Black Sabbath Cross

Cross Purposes could have been the ultimate Black Sabbath album. That may be a bold claim, but it combines members from several different eras together for perhaps the most promising lineup since Ronnie James Dio's days with the band. Geezer Butler is there to represent the classic '70s version, Tony Martin returned to the fold to be the '80s representative, new drummer Bob Rondinelli brings the '90s flavor to everything, and Tony Iommi is the never-say-die (no pun intended) original member who never left the flock. But instead of crafting Sabbath's masterful return to grace, they made a weird mishmash of power metal and stoner rock that works more often than not. At least Butler seems to have Iommi attempting memorable riffs again, something he couldn't quite get the hang of until the album previous to this.

Cross Purposes could have been the ultimate Black Sabbath album. That may be a bold claim, but it combines members from several different eras together for perhaps the most promising lineup since Ronnie James Dio's days with the band. Geezer Butler is there to represent the classic '70s version, Tony Martin returned to the fold to be the '80s representative, new drummer Bob Rondinelli brings the '90s flavor to everything, and Tony Iommi is the never-say-die (no pun intended) original member who never left the flock.

Black Sabbath have announced that, after being unavailable physically or on streaming services for years, four of their albums with singer Tony Martin will finally be given a proper rerelease.

Black Sabbath released Headless Cross in April 1989, and ignored by contemporary reviewers. Eventually, AllMusic would give the album four stars, calling Headless Cross "the finest non-Ozzy or Dio Black Sabbath album"…