Black Sabbath Dehumanizer Demos Jun 2026

The most significant aspect of the Dehumanizer demos is the involvement of drummer . He was the band's drummer during the writing and rehearsal phase but was forced to leave after a horse riding accident broke his pelvis.

Before Ronnie James Dio was fully confirmed for his return, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler briefly brought back singer to record demos and test the new material. black sabbath dehumanizer demos

: These demos often sound raw and aggressive, showcasing the band moving away from the polished production of (1990) and toward a "no bullshit" live feel The Tony Martin "Lost" Sessions One of the most legendary pieces of Sabbath lore is that Tony Martin The most significant aspect of the Dehumanizer demos

: Bootlegs of these sessions—often referred to as the "Cozy Powell Demos"—feature early versions of tracks like "Computer God" and "Letters From Earth" , along with unreleased or incomplete ideas like "The Next Time" and various unnamed riffs. The Tony Martin "What If?" : These demos often sound raw and aggressive,

The demo, however, is almost punk in its aggression. The tempo is significantly faster. Appice’s hi-hats are a furious, constant wash. Geezer’s bass line during the verse is more syncopated, lurching against the guitar in a way that creates rhythmic dissonance. Iommi’s solo is shorter, nastier, and full of bent notes that threaten to fall off the fretboard. Dio’s ad-lib at the end—shouting “I! I! I!” not as a chant but as a scream of existential defiance—is chilling. The final version is a sports anthem; the demo is a nervous breakdown set to a riff.

Martin was brought in briefly during a period of friction between Iommi and Dio to see if he could "smooth over" the vocal tracks or potentially replace Dio if the reunion failed.

: Early takes showing the evolution of the album's opening powerhouse.