Forbidden is the eighteenth studio album by Black Sabbath, released on June 5, 1995 trough I.R.S. Records. This recording saw the reunion of Black Sabbath‘s Tyr-era line-up from 1990, with the return of Neil Murray and Cozy Powell.
It was the last album to feature Tony Martin on vocals and Geoff Nicholls on keyboards, and the last by the band until 2013 when Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler returned for the album 13. The album sold 21,000 copies in the US in its first week and as of 2013, Forbidden has sold 191,000 copies in the US.
The album received a generally negative response from critics and fans alike. After its release, the band underwent several line-up changes and found itself at a career crossroads. However, original Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne would reconcile with guitarist Tony Iommi not long afterwards.
Tracklist:
- The Illusion of Power (featuring Ice-T)
- Get a Grip
- Can’t Get Close Enough
- Shaking Off the Chains
- I Won’t Cry for You
- Guilty as Hell
- Sick and Tired
- Rusty Angels
- Forbidden
- Kiss of Death
- Loser Gets It All (Japanese Edition / 2024 Remaster Bonus Track)
Black Sabbath
Tony Iommi: guitars
Tony Martin: vocals
Cozy Powell: drums
Neil Murray: bass
Geoff Nicholls: keyboards
Additional musicians
Ice-T: additional vocals on “The Illusion of Power”
Production
Ernie C: producer, engineer, mixing at Ridge Farm Studio, UK
Bobby Brooks: engineer, mixing
Andrea Wright, Phill Luff: assistant engineers
Geoff Pesche: mastering at Townhouse Studios, London
