Yes, Black Sabbath will be forever be associated with the unique and often eerie vocals of original frontman Ozzy Osbourne. And that line-up deservedly is enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But after the Ozz was booted out back in 1979, the band soldiered on for two albums with singer Ronnie James Dio and then other vocalists. Dio, though, is as beloved by almost as many fans as Osbourne, and helped Sabbath perform higher-velocity songs.
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Even after the original Dio period ended in 1982, Sabbath went through three more singers on album—Ian Gillan and Glenn Hughes (both of Deep Purple fame), and then Tony Martin. All of them offered something different for Sabbath. The brooding boys from Birmingham may not have had nine lives, but with five singers in the studio and two more live they came close to it.
Here are some unappreciated Sabbath tracks without rock’s Prince of Darkness. And with all due respect to him, there are some choice cuts here.
1. “Lady Evil” (1980)
This mid-tempo rocker has a killer groove from bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. There’s also some nice wah-wah laced solo from guitarist Tony Iommi. The lyrics are very Dio…
“There’s a lady they say who feeds the darknessIt eats right from her handWith a crying shout, she’ll search you outAnd freeze you where you stand”
…and the sing along chorus is icing on the cake.
2. “The Mob Rules” (1981)
Probably the gnarliest and most aggressive riff that Iommi ever conjured, this cautionary tale of how the masses can be swayed into disarrary is also one of Dio’s most badass vocal performances. This one never gets old. There’s a slightly different version of this tune with an earlier, more raw mix that appears on the Heavy Metal movie soundtrack. This title song for the album marked the first of three studio releases with drummer Vinnie Appice.
[RELATED: Ronnie James Dio Documentary Set for Release in 2022]
3. “The Dark/Zero the Hero” (1983)
The weirdly ambient intro, which sounds like it could be emanating from some dark dimension, leads to one of the most sinister sounding songs that Sabbath ever recorded. Born Again was the only album to feature singer Ian Gillan, and while some think it was a mismatch, the raucous opener “Trashed” contrasted by a grinding track like this one proved otherwise.
4. “Danger Zone” (1986)
Although Iommi wanted to release The Seventh Star as a solo album – especially as he was the only original Sabbath member left – his label insisted on billing it as Black Sabbath with Tony Iommi. Former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes – who recorded this album and left the tour after five concerts due to internal band friction – got to sing on the most conventional sounding Sabbath album, but this song still rocks. Future Badlands singer Ray Gillen finished the tour and recorded demos for the next Sabbath album, but Tony Martin ended up taking over the frontman position.
5. “The Shining” (1987)
Tony Martin recorded five albums with Sabbath, only one of which, The Eternal Idol, is available on Spotify. It’s a shame because he recorded some solid music with them. This epic, electrifying track, which is chock full of different riffs, is inspired by the Stephen King novel of the same name. Martin’s soaring vocals, which have a Dio-like quality with their own distinction, mark a great debut track for his era, and the radiant opening riffs are some one of Iommi’s most memorable.
6. “When Death Calls” (1989)
The somber, ethereal verses (refreshingly, without drums) eventually burst into classic, booming Sabbath choruses that defined them in the ‘80s. The middle section then doubles the tempo and amps up the drama. It’s another strong Martin performance. During their second full decade together, Iommi was able to adapt his mutating band to changing styles and production techniques while retaining that dark Gothic core essential to Sabbath’s sound.
7. “Jerusalem” (1990)
The Tyr album differed from its Sabbath predecessors in that some of Martin’s lyrics related more to Nordic mythology which was something different for them. (Get thee back, Satan!) This mid-tempo stomper, propelled by heavy hitting drummer Cozy Powell, has a wonderfully rousing chorus with rich vocal harmonies perfect for big audience singalongs.
8. “I” (1992)
Dio returned to Sabbath for one album the first time. This is a potent cut from that release, featuring a deep and steady groove and lots of classic Iommi riffing augmented by a strong Dio chorus. The subdued, bluesy riffing in the intro and mid-section make for a nice contast to the track’s ominous lyrics and pummeling wall of sound.
9. “Eating the Cannibals” (2009)
This high octane track from The Devil You Know album, which marked the return of Dio to Sabbath for the second time, is the highlight of that release. Great vibes, great riffs, and great energy abound here. Yes, this incarnation of the band had to change its name, for legal reasons, to Heaven & Hell after the name of their first album with Dio in 1980, but this is still Sabbath. Iommi has always been a principal architect of the group’s signature sound. Heaven & Hell had reportedly planned to do another album, but sadly, Dio passed away from stomach cancer in 2010.
BONUS ROUND: Rob Halford with Black Sabbath live, “Neon Knights” (1992)
On two occasions, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford filled in for Sabbath – at two shows in 1992 and one OzzFest on 2004 when their bands toured together. The ‘92 era was during the first return of Dio, and the latter was a few years into the reunion with Ozzy. This video is from a widely circulated bootleg capturing the magical event from the former, and from the crowd response it is obvious that many fans loved the pairing, as unexpected as it was.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
