Tyr (album)
| Tyr | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Black Sabbath | ||||
| Released | 20 August 1990 | |||
| Recorded | Rockfield Studios, Wales and Woodcray Studios, Berkshire, February–June 1990 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 39:16 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. | |||
| Producer | Black Sabbath | |||
| Black Sabbath chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [2] |
Tyr (/ˈtɪər/;[3]) is the fifteenth studio album by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in August 1990 by I.R.S. Records.
The album title and several song titles are taken from Norse mythology, which led many to call Tyr a concept album, although bassist Neil Murray dispelled that in 2005, stating that while many of the songs may seem loosely related, very little of the album has to do with mythology and it was not intended to be a concept recording.[4]
Album information
Týr is the son of Odin, the chief god in Norse mythology. He is the god of single combat and heroic glory, portrayed as a one-handed man. The usage of such analogies and mythology was a great departure from Headless Cross' descent into the Dark Side and the power of Satan.
"For our next album, TYR, we went back to the Woodcray Studios in February 1990, with me and Cozy producing it again. On Headless Cross, Tony had just come into the band and he assumed, oh, Black Sabbath, it's all about the Devil, so his lyrics were full of the Devil and Satan. It was too much in your face. We told him to be a bit more subtle about it, so for TYR he did all these lyrics about Nordic gods and whatnot. It took me a while to get my head around that."[5]
This album represents possibly the most dramatic departure from Black Sabbath's traditional sound, with only traces of it found in the occasional riff. The production has been criticised by some (who claim Cozy Powell's drums drown out most of the other instruments) and praised by others, who note that this is one of Sabbath's heaviest albums and perhaps the most prominently reliant on keyboards by the perennial 5th member, Geoff Nicholls.[6] As a result, much of the music is a lot darker than previous Sabbath works, closely resembling the previous album Headless Cross.
The band has stated that while they do not disown or regret the song "Feels Good to Me", it was put on the album solely to be released as a single and doesn't fit in musically with the rest of the record.[7]
Geezer Butler, Ian Gillan and Brian May made guest appearances on the European leg of the Tyr tour; Butler and May appearing during the encore of the show performed on 8 September 1990 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.[8]
The runes on the cover are taken from the Rök Runestone in Sweden.[9]
Legacy
The only track to feature on post-Tyr tours was "Anno Mundi", e.g. on the Cross Purposes Live VHS/DVD. Tony Martin re-recorded "Jerusalem" for his 1992 solo album Back Where I Belong. The Black Sabbath line-up that recorded Tyr would reunite to record their eighteenth studio album, Forbidden, in 1995. Frontman Heri Joensen of viking metal band Týr claims to have been influenced by the album cover when designing his own band's logo.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Tony Martin, all music composed by Black Sabbath.| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Anno Mundi" | 6:12 | |
| 2. | "The Law Maker" | 3:55 | |
| 3. | "Jerusalem" | 4:00 | |
| 4. | "The Sabbath Stones" | 6:48 | |
| 5. | "The Battle of Tyr" (instrumental) | 1:09 | |
| 6. | "Odin's Court" | 2:42 | |
| 7. | "Valhalla" | 4:43 | |
| 8. | "Feels Good to Me" | 5:44 | |
| 9. | "Heaven in Black" | 4:05 | |
Total length: |
39:16 | ||
Personnel
- Tony Martin – lead & backing vocals
- Tony Iommi – lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars, production
- Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
- Neil Murray – bass guitar
- Cozy Powell – drums, percussion, production
Additional personnel
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 20 August 1990 |
| United States | 31 August 1990 |
References
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- ↑ Chrispell, James. "TYR – Black Sabbath". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
- ↑ "Black Sabbath: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ↑ Merriam Webster Online Dictionary: Tyr
- ↑ "Black Sabbath Online Forums: Tyr". Black Sabbath Online. 27 December 2001. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ↑ Iommi, Tony; Lammers, T. J. (11 December 2012). "TYR and tired". Iron Man: My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306821455.
- ↑ "Black Sabbath Online Forums". Black Sabbath Online. 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ↑ "Questions and Answers". Tony Martin Official Website. Archived from the original on 9 April 2003. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ↑ MattCake. "Black Sabbath Online: Tyr – Tour Dates 1990". Black-sabbath.com. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
- ↑ "Black Sabbath Online: Tyr". Black-sabbath.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
