Black Sabbath Dehumanizer Demos __hot__ Jun 2026
: While official releases are rare, Martin has confirmed he recorded vocals for almost the entire album to see if the songs would work with him Alternative Tracks
Originally conceived during the Tony Martin era (and even rehearsed during the Headless Cross sessions), "Computer God" is the centerpiece of Dehumanizer .
They capture the exact moment Black Sabbath pivoted away from the fantasy-laden, synth-heavy rock of the 1980s into the grim, dystopian, and downtuned reality of 1990s grunge and groove metal.
: Early takes showing the evolution of the album's opening powerhouse.
What makes the Dehumanizer demos an essential listen for any self-respecting metal fan is the glimpse into Ronnie James Dio’s creative process. In many of these takes, Dio is singing "scat" vocals or improvised lyrics, searching for the right cadence to fit over Iommi’s monolithic riffs. black sabbath dehumanizer demos
By 1990, Black Sabbath was struggling for mainstream identity. Tony Iommi had kept the band alive through the late 1980s with vocalist Tony Martin, delivering underrated melodic metal albums like Headless Cross and Tyr . While respected by European audiences, the band’s commercial footprint in the United States had severely diminished.
Fans typically track down these sessions through three-disc unofficial releases that categorize the progress of the album:
The Dehumanizer demos primarily emerged from two distinct recording sessions: instrumental rehearsals in 1991 featuring Iommi, Butler, and drummer Cozy Powell, and subsequent studio demos in 1991-1992 after the band's lineup was solidified with Dio on vocals. These sessions were more than just song drafts; they were creative workshops where some of the album's heaviest riffs were forged.
This track was actually brought to the table by Geezer Butler, having been worked on by his solo outfit, the Geezer Butler Band, prior to the reunion. : While official releases are rare, Martin has
Grainy black-and-white photo of Iommi, Butler, and Dio in the studio. Audio: gritty demo guitar riff.
I know the final mix is iconic, but hear me out.
But the reunion was not smooth sailing. Tony Iommi later described it as "a little rough in the beginning — there were all kinds of egos bouncing around" after a decade apart. This friction was so significant that the original plan for the reunion was almost derailed. In fact, Tony Iommi himself reached out to the recently fired Tony Martin to consider a return. "Within weeks... I got a call from Tony Iommi saying, 'This isn't going very well [with] Dio,'" Martin revealed in a 2022 interview. Martin refused, as he had already moved on to other projects.
Fans of Heaven and Hell who want a grittier, less commercial take on early 90s Sabbath, and collectors interested in the creative process behind a cult classic album. What makes the Dehumanizer demos an essential listen
: Demos reveal these tracks actually originated from The Geezer Butler Band in 1986. The demos feature different arrangements and original vocalists like Carl Sentance before Dio adapted them for the Sabbath reunion. The "Cozy Powell" Factor
Some versions lack the iconic, industrial synth intro, diving straight into the guitar riff.
The demo is a different beast entirely. It opens with Iommi’s raw, unaccompanied riff—slower, more lurching, like a dying machine taking its last steps. The tempo is slightly slower than the final, giving it an almost funeral-doom weight. Appice’s drums are looser, with fills that feel desperate rather than calculated. When Dio enters with “Here is the voice of the computer god,” he’s not declaiming from a mountaintop; he’s muttering from a bunker. The bridge section, where the song breaks down, is extended in the demo, allowing Iommi to solo over a single, hypnotic bass note. This section is pure Sabbath Bloody Sabbath era improvisation—dangerous, unhinged. The final version tightens it up, losing the chaos but also the soul.