Initially the coming together was for a project not necessarily specified as a Black Sabbath album. Iommi, Butler and Dio came together along with Powell on drums. Tony Martin was doing a solo project at the time, and was aware that Dio had come in, but he was never actually fired from the band in a formal way. Indeed, he was often around the shows that the band played later on, though Dio apparently was unhappy with this. After initial demoing of material, Dio reportedly was also unhappy with Powell’s position in the band, even though they had been bandmates in Rainbow 15 years earlier. Dio had been pushing for his current drummer in his band, Simon Wright to come on board, though this was vetoed by both Iommi and Butler. Eventually, Cozy was sidelined by a hip injury and had to be replaced, at which point Dio again pushed Wright for his replacement. Still not willing to budge, eventually Appice was asked to come on board, and complete that line up that had been together for the “Mob Rules” album, something which provided a nice piece of synergy, if not total harmony within the group. Dio himself had signed only a 12 month limited time contract, no doubt to test the waters and see how well they all got on and how the material worked before committing himself long term, and there is little doubt that was the same for Iommi and Butler as well.
In interviews in the years following the album, Iommi and Butler in particular were quoted as saying that while the writing of the album went well, the tension between members was apparently quite difficult in the studio. The tensions over the way the band split in the first place ten years previously were said to be gone, but now at an older age and with the three main members of the group used to getting things their way when it came to writing and recording, it made for a tough time when they had to make decisions as a group together. And when that happens it can influence the album either adversely or to its betterment. That result is up to the individual to decide.
One of the most amazing things about “Dehumanizer” and the time it was recorded is that it is arguably one of the heaviest albums that any format of Black Sabbath the band every released. As everyone knows of the period in and around this album’s release, grunge was at its high point and many bands were beginning to change their music in order to try and fit that change. That was certainly not the case here with Black Sabbath, who came out with some of the heaviest songs of their career. It is fair to say that the tempo of the songs dialled back just slightly, in line with the way that Dio had been dragging back his music on his last album, and would do so further throughout the 1990’s decade. Tony and Geezer team up again to produce their amazingly unique combination that is the true sound of Black Sabbath, and Vinny’s ability to play what may appear simplistic drums but in fact perfectly suits the guitars that are written for it completes the wonderful combination that they are. Added to this, Ronnie’s vocals on this album are as aggressive as they had ever been without losing their ability to soar, but especially in songs such as “Computer God”, “TV Crimes”, “I” and “Buried Alive” he finds a new level for his vocals that he has never really done before this, and all pieced together it is quite a remarkable album for the world of music as it was.
The topics for discussion with the lyrics of the songs is also interesting and diverse. “TV Crimes” talks about the TV evangelists that are prevalent throughout the US in the same way that Ozzy Osbourne had done with “Miracle Man” a couple of years earlier. The song “Time Machine” had appeared in the hit movie “Wayne’s World” prior to this album’s release. “After All (the Dead)” deals with the possible existence or not of an afterlife, while songs such as “Buried Alive” and “Master of Insanity” and “Sind of the Father” and “Letters From Earth” all tend to deal with different points of religion and mental state.
“I” is an anthem, a shouting at the world, an individualistic anthem to shake the fist at everything around you. And then you have the opening track “Computer God”, which, if you read the lyrics and take them in a certain point of view, pretty much deals with the storyline of the movie The Matrix – except that this was written and recorded in 1992, and The Matrix did not come into being until 1999. Don’t believe me? Listen to the song, listen to the lyrics, and think about their meaning, and tell me they don’t correspond to the plot of that movie. Of course, they could correspond to ANY post-apocalyptic computer-driven hell... but you have to admit... there’s a bit to this conspiracy theory, that was discussed on message boards all over the world in the early 2000’s.
It was announced in late 1991 that this incarnation of Black Sabbath was getting back together, and I was excited from the outset. “Heaven and Hell” and “Mob Rules” had always been two of my favourite albums, and having these guys come back together seemed like a no brainer, especially after the lacklustre efforts of their projects in the previous couple of years. Then I heard the 10 seconds maximum of “Time Machine” when I went to see “Wayne’s World”, and I wanted more.
I got this album in the first week of its release, and just loved it from the start. That amazing heavy guitar and bass to start off “Computer God” was the hook from the very beginning, and every song played its part in the puzzle. Dio’s vocals were supreme, and like I mentioned earlier were on a different level from what he had performed before. This album, along with a few others of around this time, were played on rotation for months, and this one lasted longer than normal. And having heard it for so long, and hoping for a tour of Australia might follow it so I could finally see this foursome live and up close, I then began to imagine a future where this band continued to release brilliant albums for years to come.
Of course, that was not to be. Tension remained, and heightened at the point that Iommi agreed to have the band open for Ozzy Osbourne on the final two nights of his “No More Tours” trek, which at the time was going to be the end of his touring days (that didn’t happen). Dio felt that it was demeaning for Black Sabbath to open for their original vocalist, and as his contract ended two days before those dates, he decided not to re-sign, and instead left the band. Rob Halford filled in on vocals for those two dates, Tony and Geezer joined Ozzy and Bill Ward for an extended encore on the final night to signal the first reformation of the original foursome since Live Aid in 1985, Ronnie and Vinny went off to do the next Dio album, and Tony Martin and Bobby Rondinelli returned to do the next Sabbath album.
The question I have always wondered about the answer to is this: given that both Sabbath and Dio went down a more industrial metal route over their next two albums, what may have occurred if this Sabbath line-up had stayed together and done a follow up to “Dehumanizer”? Because if they had stayed the course and direction that the music was on this album, then a follow up of similar style and greatness could have changed the face of heavy metal through the mid- to late –1990's. Rather than devolving into the sound both those bands went, maybe another “Dehumanizer” would have made the 90’s decade a brighter and less hard core style of metal. And, if that HAD occurred, would it have been a major influence? I’d have loved to have found out.
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