Black Sabbath Black Sabbath/Sweden 1989

From BLACK SABBATH’s 1989 European tour accompanying the release of “HEADLESS CROSS”, a new must-listen album is now available on a 2-CD set! This work is a recording of the performance in Stockholm, Sweden on September 14th, the middle of the tour, recorded from the original master by the famous local taper “Per Erik”. You can enjoy the most melodic live performance of Sabbath’s career at that time with a fresh and excellent audience sound! BLACK SABBATH has a history of 45 years, from 1969 to 2014. It was only after 1997, when they resumed their activities with Ozzy Osbourne, that they have an unshakable position and presence as the “godfather of heavy metal”, but there was a period of instability from the 1980s to the 1990s, with continuous member changes. However, it is also true that the large number of members and the band’s expression that changes with each singer have gained new supporters. Especially from the late ’80s to the early ’90s, when Tony Martin was enrolled, Sabbath’s long career was particularly melodic. In particular, the “HEADLESS CROSS” tour and “TYR”, where Cozy Powell and Neil Murray supported the rhythm, are still highly regarded by Japanese fans. The “HEADLESS CROSS” tour, where Sabbath came out of a long period of confusion and the band’s activities were revived, has many live materials. In addition to soundboards and pro shots, there are also many audience recordings, and many definitive CD titles are known, such as “HEADLESS IN AGORA” from the US tour and “DEVIL & DAUGHTER” from the UK tour. Among them, “RUNIC ECHOES”, which contains the Copenhagen performance on September 15, 1989, has a wide sound field that produces a fantastic sound, and is said by enthusiasts to be “the best recording of ’89”. However, the day before, on September 14th, a recording was made in Stockholm that was just as good. The recorder was “Per Erik” himself, who has worked on many masterpieces in Stockholm! His skill in vacuum-packing live performances from the same era, such as Gary Moore’s “THE PRISONERS OF FATE” and Yngwie Malmsteen’s “1988: A SWEDISH ODYSSEY,” was fully demonstrated in this Sabbath live performance! According to “Per Erik” of the taper, the recording was made on this day from the right side of the stage, about 4 meters in front of the PA, with the microphone facing the stage. The sound visibility is of course superb, and the balance, spread, and directness are exquisite. Perhaps the sound from the PA was strong, but the bass input seemed a little strong from the start of the live performance to “Headless Cross” (this has been improved as much as possible in the remaster). However, once the sound settled down at the beginning of “Neon Knights,” the sound improved even further. The strengths of this recording are the clearness of the high tones and the balance of the musical tones, and you can listen to the live performance with a texture almost like a soundboard! The clear sound of “Children Of The Sea” captivates the listener, and the supple and dancing musical tones of “Die Young” (Iommi’s guitar solo that explodes in the intro and during the song is a must-listen!) fully depict the charm of Martin Sabbath. Cozy’s drumming is of course very powerful! The direct sound that pierces the listener will knock out the listener in every song! In the late ’80s, when melodic rock was mainstream, Sabbath also transformed its jet-black musical tones into dignity and mystery. The best reflections of this are “When Death Calls” from “HEADLESS CROSS” and “The Shining” from the previous album “THE ETERNAL IDOL”. Martin’s singing, which combines luster and power, is full of the wonderfulness of “only this time”! Don’t miss the second half of the live performance, which features representative songs from each era, such as “The Mob Rules”, “Black Sabbath”, and “Devil & Daughter”. The set, which covers the masterpieces of Sabbath’s representative singers, Ronnie, Ozzy, and Martin, is truly the “Best of Sabbath” to hear live! The medley of “Heaven and Hell” and “Paranoid” played as an encore is a truly grand finale, bringing the 90-minute recording to a very satisfying close! The late ’80s was a time when beautiful melodies and majestic sounds reached a peak in the fields of hard rock and heavy metal. Melodious rock is loved in Scandinavia, just like in Japan, and Stockholm in particular was the center of it. It is very significant that the live performance of Sabbath at their most melodic period was recorded in Stockholm, the mecca of beautiful melodies, and with the finest sound! This work, together with “RUNIC ECHOES,” which contains a later live performance, is a great epic that conveys the essence of melodic Sabbath to future generations! Live at Solnahallen, Stockholm, Sweden 14th September 1989 TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND Disc 1 (41:26) 1. Ave Satani 2. The Gates Of Hell 3. Headless Cross 4. Neon Knights 5. Children Of The Sea 6. Guitar Solo 7. Die Young 8. When Death Calls 9. War Pigs Disc 2 (51:04) 1. The Shining 2. The Mob Rules 3. Black Sabbath 4. Devil & Daughter 5. Iron Man 6. Children Of The Grave 7. Heaven And Hell 8. Paranoid/Heaven And Hell(Reprise) Tony Iommi – Guitar Tony Martin – Vocal Cozy Powell – Drums Neil Murray – Bass Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards