Black Sabbath To Release Live Package

07/26/02 4:00pm

by Katie Bailey (CHARTattack)

The original Black Sabbath are finally releasing a live record. It only took them 35 years to do it but hey, better late than never. The new double CD set is called Past Lives and will feature a score of classic Sabbath material along with some previously unreleased tracks.

It hits record shelves on August 20. The record marks the first live recording released by the band's original cast of members. Past Lives will feature the starting, original line-up for Black Sabbath: Tony Iommi does the guitar work, on bass is Geezer Butler, Ozzy on the mic and Bill Ward is on drums.

With Ozzy fever running so high, you don't think they'd want miss a chance to cash in by releasing something with Dio on lead vox, do you? Past Lives' first disc was originally released in 1980 on the NEMS record label under the title Live At Last.

The people at Sanctuary Records, who are releasing the new set, note that the band never officially sanctioned the Live At Last record and subsequently distanced themselves from the release. The recordings have since been remastered for the Past Lives package.

Songs on the two discs include "Tomorrow's Dream," "War Pigs," "Children Of The Grave," "N.I.B.," and "Iron Man."

In other Sabbath news, rumour has it that that Tony Iommi might be heading into the studio to record a new album with the help of Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo. If Phil wants to hang out with Tony, then damn it Phil, we say go for it. He appeared on Iommi's last album, released in 2000, on the song "Time Is Now."

But wait, there's more.

Hot off the press is another juicy Sabbath item: an Estonian record company has released an all-Latin version of Sabbath tunes! It seems producer Mihkel Raud hired a classical music quintet called Rondellus to record the album. The band stripped down some Sabbath songs and re-recorded them in 14th century style. The album was released in March and features 12 tracks, including "War Pigs" and "Wheels Of Confusion." It's called Sabbatum (Latin for "sabbath") and is available via the internet from the album's official website.