CD [ Amazon US | Amazon UK ]
1999 CD [ Amazon UK ]

Track Listing

1. Anno Mundi (the vision)
2. The Law Maker
3. Jerusalem
4. The Sabbath Stones
5. The Battle of Tyr
6. Odin’s Court
7. Valhalla
8. Feels Good to Me
9. Heaven in Black

Writing Credits

• All songs by Black Sabbath
• All lyrics by Tony Martin
• All arragements by Black Sabbath

Credits

• Tony Martin – Vocals
• Tony Iommi – Guitar
• Neil Murray – Bass
• Cozy Powell – Drums
• Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
• Produced by Tony Iommi & Cozy Powell
• Recorded & Mixed Feb – Jun 1990 at Rockfield & Woodcray Studios
• Engineer – Sean Lynch
• Mixer – Leif Mases
• Mastered by Tony Cousins at the Townhouse

Catalogue Numbers

• LP IRS EIRSA-1038 (UK 1990)
• CD Victor VICP-67 (JPN 1990)
• CD IRS 24-1070-2 (EUR 1990)
• CD IRS EIRSACD-1038 (UK 1990)
• LP IRS EIRSACV1038 (UK 1990 – Picture Disc)
• CD IRS X2-13049 (US 1990)
• CASS IRS EIRSAC-1038 (UK 1990)
• CASS Popron 50-068-4 (CZECH 1990)
• LP IRS 066-241070-1 (BRAZ 1990)
• LP IRS 1C-064-24-1070-1 (GER 1990)
• LP EMI 11001322 (COL 1990)
• CASS EMI 68565 (ARG 1990)
• CD EMI 07243-5-21298-2-9 (EUR 1999)
• CASSINGLE IRS C10237 (AUS 1990)

Notes

• There is a music video for Feels Good to Me. Black Sabbath’s parts in the video were filmed at Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London (Thanks Neil Murray for the factoid)
• An alternate version of Jerusalem appears on Tony Martin’s 1992 solo album, Back Where I Belong.
• The CD single for Feels Good to Me (Edit) has live versions of Heaven & Hell and Paranoid from Moscow Nov 1989.
• The first line of Anno Mundi has a latin vocal that goes “Spiritus Sanctus Anno Anno Mundi”.   Anno Mundi translated means “Year of the World”, and Spiritus Sanctus means “Holy Spirit”.
• This album might have been featured in the videogame Granstream Saga on the Sony Playstation. The videogame said that the Valhalla’s sword is the sword of ice and the song Valhalla from Tyr said, “When the winds of Valhalla run cold”.
• As of July 1999, it appears that this album has been deleted, and is no longer available (new, that is).
• Scratch that – it appears it was reprinted and re-released in September 1999 through EMI.
• The 1999 version claims to be remastered, but it is unknown if it actually has been or not.
• In 2019, Tony Martin said on Facebook that there was an unreleased track from this album with the working titles of “Wings of Thunder” & “No Time To Die”.
• In March of 2021, Tony Martin said on Facebook that it was Cozy Powell’s idea to call this album “Satanic Verses”.  Here is his text on the matter…When the TYR album was being recorded in 1990, the subject of what we were going to call it came into focus after a call from Sabbath management to think of a name. We were in Woodcray studio’s at the time and we started going through the titles of the album to see if they stood up. The other option of course is to have an un related name (Which is what eventually happened) … but in the process of discussing the possibilities ONE name stood out and was laughed about and thought about and at moments seemed possible and other moments seemed absolutely crazy. The name of the album was suggested by Cozy Powell and he was very serious about calling it “SATANIC VERSES” ….. The significance of that name is that Salmon Rushdie had written a book of the same name that allegedly criticized the Muslim religion. There was a fatwa issued on Salmon Rushdie and he had to go into hiding for much of his days. … SO .. When Cozy Powell suggested it we were like… PFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!! … you gotta be kidding!!!!! … He said “No… why not! … It will certainly get publicity!!! ” … We were laughing thinking it was mad but at the same time I thought what a great title!!! … and i toyed with the idea of either changing one of the track lyrics or names ….. It really did give a picture of what i was writing about. It was talked about in various conversations along the whole process. UNTIL .. the management came up with the name TYR… We went to a meeting in London where they explained the thinking and the artwork and the rest is history… But for a moment there was a chance … be it small .. that the album could have been called “Satanic verses”
• Tony retold the story again on 18 Dec 2021. The story is similar, but has a different flavor…..
  Tony Martin on the naming of the album..  “When it came to naming the TYR album, a number of suggestions were put  forward using the track titles but management told us to keep thinking. So Cozy Powell came up with the idea of using SATANIC VERSES !!! …. THAT woke everyone up because it was the title of a book by Salman Rushdie about the Muslim faith… And HE had a fatwa upon him on pain of death!!. So we were like.. WHAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!… You’re kidding!! But Cozy said. “Why not!… “it would get us great publicity!!!” …. We said “Yeah but it would get us killed too probably”!!!…… In the end the management came up with the name TYR … and we were all saved!! :)”

Runes Artwork Notes

• Some background info on Tyr from Norse Mythology: The original Germanic god of war and the patron god of justice, the precursor of Odin. At the time of the Vikings, Tyr had to make way for Odin, who became the god of war himself. Tyr was by then regarded as Odin’s son (or possibly of the giant Hymir). He is the boldest of the gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle. Tyr is represented as a man with one hand, because his right hand was bitten off by the gigantic wolf Fenrir (in old-Norse, the wrist was called ‘wolf-joint’). His attribute is a spear; the symbol of justice, as well as a weapon. At the day of Ragnarok(the end of the world), Tyr will kill the hound Garm, the guardian of the hell, but will die from the wounds inflicted by the animal. In later mythology, “Tyr” became to mean “god”. He is also known as Tîwaz, Tiw and Ziu.
• In Nov 99, I received an email from Martin Halfdan about the runes on the album cover. This is what he had to say:  I also have some info for you that I cannot find anywhere. The runic inscriptions on the back of the cover as well as on the inner sheet of “Tyr” are taken from the famous Rök stone in Sweden. This stone is extremely well-known among runologists for these reasons: It contains the world’s longest runic inscription; it is bloody old; it is partly written in cipher; it tells stories otherwise forgotten since aeons.  Well, maybe someone might be interested where the artwork comes from, for which reason you perhaps you think this fact should be included somewhere.
• I also received this email in January of 2005 from Mattias Astrom, with more information about Tyr..Hi!My name is Mattias and I am a 23 years old Swedish student in Uppsala. I enjoyed your description of TYR but I decided that I had to make some corrections:Tyr or Tor as it is written in Swedish was the god of warfare. When the Swedish and Norse peons heard thunderstorm they said ?Tor is wielding his mallet?. Tor’s mallet was called “Mjölner”, this one Tor used to create thunderstruck and to smash giants heads. It is true that he is often drawn with a spear, but this is most likely because most Scandinavian war men use spears or short swords called “longsaxs”. Oh? I almost forgot: Tor was the son of Odin and Frigg.Some other facts: *Valhalla= The place were slain warriors came to. Here they would feast upon Odin’s pig ?Särimner?. This pig was quite nice to have around since it was resurrected every morning after it was eaten:-). The feast took place in Odin’s Court.This genre of polyetism took place in Scandinavia and Iceland between 600ac to 900 when the Norse king ?jarl Olav Skötkonung? was baptised. The last “Asa” stronghold was Uppsala in Sweden (witch was the centre of the cult).CheersMattias Åström
  Engineer and Sabbath fan from Uppsala
• Also in January of 2005, I received this email from Steve Quarrella in response to Mattias’ email..This is fundamentally correct. But it applies to Thor, not Tyr, whom you mentioned earlier as an older sky deity who was replaced with Odin over time. Thor and Tyr are indeed two separate deities, and TTBOMK, Thor’s cult was the longest surviving after the Christianization of Scandinavia, due in part to the hammer’s resemblance to a cross (remind me to show you the Thor’s hammer I occasionally wear). By the end of the Viking age, Thor’s cult certainly had absorbed aspects of earlier cults, so yes, eventually Thor became a god of war. Classically speaking, though, Odin occupies that role, with Tyr before him.Want a little evidence that these two are separate? Look at your days of the week. The third day of the week (on our calendar) is Tuesday, i.e. “Tiu’s Day.” The fifth day? “Thor’s Day.” And before you ask, Wednesday is “Woden’s Day” (Odin), and Friday is “Freya’s Day.”Side note: You mentioned an earlier name, Tiwaz. Etimologically speaking, this is the Germanic equivalent of “Deus” in Latin, which you know means “God.” And the latter of which, when Italian evolved from Latin, became “Dio.” :-)

Links

• Wikipedia

Images

• A scan of the Feels Good to me CD single

• The following two images are from a cassette tape release of Tyr in Argentina in 1990.

• The following are from the US cassette release of Tyr in 1990.

• A few pictures from an Australian “cassingle” release of “Feels Good to Me”.

• An image of the Tyr vinyl from England.

• This is the back of the CD jewel case.

• An image of a recording sheet for the song Valhalla from Rockfield Studios.

• Finally, the band promo shot that went with the album.

Video

Anno Mundi (the vision)

Can you see me, can you hear me
Can you hear me crying out for life?
Can you tell me, where’s the glory?
Ride the days and sail the nights
When it’s over you’ll find the answer
Running in the wispering rain
Anno mundi? can you wonder!
Truth or thunder, life or blame

Do you see a vision of a perfect place?
Does it make you laugh, put a smile on your face?
Do you need a mirror, do you see it well?
Does the hand of god still toll the bell?
There are people laughing
They’re all laughing at you
If only they could see what you’re saying is true
Still generals fighting, making war on the worlds
Don’t they know, Don’t they know?
No,no, no

CHORUS:
The winds in the night blows cold
Your eyes are burning
As the sands of our time grow old
Anno Mundi

Do you follow the path that so many trend?
Are you among the blind so easily lead?
Do you join the war, do you fight for the cause?
Depends on another to fight it alone

CHORUS

Can you see me now, can you hear me now?
Can you tell me where’s the glory?
Ride the days and sail the nights
When it’s over, you’ll find the answer
Runnin’ in the rain

There’s a hope that’s growing and a vision too
All those angry hearts reach out for you
Do you look to the dawn, see a new day begun?
No longer the fool, the vision is done

 

The Law Maker

The horizon breaks, where a figure stands
Close your eyes and prey it’s a vision of god’s command

CHORUS:
He’s evil and mysterious, people fear his name
He’s not here for deliverance, no
He’s the lawmaker

He never speaks, but his tasks we’re told
To seek out souls of the sinner, he’ll trade for gold

CHORUS

Silver mountains won’t save you from hell
The prince of darkness inside you will dwell
Oh your weakness your past
The Lawmaker comes

CHORUS

He’s the Lawmaker

 

Jerusalem

The highway’s screamin’, callin’ out your name
Cause every road that you travel on
There’s a price to pay
A thousand eyes are starin’
But the blind still lead the blind

CHORUS:
Where will you turn if it all goes wrong
And you’re on the run
jerusalem?

You say you walked through the valley
You say you’ve seen the signs
Echoes call you from a distant age
Or is it in your mind?

Then a thousand souls rise form the sea
Holding up the sun
And an angel cries ‘beware your lies’
It could be the end of it all

CHORUS

Everybody knows your name, every road leads to anger
Will it always be the same, is there reason to return?

CHORUS

When an angel cries-Jerusalem
Better watch your lies-Jerusalem
When an angel cries-Jerusalem

 

The Sabbath Stones

Fire and water, wind and rain
wings that carry hell in every vein
World possessions, endless taers
truth and knowledge stolen all their years

World turns slowly, sun don’t shine
Silence stills the air and kills the chime
Words are poison, passion bleeds
2000 years on earth has sown the seeds

The time of dreams has turned
The night is gone and light shines on
Where darkness once would hide
With spirits high, our fears were born

CHORUS:
Receiver of light, the kingdom of God will guide you
Keep you from a restless heart
Deceiver of night, the stranger that laughs
within you, the reason for the restless heart
is the keeper of the Sabbath Stones

Fire and water, wind and rain
wings that carry hell in every vein
World turns slowly, sun don’t shine
Silence stills the air and kills the chime

Can faith destroy desire? Each breath a prayer
each step brings fear
The eyes of they that see have evil stare
Watch over me

CHORUS
and He’s the keeper of the Sabbath Stones

What God is this that stands to hear his people cry?
What hand would strike and watch his people die?
What life that takes, what future did we earn?
It’s our mistakes, take heed the Sabbath Stones

What life that takes what future did we earn?
It’s our mistakes

 

The Battle of Tyr

Instrumental

Odin’s Court

As you walk alone the night surrounds you like a shroud
The dreams you had were once of love and being proud
Misty horizons block your vision of the world
But the raven’s eyes will show you all you need to know

The land you loved is now so barren and so cold
The name of God rings out so high in your soul
This time the masters will lead us by the sword
And should we fail then all prevails in Odin’s court

Valhalla

Leading us on, to the land of eternity
Riding the cold cold winds of Valhalla

The Kingdom of Odin is the Kingdom of Gods
Where only souls of the brave may rest in peace
But someone among them had the skill of deceit
And raised the hand that would open the road to Hell

CHORUS:
When the winds of Valhalla run cold
Be sure that the blood will start to flow
When the winds of Valhalla run cold
Valhalla – Valhalla

The ring has been broken and a soul must be saved
Among the bravest of men, who rides to Hell
The longships are sailing and the chariots ride
And yes the anger of Thor will serve you well

CHORUS

Raise your hands
reach and Valhalla will save your soul
Raise your eyes
and Odin will lead us on

They say that history repeats itself
upon the year of the seventh century
Well nobody knows, no you never can tell
So you’d better run now and hide away

 

Feels Good to Me

The chapter is opened and the pages are turned
the writings say many things but who was concerned
Where can we run to now, when will we learn?
When it’s lost it’s gone forever

For years they told me what I should do
Down to the places to go and who should I talk to
But that don’t matter no more since I found out the truth
and it feels good to me

The world is turnin’
Forever turnin’
Forever yearnin’
For the love of life
and you’re wrong if you think that I’m afraid to love

I wonder, I wonder does it not seem strange to you
Just how the tables have turned on me and you?
How long can we go on livin’, livin’ the way we do?
When it’s lost it’s gone forever

It feels good to me…..

 

Heaven in Black

Rising with the sun, the work has been done
but people are starting to stare
Called from afar to the court of the Czar
Could it be something is wrong?

You stand face to face and your heart gathers pace
for the answer to a question a prize
If only you had known to be honest was wrong
For the work that you’ve done you will pay with your eyes

CHORUS:
Into the black where the night
never ends and the light
leaves a scar on your soul
where your heart used to hold
your love here!
Heaven in Black

Inside there’s a voice saying was there a choice
you’d still be entombed in the night
Lucifer’s to blame, the reason for the flame
They’ve taken your sight but they’ll not take your God

CHORUS