Metal Reviews

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It's a good album, but it's only half-Sabbath. The riffs are surprisingly Iommi, and Ozzy is at least recognisable and his vocals work just fine here. It all works as an impressive picture of doom. But it's only the heavy that they've recaptured here, and that doesn't cut it for me. Where are the crazy, uptempo midsections with the running bass, the freestyle drumming and the bluesy solos? Songs like Sweet Leaf, Into The Void, Electric Funeral, Iron Man, Under The Sun and Wheels of Confusion were characterised by a dichotomy of trudgy doom and freak-out jam-esque, and there's none of that here. The few times songs speed up they go from slow and doomy to trudgy rock ala Load-era Metallica. They never go 21st Century Schizoid Man.

I do like the album, but it's just really underwhelming. If I just wanted excellent doom metal, I'd go to Electric Wizard.

FYI, "Never Say Die" was released in 1978, not 1974. You also hit in on the nose as far as this album with Ozzy is like the last Heaven and Hell album with Dio. People need to take this album for what it is. Brad Wilk (funny he has same initials as Bill Ward and looks like a young Bill Ward) does a fine job on drums. The band did a fine job coming really close to capturing a sound and style similar to the first four albums. My only gripe is that the regular version is mostly slow tempo stuff. If anyone lives in the US, get the Best Buy version. It includes the three deluxe version bonus tracks as well as a fourth, "Naivete In Black", which is probably the fastest and heaviest of all the new songs. The other three tracks on the deluxe version are just as good as any on the regular release. Rick Rubin did a great job getting the band in the frame of mind of what it was like when they first started doing this stuff. And kudos for making Ozzy sound great without over singing and processing his voice to the point where he wouldn't be able to sing the new stuff live. Over all it's a fine release, not as good as any previous release with Ozzy or Dio stuff but very close!

Oops. Changed, thanks!

The four bonus tracks are more uptempo, but they don't really fit the vibe of the album and probably would have made the album drag if they fit them into the main album.

I think the album is excellent. It's got doom, hard rock, heavy metal, a little jazz and blues, and hell, Ozzy even sounds good.

My one complaint: The drums. Whoever mixed it missed the mark with the drum sound.

Damaged Soul and Zeitgeist are straight out of the early 70s.

This album is awesome. Can't stop listening to it.

Good point with regards to the bonus tracks. They don't fit with the flow of the eight core tracks. I really believe that it was Rick Rubin's goal to try and re-capture what the first Black Sabbath album was all about. I feel they have come pretty close. It's nothing fancy, not a lot of over dubs, especially on the vocals, no keys? etc. Not progressed out like on albums such as Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I love the bonus tracks but they could have been part of a separate album all together. I thought I read somewhere that they recorded as many as 16 tracks.

This deserves more attention. But it won't get it here.

Heaven and Hell?!?

Boohoo? Every track I heard in promo stuff was awful. Not really wanting to try out the entire thing.

Doesn't surprise me you cool kids don't like it. What were the promo tracks? Admittedly God is Dead is one of the weaker tracks. What else have you heard?

Awful?

I don't know why I keep coming back here. Haha.

I just listened to the first two songs and they're awfully cool if a little sleepy.

Heaven knows Ken is wrong 95% of the time, but he's right here. None of the tracks here are awful...

The End of the Beginning when Ozzy says "Reanimation of the sequence!" and the heaviness starts up gives me chills everytime. Such a classic Sabbath moment.

God is Dead was boring. One minute does not make a ten minute track worthy of being called anything more than meh. And Methademic was fucking stupid.

Methademic if is a bonus track released on the special edition. Why don't you try some of the songs being mentioned and stop trashing songs only released as bonuses?

End of the Beginning, Age of Reason, Damaged Soul, Dear Father are all classic Sabbath tunes. The only people who wouldn't like them are people who never liked Ozzy Sabbath and cool guys trying to be edgy.

They were playing the Meth song live before the album came out. I guess I need to check the album out. The tracks that were out prior to the release date didn't inspire me to look any further.

You should. And I'm only bustin your nuts. Could care less if any of you cool cats like it or not. I think it's awesome and that's all that matters.

I should and I did. It's fine. It's not trash. Will I ever listen to it again? Probably not. 7/10 if I'm being generous. It lacks the polish that Devil You Know had in terms of both songwriting and production. Maybe if the songs hadn't been so long. Simply weren't gripping enough for eight minute lengths. If only I could cut the first two minutes off of every song, besides Dear Father, then maybe I would have loved it, because those endings were all solid.