The album opens with a short and creepy horror-move like instrumental. "The Gates of Hell" acts as a prelude to the title track. Not much to say about this very short track, but it is very good at setting the very dark tone to the album. "Headless Cross" comes blasting in next amid a very heavy drumbeat from the late master "Cozy Powell". Anyone who knows metal and hard-rock knows that Cozy was a beast on the sticks,in my opinion, second only to Jon Bonham in terms of sheer drumming power. Riffmaster Tony Iommi provides a solid riff, as par the course. Keyboards are very heavy on this song, and on the album in general, much to the ire of some Sabbath die-hards. I really don't mind the keyboards, and I actually think that they give this album a unique character, very full sounding, and truly a product of its time. Martin is top-notch as usual, hitting notes that most singers could only dream of hitting. A great voice and talent. Good song. Next is "Devil and Daughter". Very driving, I can see how some have applied the terms "AOR" to this song and album. Very European-sounding, the rising tide of power metal was clearly sweeping the Sabbath camp, almost a power metal song, musically speaking. Whatever tag you apply to the song, I really enjoy it. Martin is like a banshee in the night, singing his ass off, and proving to me personally, that he could sing circles around both Ozzy and Dio, at least technically speaking. Iommi's guitars are somewhat buried in effects, and the keyboards have too prominent a role, but Cozy's thundering beats give the song the heavy factor it needs. A metal classic, top stuff.
"When Death Calls" is a very atmospheric and creepy song. I love the bass work of Laurence Cottle, providing very nice bass "harmonics" during the intro. Iommi then kicks in with a huge riff, very heavy and doom-like, classic Sabbath. A great song, very progressive and dark, a gloomy symphony telling of evil and death, it has all of the hallmarks of a great Sabbath song. "Kill in the Spirit World" is the most "pop" song on the album, very catchy. I love the verses, very infectious and longing. But, the "chorus" has never been a favorite of mine, Martin's vocals should never be covered in effects, that's simply a sin. I do like the sort of bridge section where Iommi comes in with a huge riff echoing Martin's vocals, and then provides an "epic" solo. A good song, but not a Sabbath classic. Many people don't like the next track, but I fail to understand why. "Call of the Wild" is very hummable and powerful. Actually quite similar to "Kill in the Spirit World" in terms of musical structure, it features a driving verse, and a somewhat static "chorus". The bridge feels a bit tacked on, but doesn't ruin the song. Iommi's solo is more than adequate, but not one of his best. In any case, not an amazing song, but certainly enjoyable, especially the verse sections, Martin's vocals,and Cozy's amazing drumming.
"Black Moon" was recorded for the sessions of "The Eternal Idol" album in 1987. This version is a bit more slickly produced. A great song whatever version you hear, very heavy in terms of guitars, and perhaps a bit too heavy in terms of drums (Cozy could be a bit heavy-handed). A great Martin-era Sabbath song, my only real complaint is that Cottle's rubbery bass is mostly lost amid the loud guitars and drums. Cottle seems restricted on this album, probably due to the fact that he was essentially a hired hand in the band. My favorite song on the album is "Nightwing", the closing track. Jazzy bass slides are amazing on the introduction, and Martin delivers in my opinion, the best vocal of his time in Sabbath. Iommi's guitars are amazing as usual, and Cozy provides very solid drumming. The classical guitar ending is very nice as well, a nice touch. A great song.
"Headless Cross" is amazing. If you like metal, you need to own this album, Nonetheless, it can be hard to find in terms of physical copies, as it has been out of print for years.But if you do find it,you owe it to yourself to get a copy of in my opinion, the best Sabbath album of the 1980s.
Rating-9.5/10
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