Often deemed one of the worst Black Sabbath albums, "Never Say Die!" (1978) shows an admixture of 70s heavy metal with prog rock, featuring keyboardist Don Airey (Deep Purple, Rainbow), who gives the affair those spacey, dare one say symphonic atmospheres at times.
Abundant highlights grace this collection, such as the opening title track, the climactic "Junior's Eyes", "Johnny Blade", "Hard Road", "Shock Wave", the intense, jazzy, and beautiful "Air Dance", and the fantastic "Over to You"... wonderful songs that, unfortunately, Tony Iommi filed under lock and key, never to play them again.
Bill Ward's drums are especially remarkable for their heavy and deep sound, besides "Geezer" Butler's groovy bass, and the integral artwork by Hipgnosis, with their habitual good taste and creativity.
The album closes with two unusual tracks, a cinematic, brass-dominated instrumental, "Breakout", segued into a sort of (anti-war?) blues rock: "Swinging the Chain".
Unfortunately after the tour (with Van Halen as opening act), Ozzy Osbourne was expulsed from Black Sabbath, though he left "Never Say Die!" as a final testament, an excellent and often maligned heavy rock LP.
By: Death_Metal_Doll