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When the term “Heavy Metal” (taken from the William Burroughs novel “Soft Machine”) was coined in the late-60s it was used to describe loud, earth-shaking guitar-oriented Rock. Black Sabbath may not have entirely embraced the term and all its loutish connotations, but their ominous songs that dwelled on the sinister, occult and macabre defined the genre. Black Sabbath’s second effort, “Paranoid,” was one of the all-time great Metal albums. On the title track Ozzy Osbourne’s staccato vocals battle with Tony Iommi’s machine gun guitar chords. “Iron Man,” a heavy riff song, had a dark and portentous feeling – not to mention a killer guitar solo. And then there was “War Pigs” which turned out to be a concert favorite. Sabbath continued to drive dark and hard on the albums “Masters Of Reality” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” But by the mid-70s Sabbath had come to a grinding halt in a management dispute. On top of that Osbourne and Iommi had musical differences. Iommi wanted to expand the arrangements while Osbourne favored the present course and speed. Soon Osbourne was unceremoniously booted out. Drugs (often cocaine) had riddled the group, zapping the creativity and drive. Even amid a wasted backdrop Osbourne’s abuse was deemed excessive and unacceptable.Ronnie James Dio, from Rainbow, stepped in. Dio’s mythology influenced lyrics fit the Sabbath mode. But while Sabbath was successful they didn’t have the same power. As the ’80s got underway the band became a revolving door that included Dio’s departure. Eventually, ex-Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, replaced him. However, Gillan bailed for a Deep Purple reunion project.Ironically, as Black Sabbath’s troubles mounted their former vocalist, Osbourne, was having a spectacular solo career. Eventually, both Butler and Iommi (plus Dio) kept busy with their Sabbath spin-off Heaven & Hell.In ’09, Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer in ’09 and underwent treatment at the Mayo Clinic. His illness forced Heaven & Hell to cancel a European tour.On 5/16/10, Dio died in Houston where he was being treated.A Sabbath reunion seemed back on track in ’11 with the announcement that the group was going to record and tour. The album got underway with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the co-founder of Def Jam Records and founder of American Recordings – a man who had worked with artists ranging from Johnny Cash to Metallica.Things didn’t go smoothly. First, Ward stated that he would not participate in a reunion unless he was presented with a “signable” contract – simply put, a better deal than what was offered. In a statement, the other members said they would proceed without him. So much for a full-fledged reunion. Then Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma and began treatment. As a result, a planned European tour was scaled back to a single show at the U.K.’s Download Festival.As a warm-up for that show, Black Sabbath (sans Ward) performed for the first time in thirteen years in their native Birmingham at the O2 Academy. The show sold out in 10 minutes.The reunion effort couldn’t be derailed. Sabbath recorded “13,” with Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk on drums.“I wanted to make an album that stood alongside their first four albums,” Rubin said of “13.”Black Sabbath celebrated “13’s” release with a live event broadcast which included the premiere of the video for “End Of The Beginning.” They scored their first U.S. #1 album with “13.” selling over 120,000 copies in its debut week. They had previously only reached the Billboard Top 10 once, when their ‘71 album “Master Of Reality” peaked at #8. In a reflective mood, Ozzy later stated, “I wasn’t really happy with the way it ended before, but this album has been received really well all over the world. I know I can now rest my head and die a happy man. ### The post Black Sabbath appeared first on RockinTown.

I know it’s only anecdotal but none of my unvaccinated friends have dropped dead in the last 4 years or developed weird cancers or neurological problems. I’m baffled! — Edward Dowd (@DowdEdward) September 10, 2024

by Brian Shilhavy, Health Impact News: The Marshall Project, a “nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system,” just published an investigative report about a topic I have written about for the past decade, which is that States can take your baby away from you […]

September 12, 2024 What Makes Rejection and Betrayal So AwfulLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." John 12:46 (NIV)  My mouth was dry. My hands a bit numb. There was a stabbing tightness in my chest. My mind blurred as my thoughts became a fragmented kaleidoscope of a million memories. The words traveled through my ears to my heart. I felt the full impact of their harsh landing. As they skidded their way across the most tender places inside me, they burned and cut and ripped apart what I thought would be so very permanent. Even though this was decades ago, rejection and betrayal always leave the deepest, darkest marks. I pulled out my journal today and tried to capture the raw essence of what makes these things so awful. But I couldn't capture it with finely crafted words. Instead of diving deep with my thoughts, I let them come in simple, personal phrases: I like stability.I don't like getting caught off guard.I like feeling known.I don't like feeling like I can't trust people. One line finally emerged to sum up rejection better than the others: I don't want my normal to be snatched away. Life feels impossibly risky when I'm reminded how unpredictable circumstances can shatter and forever change what I know and love. And in the fallout, some pieces never fall back into place. It's like taking a photograph containing all the people you love - and suddenly, some of them purposely cut themselves out of the picture. The gaping hole left behind in some ways is worse than death. If they'd passed away, you would grieve their loss. But when their absence is caused by rejection or betrayal, you not only grieve their loss but also wrestle through the fact that they wanted this. They chose to cut themselves out. Though you're devastated, they're walking away feeling relieved. Or worse, they might even feel happy. And there you sit, staring at a messed-up photograph no glue in the world can fix. Normal? Snatched away. Not by accident. Very much on purpose, by someone you never expected could be such a thief. Rejection and betrayal steal the security of all we thought was beautiful and stable and leave us with broken hearts and busted-up trust. But God. He's there. Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness" (John 12:46). With Jesus I can walk out of this dark place of rejection and into the light. Yes, He is the One who can help me. Heal me. Speak to me when I'm hurting. God drops a word into my heart. Like when I take a swig of orange juice just after brushing my teeth, I recoil at the unexpected taste ... of grace. Why grace?! Because I've been hurt, but that doesn't mean I now have to live hurt. I can get mad and bitter and even choose to isolate. Or I can choose grace. Hurt people hurt people.Healed people heal people.And I want to be in that latter group. This doesn't mean we're OK with what happened to us. But it does mean we're going to choose to move forward into a brighter future. You see, the trauma of having our trust broken by people we thought would never betray us is life-altering. But it doesn't have to be life-ruining. There's nothing we can do to eliminate the pain of rejection and betrayal. Oh, how I wish there were. With every fiber of my being, I wish I could remove it from my world and yours. But I can't. However, we can choose to allow each hole in our broken hearts to become an opportunity to create more and more space for grace. May it be true of us. Father God, please help me be a woman who is quick to give grace, even when it's the last thing I want to do. Thank You for the grace You extend to me each and every day. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Loading ... Our favorite season of the Therapy & Theology podcast yet! Lysa TerKeurst, Dr. Joel Muddamalle and counselor Jim Cress are covering the topic of trust during Season 7. Each episode will answer questions like: What do I do with my trust issues? What must be present in order to repair trust? How do I trust God when the person who hurt me got away with what they did? You don't want to miss this one ... hear more about this season in the trailer from Lysa! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Isaiah 53:3a, "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain" (NIV). How does knowing that Jesus relates to your pain and feelings of rejection bring you comfort today? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post What Makes Rejection and Betrayal So Awful –  Encouragement for Today – September 12, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.