Headless Cross

chronology
Headless Cross
Black Sabbath studio album
Publication ; (s)	1989
Label (s)	IRS Records
Format (s)	CD, LP
Genre (s)	Heavy metal
Title (number)	8th
running time	40 min 33 s
occupation	Singing : Tony Martin ; Guitar : Tony Iommi ; Bass : Laurence Cottle; Drums : Cozy Powell ; Keyboard , synthesizer : Geoff Nichols;
production	Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell
Studio (s)	Soundmill, Woodcray, & Amazon Studios

Headless Cross is the fourteenth studio album by the heavy metal band Black Sabbath , which was released in 1989. It is the second album with Tony Martin as a singer and the first collaboration with drummer Cozy Powell.

background

Headless Cross was recorded between August and November 1988. Laurence Cottle was involved in the recording as bass player and can also be seen in the video clip for the title song. However, Cottle was replaced a short time later by Neil Murray for the subsequent tour. Also, only Iommi, Powell and Martin are shown on the promotional material for the release. Queen guitarist Brian May contributed the guitar solo to When Death Calls .

After the commercially disappointing previous album, Black Sabbath managed to get back on the road to success with Headless Cross . It could be reached number 31 in the UK album charts and number 115 in the US charts, and with Headless Cross and Devil & Daughter , two singles were released.

Headless Cross is characterized by a gloomy mood, which affects both the musical direction and the lyrics. Occult and gloomy themes dominate the record, with the lyrics in particular leaving the listener open for many interpretations. After the commercially unsuccessful years and constant line-up changes, Headless Cross is considered by fans and critics to be the best Black Sabbath album for a long time.

Track list

The Gates of Hell - 1:06
Headless Cross - 6:29
Devil & Daughter - 4:44
When Death Calls - 6:55
Kill in the Spirit World - 5:11
Call of the Wild - 5:18
Black Moon - 4:06
Nightwing - 6:35
Cloak & Dagger (on Picture Disc release only) - 4:37

Web links

Album information at Black Sabbath online
Album review at Metal.de
Album review at Rock Hard
Headless Cross at Allmusic (English)

Individual evidence

↑ billboard.com: Headless Cross Chart Data

[1] rd.com: Headless Cross Chart Data


Studio albums	Black Sabbath (1970) • Paranoid (1970) • Master of Reality (1971) • Volume 4 (1972) • Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) • Sabotage (1975) • Technical Ecstasy (1976) • Never Say Die! (1978) • Heaven and Hell (1980) • Mob Rules (1981) • Born Again (1983) • Seventh Star (1986) • The Eternal Idol (1987) • Headless Cross (1989) • Tyr (1990) • Dehumanizer (1992 ) • Cross Purposes (1994) • Forbidden (1995) • 13 (2013)
Live albums	Live at Last (1980) • Live Evil (1982) • Cross Purposes Live (1995) • Reunion (1998) • Black Sabbath - Live at Hammersmith Odeon (2007)
Compilation albums	We Sold Our Soul For Rock & Roll (1976) • The Best of Black Sabbath (2000) • Greatest Hits 1970–1978 (2007) • Black Sabbath: The Dio Years (2007) •
Singles	Black Sabbath (1970) • Evil Woman (1970) • NIB • Paranoid (1970) • The Wizard (1970) • Iron Man (1971) • War Pigs (1971) • Fairies Wear Boots (1971) • Sweat Leaf (1971) • Children of the Grave (1971) • After Forever (1972) • Snowblind (1972) • Tomorrow's Dream (1972) • Supernaut (1973) • Changes (1973) • Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) • Sabbra Cadabra (1974) • Am I Going Insane (1975) • Hole in the Sky (1975) • Symptom of the Universe (1975) • Rock'Roll Doctor (1976) • Never Say Die (1978) • Hard Road (1978) • Dirty Woman (1979) • Neon Knights (1980) • The Young (1980) • Mob Rules (1981) • Turn Up the Night (1982) • Voodoo (1982) • Trashed (1983) • No Stranger to Love (1986) • The Shining (1987) • Headless Cross (1989) • Devil and Daughter (1989) • Feels Good to Me (1990) • TV Crimes (1992) • The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1994) • Psycho Man (1998) • Selling My Soul (1999) • The Devil Cried (2007) • God is Dead? (2013) • End of the Beginning (2013) • The Loner (2013)