HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: The Tony Martin Era – Black Sabbath

In an episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor uses the oft quoted phrase that time is not linear, more like a ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff. It’s effective in explaining how things overlap and can exist at the same time. The Doctor could’ve also said it’s like the line-up changes of BLACK SABBATH following OZZY OSBOURNE‘s departure. The new Anno Domini boxset from SABBATH is the eagerly awaited remastered versions of the albums featuring Tony Martin. However, in order to understand its place in the jumbled timeline of the band, a brief history lesson. Even though there is a clear date stamp, there’s a mass of activity leading up to, and surrounding these albums, that should be known.

In 1979 OZZY OSBOURNE departed BLACK SABBATH. Now there are several stories and view points depending on whose account one takes as gospel. A generally accepted line is that it was drug related, a possible oversimplification considering that OZZY was not alone with his recreational habits. The ‘classic’ lineup of SABBATH was now broken and left behind a monumental back catalogue. Between 1979 and 1982 the small in statue but larger than life heavy metal icon RONNIE JAMES DIO fronted the band. This incarnation released Heaven & Hell (1980) and Mob Rules (1981), considered by many to be equal to anything SABBATH had done previously. Then DIO leaves and Ian Gillan of DEEP PURPLE fame takes up the vocal duties.  One studio album, Born Again (1983) is the fruit of this union complete with terrible artwork.  Not a bad album, but very much a step down from the previous releases. Between 1984 and 1987 Glenn Hughes is now the vocalist, the album Seventh Star (1986) with the bizarre tagline of BLACK SABBATH featuring Tony Iommi, is the result.  Once again, it’s not a patch on the back catalogue and it feels like a serious departure from the established BLACK SABBATH sound.

Now, if you’re still following along, well done.  Things get a little more interesting. Tony Martin joins the band in 1987 and they release The Eternal Idol (1987). However, this is not featured in the new box set. 1989 is where Anno Domini picks up upon the release of Headless Cross (1989) and the follow up Tyr (1990). The title is misleading as it suggests a linear progression from here to 1995. Wrong. From 1990 until 1992 DIO returns and they release the excellent Dehumanizer (1992), although the artwork is once again questionable to say the least. Martin then rejoins from 1992 until departing in 1997. This leads to the releases of Cross Purposes (1994) and Forbidden (1995) which is what the boxset includes. Subsequently, BLACK SABBATH would have further line up changes with two further reunions with OZZY, punctuated by a brief stint as HEAVEN & HELL with DIO, before finally bringing the curtain down in 2017.

So, we now have a framework this boxset sits within.  The set is a remaster featuring four of the five Tony Martin era albums. Headless Cross, Tyr, Cross Purposes, and Forbidden. There is little to no additional fluff; aside from a poster and programme from the Headless Cross tour, no demo or unreleased tracks for the serious collector to delve into. While some may feel disappointed by the lack of additional goodies, the magic lies in the fact that these albums had previously been out of print. They’re back, bringing a much-overlooked period of SABBATH history to the fore.

Starting with the omission, Eternal Idol.  Upon its release, it was largely ignored though some cited Martin’s vocals as a powerful new addition. However, compliments were overshadowed by harsher words such as this is BLACK SABBATH in name only. The poor performance of this release led to SABBATH being dropped by Vertigo and Warner Bros., signing to I.R.S Records. In order to capture his vision following the disappointing previous release, Iommi opted to produce Headless Cross himself. With Tony Martin on vocals, other band members included the superb RAINBOW drummer Cozy Powell, Nicholls on keys, and session bassist Laurence Cottle.  The resulting album again failed to set the world alight. However, reviewers were kinder. Praise included the material being comparable to release from either the OZZY or DIO eras. While the recording was fine, the resulting tours were less than ideal. Due to poor ticket sales, the 1989 US tour was abandoned after only a handful of shows. Still, they managed a good European and Japanese run and even played in Russia.

Unbroken, SABBATH returned to the studio for Norse Mythology based Tyr. Reviews were one again mixed. Many labelled the blend of lyrical content and heavy metal as a great mix. Others were still of the opinion that Iommi was flogging a dead horse when it came to the BLACK SABBATH name. Further tours were also poor. For the first time SABBATH had no US dates in support of the new record and the UK dates were curtailed due to poor sales.  Following the brief reunion with DIO and Geezer Butler (bass) returning to the fold for Dehumanizer, there was a bit of fire for the longstanding fans. With DIO’s departure, Butler remained and Tony Martin returned for Cross Purposes. There is some debate about whether this was intended to be a BLACK SABBATH release with Butler under the impression that it wasn’t going to be. Be that as it may, Cross Purposes was released under the SABBATH name. Further reviews for this release were negative. By now grunge was the in thing, many reviewers were picking up how earlier BLACK SABBATH incarnations had influenced bands such as SOUNDGARDEN. During the resulting tours, drummer Bobby Rondinelli (who had replaced Powell sometime previously) left and original stick man Bill Ward temporarily rejoined. One standout gem from Cross Purposes is the track Evil Eye which even featured an uncredited Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN) as co-writer.

Becoming disillusioned with the process, Geezer Butler left once again. Bill Ward stepped away shortly after. Unperturbed, Iommi reinstated another previous bassist Neil Murry and Cozy Powell back on drums. The final record of the set and of this incarnation is Forbidden. If previous reviews could be called unjust, the ones for Forbidden were devastating. Phrases such as “worst album to date” and “uninspired” were prevalent. Not just dismissive but damming. With the writing seemingly on the wall, Iommi put SABBATH on hiatus.

The question is, with such poor reviews and evidently not the most creatively inspiring period, why re-release these albums? For fans of the band who missed out the first-time round, it’s a chance to complete a collection. For others it offers up a snapshot at a turbulent period for one of the greatest bands of all time. There are hidden gems to be found within these recordings and with hindsight, a lot of the previous reviews are unfair. Headless Cross stands up well and with the remastered version, there is new life within the tracks. The title track is an absolute stormer with Iommi sounding utterly imperious. Tyr and Cross Purposes have a renewed vigour while Forbidden has a totally new mix which offers a vast improvement. The songs remain the same but the quality is definitely elevated. Across all the records, Tony Martin stands out as a vocalist that should be mentioned along with OZZY and DIO as one of the best. He’s a blend of both along with his own unique stamp. While there are some duff moments, there’s a wealth to enjoy in this collection.  For those that initially dismissed these albums, it’s a defiant stand and proves the naysayers wrong.  For those unfamiliar with this period, it’s another layer to the SABBATH tapestry that deserves the spotlight of attention.

Anno Domini is available now via Rhino Entertainment.

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