Ranked Worst to Best: Black Sabbath

 

Ranked Worst to Best: Black Sabbath

This one's been a long time coming. I started this 2 years ago but never finished it. After the writing itch returned and Ozzy's passing last year (will get to his discography at some point), it felt like the right time to finish this off and give my thoughts and rankings to all 19 studio releases from their debut which marked the beginning of heavy metal itself, up to what will likely be their final ever release in '13'. 

A band this legendary barely needs an introduction so let's get to it: 

19. Forbidden (1995)

Part of the reason why I wanted to do this list was to see if my opinion had any deviation from the norm when it comes to criticism of the band's later releases, especially this one as it's usually considered their worst. In this case my opinion isn't much different as it's my least favourite as well. 

I wouldn't say it's outright terrible but it's not that good either. The whole thing feels like a bit of a mess with throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks. Probably most controversial is opener 'Illusion of Power' which sounds like they're trying too hard to sound trendy to the 1995 audience including an out of place spoken word section by Ice T. 

Elsewhere the rest of the album is just kind of there with only a couple of highlights like rockers 'Guilty as Hell' and 'Shaking off the Chains', not to mention the title track which is the closest the album comes to sounding like classic Sabbath. 

In tracks like 'Get a Grip' and 'Rusty Angels', the band sound like they're trying to be Motley Crue and Bon Jovi respectively. Not terrible overall, just a bit of a dogs dinner not really worth revisiting.

Recommended tracks: Shaking off the Chains, Guilty as Hell, Forbidden

Rating: 5/10

18. Born Again (1983)

This was an interesting as I was looking around to see the general consensus around all albums and this one seemed to be the most mixed with some deeming it a lost masterpiece and others calling it one of their worst. As you can probably tell by my ranking, I fall into the latter category. 

The main issue outside of the subpar production making everything sound a bit too raw, is the (only) inclusion of Deep Purple's Ian Gillan on vocals just doesn't mesh with the band's sound, leading to tracks like 'Disturbing the Priest' to sound cheesy when they're trying to go for dark and atmospheric. 

After the first couple of tracks things do pick up a bit like with album highlight 'Zero the Hero', and Tony Iommi's usual excellent guitar work does help a lot as it mainly sounds like a band trying to find their footing after losing yet another vocalist in Dio. Not awful but not much to go on.

Recommended tracks: Zero the Hero, Born Again, Hot Line

Rating: 5.5/10

17. Never Say Die (1978)

Feel like I might get in some shit for putting an older Ozzy album all the way back here but this is a pretty bang average album from such a legendary lineup. 

It's the first album to not really have a 'classic' track on it outside of maybe the title track but I wouldn't go as far as to call it a classic even if it's the most memorable track on here. Shame that this one would end up being Ozzy's last until 2013. 

Unlike the previous two albums on the list, there's nothing outright bad on here, just not much to keep coming back to outside of 'Johnny Blade' with it's great guitar solo or a good rocker like 'A Hard Road'.

Recommended Tracks: Never Say Die, A Hard Road, Johnny Blade

Rating: 6/10

16. Technical Ecstasy (1976)

And another older Ozzy album lower on the list. That's gotta sting for someone. I put this one almost on the same level as Never Say Die, although this one is up sl

ightly higher thanks to it's final track 'Dirty Women' which is one of their better songs from the early days and one they played live even up their final shows around 2017. 

Other than that there's only a couple other memorable tracks such as 'You Won't Change Me' which is one of the only tracks that sounded more like traditional Sabbath, another good rocker in 'Rock N Doctor's, and a damn good ballad in 'She's Gone'. 

Not much else on offer here and it's the first weaker album they ever came out with. 

Recommended tracks: Dirty Women, Rock N Roll Doctor, You Won't Change Me

Rating: 6.5/10

15. Cross Purposes (1994)

This is another one that seems to be a contender for Sabbath's lost masterpiece, and whilst I wouldn't go that far, this is definitely the point in this list where the albums start going from just ok to good. 

Outside of Forbidden, this is the only other Tony Martin fronted Sabbath album I'd describe as less than great. It does have a couple of forgettable tracks like 'Psychophobia' and 'Immaculate Deception', but the catchy riffs of awesome opener 'I Witness', the doom laden 'Virtual Death' and 'Evil Eye's, and even a damn good ballad in 'Dying for Love' makes up for that.

Nowhere near bad and worth a look for sure. 

Recommended Tracks: I Witness, Evil Eye, Virtual Death

14. 13 (2013)

In going back to listen to this one for the list, I realised it's the first time I've listened to it since it first came out 13 years ago (Christ I'm old). 

I'm glad this one exists, because Forbidden being their last would be awful, but mainly because this feels like a celebration of the first dozen Sabbath albums with so many tracks borrowing from their classics. In saying that, it is a tad detrimental to the quality of the album as it doesn't feel like there's much "new" on offer. 

'God is Dead?' is the album highlight for me with it being the most doom metal the band has sounded in decades and it's near 9 minute runtime feels way shorter. 'Loner' sounds almost like a direct ripoff of 'N.I.B.' from their first album but I'll be damned if it isn't a toe tapper. 

Only a couple of skippable tracks here, but the fact the entire album ends with the rainstorm and church bells from the beginning of their first album puts a smile on my face. Does this album need to exist? Not really but I'm glad it does.

Rating: 7/10

Recommended tracks: God is Dead?, Loner, Live Forever

13. Seventh Star (1986)

So the story behind this one is that as founding member Tony Iommi was the only original member left after Geezer Butler left, this was meant to be a Tony solo project, but because record companies are arseholes, they made him release it as a Black Sabbath album since names sell albums. 

Going in with that knowledge makes it easier to enjoy this as more of a hard rock album than a Sabbath release. It's only 35 minutes long as well making for an easier listen. The closest the album comes to sounding like Sabbath (at least the Dio era) is the title track. Glenn Hughes took over vocal duties but he's pretty unremarkable.

Really there's not much to complain about here. 'Danger Zone' sounds like it belongs in an 80s movie montage and 'No Stranger to Love' is a pretty standard ballad but they're still enjoyable. Give this one a chance.

Rating: 7.5/10

Recommended Tracks: Seventh Star, Turn to Stone, In for the Kill 

12. The Eternal Idol (1987)

The first album of the Tony Martin era and whilst it took him another album to really find his voice, he does well here. Easily Sabbath's most underrated vocalist.

After how Seventh Star sounded, this was a bit of a return to form as it's closest to the Sabbath sound since Mob Rules. I went in expecting not to like this one and it surprised the hell out of me. 

There are a couple of bum tracks like the power metal sounding 'Glory Ride', and the boring 'Nightmare', but when it's good it's REALLY good. Opener 'The Shining' sets the tone and brings Sabbath back to its horror roots with this Stephen King inspired track, and the epic 'Ancient Warrior' sounds like a march to war. The doomy title track makes for a great closer too. Worth checking out.

Rating: 8/10

Recommended tracks: The Shining, Ancient Warrior, Lost Forever 

11. Mob Rules (1981)

Feels criminal to have this one this low but we're getting into the really good stuff now. To be fair it's the first Dio album that's appeared so that shows you the quality of all his Sabbath releases.

The pressure was on to deliver another banger album after how well Heaven and Hell was received, and whilst it doesn't quite reach the same levels, it's a damn solid release.

The main issue is that the album is very top heavy with the first half being excellent with tracks like the atmospheric 'The Sign of the Southern Cross' and the stomping 'Voodoo' delivering the goods, but disappointing tracks like 'Slipping Away' and the album closer letting the side down.

Still it's more than worth a look especially with Dio's always iconic vocals. 

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: The Sign of the Southern Cross, Voodoo, Turn up the Night

10. Sabotage (1975)

Another one that feels too low on the list but we are starting to get into the really good stuff now. This one is famous for being recorded whilst the band was in a legal battle with their former manager which influenced a bit of the songwriting (looking at you 'The Writ')

Another experimental album which is why some people have this as their favourite but I'd personally say this is the weakest of their first 5 years as a band. There are definitely some classics here to be fair, like the brilliant 'Symptom of the Universe' which sounds like a thrash song before thrash was even invented, and powerful opener 'Hole in the Sky' which sounded heavier than pretty much all of their previous release. 

There's nothing bad on here but the tracks do lose a bit of quality as the album roles on. Another solid as hell release.

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: Symptom of the Universe, Hole in the Sky, Megalomania 

9. Dehumanizer (1992)

After a run of albums with Tony Martin, Dio came back to the band to try to recapture the magic of the earlier Dio/Sabbath releases and they pretty much succeeded even if it ended up being a bit of a flop at the time. 

Opener 'Computer God' is fantastic and harkens back to the Heaven and Hell title track along with a lovely melodic midsection to keep things fresh. Really the only skippable track here is 'Letters to Earth' and even that's just fine. 'I' is a highlight as well as an absolute stomper of a track.

This one deserves another look if you haven't already. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Recommended Tracks: Computer God, I, TV Crimes

8. Tyr (1990)

It's weird, I first listened to this one a couple of years back when it was finally released to Spotify, and I really didn't think much of it outside of a couple of tracks, but on the relisten for this list, it really came together for me. 

It definitely resembles more of an atmospheric power metal album than a traditional Sabbath album but damn they make it work for them. Opener 'Anno Mundi' sets the tone with a nice 6 minute, mystical sounding epic before roaring into 'The Law Maker' which is a rocker even Iron Maiden would have been proud of. Tony Martin's vocals are at their best on this album especially on more power metal styled tracks like 'Jerusalem'.

'Sabbath Stones' is another epic that makes you feel like you're on the eve of a massive battle, and the "Nordic trilogy" which ranges from the beautiful 'Battle of Tyr', through to 'Odin's Court', and finishing with huge rocker 'Valhalla' makes for another big highlight. 

Rating: 9/10

Recommended tracks: Anno Mundi, The Law Maker, Sabbath Stones

7. Headless Cross (1989)

I love this album. It's the best Tony Martin album for me and the one I come back to most since my first listen a couple years back. It might even end up further up the list given more time with it. 

This is where Tony's vocals really hit their stride after an ok start on The Eternal Idol, and really meshes well with the rest of the band. The opening title track is the best track they'd released in years with a thundering chorus and a simple but effective guitar riff. 

'When Death Calls' is also one of the best tracks they've ever released with another huge chorus and a mind bending guitar solo from Tony. The first half of the album is definitely better than the last few tracks but there's virtually no filler to be found here at all. 

Rating: 9/10

Recommended tracks: Headless Cross, When Death Calls, Devil & Daughter

6. Vol 4 (1972)

 Now we're getting to the proper classics. This one's pretty much known as the "cocaine" album considering the band was getting a ton of it delivered to their studio whilst they recorded.

They even wrote a song about it in the classic 'Snowblind'! Works as one hell of a stoner track though. 'Supernaut' treated us to one of the best riffs that Tony Iommi has ever put out, and they were sure to keep the doomier side coming with closer 'Under the Sun'. We even got their first proper ballad in 'Changes' which I still think is underrated overall.

Not quite on the level of some of their other works but this is always a fun one to go back to.

Rating: 9/10

Recommended tracks: Supernaut, Snowblind, Changes 

5. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

So the story behind this one is that the band were in a bit of a creative slump after the drug fueled Vol 4, so they decided to record this one in an old English castle. The spooky surroundings led to the most experimental album the band had made up to this point. 

The opening title track is one of my Sabbath favourites with one of the more memorable guitar riffs Tony came up with, and some of the best vocals you'll ever hear out of Ozzy. 'Fluff' is a gorgeous instrumental piece leading into the surprisingly jazzy 'Sabbra Cadabra'. 

Only the repetitive 'Who Are You' is skippable to me but the rest of the album more than makes up for it especially with killer cuts like 'Spiral Architect' and 'Killing Yourself to Live'.

Rating: 9/10

Recommended tracks: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabbra Cadabra, Spiral Architect 

4. Heaven and Hell (1980)

And we come to the highest rated Sabbath album not to feature Ozzy as the vocalist. After Ozzy was kicked out the band, Dio was brought in as replacement. They really needed this to be a win and safe to say they succeeded.

As soon as opener 'Neon Knights' begins, you know you're in for a good time as it's one of the most energetic tracks they've ever recorded and Dio's soaring vocals show he means business. The title track is one of my all time favourite Sabbath tracks, and one I would show to anyone new to the genre to show them how great metal can be.

'Walk Away' is the only skippable track here and comes across more like a song KISS would come up with rather than Sabbath, but when you have tracks like the atmospheric 'Children of the Sea' and the brilliant 'Die Young', it more than makes up for it. 

Rating 9/10

Recommended Tracks: Heaven and Hell, Neon Knights, Children of the Sea

3. Black Sabbath (1970)

Back to where it all began. Not just for Sabbath themselves; but for heavy metal as a whole. I was pretty scared about potentially criticising this one at all given it's historical presence, but I needn't have worried, even 56 years later this is still a masterpiece. 

Listening to the title track opener is always a pleasure as it just feels like a whole new genre born into existence, and it's initial riff still feels raw and heavy all these years later. 'N.I.B' still has one of the catchiest guitar riffs ever recorded and is still a highlight of the album, and the same goes for 'Behind the Wall of Sleep'. 

There are a couple of covers but even those like the memorable 'Evil Woman', and epic 'Warning' bring the goods. Here's to another 50 odd years of metal.

Rating: 9.5/10

Recommended tracks: Black Sabbath, N.I.B, Behind the Wall of Sleep

2. Master of Reality (1971)

I went back and forth multiple times on the top two spots on the list and really they could be swapped around depending on what mood I'm in. It's generally agreed that this album paved the way for sludge and stoner metal and might still be the heaviest album Sabbath ever recorded. 

It has what's likely still the most iconic stoner track ever as it's opener in the brilliant 'Sweet Leaf' and with it you can see bands like Electric Wizard receiving their inspiration for their music. 'Children of the Grave' is another huge track with it's galloping rhythm likely inspiring bands like Iron Maiden a few years after this. Closer 'Into the Void' has such an incredible riff and is one of the best doom metal tracks ever. 

The whole album is over in 33 short minutes and not one of those minutes feels wasted with rockers 'After Forever' and 'Lord of this World' bringing the goods. It would easily be their best if not for...

Rating: 10/10

Recommended Tracks: Sweet Leaf, Children of the Grave, Into the Void

1. Paranoid (1970)

It was always an easy choice for number 1 as it's not really a hot take to say this is Sabbath's best, but you just can't deny the quality and influence of this album. The fact it was released the same year as their brilliant debut is absolutely wild. 

Opener 'War Pigs' might just be the best opening track in metal history, perfect for a concert sing along (even if masses rhymes with masses) and seems to be having a new lease of life after Ozzy passed away as you hear it everywhere now. 

The title track is easily the best filler track ever as the band famously only made it up on the spot to fill album time and ended up making their most popular song in the process. And I'm sure everyone and their mum's knows the iconic riff behind 'Iron Man's

Elsewhere 'Fairies Wears Boots' makes for an excellent, bluesy outro, 'Hand of Doom' talks about the horrors of the Vietnam war in an epic song, and 'Planet Caravan' really starts their experimental side in a haunting, mystical way. One of the best metal albums ever released and one that's near impossible to top.

Rating: 10/10

Recommended tracks: War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man

Thank you so much for reading all this. Until next time.

I Prevail/Polaris/Gore. Gig Review - Glasgow O2 Academy 20/09/2026

 

And we're back! I've missed talking metal so hopefully I'm back for good this time. Figured a good time would be to talk about my most recent gig outing from the other night: I Prevail at the O2 Academy. 

It's a rare night when it's my first time seeing every single band on a gig night but that was the case here and it made for a more exciting evening. So how did it go?

First up was Texas based metalcore crew Gore. who are filling in for Amira Elfeky as she had to drop out of the tour for logistical reasons. I'd never heard of them before they were announced as replacements but after this showing I'm definitely a fan. 

I did feel a tad bad for them as they were looking for circle pits from the early crowd who were clearly planning on keeping their energy for the next 2 acts, but the crowd at least made sure the band were appreciated with loud cheers and applause after each track. 

A short but sweet set, giving off Spiritbox vibes without feeling like a total copy. Vocalist Haley Roughton was easily the highlight as she moved from soft to harsh vocals with ease and brought a charisma the rest of the band seemed to be missing. Tracks like Babylon, and Lead Me To The Slaughter hit like a truck whilst tracks like new single Crucified beg to sang along with once the band has more time to get their name out their. Perfect warm up opener and a band I hope to see bigger and better in future. 

Next up was Austrailia's own Polaris and going by the crowd reaction they might as well have been headlining the whole show with some of the biggest circle pits and walls of death of the entire evening. When the I Prevail tour was first announced I was always going to go, but the inclusion of Polaris  meant that I HAD to go. They've had a reputation for being one of the better modern metalcore bands around and they proved it on this night. 

Their 40-45 minute set felt like it went by in a flash from furious opener "Dissipate" all the way to my favourite track and set closer "Nightmare". Every song felt like it was specifically designed to get every single person in the room moving and they pretty much succeeded in it. Hopefully next time they're in Scotland we get a proper headline tour and with what seems to be a new album in the works, we might not be waiting long. Tonight would have already been worth the money but we still have our headliners...

Was a bit of wait between bands but finally it was time for I Prevail  to arrive on stage and in huge fashion with recent bruiser track "NWO", followed by fan favourite "Bow Down" to get the crowd's energy back up after Polaris had seemingly absorbed all of it 35 minutes earlier. I am surprised I never really got the chance to see these guys before outside a Download festival spot a few years back I missed out on, but I'm glad tonight was my night to check them out as it was set pretty much based around 2019 album Trauma onwards.

They did have a little treat for the older fans (including my gig mate Shannon) with an awesome rendition of "Come and Get It" from 2016 album "Lifelines". Really this night was mainly about their new (2025) album "Violent Nature" which brought the goods with tracks like "Into Hell" and "God". A highlight for me was "There's Fear in Letting Go" which has been stuck in my head ever since the gig ended. 

A nice surprise came in an unexpected cover of Metallica's "Sad But True" which I'm hoping they'll release on Spotify at some point as it was pretty damn good. The evening wrapped up with classics "Hurricane" and "Gasoline" to send the crowd home happy and exhausted with the all the crowd surfing going on. A brilliant end to a brilliant night. This definitely won't be the last time I see all the bands on here.

Thanks for reading!

Ranked Worst to Best: Bring Me The Horizon

 

I've been looking forward to this one. For nearly 10 years, BMTH have been one of my favorite bands which usually surprises a lot of people given my usual listening habits. I've loved watching their evolution from rising deathcore lads to a band that can headline even the Download festival and knock it out of the park. 

I wanted to do a ranking list earlier, but I was adamant that I'd wait until their new album was finally released which I wasn't expecting til around September this year, but thankfully they dropped it out of nowhere back in May.

Just a note as well, I know I don't normally include EPs in these lists but I'm making an exception for one here for Survival Horror, mainly due to the fact that no one actually refers to it as an EP and usually just a 'commercial release'. It has a studio album's worth of tracks and is longer than most EPs so I'm considering it a studio album. 

With that out the way, let's start:

8. amo (2019)

Going back and listening to these albums again for this list, I was expecting this one to be the underrated gem of the group. I was disappointed with it when it first came out due to the poppier, more mainstream direction they were going, but given that I've come to love their current sound, I thought I'd have more appreciation for where they were going. If anything I now like it even less.

I'm all for experimentation but half the time it just didn't work and even led to what I believe are some of the worst tracks they've ever recorded like the terrible 'why you gotta kick me when i'm down?' and the absolute cringe worthy 'heavy metal' and 'sugar honey ice & tea'.

Thankfully there are some good tracks to balance it all out a bit like lead single 'MANTRA' which is still played live to this day, some poppier tracks that are actually worth a listen and quite catchy like 'medicine' and 'mother tongue', and the underrated as hell closer. 

Rating: 5.5/10

Recommended Tracks: 'wonderful life', 'medicine', 'i don't know what to say'

7. Count Your Blessings (2006)

I really don't have much to say about this one. It was the band's first studio album and you can tell as they're still trying to discover their sound and the direction they want to go in.

This is a total deathcore album through and through, and Oli's vocals sound almost unrecognisable compared to his later work. Whilst the album is kept short at a nice 36 minutes, pretty much every track sounds the same and it all kind of bleeds together with only a couple of songs really standing out amongst the rest. Still nothing bad here at least and it makes for some nice, harsh background noise if needed. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Pray for Plagues', 'Black & Blue', 'Liquor & Love Lost'

6. Suicide Season (2008)

I'm surprised at myself for putting this one so low as it used to be a favourite of mine but I guess it just shows how far they've come since then. 

This is the follow up that was needed after the decent debut as you can clearly hear the evolution of their sound, this time with multiple tracks that standout with way more thought put into them. They've still got that harsh deathcore sound with just a pinch of melody added now and again. 

The only criticism I have is that the mid-section of the record is pretty skippable with tracks like 'Death Breath' and 'Sleep with One Eye Open' coming across more like filler, though huge tracks like the headbang worthy 'Chelsea Smile' and fan favourite 'Diamonds Aren't Forever' making up for it in style. 

Great stuff. 

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Chelsea Smile', 'Diamonds Aren't Forever', 'The Sadness Will Never End'

5. POST HUMAN: NeX GEn (2024)

Finally after 4 years of waiting this album was released and..... it was pretty solid. I was disappointed at first as I was expecting an album of the year contender and whilst it's not quite that, it's still a damn good release. 

The anticipation had been growing due to the high quality of the singles released ages before the album even released like my favourite 'Kool-Aid' which is a perfect example of the groups fusion of metalcore and electronic elements into their sound complete with big breakdowns and big choruses, along with the pop-punk masterpice that is 'Lost'. 

My main disappointment came with a lack of great new tracks to dig my teeth into though some have come around over time with video game inspired 'Top 10 Statues That Cried Blood' becoming a particular favourite, though one track I tend to skip on relistens now is 'Limousine', which I've heard is a Deftones rip off so it makes sense as to why it's not for me as Deftones are also not for me. 

It is a tad overlong and has a few too many 'interludes' but I still think it's a good time with the great outweighing the meh. 

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Kool-Aid', 'Amen', 'Lost'

4. Sempiternal (2013)

I might get some crap for not putting this one at the top spot but I just feel that some other releases are just slightly better. This is the point where the band really toned down a good bit of the heavyness and opted for big arena tracks which has worked out pretty well for them in the long run. 

The first half of this album is an absolute masterclass with monster hits like 'Can You Feel My Heart' and 'Shadow Moses' demanding repeat listens as they crawl their way inside your brain and stay there for good. The second half isn't quite as hard hitting with cuts like 'Crooked Young' and 'And the Snakes Start to Sing' letting the side down a bit. 

Aside from that, from start to finish, this is a fantastic effort and it's no wonder their popularity soared from here. 

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Shadow Moses', 'Sleepwalking', 'The House of Wolves'

3. There is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen it, There is a Heaven Let's Keep it a Secret (2010)

This was my first ever exposure to Bring Me The Horizon as I can vividly remember buying the CD from HMV, putting it on in my mum's living room, and just being absolutely stunned by what I heard and immediately having to replay it. I'd never heard anything this heavy before and I wanted more. 

Even over 10 years later this album still kicks major ass. After experimenting with slightly melodic moments on 'Suicide Season' 2 years prior, they took it to another level hear, even adding in orchastral sections and clean vocals for a way more varied experience. 

The absolute beautiful chaos of tracks like 'Fuck' and 'It Never Ends' need to be experienced. Like 'Sempiternal' this one is a little top heavy but there are no skippable tracks here at all. Wonderful stuff. 

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks: 'It Never Ends', 'Fuck', 'Crucify Me'

2. POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR (2020)

This album/EP came around at the absolute right time. We were still in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown and, for me at least, this felt like a true bit of catharthis after endless months of staying indoors. 'amo' had decided a year before and the band came back with an absolute bang, a glimpse into their future, and some of the biggest and best tracks they'd ever recorded. 

It doesn't hurt that they had Mick Gordon of video game 'Doom' fame to help them out. Opener 'Dear Diary' is the heaviest they'd sounded in a decade and the closest they've flirted with outright death metal. That's not to mention the total insanity that is 'Kingslayer' which may just be my favourite BMTH track of all time. It's a techno/metal fusion from hell in the best way possible and I can't get enough of it. 

'Ludens' is the only track that kind of let's the side down but everything else here is tremendous. 

Rating: 9.5/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Kingslayer', 'Dear Diary', 'Parasite Eve', 'Teardrops'

1. That's the Spirit (2015)

Of course this is number 1. I've the freaking artwork tattooed onto my left arm for god sake. 

I'll keep this short but this album means the world to me. It was there when I was at my worst and helped me through some dark times and is now my ultimate comfort album. Tracks like the gorgeous 'Drown' hit me to my very core when I need to.

Aside from that, the album us just a brilliant ride from start to finish, from the gigantic chorus of 'Doomed' all the way to poignant closer 'Oh No' , this album hits all the right notes. I love it. 

Rating: 9.5/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Doomed', 'Happy Song', 'Throne', 'Drown', 'Avalanche'

Thanks once again for reading! It might be a little while until I'm back again as I'm planning to cover the entirre 19 album discography of Black Sabbath so it's gonna take a while to get everything together. 

Ranked Worst to Best: Bruce Dickinson

 

After finally getting to experience Bruce Dickinson live performing his solo stuff in front of a packed and brilliant Barrowlands crowd, I just had to post a ranking of all his solo albums. 

For those not in the know, Bruce Dickinson is the famed vocalist of the legendary band Iron Maiden. Since 1990 he has released 7 studio albums including March this year where he released his first solo effort since 2005. The man is my all time favorite musician to the point where I've even got his signature tattoed onto my left arm. He is most indeed worthy of the ranking list. Let's begin. 

7. Skunkworks (1996)

As the story goes; Bruce wanted his solo project to be called Skunkworks but the record company refused and insisted his name be forefront to keep the bucks rolling in. I do feel kind of bad for putting this one last as it's a good album but just the weakest of all unfortunately. I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this as I'd avoided it for a good while but it is worth a look in my opinion. 

Most likely due to the time of the album's release, Bruce goes for a more grunge rock kind of sound than the traditional metal he was known for and it does work well in places like lead single 'Back From the Edge' and stomper 'Headswitch'. The main issue is that it has 13 total songs which is just way too much and the sound doesn't vary as much as I would like it to, leading to a few of the tracks blurring together after a while. It definitely peaks with the first few tracks and doesn't quite reach that level again. 

Still it's worth a look.

Rating 7/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Back From the Edge', 'Headswitch', 'Inertia'

6. Tattooed Millionaire (1990)

Here we have Bruce's first solo release and you can kind of tell with how all over the place it can be at times. At the time, Bruce was still with Maiden but it was at a tense time when creative differences were affecting the quality of the work released and that pretty much bled into this release. 

Still overall I do enjoy this album and it's one I can have in the background whilst I chill out as he's going for a more classic rock vibe as he tries to figure out his own sound. The title track is fantastic and catchy as hell, and the more energetic tracks like 'Gypsy Road' really carry the weight here. There's even a sweet little cover of the Mott the Hooples 'All the Young Dudes' that I quite enjoy. 

It's really only the last 3 tracks that let the whole thing down with 'Lickin the Gun' sounding like a bad Aersosmith track, and closer 'No Lies' disappointing. 

Rating: 7/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Tattooed Millionaire', 'Gypsy Road', 'Born in 58'

 5. Balls to Picasso (1994)

This was Bruce's first solo release after leaving Maiden in 1993. With this one you do get a sense of the sound he wants to go for but there are still a few flaws that need to be ironed out. 

Like with the past few entries there are a few filler tracks that can likely be skipped, but unlike with those albums, this one has some Bruce all timers on show. You can't talk about this album without talking about 'Tears of the Dragon' which would fit perfectly on any classic Maiden album and is likely the best solo track Bruce ever released. It's beauty can't be described without hearing it for yourself, and having the privilege to hear it played live recently was an almost religious experience for me. 

Outside of that you do have some bangers to go along with it, so this is an easy recommndation from me. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Tears of the Dragon', 'Laughing in the Hiding Bush', 'Gods of War'

4. Tyranny of Souls (2005)

Now we're hitting the truly 'great' albums in the discography. Bruce had been back in Maiden for 5 years at this point and with the morale in the band being high at the time, it seems to have had a positive effect on Bruce's work as well. 

There's only one kind of meh track in 'Believel' but the rest are all worth checking out for sure. 'Abduction' is a thrashy masterpiece (sounds amazing live as well), 'Navigate the Seas of the Sun' is the accoustic track Maiden wishes they'd written, and the title track makes for an epic closer. 

Fantastic stuff. 

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Abduction', 'Navigate the Seas of the Sun', 'A Tyranny of Souls'

3. The Mandrake Project (2024)

I didn't think I'd be putting this one this high but here we are. Released 19 years after 'Tyranny of Souls' the expectations were kind of all over the place, but Bruce proved he could put out a modern classic outside of the Maiden machine. 

'Afterglow of Ragnarok' was the first single and taste of what was to come and ended up being the perfect comeback track with an epic riff and even more epic chorus. This was followed by 'Rain on the Graves' which has a nice satanic, classic blues feel to it. 'Eternity Has Failed' is pretty much a redo of Iron Maiden's 'If Eternity Should Fail' from 2015, but surprisingly I much prefer Bruce's version as it just has a much sinister tone and has some of my favorite instrumental moments I've heard all year. 

My only real issue is the dull final track that goes on way too long for my liking, but everything else on offer is so good that it easily makes up for it. If Judas Priest hadn't released 'Invincible Shield', 'The Mandrake Project' would be my pick for best album of 2024 so far. 

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Afterflow of Ragnarok', 'Fingers in the Wounds', 'Mistress of Mercy'

2. Accident of Birth (1997)

If this album was released by any other artist it would probably be considered their best but this is Bruce Dickinson we're talking about here. This is his first truly excellent album and he never really looked back after this. This is the Bruce we all needed after he left Maiden. It also helps that he has Adrian Smith on guitar who had also left Maiden by this time. 

I really don't have much in the way of negatives except that track 'Welcome to the Pit' doesn't really match up to the rest but that's about it. From furious opener 'Freak' to beautiful closer 'Arc of Space' this is just balls to the wall heavy metal as it was meant to be heard. This one comes highly recommended. But there is still one better...

Rating: 9.5/10

Recommended Tracks: 'Darkside of Aquarius', 'Road to Hell', 'Man of Sorrows', 'Accident of Birth', 'Omega'

1. The Chemical Wedding (1998)

I can't tell you how much I adore this album and hold it in high regards with some of Maiden's best ever releases. 

The worst track here is 'Trumpets of Jericho' and even that's a banger! Really there's so much to love here from the heavy as hell opener 'King in Crimson' to the absolutely gorgeous closer in 'The Alchemist' which in itself brings the album full circle back to the title track in a way that almost brings me to tears everytime I hear it. You want all of this. I need all of this. 

Rating: 10/10

Recommended tracks: All of them

Thanks once again for reading! I did wonder where to look next, but with Bring Me The Horizon releasing their anticipated new album out of nowhere, I think I know what I need to do.