11. Black Sabbath- Paranoid(1970)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

Black Sabbath, the true inventors of heavy metal, are the first band to have a second album ranked in my series. It's also their sophomore album, also released in 1970, am extremely prolific ear for a band eager to make its uniquely heavy music for that time known to the world, so did it manage to get a higher score than 8.62, the overall rating of their self-titled debut? Here comes the answer:

8. Rat Salad- 8(solid)

7. Planet Caravan- 8

6. Iron Man- 8.5(very good)

5. Paranoid- 9(great)

4. Han of Doom- 9.5(fantastic)

3. Fairies Wear Boots- 9.5

2. Electric Funeral- 9.5

1. War Pigs- 10(stellar)

Overall Rating: 9.00

Out of the three hits still heavily played on the radios, there is one I still can't grow tired of: War Pigs, the perfect anti-war song, with its heavily slow pace, crushing riffs and outstanding lyrics that will remain relevant for as long as there are wars on Earth and crazy rulers starting them, gets a well-deserved 10 and the undisputed winning slot.

The other two hits, Paranoid and Iron Man, although highly enjoyable as well for their iconic riffs and catchy melodies, didn't reach my top 3 because they were outtaken by the sheer complexitate and musical prowess of tracks ranked 2 to 4. Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots and Hand of Doom are all remarkable, doomy tracks that seem to be way ahead of them. Ranking them was quite hard because I find them almost equally great, so their positions are interchangeable.

Paranoid definitely represents an impro event from Black Sabbath's strong debut and also a hugely influential record, especially for the genre of doom metal. Many people see it as their best record, but it definitely has some contenders for that honourable title in other 70s Ozzy-era works as well în the 80s shorter Dio period, but one thing is undeniable: it's a timeless record that will live in the hearts of rock music fans for centuries to come!

9. Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I(1987)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

German legends Helloween make their debut in my ranking series with an album which is hugely influential on the growth of European power metal. Out of the 8 tracks on 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I', there are two short instrumental tracks- the intro and the outro- which I didn't rate(though I really love the intro), so only six tracks remain to be ranked, and here is my classification:

6. Twilight of the Gods- 7.5(good)

5. A Little Time- 8(solid)

4. I'm Alive- 9(great)

3. A Tale That Wasn't Right- 9.5(fantastic)

2. Future World- 10(stellar)

1. Halloween- 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.00

There could only be one winner on this album: Halloween, a 13-minute monster track of epic proportions which perfectly illustrates how fabulous European power metal can be when performed by the iconic band which basically invented the genre. Everything in this brilliant song- the versus, the chorus, Michael Kiske's unique voice, the fantastic drumming and guitarwork- is pure perfection!

The second place in my ranking, Future World, also gets the highest mark from me thanks to its musical prowess, amazing chorus and the positive effect it has upon me whenever I give it a spin, while the third place, A Tale That Wasn't Right, is also close to perfection thanks to its emotionally charged delivery and great guitar solo which help it reach the top 10 of my favourite metal ballads of all time.

Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I,along with the second part, which I will analyze in a future episode, remains a hugely influential record for the style of European power metal, and an album I will always enjoy listening to along with other fabulous works from German icons 

Helloween!

8. Ozzy Osbourne- Blizzard of Ozz(1980)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

1980 was a huge year for heavy metal since several seminal albums were released. One of them is  Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo whose tracks I'm ranking in this post. I have to mention that I decided not to include ' Dee', a very short instrumental, in my ranking, so this how I rank and rate the songs from 'Blizzard of Ozz':

8. No Bone Movies- 6.5(average)

7. Goodbye to Romance- 8.5(very good)

6. I Don't Know- 9(great)

5. Suicide Solution- 9

4. Steal Away(The Night)- 9

3. Revelation(Mother Earth)- 9.5(fantastic)

2. Crazy Train- 9.5

1. Mr. Crowley- 10(stellar)

OVERALL RATING-  8.87

Mr. Crowley and Crazy Train were the two well-known tracks which fought for supremacy in my ranking. The former won the big prize thanks to the wide range of emotions caused by Ozzy's singing and the magical guitarwork by Randy Rhoades, while the latter, which also benefits from a great guitar solo and an  iconic riff, finished in second place mainly because its verses aren't that impressive for me. Just like "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, I sometimes skip this song when it appears on my playlists because of the burnout factor, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a remarkable track.

As for Revelations(Mother Earth), the most complex song of the album and the winner of the bronze medal, the emotional component is also highly present in Ozzy's voice as well as in its melancholic sections as the touching lyrics invite the listeners to meditate on the fate and future of our planet. It'a song with a really deep message.

The tracks ranked from numbers 4 to 6 are all greatly entertaining, addictive hard and heavy tunes which I truly enjoy, while Goodbye to Romance showcases Ozzy's more melancholic side and it's in my opinion one of his best ballads. As for No Bone Movies, I admit I don't find it particularly interesting. It could be my least favourite songs from Ozzy's 80s albums, but we'll see that after I finish ranking all of them.

However, one less interesting song can't change my general impression on Blizzard of Oz, which I consider to be one of the greatest debut albums of the 80s. After his inglorious departure from Black Sabbath, Ozzy was back in bussiness and ready to conquer the world of rock!

Strange World

               

          

      We're living in a world that's strange

      And full of wonders to be seen

      From Macchu Picchu to Stonehenge

      Our planet is a splendid scene.

      We yearn to travel and explore

      The deepest and most hidden sites

      We'd never stop cause we want more

      To go further and reach new heights.

       If only we could leave behind

       The things that burden our lives

       Pollution, war, stress, daily grind

       Ignore then, lock them in archives!

      We would be then careless and free

      To wander towards distant lands 

      And full of joy our days would be

      To have fun and shake our hands!

     

The Wheel Keeps Spinning

           

          

          The mighty wheel is spinning

          At a relentless pace

          And as the clock is ticking

          It's laughing in your face.

         With every passing second

         The end is getting near

          And all that you have reckoned

         Gives in to pain and fear.

        Your big dreams and ideals

        Are crushed by wheel's sheer power

        So you know how it feels

        To suffer day and hour.

        And yet, in times of sorrow

        When all hope appears lost

        You still wait for tomorrow

        And fight the past's ghost.

       The battle may be long

        And hanging by a thread

        But if your spirit's strong

        You'll beat the grief and dread!