According to Billboard.com, several of BLACK SABBATH's catalog of albums made their digital debut a week ago, thus sparking a return to the chart for two of their classic titles. Both "Black Sabbath" and "Paranoid", released in 1970, return to the chart this week. "Paranoid" re-enters at No. 121 with 2,935 (up 183%) and "Black Sabbath" returns at No. 184 (2,130; up 229%).
BLACK SABBATH's sales breakdown:
* "Paranoid"
This week: 2,935
Last week: 1,038
* "Black Sabbath"
This week: 2,130
Last week: 647
* "Greatest Hits 1970-1978"
This week: 1,973
Last week: 372
* "Vol. 4"
This week: 1,498
Last week: 751
* "Master Of Reality"
This week: 1,463
Last week: 249
* "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
This week: 887
Last week: 205
* "Sabotage"
This week: 774
Last week: 186
When Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terry "Geezer" Butler and Bill Ward formed BLACK SABBATH in 1969, they created a signature sound that set the blueprint for heavy music and influenced generations of disciples for years to come. For the first time, the full catalog from the original BLACK SABBATH lineup is now available digitally in the U.S. and has been mastered specifically for iTunes, ensuring the delivery of the music to listeners with increased audio fidelity, more closely replicating what the artists, recording engineers, and producers intended. Available exclusively on the iTunes Store worldwide, fans now have the ability to download all albums in one newly created bundle ("The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1978"), eight legendary studio albums, two classic compilations, or simply purchase each song individually.
"It's about fucking time the first eight BLACK SABBATH albums were made available on iTunes in the U.S.," said Ozzy Osbourne.
"Great news. [It's] been a long time trying to explain to fans why the music wasn't available," Tony Iommi commented.
"It's going to be great to finally have the catalogue accessible on iTunes," Geezer Butler noted.
"Black Sabbath: The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1978" features the band's collected studio works for Warner Bros. Records from the 1970s, including their iconic eponymous debut (1970), the multi-platinum landmark "Paranoid" (1970), the platinum albums "Master Of Reality" (1971), "Vol. 4" (1972), and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (1973), and the gold-certified "Sabotage" (1975), "Technical Ecstasy" (1976), and "Never Say Die!" (1978). Also available is their classic 1976 compilation "We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll" as well as 2006's "Greatest Hits 1970-1978", which was released in connection with their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Following wildly successful shows in North and South America, Australia, Asia and Europe, BLACK SABBATH will kick off another North American tour with dates starting March 31 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The trek will hit ten cities in Canada, including stops in Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton, before wrapping April 26 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. These dates will be part of the band's final shows of their 2013-2014 world tour in support of their first studio album in 35 years, "13", which entered the charts at #1 in 13 countries (including their first #1 in the U.S.). Another run of European festivals and headlining shows will follow this summer.
Guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, has set a March 18, 2014 release date for his debut solo album, "I Am The Fire", in North America. The CD will be released internationally on Century Media Records, and will come out March 17 in Europe.
A first song from the album can now be heard via the video for the album's opening track, "My Will Be Done" (featuring Mats Levén), which was produced by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE and KAMELOT, among others.
Says Gus G. of the song and album: "I hope you all enjoy the first taste of things to come.
"'My Will Be Done' is a cool rock track with a modern edge to it...
"Looking back, I can't believe all the great musicians that got on board for this album. Everybody brought in their unmistakable style and talent and they really lifted the songs! Check it out and enjoy the music!"
Gus G. will attend the 2014 NAMM convention, which runs January 23-26 in Anaheim, California. In addition to signing sessions at ESP Guitars (January 24 at 2 p.m.) and Blackstar Amps (January 25, 1 p.m.), Gus will also appear as guest at the Randy Rhoads Remembered tribute concert at The Observatory in Santa Ana on January 25. Other guests include Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME, RIHANNA), Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD), Marty Friedman, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES) and more.
Gus handles all guitar, bass and keyboards on "I Am The Fire", and is joined by a roster of friends and guests that help bring his vision to fruition: drummers Jeff Friedl (A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER, DEVO) and Daniel Erlandsson (ARCH ENEMY), bassists David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Marty O'Brien (TOMMY LEE, WE ARE THE FALLEN, LITA FORD), and vocalists Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION), Blake Allison (DEVOUR THE DAY), Michael Starr (STEEL PANTHER), Alexia Rodriguez (EYES SET TO KILL), Tom S. Englund (EVERGREY), Jacob Bunton (ADLER) and Jeff Scott Soto (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, TALISMAN, ex-JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN).
"I Am The Fire" was mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER) and was recorded between Los Angeles and Gus' home country of Greece through the latter half of 2013. A few of the album's tracks include "Eyes Wide Open", "Redemption", "End Of The Line" and "Blame It On Me". The album showcases a well-balanced mix of active rock, classic hard rock, traditional metal and guitar-driven instrumentals, taking listeners on a diverse journey and opening doors to Gus G.'s soulful playing.
The album's first commercial single — title track, "I Am The Fire" — will be released digitally February 25 in North America.
Gus G. has had an amazing rise within the worldwide rock and metal scenes and has amassed an impressive body of work, both in studio and touring. He emerged as an up-and-coming talent with the groups DREAM EVIL (Sweden), MYSTIC PROPHECY (Germany) and NIGHTRAGE (Greece), but it is his work with his own band FIREWIND (who have released seven studio albums and two live releases) and as a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band that have helped him emerge as one of the world's top metal and rock guitarists. His work on Ozzy's "Scream" album led to a Grammy nomination in 2010, and his list of accolades includes Guitar Player magazine's "Best Metal Guitarist," the "Dimebag Darrell Shredder" award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, and Metal Hammer Greece "Best Guitarist" on four separate occasions.
Greg Prato of Songfacts recently conducted an interview with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Songfacts: I think a band that never gets the credit is the original KISS lineup, which wrote some really great songs as well.
Zakk: I was never a KISS guy growing up as a kid, but my friends were just complete KISS freakos. They had the dolls, the whole nine yards. Nick [Catanese] is a complete KISS freak and so is J.D. The thing that got him into playing bass guitar was Gene Simmons. He got into Jaco Pastorius and all the cats, every insane bass player; Victor Wooten and all the guys, but that was later on. But his introduction, the reason why he wanted to play bass was because of Gene Simmons, because he loved KISS. But I was always more of a SABBATH guy and ZEPPELIN and stuff like that, and I dug Elton John. If you listen to those KISS records the production on those records is phenomenal. And they're great songs. They really are. It's great classic '70s riffs and just well structured songs. Very hooky songs.
Songfacts: How would you say that you write your best songs?
Zakk: I don't think it's so much writing. I remember reading this thing on Robert Plant, and he goes, "I don't think it's so much you write them — you receive them." It's like God is the radio station that it's all coming from, and it's just a matter of tuning in until you hit His frequency. A lot of times I'll just sit in the morning, having a cup of java just chillin' out. If I sit at the piano or I sit at the acoustic guitar and I start writing something mellow, it's going to be what it's going to be. But if I sit behind an amp, between a Marshall, that always dictates what frame of mind I'm going to be in. If I sit down with an electric guitar what's going to come out are SABBATH/ZEPPELIN type riffs, but if I'm sitting behind a piano late at night, I might write something like "Desperado". You're not going to write "Desperado" between a wall of Marshalls and thumping, crushing volume.
Songfacts: With those first two Ozzy solo albums ["Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman"], how much do you think that Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake played a part in the songwriting? They seemed to be a pretty big part of the songwriting with those albums.
Zakk: Yeah. Bob's always been great with Oz. Just a great pairing like the Elton/Bernie Taupin thing. Bob's a great lyricist. He worked with us on "No Rest For The Wicked", he worked on "No More Tears". So yeah, I think Bob's great.
Songfacts: I've always wondered what that original "Blizzard Of Ozz" lineup would have gone on to do if they had stayed together.
Zakk: I think that original lineup was phenomenal. You can't even argue that. Just listen to the records. They're timeless, classic albums. Hands down, that line-up was fuckin' sick. When they were making the record, they didn't know. Randy [Rhoads] didn't know any of the guys. Randy never met Bob Daisley or Lee Kerslake before. I'd mean, if me and you took four complete strangers, stuck 'em in a room, and then they ended up coming out with two amazing records — what are the chances of that happening?
Songfacts: And I've always wondered what the second lineup with Ozzy, Randy and also Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge would have come up with in the recording studio.
Zakk: I think it would have been a completely different thing. How could it not have been? Look at it like the Patriots — Ozzy and Randy, would be [Bill] Belichick and [Tom] Brady, but now we're going to have different wide receivers, different running backs, different defenses. Obviously, we don't have to worry about Captain America and Father Belichick, since we know what they're going to deliver. But the rest of the team around it, without [Wes] Welker there, let's see what happens now. Without a doubt, even when I play with BLACK LABEL, when we have different guys I play with, everyone always brings their own magic, their own flavor to the soup, hands down. You listen to BLACK SABBATH with Ronnie James Dio in it, and it's not BLACK SABBATH. They should have just called it HEAVEN & HELL right from the beginning. Because you listen to that "Heaven and Hell" album, that doesn't sound anything close to BLACK SABBATH. I mean, that sounds about as much like BLACK SABBATH as "Blizzard Of Ozz" sounds like BLACK SABBATH. If you were to play BLACK SABBATH for me — and I'm a huge SABBATH freako — and then with Father Dio over there, I'd be going, "Oh, cool, what band is this? This is good stuff." I mean, the songs don't even sound BLACK SABBATH-y. I mean, "Neon Knights", could you picture Ozzy singing over that song?
Songfacts: No, I can't.
Zakk: I can't either. It's weird. It's a whole different band. But like you said, there are different dynamics by bringing different people in, especially if it's a songwriting team. With NINE INCH NAILS, it's all Trent Reznor. So when we get a new record from NINE INCH NAILS, it depends on what side of the bed Trent's waking up on and what he's been eating lately and what he's been into. Because he's preparing the whole meal. It's not like a songwriting team where everybody's throwing stuff at it: you came up with the pre-chorus, I had the main riff, Mike came up with that middle bit right before the guitar solo, and then the ending bit Joey came up with. That's like a band dynamic right there. But if it's a NINE INCH NAILS thing, that's all Trent's everything. He's the Salvador Dali of the whole thing. And then talking about songwriters, when you take Paul McCartney and you have him in WINGS, that's a completely different thing. His songwriting throughout was insanely good, as well. "Maybe I'm Amazed" and everything like that can hang with all the BEATLES stuff he wrote.
Read the entire interview from Songfacts.
