Black Sabbath

Enough with the title Thirteen (Megadeth and now Sabbath), it's lame. I expect a huge failure, we'll see.
 
As with most things Sabbath, its strength will largely depend on how inspired Tony was.
 
Let me elaborate on my view.

I'm not going to dismiss it already. I'm going to listen to it before I criticise it. Despite all the shit that has been going on recently, Black Sabbath is my favourite heavy metal band after Maiden, so at the very least I think that I owe the new album a good listen before I say anything. Perhaps my enjoyment will be marred by all the band politics that have been going on recently, but I don't know.

Nevertheless, I stand by what I said: if the album is only one note worse than The Devil You Know, it wasn't worth making, in my opinion. Why am I so harsh? Read on.
The 1997 reunion with Ozzy was made with the announcement that the band would be releasing a new album soon. Back then, that was not as spectacular a thought, because Sabbath had consistently been releasing new albums since the late sixties. The biggest lull in activity was in the mid-eighties, after the stint with Ian Gillan. The next album, Seventh Star, was originally supposed to be a Tony Iommi solo album, but as far as I remember, the label put pressure on him to turn it into a Black Sabbath release. So while there had been no Sabbath album for three years, it was hardly a time of inactivity. There was a strong run of albums afterwards, with six studio albums in eight years. That's the output of an artist in their creative peak, no doubt.
There were two new studio tracks on Reunion, and both were pretty good. Psycho Man is among my favourite Ozzy tracks. No doubt there was something going on in the studio, and a new studio album did not seem far away, indeed. But those two tracks were to be the last creative output of the band in ten years. There was absolutely nothing from the band in that time other than a few cabaret tours. It can't have been the lack of creativity, because Iommi released a great solo album at the time. And judging from the stuff he wrote for the 2007 Dio-Era compilation and The Devil You Know, the creative fire inside him did not die down one bit. Ozzy also recorded three solo albums in that time. Still, the band was brought to a halt. It was almost as if some red-headed witch had cast a spell on the band that stopped them from working together.
So by 2007, as far as everyone was concerned, Black Sabbath was dead. The last tour they did sparked more groans than excitement, really. They were still good, but so limited in the material they'd been performing over and over and over again. All the while, rumours of a new studio album in the works would spark up and die down again. In the end, most people agreed that if the band would ever want to move on creatively, they would have to fire Ozzy. But again, it was as if some red-headed witch prevented that from happening.
Then, all of the sudden and out of nowhere, Black Sabbath put out The Dio Years, with three new studio tracks on them that reminded us of why this was the best combination in heavy metal history. And more than that, they announced a tour! Of course they were still going to play material that was mostly thirty years old, but that was still oddly refreshing. Instead of an overplayed classic like Paranoid, we'd get to hear a not-so-overplayed classic like Heaven and Hell. I personally expected this to be a one-off nostalgia tour, especially because everybody said so, and that Ozzy was not fired. But then, they released a new studio album! Just like that! Although again, some red-headed witch must have cursed the name "Black Sabbath" so they could not use it, to me it was an all-out, full-fletched Black Sabbath album. The first in 14 years, and the best in 29 years! It was completely unexpected, it had not been announced for ten years, it just happened. I see it as the expression of a band thirsting for creative output.
Now, the new-old-new Black Sabbath with Dio was not done with that. The album was followed by a tour that was nothing short of grand, they put on one of the most incredible live performances I have ever witnessed. And they were ready for more, when suddenly, Dio passed away.
After a surprisingly tactful amount of time had passed, Black Sabbath announced they were going on tour again with Ozzy. They announced it like it was the biggest thing in the world, although I not only half-expected that, but it had also only been a mere six years since they last played together. I'm always amazed at how short memories can be, but the same voices who cried out for Ozzy to step down now lauded this as a new revelation.
Well then, they also made a vague promise of a new studio album, as they have always made a vague promise of a new studio album. To me, this is the very same studio album they had promised in 1997. The only difference is that this time, they actually are going to put it out. So after 16 years, we finally get that ninth studio album with Ozzy, that for some reason is called 13. At least Megadeth and Anvil had a proper reason for calling their recent albums that, because it actually was the thirteenth album both of them put out! But depending on how you count it, this is either the ninth, or the 19th album. Sense, where are you? I digress.
Now given that they have first announced this album sixteen years ago, they took all this time to build up for it. It had better capture the creative energy from the last sixteen years of Black Sabbath with Ozzy. The Devil You Know was conceived, planned, executed and done with within three years. It turned out to be amazing. Hence, if the new album is short of that in any way, it was a waste of time to create. This is not a temporary phase of crisis that has a band re-orientate and put out a poor album before they return to greatness. It is not a part of an ongoing creative process with high and low points. Essentially, it is something the creative process of the band was halted for. So it had better been worth it.
I'm not going to say that I don't expect it to happen. As far as I am concerned, it may well turn out to be this good. This is the lineup that recorded Paranoid and Master of Reality, after all. I will decide after I heard it, and after I gave it some time to sink in. It took about half a year for most of my favourite albums to click with me. I'm going to give it that fair chance. But I can't deny that I have extremely high expectations.
 
Well said Perun. Addiationally, I am a bit angry about the treatment of Ward, which has caused some indifference towards anything without him.
Plus I am not that much over the moon by The Devil You Know (I thought the album lacked some variation). So, I am not excited and won't rush to the store, but if I happen to like it, that excitement will come by itself.
 
Perun said:
after 16 years, we finally get that ninth studio album with Ozzy, that for some reason is called 13. At least Megadeth and Anvil had a proper reason for calling their recent albums that, because it actually was the thirteenth album both of them put out! But depending on how you count it, this is either the ninth, or the 19th album. Sense, where are you?
Click to expand...
I'm guessing the title is a reference to the year. This obviously won't be as good as Devil You Know because it doesn't have Dio. But I'm still cautiously optimistic.
 
Can I just say that I'm stoked to see the addition of Brad Wilk. Of course it is sad that it is not the original lineup but Wilk's drumming will revitalize those trademark Sabbath riffs. He is such a groovy, funky and incredibly tight drummer. Perfect for Sabbath I think.
 
I can't remember who it was, but a Japanese death(?) metal band plays a cover of that as a gimmick at their gigs.

Of course, you can safely assume that every German metalhead knows it.
 
That reminds me of those french singers in the sixties who used to copy american and english hits note by note but changed the lyrics. It's rather strange to hear german words on this kind of music (no offense to the Germans of course). The cover is not bad and quite entertaining.
 
Well, I guess I'm the only one qualified around here to do so. So here's a very rough, unpolished translation. It still sounds very "German" to me, and I'd never publish that anywhere... but fact is, the original lyrics are really cheesy, and I can't be arsed to spend more than ten minutes on it.

A Thick waft of mist
Is descending over the moor of Forest Hill
A will-o'-wisp is grinning as a green ghost
It is night in Baskerville

Who is spreading fear and loathing
Who destroys what he wants?
Everyone tries to take cover
From the Hound of Baskerville

Whomever he assaults
This Hound of Baskerville, oh yeah
Is doomed
In the fight for Baskerville, oh yeah

And not a soul dares to
Enter the dark moor
Everyone fears for their lives
Who will be up next?

Soon the mission will be over
That his mad lord gave him
As silent as he once arrived
He sneaks down into the moor

A Thick waft of mist
Is descending over the moor of Forest Hill
And conceals the mysteries
Of the Hound of Baskerville
 
860710_10151347531804615_680321668_o.png

“This Black Sabbath album is quite possibly the most important album of my career.”
- Ozzy Osbourne
 
That's a cool picture. I don't know what to make of the Ozzy quote but I'm glad he feels that way at least that will ensue that he puts his everything into it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top