![]() At times the band has some classic Sabbath grooves (see “Virtual Death”), at other times it sounds more like Dio-era Sab (ala “Cardinal Sin” and “Back to Eden”). ![]() Sonically, Cross Purposes is a little all over the place and seemingly in search of an identity. Iommi and Butler also tapped former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli, and Nichols remained on keyboards. This album marked the return of Tony Martin after Sabbath’s ill-fated one album reunion with Dio. I think the riffs from ‘Guilty as Hell’ and ‘Forbidden’ are two of the best riffs Iommi has written.” 19. ‘ Rusty Angels’ and ‘Kiss of Death’ are great songs all around. Josh Schwartz of A Sound of Thunder thinks Forbidden is better than people give it credit for: The album might better be renamed Forgotten. The album’s performances were fine, but the songs overall just were not up to snuff. The rest of the lineup included drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Neil Murray, and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls. Ice-T even delivers a spoken word section on the lead off track, “The Illusion of Power”. The drum sound is tinny, and there is a bit of a muffled quality to the album overall. produced and mixed the record, which on its own is a mistake. It would be the final record with Tony Martin on vocals before the band reunited with Ozzy Osbourne. Iommi served as the only original Sabbath member. Referring to any Sabbath album as the “worst” feels like heresy, but even Iommi refers to Forbidden as the band’s weakest effort. In formulating my thoughts and this list, I also reached out to several of our more Sabbath savvy metal friends for their input on the band’s best albums, most underrated records, and Iommis’d best riffs. This is to respect the legacy of Sabbath, and to try and merge the various eras of the band with some faithfulness to their place in the band’s immense and influential discography. More time was spent on this rankings list than perhaps any other. He is the glue that crosses every iteration of Black Sabbath, and for that reason, we include all the records here. The life blood of Black Sabbath is in the riffs, and Iommi is arguably the most prolific riffmeister to ever strap on a six-string. ![]() Other lineup changes would follow, but Tony Iommi remains the band’s lone constant across all 20 records. Osbourne’s departure in 1979 would lead to the band tabbing former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Do you include the Ronnie James Dio era? How about the Ian Gillan, Tony Martin, and Glenn Hughes eras? What about the temporary reformation as Heaven & Hell? When you are talking about icons like Sabbath, a band that altered the landscape of heavy music, and that have been through numerous changes over the decades, the task becomes even more difficult. Even purists argue over which albums are the best, or least. One would think that Black Sabbath, the Godfathers of heavy metal, would have been the first band we created such a rankings list for, but it’s a difficult list to curate. ![]() There existed a dark sense of unease within the music of Sabbath, and while critics did not originally grasp its sinister beauty, fans related almost immediately to its working class ethos. This is the quintessential Sabbath lineup, and for many purists, the band’s catalog of music includes only the albums recorded by this quartet. Certain proto-metal bands began building the metal sound in the late 60s, but it was the release of Black Sabbath in February 1970 that turned out to be the game changer, and it all started in 1968 with guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and of course, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The birth of heavy metal began 50 years ago with the debut release by Birmingham, England’s vaunted heroes, Black Sabbath. ![]()
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