Ozzy Osbourne has died 22 Jul 11:00 AM (3 months ago)

There’s not much else to say.  Ozzy died today.  I didn’t want to say anything about it until I could verify the news on my own, and once I did here goes.  As I post this on 1:55PM central time on 22 Jul 2025, the news has just  broke – there’s not a ton of detail, but for now that’s all we need to know.

There’s a million news stories around, so check them out for the latest and greatest – I’ll update when I have more to say.

Volume 4 Documentary 1 May 8:24 AM (5 months ago)

BLACK SABBATH VOL. 4 DOCUMENTARY

This fan made documentary is now streaming free on YouTube

This is six months of obsessive, archival-deep research crammed into 75 minutes. A new feature-length documentary has dropped on YouTube that digs deep into the creation, chaos, and cultural impact of Black Sabbath’s 1972 masterpiece, Vol. 4 — the album that redefined heavy metal while nearly destroying the band in the process.

Written, edited, voiced and produced by documentarian Alan Berry. Berry has produced three
previous Sabbath related documentaries: Did Frank Zappa play with Black Sabbath? | Sabotage
documentary | Master of Reality documentary

“Even the most diehard Sabbath fans will walk away having learned something new,” says Berry. “I wasn’t interested in doing a basic recap. This is the album that changed everything — for the band, for metal, for the decade — and it deserved a documentary that treated it that way.”

Watch the full documentary here: https://youtu.be/coszaE4RAZI

Rate the film on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36629093/?ref_=nm_knf_t_2

Eternal Idol 2025 Re-Release 7 Feb 10:53 AM (8 months ago)

This morning, it was announced on Tony Iommi’s social media that The Eternal Idol will get a Record Store Day 2025 re-release.  It was a short announcement that had a clip from the Shining music video, so there’s no formal press release on the thing.  I did however look into a few things, and came up with somethings about the release.   Here’s what I know about it.

1. It will be released on Record Store Day (12 April). It will get a wider distribution later in the summer (date TBA).
2. The RSD release will be the limited edition vinyl (translucent red, that they’re calling “ruby”). Rhino is distributing in US/North America, BMG elsewhere. Each of them has a limited qty available, it’s not an ongoing product.
3. RSD will be ONLY vinyl. CD / digital / black vinyl will come in the summer – undetermined date, maybe July.
4. The RSD is just the base album. No extras or bonuses at all.
5. It has been remastered – a new version.

Check in on the RSD website for what stores near you will have the thing: https://recordstoreday.com/Stores

Here’s a few items that are speculation on my part, but probably will come to pass.

1. The wide release may have the B sides (Black Moon & Some Kind of Woman), but I’m not aware of any plans to use the Ray Gillen version that was in the 2010 DE CD).
2. If I had to guess, the wide release vinyl will just be the base album, and the CD / digital will have bonus tracks. While there’s no press release or info about the wide release, I’m going on the behavior of the Anno Domini box. Hopefully they include then, but my GUESS is no (on vinyl).

Once there is solid info on the wider release, I’ll have more info on how to order it and all that .  In the meantime, check out this cool picture of the “ruby” limited edition RSD version of “The Eternal Idol”.

“The End” Indeed 5 Feb 10:43 AM (8 months ago)

It was announced today that that Black Sabbath Mk I will reunite for one final show in 2025.  That’s Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, & Bill.  Yeah, Bill Ward.

It’s a single concert – 5 Jul in Villa Park (#UpTheVilla), and Sabbath will be the headliner on a day of concerts, which will also include a solo set by Ozzy.   Sharon & Ozzy have both stated that this is “full stop” for Ozzy and Black Sabbath (the later confirmed elsewhere too).  So it really is one last show.

It will be a bloody madhouse if you’re going to attempt to go, with prices off the bloody charts.  People have been emailing the hell out of me asking what the pre-sale code is (I don’t bloody know people!!), I know the interest is high.

There was a press conference at Villa Park with Sharon Osbourne & Tony Iommi.  Geezer Butler said on social media that he couldn’t attend due to a commitment with one of his granddaughters.  Good on him.

The full list of bands is in the image below.  It has been stated that due to Ozzy’s health, he will perform sitting down (ala Phil Collins or Axl Rose at the first few Axl/DC shows).  He will do both a solo and Sabbath set, but how long the sets ARE is unknown.  I can’t imagine it will be more than a handful of songs – won’t be a full 90 min set for sure.   Iron Man, War Pigs, Paranoid, Children of the Grave, the usual suspects, and then done.

“The End” indeed.

Snowblind in East Ham 10 Nov 2024 11:25 AM (11 months ago)

A new A4 sized glossy book, 160+ pages, authored by former Black Sabbath Appreciation Society founder Pete Sarfas.  This timely new book is crammed with hundreds of colour photographs many of which come from the BSAS archives and include an abundance of behind the scenes shots.

The focal point of the new book is the East Ham Granada chapter when the author took multiple photographs of Sabbath on stage during their ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ UK tour.  A full account of this concert and various other live performances are documented in fine detail including the momentous Alexandra Palace show in 1973.

The book takes you on an exhilarating journey of extraordinary tales from the nascent days of heavy metal in the early 70s to the helter-skelter of the late 80s/early 90s when the group, beset by constant personnel changes, struck again with renewed vigour.

Included in this new book are rare BSAS interviews with Tony Iommi, Tony Martin and Cozy Powell and some previously unreleased interviews with Bill Ward and Sabbath’s first manager Jim Simpson, which is highly revealing.  Additional special features in specific chapters analyse the early UK underground occult scene in 1970 that Sabbath found themselves entangled in when they sparred with rivals Black Widow plus a profile of early downer-rock bands many of which remained in the shadows.

This sweeping new book will appeal to fans from all genres and included are many never before seen photographs and unique items of Black Sabbath memorabilia.  

Obscure and little-seen clippings pepper the book throughout with revealing comment from Tony, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill.  A rare and insightful interview with Dio is a special feature of the ‘Heaven and Elf’ chapter.  But that is just the tip of the iceberg in a book that is a cornucopia of surprises.

Snowblind in East Ham comes from a unique angle.  It is penned by a lifelong fan who witnessed the live Sabbath experience dozens of times and who went on to gain special access to the band’s affairs when the BSAS was formed in 1988 and when working for Bill Ward in 1997 during the reunion with Ozzy, Tony and Geezer.  

The author says it can be purchased directly by emailing him at downerock@aol.com.

Jazz Sabbath III 23 Sep 2024 7:23 PM (last year)

I’ve been send some details of a third album from the “Jazz Sabbath” band entitled “Jazz Sabbath: the 1968 tapes”.  It’s due for release on 29 of November.  The first two albums were a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to hear the third one.  I haven’t heard a pre-release copy, but when I get to listen, I’ll be sure to pass on my thoughts.  As a side note, if there ends up being a fourth album, I really REALLY want them to call it Snowblind. :)

JAZZ SABBATH – THE 1968 TAPES

Some would say The 1968 Tapes is Jazz Sabbath‘s third album on which the trio, helmed by longtime Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne keys and guitar player Adam Wakeman, present 7 new exploratory jazz arrangements based on Black Sabbath tracks from the period 1970-1973.

You can also choose to believe the album’s liner notes:

Although never released until recently, Jazz Sabbath’s music has been finding its way to millions for over 50 years. Through a vicious cycle of personal tragedy and plagiarism the songs intended to change the jazz world ended up giving birth to a much darker sound. Now a third recording from the Sixties has resurfaced, perhaps their most important one.

In 1968 Jazz Sabbath were an instant hit on the UK jazz scene. It wasn’t long until they were offered a record deal. This first recording was rejected by the label; the label manager said it was too experimental and had no hit potential. However, just like the tracks from albums that followed, these tracks were also shamelessly presented as ‘original songs’ by that band from Birmingham a few years later. Their lasting popularity, even in the crude way they were covered, only proves just how monumental these songs were and how record labels are often wrong.

With the truth now finally out there and that Birmingham band exposed as the musical charlatans they are, Jazz Sabbath have finally mastered the 1968 tapes to present their best work to the public.

Promo video link: https://youtu.be/KmsOnFG1xrY

 

The 1968 Tapes will be released November 29th via Blacklake Records on Vinyl, CD, Cassette and all streaming/download platforms. The track Supernaut is streaming on all digital platforms now.

Track Listing

1 Into The Void
2 Spiral Architect
3 Warning
4 The Wizard
5 Electric Funeral
6 Supernaut
7 War Pigs

The album can be pre-ordered at http://jazzsabbath.bandcamp.com

The 1968 Tapes is the follow-up to 2022’s Vol. 2 which received praise from both the jazz and the rock media and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart. The trio will embark on an extensive UK/IE tour in 2025, followed by shows throughout Europe and the Caribbean.

Live Evil Atmos Blu-Ray 7 Sep 2024 7:20 PM (last year)

Back on 30 August, a friend of mine sent me a link to something in the Rhino webstore saying it was Live Evil on Blu_Ray, and asked if I knew anything about it.  I didn’t – it was the first time I heard about it.  I reached out to my rep at Rhino (twice), and got no reply.  BMG told me they had nothing to do with it, and Iommi’s management had no info for me either.  So I had no idea what this is about.  So what is this?

This a new Dolby Atmos mix of Live Evil on Blu-Ray audio.  The important phrase here is AUDIO.  This is *NOT* the famed missing film from 40 years ago, this is just Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes (DTS-HD MA 2.0) of the original album on a blu-ray.  But key here..

THIS IS NOT the 40th anniversary remix that came out on the Super Deluxe box set.  This is the original 1982 version with a new Atmos release.  I found this out because a friend of mine who bought this (and sent me all the pics) told me this was the case.  That’s a bit unfortunate, IMO, as the remix is (to me) a superior version of the album, I’m not entirely sure I will ever listen to the original mix anymore, but that’s this fan’s opinion.

I asked said friend for some thoughts on this given he bought it and has actually played it.  This is what he said..

The menu screen basically stays up the whole time no matter which track you choose or song. The DTS is a two channel masterpiece, amazing. The Dolby Atmos is a multi channel. Bullshit fake matrix mix. Has a lot of audience and some echo in the rear channels. It could be pulled from a multi track sub of the original mix because the audience is pretty heavy in the rear channels. The Atmos mix is technically different than anything but 100% based off the original. The super deluxe must’ve sold really well. I wonder how long it will take for this Blu-ray to go out of print.

So that’s pretty much the bottom line.  This is a new version of the Live Evil album, but based on the 1982 original, not the 2023 remix.  If you enjoy the original mix, and have gear that can make use of the version on here, then this might be for you.

Also, the Rhino website says the DTS mix is 5.1, but the sticker on the front cover clearly states that it is just stereo (2.0), and not a 5.1 mix.

I wanted to get the word out about this, since I looked into it, and was unable to get any information available from my usual channels.

Here’s a handful of photos of the set.  You can click on any of them for larger images…

Fused & DEP Re-release 2 Aug 2024 10:23 AM (last year)

The second and third Tony Iommi “solo” albums are getting a re-release treatment this fall.  Announced today, “The 1996 DEP Sessions” and “Fused” will be re-released on  4 October from BMG.  Given I tend to be known for posting details, I’ll go with the details I know first.

1. Both albums will be released on CD, vinyl, & digital.  Neither was printed on vinyl originally back in the 2000’s on their original releases.
2. DEP will not have any bonus tracks, but Fused’s release will have the three original bonus tracks on all versions.
3. Fused’s vinyl will be a double disc to accommodate the mentioned bonus tracks.
4. Both vinyls will be translucent vinyl printings.  DEP will be translucent black, and Fused will be translucent blue.
5. There was no remastering done – for both albums these are the OG masters.  This is simply a re-release here.  The CD & LPs listed on online stores have a sticker that say they are remastered.  That is a LIE – they are not.  I queried BMG about that today and was told the sticker is incorrect, they are most assuredly NOT remastered.
6. The original “Eighth Star” version of DEP Sessions will NOT be included, nor are there any plans to do so, given the reason they re-recorded the drums in the first place.
7. There was a single released today to go with this news.  It’s a “Double A” side of Gone & Saviour of the Real.  With that is a lyric video for Gone, that is embedded below.
8. The first Iommi solo album (2000’s “Iommi”) will be dealt with later, it’s not part of this.
9. In the US, the physical media will be sold through Amazon.com, but as of the writing of this document on Friday afternoon, they’re not available yet.  Will update when I can.

You can listen to the single for Gone/Saviour at these following places:

1. Apple Music ( Dep / Fused )
2. Spotify
3. Youtube Music

 

TONY IOMMI TO RELEASE SOLO RECORDINGS WITH GLENN HUGHES ON VINYL FOR THE FIRST TIME

‘THE 1996 DEP SESSIONS’ AND THE 2005 ‘FUSED’ ALBUM TO BE RELEASED ON LIMITED COLOURED VINYL, DIGISLEEVE CD AND DIGITAL ON OCTOBER 4^TH VIA BMG. 

LISTEN TO THE NEW DOUBLE A SIDE SINGLE ‘GONE’ / ‘SAVIOUR OF THE REAL’

 AND PRE-ORDER HERE https://tonyiommi.lnk.to/depfusedPR 

The relationship between iconic Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and English musician Glenn Hughes stretches far back into the mid-eighties. Best known for playing bass and performing vocals in the hard rock band Trapeze and in the Mk. III and IV line-ups of Deep Purple, Hughes sang on the 1986 Black Sabbath album ‘Seventh Star’. It was the twelth album from the fabled heavy metal originators and was initially intended to be the first solo release from Iommi, but record company and management pressures led to the album being billed as ‘Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi’. Despite these demands, the album was a commerical success and reached the Top 30 of the English charts. Glenn’s powerful, soulful voice complimented Iommi’s unique guitar style perfectly and even though the eighties was a turbulant time for Black Sabbath, it was clear that Iommi and Hughes would work together again in the future.

That time came in 1996 when Iommi once again collaborated with Hughes for a release that would become known as ‘The 1996 Dep Sessions’, recorded at DEP International Studios in Digbeth, Birmingham. The recordings were demos and were left unfinished due to the original line up of Black Sabbath reforming at the time. However, a bootleg recording known as ‘Eighth Star’ was circulated among fans so in 2004, to combat this, the session was eventually offically released. 

After Black Sabbath’s 1995 album Forbidden, the band would go on hiatus. So when Tony and Glenn reunited in 1996 to record together, it was with a renewed creative vigour and ambition to take a step away from the signature Sabbath sound and forge a new direction. The results were a formidable, contemporary take on a classic rock sound with Glenn’s soaring vocals combined effortlessly with Iommi’s monolithic riffs. These eight songs sound as vital as the day they were recorded and are now being pressed on vinyl for the first time in limited Translucent Black Ice colour.

The official release of ‘1996 The Dep Sessions’ in 2004 proved to be a catalyst for Tony and Glenn, who rekindled their collaboration and within a year, released what would be Iommi’s third solo album in 2005. Titled ‘Fused’, the album was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales and saw Iommi sounding heavier than ever. The album is chock full of stomping, grinding riffs that saw Iommi tipping his hat to the metal genre he had helped spawn decades before. ‘Fused’ sounded completely modern for what was happening in heavy music at the time and still stands the test of time today. Once again, Glenn’s vocals glided effortlessly over Iommi’s earth-shattering six string attack. Produced, engineered and mixed by American record producer Bob Marlette (whose credits include everyone from Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper to Sheryl Crow), the album was a success and reached number 34 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers Chart. ‘Fused’ is now reissued for the first time on Translucent Cobalt Blue vinyl and includes three bonus tracks. 

In addition to being an active session musician, Hughes also maintains a notable solo career. He currently fronts the supergroup Black Country Communion, and fronted California Breed from 2013 to 2015 and The Dead Daisies from 2019 to 2023. In 2016, Hughes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Deep Purple. Tony Iommi’s legendary status is assured and he continues to record new music to this day, always pushing the bounderies and staying ahead of the pack. It’s only right that these fantastic recordings from his solo years are being cut to wax for the first time for new and old fans to enjoy as well as new digisleeve CD and digital editions. 

Pre-order ‘The 1996 Dep Sessions’ and ‘Fused’ HERE: https://tonyiommi.lnk.to/depfusedPR 

The 1996 Dep Sessions

1. Gone
2. From Another World
3. Don’t You Tell Me
4. Don’t Drag The River
5. Fine
6. Time Is the Healer
7. I’m Not the Same Man
8. It Falls Through Me

Fused

1. Dopamine
2. Wasted Again
3. Saviour of the Real
4. Resolution Song
5. Grace
6. Deep Inside a Shell
7. What You’re Living For
8. Face Your Fear
9. The Spell
10. I Go Insane
11. Slip Away (Bonus Track)
12. Let It Down Easy (Bonus Track)
13. The Innocence (Bonus Track)

Anno Domini 1989 – 1995 Review 22 May 2024 2:22 PM (last year)

The time has finally come.  After all this time (we’ve been waiting since 2009-ish), the Tony Martin era IRS albums are back in print!  On 31 May, this is released to the world!

Up until today (22 May) I’ve been under an embargo not talk about it, but this morning that was lifted, so here goes.  I bought all these albums when brand new, so I know them supremely well.  I’ve been banging on for over a decade to get these things back out there – you may have seen my old wishlist post with info about them.   So here goes – my thoughts on this set.

Overall / Generic Set thoughts

Now first off, I wanted to get into one thing I’ve seen pop up a lot since this was first announced a little while ago.  That’s the people who are complaining that this isn’t an all encompassing set with multiple discs of extras, every demo ever recorded, unreleased stuff.  That’s *NOT* what this set is, nor was it ever intended to be.  The primary reason this exists was to get these albums available again.  It’s been an exceptionally long time since these four albums (Headless Cross, Tyr, Cross Purposes, & Forbidden) have been in print and available.  THAT is why this release exists.  These albums needed to be heard again – and they haven’t been.  If you’re just gonna foam at the mouth and rant that this release sucks, and is a “cash grab” or some bullshit like that…  Sigh.  Move on.  You won’t care for what I’m gonna say then anyway….

Given these albums were on IRS originally back in the day, those rights had expired and as such a new deal was needed.  This is being released by BMG worldwide, except for Warner/Rhino in North America.  The best part is that these are going to be available digitally – FINALLY.  That is the reason they’ve never been on Apple Music / Spotify / etc before – the old IRS deal had expired and never had online rights as part of the original deal.  They’ll finally be there after all this time, which I will be glad for, as it’s probably the #1 question I’ve been asked running this site.

Minor sidetrack/rant: Places like Spotify are what I call legal theft.  Yes, they’re legal, but the amount of money they pay artists is microscopic – and they’re always fighting for lower payments.  If you want to support your artists, BUY the music, do not rely solely on streaming services, as they basically give the middle finger to artists when it comes to paying them.

This is definitely packaged as a box set, not so much as individual albums.  Oh, they’re all in there with their proper artwork and such, but I’m speaking about a more “touchy feely” thing.  For example, the labels on the vinyl & cds are all visually similar.  They don’t have the OG art on them, which makes them seem like a single thing vs four individual albums.  That’s not a bad thing, but I saw someone online say they wanted them to be like total reproductions of the originals in their printed materials, and they’re not.  This extends to the CD’s themselves.  In the BMG version, the individual albums say “1/2/3/4” so it makes them feel more like a “set”.  As I write this on 22 May, I haven’t seen the US domestic print.  I expect it to be the same except it says Rhino instead of BMG, but I wanted to put that out there right now.

Also, the individual CD’s have as protectors those oddly shaped soft plastic things (see picture to right – not sure what the official name is) vs paper inserts in the sleeves. I never personally cared for these things and is one of the few things in the set that made me go “really?” and check off something on the negative list (which is super short).

The CD’s all have proper cd text.  If you look at this picture below, you’ll see me playing Headless Cross in my car, and it shows you what the CD text looks like.  All four CD’s have this set up properly, which is nice.

The vinyl version has black printed vinyl sleeves – they’re standard vinyl sleeves, just with nothing printed on them (click here to see a picture).  The vinyl version makes out better than the CD version here as the “sleeves/protectors” for keeping the physical media protected.   The actual vinyl cases look pretty good on their own, and honestly don’t look a ton different from the original versions.

The other stuff besides the physical media are a booklet with stories and quotes about all the albums here (it even touches on other stuff like Dehumanizer which happened in the middle of this, and what happened after Forbidden slightly).  There’s also a replica of the Headless Cross tour program, and a Headless Cross poster.  Both the CD & vinyl sets have identical material, but the physical size of them is obviously larger in the vinyl version.  The poster is folded over on itself, and if you intend on framing it, you’re gonna have to flatten it out well before you can actually do that.  BTW, the size of the poster from the vinyl version is 24 inches x 36 inches.  I didn’t measure the CD size, but you can see them together in the pictures below.

I was asked recently if I contributed to the booklet.  They did ask me to participate, but at the time they required the material I was going through treatment for my prostate cancer, and was not in a place to be creative, so I had to decline unfortunately.

Still, the most important thing here is the music, and that’s properly handled, and is spectacular, IMO.  Headless Cross, Tyr, & Cross Purposes have all received remasters.  Forbidden has been completely remixed.  I’ll get into the particulars on each individual section, but all four have received some sort of sonic upgrade.  How much is dependent on which one, as the OG masterings for the albums weren’t all to the same level (IMO).

Click on any of these pictures for a larger version.

Individual Album Remarks

On my gear, I can hear the differences on vinyl – but I found when listening to them in the car on CD or using headphones things are much more noticeable.  That’s probably just my own hearing (tinnitus sucks), but I wanted to mention it.

Also, I know a lot of people make a big deal out of audio compression, “loudness wars” and things of that nature.  That’s never been that much of an issue to me.  I remember back in the mid 80’s Ozzy said something that stuck with me and is a foundational part of how I enjoy music.  He said (i’m paraphrasing) that music shouldn’t be about how this sounds technically, or whether this part of the bridge has this note perfectly aligned – it should be about listening with your ears, and whether the song makes you want get up and stop your feet or throw your fist in the air”.  So to that, I’m not providing some review with meter readings saying how much this was mixed up.  I just put the music on and listened – and enjoyed it.

I’ve also been told there are no plans to re-release these four albums on their own individually – it’ll only be part of this set (either CD or vinyl).  Additionally, I’ve been told they intend on keeping these in print.

Headless Cross

Headless Cross has been in need of a remaster for quite some time.  It’s lacked some punch in my opinion in its original 1989 master, and this one delivers.  It has a sonic fidelity the original lacks.  It packs more of a wallop, it’s cleaner than it was originally, and I can hear parts I couldn’t before, like the bass seems more prominent to my ears on the title track.

The CD version has the bonus track “Cloak & Dagger”, but it is not on the vinyl version.

In my opinion, it’s the album that’s benefitted the most in this new box, as it has a nice clean sound it didn’t have before.  The music video released for Headless Cross uses the remastered audio from this, so you can check it out there.

 

Tyr

Tyr actually is the one album I didn’t think needed much in the way of remastering – because I always felt the OG mix of Tyr was pretty good as is.  I can hear improvement here too, but not nearly as much as I did on Headless Cross.

There’s no bonus tracks here at all, on either the CD or vinyl versions, it’s the album we remember, but that’s not a bad thing, as it’s an underrated one in the overall Sabbath catalog.

 

Cross Purposes

Similar to Tyr, Cross Purposes was one of the better OG mixes, and didn’t need a ton of work, IMO.  But it has been remastered and sounds clearer in places if perhaps not the quantum leap forward sonically that Headless Cross was.  But that’s more a factor of HC’s OG mix than Cross Purposes.

Not that this has anything to do with the box, but it’s my favorite Tony Martin studio album of the lot.  I mean, Geezer is here.

The CD version has the bonus track “What’s the Use”, but it is not on the vinyl version.  This is a track that I’ve known about since 1994 – I have the original Japanese CD this was released on.  It’s a virtual unknown, as it never was released anywhere else.  I’m super glad for more people to hear this, as it’s one of my fav Sabbath tracks of all time.

 

Forbidden

This is the one that people were most interested in.  The new remix of Forbidden.  It is DEFINITELY different.  Overall, it’s VASTLY improved.  It has a different sound in places – but keep in mind.  The songs are still the same.  It’s not like it’s going to be a totally different album all of a sudden.  Just some parts have a different guitar sound, some instruments are mixed more up front (or behind), other unused guitar bits added.  It’s a different flavor for sure.

The CD version has “Loser Gets It All”, and the vinyl version does not.  Both the CD & vinyl sets have the new remix.  The original mix is nowhere to be found.  Not on CD or vinyl (or digital when that happens on the 31st).  This new mix is “the mix” going forward.

The first time I heard it a few weeks ago I took notes.  I decided I’m going to include my notes here below – keep in mind these are my knee jerk reactions to each of the individual songs on first listen.  Not intended to be any comprehensive list of every change on the album, I’ll let you discover that on your own.  Also, all of the songs have an overall cleaner sound than before even without the remix work, so the base level is improved.  However, the changes are the most interesting thing given I know the album really well in its original form. As has been stated, I seem to be one of the few people who have a proper affinity for this one, so I wanted to detail this one for sure.  Anyway, here are my raw remarks from first listen of Forbidden’s new 2024 remix:

The Illusion of Power

• Slightly different tone.
• Ice-T vocals mixed down just a little (not as out in front as before), and some accents that weren’t there overall.
• The ending of the song has some guitar bits that weren’t there originally.

Get a Grip

• Crunchier sound overall.
• Fade out lyrics slightly different than original.

Can’t Get Close Enough

• Guitar intro reworked. Sounds similar, but different.
• Oh wow, the remix here is huge – has a fatter and clearer sound overall as compared to the original.  Like that.

Shaking off the Chains

• Guitar intro more in your face than before.
• Martin’s vocals stand out far more than before.
• The “double echo” behind certain individual words Martin sings in the original chorus are gone.

I Won’t Cry For You

• Neil’s bass more pronounced.
• Tony’s vocals are now echoed in chorus – he’s singing background for himself.
• The guitar solo feels different.
• In fact, this can hear the drums clearer too.
• Outro vocals feel different too.

Guilty As Hell

• Vocals sound a bit more mixed than before, but overall this sounds the closest to the original of anything on the album.  That’s not bad, I really liked the original. Not to say it’s identical, it’s been remixed too (some vocal echoing is here too).

Sick & Tired

• Cozy’s drum intro seems a bit enhanced here, and overall drum sound cleaner here.
• Guitar solo in middle seems less in front than it was before, can hear the rest of the band better here.
• The echo guitar effect at the absolute end of the song is GONE.  I LOVED THAT!  It’s gone, darnit!!  :(

Rusty Angels

• The intro the song is noticeably different. I suspect some won’t like the change. Riff still the same, but sounds different if that makes sense (hello remix?)
• Chorus sounds more like the original than the intro does.
• As much as I thought Guilty as Hell sounds mostly the same, this one feels more changed. Once again, it’s not a new song, but this is VERY remixed.  Given the OG version was one of the best songs on the album, I’m not sure how this will be perceived.

Forbidden

• The main guitar riff seems to have had its tone changed a bit. I wonder if Tony redid this?
• Guitar riff also has a secondary riff playing with it (new or just previously buried in mix?)
• This is also changed a lot in places.
• The middle part sounds totally different guitar wise.

Kiss of Death

• Overall vibe is way heavier than before.  Always thought this was heavy, but it’s even moreso now.
• Once it gets to heavier guitar part about 3/4 of the way through the main riff feels a bit rearranged.
• Even the tick-tock at the end feels slightly different.

Loser Gets It All

• Honestly – I never cared for this track.  I always skipped it, so I’m just gonna do the same here.  :)

 

Summary

OK, I can say a little more than that, but..  You really should buy this set.  People have been asking, screaming, begging for the Tony Martin era albums to be re-released, and they’re finally here (on 31 May).  So get out there and buy the sets.  Yes, they’ll be on Spotify, but that shows next to no support for these products.  Buy them.

Bottom line – the four albums represented here are a noticeable audio upgrade, and to my ears are worth the time we waited to get them.  If you were never a fan of the Tony Martin era, I don’t think this will change your mind, but if you liked the Martin era before, you should go pre-order this immediately.  You’ll enjoy it, I certainly did.

“… listen for the feet as they pound the land to the tune of thunder…. “

P.S.  I’ve been asked several times about Cross Purposes Live since posting this. That was never intended to be part of the set, as the set was about making the studio albums available again. However, I’ve been told Cross Purposes Live WILL get addressed down the line.

Anno Domini 1989 – 1995 22 Mar 2024 7:00 AM (last year)

This is it!  The moment we’ve been waiting for since 2009.  The famed Tony Martin box set has been announced.  Entitled “Anno Domini 1989 – 1995”, it encompasses the studio output of the Tony Martin I.R.S. era.  Eternal Idol is not in this set, as it’s on another label (Warner/Rhino in US, Vertigo elsewhere).  A few factoids….

• Release date is 31 May 2024 – globally.
• The four studio albums are Headless Cross, Tyr, Cross Purposes, & Forbidden
• HC, Tyr, CP have all been remastered (HC really needed it, IMO)
• Forbidden is the new remix of the album.
• The original mix of Forbidden is not included anywhere.
• There are three sets.  Vinyl, CD, & digital.
• Digital will be online everywhere, which means they’ll be available on places like Apple Music, Spotify, etc after all this time.
• CD content matches the digital version, and includes three bonus tracks (Cloak & Dagger from Headless Cross, What’s the Use? from Cross Purposes, & Loser Gets it All from Forbidden).
• These bonus tracks do *NOT* appear on vinyl, only on the CD & digital versions.  The vinyl releases are the album track listings we know from the past.
• This will be released by Rhino in North America, and BMG everywhere else.
• The remix work on Forbidden was done my Mike Exeter in conjunction with Tony Iommi.
• The remastering work on the other three albums was done by someone called “The Bakery” – whether that’s a company or a person, I don’t know – so the actual name of the person who did the remastering is unknown to me.  Will update when I get it.
• Cross Purposes Live is not part of this, but I’m told will probably make an appearance somewhere else down the line.
• The 1996 compilation (and the last thing on the I.R.S. deal) “The Sabbath Stones” is not part of this set.
• The cover art for Forbidden has changed, likely due to the fact that this is a new remix.

Full Press Release

BLACK SABBATH

ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995

First Boxed Set Celebrating Singer Tony Martin Era 

Remastered Versions Of Headless Cross, Tyr, And Cross Purposes, Plus A New Mix Of Forbidden By Tony Iommi

4-LP And 4-CD Versions Available On May 31st

Watch a newly remastered, HD upgrade of the video for Headless Cross 

and preorder here : https://BlackSabbath.lnk.to/annodominiPR 

 

Black Sabbath’s history with singers Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio has been chronicled extensively through the years in multiple collections. Until now, no boxed set has focused on Black Sabbath’s time with Tony Martin, the band’s second-longest-serving singer.

BMG explores this prolific period from the godfathers of heavy metal in a new collection that brings four albums back into print after an extended absence. ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995 will be available from BMG on May 31 in 4-LP and 4-CD configurations. The set contains newly remastered versions of Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), and Cross Purposes (1994), plus a new version of Forbidden (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.

Several albums make their vinyl debut in the LP version of ANNO DOMINI, while the CD version contains three exclusive bonus tracks: the B-side “Cloak & Dagger” and the Japan-only releases “What’s The Use” and “Loser Gets It All.” A booklet comes with the set featuring photos, artwork, and liner notes by Hugh Gilmour. The collection also contains a Headless Cross poster and a replica concert book from the “Headless Cross Tour.” 

ANNO DOMINI picks up Black Sabbath’s story in 1989, two decades and multiple lineup changes into the band’s groundbreaking career as metal originators. At the time, membership had solidified around riffmaster and founding member Tony Iommi, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck, Rainbow, Whitesnake), singer Tony Martin, and longtime Black Sabbath collaborator and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (Quartz, Bandy Legs).

The group originally released Headless Cross in 1989 on I.R.S. Records, the first of a five album deal with the label. Praised by fans and critics alike, the band’s 14^th studio release produced three singles: “Devil And Daughter,” “Call Of The Wild,” and the title track. Bassist Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Gary Moore) joined for the “Headless Cross Tour” and stayed to record Sabbath’s next album, 1990’s Tyr. Named for the Norse god of war, the album explores similar mythological themes in songs like “The Battle Of Tyr” and “Valhalla.” On “The Sabbath Stones,” the band channels Old Testament fire and brimstone into a classic bruiser.

In 1992, following a successful world tour, this incarnation of Black Sabbath was put on hold when the band reunited temporarily with Ronnie James Dio. Two years later, Martin and Nicholls were back in the studio with Iommi to record 1994’s Cross Purposes. The band was completed with the addition of founding Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bobby Rondinelli of Rainbow. 

The Tyr-era Black Sabbath lineup reunited in 1995 when Powell and Murray returned to record Forbidden. It was the band’s 18^th studio album, and its last for nearly 20 years. (In 2013, Iommi, Osbourne and Butler released Black Sabbath’s final studio album, 13.) Forbidden, produced by Ernie C of Body Count, the hard rock band fronted by rapper/actor/Sabbath fan Ice-T, who appears on the song “Illusion Of Power.” Since its release, sonically improving the album has been one of Iommi’s pet projects.

He explains, “I was never happy with the guitar sound, and Cozy was definitely never happy with the drum sound… So, I thought it would be nice to do it for him in a way.” He adds, “I just felt that, without changing any of the songs, there was an opportunity to go back and bring out some of the sounds and make it more what people would expect Sabbath to sound like.”

ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995

LP Track Listing

Headless Cross (1989)

Side One

1. “The Gates Of Hell”
2. “Headless Cross”
3. “Devil & Daughter”
4. “When Death Calls”

Side Two

1. “Kill In The Spirit World”
2. “Call Of The Wild”
3. “Black Moon”
4. “Nightwing”

Tyr (1990)

Side One

1. “Anno Mundi”
2. “The Law Maker”
3. “Jerusalem” 
4. “The Sabbath Stones”

Side Two

1. “The Battle Of Tyr”
2. “Odin’s Court”
3. “Valhalla”
4. “Feels Good To Me”
5. “Heaven In Black”

Cross Purposes (1994)

Side One

1. “I Witness”
2. “Cross Of Thorns”
3. “Psychophobia”
4. “Virtual Death”
5. “Immaculate Deception”

Side Two

1. “Dying For Love”
2. “Back To Eden”
3. “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”
4. “Cardinal Sin”
5. “Evil Eye”

Forbidden (1995)

Side One

1. “The Illusion Of Power” – featuring Ice-T
2. “Get A Grip”
3. “Can’t Get Close Enough”
4. “Shaking Off The Chains”
5. “I Won’t Cry For You”

Side Two

1. “Guilty As Hell”
2. “Sick And Tired”
3. “Rusty Angels”
4. “Forbidden”
5. “Kiss Of Death”

ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995

CD Track Listing

Headless Cross (1989)

1. “The Gates Of Hell”
2. “Headless Cross”
3. “Devil & Daughter”
4. “When Death Calls”
5. “Kill In The Spirit World”
6. “Call Of The Wild”
7. “Black Moon”
8. “Nightwing”

Bonus Track

9. “Cloak And Dagger”

Tyr (1990)

1. “Anno Mundi”
2. “The Law Maker”
3. “Jerusalem” 
4. “The Sabbath Stones”
5. “The Battle Of Tyr”
6. “Odin’s Court”
7. “Valhalla”
8. “Feels Good To Me”
9. “Heaven In Black”

Cross Purposes (1994)

1. “I Witness”
2. “Cross Of Thorns”
3. “Psychophobia”
4. “Virtual Death”
5. “Immaculate Deception”
6. “Dying For Love”
7. “Back To Eden”
8. “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”
9. “Cardinal Sin”
10. “Evil Eye”

Bonus Track

11. “What’s The Use”

Forbidden (1995)

1. “The Illusion Of Power” – featuring Ice-T
2. “Get A Grip”
3. “Can’t Get Close Enough”
4. “Shaking Off The Chains”
5. “I Won’t Cry For You”
6. “Guilty As Hell”
7. “Sick And Tired”
8. “Rusty Angels”
9. “Forbidden”
10. “Kiss Of Death”

Bonus Track

11. “Loser Gets It All”