Sabbath cancels Noblesville, IN gig?

According to a news story posted here, Black Sabbath is also canceling their gig tonight on July 31st. There's no mention of this on the Ozzfest site as I write this, but the website for the venue (Verizon Wireless Music Center) says Sabbath won't be there tonight. Further details are available at the Verizon Center website here.

Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:59 PM

Black Sabbath Gig on July 27th Cancelled

Due to an illness in the camp, Black Sabbath will not perform at tonight's Ozzfest show in Holmdel, NJ. Refunds are available through your point of purchase or can be arranged through the box office until 3pm at PNC for those already inside the venue. Iron Maiden will headline tonight's Ozzfest.

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This text appeared this afternoon on the Ozzfest site. I'll have more info about it if/when I get it.

Posted by Joe Siegler at 4:58 PM

Get Fused & Ohmwork Signed at Ozzfest

In the last couple of days both the Tony Iommi & Geezer Butler websites have made announcements about meeting Tony & Geezer at Ozzfest shows. They will be signing copies of their new respective solo albums at a special booth on the Ozzfest grounds during an hour block each day on Ozzfest in the "FYE" area.

There's a few caveats for this autograph session you should be aware of, it applies to both of the guys. This text is taken from the Iommi.com site, as they've already written good text on this, there's no point in me reinventing the wheel on this. :)

THE ONLY THING THAT TONY WILL BE SIGNING IS COPIES OF 'FUSED' PURCHASED ON SITE FROM THE FYE BOOTH ON THE DAY OF THE SHOW. We've already advised you not to bring any other Iommi or Sabbath CDs, and we'd like to clarify that items such as guitars or any other memorabilia or merchandise will not be signed either. Security will be extremely strict on the day, so please do not jeopardise either your chance, or anyone else's chance to meet Tony by trying to get extra items in. We want to make sure that as many people as possible get to say hi Tony at each show.

This likewise goes for Geezer. The only thing that Geezer will be signing is copies of Ohmwork bought at the FYE booth on the day of the show. After having a word with both camps about this, I've been advised to tell folks to please try and not "sneak" stuff through, thinking it's just "one small thing, it won't matter". Security will be enforcing this issue hard, and if you try and circumvent it, there will be some unpleasantness from that. So to save everyone (particularly yourself) some hassle, please don't try and break the rules on this.

Having said all that, I've been assured that Tony & Geezer are looking forward to meeting folks around the Ozzfest shows.

Posted by Joe Siegler at 9:07 AM

Winners of Fused Giveaway

Last week I posted a contest where folks could win a copy of Fused, which was released yesterday. Today I picked the winners, and here they are:

1) Eric Goldberg of Shrewsbury, MA
2) Leo Scheben of Anchorage, AK
3) Lev Kalman of Philadelphia, PA
4) Timo Peterse of The Netherlands
5) Michelle Davies of Hamburg, Germany

Congratulations to all the winners, your CD's will go out in the mail tomorrow. Also, as is customary, here's the answers to the trivia questions I posed for this contest..

1) What is Tony's real first name?

It's Frank. His name is Frank Anthony Iommi.

2) What rock star was Tony engaged to in the mid 80's?

That would be Lita Ford.

3) What other famous band was Tony briefly a member of in 1968?

Jethro Tull, for a very brief time - enough to make "a cameo" in the movie "The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus".

4) What band was Tony in during the mid 60's that was named after an American car?

The Rockin' Chevrolets - of which there's a picture I scanned in several years ago on my site. Check it out - Tony's second from the right.

5) How many members of Deep Purple have played with Tony in Black Sabbath and who are they?

Three.

First is Ian Gillan, who handled lead vocals on the Born Again album and tour. Second was Glenn Hughes, who sang on the Seventh Star album and a couple of live shows. Third was Don Airey, the current keyboardist in Purple played with Tony on the 1978 album, "Never Say Die!".

Posted by Joe Siegler at 5:06 PM

Tony Iommi's Fused is now available on iTunes

Tony Iommi's new album Fused is out today. You've read about it (read my review of Fused). Now you can go get it. Head on over to your local record store today (in the US/Canada), and pick it up (our UK bretheren got it yesterday). However, it's available now on iTunes. If you just can't wait, go buy Fused right now with the links below. iTunes has an exclusive track not available anywhere else.

Here's some online ordering links for you to purchase Fused.

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
iTunes
The bonus track "The Innocence" available exclusively on iTunes.

This news story is over. Go buy it now. Buy two, and give one to a friend. Buy 100 copies and go hand 'em out at Ozzfest. :)

Posted by Joe Siegler at 12:50 AM

Iommi Fused Update - Extra Track Information

Since I posted my review of Fused yesterday, I've since been made aware of some additional "bonus" tracks that will appear in relation to this release.

There is the already mentioned Let it Down Easy, which will be on the Japanese version of the album. That one I've already heard and reviewed. This track is also available as a bonus download to folks who pre-order Fused through the Tower Records website in USA/Canada. In addition to the download, you'll get a signed copy of the CD for a limited time (not sure when it runs out exactly).

However, there's two more than I have not.

First is "The Innocence", which will appear exclusively on iTunes when the album is released in the US next Tuesday.

Second is "Slip Away", which will appear as part of a deal with rollingstone.com, iommi.com, & real.com - which means you have to have the Real Player to get that one, as they are using their own DRM on it. Additionally, if you're in the UK, and use Napster, Slip Away will be available to you there. UPDATE: You can get this track from the Real.com store here.

So that's all I know of the three "extra" tracks from the Fused sessions. I'll have links to the iTunes track and the Iommi/RStone track online as soon as I get them.

Posted by Joe Siegler at 9:40 AM

Tony Iommi's Fused comes out next week - My review & a giveaway are up!

Next week Tony Iommi's third solo album, "Fused" comes out. This is a masterful work, and I'm here to discuss a few things about the album.

ALBUM PRE-ORDER: First are some links you can use to pre-order the album.

WIN A FREE COPY OF FUSED: Second is a giveaway I'm doing. As per my contests in the past, you'll need to answer a few trivia questions about Tony Iommi. If you get them all right, you'll be put into a drawing for a copy of Fused. Here are the questions you need to answer:

1. What is Tony's real first name?
   
2. What rock star was Tony engaged to in the mid 80's?
   
3. What other famous band was Tony briefly a member of in 1968?
   
4. What band was Tony in during the mid 60's that was named after an American car?
   
5. How many members of Deep Purple have played with Tony in Black Sabbath and who are they?
   

MY REVIEW OF FUSED: Thirdly is my review of Fused, and here it is:

Tony Iommi, the man behind Black Sabbath for so many years (that didn't stop in 1979, folks) has a new album out. It's brilliant - but that should be no surprise to anyone who is a fan of his. Fused is the name of the new one, and it's the third collaboration between Tony & former Deep Purple and Black Sabbath singer Glenn Hughes (the others being the 1986 Sabbath album "Seventh Star" and 2004's "The 1996 DEP Sessions"). Fused is probably the best of the lot; Here's my track by track summary of "Fused".

1. Dopamine - The opening of a new album of Tony Iommi riffs. It's like the needle going into the vein (not that I know what that means, I'm just using a metaphor). Interesting that the subject of the lyrics is a "drug" produced by one's own body. Anyway, it very much sounds like a traditional Tony Iommi riff and song. Good way to open the album, even if it's not my favorite track on the album.
   
2. Wasted Again - Hmm.. Based solely on the titles, this is an interesting one to follow "Dopamine". This is a slower song, although not "slow" - slower in comparison to Dopamine. It does feature some good "screaming vocals" by Glenn Hughes. It's one of those tracks I like, but I can't give you a concrete reason as to why. Just liked it.
   
3. Saviour of the Real - This is one of the few songs on the album that doesn't stick out to me. It's not bad, but there's no killer riff, no killer vocal hook on this one. Sometimes with songs that don't stick out to me, I want to skip them, but I keep this in here because it is decent, it's just not great.
   
4. Resolution Song - This one starts out slow like some of the good moodier Sabbath tracks from the past. There's a interesting vocal hook in this one. Not sure how to describe it except it comes in at about 1:44 for the first time, and sounds like "Ah-yee-ah". It's one of those good Iommi tracks that's mostly mellow, has a big powerful guitar sound behind the chorus.
   
5. Grace - The first few times I listened to this album, I felt Grace was just ore of Resolution Song. The starting riff of this song sounds a lot like the end of the last song. Grace is one of the best songs on the album. Great lyrics, great riffs, great vocals. About halfway through the song there's a guitar bit (starting around 2:51, runs for about 15 seconds)) that sounds a whole lot like a classic Sabbath riff from the Dio era (Southern Cross?). Anyway, after that, the big fast meaty part of the song really kicks in, and it's just awesome till the end of the song. One of the album's highlights.
   
6. Deep Inside a Shell - This is the other one that doesn't really leap out to me. As with Saviour, there's nothing wrong with the song. It's good. But it doesn't just have that killer hook for me. The guitar solo midway through the song isn't a standard Iommi power solo. From that aspect it's something different - but this doesn't leap out as a real highlight.
   
7. What You're Living For - This one is another of my favorites. It's to me is a classic Iommi song, as it leads off with nothing but a cool riff, and just keeps going. It's fast, it's catchy, and is a great song. When I first started listening to the album, this was one of my favorites because it's immediately accessible. I love the solo in this one, it's one of those "Dual solos" where Tony's playing more than one riff at a time. Really nice sound to this one.
   
8. Face Your Fears - A nice crunchy Tony riff is at the heart of this song. This one seems more geared towards Glenn's vocals than Tony's playing. Nothing wrong with that, but it isn't the "busiest" song in terms of Tony's playing.
   
9. The Spell - Nice heavy doom sounding riff to start off this song, like some of the classic early Sabbath stuff. The slowest song on the album.
   
10. I Go Insane - I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy! This is by far and away the best thing on the album. A 9 minute and 30 second spectacular piece of music. The vocals, the... aw hell. This is the best song on the album. It's so good, I can't think of any good words to describe it. The best song Tony's recorded in ages. In terms of "feel" it reminds me of the track "Kiss of Death" off of Sabbath's last studio album from 1995, Forbidden. Both of these tracks have a sweeping majestic feel to them that outclass anything else on the disc they appear on.
    
11. Let it Down Easy - Glenn's vocals sound different than on the other tracks on the album. This is more of a fast driving song, yet still has a very bluesy feel to it. The guitar solo is quite cool, has some "wah-wah" in it that I rather like. Will probably be a shame most people don't get to hear it, as it's the song that's only on the Japanese version of the album.

When this album was being recorded, there were some quotes by Tony Iommi saying he was really excited about the material on the album, and I can see why. This is probably the strongest of the three albums he's recorded with Glenn Hughes, and I think this is his best solo album by far (over DEP Sessions which I thought was fabulous, & the decent if not awesome "Iommi").

If you're a fan of Black Sabbath, the number one complaint fans have is that Black Sabbath hasn't put out a new album in the last 10 years. The last Sabbath album was released June 8, 1995, it's been far too long. In all that time and all the albums released by the various members, this one is the one that has that feel of carrying the Sabbath banner best. "Fused" flies the legacy of Black Sabbath and the mastery that Tony Iommi has over the fret board magnificently. There's little weakness on this album, it's strong from start to finish.

If you have ever considered yourself a Black Sabbath fan, you owe it to yourself to buy this album. What's unfortunate is that the "pseudo fans" who know Sabbath only as Ozzy's backing band (or only know Oz from his MTV show) won't buy this because it doesn't have Ozzy on it, and doesn't have the name Black Sabbath on it, and that's a crime. Buy this. Buy two, and give one to a friend. This album deserves all the attention it can get.

I have more information on the album available on my discography page for Fused. Check it out.

Posted by Joe Siegler at 2:58 PM

Latest Bill Ward Diary is available

Bill Ward phoned in from Sweden with the fifth in his 2005 Audio Diary series. There was a little bit of a bad phone connection on this and it generated some technical issues so the sound quality is a little scratchy, but is still pretty good. This new edition, totaling exactly 30:00 in length has these highlighted points:

* - Difficulty trying to find Vegan food

* - Bill talks about the following gigs: Sofia, Bulgaria, Vienna, Prague, Athens, & Roskilde Denmark

* - Some thoughts on Bulgaria itself.

* - European audiences in general

* - Ticket availability and his thoughts on scalpers

* - The Pink Floyd reunion at Live 8!

There is of course a lot more than that, so make sure and download the entry and check it out over at Bill Ward's Official Website.

Posted by Joe Siegler at 12:00 PM

Geezer Butler Journal Update

Geezer Butler has sent in a journal update from the Sabbath tour in Europe! You won't want to miss this one, as he has a few words about the Sabbath tour.

He also talks about Ohmwork sales, his journal, some castles he visited while on tour, and in a surprise announcement, a pending release of tracks from the first Geezer Butler Band attempt back in 1985.

Check it out over at the Geezer Butler Website right now!

Posted by Joe Siegler at 9:15 AM

Black Sabbath News Tidbits

Here's several Black Sabbath related news tidbits to pass along..

1) The Download Festival on June 11th at Donington was filmed, and will be released on DVD at an as of yet unannounced date. This comes from a recent interview with Tony Iommi.

2) The Japanese version of Fused will be released on July 21st, and the extra track on that release will be titled "Take it down Easy".

3) Tony Iommi & Geezer Butler will be on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball in the US. This will air Saturday July 23rd at 10PM Eastern Time.

4) Tony Iommi has re-recorded the Born Again track "Trashed" as part of Ian Gillan's "Gillan's Inn" project. That's to commemorate Ian's 40th anniversary in the music business. The entire band on this recording is Ian Gillan (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Roger Glover (bass), & Ian Paice (drums). This is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2005, and promises to be an interesting colletion. Sabbaht fans will defintely be interested in this song. :)

I've done a complete update again, I've caught up with all submissions, and have posted them. This includes all concert reviews and whatnot. For a complete list of what's changed, check out the site revision history page. However, if you're looking for some concert photos, make sure and check out the Ozzfest 2005 page in the photo gallery. It's been updated with many photos from the current tour, including some really high quality ones. Check 'em out, and discuss it on our forums.

Thanks for visiting!

Posted by Joe Siegler at 6:27 PM