I'm not a huge Sabbath fan. Nor more than a casual Ozzy fan, so the fact that I've awarded this thing one of my rare five starts and played it to death over the years is a testament to just how good this thing is.

Starting off with Miracle Man, a humourous and perenially timely attack on sanctimonious preachers, this album promises metal on metal. And it delivers with Ozzy in scintillating form. The man at his most attacking in the aforementioned Miracle Man, at his most broken and plaintive in Fire In The Sky, at his most vicious and morally bankrupt in Devils Daughter and Tattooed Dancer and at his most autobiographical in Demon Alcohol.

And the focus of the whole thing is kind of intimidating. Sure, during the late 90's and the 00's we got used to the feeling that bands had hugely focussed on the minutiae of their albums but in the 80's that wasn't always the case and for a chemical commando like Ozzy you couldn't take it for granted that there would be such focus. But the whole organisation seems 100% behind this disc from the star production team of Keith Olsen and Roy Thomas Baker through to the band of expert veterans. Bob Daisley and Randy Castillo are certainly 'name' guys to have as your engine room and Zakk Wylde is at his manic best, basically forging his own legend with riffs that would withstand a nuclear blast and solos so biting they'd carve through battleship armour.

But hey, don't take my word for it - it's cheap enough so add it to your cart and crak it in the comfort of your own home!