Black Sabbath --- 13
 

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Black Sabbath --- 13

10/6/13

End of the beginning
God is dead?
Loner
Zeitgeist
Age of reason
Live forever
Damaged soul
Dear father

I didn't find this half as bad as I thought it would be. The idea of Ozzy coming back filled me with ambivalence: could be good, could be bad. I think it ends up being more of the former than the latter. Good and heavy with typical dominance by Tony Iommi but I feel it tries to recreate (whether intentionally or not) the atmosphere and even some of the melodies off the original debut album, even down to the ending of the whole thing, with the thunder, church bells and rain that opens the title track on their first ever album.

I was surprised to find though that I do actually like it, and it's growing on me more as I listen each time.

Not the greatest value though: eight tracks only? Eight? What is this, the seventies? :rolleyes:

Why should you add more songs to an album just for "value's" sake? Some of my favorite albums I love partially because they're short. A thirty minute album with less than ten songs can feel like a much more cohesive listening experience than an hour long behemoth album with twenty-six songs. Sometimes I even say the less songs the better. I love Deep Purple for making albums with only seven songs on them.

Well I just come from a time when eight tracks (hah! I KNOW you hate that word!) was all ya got cos that's all they could fit on th erecord, so nowadays when people have 15/20 or more tracks on it seems better value. Chances are, even if you hate 10 you may like 5, but with eight only your choices are a little limited. Don't get me wrong: I don't condone jamming up an album with unnecessary tracks, and anyway I only paid a dollar for my copy of this one, but had I been going to splurge on a CD, at 20 Euro or so I'd expect more than eight tracks. Some are long but there are no monsters, and considering it's kind of Sabs' comeback album, I'm a bit underwhelmed by the quantity.

That said, the quality's pretty damn higher than I expected.

Thought it was OK but I doubt I'll listen to it again.

The music was pretty good, Ozzy sounded a bit bland which can be forgiven considering his age and condition.

If you wanted a decent Black Sabbath album, you got a decent Black Sabbath album.

Jayzus Fluff! Haven't heard from ya in ages! How are ya? Guess it's the fact that there's no footy on the telly: ah, roll on August eh? :soccer:

All good mate, just boiling atm, really hot. Ta for asking. :cool:

Is it just me, or does the album seem way too long? I liked Black Sabbath and some of their work was quite good, but there is only so many ways that you can play these sweeping power riffs along with thunderous drum beats......I think less is more here. Perhaps 7, or eight songs and we could go with "Lucky 7 " for the title, or something.....

I didn't like it at all. But seldom does a band of legendary senior citizens ever release really inspired new material.

I thought it was pretty decent. Yeah they knocked themselves off a bunch of times, but I think that's exactly what they needed to do. I think it was a little gimmicky, though. I realize that "End Of The Beginning" might not sound exactly like "Black Sabbath", but it's so similar in almost every way. That's what Rick Rubin does, though.

It sounds like Black Sabbath, though, and that's all they really needed to do. Really liked "Damaged Soul".

The sound is fine for the most part, but I swear they're bringing up some extremely blatant death themes (i.e., "dead," "die," "you die," etc.) more often than they used to on their older stuff, which is pretty nuts, and gets a little old.

That's what I said when God Is Dead? Came out.

Agree with you.

Couldn't agree more on this one. The first time (or first few times) I listened to it, I was very skeptical about it. I thought that Ozzy's influence was too strong, and he made the new Black Sabbath album sound like his own. I later realized that it didn't sound that way intentionally. It was just that Ozzy couldn't sing like he did back in the day, which is nothing to be surprised about for various reasons. After listening to it a few more times, however, I really heard the Black Sabbath in there. The tremendous break-downs (especially in the song Age of Reason... the flattened fifths in the break-down... holy s***) really brought back a part of the band that didn't exist for the past 35 years. I'd give the album at least an 8/10. Can't wait to see them live in Wells Fargo next month.

i think the albums really good

like end of the beginning and age of reason a lot

Isn't it fair to consider that death may be a consistent theme on the album because it's on the minds of the band more than it ever was? The band are in their 60s now. Iommi has had a recent brush with death due to his lymphoma. Dio, a prominent figure in Sabbath's history died in 2010. The band are much older, sobered and perhaps expressing their feelings on the fragility of their lives the only way they know how. Iommi stated in an interview about the new album and what direction it would take that "I don't know much happy stuff". The line

"Is this the end of the beginning/
Or the beginning of the end?"

is what sums up the entire album. Their current state of "being a band" is in a terribly precarious position. Iommi's health is uncertain, and lord knows that with Ozzy's history of illness and addiction, his health could take a turn for the worst at any time.

To me, the sound of the bells and the rain at the end of "Dear Father" gives the impression that their story is coming full circle, and that 13 is actually the beginning of the end for Black Sabbath.

It's not as bad as it could be. I agree with blackdragon: the rain gives a sense of full circle. The album might be just an excuse to go on tour. I've always loved Black Sabbath, and I think there are still lots of old songs to be discovered; it's not just Paranoid, Children of the Grave, NIB, etc. There's The Writ, there's Laguna Sunrise, etc; and just a few people seem to know those beyond amazing songs. Anyway, I take my hat off to these guys: over 60, an album coming out, and going on tour!

Hey guys..who like Die Young song from the Black Sabbath's..? It was originally composed in the 80's but still rules my heart..does anyone else likes that song as well.

Die Young is one of the three songs I truly like from Heaven and Hell. It's a good rock song. But I don't like the album :D

You should be proud that they all dressed themselves and showed up at the proper every day..............:band:

blackdragon you make a very good point, i guess just in terms of listening a lot of the band's stuff using death themes but concentrating on this album was a little weird at first, but there are definitely external factors that could be playing into this.

I have yet to listen to it. But when I do, I'll let ya know.

Stop posting in EVERY thread with 1 line bull**** posts. It is spamming.

Yeah I dug it up grimaced at it and threw it back into the hole of pig**** i found it in, ya ****dick.

jk good album I just didn't care for it, ya ****dick.

no hard feelins', ya ****dick.

It is respectfully enough a good attempt at a throwback for Black Sabbath. It in no way over shadows Ozzys solo career, his single I Don't Wanna Stop on his album Black Rain from '07 is an example of some of his last material I still listen to every once in awhile.

this is a good album, i remember having the CD and listening to it in Iowa. Age of Reason is best song off It I thought.