Black Sabbath: 13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4p86ALnIzo

Lame album art, lame album title...kind of cool riff...lame vocals. Yeah, not unexpected.

Lazy, lazy cover art. Sounds like Sharon sat in on the mix.

:(

I'll keep hope alive.

I guess there was never any chance it'd sound like Never Say Die...

fuck listening to new Sabbath in 2013. not even worth clicking on a YouTube

I will be pre-ordering the deluxe edition (just the $15 2CD version, not the $75 box) today. Was gonna do it yesterday but got distracted when a promo download of John Coltrane's Sun Ship: The Complete Session landed in my inbox literally as I was halfway through checkout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6h6bUVZbDo

i'm with you.

xx-post

they're my favorite rock band and i'd like to keep it that way. don't feel the need to own or listen to anything beyond born again.

I'm going to listen no matter what. How can you resist?

Like this! Watch ...

See? Not listening.

it's remarkably easy to not listen to a new Black Sabbath album. I should give lessons

This may end up in my top 5 list of albums easy not to listen to in 2013.

now THAT would be a worthwhile EOY poll for ILM

There are old fucks whose old stuff I love, whose new material I find it very easy to not listen to: the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Anthrax, Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, and on and on. Black Sabbath is not on that list. The Heaven and Hell album was a fucking beast; I still blast that one with a frequency that would probably surprise many denizens of this thread. And no, you can't say "Sure, but that was Dio," because I liked the last Ozzy solo album, too.

idk mane I found a bunch of the albums from this last EOY poll amazingly easy to not listen to xp

don't feel the need to own or listen to anything beyond born again.

― scott seward, Friday, April 5, 2013 10:42 AM (2 hours ago)

OK, I never liked Paul McCartney (or the Beatles), so I shouldn't have included him on that list in precisely that way. Replace him with, I don't know, Merle Haggard.

i'm trying to think of a reunion way-past-expiry-date album that i've bought and/or liked...

i tend to avoid them like the plague. that said, i wish everyone involved happiness and good health. and i hope they make a ton of money and have the time of their life.

i'm trying to think of a reunion way-past-expiry-date album that i've bought and/or liked...

― scott seward, Friday, April 5, 2013 9:51 AM

Throbbing Gristle comes to mind, also Swans, but they are not really in keeping with the higher-profile stuff mentioned here.

I guess no one in this band has been involved in anything good in a couple decades.

yeah, swans, i kinda got excited about the first one but it passed. would have been happier if they had stayed dead like they promised. but again all power to gira and i hope he creates some sort of retirement nest egg for himself. also one of my favorite bands of all time. did not care too much about the revival. sounded like swans. i know that i like swans sound. its a nice sound. great replication of the last proper studio material.

i LOVED that family fodder album that d.wolk put out on his label. probably my favorite album by them. but that's kinda even more obscure.

The Heaven and Hell album was a fucking beast
― 誤訳侮辱, Friday, April 5, 2013 12:45 PM (18 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

no bill ward, fuck these guys

scott I hate reunions and that swans show I saw in 2011 was one of the greatest I've seen by anybody anywhere but I guess you don't like to leave the house so ok

i wanted to go to the first boston show but it didn't happen. so the last time i saw them remains the show in philly on the SWANS ARE DEAD tour. i'm sure they are great now live! why wouldn't he/they be. they know how to do it. i have no doubt.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/910be140e721f159ff09821b8e78b884/tumblr_mken37ADeP1r37vnjo1_500.png

i am more of a home-listening fan in general though. its true. i mean i am a lifelong dance music fan and i have been to about two dance clubs in my life. it takes all kinds...

you just have the bands come to you, it's an excellent system

i never went to metal shows when i lived in philly. the only one i regret missing is the gathering at the troc. i'll regret that forever. but i'm a weirdo. i do kinda want to get the new my bloody valentine album...

The Body! when they played in my basement i was kinda set for life as far as crushing experiences go in the 21st century. my ears still won't forgive me.

pissed at myself a little bit for not going to the vaccine/dropdead/sqrm show last week though. never seen dropdead. i don't like driving at night...

after the apocalypse everybody thinks the only things left in providence will be the cockroaches and lightning bolt when in fact it will be the cockroaches and dropdead

scott the thought that you are not interested in listening to The Seer kinda makes me wanna cry, it is easily as good as any other Swans album.

part of me feels like its a bit of emotional blackmail and it makes me a tad bitter. i loved swans and bought all the albums and very seriously invested myself emotionally with the music for many years and the final tour WAS a way of achieving closure with the group and my life up to that point. that last show in philly was cleansing and cathartic. i felt really GOOD about MG's decision to move on. and in a way i felt like i could move on too! and then years later its on again and i'm supposed to feel what i used to feel or i'm not a good fan. which probably sounds crazy but that's fandom for ya! so, i skipped through the the seer on a soundcloud or whatever and i went right right i know those sounds awesome cool great...and then i forgot about it. but i wish them all well.

and i also think he knew that he could make swans albums in his sleep and could keep doing it forever and that's why he wanted to branch out and i was all for that (even if i kinda found AoL a little tedious) and now he is proving me right cuz he hasn't lost a step. i even unfriended him on facebook cuz the swans talk was bugging me....#worstfanever

i've never been a completist fan though. like if i liked a band i had to buy every side-project, etc. i've never owned an ozzy album. i'm happy to like an album or albums by bands/an artist and then ignore what they do after those albums for decades. i mean black sabbath are a part of me. part of my dna. they are inside me. bill ward is inside me EVERY day. i could never ask anything more from them. and anything they do is okay by me. its hard for me to even think of people who i wish would make one more album. or play live again. there are very few people i feel that way about. they have already blessed me in some way. mark hollis! to be all ilm about it. that's about it. lawrence from felt has embarrassed me with riches. i never ever thought i would hear from him after felt. just didn't seem possible for some reason. and even though i'm his biggest fan on earth i STILL haven't bought the new go kart mozart album. i just don't live near anywhere that would carry it. i'll get it eventually. i told you i was a weird fan. i've got a lot to listen to though...

i've never owned an ozzy album.

I thought I knew you, man

modern-era ozzy is just sadness, there's no reason to put your ears through that

i've HEARD ozzy records. my brother had them all.

I can't do much past Bark At The Moon

first song is out - the 9 minute "God IS Dead"

http://www.factmag.com/2013/04/18/listen-to-black-sabbaths-new-nine-minute-single-god-is-dead/

So far so mediocre.

It stayed mediocre. Only thing that stuck with me was Geezer's loose string noise, and that's not a good thing.

man that is reaaallllllly long....also for no apparent reason, dunno why it couldn't have been 5 mins instead of 9

it is cool in a way, i mean it sounds like sabbath for sure, just the way that geezer and tony play together is inherently good

rage drummer does a good job too

It's actually pretty good.

it earns the length, imo. the lyrics are interesting and obviously the main focus. ozzy's delivery has to be slow enough to suit the ponderous riffing, so sure, it takes him nine minutes to circumnavigate the corpse. thought there isn't much going on, i like the gradual waves of build and release, only finally cresting some six minutes in. reminds me of "halo of flies", this epic metal cri de coeur, wringing some poor sap's soul dry for our decadent amusement (nowhere near so proggy or theatrical of course). seems like it needs a suitably grandiose guitar solo to really nail it down, but geezer cutting up at the end is an acceptable trade. not bad.

inessential though. sounds like a textbook on the subject, a composition in the style. not doomy enough to harrow, spacey enough to seduce, or raw enough to lash. just a pleasant drip down memory drain (srs, couldn't help it).

fwiw, i'm half with scott, in that i think it's okay to decide you've had enough, heard enough, even from your most dearly beloved. our interests change, we change, and sometimes you just wanna be someplace else. i often feel like a "bad fan" for not keeping up, and not all band reunions are as tragic as stooges 2, but it's hard to get super enthusiastic about even a well-executed nostalgia trip. i mean, it was cool to hear van halen jamming like champs on a different kind of truth, but the best material was rehashed, and david lee roth is such a fucking drag. otoh, you do get a real surprise every now and then, something that opens up your ears and gets you back in touch with what you loved and why. voivod's katorz, dino jr.'s recent run, MBV, swans.

probably no coincidence that that bunch are all at least a generation younger...

dylan's career renaissance in the late 90s/early 2000s was a pretty amazing thing. you never know who will surprise you.

jesus this is bad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pkmTaT6hhY

you better just describe it because there's no way I'm clicking on that

Bad doesn't really cover it.

whoa ozzy covers pretty much every conceivable key in that. wtf.

iommi sounds great tho

its a horrible universe where consummate showman Dio dies before "singing" animatronic corpse Ozzy

christ that's dreadful, who let michael caine up onstant

onstage

so uh this leaked and i just can't bring myself to listen to it

Its a slog

Leaked? It was in my local record store yesterday. Very easy not to buy. Record store owner said it sounded totally recycled. I am totally not shocked.

was iron maiden the most successful metal reunion ever (cover art aside)?

http://https%3A//encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcSLAVfy3xqPbNgoX6SRPc--Z5btRuCC9Lh0L-bGux4fI0igEW-x

^i remember being psyched about this record when it came out.

Your local is breaking street date because it's not supposed to be out till next week.

It's streaming on itunes for free, and I made it 9 minutes in before I wanted to strangle Ozzy. Not going to bother with any more of it. I can't stand the vocals or Geezer's bass tone which is all loose string rattle that detracts from his always excellent lines.

I'm writing a long review for Burning Ambulance. Short version: It was a doomed effort from the start, in part because it's 2013 but also because of metal fans' unreasonable expectations and demands.

I can't stand the vocals or Geezer's bass tone which is all loose string rattle that detracts from his always excellent lines.

Hm. Sound like whoever produced this took what's distinctive and awesome abt Geezer's rubbery, duckfooted sound and exaggerated it to deleterious effect.

It's streaming on iTunes. The first two songs are both over 8 minutes long. I kind of liked "God is Dead?" when I first heard it because it wasn't as horrible as I expected, but I couldn't even get past the first track on 13. I'm honestly just not interested.

In other words, it's not that it sounds awful...it's just Black Sabbath wallpaper. Revisit Never Say Die and Technical Ecstasy. That's time better spent.

Man, it kicks the shit out of Never Say Die/Technical Ecstasy/Born Again! As far as I can tell only one person on this thread has actually listened to the album so far. I think it's pretty great! I saw Dio's final Heaven & Hell tour and it was really good, but I thought Sabbath's performance at Lollapalooza last Aug was even better, even considering that Ozzy obviously never could match Dio's abilities. But then, it's hard to compete with a setlist focusing on their first four albums. I couldn't get into the last Heaven & Hell album (need to go back to that), but I really liked 13 from the first listen.

Iommi's riffs and tones are better than anything I've heard from him since friggin' Sabotage. I was never a fan of Ozzy's solo stuff as he emphasized a more high-pitched, keening style that I find annoying. Seems like Rubin worked hard to get Ozzy back into more lower registers, and I don't know how anyone could expect him to sound any better than this. I don't know how he did it, couldn't detect any autotuning, but it's the closest he's ever sounded to classic Sabbath era.

This is SO not better than Born Again.

Once I can listen track by track I'll give it another go, but the 2 1/2 songs I've heard are hideous crap.

Man, it kicks the shit out of Never Say Die/Technical Ecstasy/Born Again!

literally no way is this possible

i listened to this album on grooveshark fast n bulbous

But is it better than the new Deep Purple record?

no.

okay listened to a couple songs and shut it off, that '09 Heaven & Hell record smokes this not to mention the last couple Ozzy Sabbath records

I'm about to give it a listen.

I honestly like God Is Dead pretty well. I mean, it's about as good as it could possibly be, considering they blew it with the drummer thing. I wish they'd gotten Ginger Baker or Tommy Aldridge or Jason Bonham or literally ANYONE besides the unmentionable.

I'm a pretty big fan of Black Sabbath. I own all their records. The thing I can say going into this one is that there is no possible way it can be as good as the 2009 Heaven & Hell record because that project was thoroughly unselfconscious and honest. Whereas I'm certain in advance that 13 is highly calculated and "safe," which Black Sabbath never was in the 70s.

Back soon...

Ok I listened start to finish (to the 8 song version) and I am impressed. Planning to write a much more extensive version of my first impressions. It's certainly a glass house, but I'm a fan and found a lot to like, considering the context.

I was expecting the worst when I kept up with what people were saying on this thread, yet here I am enjoying this new record... go figure!

Many folks are bringing a whole lotta baggage to the table in their reactions to this album. Are panties twisted because it's not as good as Vol. 4? Why is it such a big deal that Ward isn't on it? He wasn't on The Devil You Know either. From every account I've heard, Bill Ward cannot play like he used to. In an interview Ozzy mentioned that Bill simply was not capable of playing full shows, but they would have been happy to have him do what he can with a backup drummer, but his pride wouldn't allow for it.

"...we all had to ask, 'Can he do an hour-and-a-half, two-hour gig? Can he cope?' My suggestion was that we run through a set and see how he got on because he was so out of condition and the drummer is the most demanding job in the whole band. We looked at Bill and he couldn't remember what the fuck we were doing. But he didn't come clean and say, 'I can't cut this gig but can we work something out, guys, where I'll come on but with another drummer backing me up?' Or, 'I'll come and play a few songs', that would have been cool.

"I get where he's coming from, though. His pride was hurt and I get it. I really do get it. The guy will always be a dear, dear friend and a brother to me, but you either shit or get off the pot."

Ozzy continues: "I get up and I hit the gym most mornings. I vocal exercise and I keep myself going. I sing for a living so if I don't sing for two or five years then I go, Oh I'm going to get back together with Black Sabbath, if I don't make any adjustments to my attitude towards it then I'm not going to get the gig, you know. He can't be surprised that he didn't get the gig. He can't be! (nearly shouting) Fucking hell!"

"You know them yellow fucking stick-on memo notes? HE had them all over his fucking drums. I was like, What the fuck's that for, Bill? He said, 'I can't remember what I'm doing.' I go, how are you doing to remember out of those 500,000 bits of paper stuck all over your kit, which one you're looking at, Bill? 'I'll know' Ah, OK great.' -- MOJO

Chances are high this could be Tony Iommi's last album. Or Ozzy's or Geezer's. I'm enjoying the hell out of the album, and hope to see them play the new songs along with the old in August.

Jesus fucking Christ, I've seen Ozzy three or four times, once with Sabbath, and I'm shocked that guy can play a hour and a half or two hour gig. In fact, by most standards he barely did, and it's hard to believe an extra ten years or whatever has made him better.

The point is, Ward was originally announced as participating, and now he's not. Given Ozzy Inc. is the same crew that replaced the rhythm section of his solo albums over money disputes, and fucked with Iron Maiden for making him look bad, it's hard for me to believe anything that drools out of his mouth.

agreed

I should stress that by "that guy" I meant Ozzy, the water-bucket dumping tool. Not Ward. If Ward literally could not do it, physically, then he wouldn't have lobbied to stay in the band, where he'd have to put up or shut up. No doubt he was just getting the contractual shaft first and foremost, with an excuse retrofitted for his absence.

I've seen Ozzy three times in the 2000s—solo in 2007 and 2010, and with Black Sabbath in 2004—and in 2004 and 2007 he was okay-to-good. In 2010, though, he was much better than either of the two prior times and played a much longer set, two hours plus. He has actually been in better voice the last couple of years than in the years prior, mostly due to giving up booze and drugs and eating better, exercising more, etc.. I don't know how he sounds right now, because he did relapse recently.

It's also worth remembering that Ward suffered a major heart attack 15 years ago, when the group first attempted a reunion. It's entirely within the realm of possibility that he turned out not to be at full physical capacity.

I saw him post heart attack, he was fine.

I mean, it's all moot, because none of them are operating at their peak, by any stretch. This reunion is symbolic at best, and minus Ward totally pointless. Because as I've pointed out repeatedly, Black Sabbath already reunited, with Ward, back in 1997 and 2004. It was fine. The only reason to record a new album was to record with the original line-up.

Ronnie did a better job of it than Ozzy, I'm okay with not having any more Sabbath reunions myself. Especially if Ward isn't part of it, for whatever reason.

The only reason to record a new album was to record with the original line-up.

Yeah, because none of the other three could possibly have anything to say, as artists, separate of Bill Ward. Because, you know, they're not actually artists; they're trained bears, here to do nostalgic living-jukebox stunts for "fans" like you.

lol

I heard some of it this afternoon in the back ground and that tune "Loner" I thought was alright (even if that cell phone recording up there is pretty shabby).

Even if it was with Bill Ward, Sabbath in 2013 wasn't going to be Sabbath in '73 either way.

It probably would have been cooler for them to have worked something out with Bill Ward and had him play what he could and used Vinny Appice for some of the show and recording, but no-one probably wanted to take a pay cut on the last big pay day to make it even out.

Oh well, maybe they will get another shot or maybe not.

Yeah, because none of the other three could possibly have anything to say, as artists, separate of Bill Ward. Because, you know, they're not actually artists; they're trained bears, here to do nostalgic living-jukebox stunts for "fans" like you.

keep telling yourself that's the rationale behind calling bullshit on this crap

Remind me again what makes 13 bullshit but not the last Heaven & Hell album and tour?

I saw Dio with Geezer, Tony and Vinny Appice and it was great. Ozzy, Geezer, Tony and Tommy Clufetos at Lolla were even better. I call bullshit on Sabbath fans calling bullshit when they didn't even bother checking out Dio's last tour, and what could possibly be Iommi's last.

I heard a song from 13 on the radio today called "Soulless Child" and it sounded pretty cool, especially the instrumental passages!

He wasn't on The Devil You Know either.

apice played on mob rules and dehumanizer and is essential to that formation of black sabbath, as ward is to the ozzy era

So it would seem that Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats are Sabbath's choice of support act during the Europe & UK dates.

http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/black-sabbath-storm-to-top-of-the-charts--43-years-after-their-last-number-one-album-8661592.html

xp that seems like a pretty good choice. Ozzy has professed a love of Sleep before but I suppose they don't really liven up a crowd not entirely made up of Weedians.

"But the likes of Rod, and Elton John and us have got something different. We know our craft."

picturing ozzy saying this in 1973 and lolz

There's an original on Rod's new album called "Sexual Religion," following his cover of Tom Waits' "Picture In A Frame." He knows his craft.

Butler, Iommi and Bill Ward were still officially called Black Sabbath, the new line-up opted to call themselves Heaven & Hell, after the album of the same name, to avoid confusion. Ward was initially set to participate, but dropped out before the tour began due to musical differences with "a couple of the band members". - Wikipedia

Ozzy and Sharon had nothing to do with Ward not bring involved in Heaven & Hell. Pretty sure Ozzy and Bill have always gotten along.

Also, heart attacks aside, there was another serious issue during the Reunion era in 97. Ward was to play drums on both new tracks. He laid down "Psychoman" but:

"Selling My Soul uses a drum machine. Bill’s laid down track was deemed “too out-of-time”, so they used a drum machine instead." - Black-Sabbath.com

Looking at Ward's credits in Allmusic, it seems the last full album he was credited for playing drums on was Born Again.

Looks like 13 is their first #1 album in the U.S. ever: http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=191498. And last week QOTSA was #1, crazy!

http://www.black-sabbath.com/images/13_mo_frontpage.png

I think this is really exciting. Talk about Doom finally getting its due!

this is a really good record. I like the heaven and hell album but I prefer this; certainly think it's the best 'sabbath' album since mob rules, and on par with never say die and technical ecstasy, if not better. pretty amazing because there was every reason to believe it would be dogshit.

whaaaaaat

better than heaven & hell? dude.

better than the Heaven & Hell band album, not the Black Sabbath Heaven & Hell album.

lol I was gonna say

it's arguably better than the H&H BS album though. I'm not a massively huge Dio fan. I like those records but I conceptually consider them a totally different thing.

Also: you have to hear the bonus tracks (the best buy 4), they are as good or even better than much of the record. No reason they weren't integrated into the rest of the album.

I'd say it's more approachable than The Devil You Know, but certainly not as heavy or free of baggage. I love both in different ways, and would agree that they both represent the best Sabbath since at least Born Again. Dehumanizer has some great cuts, but not a solid album front to back.

No reason they weren't integrated into the rest of the album.

Nah, I think they were left off for pretty decent reason. Not that I dislike them, quite the opposite, some of them are my favorite of the whole 13 package, but I don't think they fit the obvious nod they wanted to make to their first handful of records. The faster material didn't quite fit into the vibe. I do think they could've been integrated in a way that really made a possibly "better" album, but I like them as a separate piece too.

heard a few of these on the radio today, not that bad!

a hell of a lot better than that van halen "return to form" album from last year (which i tried hard to like, but dd shit all over).

enjoy 13, but it's a bit antiseptic, right? which may be to say that i miss bill :(

Yeah, Wilk is way, way too precise and robotic in his drumming, I'll concede that as a pretty significant flaw to the album. But I think Iommi just kicks so much ass all over this record that it makes up for it.

ok i'm gonna get through this album this time!

zeitgeist trying to some planet caravan action, which i didn't expect

these songs. why soooooo long?

I agree about Wilk, but at the same time, isn't that the job he was hired to do? If he was off the rails like Ward or pushing a creative agenda, he would have been fired. It's a catch 22, and not a good one. At least he does a good job of keeping out of the spotlight.

That's a fair point, but I still would've liked to hear him loosed up a little. As I mentioned in either this thread or the metal thread, I thought Tommy Clufetos filled in really well at Lollapalooza last summer, not flashy enough to distract but brought some heft.

I think it's probably hard to play loose when you're sitting in a room with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Rick Rubin.

But we definitely agree. That would have made it a better record. But we are speculating. In the real world, I think he did EXACTLY what he was hired to do, which was to be a drum machine that swings.

There are perfect tom rolls that are missing the sound of sticks clicking together or hitting the rim or having any dynamics at all. Sure would have been nice, but it doesn't ruin the album for me. And I'm a drummer.

At the risk of taking over this whole thread, here's my final word on the subject.

http://www.cvltnation.com/the-end-of-the-end-black-sabbath-13-review/

great read, thanks nate

convinced me, at least, to check out the heaven & hell album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVfUimq2KeI&feature=player_embedded

what i don't get is, why is nietzsche eating that spaghetti

Both Heaven & Hell recordings are fantastic. One mediocre song per set, and otherwise all killer.

good write-up Nate.

Have to say, I was uber-pumped to hear new Sabbath blasting on the speakers at the credits for This is the End. This didn't turn out to be the middling release as an excuse to tour that I feared it would be.

It took me three listens to begin appreciating it as more than a curiosity, but there it was!

Yeah. It's no Sabotage, but it does rock. And I'll find the songs stuck in my head hours later.

man you guys are making me want to give this another chance

Dude, it's a fucking Black Sabbath album. You were gonna listen to it once and walk away? I don't even know why your parents acknowledge you.

Very good write up, Nate. Definitely convinced me to buy the record.

Dude, it's a fucking Black Sabbath album. You were gonna listen to it once and walk away? I don't even know why your parents acknowledge you.

― 誤訳侮辱, Sunday, June 30, 2013 6:04 PM (36 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i wonder the same thing all the time

(and this is sounding better on a second run)

Never did make it through ended up listening to sabbath bloody sabbath

I think it's probably hard to play loose when you're sitting in a room with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Rick Rubin.

Do we even know if he was in the same room?

there were some "making of" videos of them recording prior to the release that showed them set-up in the same room, unless that was staged

They might have rehearsed together in the same room (with cameras rolling), but there is no fucking way they made this album with everyone in the same room jamming together, not with everything that's at stake from a label perspective.

Even if they weren't in the room, they were certainly sitting on his shoulder. And I'm sure cameras were rolling the whole time, too.

('don't screw up, don't screw up, don't screw up ....")

I'm surprised Rubin didn't ask Chad Smith.

From the looks of those "making of" videos, Rick Rubin was just doing what Corey Taylor from Slipknot was complaining about. Lying down with a microphone so he didn't have to get up.

Chad Smith was actually quoted as being PISSED that he didn't get this gig.

I would say this thing is "ok" but it doesn't hold a candle to the classic ozzy -era stuff. Never Say Die blows it away. This is almost a parody of early (70-71) Sabbath

gosh we've missed u

how's it been going

Pretty well! Sorry I missed hockey season. You guys wouldn't have enjoyed me on there anyway! Great playoffs though no matter who won.

BILL!!! you came back!!!

<3

How are you alive

should we be looking for pieces of Hungry4Ass on Peachtree?

Honestly i think Hungry4Ass is probably alive and well too. Cooler heads prevailed (at least mine did) and i went to the gym instead.

hi bill

i generally agree w/your take on this album

Hey there.

There seems to be a lack of inspiration. I'm gonna spin it a few more times to make sure, but the last one they made with Dio hooked me from the get-go. It's tough not to compare the two.

seeing them Monday. Clufetos is drumming apparently.

seen the setlist. For someone who's seen Sab w/ Ozzy before (ie, the prior reunions), absolutely zero surprises in the setlist (other than the new material being performed). For someone like me who hasn't....holeeeeeeey fuck.

When I saw that little video clip trailer of Sabbath in the studio recording, all in the dark with candles and low lights I thought "cool, they're trying to get a vibe going, awesome"

But then they would switch to clips of Rubin, listening to the takes in another room, with the windows open, fully sun lit, wearing shorts with no shoes on some sort of chaise lounge chair, sitting around like teenage girl on the phone talking about periods and boys... I thought there is no fucking way Rubin can produce the evil needed that is Black Fucking Sabbath. How does he have the gall to expect anyone to listen to him if he ain't at least acting like he's on the same page. It really bothered me. I'm pretty done with Rubin and his attempts to grab on to the glory of heroes and royalty still going for it.

Rubin is not the hero on this album. Iommi is. I still think everyone is comparing 13 to a preconceived notion of what they imagined it could be. Just like the Watchmen movie.

The reality is that this is WAY better than it could have been or ought to have been considering what any of these guys have done as solo artists in the last 25 years.

I'm more than satisfied, even if it's not perfect. All the songs are heavy, the leads are fantastic, and Ozzy is staying within his range. Will be tough to find another album this year with better songwriting, IMO.

Just like the Watchmen movie.

OMG I could hug you for this one. Instead I'll buy you a drink next time you are in Chicago. But yeah, you're completely OTM all through this thread and I appreciate the voice of reason.

OTMing Nate, I enjoy this record. End of the Beginning and Age of Reason are straight-up killers, and even if some of the record is a slog it has alot of power, and no out and out capital B-A-D tracks IMO.

the watchman movie being a self-conscious and ponderous attempt to meticulously recreate something from decades ago and failing, yes i agree

i don't think any part of the watchmen movie was "meticulously" trying to recreate anything, which is why it didn't fail as badly as the fanboys want to believe it did.

but that's an argument for another thread at another time.

they are both ultimately hollow acts of craftsmanship with little of what made the original material great IMO

listen, i won't ever argue that either of these things are better in any way than the original things. i'm just with Nate that 13 is a lot better than people want to give it credit for. the digression into the watchmen not being as terrible as its sold was all me, but i'm not really going to fight that battle on the internet because i know i'm massively outnumbered on that. i'm not going to die on that particular hill.

i would prefer being boned to death by 5 dr. manhattans tbh

Id join this argument but im about to SEE Sabbath in orchestra seat so i dun care ;)

The reality is that this is WAY better than it could have been or ought to have been considering what any of these guys have done as solo artists in the last 25 years.

To some extent I agree. Tony is in fine form and a few of the riffs are truly fantastic. Nothing else about this record is anything except grating, from Geezer's tone to the perfunctory drumming to Ozzy being the Ozzy of the past 30 years. If all of those other pieces don't bug you than I'm very happy you like it. But those all drive me nuts, and I'm not going to spend time getting to know it better in the vain hope I'll somehow be able to overlook all the parts I dislike and only focus on the golden Iommi bits. Life is too short. It's better than I expected but I wouldn't call it good. Those are two very different things.

I do have to say it's a shame they didn't integrate some of the bonus tracks into the album as a whole. Excise a few long plodding tunes that go nowhere and have some of these short, exciting cuts instead and it's a much better album.

And count me as someone who enjoyed Watchmen for what it is.

Im w/ Nate. I love 13.

Yeah, I'm with Nate too. The album is far from perfect, but it's much farther from bad.

soooo....I loved Sabbath last night. but wow, was Ozzy off-key/flat all night. lol. but damn, if it wasn't awesome to hear "Black Sabbath" and "Under the Sun", "Into the Void" in person....

I liked the Watchmen movie too!

Any other reports on Sabbath shows? I thought they were great last year at Lollapalooza. Oz even started out quite strong, though he did wobble a bit the middle third of the set, but seemed to rally. I'm missing their show at Tinley Park cuz it sold out and I'm not paying scalpers.

Just finished this last night: http://fastnbulbous.com/doom-goes-pop/

I took some pics at the Graceland Cemetery yesterday for the piece. The sun was a bit bright for what I wanted, but they close it down long before dusk.

Anyone recognize which famous mausoleum this is from?

http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/graceland-5.jpg

"They recorded two songs in 1997 and on “Selling My Soul,” Bill’s was deemed “too out-of-time”, so they used a drum machine instead. He then had a heart attack and has not gotten into physical condition to be able to play a two hour show. Out of shape, out of practice, Bill Ward in 2013 is not the Bill Ward from 1973 or even 1993. If the band can get over it, so should the fans"

I saw them with Ward in '05 and he was very good. If the test to be used is what someone sounded like in 1973 then Ozzy should not be allowed anywhere near the stage unless he's got a ticket to the show. Ward means more to the classic Sabbath lineup than Ozzy

Concert psych-up currently underway. 'Born Again' just finished. Now 'Master of Reality' at top volume. Neighbors prolly wanna kill me. 100 fine from condo assoc forthcoming. Ah well.

Yeah, Ozzy sucks now, but .... can't miss this. such a life changer of a rock band

Is it worth spending an extra $5 or so to get that deluxe version with three exclusive tracks on it?

Sure, that's not a huge ask. They're pretty good. I haven't heard the even-more-bonus one that's on the version you get at Best Buy.

Ward means more to the classic Sabbath lineup than Ozzy

so otm. so weird that anybody could give a shit for Iommi/Butler/drummer + the ghost of Ozzy Osbourne

The bonus tracks are 1000 percent worth it; I highly recommend grabbing that Best Buy deluxe edition if you can find it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVbQaU6le20

the track on the Best Buy version

So Sabbath last night was just phenomenal.

Let me tell you something, aero, I kinda feel like you are
being a complete jackass about this thing. I mean the very idea. If someone gave you tix to the Zep show at O2, would you have not gone because, "oh well, you know, that's not REALLY Led Zeppelin". pffft. come on

ANYWAY, point being I did see Sab last year at Lollapalooza, and man they sucked real bad. Ozz was clearly done. Didn't remember lyrics, looking at the teleprompter constantly. Doing like the classic pouring buckets of water on his head. It was pretty much a sham, yeah.

Last night, tho: magical. His handlers clearly cleaned him up for this Sabbath tour. Dunno what they did to get him straight; but I gonna be honest, he's kinda back! and it's kinda damn magical!

"Under the Sun"
"Behind the Wall of Sleep"
"Into the Void"
"N.I.B"

performed in fantastic fashion by Ozz, Geez, and Tony. On a beautiful Friday evening. With a shit ton of fellow Sab fans complely losing their mind.

Stormy I'm glad the show was this weekend was great, sorry I missed it, but you totally exaggerate about Lollapalooza. Yes he faltered somewhat in second half of the set, but it wasn't how you described. Having observed him in the last decade, it's amazing he can even walk and talk let alone sing halfway decently. I was near the front, perhaps too busy losing my mind. There's plenty of video footage though, and it was far, far from a sham. It makes sense that they'd be better now though, with that many more gigs under their belts. It sounds like it's too much though, they're getting burned out. Geezer is saying he's too old to be playing every night. Agreed, they're old, well, geezers, and they shouldn't be expected to tour like a bunch of 20-somethings. In Iommi's interviews, however, he says he's having a blast, and has no idea how long he'll be around so he's enjoying it while he can. I'd say that's the main point here. If nothing else, Tony fucking Iommi is putting it out there every night, and the man is sick with cancer. He's probably going to die, maybe in six months, maybe a few years. I really hope he doesn't, but he is NOT in remission as far as we know. So all the bitching about Ozzy not being perfect or missing Ward seems utterly pointless.

Didn't see the show the other night, but have seen Sabbath before a couple of times. To the band's credit, at least it recorded a new album this time, and while decades of Ozzy Inc. doing things mostly for the money definitely eroded whatever reputation he ever had, it's reassuring that Ozzy is being treated almost as an afterthought to this outing, with all eyes on Iommi. But the dif between Sabbath and the Zep reunion is that Zep has reunited sans Bonham, what, three times? All one-off performances. And Bonham was not locked out of the band due to financial feuding, he's dead. But Sabbath has reunited several times already, both with and without Ward, who this time around has been locked out of Sabbath for money reasons, as far as any of us know. A good time can still be had by all, in the band and in the crowd, regardless, and again, I love how the focus has largely been on Iommi and this awesome machine he created. Doesn't mean there's no room to bitch a little about the way this final (?) go-round went down.

Those who feel Sabbath has been underrated in the 2013 polls, this is your chance to make an impact. While unfortunately fewer people are voting, it means your ballot will have more impact.

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stop it

No.

They might have rehearsed together in the same room (with cameras rolling), but there is no fucking way they made this album with everyone in the same room jamming together, not with everything that's at stake from a label perspective.

Actually they did record this pretty live. When I interviewed Iommi, he said it was the most live studio album they've made since the first one, and that Rubin made him do his leads first take and overdub the rhythm parts. He even wrote a guitar melody line that Rubin threw out. He said Ozzy was in the vocal booth while they were tracking. That none of them had worked like this in decades.

I'm not defending Rubin here, but it does sound like they went through some good effort to do this right.

this still holds up to my ears.

Age of Reason

I played this today and tbqfh, it holds up just fine. in fact, maybe even better, because there's no burden of expectations.

it's not perfect (Geezer's bass sounds weird, "AGe of Reason" has an Audioslave sounding riff), but most of the songs hold up to me. feel like the first three are a solid jump out of the gate.

I'll be playing this again this week I'm sure.

I like this album. Was quite shocked to read the first posts on this thread... Iommi is in great form, Ozzy sounds fine, I've never had problems with the bass sound. Ward is sadly missing, fair enough.

I mentioned upthread that I wrote a review, but I never posted it. Here's a link. I stand by it.