Ex-BLACK SABBATH Singer Joins Forces With KING DIAMOND Guitarist, Ex-HAMMERFALL Bass

[Wyvern]

Intrigued? So am I

Read this: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=154716

 

[wdiv]

Cool. I've been waiting for a new Tony Martin project.

 

[poundingmetal74]

This could be really cool. I loved LaRocque's other project Illwill. As long as Martin still has a decent set of pipes, I think this could be quite good.

 

[Sinister Realm]

This has lots of potential, I've always liked Martin's voice and his time in Sabbath, I was really disappointed when a few years ago he planned on touring under the band name Headless Cross playing stuff from his time in Sabbath but the tour was cancelled at the last second.

 

[labrekk]

This has lots of potential, I've always liked Martin's voice and his time in Sabbath, I was really disappointed when a few years ago he planned on touring under the band name Headless Cross playing stuff from his time in Sabbath but the tour was cancelled at the last second.

I'll second that.

 

[wdiv]

Honestly, aside from Cross Purposes and select songs here or there (Anno Mundi, When Death Calls, Eternal Idol, etc), I think the Martin-era was pretty dreadful. I shudder to think of what this project will be like.

Except for Forbidden, I think the Martin-era Sabbath albums were excellent. Tyr is one of my favorite albums of all time. Tony Martin's albums with Dario Mollo are awesome. Cage II is another of my all time favorites. Several other great albums with Empire, Rondinelli, etc.

 

[Assault_Attack]

Except for Forbidden, I think the Martin-era Sabbath albums were excellent. Tyr is one of my favorite albums of all time. Tony Martin's albums with Dario Mollo are awesome. Cage II is another of my all time favorites. Several other great albums with Empire, Rondinelli, etc.

And I will second that!

 

[wolf]

Even if Martin can't meet the high range notes of his younger years it would still be worth giving it a chance.As many others have stated he is one of the most underrated rock vocalists.
I'm just curious if Larocque still plans to be involved with the King?

 

[Wyvern]

Except for Forbidden, I think the Martin-era Sabbath albums were excellent.

I will say excellent and underrated

 

[Mxgonzo]

I will say excellent and underrated

Ditto!

 

[labrekk]

My main problems with the Martin albums are that they're just... trendhoppers. Iommi used to be an innovator, he used to be above those kinds of cheesy AOR-esque musical stylings. Had albums like Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, Tyr, Forbidden not had the Sabbath name on them, I probably wouldn't have a problem with them. But from a band like Sabbath, I expect MUCH classier, more tasteful output.

The Sabbath-with-Martin albums are AOR-esque??? WTF? They're classic HM album, with catchy melodies and sing along choruses, with a great singer. There's nothing wrong with this, in fact, it's my fave style of metal. I need melodies and catchy songs to enjoy my metal. It's not automatically AOR when it's catchy. Iommi's riffs are still heavy as hell on the Martin discs.

I'm really looking forward to that new Martin project.

 

[SickBoy]

I didn't say it was AOR because it was "catchy", I said it was AOR because... well, that's what it sounds like. Stiff, unadventurous drumming, complemented by riffage which is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Not to mention the albums overdo synth and reverb more than a Thai hooker overdoes makeup. These albums exhibit so many of the stereotypes of subpar 80s arena rock it's not even funny.

Stereotypes or not, Black Sabbath did some really good stuff with Martin fronting. I'd rather call albums with Gillan and Hughes dreadful, bringing Martin on board really brought some fresh air in a then stale band.
I like Dio's Sabbath better, but Martin's comes as a close second (except for a horrible Forbidden)..

 

[SickBoy]

Really? I thought Born Again was awesome. Raw and metal as fuck.

Then we agree to disagree
The sound is horrible and the songs interpreted by nasal Gillan in decline didn't spark my interest either...

 

[wdiv]

Then we agree to disagree
The sound is horrible and the songs interpreted by nasal Gillan in decline didn't spark my interest either...

I think Born Again's a mixed bag... some great songs (Disturbing the Priest) and some horrible songs (Digital Bitch).

 

[Wyvern]

The only song I don't like from BA is 'Zero The Hero', that one really gets on my nerves. The rest are great, as much as the production may be bad I love the energy of that album.

Gillan himself in an interview (on the "Last Supper" documentary) said he was the worst singer Sabbath ever had. I won't go that far but his brief time in the band, surely can't go as high as the rest of the vocalists who played there.
If I had to rank them right now, I'll go: Dio, Martin, Ozzy, Gillan.

 

[mdmatt4ever]

The only song I don't like from BA is 'Zero The Hero', that one really gets on my nerves. The rest are great, as much as the production may be bad I love the energy of that album.

Gillan himself in an interview (on the "Last Supper" documentary) said he was the worst singer Sabbath ever had. I won't go that far but his brief time in the band, surely can't go as high as the rest of the vocalists who played there.
If I had to rank them right now, I'll go: Dio, Martin, Ozzy, Gillan.

i'm a little confussed. are you saying gillan can't sing as high as ozzy

 

[wdiv]

The only song I don't like from BA is 'Zero The Hero', that one really gets on my nerves. The rest are great, as much as the production may be bad I love the energy of that album.

Gillan himself in an interview (on the "Last Supper" documentary) said he was the worst singer Sabbath ever had. I won't go that far but his brief time in the band, surely can't go as high as the rest of the vocalists who played there.
If I had to rank them right now, I'll go: Dio, Martin, Ozzy, Gillan.

You forget Glenn Hughes!

And for the completists there's also Ray Gillen, Dave Donato, Jeff Fenholt, Rob Halford, etc

 

[Wyvern]

You forget Glenn Hughes!

I hadn't. It's that I see "Seventh Star" more like an Iommi solo album. We all know the label at the time forced him to put the Black Sabbath moniker on it. So I'm still not seeing it as a 100% BS album.

i'm a little confussed. are you saying gillan can't sing as high as ozzy

It's not a matter of singing as high. It's being suitable for the band, Gillan it's a wonderful vocalist but he works for Deep Purple kind of music, for Sabbath I feel the vocalist must have another voice, another conception, another aura. Ozzy worked for the 70's stoner/doom vibe, Dio worked for the heavy 80's approach (my favorite), but Gillan juts didn't click for me (as much as I liked the album).

Hughes and Martin (the rest never recorded wdiv, so I don't count them ) made really great stuff, but I took the band again mostly as a solo Iommi project (and enjoy it a lot except for "Forbidden" ) not the almighty Black Sabbath.

Still I rank Martin over Ozzy for talent, I know I'm complicated :Spin:

 

[mdmatt4ever]

i liked a few of the songs on born again.

 

[poundingmetal74]

I thought headless cross was among the finest sabbath tunes ever written. Great, great tune.

Actually scrath that. I KNOW it is.