that it was ever supposed to be a solo project... is Tony's word. After-the-fact. When it was already considered a disappointment. It's Sabbath. It always was. It's just not the Sabbath everyone was used to.

[@richardhincemon]

It was intended to be a Tony Iommi solo album with different vocalist including Ronnie James Dio,Robert Plant,Rob Halford singing different songs along with Glenn Hughes who was the only one available due to recording contracts from the other vocalist. Don Arden along with other record company executives to call decision to call it Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi and he eventually went along with it ! Dave Donato recorded 3 demo tracks and then he announced in Kerrang magazine that he was the new vocalist for Black Sabbath and they recorded some of Sabbath''s heaviest music ever and was fired after that interview. Bill Ward left and Bev Bevan was supposed to be his replacement again with vocalist Ron Keel that didn't work out and Geezer Butler left to form his own Geezer Butler Band with vocalist Carl Sentance and Tony Iommi decided to record his own solo album.

[@richardhincemon]

Tony Iommi finally got to achieve his dream of recording a solo album using different guest vocalist in 2000 entitled IOMMI and even recorded Goodbye Lament with Dave Grohl and Brian May in honor of getting to work with different vocalist.

[@awrogers3013]

Remember looking at it when it was released and being amazed that TI would be on the cover by himself. Not bad record at all but just not sabbath

[@agentstanley29]

TI, lol (the rapper) 😂

[@mickblack3291]

It's not a Black Sabbath album, but it is a really good strong album nonetheless, way better than ANY dreaded Martin era albums.

[@stevetobin7495]

i dont mind the album i just find it a little underwhelming 6 - Fused with hughes is thunderous in comparison 9

[@greenalishi222]

Great discussion. Because of the discussion I went and listened to Seven Star. Band is great. Iommi sounds like Iommi. The lyrics are generic. So the songs are generic. Neither bad nor good. Could be Rainbow or Whitesnake. Compared to Born Again 7th Star lacks personality. Nothing distinct. Pro singer hack lyrics, titles and indistinct songs

[@kevinkaple3615]

Should have been a iommi solo record…definitely not sabbath and quite a letdown after born again…but interesting record and Glenn Hughes is really great here

[@KingLizard616]

For me 6/10

[@wernermoritz882]

Probably the best Sabbath album.

[@JCStorm76]

Lol

[@mdarts8861]

It’s garbage we all know it’s garbage. If black sabbath only produced albums like this no one would have ever heard of them.

[@tillwesenberg1178]

I like Black Sabbath. This album, not so much.

[@SuperStrik9]

Should have been a Tony Iommi solo album. My least favorite album in the entire Sabbath catalogue. I love Glenn Hughes in Deep Purple though.

[@JCStorm76]

I’d take this over Thirteen any day. At least it’s not phoned in

[@SuperStrik9]

@@JCStorm76 Disagree but to each their own.

[@vinylsolution2522]

You've obviously never heard Forbidden..... or 13......

[@SuperStrik9]

@@vinylsolution2522 Actually I have and I prefer both over Seventh Star.

[@JCStorm76]

@@SuperStrik9 I actually like Forbidden. Not as bad as people make out

[@franciskocher200]

I never liked that album.👎👎

[@SuperStrik9]

Same here.

[@neuroisis85]

2/10. Sounds like generic aor garbage with the very annoying Glen Hughes making everything worse. No wonder Tony didn't want the name Black Sabbath attached to it. Terrible record, just barely better than Forbidden.

[@terriblecertainity]

unpopular opinion: most of sabbath after "Sabotage" and before " Eternal Idol" was mediocre at best. There is enough material on these albums to fill one good album, but that's it. Especially Heaven And Hell...I never understood the praise for it. A massive downgrade after albums like Master Of Reality

[@franciskocher200]

I like the eternal Idol a lot👍

[@stevelamonica2297]

So even before watching this video, I must state that I am a massive Sabbath fan. And as is probably common knowledge, Seventh Star was supposed to be a Tony Iommi solo album but the record company persuaded him to release it as a BS album. As an Iommi solo album, it would be bad. As a BS album, EASILY their worst. Cheese on top of cheese on top cheese. Many cite Forbidden as their worst. Mediocre as that album is, I don't agree. This one is far worse.

[@SabFANationalAcrobat]

You guys collectively killed it with this rating. This is a good album - not a great album, or even a very good album. It is solid, with some poignant moments and enough guts to keep it from sliding into a completely different category from Black Sabbath. It also has a blemish for me. I agree with the commentator who says he cannot get behind 'No Stranger to Love' - either can I. The commercial prominence given to this very un-Sabbathy song reminds me of the misguided impulse to include 'Am I Going Insane' as the representative song from Sabotage in the commercial compilation 'We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll.' It's an appeal to the mainstream with an implicit apology for all the unsettling (but great) other songs they wrote. As for the tag, 'Black Sabbath' - for me, Iommi is the heart of the band, so this is Black Sabbath - albeit one of the weaker manifestations of it. My favourites on this, in order: 'In For the Kill,' 'Angry Heart/In Memory,' 'Turn to Stone,' 'Seventh Star.'