(Note: This review refers to the deluxe edition of 13
with three bonus tracks)
I put off listening to Black
Sabbath’s reunion album 13 because I assumed it would be awful. Well, I am pleasantly surprised to report
that it is not that bad!
Black Sabbath to me was the
first heavy metal band in that it contained in its music all the different
components of what we associate with heavy metal – Fuzzy downtuned riffs,
horror movie lyrics, wailing vocals, heavy drums.
Black Sabbath was a better
version of Led Zeppelin whom I never cared for that much. Tony Iommi was a better soloist than Jimmy
Page, Geezer Butler more of a thumping presence on the bass guitar, Bill Ward
like John Bonham only quicker and more nimble, and Ozzy Osbourne whose voice
can be a bit annoying is still nowhere near as irritating as Robert Plant.
It is Iommi who sounds the
most inspired on 13. His riffs and solos
are big and aggressive and way out in front.
Osbourne sounds no different than he normally does. Butler comes in and out of the mix. The drums are handled by Brad Wilk of Rage
Against the Machine and Audioslave. He
does a good job of mimicking Bill Ward’s style.
The best moments on 13 remind
one of past Sabbath glories. Loner, my
favourite song, is a speedy barnburner like Symptom of the Universe, Supernaut,
and Paranoid (which it also lyrically resembles). The acoustic overdub freakout Zeitgeist is
like an updated Planet Caravan. The
rocking Methademic brings to mind Hole in the Sky. End of the Beginning makes me think of Iron
Man or Into the Void. Peace of Mind is
similar to Killing Yourself to Live.
I have heard some criticism
of Rick Rubin’s production and it is a bit too clean at times. I would have liked the nastier, blurrier tone
of earlier Sabbath records. Still, he
does get the large size of Sabbath’s music right, the depths of its heaviness.
Black Sabbath had plenty of
brilliant songs but never made a great record all the way through as there was
always some dumb filler present (a silly instrumental, acoustic throwaway
etc). 13, at over an hour long, is no
different but that is also a good thing as this very well could be a Black
Sabbath album from their 70’s heyday.
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