Released June 5, 1995 (UK/Europe)
Released June 20, 1995 (US)

NOTE: Exact European date unknown

[ Lyrics | Tour Dates ]

 


CD [ Amazon US | Amazon UK ]

Track Listing

  1. The Illusion of Power
  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
  11. Loser Gets It All (Japanese CD only)

Writing Credits

  • All songs by Black Sabbath
  • Lyrics by Tony Martin
  • Except The Illusion of Power – Lyrics by Tony Martin & IceT

Credits

  • Tony Martin – Vocals
  • Tony Iommi – Guitar
  • Neil Murray – Bass
  • Cozy Powell – Drums
  • Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
  • Produced by Ernie C
  • Engineered by Bobby Brooks, Andrea Wright, & Phill Luff
  • Recorded at Parr St Studios, Liverpool and Devonshire Studios, LA
  • Mixed at Ridge Farm, UK
  • Mastered by Geoff Pesche at the Townhouse, London

Catalogue Numbers

  • CD I.R.S. 7243-8-37532-2-2 (US 1995)
  • CASS I.R.S. IRS-72438 (US 1995)
  • CD EMI TOCP-8586 (JPN 1995)
  • CD I.R.S. 7243-8-30620-2-7 (EUR 1995)
  • CASS I.R.S. 7243-8-30620-4-1 (EUR 1995)

Notes

  • For the longest time, I had the release date of this album as June 8, 1995.  In June 2015, I realized this was wrong, as June 8, 1995 was a Thursday, and albums were never released on a Thursday in any region.  I found info on an old IRS press release that says it was June 20th, 1995.   You can read that original four page IRS press release at this link (it’s a pdf file).
  • There was also some debate on the UK release date as well.  I did some research some time ago and whether it was 5 of Jun or 12 of June.. It was inconclusive.  However, a twitter user pointed something out to me in Sep 2020 which seems to crystallize the release date in the UK as 12 Jun 1995.  Here’s his evidence.  Still hoping to find an IRS press release confirming this, however.
  • This album was originally supposed to be Iommi / Martin / Butler / Ward, but after a personal squabble after the end of the Cross Purposes tour, Geezer & Bill took off, and the Tyr lineup was reunited for this album.
  • There is a music video for Get a Grip, and it’s animated.
  • Ice-T of the band Body Count does a guest vocal on The Illusion of Power. That is the only time in the entire history of the band that someone outside of the band sings on a Black Sabbath album.
  • The original name of the song “Get a Grip” was “Black Ice”.  Tony Martin said the choice of Get a Grip was Ernie C’s.  More from Tony on that: “I had originally called the track Black Ice, and Ernie said I couldn’t use it because of Ice T, being black and his name and all. So he looked over the lyrics and came to the conclusion that get a grip would be better. Talk about politically correct. Well there you have it.”
  • The original working name of this album was The Illusion of Power (but I’ve since been told by Neil Murray this wasn’t true).
  • It was announced in 2010 that Tony Iommi was going to be remixing the album for a Deluxe Edition release some time in 2011 or 2012.  As of October 2011, no release date for that has yet been announced.
  • The comic character Ogri makes an appearance in several parts of the “Get a Grip” music video.
  • Writing for this album took place during October & November 1994 at Bluestone Farm, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Recording started on Dec 4, 1994 at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool.  Bass & Drum parts were completed by Dec 10th, but further guitar & vocal recording and mixing were done following this.  Further recording and mixing were done in London & Los Angeles in March 1995.

Links

Images

  • The first image is the back cover of the US version of the Forbidden CD.   The next four are from a US 1995 cassette tape that I scanned myself.  Finally is the obi from the Japanese version of the CD.




Coat image by Colin Fletcher

Coat image by Colin Fletcher

“Guilty As Hell” CD single

 

“Guilty As Hell” CD single photos by Tono Gherardi.

One of the bootleg Forbidden vinyls I picked up in Spring 2020.

Side 1 of one of the Forbidden bootleg vinyl prints.

My Review

In April of 2004, I wrote a piece for the Sabbath newsletter entitled “Forbidden is a Great Album!”. It was my thoughts on an album that is generally regarded as it’s worst. Now I don’t claim that Forbidden is their best album. But it’s seriously better than its reputation is. This is my article on Forbidden, and what it meant to me when it was new.  On with my review:

I like the Forbidden album. Now before you start laughing at me, I wanted to say why I like this album. Back in 1995 I was “dating” a woman who was living with me at the time. Long story short, but a lot of the lyrics on the Forbidden album (in particular the songs Can’t Get Close Enough & Shaking off the Chains) really spoke to me a lot on a personal level. The lyrics speak of relationships, and endings and troubles, and my life was a big mess in 1995 emotionally.

I recognize that most people don’t like the album, and that’s fair enough – I’m not here to make everyone like it. I know it’s reputation, and most people consider it the weakest/worst studio album of the 18 they’ve put out over time. Nor do I think it’s the best. But I’ve always maintained that in the darkest hour of anything, you can find a gem or two. I don’t think this is Sabbath’s worst album – I don’t know if they have a truly “bad” album, just ones that are better than others.

As I write this I’m listening to Forbidden, and at the moment I’m listening to “I Won’t Cry For You”, and I have to say that I truly enjoy the album. To my ears, the album isn’t as bad as it’s reputation is. Outside of the emotional attachment of the songs, I have to say that the songs themselves are actually quite good. I think part of the perception problem people have with Forbidden is that everyone always hears “Ah, it’s their shittiest album”, and slag it off. Again, that’s fine, but I’m here to say WHY I like the Forbidden album – song by song.

There’s been plenty of stories about the production of the album – from Ernie C’s (mis)production, to IceT’s guest appearance, to the cover art, to bla, bla, bla. I’m not here to talk about that stuff. I’m here to talk about Forbidden as a positive album, and something you should check out.

Keep in mind, I’m not a musician, and I know some folks tend to analyze songs based on whether the drum fills are in the right place, or the song has 3/4 timing, or the bridge is proper between this verse and that verse. I don’t give a crap about any of that. Something Ozzy said in an interview back in the mid 80’s has stuck with me ever since. And that’s “All that should matter to you is whether a song makes you want to get up and stomp your feet.” He’s right. All that should care is whether YOU like the song – nothing else. I realize that most people don’t like Forbidden – but FUCK IT. I do, and here’s why, in a track by track breakdown:

1) The Illusion of Power – This is the only song on the album that doesn’t really do a whole lot for me. It’s not exactly “bad”, but this song strikes me as the one most heavily influenced by IceT & ErnieC. It’s also the answer to a trivia question; being “What is the only song in Sabbath’s history with a guest vocalist”? IceT’s “rap” in the middle of the song is interesting from a novelty standpoint, but not much else. I honestly wish they had picked a different song as the first one on the album.

2) Get a Grip – This song had commercial potential, and was the only song from the album that had a video made of it, and it was cartoon, no less. The song isn’t the most inventive musically in the band’s history, but for me, the simple riff works. Having said that I really enjoy the last minute of the song, as it goes into a kind of riff that I really like – it’s a hard driving simple one, but is really effective in conveying “power” and speaks to the mastery of Iommi’s licks, in that something so simple can be so damn effective. The song is about anti violence if I understand the lyrics properly, although I still don’t know what “Get a grip & shake the can” means lyrically.

3) Can’t Get Close Enough – This is the first of the super emotional songs for me. At the time, I was trying to get close to this woman, and it didn’t seem like anything I could do worked. Tried and tried (although Lord knows why, she was all wrong for me), and eventually broke through briefly, but I spent most of my time trying to convince her that she was worthy mostly of herself (as she had no self esteem, was not totally a very “with it” person). The music in this song is mostly pedestrian as Sabbath goes, but for me, it’s the lyrics of this song. It could be Iommi farting in tune with this one, and I’d love it because of the lyrics. This song *REALLY* hits home with me.

4) Shaking off the Chains – The flipside of the last song. This too speaks to me about my relationship in 1995, but on the back end of it. Without boring you with my entire life story, when the relationship ended, it ended in a way that I couldn’t find anything left of my feelings for her (turned out she was pregnant by someone else when she left me). This song speaks more towards my anger and disappointment at what didn’t happen between us. Musically, it has a nice churning riff which I think goes well with the negative emotions displayed in the lyrics.

5) I Won’t Cry For You – Another moody mostly slower song. It’s not a true “slow song”, but the understated but effective use of Tony Iommi’s guitars on here coupled with Tony Martin’s vocals make for a nice tapestry of emotion for me. This didn’t directly tie in to my emotional attachment to the songs on the Forbidden album, but it’s in the neighborhood. “Can’t Get Close” & “Chains” are the closest for me, but this sorta feels that way, but I think it’s more the music in this one than the lyrics.

6) Guilty as Hell – This is one of the weaker songs on the album for me. Nothing terribly special goes on lyrically for me here, and the song is just kind of “there”. Most people would probably call it a filler song; I don’t know if I’d go that far. I do like Cozy’s drumming in it for some reason. It’s not his best moment either, but it’s cool, and I do like the last thing you hear, the guitar “outro” thing at the absolute end of the song. Guilty as Hell does have one novel moment – it’s one of the two songs that I’m aware of in Sabbath’s back catalog that has the word “fuck” in the lyrics.

7) Sick & Tired – This song starts off with probably the only true “Cozy Powell” moment on the album, a nice drum intro before anything else gets going. There were interviews I read where Cozy said that he didn’t feel like this album was his best work, and I’d probably agree with that, but the opening of this song had a moment that said “Hey, Cozy Powell is on this album!”. However, what makes this song really great for me is Tony Iommi’s guitar solo. For me, this is the most unique guitar solo he’s ever done in all the years I’ve been listening to him. Again, I’m no musician, so I can’t tell you technically what it is about it, but the playing – the texture just feels radically different to me, and I really liked it – I also loved the end of the song again, had a similar guitar “ending” like the last song did. At the time this song was new, I wondered if this song was lyrically about the situation Sabbath was in at the time insofar as not getting any attention. I realize that’s just me, but that’s what I thought.

8) Rusty Angels – Probably the most commercial song on the album – has a great hook. I really wish THIS was released as single instead of Get a Grip. Get a Grip was more simplistic, I feel this is a bit more complex in construction, and the main guitar riff here is very catchy, and I think would have worked better. Probably wouldn’t have gotten ’em a lot more attention, but I as a fan think this would have made a better single. I also think if this would have been released on one of the more popular albums, it would be a classic tune – if this song appeared on Headless Cross, I bet it would be one of the most popular songs to this day. A very overlooked gem in Sabbath’s catalog.

9) Forbidden – The title track of the album usually is a song that stands out for some reason. When this album was not yet released, the working title was “The Illusion of Power”, and then it was changed to “Forbidden”. That indicated to me that the band liked the song for some reason, or at the very least the title. In listening to the song, it’s not the best on the album. It’s by far not the worst, but I wonder what the attraction is here. It does have a nice sound, especially in the choruses, it’s pretty enjoyable. Not my favorite, but when it’s on, I like it.

10) Kiss of Death – Oh my god! BY FAR AND AWAY the best song on the album. This is absolutely perfect. It’s moody, has a [censored] awesome guitars, great lyrics, and is just for me perfect in every way. There is no comparison to anything else on this album. And for me, this may be the best track in the entire Tony Martin era. I simply cannot say how strongly I love this song – I’d put it up with the all time best of Sabbath’s entire catalog. This is a song that in the slow opening and closing parts I can sit there with my eyes closed, and really be into this song. It has a wonderful power to it, that I wish more people could have seen, but it has the misfortune on being on an album that most people think is total crap. Again, I don’t know if I’m reading too much into this, but I always felt the song was big ol’ middle finger to those who counted Sabbath out and dead. I really was filled with a pride that I thought was felt by the band members about themselves. Again, that is likely myself imposing my own feelings about the song and the band upon lyrics that may fit that feeling. But dammit, that’s what the song means to me, so I’m sticking with it. I was disappointed they didn’t play it in the US legs of the Forbidden tour (which I was lucky enough to see). It was added for the European dates, but it wasn’t played. If anyone has the Philadelphia bootleg from 1995, I can be heard screaming “Kiss of Death!” a few times on it.

11) Loser Gets it All – To me, this is the weakest song on the album. Nothing terribly excites me here. The only novelty I suppose is that it’s a track that most everyone hasn’t heard. It was available only on the Japanese version of Forbidden – and it did also turn up on 1996’s “Sabbath Stones” (which most people don’t even KNOW about). Again, it’s not like it’s a crappy song, but I don’t know if I’ve ever gone out of my way to say “Yeah – now that’s the song I want to listen to”. I’m sure some like it, but it doesn’t do anything for me. I also feel that as originally constructed Kiss of Death should have ended the album. Loser Gets it All doesn’t feel right as the last song on the album – I wish they had stuck it in the middle or something. In fact, as I listen to it now, it’s not actually all that bad, I think my irritation comes from the fact that I think Kiss of Death is SO perfect as an end of album song, that having this tacked onto the end annoys me – which means my irritation isn’t so much with the song, but with it’s placement. I might have to rethink my opinion on this one here.

So that ends my what turned out to be mini-novel length essay on Black Sabbath’s (at the moment anyway) final studio album from 1995, “Forbidden”. I didn’t write this to change the world’s opinion here, but hopefully what I’ve said might make at least a couple people here and there give it a spin when they wouldn’t have done so anyway – and maybe see it in a different light.

Video


The Illusion of Power

What is it that turns you on to the illusion of power,
This thing that grabs you by the heart and makes you want to tear things down.
There is no reason why I should need all this power, but if you cross me now,
I’m gonna tear your whole world down.

The illusion of power, things I feel, seem so real,
The illusion of power.

I can’t get the emotional thing straight in my head,
Everything I love dies too soon, or is already dead.
Don’t stand too close I spit and breathe fire,
Anything I’ve got now you cannot desire.

You want to be my friend, I promise you nothing.
Nothing I can give you, nothing I can do for you,
I’m being chased by the sins of my past and it’s killing me now,
Killing me now.

The illusion of power, things I feel, seem so real,
The illusion of power.
The illusion of power, it’s already set signed and sealed,
The illusion of power.

Fool, you’re caught in a complex catacomb of your own inadequcies and pitiful weaknesses,
Your soul secretes insecurity.
So you live on the reflection side of the mirror; you’re terrified of true power.
You Fear

I can tell you stories of my
shaded past and I can drag you down into the depths of my soul.

The illusion of power, things I feel, seem so real,
The illusion of power.
The illusion of power, it’s already set signed and sealed,
The illusion of power.

Why don’t you come closer, Promise a story I will tell, yeah,
I’ll save you from your dreams, yeah
I’ll save you from your dreams.

Get a Grip

I see it on the TV, it’s playing on my mind,
Everything I see has got something to do with killing my brother.

Just another mind game? or maybe it’s a sign,
When the child with a gun holds it up to the head of his brother.

Well that ain’t nice. Gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life,
Gotta get a grip cause you’re gonna slip, yeah.

Somebody tell me, where did we lose?
Where’s the point that we lost the control to live with each other?
Mister politician, searching for a lie.

What’s the truth? will the youth find the proof for a revolution?

Cause that ain’t nice, gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip cause you’re gonna slip, on ice,
Gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip cause you’re gonna slip

Gotta get a hold of the situation, gotta get you into my life,
Gotta get a hold and get it moving.
I can’t tell you what you need to know it’s up to you, oh yeah

That ain’t nice, gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip, cause you’re gonna slip, on ice,
Gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip cause you’re gonna slip.

Gotta get a hold of the situation, gotta get a hold on life,
Gotta get a grip and get it moving,
I can’t tell you what you need to know, it’s up to you, oh yeah.

Don’t your blood run cold, don’t the sorrow show,
Hold on tight to what you have.
See it in your eyes, don’t it make you cry,
Get a grip and shake the can.
Get a grip, yeah, get a grip, yeah, get a grip, yeah,
Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip, get a grip, get a hold.
Get a grip on life, get a grip on life, get a grip on life,
Yeah get a grip.

Can’t Get Close Enough

How many tears must we cry before learning,
Things that we have they’re for real and we’re losing,
Can’t get close enough to you, ’cause you’re just too far away.

Why do you believe that we’ve got something coming,
You took it all, left me standing here with nothing,
Can’t get close enough to you, ’cause you’re just too far away,
Too far away.

In your world you must be dreaming, if you think you can survive,
Taking all and giving nothing that’s a crime.
What makes you something special, what about me, I’m here too,
You don’t care what I’m feeling and that’s the truth.
Can’t get close enough to you, ’cause you’re just too far away.

All I need is understanding and the right to survive,
Only you could see the warnings, and pass them by.
What makes you something special, what about me, I’m here too,
You don’t care what I’m feeling and that’s the truth.
Can’t get close enough to you, ’cause you’re just too far away.
Too far away.
Can’t get close enough to you, ’cause you’re just too far away.

How many tears must we cry before learning,
Things that we had they’re for real and we’re losing,
Can’t get close enough to you, ’cause you’re just too far away.
Too far away, too far away, too far away.

Shaking off the Chains

Is life everything you want to be,
Does it give you everything that you need,
Does it live up to your expectations,
Are you ready for the celebrations.

This is not for the weak of mind,
Are you sure that you’re my kind,
Do you want to be part of me,
Are you sure that you can really see.

Are you chained to a life that you don’t want,
Is it hard for you to find a way out,
Can you live without the love that you need,
Are you sure that what you have is so real.

This is not for the weak of mind,
Are you sure that you’re my kind,
Do you want to be part of me,
Are you sure that you can really see.

All of your life, they try to take your cover,
Turn you into another, and make you change your name.
When you fall, it’s up to you to recover,
You can’t depend on another, to help you with the pain, yeah.

I’m shaking off the chains, I’m shaking off the chains.

This is not for the weak of mind,
Are you sure that you’re my kind,
Do you want to be part of me,
Are you sure that you can really see.

In the night, you say that you are falling
People always calling, calling out your name.
What do you know, a face appears at the window,
Tapping on the window, the window of your soul.

I’m shaking off the chains, I’m tired of all the pain,
I’m shaking off the chains, let me live again,
Shaking off the chains, shaking off the chains.

I Won’t Cry For You

So you lie awake and think about tomorrow,
And you try to justify the things you’ve done,
But there’s no one here, to hear your tears falling,
When you turn around, you find out, that you’re the lonely one.

And it feels like someone’s treading on your shadow,
And you always thought that Heaven knows for sure,
And it feels like you’re drowning, in your tears.

So I won’t cry for you, no I ain’t gonna cry for you,
And I ain’t gonna lie for you, no I ain’t gonna cry for you.
Ain’t gonna cry for you.

So you lie awake and think about the sorrow,
Does it really still the fears in your mind,
And you try to realise the things you wanted,
But you take it all for granted and now it makes you blind.

And it feels like someone’s treading on your shadow,
And you always thought that Heaven knows for sure,
And it feels like you’re drowning, in your tears.

So I ain’t gonna cry for you, no I ain’t gonna die for you,
And I ain’t gonna lie for you, no I ain’t gonna cry for you.
Ain’t gonna cry

I ain’t gonna cry for you, I ain’t gonna cry.

So I ain’t gonna cry for you, no I ain’t gonna die for you,
No I ain’t gonna lie for you, no I ain’t gonna cry for you,
Ain’t gonna cry, ain’t gonna cry for you no more,
Ain’t gonna die, I ain’t gonna die for no more,
Ain’t gonna lie, I ain’t gonna lie for no more,

Ain’t gonna cry, I ain’t gonna cry for you no more.

Guilty as Hell

Step back and look at you, and tell me that is what you want to be,
You realise that what you’re seeing, is a replica of me.
Inside my world is pretty grim, that even I can’t survive in,
I wouldn’t try ’cause I know you.

Deep inside you know you’re guilty as Hell.
Deep inside you know you’re guilty as Hell.

You realise that what you’re seeing is just a replica of me,
Only me.

Oh it makes no difference if you’re the only one,
It doesn’t matter when all is said and done,
Gonna feel the same, God will put the blame on you.
Oh yeah.

If I was you, If I was you,
I’d wanna see, I’d wanna see inside my head,
I’d wanna know if I was fuckin dead,
I’d wanna know what’s going on,
Someone tell me the truth.

There’s no fear in a fallen Angel, there’s no love in a heart made of stone,
There’s no truth in a heart that is screaming,
Deep inside you’re as guilty as Hell.
There’s no fear in a fallen Angel, there’s no love in a heart made of stone,
There’s no truth in a heart that is screaming.
Deep inside you’re as guilty as Hell.
You’re guilty.

Sick And Tired

Got no time to be on the run,
Got no holes in my shoes,
You’re the reasong all my friends have gone,
But I won’t run from you.

So many promises, and you broke them all,
Oh I’ll forgive, but I can’t forget,
You know you’re a fake, but I just can’t take no more,
Cause I’m tired of it.

I’m so tired, so tired,
Sick and tired of it all,
I’m so tired, sick and tired,
I’m so tired, sick and tired of it all, yeah.

You turn the truth, then you turn your back,
You’re a victim of yourself,
The hate remains, the hurting still exists.
I’m so tired of it all.

I’m so tired, sick and tired,
So damn tired, sick and tired of it all, oh yeah,
I’m so tired, I’m sick and tired of it all.

Rusty Angels

They say you came from heaven but I know that’s not the truth,
Cause I don’t think an angel could look anything like you,
Your eyes are made from sapphires and your heart is made from stone,
You gotta be the closest thing to hate I’ve ever known,
And if I didn’t know better I’d say you had come alone to the party.
Oh yeah.

The light is always shining, but you swear that it’s gone black,
The tide is always turning, but you’re never looking back,
If I didn’t know better I’d say times were pretty bad,
Because Rusty Angels they can’t fly,
Rusty Angels gonna die, yeah,
Rusty Angels they can’t fly,
Rusty Angels gonna die, gonna die.

The gifts you bring are fire, and your dreams they turned to dust,
Your flying days are over, and your wings have turned to rust.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say all you had is lost,
Because Rusty Angels they can’t fly,
Rusty Angels gonna die, yeah,
Rusty Angels they can’t fly,
Rusty Angels gonna die, gonna die.

If you swallow just a little pride, you might find a little love inside,
Open up and let somebody in, ’cause if you need somebody,
You know it’s not a sin.

Rusty Angels they can’t fly, Rusty Angels gonna die, yeah,
Rusty Angels they can’t fly, no, Rusty Angels gonna die,
Gonna die, yeah, you can’t fly, oh no,
Gonna die, oh yeah, you can’t fly, oh no.

Forbidden

If I had to live again, I’d change everything,
‘Cause everything I do, you know that I can’t win.
You say it isn’t right, but you say it isn’t wrong,
How the Hell am I supposed to please everyone.

Tell me what it is that I’m supposed to do.
I aint here for everybody, but I aint here for you,
You said it isn’t right, but you said it isn’t wrong.
I wish somebody could tell me, what it is that I’ve done wrong.

The best things in live aren’t given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
The best things in live aren’t given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.

You know it’s gonna get you now, and you know it starts to bring you down.

Tell me what it is that I’m supposed to do,
I aint here for everybody, but I aint here for you,
It seems I have to fight, for all the things I want,
Wish somebody could tell me what it is that I’ve done wrong.

The best things in live aren’t given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
The best things in live aren’t given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.

It’s Forbidden.

The best things in live aren’t given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
The best things in live aren’t given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
Makes me wonder what you see.

Kiss of Death

This is no ordinary soul, that you’re destroying,
Not just another life that drifts along with the sands of time.
We tried to show you on your way, but still, you cannot see,
you’re hurting me You told too many lies and so it ends, yeah

You tried to touch me, but then I knew your plan,
You tried to take my world away, oh no,
Now I see it, it’s as clear as day,
No you’ll never stand a chance, oh no you’ll never stand a chance.

You tried to lead me, to the land where you keep your lies,
But I’ve seen this read before, oh yeah,
There is no reason why I should listen now,
No you’ll never stand a chance, oh no you’ll never stand a chance.

So many people tried before, but still I came through stronger than before,
Someone like you will never get through my door no more,
Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible.
Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible. Yeah.

Every lie that you tell you get closer,
Closer to the edge of the Cauldron and in to the fire, yeah.
Every life you destroy will return, it will come back and haunt you,
For ever and ever.

Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible.
Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible. Yeah.

This is no ordinary soul that you’re destroying,
Not just another life that drifts along with the sands of time.

Loser Gets it All

It’s a loaded dice, that you throw this time,
If you turn the Ace, it’ll turn out fine,
When you spin the wheel, and you get your call,
South of the line, well the loser gets it all.

One too many days, one too many nights,
You cried too many tears, had too many fights,
And you know it’s a bad time, Bad time to lose.

God knows there’s no good time.

Too many days, and too many nights,
You cried too many tears, had too many fights,
And you know it’s a bad time, Bad time to lose,
Yeah, yeah, Bad time to lose.

Comments

  1. Mikey Branch says

    I agree with your views on this album. I think it’s a strong album and personally don’t see the criticsms of it

  2. Vince Tasciotti says

    I played Forbidden all the way through the other day, and I liked it. Not a bad song on it. On top of everything that has been said about Forbidden, the CD has aged very well.

    It is not “Rap Sabbath” as some have put it. It is a strong very rockin’ album.

  3. Hi Joe (and/or anybody else who might help),

    I am still trying to find out if the following Sabbath re-issues are either: (a) real official releases, but probably only available in Japan and thus not very common; (b) ‘fake’ re-issues/bootlegs, probably from Russia; (c) some of them real, some of them fake. (I didn’t take the time to find the re-issue dates for all of them, but they all seem to be from 2010 and 2011, maybe 2009 or 2012 as well.) I am talking about these:
    UICY-92501 Born Again
    UICY-92503 Eternal Idol
    UICY-92504 Headless Cross (2010)
    UICY-92505 Tyr
    UICY-92506 Dehumanizer
    UICY-92507 Cross Purposes (2011)
    UICY-92508 Forbidden (2011)

    Now, my question is: do you know any reliable way to find out if these (or which of these) are bootlegs or real? I mean, is there a database of the record companies where all official stuff is listed or anything like that, or maybe an email address where I can ask and where they really reply? I often wondered if there isn’t any reliable way of distinguishing official from fake releases.

    Some internet sources claim these are real, however, even more sources claim they are bootlegs, but none of these sources seems to provide evidence that could be called definitive. Google search results for some of these releases look very suspicious, others look rather good. Thus, for example, “Born Again” and “Tyr” rather look like bootlegs (only 2 or 3 Google search results for the Tyr number, and for the Born Again I get mostly Russian and torrent results), while the scans I found for “Forbidden” look quite good (but anyway, of course a bootleg company might also produce nice artwork – it’s not that complicate). Some are claimed to be in LP-type mini-sleves, but not sure if all of them are.

    Any help would be appreciated. Take care,
    Linda

    • Teddy Yates says

      Hi, there is no mini lp sleeve release of Headless Cross, TYR and Forbidden. Those are homemade Russian creations pretending to be official releases. Anyone knows this. If they were real releases you would know they are real because they would be advertised and sold in Japan and Japanese sites and sellers would be selling them on online sites. They made them look real, but of course they are 100% non existent fakes.

  4. Linda:

    They may be official in some capacity (e.g. licensing agreements allow for their release in certain territories, etc.), but they are NOT sanctioned by the band. I was able to listen to a copy of the “Headless Cross” release (UICY-92504), and it was VERY clear that the bonus track, “Cloak and Dagger,” was sourced from a well-worn vinyl copy rather than from any sort of master tape. Sonically you’re fine sticking to your original CD issues until Tony has the chance to really turn his attention to true reissues.

  5. After a string of great albums (TYR To Cross Purposes Live) this really disappointed me. It’s got bland songwriting, weird production, and it’s just not good. I don’t know what else to say. It’s not good. At All. Well, get a grip is pretty awesome.

    • I agree, the songs excepting a couple here & there, are weak & Martin’s voice sounds strained at times! The album cover is embarrassing big time! They certainly let it slip there! It is a shame as it put a slight downer on the Martin era this album. Hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say, maybe they should have pulled the pin after the successful Cross Purposes album & tour! Not to worry!

      • Just throw it out. The album killed off the band in the 90’s and was the last one until we got Dio to come back and rejuvinate Sabbath 14 years later. It’s not a very well made album and turned a lot of people who listened to them in the 80’s and early 90’s like myself off. I can get over a lot of things and am pretty forgiving with my music but forbidden right down to the album cover just does everything wrong and then to top it all off we have this ice T guy just thrown in there for God knows what reason. Sabbath is incompatible with rap on any level. Heavy metal and rap just don’t jive.

  6. scott whitaker says

    The album has it’s moments, bu II find the way Cozy Powell’s drums were mixed to be a crime.

    • Wasn’t Cozy livid with the drum production so much that he resigned from the band? Bobby Rondinelli toured with them from the start of the tour & didn’t they get Bill Ward in towards the end of it somewhere?

      • That is not why he resigned. He resigned over exhaustion. Left at the end of the US tour. Rondinelli was brought in to fill the obligated tour dates. Bill Ward played at the end of the Cross Purposes tour, not the Forbidden tour.

        Dude, you need to go read this page. All of it: https://www.black-sabbath.com/timeline

        • Thanks for the link Joe, I will have a look at it but I won’t be reading all of it, I have read heaps on Sabbath over the years. My query was in regards to Cozy being ‘livid’ with the drum production & leaving the band. I didn’t say that is what happened, it is what i read all those years ago somewhere, not that I necessarily believe anything I read, hence the query in regards to that line! Also, in Australia back in those times we didn’t get music magazines for a couple of months after they were released, (pre internet days obviously) so maybe I read Rondinelli was touring in Sabbath on the Forbidden tour after Powell’s resignation. It is a while ago, the memory can be a little vague at times! I remember the Bill Ward rave as to gigging towards the end of a tour, I was one album out on that! Another query, was Cozy pissed off with the drum sound/production on Forbidden, as I am sure I read an interview with him back then & he said something along those lines!

          • You should read it – I address your specific issue in the text.

          • I read the Forbidden section, but when you said ‘all of it’, I presumed you meant from 1968! Just my two cents worth, I have always thought Cozy Powell regretted getting back into Sabbath, with the recording of the Forbidden album & it’s ‘issues’ for him & then the poor ‘US’ tour that followed!
            I may be wrong, but these comments are stirring my memory of an Iommi interview from somewhere in the past, where he stated Cozy wasn’t a happy boy, along those lines anyway! Its all water under the bridge now, you were lucky to see them in concert, in Oz we didn’t get that opportunity. A possible glimpse when the Headless Cross tour was announced in ’89, but alas it was pulled for some reason!

  7. Robert Cam says

    Rusty angels… one of my favorite Sabbath songs ever….

    Plus, the guitar solo on ” I won’t cry for you ” sounds very similar to the one on Technical Ecstasy”s ” You Won’t change me”.

    Peace and Love…!!!

  8. Hold on, Forbidden IS a rockin’ album! And IMO, ‘Loser gets it all’ is a nice one, master riffing, killer guitar solo, lyrics…I mean, the musicians there…Again, let’s pray for Iommi and his decision to remaster all the Tony Martin era albums, as part of the Sabbath catalogue and for we the fans’ sake…

  9. Iván Muñoz says

    This is not a bad album. In fact, is one of my favourite albums ever in life. Great riffs, dark, everything that Black Sabbath always have been. Not better than Cross Purposes, but still amazing album. Can’t Get Close ENough awesome, Rusty Angels, Kiss of Death, the whole album is a jewell unfairly criticized and forgotten.

  10. Regarding Cozy and Forbidden, I’ve read a few interviews with him in the past. Here’s an excerpt which answers a few of the above questions. Credit to COZY POWELL Remembered Website.

    Joe: In the meantime Sabbath did a further 2 albums. Were you invited back?

    Cozy: They didn’t do that well. I’d had an accident with a horse and was unceremoniously booted out the band. Ronnie Dio came back in and didn’t really want me in the band anyway. I had turned down his solo album to stay in Rainbow, maybe that’s been a sore point. He got booted out of Rainbow and asked me in spite of Ritchie, and since then has hated my guts. But I was invited back and I tried to recreate the same spirit that was there when we did the ‘Headless Cross’. Unfortunately this time it wasn’t quite there, I don’t know why. Maybe people change over the years, there were a couple of things that weren’t quite right, then they brought in a producer who’s never really done a heavy rock album before. His ideas, whether good or bad, featured on the drums, so my drum sound went out the window. I was very unhappy with the way the kit sounded and the way that I played. I couldn’t really promote ‘Forbidden’ and say it was the greatest thing I’d ever done when I didn’t believe it. I backed off from the promotional tour, because if you don’t feel that way it’s better not to do it at all. We did a tour of America which was absolutely horrendous, possibly the worst tour I’ve ever done. It was badly booked. The agent in America did it at the last minute, we weren’t drawing the audiences that we wanted to, the record company were not getting behind the band. It was a very difficult time. I also had a few personal problems. I needed to get off the road which I couldn’t do because the tour was 8 months solid, so I said to the manager I’d finish the U.S. tour and get out and you find a replacement drummer.

    Link to the website is here:
    http://cozypowell.webs.com/cozyremembed.htm

    • MacGregor says

      Patrick, thanks for that, it rings a bell for me, as I remember reading very similar ‘issues’ with the Forbidden album for Cozy. Regarding the Dio rehearsals back in 91, I also have a distant memory of reading that Geezer was not liking Cozy’s playing either. Something along the lines of ‘he’s too busy, meaning possibly ‘plays too much’? Compared to Appice he certainly does, but in hindsight. maybe they (Iommi, Butler & Dio), wanted to start off again from where they finished back in 82! For myself, I was disappointed when I read he (Cozy) wasn’t the drummer anymore & he had been replaced by Vinnie Appice. The horse accident was a convenient excuse perhaps to get rid of him? Still, all these years later we had the pleasure of seeing Heaven & Hell, so the Dehumanizer album was another chapter that was meant to be, no doubt! Cheers.

  11. Matt Dennett says

    Received a tape cassette album of forbidden today. Ive never heard it at all as i have let bad reviews and others opinions influence me – what a mistake! For 18yrs i could have been enjoying this cracking album. To me its as good as dehumanizer,cross purposes and headless cross. I’d rather listen to this than the drum mix of Tyr! Plus the production is 100% better than dehumanizer,that was tinny and weak,spoilt the album totally. On forbidden the drums dont totally overpower everything,its a good mix,cozy obviously didn’t like being put in his place! Ok some tracks and parts do sound very familiar,get a grip is very zero the hero,the solo part in i wont cry for you is a copy of you wont change me off technical ecstacy,but there’s still some excellent hard rock to be had. Guilty as hell would sit well on born again,to me a big bonus! I definately dont understand the slagging off this album recieves. I just wish id bought it sooner. Forbidden is a great hard rock album,simple as that. If anyone else is reading this and like me has not bothered with this album due to its bad reputation – just get it and listen,enjoy it and trust your own opinion and judgement in the future!

  12. Interestingly, this album features the Sabbath song with the very lowest guitar tuning (at least to my knowledge): “Can’t Get Close Enough”. The tuning is Eb standard like the majority of Sabbath’s songs from Heaven & Hell and onwards, with the exception of the low E string which is dropped all the way down to Bb! I don’t know what to call this tuning, but Soundgarden used the same tuning for Rusty Cage, except one half step higher (standard E tuning with low E dropped to B).

    I made a Guitar Pro tab of this song a couple of days ago, so I had to delve into the guitar parts and look at an old concert where Tony played this song on a specially tuned guitar (that was not an SG). I’m assuming that this guitar was fitted with a thicker E string than usual for Tony’s guitars, since his normal strings would probably wobble out of control with such a low tuning!

    This album also features what might be the second lowest tuning for Tony, which is found on the title track. That one is probably C standard. I haven’t looked at the tuning for every single track in the Sabbath catalogue yet, but I don’t think Sabbath has gone lower than C# standard apart from these two songs.

  13. Bought it the day it came out, listened to it, sold it to a bud the same day; easily their worst album.

  14. I just saw the video for “I Won’t Cry For You” for the first time. The actors looked pretty familiar. Apparently one is Kate Beckinsale of the “Underworld” franchise. Couldn’t find anything about the other actor. Does anyone know?

  15. Montague Winters says

    Today (2023) I bought a Forbidden CD here in Brazil, it cost me 13 USD, but I think it was a bootleg album.

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