Tag: Tony Iommi
3 Black Sabbath – 13 (2013)
Legendary. It is the only word that fits the band Black Sabbath! It is mind-blowing to me that Black Sabbath has been recording metal music off & on for over 40 years now. Their music has stood against the test of time. There have been many imitators, but no band has been able to reproduce the amazing music that Black Sabbath has put out over the years. With that being said, Black Sabbath’s latest album 13, is not what I would call legendary, but it is a great bookend to what could easily be the final chapter in the careers of this amazing metal band.
Before the release of 13, I had not listened to a single song from the album, so I had no idea what to expect. After the first play, the only song that grabbed my attention initially was “God Is Dead”. On the first play, I thought, this could easily be a staple for Sabbath’s live set. It is a very classic sounding Sabbath song and easily one of my favorites on the album. I struggled at first to find another song that really made an impact on me, but I kept listening, and then a funny thing happened, I couldn’t QUIT listening.
13 really started sinking in after the second listen, and I started to enjoy it more. “End of the Beginning” does a great job re-capturing the vibe of the awe-inspiring 1970 debut Black Sabbath. Tony Iommi is absolutely riffdiculous. On 13, he has once again put together a stellar performance, creating a bunch of new riffs from his endless bag of tricks. It is his guitar work that will make you want to give this album endless spins. Geezer Butler deserves a strong mention here as well. His powerful bass is the driving force behind this music. It is awesome to listen to someone who can truly play, and not just remain hidden in the background playing rhythm. His deep and sometimes jangly bass riffs are amazing. Geezer does not always get the credit he deserves. It is my opinion that his playing on 13 is stellar.
As much as I love Ozzy Osbourne, I didn’t think his vocals were as strong or as aggressive as past releases. I get the fact that Ozzy is 64 years old, but I was hoping that producer Rick Rubin would push him a little further than he did. With that being said, Ozzy’s vocals aren’t bad, just not as good as they have been in the past.
As much as I am disappointed that Bill Ward was not involved in the making of this album, I have to give credit to Brad Wilk from Rage Against the Machine. He provided the thunder for this album, and I truly believe he did an outstanding job.
There are three of songs that have really grown on me since I started listening to 13, and those are “Loner”, “Zeitgeist” and “Live Forever”. “Loner” is maybe the most upbeat track on the album, while “Zeitgeist” is the slowest. “Zeitgeist” may just be one of the most different sounding Sabbath tracks of all time. That is the song’s pure brilliance. Iommi nearly treads into Eric Clapton territory with his playing on this one, and Brad Wilk plays the bongos throughout this song. “Zeitgeist” is clever and cool. Metal purists may turn their nose at this one, but I appreciate the creativity, and outstanding musicianship. I love the chorus on “Live Forever”. “Well I don’t want to live forever, but I don’t want to die….”. This lyric has really stuck in my head.
If you buy one version of this album, I highly recommend the bonus version (available at Best Buy) with four bonus tracks.
The bonus track “Methademic” is nearly worth the price of admission all by itself. This is a killer up tempo number that should have been on the main disc. I don’t know why this one got picked over. It is better than some of the songs on the main disc. This is a song that you won’t want to miss. (Check it out below!) “Pariah” is also an outstanding tune that should not be missed.
Overall, 13 is a solid, but not spectacular album. The more I listen to it, the more I have grown to like and appreciate it. It may not be perfect, but it does have good song writing, and outstanding musicianship. Black Sabbath fans should rush to get this, and all other metal fans should give this one a chance.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
01. End of The Beginning
02. God is Dead?
03. Loner
04. Zeitgeist
05. Age of Reason
06. Live Forever
07. Damaged Soul
08. Dear Father
* Bonus Tracks
01. Methademic
02. Peace of Mind
03. Pariah
04. Naivete In Black
Black Sabbath is:
Tony Iommi – lead guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals
Brad Wilk – drums
1 New Hard Rock Releases for 8/28/2012
Better late than never….
There are plenty of cool releases this week including the new Saga CD 20/20, the full length CD Who Cares from Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi (lots of goodies on this one). The Last Vegas has finally released the follow up to their excellent 2009 CD, Whatever Gets You Off. A Killer CD/DVD Combo from Triumph and some excellent melodic rock from HESS and Eclipse. Check below for the full list!
Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi – Who Cares
Saga – 20/20
HESS – Living In Yesterday
The Last Vegas – Bad Decisions
Eclipse – Bleed & Scream
Triumph – LIve At Sweden Rock Festival (CD & DVD)
Chariot – One Wing
Beardfish – One Wing
Scum of the Earth – The Devil Made Me Do It
Gypsyhawk – Revelry & Resilience
Joe Stump – Revenge of the Shredlord
Circle of Light – Rebirth
Stealing Axion – Moments
World Fire Brigade – Spreading My Wings
Andrew W.K. – I Get Wet (10th Anniversary Special Edition)
1 Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi Are WHOCARES — New 2CD Out August 28
Reuniting for the first time since their collaboration on Black Sabbath’s 1983 Born Again album, Deep Purple´s Ian Gillan and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi took everybody by surprise in 2011 when they released the charity singles: “Out Of My Mind” and “Holy Water.” For the recording of these songs, the two rock legends called a few friends, asking for some “help.” Jason Newsted (Metallica), Jon Lord (Deep Purple, 1941-2012), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), and Linde Lindström (HIM) completed the supergroup WhoCares.
9. Deep Purple “Dick Pimple”
0 New Ian Gillan / Tony Iommi CD Coming July 13th!
Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi took everybody by surprise in 2011 by releasing a charity single: “Out Of My Mind”, renewing the collaboration that led the pair recording the Black Sabbath album “Born Again” in 1984. Click here for the video: http://youtu.be/n2vxQApPg40
None other than Jason Newsted (Metallica), Jon Lord, Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) and Linde Lindström (HIM) supported the two rock legends. Not only jamming together for the shear fun of things, this new project has united for a cause – rebuilding and helping the music school in Gyumari, Armenia. The single was a joyful and inspired moment. Iommi and Gillan have now decided to make WhoCares an album for their devoted fans. Classic songs and a lot of rarities and unreleased material in 2CDs of fantastic rare music.
This is much more than a Gillan solo album or a Deep Purple anthology — this is a real collector’s item and must have for every Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi fan.
The album is set to release on July 13th, 2012
The Track Listing is below:
CD1
01. WHOCARES “Out Of My Mind” (fi rst time on an album) featuring Jon Lord,
02. BLACK SABBATH “Zero The Hero”
03.GILLAN’S INN feat. Iommi, Ian Paice and Roger Glover “Trashed”
04. M. Rakintzis feat. Ian Gillan “Get Away”
05. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes “Slip Away” (fi rst time on CD)
06. Gillan “Don’t Hold Me Back” from TOOLBOX
07. Ian Gillan “She Thinks It’s A Crime” (vinyl single B-side, fi rst time on CD)
08. Repo Depo feat. Ian Gillan “Easy Come, Easy Go” (previously unreleased)
09. DEEP PURPLE feat. Ronnie James Dio “Smoke On The Water” (live with the Royal Philaarmonic Orchestra)
CD2
01. WHOCARES “Holy Water” (fi rst time on an album) featuring Jon Lord
02. BLACK SABBATH “Anno Mundi”
03. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes “Let it Down Easy” (fi rst time on CD)
04. Ian Gillan “Hole in My Vest” (7″ vinyl single B-side, fi rst time on CD)
05. Gillan & Glover feat. Dr. John “Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave me”
06. Ian Gillan & The Javelins “Can I Get A Witness”
07. Garth Rockett & The Moonshiners “No Laughing in Heaven” live
08. Ian Gillan “When A Blind Man Cries” (Live at Absolute Radio, previously unreleased)
09. DEEP PURPLE “Dick Pimple” Jam for 1995 DPAS convention
2 Tony Iommi Diagnosed With Lymphoma
With the news that Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, his bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time. Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan–the “IRON MAN” of Rock & Roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery.
This comes as Black Sabbath–Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums)–are writing and recording their first album in 33 years in Los Angeles (still set for release this fall) with producer Rick Rubin. They will now go to the UK to continue to work with Tony. Further information will be released as it becomes available.
0 Who Cares – Out of My Mind / Holy Water (2011)
It is not very often when a piece of music has me excitedly breaking out some old CD’s in my collection, but that is exactly what the new CD single from Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan has done. The two new songs “Out of Mind” and “Holy Water” are splendid metal offerings from Iommi, Gillan and friends to help raise funds for the rebuilding of a music school in Gyumri, Armenia.
I enjoyed both of these songs greatly, and had only left me wanting more. I had to break out my copy of the 1983 Black Sabbath classic Born Again, which featured Ian Gillan on vocals. It isn’t a CD that I listen to very often, but this new CD single shows that there may be something more to a collaboration between Gillan and Iommi. These elder statesmen of hard rock and metal have put together two very solid tracks, which are worth every penny of your hard-earned money.
Who Cares? Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan cared enough to create this music for a good cause, and we the music fans get to reap the benefits. Sure, I wish there were more tracks, but the two songs here are excellent. Don’t miss this!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Out of My Mind
2. Holy Water
“Out Of My Mind” recording lineup:
Ian Gillan (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) – Vocals
Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH) – Guitar
Mikko “Linde” Lindström (HIM) – Guitar
Jason Newsted (METALLICA, VOIVOD, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) – Bass
Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN) – Drums
Jon Lord (DEEP PURPLE) – Keyboards
“Holy Water” recording lineup:
Ian Gillan (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) – Vocals
Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH) – Guitar
Steve Morris – Guitar
Michael Lee Jackson – Guitar
Rodney Appleby – Bass
Randy Clarke – Drums
Jesse O’Brien – Hammond Organ
Ara Gevorgyan – Underlying Duduk Intro Music And Keys * Arshak Sahakyan – Duduk Solo
1 Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi Come Together Again In WhoCares
Debut Two-Song Digital Single To Benefit Armenian Music School May 10; CDE To Follow June 21
earMUSIC is the international pop-rock label of Hamburg based entertainment group Edel.
4 Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi – Seventh Star (2010 Reissue)
One of my favorite reissues released in 2010, is the Deluxe Edition of Black Sabbath’s Seventh Star. Seventh Star was originally released in January of 1986. The story behind Seventh Star has been well documented. This was supposed to be a Tony Iommi solo CD, but the record company pressured Iommi to release this a Black Sabbath CD. That is abridged version of the story, but if you check out the booklet that is included in this two CD set, it will tell you the complete details about Seventh Star. There are also some cool pictures of the band as well.
How is the music on Seventh Star? I wouldn’t call it unSabbath like. It isn’t as heavy, or doom laden as most of Black Sabbath’s stuff but it is very good. The bass from Dave Spitz is nowhere near as heavy as that of Geezer Butler, but due to the nature of the music, it works, and works well. Tony Iommi’s riffs are awesome as always, and Glenn Hughes vocals are perfect. While this CD may not be as heavy as other albums in the Black Sabbath discography, it is awesome in its own right.
The song “In For The Kill” is an excellent tune. It is a shame that this tune doesn’t get more airplay. This hard rocking number ought to be up there with Sabbath’s best. “No Stranger to Love” is a powerful slow number. Geoff Nicholls keyboard work on this song brings the classic Sabbath album Heaven and Hell to mind. Eric Singer shows off his mad drum skills on the rocker “Turn To Stone”. Tony Iommi may have been a genius nabbing Glenn Hughes to sing on this CD. His vocals are as good as it gets. I have always been a fan of Glenn Hughes since his Deep Purple days, but I think Iommi’s playing may complement his voice even more. If Black Sabbath doesn’t reunite with Ozzy Osbourne, Glenn Hughes ought to be given a strong look. Needless to say, I have no problem listening to Seventh Star over and over again. It is a very underrated recording in the Sabbath discography.
With the newly reissued Deluxe Edition, you get a really cool fold out digipack case with band pictures, and a nicely put together booklet. The second CD features the late Ray Gillen (Badlands) singing with Black Sabbath Live at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1986. The Live recording isn’t what I would consider pristine, but it something I have looked forward to owning for years. It has only been available in bootleg formats prior to this release. Gillen’s vocals sound fantastic on both the Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio, and Glenn Hughes tracks. For my ears, the second CD alone is worth the price of admission. The audio quality isn’t the greatest, but it preserves a piece of Metal history, with a singer who should have been one of Metal’s biggest stars.
If you are a Black Sabbath fan, and have never picked up Seventh Star before. This is the version to own! It may not be the preferred Black Sabbath lineup, and the original recording is somewhat short, but it is still a very solid effort from Tony Iommi and company! Recommended!
Track Listing
Disc One
1. In for the Kill
2. No Stranger to Love
3. Turn to Stone
4. Sphinx (The Guardian)
5. Seventh Star
6. Danger Zone
7. Heart Like a Wheel
8. Angry Heart
9. In Memory…
10. No Stranger To Love (Alternate Version)*Bonus Track
Disc Two
Live At the Hammersmith Odeon, London, 2nd June 1986
1. Mob Rules
2. Danger Zone
3. War Pigs
4. Seventh Star
5. Die Young
6. Black Sabbath
7. N.I.B.
8. Neon Knights
9. Paranoid
Black Sabbath is:
Tony Iommi – Guitars
Glenn Hughes – Vocals
Eric Singer – Drums
Dave “The Beast” Spitz – Bass
Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
Gordon Copley – Bass on “No Stranger To Love”
Ray Gillen – vocals (on – Disc 2)
5 Heaven & Hell – The Devil You Know (Release Year – 2009)
Black Sabbath, or Heaven and Hell if you prefer is back with their first CD with Ronnie James Dio since 1992’s Dehumanizer. Seventeen years is a hell of a long wait for new material from any band, but the gentlemen of Heaven & Hell made it worth the wait. They have delivered another disc of quality heavy rock.
I can only use one word to describe Ronnie James Dio….incredible! How is it possible for RJD to sound this good at this stage in his career? His vocals continue to astound me on “The Devil You Know”. He continues to sing better than just about anyone out there in hard rock today. With no surprise, Tony Iommi dishes out some awesome guitar work on this disc. His guitar solos on this album are brilliant to say the least. Listen to his incredible riffs on “Bible Black” or “The Turn of the Screw” and I guarantee you will come back for more.
Geezer Butler is still laying down the deepest doom laden bass licks I have ever heard, and Vinnie Appice just kills it on the drums.
Does The Devil You Know live up to Heaven & Hell, Mob Rules or even Dehumanizer? Probably not. This album is not without its problems. A couple of the songs on this disc could be better. While some of the tunes don’t work for me, even the worst songs on “The Devil You Know” are only a minor distraction. The music speaks for itself and does so loudly. Two of the better cuts, “Bible Black” and “Eating the Cannibals” could go down as some of the best Heaven & Hell tunes ever.
The Bottom Line: I have listened to this CD a couple of times now, and it seems to get better with each play. The elder statesmen of heavy metal can still get it done in 2009. Black Sabbath and Dio fans will likely enjoy this disc as much as I have. Buy this!!
Track Listing:
1. Atom And Evil
2. Fear
3. Bible Black
4. Double The Pain
5. Rock And Roll Angel
6. The Turn Of The Screw
7. Eating The Cannibals
8. Follow The Tears
9. Neverwhere
10. Breaking Into Heaven
Heaven & Hell is:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Tonny Iommi – Guitars
Geezer Butler – Bass
Vinnie Appice – Drums
1 We Wish You A Metal Xmas…And A Headbanging New Year (Release Year – 2008)
Twisted Sister seemingly opened the floodgates for a new batch of hard rockin’ Christmas tunes when they released their album, “Twisted Christmas” in 2006. “We Wish You A Metal Xmas, and a HeadBanging New Year” has more hard rock and metal stars than any other Christmas compilation in history (Yes, even more than Monster Ballads Christmas from 2007). With that being said, it has to be awesome right?!
For the most part it is, and I would go so far as saying they have one upped, “Twisted Christmas” with this compilation.
First and foremost, I am a Jeff Scott Soto fan and he can do little wrong in my eyes. He helps rock out this rocking version of “We Wish You A Merry (Metal) Xmas”. My step daughter likes this one too. I caught her singing “We Wish You A Metal Christmas”. 🙂
You either have to love or hate Lemmy Kilmister. His rendition of “Run Rudolph Run” is pretty fun for the most part, but you know what to expect from his vocals. I have officially started a new holiday tradition by singing “Run Rudolph Run” in my best Lemmy Kilmister voice. What a great way to annoy the spouse and siblings.! 🙂
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is a creepy and cool rendition of this tune. Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi make this sound like a lost Black Sabbath cut.
“Silver Bells” is one of the weaker moments on this disc. Geoff Tate’s lack of vocal fortitude really shows up badly on this song. He can’t hit the notes that this song requires, and that is a shame. He used to have an awesome voice, but it is severely lacking here.
Dug Pinnick from King’s X turns in a semi soulful version of the Little Drummer Boy. George Lynch adds some pretty tasty guitar licks to this version.
You have to love Ripper Owens. He may not be the best singer in the world, but he can really metalize Christmas songs like no one else. Steve Morse provides the tasty guitar licks on “Santa Claus is Back In Town”, and Ripper drives it home with his metal screams. I love it!
Chuck Billy destroys “Silent Night” with his death metal growl, but I think this is more tongue in cheek, than anything else. I can’t say I ever expected to hear a death/thrash metal version of “Silent Night”, but the unit of Scott Ian, Jon Donais, Chris Wyse and John Tempesta somehow manage to pull this off. The shredding on this tune is pretty awesome.
Every time I hear “Deck the Halls” I think it is Geoff Tate back for another dose. It is actually Lynch Mob’s Oni Logan. I don’t know if is just me, but his voice also sounds worse for wear here. I don’t remember him sounding anything like this in the 90’s.
RATT’s Stephen Pearcy pulls off a pretty good version of “Grandman Got Ran Over By A Reindeer”. As it turns out, Pearcy has a pretty good voice for this tune. Who would have thought that?
As a whole, I have enjoyed this CD, and have replayed this quite a bit . This is easily the best hard rock Christmas CD released in 2008. Buy it!!
Track Listing:
- We Wish You A Merry Xmas – (Jeff Scott Soto, Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Chris Wyse, Ray Luzier)
- Run Rudolph Run – (Lemmy Kilmister, Billy F. Gibbons, Dave Grohl)
- Santa Claws Is Coming To Town – (Alice Cooper, John 5, Billy Sheehan, Vinny Appice)
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – (Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Rudy Sarzo, Simon Wright)
- Silver Bells (Geoff Tate, Carlos Cavazo, James Lomenzo, Ray Luzier)
- Little Drummer Boy – (Dug Pinnick, George Lynch, Billy Sheehan, Simon Phillips)
- Santa Claus Is Back In Town – (Tim Owens, Steve Morse, Juan Garcia, Marco Mendoza, Vinny Appice)
- Silent Night – (Chuck Billy, Scott Ian, Jon Donais, Chris Wyse, John Tempesta)
- Deck The Halls – (Oni Logan, Craig Goldy, Tony Franklin, John Tempesta)
- Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer – (Stephen Pearcy, Tracii Guns, Bob Kulick, Billy Sheehan, Greg Bissonette)
- Rockin’ Around The Xmas Tree – (Joe Lynn Turner, Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Rudy Sarzo, Simon Wright)
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – (Tommy Shaw, Steve Lukather, Marco Mendoza, Kenny Aronoff)
Produced by: Bob Kulick and Brett Chassen
1 Tony Iommi Sues Live Nation
Anthony Iommi, lead guitarist of the rock band Black Sabbath, is suing Live Nation Inc. for trademark infringement, alleging a subsidiary of the music promoter has illegally sold merchandise using images of the band.
The guitarist alleged that Signatures Network Inc., purchased by Live Nation in 2007, has continued to sell merchandise with images of Iommi and Black Sabbath’s trademarked symbol after the expiration of a licensing agreement, according to a complaint filed today in a U.S. District Court in New York.
Iommi co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968 along with vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The left-handed guitarist behind songs such as “Iron Man” and “Paranoid” has retained control of the band’s trademarks as the other original members left, according to the complaint.
Live Nation, the largest U.S. concert promoter, purchased Signatures for $79 million in 2007 and tapped its chief executive officer, Dell Furano, to take over its merchandise division.
The purchase gave Live Nation control of the rights to license and market merchandise for artists such as The Beatles, U2, Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand. The company, based in Beverly Hills, California, also competes with Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. for concert ticket sales.
Live Nation rose 15 cents, or 4.1 percent, to $3.80 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have lost 74 percent this year.
Iommi, 60, has registered the Black Sabbath trademark in the U.K, U.S. and European Union. The band’s contract with Signatures expired in 2006, according to the complaint.
April Request
The lawsuit alleges that Signatures continued to sell the band’s merchandise after Iommi sent a letter in April telling the company to stop. The gear included about 100 items of clothing, jewelry, posters and fashion accessories.
Iommi is seeking damages of at least three times Signatures’ profits from the merchandise, as well as a halt to the product sales.
Live Nation doesn’t comment about ongoing litigation, said spokeswoman Liz Morentin.
The case is Anthony Iommi v. Signatures Network Inc., No. 1:08-cv-10904, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
Source: Blolomberg.com
0 Tony Iommi Receives Walk of Stars Honor
Birmingham Mail reports that BLACK SABBATH founder Tony Iommi looked humbled as he was inaugurated into Broad Street’s Walk of Stars yesterday (Sunday, November 23) in Birmingham, England in front of a crowd of fans.
The 60-year-old rocker from Aston was presented with his star by deputy lord mayor Councillor Randal Brew. He thanked fans, many of whom had stood in pouring rain for hours for a glimpse of the music idol.
“Thanks ever so much for coming and for standing in this awful weather,” he said.
“I just want to say that I’m proud to be a Brummie and I’m proud to say I’m from Birmingham. Thanks very much for this and I’m going to put it in a good place. Really, thanks very much.”
Watch video footage of Tony Iommi’s star presentation below (courtesy of “Karlmetalhead”).
Broad Street’s Walk of Stars honors those who have made a significant contribution in music, television, film, radio, theatre, sport, business and literature and is run by the Broad Street Business Improvement District.
Born in Aston, Birmingham, guitarist and songwriter Tony is best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band BLACK SABBATH, and more of less single-handedly inventing the heavy rock music genre. Iommi is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential guitarists in rock music and is widely considered to be the man who invented the heavy metal riff.
Iommi has released over 30 albums with BLACK SABBATH, two solo albums, has sold over 80 million copies and is the recipient of 20 platinum and 14 gold albums. BLACK SABBATH was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005, and in March 2006 into New York’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On July 6, 2007, Ozzy Osbourne became the first artist to be honored on Birmingham, England’s own Hollywood-style Walk of Stars in the city’s Broad Street / Centenary Square.
Courtesy of Blabbermouth
0 Tony Iommi rocks onto the Walk of Star’s this November 23rd
Fresh on the heels of Julie Walter’s accepting the offer of a star (date to be confirmed), the Broad Street Business Improvement District is delighted to announce that Heaven and Hell guitarist, founding member of Black Sabbath, Grammy Award winner and king of heavy metal Tony Iommi will be honoured on the Broad Street Walk of Star’s on Sunday 23rd November 2008.
Following an afternoon of live music from local bands on the stage in Centenary Square ‘Kerrang Radio’ presenter Johnny Doom will host the evening, with the presentation of the star taking place at 6.30pm.
Born in Aston , Birmingham , guitarist and songwriter Tony is best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and more of less single-handedly inventing the heavy rock music genre. Iommi is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential guitarists in rock music and is widely considered to be the man who invented the heavy metal riff.
Iommi has released over 30 albums with Black Sabbath, 2 solo albums, has sold over 80 million copies and is the recipient of 20 platinum and 14 gold albums. Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005, and in March 2006 into New York’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Currently working on a new studio album with Heaven and Hell in America Tony is thrilled to return home to accept his Walk of Star honour; “It’s great – it’s really an honour – I’m really proud of it … I was shocked! It’s so nice to have things like that! I’ve got one out in LA but I’m not from LA – It’s so nice being recognised in your home town”.
Mike Olley, Broad Street Manager, said “We are delighted to be welcoming Tony onto the Broad Street Walk of Star’s. The contribution he has made to rock music deserves to be honoured and we are excited he has agreed to give us the opportunity to do so”.
0 Girlschool to Release Legacy in November!
Veteran British all-female hard rock band GIRLSCHOOL will release its 30th-anniversary album, “Legacy”, on October 24 in Germany, October 27 in Europe and November 4 in the USA via Wacken Records/SPV. The CD will feature a plethora of special guests, including Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH), Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, DIO), Lemmy and Phil Campbell from MOTÖRHEAD, “Fast” Eddie Clarke (FASTWAY, ex-MOTÖRHEAD) and a couple of members of TWISTED SISTER. Even the group’s original guitarist Kelly Johnson, who died last year, can be heard on the opener “Everything ‘s The Same” with a special ghost appearance!
“Legacy” (see artwork below) track listing:
01. Everything’s The Same (feat. Kelly Johnson on percussion – her ashes)
02. From The Other Side
03. I Spy (Girlschool Mix)
04. Spend Spend Spend (feat. J.J. French guitar solo)
05. Whole New World (feat. Neil Murray – bass, Phil Campbell – lead guitar)
06. Just Another Day (feat. Phil Campbell – guitar solo)
07. Legend (feat. Neil Murray – bass)
08. Still Waters
09. Metropolis (MOTÖRHEAD cover) (feat. Fast Eddie Clarke – guitar solo)
10. Don’t Mess Around (feat. Eddie Ojeda – guitar solo)
11. Zeitgeist
12. Don’t Talk To Me (feat. Lemmy on bass, vocals and triangle)
Bonus Tracks:
13. I Spy (Dio/Iommi Mix) (feat. Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Tony Iommi on lead guitar)
14. Emergency
15. London
Article courtesy of Blabbermouth
2 We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year?!
Wendy Dio is very excited to tell you about a Christmas metal CD that she, Bob Kulick and Brett Chassen have been working on since June, entitled “We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year”.
This is a METAL CD you will want to listen to all year round.
Wendy says, “It has been a very exciting and exhausting project, but we have managed to get an all star cast together.
”The hardest person to get was Ronnie himself, as he told Wendy he doesn’t sing Christmas songs, but after Wendy hounded him for days, he finally listened to the arrangement Bob had come up with for “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, decided he liked it, added a few bits, recorded it at Bob’s studio, and then said that it needed Tony Iommi’s signature guitar sound. Wendy then sent the track over to Tony, who also liked the track, and behold! You have a very Sabbath Christmas song.
Also rounding out the circle of familiar characters on this track are Dio bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Simon Wright.
All of the tracks on the record are awesome and definitely have Wendy’s stamp of approval.
No word on when this will be released, but I am guessing this will be out in time for the ’08 Christmas Holiday Season.
5 Black Sabbath – Dehumanizer (Release Year – 1992)
Dehumanizer is the 16th studio disc by Black Sabbath, and the third featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Ronnie returned to Black Sabbath after an 11 year hiatus in which he was performing as a solo artist.
This disc features the same lineup from the Mob Rules disc, which is Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass, Appice on drums and Dio on vocals.
Typically when people talk about Dio singing in Black Sabbath they will often refer to Heaven and Hell, and Mob Rules. Dehumanizer rarely gets mentioned, and that is a shame. It is a heavy disc, and easily as solid as the first two with RJD.
This disc starts off with Computer God, which is a very heavy track to start the pace of Dehumanizer. This is a well written and performed song, and quite possibly one of their best.
Computer God
After All is a very dark and heavy track that sounds like it was a left over from the period when Ozzy was still in the band. This is a bit too dark for my tastes.
After All (the dead)
TV Crimes on the other hand is a killer track that I absolutely love. The tempo is high paced, and Dio sounds awesome on vocals. This is one that I hope they perform live on the Heaven and Hell tour. This is essential for any Sabbath fan.
TV Crimes
Another track that I like a lot on Dehumanizer is Letters from Earth. This is another well written song, with cool lyrics, and superb playing by Iommi. Geezer’s bass sounds like it is going to rip the walls down, and Appice crushes on the drums here. Great Stuff!
Master of Insanity starts with a dark and gloomy bass riff by Geezer, and turns into a heavy rocker, that resembles more of a DIO solo track than a Black Sabbath song. Nonetheless, it is a good song, and one of the better ones on Dehumanizer.
Master of Insanity
I love the chugging guitars and fast paced bass rhythm of Time Machine. This song is another Dehumanizer stand out.
Time Machine
Sins of the Father is one of the most different Sabbath tracks I have heard in a while. It seems that Geezer’s bass is mixed so that it less audible. Iommi’s guitar seem to be tuned in a different key on this track. The end result is a very cool 80’s sounding Metal song.
Something about the track Too Late reminds me of Queensryche in a sense. It starts off as a low tempo acoustic track that allows Dio’s voice to shine, but then breaks in a heavy metal behemoth about midway through. This is one of those songs that you may not get the first time. I bet if you sit down, crank this song up, and close your eyes, and immerse yourself into the music, you will get into it to. I think it is a very cool song.
I is a track that grows on me more with every listen. The lyrics are cool, and the chorus is simple and sing songy…I..I..I. The music is good, and Dio sounds great as well.
I
Buried Alive is a song that I just could not get into. Its ultra heavy intro, didnt work for me. Sure Iommi has some cool solos here, but this feels like an average track to me. Quite frankly, I tend to skip this song when it comes up.
Aside from the intro on Time Machine, I can’t tell much of a difference in the Wayne’s World version. They could have used this one instead of the other version on the album, and added another original cut. There isn’t enough difference between the two to really support having two different versions here.
Bottom line, I believe Dehumanizer is a much better disc than a lot of people perceive it to be. It has some tracks that may need to grown on you a few times, and is probably the heaviest of the three discs that have Dio on vocals. It is still a good listen today, and to me and while it isn’t perfect, it is still a must have in my heavy metal collection!
Track Listing:
- Computer God
- After All (The Dead)
- TV Crimes
- Letters from Earth
- Master of Insanity
- Time Machine
- Sins of the Father
- Too Late
- I
- Buried Alive
- Time Machine (Wayne’s World Version)
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitars
Geezer Butler – bass
Vinny Appice – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
6 Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (Release Year 1981)
Black Sabbath’s Mob Rules is the band’s 10th studio disc and 2nd featuring Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Mob Rules also features the 2007 lineup of the Heaven and Hell Tour, Tony Iommi on Guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Vinnie Appice on Drums.
Mob Rules starts off where Heaven and Hell left off, by opening up with a heavy up tempo track Turn Up the Night. Iommi starts jamming early and Dio is in fine form here.
I find myself head banging to Voodoo each time I listen to it. Ronnie James Dio is probably one of the few singers on earth that can make a track like this work. Voodoo has a very good rhythm to it, and the guitar work is quite good, but Dio’s vocals are what stands out the most.
The Sign of the Southern Cross is one of the heavier tracks on Mob Rules. This song is essential to any Sabbath fan. Awesome!
E5150 is a dark instrumental track that will scare the hell out of your parents. This track flows right into the title track, The Mob Rules. This is a heavy track that is essential to any Sabbath fan. Great stuff!
Mob Rules
Something about Country Girl reminds me of an Irish drinking song, albeit a very heavy one. I didn’t really care for this track much at first, but it has grown on me somewhat.
Slipping Away is an upbeat rocker that has a simple rhythm about it. Its pretty much the same guitar riff over and over by Iommi. Geezer Butler has some funky bass grooves in this track. It is a cool track but not essential.
Falling Off the Edge of the World is one of the better tracks on Mob Rules. This tracks starts off as a dark low tempo number that only Black Sabbath could pull off, and then blasts off into a heavy guitar noodling , Dio screaming monster. This is probably my second most favorite track off this disc.
Over and Over ends this disc with a heavy low tempo track. Dio belts out the lyrics in fine fashion, and Tony Iommi ends this disc the same way it began, by jamming out. The song itself would just be an average track, by Iommi’s playing turns this into something much more enjoyable. While not this is not the best Sabbath track I have ever heard, it is still a solid way to close out this disc.
Mob Rules is an excellent slab of Black Sabbath metal. This disc isn’t quite as good as Heaven and Hell, but it still very much essential to any fan of hard rock and heavy metal!
Track Listing:
- Turn Up The Night
- Voodoo
- The Sign of the Southern Cross
- E5150
- The Mob Rules
- Country Girl
- Slipping Away
- Falling Off the Edge of the World
- Over and Over
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Vinny Appice – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
6 Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell (Release Year – 1980)
In 1979 due to lack of commitment and personal conflicts, Ozzy Osbourne was asked to leave Black Sabbath. None other than Ronnie James Dio was brought in to replace him.
Heaven and Hell is the first of 3 discs (and a live disc) featuring Ronnie on vocals and the 9th overall by Black Sabbath.
Heaven and Hell is nothing short of a metal masterpiece! Who can deny the incredible opening track Neon Knights! This is an up tempo track that pleases both Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio fans. Great vocals by Dio and killer guitars by Iommi. Awesome!
Neon Knights
Children of the Sea is another classic Sabbath track. This mid tempo jewel featues that fat Geezer Butler bass rhythm, and more awesome vocals by RJD. Outstanding!
Children of the Sea
Lady Evil is infectious as hell. Geezer’s bass sounds extremely fat on this track. If you don’t find your self singing “Lady Evil, Evil...” after a single listen, then you probably wont get this track. That would be a real shame too. This is killer track!
Heaven and Hell is unmistakably one of the biggest songs Black Sabbath has ever written. Dio’s vocals are in fine form here. Iommi’s guitars are amazing on this song. The sheer heaviness of this track is what makes it so cool. I can’t say enough about this track. Definitely one of my all time favorite metal songs!
Heaven and Hell
Wishing Well is a cool track that you need to sit and absorb a few times. Iommi’s guitar work on this track is so cool, you need to listen to this multiple times to get the true enjoyment out of it.
Die Young has a very trippy Pink Floyd and Queen progressive feel to it while retaining that Sabbath heaviness. I like this track more each time I hear it.
Die Young
Walk Away is one of those tracks that needs to grow on you. Af first it seems that this track isnt as heavy as some of the Heaven and Hell. This track is probably the least heavy of the 8 songs here. It is still a rocking track, but not one of my favorites.
Lonely is the Word is a another great track where Dio really belts out the vocals. One again, Iommi’s guitars are excellent. This song makes me want to break out a lighter and start waving it in the air. Absolutely incredible playing, and a superb song to close this record out with.
Heaven and Hell is an extraordinary debut by Dio with Black Sabbath. If Iommi and company were trying to get people to forget about Ozzy with this disc, they accomplished the task. This is an impressive heavy metal classic that still sounds great in 2007. No hard rock fan or metalhead should be with out it!
Track Listing:
- Neon Knights
- Children of the Sea
- Lady Evil
- Heaven and Hell
- Wishing Well
- Die Young
- Walk Away
- Loney is the Word
Black Sabbath is:
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitar
Geezer Butler – bass guitar
Bill Ward – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards