Artist: BLACK SABBATH
Album: TYR (CD)

Release date: 1990
Media type: CD

The new album 'Headless Cross' naturally witnessed a further line-up shuffle, with Iommi and Martin drafting in ex-RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP drummer COZY POWELL and little known bassist Lawrence Cottle. The latter had made his mark previously on GARY MOORE’s ‘After The War’ album and with sessions for ERIC CLAPTON.

For live work Cottle was supplanted by former WHITESNAKE and VOW WOW bassist Neil Murray. Still, ‘Headless Cross' proved a welcome return to form and saw strong sales across Europe. In America though an about face in fortune saw the band floundering in some dismally attended venues throughout June of 1989. Support acts came in the shape of KINGDOM COME and SILENT RAGE. After just 8 concerts the band withdrew from the tour.

With ‘Headless Cross’ far exceeding sales expectations in Germany the band’s European tour was conducted with a renewed flush of success. The German melodic Rock outfit AXXIS supported in the UK during August, BLACK SABBATH kicking off their British dates at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre. More traditional stamping grounds such as Liverpool’s Royal Court, Sheffield’s City Hall, Newcastle City Hall, Edinburgh Playhouse, Manchester’s Apollo and Leicester’s De Montfort Hall all boasted a respectable turn out and led up to a double barrelled brace of dates at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. By scheduling two Hammersmith dates Black Sabbath were giving a display of optimism that would serve them well. On the last of these shows, the 10th of September, BRIAN MAY strolled on for the encores to an ecstatic crowd response.

AXXIS would remain as special guests throughout the Scandinavian and European leg, commencing at Stockholm’s Solnahallen venue. The following night in the Danish capitol of Copenhagen IAN GILLAN showed plenty of water had flowed under his particular bridge by gracing the stage for an encore of DEEP PURPLE's ‘Smoke On The Water’.

Germany was given priority treatment with a rash of gigs across the whole country before the band delved into Hungary, Yugoslavia and Italy. Regrettably a trip to Mexico for what was to be the band’s inaugural live performances in that country disintegrated into chaos, with dates cancelled due to dis-organisation and illness. By October the upward curve for the band had been re-established as they made a welcome return to Japan, limbering up before the undoubted highlight of the world tour – Russia. Mikhail Gorbachov’s ‘Glasnost’ had opened the former Soviet union up to western artists for the first time. Supported by GIRLSCHOOL, the band performed at the gigantic Moscow Olympic Hall before moving onto the Leningrad (later St. Petersburg) EKS Hall. A Mexican concert, set for October 28th at Estadio Nou Camp in Guanajuato, was cancelled. The band arrived to find the originally scheduled date moved and the substitute so makeshift they decided to cancel, provoking the wrath of local fans.

Another superb album ‘Tyr’, loosely based on Norse mythology, Tyr being the Viking War God, found BLACK SABBATH solidifying their return. The ‘Tyr’ world tour got rolling in the hometown West Midlands gig of Wolverhampton Civic Hall on 1st September 1990, ably supported on this trek by the American biker Rock CIRCUS OF POWER. By the close of September Black Sabbath was back in Italy for an extensive run of dates before winding through Switzerland and Austria then launching into a full two weeks worth of shows in Germany. Concerts in the Philippines and Singapore closed the tour. Unfortunately, in late 1991, the band suffered a serious setback when Powell was badly injured. The drummer’s horse, Pip, suffered a heart attack and fell on Powell, fracturing his hip.

TRACKLIST:

1. Anno Mundi
2. The Lawmaker
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

LINE-UP:

Tony Martin (vocals)
Tony Iommi (guitar)
Neil Murray (bass)
Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)
Cozy Powell (drums)