Description Black Sabbath Cross Purposes CD PROMO Cross Purposes Studio album by Black Sabbath Released 31 January 1994 Recorded 1993 at Monnow Valley Studios, Wales Genre Heavy metal Length 46:53 Label I.R.S. Producer Black Sabbath Cross Purposes is the seventeenth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in January 1994. Musicians included the former Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin and former Rainbow/Blue oyster Cult drummer Bobby Rondinelli. The song “”Cardinal Sin”” was originally intended to be titled “”Sin Cardinal Sin”” (or “”Sin, Cardinal Sin””) A promo video was shot for “”The Hand That Rocks The Cradle””, in black-and-white. Check all samples: www.allmusic.com/album/cross-purposes-mw0000107297 Track listing: “”I Witness”” -“ 4:56 “”Cross of Thorns”” -“ 4:32 “”Psychophobia”” -“ 3:15 “”Virtual Death”” -“ 5:49 “”Immaculate Deception”” -“ 4:15 “”Dying for Love”” -“ 5:53 “”Back to Eden”” -“ 3:57 “”The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”” -“ 4:30 “”Cardinal Sin”” -“ 4:21 “”Evil Eye”” -“ 5:58 All songs were credited to Tony Martin, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. “”Evil Eye”” was written by Martin, Iommi and Butler with Eddie Van Halen, but Van Halen was not credited, due to his affilliation with Warner Bros. Records. Tony Martin further states that Eddie Van Halen wrote the riff for Evil Eye and played and recorded it in the studio and that Tony Iommi went in and rerecorded Eddie Van Halen parts.. The first main solo is performed by an unaccredited Eddie Van Halen as well, per Tony Martin in the book “” Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: The Battle For Black Sabbath Personnel: Tony Martin -“ vocals Tony Iommi -“ guitars Geezer Butler -“ bass Geoff Nicholls -“ keyboards Bobby Rondinelli -“ drums 5.0 out of 5 stars ONE BLACK SABBATH ALBUM YOU NEED, When it comes to the Tony Martin era of Sabbath this is one of the best ! When it comes to the lp availability it is the 3rd hardest to obtain behind Forbidden, and TYR. Cross Purposes is a great album ! If you can get off the Sabbath isn’t Sabbath without Ozzie line of thinking and give this album a good listen , you should come to the senses that it deserves all of your respect for being as good as it is. Tony Martin sounds great and you just cant say enough about Iomi guitar playing. The addition of Gezzer Butler only makes it that much better….. Deal with the fact that Ozzie is gone and Tony Iomi pioneered on to make some of the best Sabbath music out there with Born Again , Headless Cross, Eternal Idol, Cross Purposes, TYR, and Forbidden. How can anyone turn their back to Iomi and this era of Sabbath. I did for years, was heartbroken that Ozzie left, letdown again when Dio left. Never listened to the Tony Martin Sabbath for years. I denied myself of some great music and then had to pay the price to collect the now rare lps. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars an underrated album, Cross Purposes is one of the most underrated and least mentioned albums in the entire discography of Black Sabbath. It features one of their prominent singers, Tony Martin, as the band third official singer and the second to their last albums to feature Martin before the return of Ozzy Osbourne (the band first and most notable singer). Cross Purposes contains a series of songs range from hard rock to heavy metal. It contains a more progressive album than their previous albums. Cross Purposes indicates the continuous experimentation and innovation Black Sabbath has produced in over two decades. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars My personal favourite from the Martin-era, Not the least fascinating thing about Black Sabbath is that there have been no fewer than three very different bands in its history, conveniently separated by the singers who shaped them: Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin. (And one can even add Sabbath No. 4 and Sabbath No. 5, for one experimental album each, since “”The Seventh Star”” with Glenn Hughes and “”Born Again”” with Ian Gillan, both from the mid-1980s, neither of which has anything to do with the other three “”eras””.) I confess that the Martin-era is my least favourite one, but this may well be because I came to these albums after I had been quite familiar with everything recorded with Ozzy and Dio during the 1970s and early 1980s. However, personal taste is a poor excuse to neglect the years with Tony Martin. After all the man recorded five studio albums with the band and they all range from good to very good, with occasional sparks of greatness. For some rather mysterious reason “”Cross Purposes”” is my favourite of these. Even though I have a great deal more affection for “”Forbidden”” than most people do, and in any of the three albums from the 1980s there are terrific songs (say, “”Ancient Warrior””, “”Headless Cross”” and “”Anno Mundi””, to name but three), it is “”Cross Purposes”” that I most often return to when I am in the mood for Sabbath with Tony Martin. The album is considerably lighter and somewhat less complex than his predecessors, one might even say a trifle monotonous, but it is probably the most consistent one and it has a compelling drive. Ironically, for those guys who bark the wrong tree constantly whining that the Martin-era was the most un-Sabbath one, there are here songs (“”Psychophobia””, “”Virtual Death””, “”Evil Eye””, the last one with first solo played by Eddie van Halen, reportedly) that are more reminiscent of the original Sabbath with Ozzy, rather than to anything that came later with Dio. On the other hand, there are few fine ballads (“”Cross of Thorns””, “”Dying for Love””) and several dazzling tracks (“”I Witness””, “”Immaculate Deception””, “”The Hand that Rocks the Cradle””) that are highly original for the Martin-era and owe nothing to the old times. The album features great musicians in top form. Even though it has always been the leading singer who shaped most Sabbath musical outlook, it was Tony Iommi who remained the only constant member through the years. One of the most fascinating things about him is that he is vastly different with Ozzy, Dio or Martin. In a way, the three Sabbath eras had three different guitarists. As for Tony top form here, the solo in “”Immaculate Deception”” is enough to prove it. Tony Martin may not be among the greatest vocalists in the history of rock music, but he is a fine singer none the less: powerful voice, impeccable technique, and solid range, what more can one want? Besides, try to put yourself in Martin place. He had the awesome task to step into the shoes of legends like Ozzy and Dio. He done a really fine job. The bass guitar here is in the hands of Geezer Butler himself and, as might be expected, his playing is top-notch. It is rather a pity that the bass got somewhat lost during the mixing – my only minor complaint about the otherwise excellent sound of the album. Last and least, but not to be neglected, there are the fine drummer Bobby Rondinelli, quite devoid of the childish show-off typical of a Vinnie Appice, and the well-known Geoff Nichols at the keyboards which are quite prominent in few of the songs. All in all, a vintage and unjustly neglected late Sabbath, perhaps because it came after the stupendous “”Dehumanizer”” (1992) with Dio, a one-album affair alas. Everybody who has enjoyed other Sabbath albums with Tony Martin is well advised to give this one a careful listening, if he hasn’t already. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars Best Martin Album, It unfortunate that Cross Purposes (1994) was released when it was (after Dio departure), thereby reverting us back to the Tony Martin style that became the norm starting with The Eternal Idol in 1987. Some people were elated when Dio rejoined the band to record Dehumanizer, but it turned out to be a disruption of continuity, and Tony Iommi admits that he should have never disrupted things. Consequently, this album suffered from lack of sales due to a disenchanted Dio fan base who were expecting more releases from the Dio lineup, coupled with the Tony Martin fans who perhaps lost track of things when Dehumanizer was going on. Despite all of this, the album shines on many fronts. I think that Tony Martin was his best on this one, and Geezer Butler adds his signature doom and gloom bass to the songs. I particularly like the songs IMMACULATE DECEPTION, VIRTUAL DEATH, PSYCHOPHOBIA, and DYING FOR LOVE, which is a rare ballad from these guys. Virtual Death has really grown on me through the years. This is a balanced effort that rocks, and the subject matter is vintage Martin all the way. I WITNESS is the perfect starter, and is a great jam. I recommend this album to those who thought that Tony Martin contributions to Black Sabbath were commendable and worthy; I certainly think that he did a good job overall, with the exception of Forbidden (1995). I think that this album edges Headless Cross and The Eternal Idol. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, Possibly the best Sabbath album after the Mob Rules in 1982, with the possible exceptions of Dehumanizer or Seventh Star. A must have for any fan of hard rock music. Just a really great album, I Witness and Cross of Thorns are excellent, this is undoubtedly the best Sabbath album with Tony Martin on vocals! ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars A Tony Martin-era Sabbath classic, Many early Black Sabbath purists automatically discount any of the band output beyond the original Ozzy era, and as much of a fan as I am of that period myself, the fact remains that the band were still going strong over two decades later and their crowning achievement of the later years may be 1994 “”Cross Purposes.”” This was the fourth album to feature the band fellow Brit bandmate Tony Martin as frontman, and in many ways his rich, soulful and extremely powerful vocals are the centrepiece here. While some Sabbath lifers will only begrudgingly give props to the early ’80s Dio era and nothing beyond that (if at all), it high time for Tony Martin to be granted his own place in history as an equally stellar frontman, if not one of the very best vocalists heavy metal ever saw. I just previewed the entire album for this review and I am convinced that “”Cross Purposes”” is a mid-’90s metal masterpiece. There is not one weak track to be found here, with many of the songs being absolute classics, not the least of which is opener “”I Witness,”” which slowly builds up to a crescendo of Tony Iommi magnificent riffing, Geezer Butler essential bass work and Martin unforgettable vocal refrains. Iommi most powerful riff on the album though may belong to “”Back to Eden,”” as it has a classic structure that stands up to any songs of Sabbath past. The reason I say that Martin may be the focal point of the album though is that my absolute favorite song here is the breathtakingly beautiful power ballad “”Dying for Love,”” which is a showcase for Tony unforgettable vocal harmonies. In airing this song again just now I literally got chills running up and down my spine, now you know a song is a masterpiece when it can achieve that kind of emotional reaction in the listener. At the time of the album release I was involved in a college radio station and “”Cross Purposes”” was featured prominently in the station countdown of the best albums of 1994. It has clearly stood the test of time since then and in retrospect is one of the best Sabbath albums of ALL TIME, of any era. It just too bad it is out of print and so hard to come by these days. But Sabbath fans are urged to obtain this disc at all costs. An absolute classic. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece, Well, the time has come to give a few words on the album “”Cross Purposes”” by Black Sabbath. Personally, this could very well be my favourite album from Black Sabbath. As much as i really appreciate and enjoy Dehumanizer i think this was the path the band should have taken. The line up is wonderful. Keeping Tony Martin as vocalist and front man, having Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler together again and adding up a killer drummer. Rondinelli really does a great job on this album. I would go as far as calling Cross Purposes a masterpiece. Tony Martin has always had a special place for me as far as vocalists go and i always enjoy his work. As far as the songs go i think the finest work on this album is I Witness, Psychophobia (That Riff IS EPIC : O), Dying For Love, Immaculate Deception and Cross Of Thorns. But it really not fair choosing favourites on this album when songs like Virtual Death, Evil Eye and Hand That Rocks The Cradle really are wonderfull and fine song full of emotion and atmosphere. With these words i can’t more than recommend this to anyone who enjoys music. Give it a chance! ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars largely ignored album, but great nonetheless, Whenever people argue that “”musicians’ earliest music is always the best”” I have to think of Black Sabbath, who in my opinion was the best during their Tony Martin years. Of course this could also be b/c that the first that I heard of Sabbath, but that an entirely new tangent. Every song on this album is well written and accessible- I got into it right away instead of having it grow on me, yet I wouldn’t say it was “”catchy””- it better than that. This is my favorite album by Black Sabbath. It basically went unnoticed b/c people just liked Sabbath with Ozzy, but I like Tony M much better. I like his accent and his voice is gravelly, but not too much. I like to sing to a lot of songs on this album. His expressive voice adds a lot to this music, but besides that it is also well written. My favorite song would be “”Immaculate Deception””, which sounds kind of dreamy. I also liked “”Virtual Death”” because of its lyrics and harmony, and especially the middle section- yeah it depressing, and when I was into it I was very depressed. “”Evil Eye”” is another hypnotic and kind of sexy song. I especially like the middle part and then the double guitar part in it. “”Dying For Love”” is also very emotional and beautiful. “”Psychophobia”” was my least favorite but it has some redeeming points. I basically liked all the songs on this album. Interestingly, I think Sabbath reputation exceeds them. My parents never objected to this music and I don’t find it threatening at all. Is it me or do the lyrics sound kind of Christian? I might have thought they were a Christian band if I didn’t know better. When it comes to Black Sabbath, Tony Martin is the best singer, and this is their best album. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Strong Tony Martin Era Release, Another Sabbath album with Tony Martin at the helm and in my opinion another good one. “”Cross Purposes”” was the album that came after the ill fated reunion with Ronnie James Dio and its subsequent release “”Dehuminizer””. Although I am a huge Dio fan was really disappointed with the reunion effort and think that “”Cross Purposes”” blows “”Dehumanizer”” away. The music on this album sounds the most like classic Sabbath of any of the Tony Martin era recordings as the team of Butler / Iommi combine once again to produce some really strong material. Bobby Rondineli (Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, And Quiet Riot) is also on hand n the drum kit and delivers a fine performance. Although he seems to get slammed by many die hard Sabbath fans I maintain that Tony Martin is an incredible vocalist and this album produces some of his best work to date. Highlights include the opening track “”I Witness””, the heavy handed “”Virtual Death”” that has Geezer signature bottom end written all over it, the ballad “”Dying For Love””, and the catchy rocker “”The Hand That Rocks The Cradle””. Tony Iommi has some really tasty guitar solos on this album and shows that he was still a very capable guitarist in the mid-90. Overall I would rate this right behind “”Tyr”” as one of the best Sabbath albums of the 80 or 90. ———————————————————————————– 5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite from the Tony Martin era, erasing the dehumanizer failure. Sabbath after Dehumanizer, what kind of a reunion was that, not the ozzy fronted ones fans wanted. Thank goodness Toni Iommi got back together with Tony Martin and created this masterful work, a return to Toni heavy riff writing. Just the first three songs “”I witness””, “”cross of thorns”” and “”Psychopobia”” make the album, but the rest is bonus. A great album. Virtual death is good, and evil eye to end the album. So check this album out, you won’t be disappointed.
