Music review: Black Sabbath – ’13’
For Black Sabbath鈥檚 19th studio album, the number 13 proves to be very lucky.
The latest release by the legends of the heavy metal realm features three-fourths of the original band.
Guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne, minus drummer Bill Ward who declined because of a contract dispute, reunite to reclaim the classic menacing sound they spawned on their debut effort over 43 years ago.
The 1970 self-titled release still gives me chills as it possesses one of the creepiest album covers ever. I still have a vivid memory of borrowing my brother鈥檚 copy of 鈥淧aranoid鈥� and hearing the epic anthems 鈥淚ron Man鈥� and 鈥淲ar Pigs.鈥�
In my opinion, the latter arrangement will always be one of the greatest heavy metal arrangements of all time.
In fact, my teenage 鈥淎ha!鈥� moment came when my friends and I performed a combination of the Ramones鈥� 鈥淩ockaway Beach鈥� and 鈥淧aranoid鈥� at our high school talent show.
Under the masterful guidance of producer Rick Rubin, 鈥�13鈥� sounds as if it was released directly after 1971鈥檚 鈥淢aster of Reality.鈥�
Iommi鈥檚 guitar work is inspired and dark.
Butler shows he can still deliver unnerving lyrics that conjure up images of the struggle between good and evil and Ozzy sounds not only surprisingly coherent, but reenergized and purposeful.
Ward鈥檚 absence is hardly noticed as B rad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave hammers out the thundering percussion pieces.
鈥淓nd of the Beginning鈥� and 鈥淟oner鈥� feature the unmistakable Iommi riffs, reminiscent of the band鈥檚 debut.
鈥淒ear Father鈥� closes the album with the chilling sounds of rain showers and the ringing of an isolated church bell, the same sounds that appear on the opening track of 鈥淏lack Sabbath.鈥�
鈥淎ge of Reason鈥� melodically plods along until Iommi unleashes a burning solo that brings the song to a spirited climax.
The band鈥檚 hauntingly apocalyptic mojo is still strong enough to make 鈥�13鈥� Black Sabbath鈥檚 first No. 1 album on the US Billboard 200 album chart. On 鈥淟ive Forever,鈥� Osbourne sings, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to live forever, but I don鈥檛 want to die.鈥�
Considering the band鈥檚 resurgence and new focus, it seems that Iommi, Butler and Osbourne plan on sticking around a little while longer.