BLACK SABBATH – 13 [Japan Deluxe 2xSHM-CD] (2013)
Let’s put it straight and simple: BLACK SABBATH created the heavy metal genre. I loved every incarnation of the band -their ’80s albums are staples in my extensive collection- but it’s fair to admit that the initial, Ozzy Osbourne years are what truly represents Sabbath and their immense influential style & sound.
Well, believe it or not, the original line-up (minus drummer Bill Ward, due to a contract dispute) is back with “13”, the first Ozzy-fronted Sabbath album since 1978’s ‘Never Say Die’, and boy, what a stellar comeback.
I was skeptical at first for many reasons, but these ol’ good veterans shut up my dirty mouth after the 53 minutes of “13”; this is a killer, awesome metal album.
First of all, producer Rick Rubin. This man ruined the return or regular recordings from many of my beloved bands, but here his job is terrific. Not only has enhanced Ozzy’s volcanic wails and carried with precision the molten streams of heavy guitar magma of Tony Iommi, he was able to take them back to their pre-Iron Man roots, recapturing Black Sabbath’s primal essence.
Second; Ozzy Osbourne. The legendary madman never has been an superlative singer, but his nasal style marked a milestone in Rock history. Sorry, but his solo recordings in the last fifteen years are crap, strained and forgettable. On ’13’ he sounds incredible (for Ozzy standards), revitalized and in perfect pitch. This is probably one of the strongest performances that Ozzy has ever put in and will leave you optimistic as to where the band will go next if they decide to continue after this album.
Third, the session drummer. Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk fills the drum slot brilliantly, just listen “God Is Dead”.
For my redemption, I never had doubts about the solid bassman Geezer Butler or the mighty Tony Iommi. His contribution to this monster of an album is not limited to a kick-ass set of riffs either as his solos are as powerful, dark, meaty as they have always been. “Age of Reason” and “Live Forever” contain solos stronger than anything the band has done for many albums now, possibly since the earliest Ozzy material.
As said, “13”, is pure Black Sabbath. There’s plenty of sludge — especially on the morphing hell beast that is ”End Of The Beginning” — and some excellent weirdness (see: the acoustic head trip ”Zeitgeist”).
Most of the tracks are long but never boring, on the contrary, all of them are captivating, evil, with some fantastic riff work and great chord progressions.
The ‘real’ Black Sabbath resurrected from the grave, and it’s more alive than ever. Strong, solid songs in their typical style and performaces above of the expected.
Sabbath have perfectly captured the dark feel of their earliest works on “13”. Ozzy vocals parts have been carefully arranged and creates ‘that’ necessary atmosphere, while Iommi’s guitar work really deserves praise and a strong mention, with his trademark set-up tone that is hard to match. The cymbals in particular have a great sound, never ringing out too long and dominating the mix, but still remaining perfectly audible. Geezer’s rounded bass is there throughout, rumbling away and bridging the gap between the guitar and the drums.
Iommi & Co. really have made a fantastic album here and one that shows they can still cut the mustard among some of the bigger acts of the metal scene now.
This is the sound of a band that is ready to re-conquer the world with a single slap in the face, and not giving it a proper listen could be one of your biggest musical mistakes of the year.
Highly Recommended.
01 – End Of Beginning
02 – God Is Dead?
03 – Loner
04 – Zeitgeist
05 – Age Of Reason
06 – Live Forever
07 – Damaged Soul
08 – Dear Father
Bonus Disc:
01 – Methademic
02 – Peace of Mind
03 – Pariah
Tony Iommi – guitars
Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals, harmonica on ‘Damaged Soul’
Geezer Butler – bass
Brad Wilk – drums
Pre-Order
www.amazon.co.uk/13-Black-Sabbath/dp/B00BU980K2
