This is it!  The moment we’ve been waiting for since 2009.  The famed Tony Martin box set has been announced.  Entitled “Anno Domini 1989 – 1995”, it encompasses the studio output of the Tony Martin I.R.S. era.  Eternal Idol is not in this set, as it’s on another label (Warner/Rhino in US, Vertigo elsewhere).  A few factoids….

• Release date is 31 May 2024 – globally.
• The four studio albums are Headless Cross, Tyr, Cross Purposes, & Forbidden
• HC, Tyr, CP have all been remastered (HC really needed it, IMO)
• Forbidden is the new remix of the album.
• The original mix of Forbidden is not included anywhere.
• There are three sets.  Vinyl, CD, & digital.
• Digital will be online everywhere, which means they’ll be available on places like Apple Music, Spotify, etc after all this time.
• CD content matches the digital version, and includes three bonus tracks (Cloak & Dagger from Headless Cross, What’s the Use? from Cross Purposes, & Loser Gets it All from Forbidden).
• These bonus tracks do *NOT* appear on vinyl, only on the CD & digital versions.  The vinyl releases are the album track listings we know from the past.
• This will be released by Rhino in North America, and BMG everywhere else.
• The remix work on Forbidden was done my Mike Exeter in conjunction with Tony Iommi.
• The remastering work on the other three albums was done by someone called “The Bakery” – whether that’s a company or a person, I don’t know – so the actual name of the person who did the remastering is unknown to me.  Will update when I get it.
• Cross Purposes Live is not part of this, but I’m told will probably make an appearance somewhere else down the line.
• The 1996 compilation (and the last thing on the I.R.S. deal) “The Sabbath Stones” is not part of this set.
• The cover art for Forbidden has changed, likely due to the fact that this is a new remix.

Full Press Release

BLACK SABBATH

ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995

First Boxed Set Celebrating Singer Tony Martin Era 

Remastered Versions Of Headless Cross, Tyr, And Cross Purposes, Plus A New Mix Of Forbidden By Tony Iommi

4-LP And 4-CD Versions Available On May 31st

Watch a newly remastered, HD upgrade of the video for Headless Cross 

and preorder here : https://BlackSabbath.lnk.to/annodominiPR 

Black Sabbath’s history with singers Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio has been chronicled extensively through the years in multiple collections. Until now, no boxed set has focused on Black Sabbath’s time with Tony Martin, the band’s second-longest-serving singer.

BMG explores this prolific period from the godfathers of heavy metal in a new collection that brings four albums back into print after an extended absence. ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995 will be available from BMG on May 31 in 4-LP and 4-CD configurations. The set contains newly remastered versions of Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), and Cross Purposes (1994), plus a new version of Forbidden (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.

Several albums make their vinyl debut in the LP version of ANNO DOMINI, while the CD version contains three exclusive bonus tracks: the B-side “Cloak & Dagger” and the Japan-only releases “What’s The Use” and “Loser Gets It All.” A booklet comes with the set featuring photos, artwork, and liner notes by Hugh Gilmour. The collection also contains a Headless Cross poster and a replica concert book from the “Headless Cross Tour.” 

ANNO DOMINI picks up Black Sabbath’s story in 1989, two decades and multiple lineup changes into the band’s groundbreaking career as metal originators. At the time, membership had solidified around riffmaster and founding member Tony Iommi, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck, Rainbow, Whitesnake), singer Tony Martin, and longtime Black Sabbath collaborator and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (Quartz, Bandy Legs).

The group originally released Headless Cross in 1989 on I.R.S. Records, the first of a five album deal with the label. Praised by fans and critics alike, the band’s 14^th studio release produced three singles: “Devil And Daughter,” “Call Of The Wild,” and the title track. Bassist Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Gary Moore) joined for the “Headless Cross Tour” and stayed to record Sabbath’s next album, 1990’s Tyr. Named for the Norse god of war, the album explores similar mythological themes in songs like “The Battle Of Tyr” and “Valhalla.” On “The Sabbath Stones,” the band channels Old Testament fire and brimstone into a classic bruiser.

In 1992, following a successful world tour, this incarnation of Black Sabbath was put on hold when the band reunited temporarily with Ronnie James Dio. Two years later, Martin and Nicholls were back in the studio with Iommi to record 1994’s Cross Purposes. The band was completed with the addition of founding Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bobby Rondinelli of Rainbow. 

The Tyr-era Black Sabbath lineup reunited in 1995 when Powell and Murray returned to record Forbidden. It was the band’s 18^th studio album, and its last for nearly 20 years. (In 2013, Iommi, Osbourne and Butler released Black Sabbath’s final studio album, 13.) Forbidden, produced by Ernie C of Body Count, the hard rock band fronted by rapper/actor/Sabbath fan Ice-T, who appears on the song “Illusion Of Power.” Since its release, sonically improving the album has been one of Iommi’s pet projects.

He explains, “I was never happy with the guitar sound, and Cozy was definitely never happy with the drum sound… So, I thought it would be nice to do it for him in a way.” He adds, “I just felt that, without changing any of the songs, there was an opportunity to go back and bring out some of the sounds and make it more what people would expect Sabbath to sound like.”

ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995

LP Track Listing

Headless Cross (1989)

Side One

1. “The Gates Of Hell”
2. “Headless Cross”
3. “Devil & Daughter”
4. “When Death Calls”

Side Two

1. “Kill In The Spirit World”
2. “Call Of The Wild”
3. “Black Moon”
4. “Nightwing”

Tyr (1990)

Side One

1. “Anno Mundi”
2. “The Law Maker”
3. “Jerusalem” 
4. “The Sabbath Stones”

Side Two

1. “The Battle Of Tyr”
2. “Odin’s Court”
3. “Valhalla”
4. “Feels Good To Me”
5. “Heaven In Black”

Cross Purposes (1994)

Side One

1. “I Witness”
2. “Cross Of Thorns”
3. “Psychophobia”
4. “Virtual Death”
5. “Immaculate Deception”

Side Two

1. “Dying For Love”
2. “Back To Eden”
3. “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”
4. “Cardinal Sin”
5. “Evil Eye”

Forbidden (1995)

Side One

1. “The Illusion Of Power” – featuring Ice-T
2. “Get A Grip”
3. “Can’t Get Close Enough”
4. “Shaking Off The Chains”
5. “I Won’t Cry For You”

Side Two

1. “Guilty As Hell”
2. “Sick And Tired”
3. “Rusty Angels”
4. “Forbidden”
5. “Kiss Of Death”

ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995

CD Track Listing

Headless Cross (1989)

1. “The Gates Of Hell”
2. “Headless Cross”
3. “Devil & Daughter”
4. “When Death Calls”
5. “Kill In The Spirit World”
6. “Call Of The Wild”
7. “Black Moon”
8. “Nightwing”

Bonus Track

9. “Cloak And Dagger”

Tyr (1990)

1. “Anno Mundi”
2. “The Law Maker”
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”

Cross Purposes (1994)

1. “I Witness”
2. “Cross Of Thorns”
3. “Psychophobia”
4. “Virtual Death”
5. “Immaculate Deception”
6. “Dying For Love”
7. “Back To Eden”
8. “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”
9. “Cardinal Sin”
10. “Evil Eye”

Bonus Track

11. “What’s The Use”

Forbidden (1995)

1. “The Illusion Of Power” – featuring Ice-T
2. “Get A Grip”
3. “Can’t Get Close Enough”
4. “Shaking Off The Chains”
5. “I Won’t Cry For You”
6. “Guilty As Hell”
7. “Sick And Tired”
8. “Rusty Angels”
9. “Forbidden”
10. “Kiss Of Death”

Bonus Track

11. “Loser Gets It All”