"Thank you Geezer, Ozzy, and Tony for putting Heavy Metal back on top."
13, BLACK SABBATH
By Daniel Dystyler
“Are you ready?” asked the Universal Music representative, and immediately a deathly silence fell, ceasing all conversations and the noise that 20 people were making in that room.
If a few years ago someone had told me that in 2013, I would be sitting at a table in one of the world's largest music organizations on a Tuesday afternoon, with a select few other people, to exclusively listen to the new Black Sabbath album, 14 days before the rest of the world, I would have thought that person was completely crazy.
But that's exactly what happened. And I'll never forget it.
And to be quite honest, if there hadn't been 20 people around me in the same room, I think I would have cried several times while listening to this album, which is undoubtedly the most spectacular release in recent years. In fact, holding back tears, especially at the end of the album, is a task for a man of iron. There's no way a headbanger wouldn't get truly emotional.
"Do you have a tissue to wipe away the tears?" asked Nando Machado loudly, sitting next to me, breaking the ice and tension in the room a little.
And so it began.
And obviously I'm finding it extremely difficult to comment on an entire album that's almost an hour long, 5 days after listening to it only once, and worse, without being able to listen to it again.
Therefore, I decided to put here what I remember that struck me in each of the 8 wonderful tracks that will make up "13" (the Deluxe edition will consist of 2 CDs with 3 additional songs).
These are my sensations, feelings, striking things, thrilling moments, and I apologize in advance if I eventually confuse or regret what I write below, because it's all based on the sensations of those 53 minutes last Tuesday.
And if the end of the album is something that was so beautiful and, for me, surprising (no, I'm not going to say what it is now. You have to read the text to the end…), the beginning is no less impressive.
Turn up any Black Sabbath song really loud, and here we go:
01. End Of The Beginning (08′ 06”)
"Is this the end of the beginning? Or the beginning of the end?"
How poetic it is to begin with these two questions, what may be the last album from the band that started Heavy Metal more than 40 years ago? Beautiful. Brilliant.
And I swear: During the entire first riff, a sequence of dissonant notes in the best Sabbath style that must last a minute until the moment the performance transitions to just the bass, I had goosebumps the whole time. Uncontrollable. And then, for the first time, Ozzy's dark voice comes in.
"It's easy to see the influence that Sabbath had on Metallica."
He sings for about a minute over this backing track created solely by Geezer, and then, for the first time, the full force of Sabbath emerges: Iommi joins the riff, the drums gain weight, and it's difficult to describe the magic that happens.
If anyone still had doubts about why Iommi is considered "The Riff Master," those doubts ended in the middle of this song.
Geezer is insane in the middle section. And what a bass sound!!! And Brad Wilk on drums did a perfect job, that is: He sounds like Bill Ward. He does Bill Ward's beats. He looks like Bill Ward. Just like it should be.
Tony Iommi's guitar sound is wonderful, and that really caught my attention during the slow part of the first solo. What a tone and what a sound!!!
And during the vocals, after that solo, I remember thinking, "It's no wonder Ozzy always says Paul McCartney is his idol. You can see the Beatles influence in the vocals here .
And the last thing that struck me about this song is the guitar and vocals together at the end of the second solo. Beautiful!
02. God Is Dead (08′ 52”)
“Give me the wine. You keep the bread”
“God Is Dead” was the first single. How many bands would have the courage to launch their comeback (in the mainstream, because Black Sabbath is metal, but it's mainstream too) with a title like that? And with a song that's almost 9 minutes long, which is also the longest on the album?
The sound begins with notes already well-known from the dozens of times I've heard it here on Wikimetal. The sound of Geezer's bass over the drums at the beginning is truly terrifyingly heavy. And then the beautiful fingerpicking with Ozzy's voice in the first part of the song.
Once again, in the middle of the song, the tempo change comes through another brilliant riff. And the guitar tone that Iommi and Rick Rubin produced is amazing!!!
03. Loner (4′ 59”)
"He's just a loner"
It starts with a wonderful, short, direct riff, and after 4 repetitions comes Ozzy's voice, which always rises in the third phrase of the verse, creating a really cool vibe.
I still had the live performance of this song in Melbourne in my head, and hearing it on the album, now with Ozzy singing in the right key, confirmed that the song is truly sensational.
After the first spoken part, Ozzy lets out a traditional "Alright now" and Iommi invents yet another brilliant riff.
The chorus is very melodic, fingerpicked, and when you hear Ozzy's vocal line at the very end of that chorus, you can clearly understand the influence that Sabbath represented for Metallica, as you can imagine James Hetfield singing in the same style.
Also noteworthy is the completely "broken" section before the first solo. Drums and bass are shredding.
"In general, the solos on this album are on par with the riffs. Sensational."
04. Zeitgeist (4′ 37”)
“…and say good night”
The shortest song on the album has a really cool meaning. It's the spirit (or atmosphere) that existed in a particular period of history, according to the ideas and beliefs of the time.
Since I imagined that this album, so emblematic and symbolic, should encompass all the styles and nuances of the Ozzy era in Black Sabbath, I was eager to know if among the 8 songs we would have something along the lines of "Planet Caravan" or "Solitude". And my expectation was completely met with Zeitgeist. Brilliant.
Geezer's bass playing is the highlight of this song. Beautiful. The dissonance gives way to a very melodic sequence, and the clean guitar solo showcases Iommi's technique before the song ends.
This reminds me of Eddie Trunk's statement on That Metal Show, talking about Tony Iommi, when he says something like, "When it comes to Iommi, everyone talks about the riffs, and of course he's 'The Riff Master,' but we can't forget the solos this guy plays."
And on this album in general, the solos are on par with the riffs. Sensational.
05. Age Of Reason (7′ 01”)
"Without a trace"
After the calm of Zeitgeist, we return to the Sabbath vibe. More new and beautiful riffs.
I think a lot has already been written about the combination of Ozzy's vocal timbre over Iommi's riff, so I won't state the obvious. I'll just say it's truly magical: The middle part of this song, with a sensational riff and Ozzy's voice over it, is one of the coolest moments on the album.
And in keeping with the theme of paying homage to all the passages in Black Sabbath's history, before the second solo there's a singable riff (like "ôôôôôô") that directly reminds us of the end of War Pigs.
The music ends on a grand note.
06. Live Forever (4′ 46”)
“Just before you die, they say you see your life flashing by”
Every time a new song started, I thought, "Is this going to be the worst on the album? Because so far I've loved all the others. Is this one not going to be good?" I finished the album and I couldn't answer that question. There isn't a bad song on this album.
It starts with a very dissonant riff that blends into another riff, which becomes the basis for Ozzy's vocals.
You have to listen with a very deep bass. Your house will shake.”
07. Damaged Souls (7′ 51”)
“The time is coming where all will end. The future has ended before it has begun”
The music has a slightly slower tempo than the traditional Sabbath style.
Ozzy starts off singing very well. And it's precisely when there's a change in vocal style that blends into Iommi's solo that the sequence of "things" begins that might make me believe this is the best song on the album (it's hard to choose, because I loved them all). Here it is:
After the solo, the bass is simply stunning. You have to listen with a lot of bass and I guarantee: your house will shake. Iommi's second solo is slow, beautiful, and the bass continues to destroy on that base. And it segues into another riff, transforming the song into a fast-paced track, and at that point it's truly breathtaking, followed by another brilliant solo.
And in the end, bass and guitar play the riff together. And am I imagining things, or is there also a harmonica, reminiscent of "The Wizard"?
Fantastic. I want to hear it again. Now.
08. Dear Father (7′ 20”)
“The faith that you stole”
Traditional Black Sabbath groove, which makes me wonder: How many magical riffs can this guy create? It's unbelievable!
And then there are 3 riffs that follow one another: All 3 with tempo changes, always speeding up until returning to the Sabbath feel.
And the bass after the chorus is insane.
And here comes the end of the most anticipated song and album of the year.
I'm going to do the following:
If you don't want to read here how the Sabbath album ends and feel like you're listening without any information, DO NOT READ the next paragraph. If you don't have a problem with that and want to know how it ends, you can continue reading.
And then comes the end of the song. And the album. At least, as far as I remember (I really wanted to hear it again).
The music ends with drums. And weight.
And rain. And thunder. And distant bells.
Where have I heard that before?
Of course…
The end of this album is the beginning.
The beginning of everything. The beginning of Heavy Metal.
The tritone and “What is this that stands before me?”
It's the closing of a cycle. The cycle of the history of the band that invented the style of music that shaped and changed my life.
Thank you Geezer, Ozzy, and Tony for putting Heavy Metal back on top.
You created an album destined for history, and you told the whole story in one album.
Simply brilliant.
Click here to see other texts written by Daniel Dystyler.
