Black Sabbath: Never Say Die! 1979-1997 (Rockdetector)

For a full decade, Black Sabbath dominated heavy metal. As much as Led Zeppelin scorned the term, Black Sabbath embraced it. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bill Ward conquered the music world, sold 50 million albums, and without compromise, delivered a pure, groundbreaking sound. In 1977, the unthinkable happened: Ozzy Osbourne decamped. He would be lured back for one last album, "Never Say Die," before going solo; in his place, a succession of vocalists took up the challenge. Harried by the press at every turn, Tony Iommi nevertheless succeeded in breathing new life into the band time and again. With the band’s back catalog still in heavy demand, the albums crafted in these challenging times are now recognized as some of their finest. Here, with exclusive interviews with many of the players, is the definitive account of those years—the auditioning, songwriting, recording, and performances all examined in depth.