The End (EP)

Last updated

The End
Blacksabbaththeendcd.jpg
EP by
Released20 January 2016
Recorded2012–2014
StudioShangri La Studios (tracks 1–4)
(Malibu, California)
Genre Heavy metal
Length55:08
Label BS Productions Limited
Producer Rick Rubin (tracks 1–4)
Black Sabbath chronology
13
(2013)
The End
(2016)
Anno Domini 1989–1995
(2024)

The End is an extended play by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath and is their final release as a band. It was released on 20 January 2016. The exclusive, limited-edition CD was only available for purchase at tour dates for their final tour The End Tour. [1] [2] The first half of the album is leftover tracks from the 13 sessions and the second half is live tracks recorded on tour between 2013 and 2014.

Contents

Background

The band recorded tracks at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu with producer Rick Rubin during the sessions for 13, their nineteenth album. While Sabbath had been planning a follow-up to 13, the album was ultimately scrapped. Guitarist Tony Iommi had written "a whole load of riffs" for the abandoned LP, but bassist "Geezer (Butler) didn't particularly want to do another album." Lead singer Ozzy Osbourne also voiced not wanting to record another album, saying "If we were to do an album before the tour, it would take three or four years to complete the album." [3]

Release

The EP was intended to be promoted with The End Tour, being only available for purchase at live dates. Cover art for the disc was created by OBEY founder and artist Shepard Fairey. [4] The End was placed at number 20 on Rolling Stone's top metal albums of 2016. [5]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Season of the Dead"7:22
2."Cry All Night"6:58
3."Take Me Home"4:57
4."Isolated Man"5:31
5."God Is Dead?" (Live in Sydney, Australia on 27 April 2013)9:49
6."Under the Sun" (Live in Auckland, New Zealand on 20 April 2013)4:36
7."End of the Beginning" (Live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on 11 April 2014)8:09
8."Age of Reason" (Live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on 11 April 2014)7:46
Total length:55:08

Personnel

Additional musicians

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Sabbath</span> English heavy metal band

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 line-up changes, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout their history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzy Osbourne</span> English musician and TV personality (born 1948)

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English musician and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness".

<i>Paranoid</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Black Sabbath

Paranoid is the second studio album by English heavy metal 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.

<i>Never Say Die!</i> 1978 studio album by Black Sabbath

Never Say Die! is the eighth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 29 September 1978. It was the last studio album with the band's original lineup and the last studio album to feature original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne until the 2013 album 13. It was certified Gold in the U.S. on 7 November 1997 and as of November 2011 has sold 133,000 copies in the United States since the SoundScan era. The album received mixed reviews, with critics calling it "unbalanced" and insisting its energy was scattered in too many directions.

<i>Master of Reality</i> 1971 studio album by Black Sabbath

Master of Reality is the third studio album by English heavy metal 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".

"War Pigs" is an anti-war protest song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970. It is the opening track from the band's second studio album Paranoid (1970).

<i>Dehumanizer</i> 1992 album by Black Sabbath

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.

<i>Sabotage</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1975 studio album by Black Sabbath

Sabotage is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal 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.

<i>Sabbath Bloody Sabbath</i> 1973 studio album by Black Sabbath

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the fifth studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in November 1973. It was produced by the band and recorded at Morgan Studios in London in September 1973. The writing process for the album, which began in Los Angeles, California, was initially hampered in part by the band's substance abuse and fatigue following their 1972–1973 world tour in support of their previous album, Vol. 4. The band then relocated to Clearwell Castle in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, where guitarist Tony Iommi conceived the main riff of what became the album's title track and lead single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Ward (musician)</span> English drummer (born 1948)

William Thomas Ward is an English musician. He was a co-founder and the original drummer for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Ward helped found Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi (guitarist) and Geezer Butler (bass).

<i>Heaven and Hell</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1980 studio album by Black Sabbath

Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by English heavy metal 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Man (song)</span> Song by Black Sabbath

"Iron Man" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970 from the band's second studio album, Paranoid, and as a single in the US in October 1971.

<i>Reunion</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1998 live album by Black Sabbath

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.

<i>The Best of Black Sabbath</i> 2000 greatest hits album by Black Sabbath

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.

The Reunion Tour was a concert tour by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, celebrating the band's 2012 reunion and in support of their album 13, which was the group's first album to feature their original singer Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's Never Say Die! and original bassist Geezer Butler since 1994's Cross Purposes.

<i>13</i> (Black Sabbath album) 2013 studio album by Black Sabbath

13 is the nineteenth and final studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was released on 10 June 2013 through Vertigo Records, acting as their first studio album in 18 years 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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The End Tour</span> 2016–17 concert tour by Black Sabbath

The End Tour was the final concert tour for the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, featuring founding members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. They performed on the tour with session drummer Tommy Clufetos filling in for the band's original drummer, Bill Ward, along with keyboardist and guitarist Adam Wakeman. The tour concluded Sabbath's over-four-decade career, and was accompanied by the release of an exclusive EP, The End, which contains leftover tracks from the sessions for the band's final studio album, 13, as well as live tracks from their 2012–2014 reunion tour.

<i>The End: Live in Birmingham</i> 2017 live album by Black Sabbath

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.

<i>Black Sabbath: The End of the End</i> 2017 concert documentary film

Black Sabbath: The End of the End is a 2017 concert documentary film about English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, performing the final show of their farewell concert tour, known as The End Tour. The performance took place at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, England, on 4 February 2017, and features founding Black Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, with session drummer Tommy Clufetos filling in for the band's original drummer, Bill Ward. The film also features footage of "The Angelic Sessions"—the band's final studio recordings, recorded in the days following the final show.

References

  1. "Black Sabbath: Four Previously Unreleased Songs From '13' Sessions To Be Made Available On 'The End' CD". Blabbermouth.net . 14 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  2. "New Sabbath Music – ONLY AT SHOWS". Black-Sabbath.com. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  3. Blistein, Jon (14 January 2016). "Black Sabbath Prep Limited Tour CD With Four New Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  4. Gallucci, Michael (14 January 2016). "Four New Black Sabbath Songs Featured on Tour-Only 'The End' CD". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  5. Grow, Kory. "20 Best Metal Albums of 2016". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone . Retrieved 1 January 2018.