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13 (Black Sabbath album)

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Untitled

13 is the upcoming nineteenth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. The album is set to be released on 10 June 2013 in Europe[1] and 11 June 2013 in North America,[2] via Vertigo Records and Republic Records in the US, and via Vertigo Records worldwide.[3] It will be the first studio album released by Black Sabbath since Forbidden (1995), and their first studio recording with original singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler since the live album Reunion (1998), which contained two new studio tracks. It is also the first studio album with Osbourne since Never Say Die! (1978), and Butler since Cross Purposes (1994).

The original lineup of Black Sabbath first began work on a new studio album in 2001 with producer Rick Rubin.[4] The album's development was delayed because Osbourne was in the middle of finishing a solo album, and the rest of the band members eventually went on to pursue other projects, including GZR and Heaven & Hell. When Black Sabbath announced their reunion on 11 November 2011, the band announced that they would restart work on a new album with Rubin.[5] The recording sessions took place from August 2012 to January 2013 at a studio in Los Angeles, California. In addition to original members Osbourne, Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi, they were joined at the recording sessions by drummer Brad Wilk, of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, following original drummer Bill Ward's decision to not participate in the reunion, due to a "contractual dispute".[3] It became available for streaming on iTunes on 3 June 2013.[6]

Background

After a series of reunion tours from 1997 to 1999, which included shows at Ozzfest, the original lineup of Black Sabbath began work on a new album with producer Rick Rubin in the spring of 2001;[4] however, the sessions were halted when Ozzy Osbourne was called away to finish tracks for his solo album Down to Earth, which was released in October of that year.[7] Tony Iommi recalls, "It just came to an end. We didn't go any further, and it's a shame because [the songs] were really good".[8] Iommi commented on the difficulty getting all of the band members together to work on material:

It's quite different recording now. We've all done so much in between. In [the early] days there was no mobile phone ringing every five seconds. When we first started, we had nothing. We all worked for the same thing. Now everybody has done so many other things. It's great fun and we all have a good chat, but it's just different, trying to put an album together.[8]

After one more reunion tour in mid-2001, where they again headlined Ozzfest, Black Sabbath went on hiatus again. In March 2002, Osbourne's Emmy winning reality TV show The Osbournes debuted on MTV, and quickly became a worldwide hit. The show introduced Osbourne to a broader audience, and to capitalise, Sanctuary Records (who own Black Sabbath's back catalogue) released the live album Past Lives, which featured concert material recorded in the 1970s, including the previously unofficial Live at Last album. The band remained on hiatus until mid-2004, when they returned to headline Ozzfest 2004 and 2005. In November 2005, Black Sabbath were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame,[9] and in March 2006, after eleven years of eligibility, the band were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[10] At the awards ceremony Metallica played two Black Sabbath songs, "Hole in the Sky" and "Iron Man", in tribute to the band.[11]

While Osbourne was working on his new solo album in 2006, Rhino Records released Black Sabbath: The Dio Years, a compilation of songs culled from the four Black Sabbath releases featuring Ronnie James Dio. For the release, Iommi, Geezer Butler, Dio and Vinny Appice reunited to write and record three new songs as Black Sabbath. The Dio Years was released on 3 April 2007, reaching number 54 on the Billboard 200, while the single "The Devil Cried" reached number 37 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[12] Pleased with the results, Iommi and Dio decided to reunite the Heaven and Hell era line-up for a world tour. While the line-up of Osbourne, Butler, Iommi and Bill Ward were still officially called Black Sabbath, the new line-up opted to call themselves Heaven & Hell, after the album of the same name, to avoid confusion. Ward was initially set to participate, but dropped out before the tour began due to musical differences with "a couple of the band members".[13] He was replaced by former drummer Vinny Appice, effectively reuniting the line-up that had featured on the Mob Rules and Dehumanizer albums. After releasing their only studio album The Devil You Know in 2009, Dio died after a battle against stomach cancer on 16 May 2010,[14] and following a tribute concert with former Black Sabbath vocalist Glenn Hughes,[15] Heaven & Hell disbanded.

On 11 November 2011, Black Sabbath hosted a private announcement ceremony at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, California. Hosted by former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins, the event featured all four original Black Sabbath band members.[16][17][18][19] At the event, Black Sabbath announced they would be officially reuniting, following months of rumours. The reunion was said to feature an appearance at the 2012 Download Festival, and a newly recorded studio album by Rubin expected to be released in late 2012.[5] When Rollins asked the band why they chose to reunite now, Iommi responded "It's now or never. We get along great. Everything's really good."[5] Butler also commented that the new material sounds like the "old Sabbath style and sound."[5] On 18 November 2011, Black Sabbath announced that they would be touring Europe in May and June 2012.[20]

Recording

On 9 January 2012, it was announced Iommi had been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma,[21] which was not expected to impede the group's activity. Because of his cancer diagnosis, work sessions for 13, which were supposed to take place in Los Angeles, California, were moved to Iommi's home in England.[22] On 2 February 2012, Ward publicly announced that he would not participate in the Black Sabbath reunion unless he was given a "signable contract." The following day, the other group members announced they had "no choice but to continue recording without him," but also said "our door is always open" for Ward to return to the band.[23] In February 2012, the band announced that they would not continue the world tour but would play the Download festival in June 2012. Instead of Black Sabbath, the tour would feature Osbourne and a revolving line-up of guest musicians, billed as "Ozzy and Friends". On 11 April, Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell announced that Black Sabbath would perform at Lollapalooza 2012. Farrell said this would be Black Sabbath's only American concert in 2012.[24] On 15 May 2012, Ward posted on his website that "after a final effort to participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has continued" and that he would not be participating in the reunion shows, but would "remain with an open mind and a position of willingness to negotiate 'signable' terms with Sabbath's representatives in the future."[25] On 18 May 2012, Ward was cropped out of photos on blacksabbath.com.[26] On 19 May 2012, Butler released a statement expressing sadness at Ward's decision. He further unveiled that drummer Tommy Clufetos was rehearsing with them in England.[27]

On 2 June 2012, Osbourne told NME that Black Sabbath had written "about 15 songs so far". He also said that 2013 was a good clue as to what the album would be called.[28] The band returned to the studio to continue work on the album on 23 August 2012.[29] An interview that October confirmed the title of one of the new songs, "God Is Dead?".[30] On 12 January 2013, Black Sabbath announced that the album would be called 13 and was expected to be released in June. It was also announced that drummer Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave joined in during the recording sessions to complete the drum tracks for the album.[3]

In a January 2013 interview at NAMM, which took place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, Butler stated that 13 was not the final title of the album and it would possibly be changed; however, this turned out not to be the case.[31] The band released a brief documentary on their time in the studio via YouTube in February 2013.[32] The album has a dramatic finish, ending with the sound of a bell chiming in the distance along with the sound of thunder and rain, which sounds very similar, if not the same as the intro of the first Black Sabbath album.

Artwork

On 4 April 2013 Black Sabbath unveiled the album artwork for 13.[33] The artwork was created by Zip Design in London. Zip commissioned sculptor Spencer Jenkins to create an 8 foot tall "13" from wicker, which was then set on fire in the Buckinghamshire countryside. The flames were visible for miles. The image was shot by photographer Jonathan Knowles. A behind-the-scenes video, also shot by Jonathan Knowles's team, was released by Zip Design, showing the numbers' construction.[34]

Touring and promotion

Prior to the album's release, Black Sabbath embarked on their first tour of Australia since 1974 in April and May 2013.[35] They also headlined Ozzfest Japan on 12 May 2013.[36] These dates had been arranged to allow Iommi to return to the UK for lymphoma treatment once every six weeks.[37] From late July to early September 2013, Black Sabbath will embark on their first North American tour in eight years.[38] After that, they will tour Latin America in October, followed by Europe in November and December.[39]

The first single, "God Is Dead?", was released to radio on 18 April 2013, and as a digital download and on YouTube on 19 April.[40][41] Black Sabbath appeared on the season 13 finale of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, in which they performed another new song, "End of the Beginning".[42] The album became available for streaming on iTunes on 3 June 2013.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Metal Hammer9/10[43]
RollingStone[44]
Entertainment Weekly(B-)[45]
Sputnikmusic[46]

Metal Hammer reviewed 13, observing how the heavy metal genre had developed ever since the band originally started it, and concluding that the classic line-up of the band has proven their relevance in modern-day music.[43]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Geezer Butler; all music is composed by Ozzy Osbourne, Butler, and Tony Iommi

Standard edition[47]
No.TitleLength
1."End of the Beginning"8:07
2."God Is Dead?"8:54
3."Loner"5:06
4."Zeitgeist"4:28
5."Age of Reason"7:02
6."Live Forever"4:49
7."Damaged Soul"7:46
8."Dear Father"7:06
Total length:53:18
Deluxe Edition bonus tracks[48]
No.TitleLength
9."Methademic"5:57
10."Peace of Mind"3:40
11."Pariah"5:34
Total length:67:49
Best Buy bonus disc[49]
No.TitleLength
1."Methademic"5:57
2."Peace of Mind"3:40
3."Pariah"5:34
4."Naïveté in Black"3:50
Total length:19:01

Personnel

Black Sabbath

Session members

Production

References

  1. ^ "Black Sabbath Pre Order Details". Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Video: Black Sabbath Post Second Behind-the-Scenes Look at New Album, '13'". Guitar World. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Black Sabbath: New Album Title Announced; Recording Drummer Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 12 January 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  4. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Black Sabbath - Music Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d Baltin, Steve (11 November 2011). "Black Sabbath Announce New Album Produced by Rick Rubin". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b "BLACK SABBATH: Entire '13' Album Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  7. ^ Saraceno, Christina. "Sabbath Scrap Disturbed Dates". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b "Black Sabbath Guitarist Says It's A 'Shame' The Band Didn't Complete New Studio Album". Blabbermouth.net. 23 July 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  9. ^ "UK Music Hall of Fame 2005". BBC Radio 2. BBC. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  10. ^ Sprague, David. "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2006: Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne recalls his band's heavy, scary journey". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Metallica: Video Footage Of Black Sabbath Rock Hall Induction, Performance Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. 23 March 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Black Sabbath Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  13. ^ Russell, Tom (20 February 2010). "Ward On Quitting Heaven & Hell: I Was Uncomfortable With Some Things Surrounding The Project". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  14. ^ Sisario, Ben (16 May 2010). "Ronnie James Dio, Rock Vocalist, Dies at 67". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  15. ^ "Tony Iommi Talks Exclusively About Heaven & Hell's Tribute to Ronnie James Dio at High Voltage Festival". High Voltage Festival. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  16. ^ Ramirez, Carlos (4 November 2011). "Black Sabbath to Make Special Announcement Next Week". Noisecreep. AOL. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  17. ^ "Black Sabbath set to make 'special announcement' next week". NME. IPC Media. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  18. ^ Grow, Kory (4 November 2011). "Black Sabbath to Hold Press Conference on 11/11/11". Revolver. Future US. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  19. ^ Parker, Matthew (4 November 2011). "Black Sabbath reunion for 11 November?". MusicRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  20. ^ Young, Alex (18 November 2012). "Black Sabbath schedules European reunion tour dates". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  21. ^ "Tony Iommi to undergo treatment for lymphoma". BBC News. BBC. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  22. ^ "13". Black Sabbath Online. 13 January 2013.
  23. ^ Greene, Andy (3 February 2012). "Black Sabbath Pledge To Carry on Without Drummer Bill Ward". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  24. ^ Baltin, Steve (11 April 2012). "Lollapalooza 2012 Lineup: Black Sabbath, Chili Peppers, Jack White". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  25. ^ "Statement on Upcoming Black Sabbath Shows". 13 January 2013.
  26. ^ "Bill Ward Removed From Photos On Black Sabbath's Official Web Site". Blabbermouth.net. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  27. ^ "Geezer Butler's Heavy Heart". 13 January 2013.
  28. ^ "Black Sabbath: 15 Songs Written For New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 2 June 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  29. ^ "Geezer Butler@GZRMusic". Twitter. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  30. ^ "BLACK SABBATH's New Album Has 15 Songs Recorded | Exclusive". metalinjection.net. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  31. ^ "Black Sabbath Bassist Talks New Album, Upcoming Tour In Video Interview". Blabbermouth.net. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  32. ^ "An Inside Look At Black Sabbath in the Studio". Youtube. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  33. ^ "Black Sabbath: '13' Cover Artwork, Audio Snippet Released". Blabbermouth.net. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  34. ^ "Black Sabbath Creating the Cover on Vimeo". Vimeo. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  35. ^ "Black Sabbath Australian Tour 2013 Announced". Black Sabbath Online. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  36. ^ "Black Sabbath Announced on Ozzfest Japan". Black Sabbath Online. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  37. ^ http://rocktransmission.com/2013/04/17/news-tony-iommi-updates-fans-on-cancer-treatment/
  38. ^ "Black Sabbath: More North American Tour Dates Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  39. ^ "Black Sabbath: European Tour Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  40. ^ "Black Sabbath: 'God Is Dead?' Single Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. 18 April 2013.
  41. ^ "God Is Dead? by Black Sabbath". 19 April 2013.
  42. ^ "BLACK SABBATH PERFORMING NEW SINGLE ON SEASON FINALE OF 'CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION'". Loudwire. 10 April 2013.
  43. ^ a b http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/review-black-sabbath-13-yep-thats-the-full-new-black-sabbath-album-reviewed-right-here/
  44. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/13-20130603
  45. ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20705845,00.html
  46. ^ http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/57214/Black-Sabbath-13/
  47. ^ "Black Sabbath Officially Reveal Full Track Listing for New Album, 13". revolvermag.com. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  48. ^ "Black Sabbath Deluxe Track Listing". 16 April 2013.
  49. ^ "13 (Best Buy Exclusive) - CD - Black Sabbath". 1 May 2013.
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