13 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 10 June 2013 | |||
Recorded | August 2012 – January 2013 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Heavy metal | |||
Length | 53:34 | |||
Label | Vertigo | |||
Producer | Rick Rubin | |||
Black Sabbath chronology | ||||
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Singles from 13 | ||||
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13 is the nineteenth and final studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. It was released on 10 June 2013 through Vertigo Records, [3] acting as their first studio album in 18 years (the longest gap between albums during their run) following Forbidden (1995). It was the band's 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 was also the first studio album with Osbourne since Never Say Die! (1978), and with Butler since Cross Purposes (1994).
Black Sabbath's original line-up first began work on a new studio album in 2001 with producer Rick Rubin. [4] The album's development was delayed over a 10-year period, as Osbourne resumed his solo career while the rest of the band members went on to pursue other projects, including GZR and Heaven & Hell. When Black Sabbath announced the end of its hiatus on 11 November 2011, the band announced that they would restart work on a new album with Rubin. [5] In addition to original members Osbourne, Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi, the band was 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. [6]
The singles "God Is Dead?", "End of the Beginning", and "Loner" were released in promotion of the album. 13 received positive reviews from critics; praise was directed at the band's songwriting and performance abilities several decades after their formation, though the album has been cited as a product of the loudness war, having a compromised sound quality as a result of an overly compressed dynamic range. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, the band won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for "God Is Dead?". Commercially, 13 was a number-one album in several countries, including the United Kingdom and United States. It was later certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The album was also certified platinum in Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Poland.
Black Sabbath released its 18th studio album, Forbidden , in 1995, to negative reviews. [7] The following months left the group at a crossroads. [8] After a series of reunion tours from 1997 to 1999 – mostly with Ozzfest – and a break from touring in 2000, the original line-up began work on a new album with producer Rick Rubin in the spring of 2001. [4] These sessions were halted when Ozzy Osbourne was called away to finish tracks for his eighth solo album Down to Earth , released in October that year. [9] Tony Iommi recalled: "It just came to an end... It's a shame because [the songs] were really good." "It's quite different recording now..." he added. "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." [10]
"We got very scratchy stuff," Osbourne explained in late 2001. "It never really materialised into much. It may be great, but I haven't heard it since, apart from the one song we were doing live ['Scary Dreams', played on Ozzfest 2001]. We produced our own stuff and then we handed the tapes over to Rick Rubin and that was the last I heard of it. I must confess... it wasn't the same way, anyhow. Geezer wasn't writing the lyrics anymore, I was having real big problems coming up with melody lines and topics to sing about... Tony was still firing off these amazing heavy metal riffs. He just goes, 'Here you go,' and comes out with one better than you've ever heard in your life. You'd think he'd run out of things to play. But, for all that, the chemistry just wasn't there." [11]
After one more reunion tour in mid-2001, where they again headlined Ozzfest, Sabbath went back on hiatus. In March 2002, Osbourne's Emmy-winning reality TV show The Osbournes debuted on MTV, and quickly became a worldwide hit. It introduced Osbourne to a broader audience; and, to capitalise, Sanctuary Records (who own Sabbath's back catalogue) released the live album Past Lives , featuring material recorded in the 1970s, including the 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, [12] and in March 2006, after eleven years of eligibility, the band were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [13]
In April 2007, a month before the release of Osbourne's tenth album Black Rain , Rhino Records released Black Sabbath: The Dio Years , a compilation culled from the four 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 peaked at No.54 on the Billboard 200, while the single "The Devil Cried" reached No. 37 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. [14] Pleased with the results, Iommi and Dio decided to reunite the Heaven and Hell era line-up for a world tour. Because the line-up of Osbourne, Butler, Iommi and Bill Ward were still officially called Black Sabbath, the new line-up dubbed themselves Heaven & Hell, after the album of the same name. Ward was to participate, but dropped out before the tour began due to musical differences with "a couple of the band members" as well as a "contractual dispute". [15] He was replaced by former drummer Vinny Appice, reuniting the line-up that had featured on Mob Rules and Dehumanizer . After their only studio album The Devil You Know in 2009, Dio died after a battle against stomach cancer on 16 May 2010. [16] Following a tribute concert with former Sabbath vocalist Glenn Hughes, [17] Heaven & Hell disbanded.
On 11 November 2011, 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 Sabbath band members. [18] [19] [20] [21] At the event, 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, Iommi responded, "It's now or never. We get along great. Everything's really good." [5] Butler commented that the new material was the "old Sabbath style and sound." [5] Osbourne said he was "blown away", and, "I don't understand why it's happening. I mean, 45 years down the road and we've got a really great album to put out." [22] On 18 November 2011, Black Sabbath announced that they would be touring Europe in May and June 2012. [23]
On 9 January 2012, it was announced Iommi had been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, [24] 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. [25] 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. [26] 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. [27]
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." [28] On 18 May 2012, Ward was cropped out of photos on blacksabbath.com. [29] 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. [30]
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. [31] The band returned to the studio to continue work on the album on 23 August 2012. [32] An interview that October confirmed the title of one of the new songs, "God Is Dead?". [33] 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. [6]
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. [34] The band released a brief documentary on their time in the studio via YouTube in February 2013. In it, the group stated that they felt excited to work with producer Rubin and emphasized their desire for a "raw" sound. [35]
On 4 April 2013, Black Sabbath unveiled the cover artwork for 13. [36] The artwork was created by Nick Dart and Neil Bowen of 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. [37] According to bassist Geezer Butler, the title 13 comes from the record company pressuring the band to write 13 songs but they wanted to stop at 10; however, only eight tracks made the final cut. [38]
Prior to the album's release, Black Sabbath embarked on their first tour of Australia (initially kicking off in New Zealand) since 1974 in April and May 2013. [39] They also headlined Ozzfest Japan on 12 May 2013. [40] These dates had been arranged to allow Iommi to return to the UK for lymphoma treatment once every six weeks. [41] From late July to early September 2013, Black Sabbath embarked on their first North American tour in eight years. [42] After that, they toured Latin America in October, followed by Europe in November and December. [43]
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. [44] [45] Black Sabbath appeared on the season 13 finale of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, in which they performed another new song, "End of the Beginning". [46] The song also plays during the end credits of the 2013 comedy film This Is the End , although it is not listed on the film's official soundtrack.[ citation needed ] The album became available for streaming on iTunes on 3 June 2013. [47]
13 was first released on 7 June 2013 in parts of Europe and Australasia. It was then released in the UK on 10 June and in North America the day after. [48] It reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart after its first week of sales. It is the band's first album to top the UK chart since Paranoid (1970). With a gap of nearly 43 years, it beat the previous record held by Bob Dylan, who released his first chart topping album, Together Through Life (2009), since New Morning (1970). Osbourne was said to be "in shock" at the album's success, remarking that the band has "never had a record climb the charts so fast" before. [49] In another first for the band, the album also reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 charts, selling 155,000 copies in the first week. Osbourne said, "There have been so many amazing highlights in our long career. To finally have our first #1 album in the U.S. is another incredible milestone for Black Sabbath." [50]
In its second week of release, the album fell to No. 5 in the US, selling 46,000, totalling 201,000 copies, [51] and in its third week, 13 sold over 26,000 bringing its total sales to 227,000 copies in the US. [52] As of April 2014, 13 has sold over 360,000 copies in the United States. [53] The album also debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart with 25,000 units sold. [54] As of July 2014, the album has surpassed over 1 million copies sold worldwide. [55]
Aforementioned lead single "God Is Dead?" received a great deal of airplay both in Canada and in the United States. For example, the track hit the No. 26 spot on the Billboard top rock songs chart. [56] The band additionally released a related music video for the single.
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.8/10 [57] |
Metacritic | 72/100 [58] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [56] |
Consequence of Sound | [59] |
Drowned in Sound | 7/10 [60] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [61] |
The Guardian | [62] |
Metal Hammer | 9/10 [63] |
NME | 7/10 [64] |
Pitchfork | 7.0/10 [65] |
Rolling Stone | [66] |
Slant Magazine | [67] |
13 has received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, it has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 32 reviews. [58] Fred Thomas of AllMusic praised 13, calling it "unexpectedly brilliant, apocalyptic, and essential for any die-hard metal fan". [56] Geoff Barton of Metal Hammer observed how the heavy metal genre had developed ever since the band originally started it, and concluded that the classic line-up of the band has proven their relevance in modern-day music. [63]
However, 13 has been criticised for having compromised sound quality, due to an overly compressed dynamic range, during a process called peak limiting, which leads to audible distortion. Jon Hadusek of Consequence of Sound said of the production, "Rubin...deserves disparagement for the way he mixed the audio levels, which are crushed by distortion and compression. Otherwise well-recorded songs are blemished, an affliction all too pervasive in the modern music industry". [59] Ben Ratliff of The New York Times also disliked the album's mastering, saying, "The new Black Sabbath album was produced by Rick Rubin, who some believe to be a prime offender in the recent history of highly compressed and loudly mastered music — a major cause of ear fatigue...13 is mastered loudly, too; Mr. Iommi's guitar tone planes outward, leaving very little space, and the drums stay high and present in the mix. Your ears aren't given room to breathe". [68]
The album's lead single "God Is Dead?" won Black Sabbath their first Grammy Award in 14 years for Best Metal Performance in 2014. [69] In 2013, the album won a Metal Hammer Golden God Award for Best Album [70] and a Classic Rock Roll of Honours Award for Album of the Year. [71] It also won the 2014 Revolver Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year. [72]
All lyrics are written by Geezer Butler except "Methademic" by Ozzy Osbourne; all music is composed by Tony Iommi, Osbourne and Butler
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "End of the Beginning" | 8:05 |
2. | "God Is Dead?" | 8:52 |
3. | "Loner" | 4:59 |
4. | "Zeitgeist" | 4:37 |
5. | "Age of Reason" | 7:01 |
6. | "Live Forever" | 4:46 |
7. | "Damaged Soul" | 7:51 |
8. | "Dear Father" | 7:20 |
Total length: | 53:34 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
9. | "Methademic" | 5:57 |
10. | "Peace of Mind" | 3:40 |
11. | "Pariah" | 5:34 |
12. | "Dirty Women" (Live in Australia 2013) | 7:21 |
Total length: | 76:06 |
No. | Title | Length |
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9. | "Naïveté in Black" | 3:50 |
Total length: | 57:24 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Methademic" | 5:57 |
2. | "Peace of Mind" | 3:40 |
3. | "Pariah" | 5:34 |
Total length: | 15:11 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Austria (IFPI Austria) [120] | Gold | 7,500* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [121] | Platinum | 40,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [122] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [123] | Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [124] | Platinum | 20,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [125] | Gold | 129,399 [126] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define the genre with their first three albums Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality (1971). Following Osbourne's departure in 1979, the band underwent multiple lineup changes, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history.
Paranoid is the second studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 18 September 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and on 7 January 1971 by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album contains several of the band's signature songs, including "Iron Man", "War Pigs" and the title track, which was the band's only Top 20 hit, reaching number 4 on the UK charts.
Master of Reality is the third studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in the United Kingdom on 6 August 1971 by Vertigo Records. It is regarded by some critics as the foundation of doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal. Produced by Rodger Bain, who also produced the band's prior two albums, Master of Reality was recorded at Island Studios in London from February to April 1971. Guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler downtuned their instruments during the production, achieving what Iommi called a "bigger, heavier sound".
Dehumanizer is the sixteenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. It was first released on 22 June 1992 in the UK by I.R.S. Records and on 30 June 1992 in the US by Reprise Records.
Sabotage is the sixth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 28 July 1975. The album was recorded in the midst of a legal battle with the band's former manager, Patrick Meehan. The stress that resulted from the band's ongoing legal woes infiltrated the recording process, inspiring the album's title. It was co-produced by guitarist Tony Iommi and Mike Butcher.
Vol. 4 is the fourth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in September 1972. It was the first album by Black Sabbath not produced by Rodger Bain; guitarist Tony Iommi assumed production duties. Patrick Meehan, the band's then-manager, was listed as co-producer, though his actual involvement in the album's production was minimal.
We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll is a compilation album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, originally released in January 1976 in the UK and 3 February 1976 in the US.
Born Again is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. Released on 9 September 1983, it is the only album the group recorded with lead vocalist Ian Gillan, best known for his work with Deep Purple. It was also the last Black Sabbath album for 9 years to feature original bassist Geezer Butler and the last to feature original drummer Bill Ward, though Ward did record a studio track with the band 15 years later on their 1998 live album Reunion. The album has received mixed reviews from critics, but was a commercial success upon its 1983 release, reaching No. 4 in the UK charts. The album also hit the top 40 in the United States. In July 2021, guitarist and founding member Tony Iommi confirmed that the long lost original master tapes of the album had been finally located, and that he was considering remixing the album for a future re-release.
Live Evil is the first official live album by English rock band Black Sabbath. The previously released Live at Last (1980) was not sanctioned by the band. Live Evil peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 18 April 1980. It is the first Black Sabbath album to feature vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who replaced original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne in 1979.
Technical Ecstasy is the seventh studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, produced by guitarist Tony Iommi and released in October 1976 by Vertigo Records. The album received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, peaking at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and number 51 on the US Billboard 200 Album chart, later being certified Gold by the RIAA in 1997.
Reunion is a live album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on 19 October 1998. As implied by the title, the album features a reunion of the original Black Sabbath lineup of vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. The album represents the first new release featuring that version of the group since 1978's Never Say Die! and Osbourne's subsequent firing the following year. Black Sabbath received their first ever Grammy Award in 2000 for the live recording of "Iron Man" taken from Reunion.
Forbidden is the eighteenth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 5 June 1995. This recording saw the reunion of Black Sabbath's Tyr-era line-up from 1990, with the return of Neil Murray and Cozy Powell. It was the last album to feature Tony Martin on vocals and Geoff Nicholls on keyboards, and the last by the band until 2013 when Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler returned for the album 13. The album sold 21,000 copies in the US in its first week and as of 2013, Forbidden has sold 191,000 copies in the US.
The Best of Black Sabbath is a double CD compilation album by Black Sabbath released in 2000 on the Sanctuary Records label. Its 32 songs are presented chronologically from the band's first 11 albums, spanning the years 1970 to 1983. Black Sabbath's classic six-album run, from 1970s debut Black Sabbath through 1975's Sabotage is celebrated with three to six songs from each album. Original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne's subsequent final two albums with the band, 1976's Technical Ecstasy and 1978's Never Say Die!, are represented by one and two songs, respectively. Replacement Ronnie James Dio's early 80's stint fronting the band on two albums is acknowledged with the title track of 1980's Heaven and Hell and a track from 1981's The Mob Rules. The compilation closes with a song from 1983's attempted rebirth, Born Again, former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan's sole album with the band. The Best of Black Sabbath does not include any later material with vocalists Glenn Hughes, Tony Martin (1986–96) or the returning Dio.
Geoffrey James Nicholls was an English guitarist and keyboardist, and longtime member of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath until 2004. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath. In the 1960s/early 1970s, Geoff played lead guitar for the Birmingham bands The Boll Weevils, The Seed, Johnny Neal and the Starliners, and played keyboards for World of Oz.
Heaven & Hell was a British-American heavy metal supergroup active from 2006 to 2010, featuring guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice.
Black Sabbath: The Dio Years is a 2007 compilation CD of material recorded by Black Sabbath during vocalist Ronnie James Dio's tenure in the band. The CD contains remastered tracks taken from the studio albums Heaven and Hell (1980), Mob Rules (1981), and Dehumanizer (1992), as well as a live version of the song "Children of the Sea" taken from the live album Live Evil (1982). It also contains three songs that were recorded in 2007: "The Devil Cried", "Shadow of the Wind", and "Ear in the Wall".
The Devil You Know is the only studio album by heavy metal band Heaven & Hell; the members had previously recorded as a group in an earlier line-up of Black Sabbath. The Devil You Know was Ronnie James Dio's final studio album prior to his death in May 2010.
Iron Man: The Best of Black Sabbath is a compilation album from Black Sabbath, released by Sanctuary Records to support the band's 2012 reunion tour.
The End: Live in Birmingham is a live album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It features the final performance from their farewell concert tour, known as The End Tour, recorded at Genting Arena in Birmingham, England, on 4 February 2017. Performing at the show and on the album are founding Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler. They performed with session drummer Tommy Clufetos filling in for the band's original drummer, Bill Ward, as well as keyboardist and guitarist Adam Wakeman.