Charts: UK #1, AUS #4, CAN #1, FIN #2, GER #1, NL #10, NOR #1, SWE #1, SWI #1, US #1. UK: Gold; CAN & GER: Platinum.
Cast your fears, doubts and worries aside. The godfathers are back and not to disappoint. The mood of this album is classic Sabbath, the feel of this album is classic Sabbath, I had initial worries due to the lack of Bill Ward and the release of 'God Is Dead?' as a single (which I thought was a good song but nothing exceptional), but those original worries have been blown away by an icy cold breeze from the lords of doom.
The album crawls to life with 'End of the Beginning', which takes a while to come to life and gets you initially worried, you begin to wonder if this whole album is going to just ooze along like a slug in treacle and take you nowhere special. Then Iommi bursts to life with a solo and the song picks up - a faint hope. Out of the dark left behind by 'End of the Beginning' is the single 'God is Dead', a song yet again displaying the dark sabbathy gloom we have grown to love and expect, with ocassional glimpses of what these 60 year olds are still very much capable of.
Loner is the next track and much more of a 'hard rocker' with surprisingly blunt lyrics and a catchy riff telling the sad story of a 'loner' ending with the lyrics ''The secrets of his past live deep inside his head, I wonder if he will be happy when he's dead''. The mention of a riff brings me nicely onto my next point. Tony Iommi. He leads the way in this album combining catchy blues with heavy down-tuned riffs that would turn any party into a funeral march. Then just when you think you're going to be sucked into a black hole the spacey 'Zeitgeist' is there to take you aboard it's spaceship and carry you away. Zeitgeist is one that grows on you with every single listen and has a very 'stoner' element to it, much like the classic 'Planet Caravan'. It can make 4 minutes feel like a lifetime, and a lifetime feel like 4 minutes at the same time.
The next four tracks are 'Age of Reason', 'Live Forever', 'Damaged Soul' and finally 'Dear Father'. Now I don't want to dwell too long on 'Damaged Soul' and 'Age of Reason' not because they're bad, but due to just how good 'Live Forever' and the exceptional 'Dear Father' are. 'Age of Reason' is an excellent track that brings the album back down to earth talking of a 'shattered world that's gonna die', and features more classic yet refreshing Iommi riffs and another vocally strong performance from Ozzy. 'Damaged Soul' is very doomy-bluesy track that lulls you ever closer to your inevitable death bed mainly thanks once again to Iommi.
Wedged between 'Age of Reason' and 'Damaged Soul' is 'Live Forever'. This bursts to life in flames of catchy, rifftastic, heavy as hell and strangely epic combinations of everything metal. With simplistic lyrics of 'Well I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to die' you'll be dragged into the torn world of Ozzy - and you won't want to leave. Finally the album ends with 'Dear Father', a dark twisted story that will have you cowering in fear and feeling a very expressable disgust at very obvious figure head. This song is a mixture of faster paced versus' and guitar work by iommi followed by a slower harrowing chorus as if sung by the devil himself at the offenders. There are inexpressable by text changes in pace, mood and power in this song that I cannot match with mere words. Simply listen and enjoy...and enjoy the last 30 seconds.
Also going to include a notable mention to the bonus tracks, all of which could hold up in an album from any other band, especially 'Methademic' which could arguably earn a place as a main track on this album. After all it wouldn't be Sabbath wihout a track dedicated to a drug, would it? Fast paced, creepy and drug inspired - great song. Don't miss out on the catchy 'Peace of Mind' and lyrically astute 'Pariah' either!...Yet to hear 'Naivete in Black' but I'm sure it won't disappoint.
To summarise: It's Black Sabbath showing the rest how it's done, now bow to their feet. 95%.
Highlights: Toni Iommi's creativity straight from the abyss. 'Zeitgeist', 'Live Forever', 'Dear Father', 'Damaged Soul'...the whole bloody thing!
(metal-archives.com/reviews/Black_Sabbath/13/635941/) Review by DoomMetal13. June 12th, 2013