Objectively one of the most important names in the evolution of 20th century music and the originators of the metal genre – and by extension pioneering subgenres that spawned from the style – the influence of Black Sabbath is quite literally impossible to exaggerate. With guitarist Tony Iommi’s main riff to “Iron Man” alone being a ubiquitous pop culture staple, recognizable to even those with little to no metal fandom, and original frontman Ozzy Osbourne having attained iconic celebrity stature in numerous other fields, the lasting cultural impact of Black Sabbath transcends beyond music. However, a particularly frustrating caveat has always seemed to follow Black Sabbath, especially for supporters of each and every iteration of the band.
The revolutionary brilliance of the original line-up of Iommi, Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward more-or-less necessitates that the first incarnation of Black Sabbath be viewed with the most reverence in mainstream popular consciousness and understandably so. Consequently, however, a fraction of the later Sabbath catalog has become obscured, and in some instances dismissed outright, from the same popular consciousness and possibly even among fans who have looked further into the Ronnie James Dio-fronted albums and beyond. While renowned for musical innovations throughout the 70’s, Black Sabbath also endured a notorious and confounding number of shifts in personnel during the 80’s and 90’s, with Iommi remaining the sole original member following the release of the Born Again (1983) album. Born Again itself was of course birthed from what was already a fourth, one-off version of Sabbath with Iommi, Butler and a returning Ward. They also were joined by Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan following the implosion of the Dio-fronted line-up which resurrected Sabbath into a second life following Osbourne’s 1978 departure.
Although the line-ups leading to Born Again were tumultuous, with Ward having previously departed following the Heaven and Hell (1980) album and second drummer Vinnie Appice subsequently exiting alongside Dio after the singer’s well-documented disagreements over the mixing of Live Evil (1982), Iommi would find Black Sabbath at an uncertain crossroads in the afterbirth of the Born Again tour. Even prior to the Born Again tour the band would go through yet another change with Ward’s seat behind the kit occupied by Electric Light Orchestra’s Bev Bevan, only for Bevan to quit after the tour along with Gillan (the latter rejoining Deep Purple). Ward would briefly rejoin Iommi and Butler again in 1984, the three accompanied by former model and singer David Donato, whose tenure was described by album designer and Sabbath historian Hugh Gilmour as “long enough for a photo session.”(1) [i] Both Ward and Butler would grow increasingly disheartened, eventually leaving Iommi the lone member of Black Sabbath by 1985, though the original line-up with Osbourne would famously reunite for the July 13, 1985 Live Aid concert. Initially planned to be an Iommi solo endeavor, the Seventh Star (1986) album would feature another former Deep Purple member, vocalist Glenn Hughes, alongside drummer Eric Singer of future KISS fame, and bassist Dan Spitz. It was ultimately released as a Black Sabbath album under commercial pressure from Warner Bros. Records. Though a Black Sabbath album in name only – the album cover awkwardly reading “Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi” despite Iommi again being the only remaining original member – the Seventh Star album credits were notable for crediting keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (who had been appearing on Sabbath albums since Heaven and Hell) as a member of the main Black Sabbath line-up for the first time.
Despite the original intent of Seventh Star as an Iommi solo project, the line-up proved as unstable as Sabbath’s. Infamously struggling both personally and professionally, Hughes was fired after only a handful of shows into the Seventh Star tour and replaced by Ray Gillen, a virtually unknown American singer at the time. Returning to the studio definitively as “Black Sabbath,” the recording line-up for what was to be the 13th Black Sabbath studio album, The Eternal Idol (1987), would be anything but definitive. Beginning the sessions with the revamped Seventh Star touring line-up of Iommi, Gillen on vocals, Spitz on bass, Singer on drums and Nicholls on keys, Spitz would soon be replaced by Bob Daisley, former bassist for Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band who would also co-write lyrics with Nicholls (1). Originally overseen by producer Jeff Glixman, the sessions were then entrusted to second producer Vic Coppersmith after Glixman’s insistence on finishing the recordings in the US as opposed to England as well as Glixman’s not being convinced of Gillen’s performance (1). Coppersmith would also abandon the project, with the third and final production credit going to Chris Tsangarides. Bevan would also return to the studio at the last minute for some drum touch-ups, with Singer having left with Daisley to play with guitarist Gary Moore. The most substantial alteration to the line-up, however, would be forced by Gillen inexplicably quitting during the recording of The Eternal Idol, the vocalist joining an embryonic version of supergroup Blue Murder prior to forming the Badlands supergroup alongside former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee.
After auditioning more singers, Tony Martin – a native of Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham – was recruited at the 11th hour to re-record the vocals for The Eternal Idol. The album was finally released in November of 1987. The addition of Martin and the release of The Eternal Idol marked a significant turning point for Sabbath. Where the previous three releases of Live Evil, Born Again and Seventh Star all featured three different vocalists, Martin would act as somewhat of an anchor, fronting Black Sabbath for five studio albums and one live album from 1987 to 1995. Martin’s tenure in the band is notable for being the second longest behind Osbourne in the vocal department. Yet if any period of a 75 million-plus album selling household name band could objectively be classified as obscure or “cult”, the Tony Martin-era of Black Sabbath would qualify. Virtually ignored while the band was an active recording and touring unit by all but the truest believers in what Iommi dubbed the “Sabbath cause”(2), the Martin-era has also been subject to some of the harshest retroactive scrutiny. Though the Dio years and Born Again have their detractors (with a vocal subset of fans outright refusing to acknowledge anything past the first eight albums as “Black Sabbath”), the petty tribalism often attached to Sabbath has tended to affect the Martin years the most as being the most removed from the original incarnation of the band in terms of membership and musically as well. While a song such as “The Eternal Idol” title track is quintessential Sabbath doom metal (in many ways a sibling track to the songs “Black Sabbath” and “Nightmare” [ii]), The Eternal Idol also introduced more atmosphere and contemporary aesthetics on songs such as “The Shining” and “Ancient Warrior” (with Nicholls presence much more pronounced), while more straightforward rockers like “Born to Lose” and “Lost Forever” carried over some of the LA-influence heard on Seventh Star.
The Martin years were also subject to changes on a business level. With the band being dropped after an eighteen-year relationship by Vertigo Records in Europe and Warner Bros. in America, Iommi opted to sign with I.R.S. Records, owned and operated by Miles Copeland (brother of Police drummer, Stuart). Though the I.R.S. partnership seemed promising, with Iommi recalling Copeland seeming eager to add the band to the I.R.S. roster (2), distribution and promotion would be reoccurring opponents for Sabbath throughout the band’s relationship with the label. The ensuing Martin-era I.R.S. albums (Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), Cross Purposes (1994) and Forbidden (1995)) received under the radar releases in several markets and under a separate imprint, “I.R.S. Metal.” I.R.S. would fold in 1996, with the Martin-era discs gradually going out of print and subsequently commanding higher and higher second-hand prices. Whereas the rest of the Sabbath catalog was to receive numerous re-issues, remasters, remixes, deluxe editions and box sets throughout the years, the Martin albums remained trapped in purgatory despite slowly building a cult following. Martin would express his aggravation in 2011 with the albums being “removed from sale” (3), even claiming the following year that he felt like his time in the band had been deleted from history (4). Martin’s frustrations weren’t entirely unwarranted, as the band’s official channels did have a tendency of only spotlighting specific line-ups, especially following the final reunion years with Osbourne from 2011 to 2017.
Iommi would even admit during Sabbath’s final world tour in 2016 to have “held back” on reissuing the Martin-era albums while the Osbourne-fronted band was still active, though he also admitted to having future plans for the albums (5). Iommi would also later confirm a new remix of the Forbidden album overseen by himself in 2018 (6). Initially planned for a 2019 release, Iommi would state in February of that year to having no set timeline with the remix, simply stating “It will be done when it’s done” (7). Then in his annual year end video to fans, Iommi somewhat cryptically announced a box set would be arriving in May 2024 (8). That set was eventually revealed to be “Black Sabbath Anno Domini 1989-1995”, the long anticipated collective reissuing of the I.R.S. Martin-era albums. Released on May 31, 2024 in both CD and vinyl configurations, as well as streaming, Anno Domini 1989-1995 collects remasters of Headless Cross, Tyr and Cross Purposes, and Iommi’s new remix of Forbidden. The CD edition of the set also features additional bonus tracks for Headless Cross, Cross Purposes and Forbidden that were originally exclusive to Japan. The set also contains a replica of the 1989 Headless Cross tour book, a Headless Cross poster and a book containing an extensive history of the ’89 -’95 period of the band in quotes complied by the aforementioned Gilmour. As many pointed out upon the announcement of the box set, The Eternal Idol (Martin’s debut with the band) is conspicuously absent. However, The Eternal Idol was previously reissued in its own deluxe edition in 2010 with a second disc containing Ray Gillen’s original vocal tracks.
Headless Cross, the first album represented in the Anno Domini set, would also represent another significant turning point for the Sabbath line-up. While Martin and Nicholls would remain the only constants post-Eternal Idol, Iommi was determined to keep a proper band together in the wake of the revolving door of temporary bassists and drummers. After having “threatened”, in Iommi’s words (2), to work with drummer Cozy Powell for years, the two finally met and Powell officially joined Black Sabbath. Iommi credited Powell with giving the new line-up the desired and needed credibility for Sabbath to continue (2). Believing his drumming style to have suited the band anyway (2), Powell’s joining also made sense with Powell having previously played in Rainbow with second Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio. Much like Iommi, Powell was also eager to see stature restored to the Black Sabbath name. Powell even felt the music media were guilty of an “injustice” with Sabbath having long been critically slandered by the press (2). Though games of musical chairs were still to be played throughout the coming years with the rhythm section, Powell (similar to Martin) would act as a symbol of stability with Iommi, Martin, Powell and Nicholls making up the core Black Sabbath line-up during the period collected in the Anno Domini box set.
Though The Eternal Idol marked Martin’s debut as Sabbath’s vocalist, Martin’s role on the album was entirely singular – to sing. Headless Cross, however, marked the debut of Martin as a songwriter in Black Sabbath. Martin’s lyrics for Headless Cross are steeped in gothic, medieval mysticism and witchcraft, containing numerous appearances from Satan which even took Iommi and Powell aback a bit (2). With the bass position still vacant, the band recorded Headless Cross with jazz bassist Laurence Cottle in strictly a session role, though Cottle would later appear in the music video for the title track. Boldly (yet rightfully) believed by Iommi to be a “landmark” (2), Headless Cross is entirely unique within the Black Sabbath cannon in terms of sound and production. The classic Sabbath heavy/doom metal sound is taken into atmospheric territories previously uncharted by the band. Opening with “The Gates of Hell,” the minute and change solo soundscape piece from Nicholls ominously segues into the title track led by Powell’s groove and Iommi’s riff. Both equally mountainous in tone (with Iommi and Powell also handling the production), the remaster of the album featured in the Anno Domini set slightly lifts the omnipresent 80’s heavy gated reverb on Powell’s kit that’s so prominent in the original. This gives the sound a bit more breathing room and the thick fog shrouded over the mix a bit more transparency. Similar in cadence to the Heaven and Hell title track, “Headless Cross” also highlights Martin’s incredible range, with a Dio-esque lower register during the main verse that rivals Hughes’ soaring highs during the chorus.
A showcase for all the involved players, Nicholls plays an almost foundational role, filling empty space in the verses with a glacial chill during the title track. Cottle too, is inspired despite playing a session role, the bass lines throughout the title track often acting as responses to Iommi’s phrasing. Cottle would stick around again to film the music video for the title track. Despite Martin’s inspiration for the name of the song and album coming from the actual Headless Cross district in Redditch, England, the video was lensed in Sussex at Battle Abbey on the sight of the Battle of Hastings. Regarding the shoot, Iommi and Martin humorously recall Powell with “a bottle down to his high-hat… drinking brandy trying to keep warm because it was freezing… so at the end of the night he’s pissed.”(9) As Martin spied in the final video (which was also remastered along with the album and uploaded to Iommi’s official YouTube channel), “the sky keeps changing color where they edited it,” but the original plan for the video was to capture the sky turning from night to morning, hence the bitter temperatures (9). Powell and Cottle’s rhythms also drive forward the third track, “Devil & Daughter,” under Iommi’s guitar chugs. Nicholls again takes an almost lead role in “Devil & Daughter” with massive waves of synth merging with Iommi’s guitar. The song’s fusion of heaviness, atmospheric chilliness and AOR melodicism is a wholly unique, album-defining sonic spellcaster. Though a much different sound than say the band’s namesake “Black Sabbath” song, “Devil & Daughter” nonetheless features the same netherworldly conjuring powers, with Iommi’s spectral soloing with Nicholls’ keys adopting a triumphant choral role of sorts.
The solo also becomes a centerpiece of “When Death Calls,” the rare guitar solo in the Sabbath catalog to not be played by Iommi but Queen’s Brian May. A longtime friend of the Queen guitarist, Iommi emphasized May’s solo was pure improvisation, having only heard the song for the first time in the studio (2). One of the most dynamic tracks on the album, “When Death Calls” builds to May’s guest solo with the sounds during the opening and verses accented by Iommi’s acoustic guitar and Powell’s cymbals being some of the most atmospheric and sparse on the album, to the album’s heaviest moments of doom courtesy of Iommi’s cratering chorus riff. The kick in tempo following the second chorus provides the entrance ramp for May’s solo. “When Death Calls” was also subject to one of Powell’s more comic criticisms of Martin’s dark lyrics, with Martin recalling Powell stopping in the middle of recording the drum track to remark “What’s this song called?… I think it needs more DEATH, there’s not enough DEATH in it!’” (9) Martin’s lyricism reaches an evocative peak on the fifth track, “Kill in the Spirit World,” with stanzas such as:
“Behold the dead, clutching at fading hands
Out of reach forever
‘In glory die’ calls the voice from the void
Your assassin has cursed every spectre
The seal is broken, the oath has been crossed
And the house of the dead seeks the master
Stretching every muscle, I wait for the end
And the kiss on the wind whispers murder” [iii]
Musically and atmospherically, “Kill in the Spirit World” is also a remarkable peak for Headless Cross. Best exemplifying the seemingly disparate fusion of sounds heard on the album, the track begins similarly to “Devil & Daughter” in an upbeat, even melodic AOR manner. Martin’s verse melodies are some of the catchiest on the album. Much like “When Death Calls,” however, the song descends into pummeling doom for the chorus, with Powell’s intimidating stacking adding more weight to Iommi’s riff. “The Eastern sky is beginning to silver” Martin repeats during the song, with the hulking chorus guitars having a slight Eastern flavor. Underneath Iommi’s hypnotizing soloing, Nicholls’ keys take on ethereal choral properties again during the utterly hair-raising midsection of “Kill in the Spirit World.” Martin also reaches a spellbinding vocal peak following the solo and declaration of “When heaven is closer, it’s pleasure and pain,” emitting possessed howls. A defining song for not just the album but the Martin-era as a whole, “Kill in the Spirit World” was nearly cut from the album, with Powell initially struggling to find a feel for the song. Martin’s vocal, however, would be the inspiration Powell needed. As Martin remembers, Powell obsessed over the drum track until hearing a demo vocal provided the right flow (2). The follow-up track, “Call of the Wild,” features even more explicitly Eastern-influenced sounds, with sitar tones heard during the pre-chorus. The track also has the most accessible and AOR in sound on the album, with Martin’s infectious chorus cry of, “Hero! Only in the grave are there no dreams, Hero! Don’t believe in fate, it ain’t what it seems.” [iv]
Track seven, “Black Moon,” had previously been recorded by the Eternal Idol line-up of Iommi, Martin, Daisley, Nicholls and Singer and released as a B-side to the “The Shining” single. Based around a sleazy blues groove carried by Iommi and Powell, the opening riff isolates the heavy reverb on Iommi’s guitar, with Powell’s hits achieving equal resonance similar to the title track. Nicholls plays a similar role in “Black Moon” as he does in the title track by filling the empty spaces in between Iommi and Powell. His keyboard tone in “Black Moon” resembles a more classic church organ sound.
The concluding song on the original North American and European I.R.S. pressings of the album, “Nightwing” is another distinctive addition to the Sabbath songbook both in terms of mood and instrumentation, with some of Iommi’s finest showings on acoustic guitar. Maneuvering between acoustic and electric with Iommi soloing in both fashions, “Nightwing” structurally recalls “When Death Calls.” With softer passages trampled by a dinosauric chorus riff, the track and original album fade out on an increase in tempo. Accurately believed by Powell to be hair-raising, Powell specifically singled out Martin’s vocal performance. Martin’s vocals on “Nightwing” were remarkably a first-take guide vocal. While several others were recorded according to Martin, both Powell and Iommi felt no other take could match the first (2). “Cloak and Dagger” (the first of the Japanese bonus tracks) closes out the remastered Headless Cross CD found within the Anno Domini set. Reminiscent of “Heart Like a Wheel” off Seventh Star, with swaggering blues riffing, Nicholls’ again adopts a church organ tone while Martin’s moans and wails honor the vocalist’s nickname of “The Cat.”
With Cottle’s session role finished following the recording of Headless Cross, the bass position was again left vacant. Following Powell’s suggestion, the band auditioned Neil Murray prior to the start of the Headless Cross tour. Murray and Powell had previously played together in Whitesnake, and an offer for Murray proved irresistible (2). Headless Cross was released on April 17, 1989. However, early into the US portion of the tour Iommi and Powell would become angrily aware of the lack of promotion or distribution for the album from I.R.S.. Iommi remembered not seeing the album stocked in stores or even seeing posters advertising the album or tour (2). While much of the US leg of the Headless Cross tour would be canceled, Sabbath would play to some of its biggest European and Japanese crowds during the tour with the album marketed much better overseas (2). The band would also famously play Russia during the Headless Cross tour, playing two shows a night at Moscow’s Olympic Hall [v]. The touring line-up would also prove stable. With Murray now an official member of Black Sabbath, the bassist returned to the studio with the band to write and record the follow-up to Headless Cross, Tyr. Iommi would also directly address the criticisms of keeping the name “Black Sabbath” after the numerous line-up changes by writing in the Headless Cross tour book, “I’m well aware of upsetting a certain few by keeping the name Black Sabbath, but considering that I wrote 99.9% of the music I figure I’m entitled to call the band whatever the hell I like.” (2)
Released on August 20, 1990, Tyr was in a sense an even more atmospheric affair than Headless Cross, with the album’s songwriting, lyricism and production featuring much more of an emphasis on the grandiose. While not a concept album in the classic narrative sense, Tyr would be lyrically influenced by Norse mythology throughout several tracks. The viking theme also influenced the album design and fonts. For Martin, the lyrics were the result of searching for his own “theme” in an attempt at further distinguishing himself from Ozzy or Dio, with Martin admitting, “… I’m searching now. So, I thought ‘theme’. So, I thought vikings, I could write a whole thing around that.” (10) The viking theme was also a deliberate attempt at moving away from the occult and Satanic-themed lyrics that dominated Headless Cross, though Murray ironically would later take the same opinion on the viking theme as Powell did on the Satanic-themed lyrics, stating the viking theme to have been “overdone a bit.”(2) Martin’s lyrics would also inform some of the newer musical ideas the band would expand upon with Tyr – in particular the amount of harmonies, with Martin explaining, “By that time we were doing a lot of harmonies that Sabbath hadn’t done before… and it started to get a bit, you know, mad… so I just sort of persevered with it really and the melodies were sort of bubbled up and became what they were.”(10)
The harmonies are some of the first sounds heard on Tyr during “Anno Mundi” with Martin’s ghostly layered Latin singing. Iommi’s opening guitar lines bring the opening of “Children of the Sea” from Heaven and Hell to mind. However, the song takes on it and the album’s own identity, lurching into an expansive, slow and heavy march, with Powell’s kit dwarfing even his own Headless Cross sound. The ethereal atmospherics of Headless Cross also feature throughout Tyr though are recontextualized around the new, monumental heavy metal approach. Nicholls again adopts the church organ tone for “Anno Mundi,” the characteristics of which are brought out more clearly in the remastered edition of Tyr contained within the Anno Domini set. Nicholls’ more cinematic tones are also better defined in the remaster during the second track, “The Lawmaker,” which ups the tempo and features earworm Martin melodies and Iommi shredding one of his most memorable solos. Harmonies are also a defining characteristic of “Jerusalem,” the track’s crisp, mid-paced drive and melodic, shout along chorus not dissimilar to the previous album’s “Call of the Wild.” The album’s heaviest and most classically sounding Black Sabbath doom song, “The Sabbath Stones” trudges forward similar to “Anno Mundi” though appropriates the dynamics of “When Death Calls” with acoustic passages and a final uptempo groove that harkens back somewhat to earlier Sabbath. Tyr on the whole features some of Martin’s most inspired and memorable vocal phrasing. “The Sabbath Stones” is perhaps the most inspired and memorable on the album, particularly during the acoustic portions. Lyrically, too, the song is as evocative as “Kill in the Spirit World” in passages such as, “The time of dreams has turned, The night is gone and the light shines on, Where darkness once would hide with spirits high, our fears were born,” and the simple yet ominous pronouncement of, “Silence stills the air and kills the chime.”
The triptych of “The Battle of Tyr,” “Odin’s Court,” and “Valhalla” form a centerpiece suite, with each seamlessly segueing directly into the next. “The Battle of Tyr” serves the same atmospheric introductory function as “The Gates of Hell.” Nicholls’ keys set the scene for around a minute before providing celestial backdrop for Martin’s vocal and Iommi’s acoustic guitar in “Odin’s Court” (itself a brisk lead-in to the glorious “Valhalla”). A uniquely Sabbathian take on a power metal-esque sound, “Valhalla” parades into battle led by Iommi’s chugging and Martin’s harmonious chorus cries of, “When the winds of Valhalla run cold, be sure that the blood will start to flow.” Both “Valhalla” and “Odin’s Court” are the most explicitly viking-influenced songs on the album. Despite being the lone single released from Tyr, the penultimate track, “Feels Good to Me,” is a reality-grounded power balled that’s thematically removed from the rest of the album. Traces of the rest of the album’s sound can be briefly detected in the heavy chorus riff of “Feels Good to Me,” but Martin would later admit the song was only included for radio (11). A video would also be shot for the song featuring the band playing in an empty London theater. The stage is decorated with Greek columns, angel statutes and a fantastical painted backdrop and is intercut with an LA-set breakup scenario narrative centered around a motorcycle riding blonde. The video version of the song also cuts 30 seconds by omitting Iommi’s opening solo. Much more in line with the rest of the tracks and even earlier Sabbath, the album’s closer, “Heaven in Black,” opens with a rumble of thunder from Powell, whose footwork grooves hard under Iommi’s swinging chugs.
Original bassist Geezer Butler surprised fans during an encore of the namesake song, “Black Sabbath,” at the September 8, 1990 date of the Tyr tour at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Butler’s surprise jam would be a premonition of sorts as, despite the stability of the Tyr line-up, the band would be detoured by Iommi’s reunion with Butler, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice. The Mob Rules line-up officially reunited as Black Sabbath and released the Dehumanizer album in June of 1992. The early stages of the reunion were uncertain, however, with Dio initially leaving the Dehumanizer sessions. Butler recalled having to call Martin back in to demo some of the Dehumanizer material before Dio’s return (12). Powell was originally involved with the Dehumanizer line-up, but longstanding heat between the drummer and Dio extending back to the Rainbow days would complicate matters. Appice’s official return resulted from injuries suffered by Powell during a horseback riding accident where the drummer’s horse fell on top of him. Butler believed Dio cursed the horse as Appice would return not long after Dio (12). Despite the success and reception of Dehumanizer, the reunion would be short lived. The death knell was signaled by Dio’s refusal to open two Costa Mesa, CA shows for Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tours” tour which was purported to be Osbourne’s final tour at the time. With Dio’s contract having expired before the two shows, Sabbath would rely on Rob Halford (fresh out of Judas Priest) for the November 14th and 15th Costa Mesa performances. The November 15th show saw Iommi and Butler joined by Osbourne and Bill Ward for a second encore – the first reunion of the original line-up since the 1985 Live Aid performance.
In the midst of the soap operatics surrounding the Dehumanizer tour, Martin had recorded and released his debut solo album, Back Where I Belong, in 1992. Featuring appearances by fellow Sabbath alum Nicholls, Murray and Cottle, Back Where I Belong would also feature guest spots from Brian May and a re-recording of “Jerusalem” from Tyr. With both Dio and Appice gone again, Iommi rebounded fairly quickly. With yet another new iteration of Sabbath, the guitarist emphasized his continuous belief in the band and “Get on with it” mentality despite the challenges of keeping the Black Sabbath name alive as the 90’s progressed (2). Butler, too, believed enough to remain following Dio and Appice’s departures. After working through new musical ideas, he and Iommi called Martin back in again (12). The ensuing album, Cross Purposes, would be another Sabbath stand-alone – the only Black Sabbath studio album to feature Martin on vocals with Butler on bass. Iommi would pick from the Rainbow family tree again with Bobby Rondinelli, who ironically had taken Powell’s seat in Rainbow for the Difficult to Cure (1981) album [vi], to handle drums on Cross Purposes and the subsequent tour. Released on January 31, 1994, Cross Purposes (much like its recording and touring line-up) is fairly singular in the Sabbath discography musically speaking. A thoroughly contemporary sounding album for 1994, Cross Purposes fused some of the heaviness of Dehumanizer – one of the heaviest, doomiest and most aggressive sounding Sabbath albums – with some of the more melodic and AOR leanings heard on previous Martin-fronted albums.
Butler’s continued presence is apparent immediately during the opening track, “I Witness,” with bass runs bubbling underneath Martin’s lower-register verse delivery. The drive of “I Witness” is similar to that of “Time Machine” from Dehumanizer,with one of the album’s most rocking and lasting guitar refrains repeated throughout. Iommi’s slowed down whine prior to the track’s conclusion hints at the impending doom felt during the opening riff to “I” from Dehumanizer or “Zero the Hero” from Born Again. The melodious atmospherics of previous Martin-era albums return for “Cross of Thorns.” Nicholls’ keys conjure a choir during the acoustic intro and verses and later the cathedral organ tone as the song becomes heavier with the full band chorus and one of Martin’s best and catchiest vocal showings. “Cross of Thorns” also highlighted Martin’s more grounded and contemporary approach to lyrics on Cross Purposes, with the words rooted in Northern Ireland’s The Troubles. Martin previously played shows with Powell’s Hammer project in Ireland during a time of strict border security and sectarian violence (13). The name of the track stemmed from a conversation between Martin and Van Morrison’s tour manager, with Martin remembering, “I was asking him what it was like to live there under the conditions… He said ‘It’s like carrying a cross of thorns!’… That phrase had a real impact on me…” (13) Martin noticeably stands out on the third track “Psychophobia.” Wrapping a uniquely phrased vocal around the song’s jagged grooves and one of Iommi’s heaviest and most twisted riffs, Martin segues to the chorus by simply hanging onto the word “all.” The chorus is also uplifted by the vocal melody and Nicholls’ euphoric coloring.
Fourth track, “Virtual Death,” is both the most classic and contemporary sounding Cross Purposes selection. Opening with an ominous Butler bass line, “Virtual Death” is also the heaviest and slowest song on the album, with Iommi’s riff and the track’s crawling tempo quintessential doom metal. The song is also a fascinating example of masters influenced by pupils with noticeable inspiration from Alice in Chains. Martin’s haunted, layered vocals and phrasing recall the harmonies of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. “Immaculate Deception” distills the album’s various musical personalities into one track with a more mid-paced (though still rather doom-laden) verse riff. Martin sings in some of his lowest tones and Nicholls again summons an angelic choir under the weight. Rondinelli’s footwork drives “Immaculate Deception” to a speedier chorus tempo, while Butler remains busy with runs similar to “I Witness” during the uptempo moments and behind Iommi’s solo. The solo is front and center in “Dying for Love.” Iommi opens the song with a smooth, downright sensuous solo. A moody power ballad, “Dying for Love” eschews the typical, romantic ballad lyricism heard on “Feels Good to Me.” Martin, in a more contemporary mindset, penned the song around, “The pain felt by ordinary people in war torn Yugoslavia.”(14) While the album’s most straightforward and bright sounding song musically, “Back to Eden” begins with one of Martin’s most interesting lyrics: “We are the star demons reaching out.” This may be a reference to Henry, the iconic winged demon figure holding a star in his stretched out hand seen on Sabbath releases, posters, merchandise and numerous other items since the 70’s.
Lyrically inspired by the case of Beverly Allitt (a British nurse convicted of murdering four infants in the early 90’s), though sharing the same title as the 1992 film starring Rebecca De Mornay, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” rocks to an angular, wiry groove formed around one of Iommi’s most unique riffs, akin to a Butler bass fill. Nicholls returns closer to the front throughout “Cardinal Sin,” as do the choral voices. With the keys providing string sounds, “Cardinal Sin” marches to a “Kashmir”-esque groove. “Evil Eye” (which closed out the original I.R.S. release of Cross Purposes) certainly has the most interesting backstory of all the tracks, with one Eddie Van Halen involved in its creation. However Iommi would admit the rumor and innuendo surrounding the song and Van Halen’s involvement over the years has been slightly exaggerated (15). As Iommi remembers, Van Halen were in Birmingham in the midst of the “Right Here Right Now” tour when he received a call from the guitarist, after which the two picked up a Van Halen signature guitar from a music shop on the way to the studio, where Van Halen jammed a solo overtop Iommi’s “Evil Eye” riff (2). Contractual and record label headaches would prevent Van Halen’s name from appearing on the album, though Iommi would later admit the existence of a tape recorded by Martin containing the “Evil Eye” studio jam featuring Van Halen (15). Slithering to a dark, downright sexy groove, Martin interestingly channels Dio lyrically throughout the song, singing to be free of “the woman with the evil eye” who possesses “the face of an angel but the stare from a devil inside.” Japanese bonus track “What’s the Use” closes out the Cross Purposes CD found within the Anno Domini set. Where Rondinelli’s opening roll mirrors Powell’s “Heaven in Black” intro, Iommi’s speedy riffing resembles “TV Crimes” from Dehumanizer, with Nicholls coloring the chorus much like in “Psychophobia.”
Cross Purposes was followed by a live album/VHS combo aptly titled Cross Purposes Live. Released in March of 1995, it featured the same line-up as the album. However, Rondinelli would exit during the tour, with none other than Ward returning for the remaining dates. The reunion of the original Sabbath rhythm section would be short lived, though, with Ward stepping away after finishing the Cross Purposes tour. Butler, too, would again opt out of Black Sabbath following the Cross Purposes tour. The bassist instead joined Osbourne’s solo band for the Ozzmosis (1995) album and later released the debut album from the Geezer or “g//z/r” project, Plastic Planet (1995). Though Iommi admitted to some bitterness remaining due to how the Tyr line-up was dissolved for the Dehumanizer album and tour, both Murray and Powell would return to Black Sabbath for what would become the final album of the Martin-era, Forbidden (2). Originally released in June of 1995, Forbidden has long been outcast as the black sheep of the Sabbath discography, with the band themselves some of the album’s harshest critics. Martin admitted neither himself nor Powell were happy with the album while Nicholls remained “really uncertain” (2). While both Martin and Iommi remember the writing process for Forbidden as positive, with the entire band in good spirits in the studio, Martin would also admit the mood quickly turned sour as the album was being recorded, with Martin referring to the entire band as becoming “miserable” (16). Recorded in just ten days, the original aim of Forbidden was to capture the more spontaneous feel of early Sabbath recordings (2). However, Iommi’s biggest bone of contention with Forbidden would ultimately be the production on the original album, in particular the guitar sound.
Where Iommi had played a role in the production and mixing of all previous Sabbath albums (working closely with producers such as Rodger Bain and Martin Birch), the entirely of Forbidden was entrusted to Ernie C, the guitarist of Ice T’s metal band Body Count of “Cop Killer” infamy. This was done at the insistence of I.R.S.. Most controversially, Ernie C’s producer role opened the door for Ice T to provide guest vocals on the song “The Illusion of Power.” With the mainstream momentum gained by the rap and nu metal sounds by 1995, this was also encouraged by I.R.S.. The studio atmosphere as a result was one of confusion for Martin, who admits to not even being certain of his status in the band at the time. Ice T’s role on the album was never really fully explained prior to recording (2). Powell also quickly became disillusioned by the whole process according to Iommi. The drummer and Ernie C often butted heads on drum sound and even technique, with both Iommi and Martin remembering Ernie C attempting to persuade Powell into a more modern, even hip-hop-influenced approach (2). Iommi would later state that Powell remained irritated about the drum sound on Forbidden until his passing in 1998, also noting his remixing of the album was in some ways an act of good will towards Powell (7). Though some of the harsh criticisms leveled at Forbidden throughout the years have been absurdly hyperbolic (even more so than the critiques of other contentious albums such as Technical Ecstasy (1976) or Never Say Die! (1978)), Iommi’s remix is an utterly revelatory listen. The 2024 remix contained within the Anno Domini set sounds almost like an entirely new album.
Ernie C has stated his production approach to Forbidden was to, “dry the sound up a bit.”(17) While Forbidden in its original form was undeniably heavy (arguably the heaviest of the Martin-era), the sound on the original 1995 release was undeniably dry and claustrophobic with Ernie C’s attempt at removing the feeling of what the producer described as “playing in a tunnel”(17) dulling and flattening several elements of the sound. The contrasts in sound between the original and the remix are immediate from the opening chords of “The Illusion of Power.” One of the doomiest tracks on the original is rendered even more so via Iommi’s remixed guitar tone and the newfound texture to Powell’s kit. The extra breathing space afforded by the new mix also offers “The Illusion of Power” previously unheard atmospheric potential and a more detectable doom groove under Ice T’s controversial spoken guest verse. While always an awkward sounding addition, the supposedly album-ruining verse lasts a grand total of 13-seconds and is given a more evil sounding effect on the remix as are Ice T’s harmonized vocals with Martin during the chorus. The second song, “Get a Grip,” also features more noticeable fluid movement in its remixed form. The mid-paced groove on the track recalls that of “Zero the Hero” from Born Again with more bass present in the remix. The drum track on “Get a Grip” presents one of the most extreme differences in mixes, with Powell’s double bass footwork finally pushed to the fore. “Get a Grip” was also accompanied by a music video which, like the “Headless Cross” video, was remastered and uploaded to Iommi’s YouTube channel. Entirely animated, the video stars cartoon biker Ogri. Created by British artist Paul Sample, Sample also drew the Forbidden cover art with the Reaper figure and caricatures of the band seen on the cover feature in the video.
“Can’t Get Close Enough” also presents one of the more radical differences between the original and remix of Forbidden with a “Megalomania”-esque riff isolating Iommi’s searing remixed tone and the band sounding more motivated with Murray more upfront. The oddly timed, ballad-esque opening not only features different tones but lyrics as well. Iommi and engineer Mike Exiter utilized previously discarded alternate vocal takes by Martin, with the singer sounding far more energized on the track. In some ways a sibling to “Psychophobia” from Cross Purposes, with its gnarled riffing and odd cadence both musically and vocally, Murray is also more of a defining presence on “Shaking Off the Chains.” Now occupying almost the same space as Iommi, Murray’s remixed tone on “Shaking Off the Chains” is actually akin to a Todd “Sexy” Strange bass tone on an early Crowbar album. Both Murray and Powell’s more fully rounded kit are rattling under Iommi’s chainsaw tones. “I Won’t Cry for You” presents even more night and day differences between the original and remix when listened to back-to-back. Running around a minute and a half longer than the original, with the guitars now giving the power ballad actual power for its chorus, the newly remixed “I Won’t Cry for You” also features additional vocal tracks layered on for a harmonized chorus and an extended conclusion circling back to the track’s opening. The original ended on a fade out. One of the album’s catchiest tracks, “Guilty as Hell” benefits greatly from the separation afforded by the remix, with much more clarity to Murray’s bass, Powell’s drums and Martin’s vocal hooks. They also benefit from the addition of pre-chorus harmonies. “Sick and Tired,” a heavy blues stomp where Iommi rips an impassioned solo similar to “Heart Like a Wheel,” also reaps the rewards from the remix with Powell’s “Heaven in Black”-esque intro and more subtle cymbal work excavated from the dried mud of the original.
The remix applies an even brighter sheen to “Rusty Angels.” Always a standout track on account of sounding more akin to some of the LA-influenced songs on Seventh Star, it also adds additional weight with Murray’s tone which, while not quite as jarring, resembles the remixed “Shaking off the Chains” bass sound. Iommi also updates “Rusty Angels” with an alternate outro solo which comes to a full stop replacing the original fade out. Perhaps appropriately given it’s the title track, “Forbidden” is the most remixed out of all the songs. With alternate guitar and vocal tracks, Murray’s bass rhythm now cuts through the mix. Iommi also removed the mini post-chorus leads heard on the original and replaced the original main solo with a different take. Where Murray is better represented throughout the entirety of the remix, Nicholls, by contrast, has been greatly reduced in the mix, which is most noticeable on the Forbidden title track. Nicholls’ padding now takes a backseat to the more audible bass. Similar to “The Illusion of Power,” much of the atmospheric potential of “Kiss of Death” was suffocated in the original mix which concluded the 1995 I.R.S. CD. Structurally somewhat recalling “When Death Calls” from Headless Cross, the doom of “Kiss of Death” is more impending on the Forbidden remix and has more space to resonate. The remix also slightly alters Iommi’s sickeningly contorted riff, signaling the upkick in tempo while also revealing one of Powell’s most inspired performances on the album that was long muffled by the compression of the original mix. Similar in rhythm to “Get a Grip” and “Psychophobia,” Japanese bonus track “Loser Gets It All” also gets the remix treatment on the Forbidden CD featured in the Anno Domini set. The song exemplifies the lowering of Nicholls in the mix, with the original featuring similar padding to the original title track.
Forbidden would ultimately signal the kiss of death for the Martin-era, as Powell would exit once again two months into the tour, which again featured Motorhead alongside Sweden’s Tiamat. Rondinelli completed the rest of the dates. The album would also mark the end of Black Sabbath’s deal with I.R.S. Records, the final Sabbath release from the label being The Sabbath Stones compilation released on April 29, 1996 as contractual filler. Iommi would declare Black Sabbath “on hold” following the expiration of the I.R.S. deal (2), instead reuniting with Glenn Hughes in 1996 for a solo project and recording an album’s worth of material not officially released until 2004 as “The 1996 DEP Sessions.” However, the following year three fourths of the original line-up would reunite for the 1997 Ozzfest tour with Iommi, Osbourne and Butler accompanied by Osbourne’s solo band drummer Mike Bordin. Ward would rejoin the band in November of 1997, completing the reunion of the original line-up. Forbidden would also stand as the last studio album of new material to be released under the “Black Sabbath” name for eighteen years with the reunion of the Mob Rules/Dehumanizer line-up of Iommi, Dio, Butler and Appice touring and releasing The Devil You Know (2009) album as “Heaven and Hell.” In keeping with previous line-up drama, what was first advertised on November 11, 2011 as the original line-up reuniting for a final album and tour faced its own line-up tribulations. Infamously citing an “unsignable contract,” Ward would exit yet again and the band would record 13 (2013) – its first new “Black Sabbath” album since Forbidden – with Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk for some strange reason. Osbourne’s solo band drummer Tommy Clufestos would occupy the kit for the band’s final four years of touring. The final Black Sabbath show took place on February 4, 2017 in the band’s hometown of Birmingham.
Despite Black Sabbath having officially ceased all recording and live activity, Martin would nevertheless encounter some of the politics that still exist behind-the-scenes during the creation of the Anno Domini set. The process, Martin admits, was so complicated, with so much contractual red tape to cut though, that the singer felt “resigned” to the project never actually coming to fruition (18). Although Martin had offered recordings from his own personal archive, including the “Evil Eye” rehearsal featuring Eddie Van Halen and even eight unreleased songs for potential inclusion in the set, Martin would note such materials were unusable due to all the convoluted legalities preventing any previously unreleased music being released as “new” Black Sabbath material, even archival recordings (18). Martin did state, however, the potential for Cross Purposes Live to receive a treatment similar to the albums in the set at a later date (18). Martin nevertheless remains “thrilled and excited” with the Anno Domini set as it stands and the interest generated in this previously “hidden” era of Sabbath by the set. The singer also admits to not actually physically seeing or holding most of the albums himself since their original incarnations, having given his own away years before (18). Though Iommi emphasized that only so much could be done with the master tapes, both Iommi and Martin also feel to have righted a wrong with the Forbidden remix (16), and that the album now sounds like a Black Sabbath album should. A personal and professional victory for Martin, the Anno Domini set is also a victory for fans – both longstanding champions and those just discovering the Martin-era though the newfound availability of the albums – and is the ideal introduction for the latter to an unheralded yet vital period of Black Sabbath history.
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[i]. The photos with Donato would be published by Kerrang! magazine, who also publicized Donato as Sabbath’s new singer despite Iommi never making any official statements on the matter. The band would, however, record three demo tracks with Donato on vocals. “No Way Out,” an early take on what would become “The Shining” (the opening track off The Eternal Idol), would later publicly surface and make its way online.
[ii]. “Nightmare” was originally written for consideration for the A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) soundtrack. The title track to Dio’s Dream Evil (1987) was also interestingly contending for prominent usage in the film before Dokken’s “Dream Warriors” was ultimately selected as the film’s official tie-in song. “Nightmare” also contains a laugh in the middle of the song – the laugh the one remnant of Ray Gillen’s original vocal tracks heard on the finished version of The Eternal Idol.
[iii]. Also note the reference to “the ultimate sin,” the same name as Osbourne’s 1986 album, “Kill in the Spirit World,” with the line “Some say that this is the ultimate sin when the spirit world turns to the altar.”
[iv]. “Call of the Wild” was originally to be titled “Hero” but was changed due to Osbourne having a song entitled “Hero” on the No Rest for the Wicked (1988) album, making the “ultimate sin” lyric in “Kill in the Spirit World” mentioned in note iii all the more curious. Osbourne was also curiously quoted on an I.R.S. sponsored promotional poster for Headless Cross (“Iommi has and always will be the master of the metal riff.”)
[v]. A live album compiled from the various shows in Russia was planned. However, according to Murray, Russian security was so strict the band weren’t actually allowed to leave with the recordings. However, live recordings of “Heaven and Hell” and “Paranoid” from the Russian shows would make their way onto the B-side of the “Feels Good to Me” single.
[vi]. The Hipgnosis-designed cover for Difficult to Cure was originally created for Sabbath and the Never Say Die! album, before being rejected in favor of the now iconic fighter pilots.
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1. Gilmour, Hugh. Sanctuary Midline. 2004.
2. “Black Sabbath Anno Domini 1989-1995”. Rhino Records. May 31, 2024.
3. “Interview with TONY MARTIN: “In Music Business LOTS of things need to change …today it’s just fuckin’ crap!!!”. https://metalshockfinland.com/2011/08/25/interview-with-tony-martin-in-music-business-lots-of-things-need-to-change-today-its-just-fuckin-crap/. August 25, 2011.
4. “Ex-BLACK SABBATH Singer TONY MARTIN Is ‘Surprised’ By Criticism In TONY IOMMI’s Book.” https://blabbermouth.net/news/ex-black-sabbath-singer-tony-martin-is-surprised-by-criticism-in-tony-iommi-s-book. July 26, 2012.
5. “EXCLUSIVE: Tony Iommi Reveals Future Black Sabbath Plans With Former Vocalist”. https://themusic.com.au/news/exclusive-tony-iommi-reveals-future-black-sabbath-plans-with-former-vocalist/HSkOMTAzMjU/04-03-16. March 6, 2016.
6. “TONY IOMMI Has Begun Remixing BLACK SABBATH’s ‘Forbidden’ Album For 2019 Release.” https://blabbermouth.net/news/tony-iommi-has-begun-remixing-black-sabbaths-forbidden-album-for-2019-release. December 30, 2018.
7. “TONY IOMMI Says Remixing ‘Forbidden’ Is ‘Opportunity To Make It More What People Would Expect BLACK SABBATH To Sound Like’”. https://blabbermouth.net/news/tony-iommi-says-remixing-forbidden-is-opportunity-to-make-it-more-what-people-would-expect-black-sabbath-to-sound-like. February 10, 2019.
8. “TONY IOMMI Says That Box Set Of TONY MARTIN-Era BLACK SABBATH Albums Will Finally Arrive In May”. https://blabbermouth.net/news/tony-iommi-says-that-box-set-of-tony-martin-era-black-sabbath-albums-will-finally-arrive-in-may. January 1, 2024.
9. “Tony Iommi & Tony Martin in conversation : Black Sabbath – Headless Cross”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DEfGLzrNc0&t=1s. April 11, 2024.
10. “Tony Iommi & Tony Martin in conversation : Black Sabbath – TYR”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUU3dKxGsMg. April 26, 2024.
11. “QUESTIONS & ANSWERS”. https://web.archive.org/web/20030409182808/http://tonymartin.net/qanda.html.
12. Butler, Geezer. “Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath – And Beyond”. Dey Street Books. June 6, 2023.
13. “Former Black Sabbath Vocalist Tony Martin Shares the Meanings Behind Two Martin Era Classics: “I Witness” and “Cross of Thorns.””. https://www.southeastofheaven.com/?p=19228. April 27, 2021.
14. “Cross Purposes”. https://www.black-sabbath.com/discography/blacksabbath/crosspurposes/.
15. “TONY IOMMI Confirms Existence Of Recorded Version Of BLACK SABBATH’s “Evil Eye” Featuring EDDIE VAN HALEN, Says Sabbath Reunion Would Be “A Nice Thing To Actually Do”; Audio”. https://bravewords.com/news/tony-iommi-confirms-existence-of-recorded-version-of-black-sabbath-s-evil-eye-featuring-eddie-van-halen-says-sabbath-reunion-would-be-a-nice-thing-to-actually-do-audio. May 23, 2024.
16. “Tony Iommi & Tony Martin in conversation : Black Sabbath – Forbidden”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJAMBzWDKHU. May 22, 2024.
17. “ERNIE C Defends His Production On BLACK SABBATH’s ‘Forbidden’ Album: I Wanted ‘To Dry The Sound Up A Little Bit’”. https://blabbermouth.net/news/ernie-c-defends-his-production-on-black-sabbaths-forbidden-album-i-wanted-to-dry-the-sound-up-a-little-bit. February 23, 2019.
18. “Tony Martin Talks about Black Sabbath, The Anno Domini Box Set & What Might Happen Next!”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMDFCPB1E-0. May 31, 2024.
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