Dehumanizer
Carson gave this album
on2007-12-05.
I will start off by admitting that I am biased - I prefer Ozzy over Dio. Regardless, I am impressed by Dehumanizer.
"After All (the Dead)" and "Letters From Earth" are, in my opinion, the only two tracks that sound remotely similar to Black Sabbath's blues roots. Both are slower songs though, so think "Hand of Doom", not "Paranoid". "Computer God" and "TV Crimes" both contain observations and admonitions of society. The former questions our reliance on technology, while the latter attacks people who exploit faith for profit. Anyone who has seen the Wayne's World movie probably remembers "Time Machine (Wayne's World version)". Both versions of this song are well written and performed, but the movie variant edges out a victory in this race.
Fans of early Black Sabbath albums may be put off by the different sound; this is no Black Sabbath or Paranoid for instance, but is definitely worth listening to if you are willing to try something different.