Black Sabbath - 13

Thirty-five years after the last Ozzy era Black Sabbath album was released, they put out this album, titled 13 after the year it came out: 2013. Since I called this an "Ozzy" era review of the Black Sabbath music, I'll go ahead and include it in my "Ozzy era" review. But there is one huge caveat, which is the absence of Bill Ward, the band's original drummer. And that is more than just a huge caveat. It's a downright shame. As in shame on the other three band members. Shame on them for cutting Bill Ward out. I never heard a single reason good enough for them to do what they did to Mr. Ward. At first there was only Bill's reason for not joining them on this endeavor: an "unsignable" contract. 

For Bill Ward to say that, it must have been a dogshit contract. I might believe they were offering him pennies on the dollar in comparison to what the others were earning. But that just didn't make sense. I had always thought the earnings were a four way split. That must have changed. And clearly Bill was feeling more than just slighted. He was straight up insulted. Also, clearly, the others, or maybe just one of them, (I would fathom a guess here, it was Ozzy,) just did not want him around anymore. And the reason why I am pointing my finger at Ozzy is because it was Ozzy who finally said that Bill was too old to perform, citing the rigors of such a physical instrument as the drums.

I think it's bullshit. Bill Ward was and I believe still is a great drummer. I mean does Ozzy think he weathered Father Time any better than Bill Ward? If he thinks that, the joke is on him. I would bet that Bill Ward's health was and still is every bit as good as Ozzy's was and is. I don't wish to get into any specifics, but I don't think it's a stretch to believe that Bill is in better shape than Ozzy. Sure Ozzy can still sing, but I have to think even he will admit he doesn't sing as well as he used to sing. And even if Bill can't play the drums as well as he did 35 years ago, I bet he can play the drums now, as well as Ozzy can sing now. So, yeah, that was a bullshit reason. There must be another reason. So, as an outsider, and as a fan, I can't forgive these guys for cutting out Bill Ward from their final album.

Whatever. That's my opinion on the matter. I had said when I began this topic, that I was a fan, but I also said that it didn't mean they could do whatever they wanted with my approval. And besides the fact that they don't need my approval, they don't have it for cutting out Bill Ward.

13

So let's get on with the review. And I start with the album cover design. I don't really care for it. A flaming number 13. Very little imagination there. For a final album cover they might have thought of something better. As for the album title of 13, as I wrote above, it represents the year the album came out. It was 2013, and the album hit number one on the charts. I suppose it was the hype that after 35 years they came out with another album, even though both "Black Sabbath" and Ozzy had put out many albums in the meantime. And I actually liked some of them. But I would have preferred it if they never parted ways. Just like I would have preferred Bill Ward for this album and the tour.

End of the Beginning

They started with heavy metal on their debut album, and they ended with heavy metal on this their final album. The lead song has a slow, plodding beat, but it picks up with a catchy Iommi riff. And Ozzy hits the notes and sounds like Ozzy. I don't hear anything on there that Bill Ward couldn't handle. It's a long song over eight minutes, but it holds up. Still it does not quite match their classic first songs of their other albums. But it's not a big drop off, so I'll give it a nine out of ten.

God is Dead?

The question mark saves the title of this song, otherwise, controversy would overshadow it. It's a slow heavy metal song, and it has a good melody. It's another long song, again over eight minutes, almost nine even. Which makes it two long songs in a row! The lyrics are good, but it still doesn't match the great second songs on their earlier albums, considering those songs include Paranoid, The Wizard, After Forever, etc. But it's still a really good song, so it's another nine out of ten.

Loner

This is a good song, too, and it seems like a flashback to their earlier years. It's another Iommi riff song, as are most of their songs, but as I listen to this song, and I do like it, I can't get over the damn shame that Bill Ward is not there. I honestly believe he would have been a better drummer on this song, and probably on all of the songs. Still it's good, so I'll give it yet another nine out of ten.

Zeitgeist

Another throwback to their earlier years. This song is clearly a carbon copy of their first great slow song, which was on the Paranoid album. Yes, I'm talking about Planet Caravan. Which I had rated a ten out of ten. Well, this song is still a good song, and I like it. But that's because I really liked Planet Caravan. The mood is similar, the beat is similar, the percussion is similar, and even the lyrics are similar. But it's not Planet Caravan, so I will give it a nine out of ten.

Age of Reason

This song is the first one on this album that really perked my attention. Talk about throwbacks, this song might fit on any of their earlier albums. The band really recaptured that Black Sabbath mystique on this song. So, yeah, I really like this song. To me, it's the first song on this album that matches the greatness of their earlier songs. I love the heavy metal start, and the way it maintains it's greatness throughout the duration of the song, even when the beat slows down at parts. And we are treated to a classic Iommi guitar solo that is straight from the 70s. It's the first ten out of ten on this album.

Live Forever

This song reminds me of some of those songs on Vol 4. And there is nothing wrong with that. But some of those rated eight out of ten. Nothing wrong with that either. I really believe that Iommi was putting out his best effort to match his greatness from the 70s, and it's a successful effort for the most part. But it's a match of those earlier eight out of ten songs, so it gets an eight out of ten.

Damaged Soul

This song has some problems. It's a good song, and another long one, almost eight minutes, and the transition of the different parts seem not too smooth to me. It is a slower song, and it's the first time Iommi's guitar work is not as great as I had been used to hearing it. I don't know what the problem is. I know he had health issues during this time. But I doubt that is the cause. Ozzy plays the harmonica, but it's not as good as, say, it was on The Wizard. We also hear him dubbing over his voice to create a vocal harmony again, like he did on the album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I don't think he needed to. To me this song is not as good as the others, so I rate it about a six out of ten.

Dear Father

Another long song. It's over seven minutes, and it seems to me to be more reminiscent of the songs Ozzy sang during his solo period. But it also reminds me of Vol 4 as well. Iommi is back in shape so it's a seven out of ten. The song ends with a thunder, rain and a church bell. Perhaps it was supposed to be the last song, which is why they ended it that way. But there are more songs.

Methademic

Like this one. It's a  blasting heavy metal song, the way I like it. Iommi still has it, make no mistake about that. He comes up with great riffs like no one else. And he is the king of heavy metal, make no mistake about that, either. He is fully on with this song. But it still doesn't reach the level of greatness that I expect from him. But it almost does. Thus this song is a nine out of ten.

Peace of Mind

We are treated to more than the usual eight (or nine) songs for a song line up on Black Sabbath albums, and for the first time on a Black Sabbath Ozzy era song, the song lineup reaches ten songs if you include this one. It's a good song, and I like it. And it happens to be the shortest song on the album at 3:41 long. Nothing wrong with that. But to me, as for how good it is, it rates about the same level as the Dear Father song, so it's a seven out of ten like that one.

Pariah

Instead of completing the song lineup at eight, (or nine) as was typical for the Ozzy era albums, they added three more songs, concluding the song lineup with this song, the eleventh on the album. It's another song that starts out slow, but Iommi's riffs are good and the song speeds up, then slows down again. It's not a great song, which is a let down, considering how they always had great songs conclude their albums. Never Say Die was the only album that didn't. But this song falls way short of that bar, also. So it's a six out of ten.

In conclusion, this album features only one song that rated a ten out of ten. But most of the songs did rate a nine or an eight, which means it's still a very good album. Nevertheless, this album is not a favorite and I rarely listen to it for the simple reason of what they did to Bill Ward. He's the only band member I had an opportunity to meet. The story goes like this: my friend and I had snuck onto the stage during an Ozzfest concert. The bands had yet to perform, and the curtains were closed, so we were up there at a time when no one else was there and no one could see us. We were just hanging out wondering what to do when Bill Ward appeared and proceeded to tune up his drums. When he finished, he was walking back to where Ozzy, Tony, and Geezer probably were, so I called out, "Hey, Bill!" He turned and came over and talked to us for several minutes. So it would have been better if Bill Ward was the drummer on this album. Aside from the concluding song, it's the only critique I have of this album. But it's a huge critique. They dissed Bill Ward and I'll never forgive them for that.