Cross Purposes
| Cross Purposes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Black Sabbath | ||||
| Released | 31 January 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Studio | Monnow Valley Studios, Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 47:27 (50:30 with bonus track) | |||
| Label | I.R.S. | |||
| Producer | Leif Mases, Black Sabbath | |||
| Black Sabbath chronology | ||||
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Cross Purposes is the seventeenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in January 1994.
Album information
Dehumanizer saw the reunion of Mob Rules-era Black Sabbath, but, after the tour, Ronnie James Dio (vocals) and Vinny Appice (drums) departed. They were replaced by former Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin and former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli. Geezer Butler remained with the group, although he would depart later in the year again before the recording of the Forbidden album.
The song "Cardinal Sin" was originally intended to be titled "Sin Cardinal Sin" (or "Sin, Cardinal Sin") but a printing error on the album sleeve caused the first word to be removed. Sabbath simply adopted the title "Cardinal Sin" as the name of the song.
A promo video in black-and-white was shot for the song "Hand That Rocks the Cradle".
"What's the Use?" was released only on the Japanese edition of Cross Purposes, which also contained a free sticker of the artwork. A nearly identical version of the "burning angel" image was featured on a Scorpions single three years earlier.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | D[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
The album peaked at number 122 on the Billboard 200 charts.[4]
In July 2014, Guitar World magazine ranked Cross Purposes at number six in the "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.[5]
Track listing
All tracks written by Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Tony Martin, except "Evil Eye" written by Butler, Iommi, Martin, and Eddie Van Halen (who was not credited, due to restrictions from his record label, Warner Bros. Records).
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Witness" | 4:56 |
| 2. | "Cross of Thorns" | 4:32 |
| 3. | "Psychophobia" | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Virtual Death" | 5:49 |
| 5. | "Immaculate Deception" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Dying for Love" | 5:53 |
| 7. | "Back to Eden" | 3:57 |
| 8. | "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" | 4:31 |
| 9. | "Cardinal Sin" | 4:20 |
| 10. | "Evil Eye" | 5:58 |
| 11. | "What's the Use?" (Japanese Edition bonus track) | 3:03 |
Personnel
- Band members
- Tony Iommi – guitars
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Tony Martin – vocals
- Bobby Rondinelli – drums
- Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Production
- Leif Mases – producer, engineer, mixing
- Darren Galer – assistant engineer
- Dave Somers – assistant engineer
- Tony Cousins – mastering
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Sweden | 9 |
| Austria | 23 | |
| Germany | 32 | |
| United Kingdom | 41 | |
| Switzerland | 41 | |
| Netherlands | 85 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 122 | |
References
- ↑ Bradley Torreano (8 February 1994). "Cross Purposes - Black Sabbath | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ↑ Frost, Deborah (11 February 1994). "Cross Purposes Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
- ↑ "Black Sabbath: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
- ↑ "Billboard album chart history-Black Sabbath". Retrieved 15 February 2009.
- ↑ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
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