SWEET LEAF

BLACK SABBATH
SONGWRITERS: WILLIAM WARD; JOHN OSBOURNE; TERENCE BUTLER; FRANK
COUNTRY: U. K.
ALBUM: MASTER OF REALITY
LABEL: RHINO RECORDS
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
YEAR: 1971
 
        Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define the genre with releases such as Black Sabbath(1970), Paranoid(1970), and Master of Reality(1971). The band had multiple line-up changes following Osbourne's departure in 1979, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history.
          After previous iterations of the group called the Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth, the band settled on the name Black Sabbath in 1969. They distinguished themselves through occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and down-tuned guitars. Signing to Philips Records in November 1969, they released their first single, "Evil Woman" in January 1970. Their debut album, Black Sabbath, was released the following month. Though it received a negative critical response, the album was a commercial success, leading to a follow-up record, Paranoid, later that year. The band's popularity grew, and by 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, critics were starting to respond favourably.
          Osbourne's excessive substance abuse led to his firing in 1979. He was replaced by former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Following two albums with Dio, Black Sabbath endured many personnel changes in the 1980s and 1990s that included vocalists Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen and Tony Martin, as well as several drummers and bassists. Martin, who replaced Gillen in 1987, was the second longest serving vocalist and recorded three albums with Black Sabbath before his dismissal in 1991. That same year, Iommi and Butler were rejoined by Dio and drummer Vinny Appice to record Dehumanizer(1992). After two more studio albums with Martin, who replaced Dio in 1993, the band's original line-up reunited in 1997 and released a live álbum Reunion the following year; they continued to tour occasionally until 2005. Other than various back catalogue reissues and compilation albums, as well as the Mob Rules-era lineup reunited as Heaven & Hell, there was no further activity under the Black Sabbath name for six years. They reunited in 2011 and released their final studio album and nineteenth overall, 13 (2013), which features all of the original members except Ward. During their farewell tour, the band played their final concert in their home city of Birmingham on 4 February 2017.
          Master of Reality is the third studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 21 July 1971 by Vertigo Records. It is regarded by some critics as the foundation of doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal. It peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart and number eight on the US Billboard 200. Negatively received by critics on release, the album is now considered one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. It was certified double platinum after having sold over two million copies.
Alright now!
Won't you listen?
 
When I first met you, didn't realize
I can't forget you or your surprise
You introduced me to my mind
And left me wanting you and your kind
 
Oh, yeah
I love you
Oh, you know it
 
My life was empty, forever on a down
Until you took me, showed me around
My life is free now, my life is clear
I love you sweet leaf, though you can't hear
 
Oh, yeah baby!
Come on now, try it out!
 
Straight people don't know what you're about
They put you down and shut you out
You gave to me a new belief
And soon the world will love you sweet leaf
 
Oh, yeah baby!
Come on now, try it out!
Oh, yeah!

CIRCLE OF WITCHES

GRAVE DIGGER
SONGWRITERS: UWE WALTER LULIS; CHRIS BOLTHENDAHL & THOMAS GOETTLICH
COUNTRY: GERMANY
ALBUM: HEART OF DARKNESS
LABEL: GUN RECORDS
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
YEAR: 1995
 
         Grave Digger is a German heavy metal band that was first formed in 1980 by Chris Boltendahl and Peter Masson. Emerging from the early-to-mid 1980s heavy metal scene of their native country, Grave Digger has been referred to as one of the so-called "big four" of German power metal, along with Helloween, Rage and Running Wild.
          Heart of Darkness is the sixth studio album by German heavy metal band Grave Digger. They showed a much darker and more aggressive sound with this release than any of their previous albums. All of the songs have dark, lyrical concepts such as hate, death, betrayal, etc. The title track is inspired by the novela Heart of Darkness. A music video was made for "Circle of Witches".
The foul smell of evil hangs over the moores
Where in a lonely hut witches dwell.
Repelling creatures ageless feared and fitted
With powers from the depths of hell.
Once a noble man a baron brother of the king himself
Visited the witches on a daark dark night.
He asked assist to gain the throne
He sold his soul to win a fight.
The days getting short and nights getting colder
winter has come, the sun is too weak
The forcees of night are now growing stronger
Searching for souuls for men blind with greed
Three witchees stand in a circle of evil
Tongues speaking words old and unknown
Call for a demon to serve in their daark spell
Fulfill what they owe to get what men own
I'll be king, I want the power, I will change my fate
Magic's on my side foreveer, so the witches say
Time is right to gane the throne, I'll take my brother down
I'll be king to rule the land, yes I'll take the crown
 
I've lost my soul
I've lost control
To the circle of witches
My life is black
There's no way back
From the circle of witches
circle of witches
circle of witches
circle of witches - never again
 
Lie in wait, prepared to fight, soon the king must come
Allied with the darkest powers, murder will be done
Loyal soldiers, stand for battle, bliinded are their eyes
Witchcraft takes away their sight, as we take their lives
I look at myself, a mirror of darkness
My mind it is drowned, a dark flood of hate
I owe too much to the powerrs of evil
I know I'm damned, sealed is my fate
For the gloom og gold and glory, I have sold my soul
Blackened aree the sunny days, the dark side takes control
Hell awaits as nightmares haunt me, demons in my head
Satan waits with patient joy, he'll greet me when I'm dead.

PERFECT STRANGERS

DEEP PURPLE
SONGWRITERS: IAN GILLAN; RITCHIE BLACKMORE & ROGER D GLOVER
COUNTRY: U. K.
ALBUM: PERFECT STRANGERS
LABEL: POLYDOR RECORDS
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
YEAR: 1984
 
        Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical approach has changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.
        Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and an eight-year hiatus(1976–1984). The 1968–1976 line-ups are commonly labelled Mark I, II, III and IV. Their second and most commercially successful line-up consisted of Ian Gillan(vocals) and Roger Glover(bass), who joined founder members Jon Lord(keyboards), Ian Paice(drums) and Ritchie Blackmore(guitar). This line-up was active from 1969 to 1973 and was revived from 1984 to 1989 and again from 1992 to 1993. The band achieved more modest success in the intervening periods between 1968 and 1969 with the line-up including Rod Evans (lead vocals) and Nick Simper(bass, backing vocals), between 1974 and 1976 with the line-up including David Coverdale(lead vocals) and Glenn Hughes(bass, vocals)(and Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore in 1975), and between 1989 and 1992 with the line-up including Joe Lynn Turner(vocals). The band's line-up (currently including Ian Gillan, and guitarist Steve Morse from 1994) has been much more stable in recent years, although keyboardist Jon Lord's retirement from the band in 2002 (being succeeded by Don Airey) left Ian Paice as the last original Deep Purple member still in the band.
   Deep Purple was ranked number 22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme, and a poll on radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the "most influential bands ever". The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards. Deep Purple (specifically Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan, Glover, Coverdale, Evans, and Hughes) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
         "Perfect Strangers" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It is the title track of their 1984 comeback álbum Perfect Strangers.
          It is one of the few Deep Purple compositions to not feature a guitar solo. Nevertheless, founding band member and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has called it his favorite Deep Purple song.
Can you remember, remember my name?
As I flow through your life
A thousand oceans I have flown
And cold spirits of ice
All my life I am the echo of your past (echo of your past)
 
I am returning the echo of a point in time
Distant faces shine
A thousand warriors I have known
And laughing as the spirits appear
All your, all your life shadows of another day
 
And if you hear me talking on the wind
You've got to understand we must remain
Perfect strangers
 
I know
I know, I must remain inside this silent well of sorrow
 
A strand of silver hanging through the sky
Touching more than you see
The voice of ages in your mind
Oh, is aching with the dead of the night
Oh oh precious life
Your tears are lost in falling rain
 
And if you hear me talking on the wind
You've got to understand we must remain
Perfect strangers.

INFINITE DREAMS

IRON MAIDEN
SONGWRITER: STEPHEN PERCY HARRIS
COUNTRY: U. K.
ALBUM: SEVENTH SON OF A SEVEN
LABEL: CAPITOL RECORDS
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
YEAR: 1988
 
         Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The band's discography has grown to 41 albums, including 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, four EPs, and seven compilations. They have also released 47 singles and 20 video albums. Two electronic games have been released with Iron Maiden soundtracks, and the band's music is featured in a number of other video games.
           As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s. After several line-up changes, the band went on to release a series of UK and US platinum and gold albums, including 1980's debut album, 1981's Killers, 1982's The Number of the Beast, 1983's Piece of Mind, 1984's Powerslave, 1985's live release Live After Death, 1986's Somewhere in Time, 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1990's No Prayer for the Dying, and 1992's Fear of the Dark. In 1982 the band released its álbum The Number of the Beast, the first with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. This was a turning point in their career, helping establish Iron Maiden as one of the most important heavy metal artists in history. By 2010, more than 14 million copies of the album had been sold worldwide. Since the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the band has undergone a resurgence in popularity, with a series of new albums and highly successful tours. Their 2010 album, The Final Frontier, peaked at Nº 1 in 28 countries and received widespread critical acclaim. The sixteenth studio album, The Book of Souls, was released on 4 September 2015 to similar success, debuting at number one in the album charts of 24 countries with physical sales and summary in 43 territories with physical and digital sales. The seventeenth studio album Senjutsu was released on 3 September 2021 and eventually reached Nº 1 in 23 countries.
         By 2017, Iron Maiden had sold well over 100 million copies of their albums worldwide, despite little radio or television support. According to MD Daily Record by 2021 all audio-visual releases of the band have sold in over 200 million copies worldwide, including regular albums, singles, VHS', DVDs and all compilations. Iron Maiden have become one of the most influential and revered rock bands of all time and helped spawn an entire genre of music. According to many critics the band elevated heavy metal to an art form, proving that academic and musical inspirations can coexist.
        The band and its musicians have received multiple nominations, honours and awards including Grammy Awards and equivalents awards in many countries, Brit Awards, Silver Clef Award, ECHO Awards, Juno Awards, Emma-Gaala Awards, Nordoff-Robbins Award(International Achievement 2002), Ivor Novello Awards, Guinness Book of World Records, Public Choice International, Online Music Awards Germany, The Rocks Awards, Metal Hammer Awards, Kerrang! Awards, Burrn! Awards, Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards, Honorary Doctorates, State Prizes, some of the biggest music festivals' honours and sales recognition awards. Iron Maiden were inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk, BPI Hall of Fame and Kerrang! Hall of Fame. The Band was hailed as the most successful British metal group on British Channel 4. In 2012 The Number of the Beast was voted as Best British Album Ever in the public poll related to Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. In April 2021, the ex-members of the band were inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame. The band is also a part of permanent exhibitions of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, British Music Experience and Wacken Open Air Hall of Fame.
         Iron Maiden's lyrics cover such topics as history, literature, war, mythology, society and religion. Many of their songs are based on history, classic literature and film. As of October 2019, the band have played some 2500 live shows, performing for tens of millions of fans. For over 40 years, the musicians have been supported by their famous mascot, "Eddie", who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers, videos and merchandise. Originally designed by Derek Riggs, Eddie became the main attraction of Iron Maiden live shows, which feature theatrical elements like coloured backdrops, inflatables, pyrotechnics, elaborate lighting rigs, props and stage sets.
       Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 11 April 1988 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Like The Number of the Beast(1982) and later Fear of the Dark(1992), The Final Frontier(2010), and The Book of Souls(2015), the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. The lead single "Can I Play with Madness" was also a commercial success, peaking at Nº 3 in the UK Singles Chart.
             A concept album inspired by the novel Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card, the record incorporates elements of progressive rock, seen in the length and complex structure of the title track. It was also the first Iron Maiden album to feature keyboards, after the band had introduced non-keyboard synth effects on their previous LP, Somewhere in Time(1986).
       After his contributions were rejected for Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son features several songs co-written by lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, who states that his enthusiasm for the band was renewed during the album's production stages. It was Iron Maiden's last studio record to feature the Piece of Mind-era lineup until 2000's Brave New World, with guitarist Adrian Smith leaving the band in January 1990 after he did not approve of the direction the band were aiming for on their next album No Prayer for the Dying.
      Following the album's release, the band embarked on the Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour in which Derek Riggs' cover artwork was recreated on stage. The band played over 100 shows, including the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park, and recorded the Maiden England video at Birmingham's NEC. From 2012-2014, the band revisited the Seventh Son era on their Maiden England World Tour.

Infinite dreams, I can't deny them
Infinity is hard to comprehend
I couldn't hear those screams
Even in my wildest dreams
 
Suffocation, waking in a sweat
Scared to fall asleep again
In case the dream begins again
Someone chasing, I cannot move
Standing rigid, a nightmare's statue
What a dream, when will it end?
And will I transcend?
 
Restless sleep, the mind's in turmoil
One nightmare ends, another fertile
It's getting to me, so scared to sleep
But scared to wake now, in too deep
 
Even though its reached new heights
I rather like the restless nights
It makes me wonder, makes me think
There's more to this, I'm on the brink
It's not the fear of what's beyond
It's just that I might not respond
I have an interest, almost craving
But would I like to get too far in?
 
It can't be all coincidence
Too many things are evident
You tell me you're an unbeliever
Spiritualist? Well, me I'm neither
But wouldn't you like to know the truth?
Of what's out there, to have the proof?
And find out just which side you're on
Where would you end in Heaven or in Hell?
 
Yeah, oh
 
Help me
Help me to find my true self without seeing the future
Save me
Save me from torturing myself even within my dreams, ow
 
There's got to be
Just more to it than this
Or tell me, why do we exist?
I'd like to think that when I die
I'd get a chance, another time
And to return and live again
Reincarnate, play the game
Again and again and again and again.