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.
Rhino 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 is available from Rhino today 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, whilethe 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 four albums Sabbath recorded for the label. Praised by fans and critics alike, the band’s 14th 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 18th 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:
LP track listing:
Headless Cross (1989):
Side One:
1 The Gates Of Hell
2 Headless Cross
3 Devil & Daughter
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 CD Track Listing:
Headless Cross (1989):
1 The Gates Of Hell
2 Headless Cross
3 Devil & Daughter
4 Kill In The Spirit World
5 Call Of The Wild
6 Black Moon
7 Nightwing
Bonus Track:
8 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
3 Responses
What a night and day difference on the Forbidden remix. Cozy’s kicks so pronounced. Crisp, clean, clear headphone mix. Only took 29 years. Thank You Tony Iommi. First Technical Ecstasy then Live Evil now Forbidden. Born Again next?
Is it true they are working on a remastered Born Again as well? Love that album but the mix is horrible. Trashed is one of my favs from when I was a kid (U68 used to play that video all the time)…
Looks like they are leaving out Eternal Idol , the first Martin album with Black Sabbath . Originally sang by the great Ray Gillen who quit before the release and later rerecorded with Martin . Lyrics were also written by Bob Daisley . On the song nightmare they kept Rays evil laugh on the rerecording. The Ray version was a bootleg for the longest time but it has been released somewhat properly some years back , it’s a great listen .