On May 28th, Wikimetal participated in a special listening session of Black Sabbath's new CD at Universal Music. First, 15 days before the rest of the world, we had access to one of the most anticipated releases of the year, which hits stores next week, on the 11th, a Universal Music release.
Produced by Rick Rubin (who has worked with Metallica, AC/DC, Slayer, and Johnny Cash), the album is just over 50 minutes long, spread across 8 songs (11 in the Deluxe edition to be released on the same date), worthy of the band responsible for the birth of Heavy Metal in the 70s. Even without Bill Ward, left out due to unresolved and never truly clarified issues, the album arrives for generations who have long awaited a reunion of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler.
Listen here to God Is Dead, the first single from 13
Black Sabbath's new album marks the end of an era. The trio has maintained all the traditions that have made the band a huge success to this day, with numerous references to the early period when Ozzy was still the vocalist.
Starting with the guitar tone that Iommi and Rick Rubin produced, it's exactly what Black Sabbath fans were used to hearing on the band's early albums, but with the super production and technology of today. And it's with this tone that Iommi produced an endless number of new riffs that will surely go down in Heavy Metal history.
From the first chords to the end of the album, “13” tells the story of Black Sabbath
Dissonant notes. Short, direct riffs. More complex riffs. Slow and fast riffs. In countless ways, in “13” Iommi maintains the title of “Master of Riffs” that has accompanied him all these years.
The album's opening, with a dissonant riff in the best Sabbath style, lasts about two minutes before Ozzy Osbourne's dark voice enters. Much has already been written about the combination of Ozzy's vocal timbre over Iommi's riff, and in "13," the magic is back.
Geezer Butler's bass playing is a chapter unto itself, and undoubtedly one of the highlights of Black Sabbath's new album. Beautiful tone, gorgeous bass lines, and a terrifying heaviness when played over the drums of Brad Wilk, who replaced Bill Ward. And on the album, the drummer does the perfect job he was asked to do: he sounds like Bill Ward, plays like Bill Ward, and looks like Bill Ward.
Watch the video that Black Sabbath released during the recording sessions here
And if Iommi's guitar, Ozzy's voice, and Geezer's bass aren't enough to tell the whole story of Black Sabbath, countless other references are present on the album:
The bagpipes in “Damaged Souls” are reminiscent of the famous “The Wizard” from Black Sabbath's debut album. The catchy riff in “Age Of Reason” is very reminiscent of the end of “War Pigs,” a great anthem of the band; the slow “Zeitgeist” has the same atmosphere as “Planet Caravan” or “Solitude,” complete with a beautiful solo by Iommi with clean, undistorted guitar, showcasing all his technique. In “Loner,” Ozzy unleashes his traditional “Alright now,” prompting Iommi to invent more riffs, which are often responsible for driving tempo changes in the songs throughout the album.
Check out all the news about “13”
From the first chords to the end of the album, "13" tells the story of Black Sabbath. And the album's closing is truly another surprise that should thrill all Black Sabbath fans and rock fans in general.
Having sold over 70 million albums in their history, Black Sabbath is certainly one of the few current bands that make a CD release a memorable event. “13” arrives in stores next week as another step in the evolution of a celebrated band and a milestone in the history of Rock.