This Cannot Be Perfect, But That’s OK – 87%
octavarium, June 11th, 2013
When 13 came out, I was listening to it for the first time (with the exception of God is Dead?) and reading reviews on this site. And quite frankly I think a decent number of them are a little unfair. It seems a bit unreasonable for hardcore fans to expect a perfect return to form for a forty-year-old band with a lineup that has reunited for an album for the first time in over thirty years. Some pan the band’s over-reliance on doom, others the hearkening back of past ideas, others of just plain old age. But wait a minute…how is this any different from The Devil You Know? Wasn’t that a heavily doom-inspired album with two of the same members of this album? Wasn’t it a little repetitive? And didn’t fans like it and praise it as another Sabbath reunion? Yes to all of those, and yet just because 13 was a little late to the dance some hardcore fans are crucifying it. Just like the aforementioned Devil You Know, 13 is a tad repetitive with overwhelming doom but is absolutely by no means a bad or even average album. And it’s a grower. First impressions aren’t always everything, and 13 will probably take a few listens to truly appreciate the music.
Guitarist and lone consistent member Tony Iommi has long been the riff-master of metal and brought us so many classics such as Iron Man, Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Symptom of the Universe. So one might be disappointed that he’s not pulling any new tricks out his sleeve and instead focuses on overloaded heavy doom riffage. And as the album goes on, some of the riffs get a bit repetitive and less original and recycled. But considering he’s the master of the metal riff, he makes even repetitive sound cool and fun. Even as I hope for something a little bit more varied in his riffs I just can’t help but appreciate the dark heaviness. And his solos hearken back to his blues roots in early Sabbath, which is pretty awesome. Geezer Butler’s bass lines are dirty but very defined and rather than just support the guitar (which is sometimes annoying in metal) he helps contribute to the wall of sound that they created in the early 70’s. Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk steps in for Bill Ward on drums and, let’s face it, there’s only one Bill Ward. To expect him to fill his shoes or surpass him as a drummer is ridiculous. Keeping that in mind, his drumming is very solid and pounding and ultimately does its job. Probably one of the biggest issues fans are going to take with this album is Ozzy’s voice. Ozzy has never been a technically gifted or singer. That’s never been the case, and it certainly isn’t the case now. But while Ozzy may not be as skilled as other Sabbath singers, he’s always had that “it factor”, that iconic impact with his voice. It’s hard to explain, his voice has just always fit perfectly. And while his voice and range have declined due to age, drugs, and alcohol, he still does a solid job. It just fits.
The instrumentation is solid, and the lyrics by Butler are still superb. Song topics cover war, the question of religious faith, isolation, and travelling through space. Obviously recurring themes in Sabbath’s music. And while there is no undeniable, classic standout track, there is nothing to shake a finger at either. While there is some occasional familiarity Sabbath throws in just enough riffing and breakdowns to keep a certain degree of freshness. The beginning section of opening track End of the Beginning is almost structurally identical to Black Sabbath. However, it speeds up rather than stay too doomy a little less than halfway through the song to avoid a complete recreation. In fact, the song’s latter half is spectacular and is sure to bang heads, ultimately being one of the best on the album. Single God is Dead? follows a similar formula but has an absolute killer instrumental breakdown near the end. And while the dreamy Zeitgeist is basically a sequel or 21st century version of Planet Caravan, it’s still a pretty cool concept and definitely changes things up. Loner is an upbeat bluesy sort of song and, like Zeitgeist, keeps things fresh during the doomfest. Live Forever accomplishes the same by combining both doom and upbeat metal but is arguably one of the weaker tracks. Age of Reason, Damaged Soul, and Dear Father all continue the epic doom trend of God is Dead? and End of the Beginning. Age of Reason is cool with an extended instrumental section while Damaged Soul carries a bluesy vibe similar to Loner and also features Ozzy on harmonica for the first time since The Wizard (which is pretty awesome). Dear Father follows in the same vein as the other doom tracks but surprisingly ends with sounds of rainfall and the same church bells as Black Sabbath. This very cool ending gives the album a full circle feeling, and perhaps hints that this will be the final album that Sabbath ever does.
If you buy the album, make sure you get the deluxe edition with four bonus songs (Naivete in Black is only available on the Japanese or Best Buy versions). Methademic and Naivete in Black (a reference to the common misconception of N.I.B. being an acronym for “Nativity in Black”) are definitely the champions of these four. They are actually two of the best songs on the entire album (Naivete in Black in particular) and are the only fast-paced songs. Peace of Mind and Pariah are more mid-paced songs and while not fantastic, are still pretty good and are solid additions as bonus tracks.
Did this album blow me away? Not necessarily. Is it a bit repetitive in areas? Yes. Is it still a great album for guys who have been in the game for over forty years and essentially created heavy metal? Absolutely. Don’t expect Sabbath to redefine the genre they defined in the first place, but this is still a very strong and exceptional album. It seems like wishful thinking to expect this to be perfect, but 13 succeeds in being heavy, dark, and consistent. It might not leave a strong impression the first time around, but a couple of listens later and you have a damn fine album. Who knows if this is really the final chapter for Black Sabbath given the ending of Dear Father, but maybe that is the way it should be. As much as we would all love a full reunion with Bill Ward, maybe the masters of metal have nothing left to prove. Even if this is not the perfect album we were all hoping for, it is still a great one. They have given us decades of excellent music, and have finally reunited to give us even more. And that’s all this Sabbath fan asks.
But in all honesty, I hope they keep it up. I think they proved they still have plenty of gas left in the tank.
rafazardly 