Music from the Black Box – 9 Disc Set Update

Yesterday I was sent a press release regarding the 9 Disc Black Sabbath set. We now have some more solid information about the set. It’s name is “Black Box”, the only “extra” song on the discs is Evil Woman, and aw hell. Just read the press release. As of yet, there is no cover art available. As for the contents of the 9th disc (the DVD), check out the press release, the contents are listed there). I can say this, these are culled from the same remastering sessions that produced last year’s Symptom of the Universe 2 CD set. The sound fidelity on them was absolutely spectacular, and kicked the 1996 Castle Remasters in the head. I expect the same kind of audio experience from these.
I got word this afternoon from the record label that they will be sending me an advance copy so I can review them for the site. More on that when I get the discs in. This release date is for the US/Canada only. My contact at Rhino has confirmed that it will not be released outside of US/Canada.
UPDATE: After speaking with Tony Iommi’s management company, I can confirm that the remaining Sabbath catalog is slated for similar treatment, so this will not turn out to be totally an “Ozzy era only” thing. But details and release dates are unknown at this point. Sabbath’s record deal with Warner expired after 1987’s Eternal Idol album, and they were with IRS through 1996. I would expect that the couple of albums past 1996 (Reunion, Past Lives & Symptom set) aren’t likely to be touched, since they’re all relatively new anyway. However, this is good news for fans of Sabbath’s music without Ozzy in it. Again, no details are available, but I’d love to hear really cleaned up versions of the other albums – perhaps we might finally get the proper mix of Born Again after all these years? :)
— [ Press Release ] —————————————
NONE MORE HEAVY…
RHINO COLLECTS ALL EIGHT STUDIO ALBUMS FROM THE ORIGINAL BLACK SABBATH—PLUS A BONUS DVD—IN THE AWE-INSPIRING BLACK BOX, DUE NOVEMBER 4
LOS ANGELES —With BLACK BOX: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL BLACK SABBATH (1970–1978), Black Sabbath fans are getting no less than the complete, unadulterated catalog of the ground-breaking rock band’s original line-up—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terry “Geezer” Butler, and Bill Ward.
BLACK BOX features the collected studio works from 1970-1978: Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master Of Reality, Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage, Technical Ecstasy, and Never Say Die! Furthermore, the band’s lone non-LP studio track, “Evil Woman,” is also included. Available at all regular retail outlets and at www.rhino.com, BLACK BOX: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL BLACK SABBATH (1970-1978) carries a suggested retail price of $99.98 and is in stores November 4 on Warner Bros./Rhino.
Assembled under the supervision of the band members themselves and executive producer Sharon Osbourne, these remastered recordings are the definitive editions. But if the lovingly packaged original artwork and stunning sonics weren’t enough—BLACK BOX: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL BLACK SABBATH (1970-1978) will include an exclusive bonus DVD of vintage Sabbath live performances (“Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” and “Blue Suede Shoes”) and a rare promotional clip for “Black Sabbath.” The collection also includes an 80-page book filled with an array of exciting photos, a timeline of the group’s history, a complete reprint of all album lyrics, detailed essays from writers Chris Welch (1970-1972: Lords Of This World) and Brian Ives (1973-1978: A Hard Road), and testimonials from such stars as Rob Zombie, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and Zakk Wylde, to name but a few.
First formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1960s, Black Sabbath’s doom-laden sound pioneered a new kind of heavy rock music, a sound that would later influence hundreds of other bands. Many consider Black Sabbath to be the godfathers of heavy metal, but Sabbath were capable of surprising their fans with songs that showed other facets of their skills besides darkness and monstrous decibels. Thirty years after their initial impact, guitarists are still stunned by Tony Iommi’s jaw-dropping riffs, Geezer Butler’s fantastical lyrics and swooping bass-lines, and Bill Ward’s thunderous drums. And, of course, in Ozzy Osbourne the band had one of the most magnetic and unpredictable front men ever in rock, with a maniacal voice like few others before or since. Together, they were the original and still definitive lineup of Black Sabbath.
BLACK BOX is their legacy. It’s all here. This is truly heavier-than-thou stuff—bring a forklift with you, just in case.