I've listened to the album from start to finish about three times now...

I didn't hate it, I just found it tedious and in all honesty a bit dull. It doesn't really sound like they're even trying. There's only so many ways you can recycle the riffs to War Pigs, NIB and Black Sabbath before it just gets embarassing.

It isn't completely without merit, Pariah is a decent enough track and Dear Father offers a much needed tempo change, but it's not even close to any of the other Ozzy-era albums. Fuck anybody who says this is better than Never Say Die or Technical Ecstasy. Those albums shit over 13 in every single way.

Ah well. Next...

I think you're being a little harsh, i like it alot, no it's not better than Technical Ecstasy or Never Say Die but it is better than Sabotage and the lsat few Ozzy solo albums. I'd go to say it's on par withe the Heaven And Hell album The Devil You Know, but then i prefer the Ozzy era to the Dio era, whic i like alot.

Official Video to God Is Dead

bigd74 said:

Official Video to God Is Dead

I saw this yesterday.

13 seems to get mixed reviews but I'm gonna buy it anyway.

Anybody heard the new Deep Purple and Stooges albums ? The Stooges one is pretty good but i really like the new Deep Purple. Its called Now What?! and it rocks with some damn good boogie metal.

I think what irks me most is that it could have and should have been so much better. It's not that it isn't good and a few of the songs have grown on me since my initial post, but the whole premise for the album seems so contrived. I blame Rick Rubin for that. You can't and shouldn't even attempt to re-create an older sound. Genuine inspiration doesn't work like that, any songwriter will tell you that. You create what comes naturally to you and you let the muse take you where it wants to go. That's how the old Sabbath albums were created, not with some douchebag producer breathing down their necks telling them how it should sound. If I was Ozzy or Tony I'd be like "fuck off, we're Black Sabbath, who the fuck are you to tell us how a Sabbath album should sound?". Arrogant twat.

I think the results would've been so much better if they had just gone into the studio and created whatever came naturally to them at their age. It probably wouldn't sound anything like Paranoid, Master of Reality or Black Sabbath (album), but then neither did Sabotage or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and they were amongst Sabbath's best work. The best records are never contrived and are usually born out of the artist feeling free to experiment and come up with new ideas. Trying to re-capture past glories is not only an impossible feat, it is also incredibly disingenuous.

[Edited 6/12/13 0:28am]

MattyJam said:

I think the results would've been so much better if they had just gone into the studio and created whatever came naturally to them at their age.

Veteran acts just can't win. If they update their sound and/or make songs with young acts (Charlie Wilson, Santana, Isley Brothers), some don't like it, and others that don't change their sound, people say they're stuck in the past or ran out of ideas. If they release standards or remake albums (Rod Stewart, Michael McDonald), some people complain about that too.

I think what irks me most is that it could have and should have been so much better

I'm not sure I agree it could have been better. I wasn't expecting much after the last handful of Sabbath records and Ozzy solo records.

I've only heard a few tracks and so far I like it pretty well, which already surpasses what I expected. It's got a vibe and a good sound, but I didn't hear any songs that would make me stop in my tracks.

MickyDolenz said:

MattyJam said:

I think the results would've been so much better if they had just gone into the studio and created whatever came naturally to them at their age.

Veteran acts just can't win. If they update their sound and/or make songs with young acts (Charlie Wilson, Santana, Isley Brothers), some don't like it, and others that don't change their sound, people say they're stuck in the past or ran out of ideas. If they release standards or remake albums (Rod Stewart, Michael McDonald), some people complain about that too.

So true, no matter who it is its always the same thing. Basically you cant please everyone, for me im not huge on Sabbath outside of Paranoid, so i like this new record, i dont mind bands taking on their classic sound again. If sabbath was doing a song with dance beats and lil wayne i would have some issues with it, but i cant find any real issues with this record, but like you said oldeer acts cant win

what do u expect? they intentionally tried to reproduce their early sound. of course the songs wont be as good...but they sound good anyhow

Ive been listening to 13 for a couple days now(off and on) and although I'm not at all disappointed in it, i think some of the songs sound a little too familiar and don't grab you at first listen. Overall 13 is a pretty good album though. I would say that the strong points are the musicians(Tommi kills it on guitar), the music and the heaviness. The weaker points are the actual songs(some should have had better hooks and been a little shorter) , Ozzy's voice(good but doesn't sound as strong or stable as in the past) and the lyrics( kinda predictable).

What i wish Sabbath would have done a little different is not focus so much on capturing that old sabbath sound(and vibe) and instead incorporate that early sound with something ??...Aw hell, what I'm trying to say is they should have taken more risks. With 13 it seems like they kinda wanted to have a carbon copy of the old sound but in my opinion they did it a little too well, and as a result some songs on 13 kinda ended up sounding a little repetitive.

Don't get me wrong i do like the album, and honestly the more i listen to it the more i discover things that i like about it. I do think that its gonna grow on me.




Out of the recent releases from kiss, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Sabbath, and the Stooges, my personal preferences would go like this;

Deep Purple

(one and two are probably gonna change places)

Sabbath


Van Halen

The Stooges

Kiss

Aerosmith

Edited for clarity. Fuck

[Edited 6/15/13 3:17am]

I gotta say, I think I may have jumped the gun a bit in my initial analysis.

The album was grown on me considerably over the last few days. When you sit down and listen to Dear Father with the lyrics it's a very powerful song. End Of The Beginning is an epic opener, Methademic, Pariah, Damaged Soul, Loner... all good tracks.

The only ones that I'm not really feeling are Peace Of Mind and Age of Reason.

MattyJam said:

I gotta say, I think I may have jumped the gun a bit in my initial analysis.

The album was grown on me considerably over the last few days. When you sit down and listen to Dear Father with the lyrics it's a very powerful song. End Of The Beginning is an epic opener, Methademic, Pariah, Damaged Soul, Loner... all good tracks.

The only ones that I'm not really feeling are Peace Of Mind and Age of Reason.

I really dig Dear Father and Methademic. Didn't like Loner when i first heard it. I'm warming up to it though.

At first I was, but it's growing on me. Methademic is my favourite (yeah, I know that it's just a bonus track).

2020 said:

Agree with others it's always hard to replicate the original sound but they get very close. Yes it's predictable at times and lacking at others but over all it's pretty damn good!

thats just it ..sort of a master of reality type sound

listen to these sabbath copycats..great!!

http://www.youtube.com/wa...ENt2UrPCuc

MattyJam said:

I think what irks me most is that it could have and should have been so much better. It's not that it isn't good and a few of the songs have grown on me since my initial post, but the whole premise for the album seems so contrived. I blame Rick Rubin for that. You can't and shouldn't even attempt to re-create an older sound. Genuine inspiration doesn't work like that, any songwriter will tell you that. You create what comes naturally to you and you let the muse take you where it wants to go. That's how the old Sabbath albums were created, not with some douchebag producer breathing down their necks telling them how it should sound. If I was Ozzy or Tony I'd be like "fuck off, we're Black Sabbath, who the fuck are you to tell us how a Sabbath album should sound?". Arrogant twat.

I think the results would've been so much better if they had just gone into the studio and created whatever came naturally to them at their age. It probably wouldn't sound anything like Paranoid, Master of Reality or Black Sabbath (album), but then neither did Sabotage or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and they were amongst Sabbath's best work. The best records are never contrived and are usually born out of the artist feeling free to experiment and come up with new ideas. Trying to re-capture past glories is not only an impossible feat, it is also incredibly disingenuous.

[Edited 6/12/13 0:28am]

I haven't heard the record, but it seems that when most artists or bands create what comes naturally to them and go where the muse takes them, that naturally tends to lead to them sounding at least somewhat like their older music. Most bands have a sound and are at the most natural when they do that sound. They feel most comfortable with doing a certain style. To me it would seem more forced when they try to be different just for the sake of being different or fit into the contemporary musical landscape. I don't necessarily think such albums are re-capturing past glories, but just artists being themselves and doing what they do best.

Best Buy exclusive version

1. End of the Beginning 0:00
2. God Is Dead? 08:06
3. Loner 16:58
4. Zeitgeist 22:00
5. Age of Reason 26:36
6. Live Forever 33:36
7. Damaged Soul 38:24
8. Dear Father 46:15
9. Methademic 53:35
10. Peace of Mind 59:32
11. Pariah 1:03:14
12. Naïveté in Black 1:08:50

Ozzys already saying he wants Bill Ward back for the next album..