Black Sabbath "13" 2013***

Hearing about Iommi's cancer diagnosis in 2012 sounded to me like the announcement of the end of an era. Sure, Black Sabbath wasn't going to last forever. But it seemed wrong for them to stop just as the original band was getting together and giving new generations of fans the chance to witness the first and foremost Heavy Metal band of all time. I was personally very much looking forward to their canceled Rotterdam concert, originally announced for June '12. Iommi thankfully pulled through and I finally got to see Sabbath one year later, in November 2013. By that time, they had a new album out, the first in 35 years featuring both Ozzy and bassist/lyricist Geezer Butler. The only one of the original line-up missing was drummer Bill Ward. He was replaced by Brad Wilk (former Rage Against the Machine). Brad is a different type of drummer, less bluesy and heavy but very powerful and energetic. For the tour he was in turn replaced by Tommy Clufetos, whose drum solo during the show was an impressive display of skill and energy. Iommi was majestic, looking really cool while dispensing his famous riffs. Ozzy, on the other hand, looked and sounded like something that crawled out of the Walking Dead series: Damn right scary. Still, voice or no voice, Ozzy is the classic Sabbath vocalist and still the definitive performer of the early stuff. On the album he sounds fine, so maybe by the time the tour reached Amsterdam, his larynx was just in bad need of rest. The CD (named "13" despite being the band's 19th) was produced by Rick Rubin with a back-to-basics approach. No keyboards, no fancy production tricks, just "the riff, the whole riff and nothing but the riff". As has been universally pointed out, his approach worked well and this raw blooze metal really sounds like the album that could -and should- have followed "Sabotage". As if to stress the new (or is it the last?) phase in the band's evolution, the album starts off with the line "Is this the end of the beginning/Or the beginning of the end?". The slow, sludgy riff is vintage Sabbath, leaving the listener with the impression of being transported 40 years in the past. "God Is Dead?" is another monster track and rightfully "13"s lead single. It echoes German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who famously wrote "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him". Ozzy really wanted to sing that line, but the band found that a bit too controversial and changed Nietzsche's categorical statement into a question. "Loner" and "Zeitgeist" hark back to Sabbath's glorious past, recalling "N.I.B." and "Planet Caravan", respectively. "Age of Reason" starts off with some heavy (and hazy) riffs and wanders aimlessly mid-song until Iommi brings it back home with a long solo. "Damaged Soul" is a bluesy number (even includes harmonica) that takes us back to Sabbath's debut, "Live Forever" contains another great guitar solo and "Dear Father" is an attack on the Catholic Church, in light of the recent pedophilia scandals. It's classic Metal, replete with effects like rain, thunder, tolling bells etc. The Deluxe Edition of the album adds 3 bonus tracks that are every bit the equals to the ones included in the album proper: "Methademic", "Peace of Mind" and "Pariah". If Sabbath go out with this album, they will have gone out gracefully. But I personally think there's no way they'll stop after recapturing their mojo on "13". Provided, of course, Iommi's health permits it...

Black Sabbath at The Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam 28/11/13

**** for End of the Beginning, God Is Dead?, Loner

*** for Zeitgeist, Age of Reason, Live Forever, Damaged Soul, Dear Father