First up is "End of the Beginning". It begins with a very heavy, classic-sounding riff from Iommi. Almost reminiscent of the song "Black Sabbath" from their 1970 debut, the song is very sinister. A deluge of metallic guitars, thunderous drum fills, and distorted bass from Geezer, it sounds just as sick and twisted as anything from the band's early days. However, the sound of the album immediately lacks the rawness of early Sabbath, sounding more like an Ozzy solo album: production wise. This is certainly not a bad thing, just a very different sound from the 1970s classic albums. The lyrics are classic Butler, very apocalyptic, seeped in the doom and decay of the modern world. I like the track, a bit too clear and modern sounding, and a tad too long at over 8 minutes, but enjoyable. Next is lead-single, "God Is Dead?". Opinion of the song has been divided, with many calling it dreary and an earful at over 8 minutes long. I don't really care what people think, and I happen to like the song quite a bit. Geezer's bass slithers through the mix, accompanying the guitar with the very punchy, high gain sound he perfected on Heaven and Hell's 2009 album, The Devil You Know. Tony delivers a crushing riff during the chorus, as heavy, if not heavier than anything he has ever come up with. The lyrics seem very agnostic in nature, but a conclusion about faith is certainly reached if you listen to the song carefully. A great song, classic Sabbath. I especially like the breakdown at the end of the song, very heavy and angry, Ozzy sounds great, somewhat diminished vocally speaking in his older years, but still full of fire and brimstone.
"Loner" continues the all-out riff barrage. I don't know how Tony has anymore riffs left to think of, but the man certainly has not run out of the proverbial "juice". A very Dio-esque riff, it reminds of 1980s Sabbath. But of course, Ozzy brings it back to an earlier time. Brad Wilk sounds pretty good on the sticks here, having pretty big shoes to fill in the absence of mastermind Bill Ward. The song is a bit convoluted in terms of having so many different sections and riffs, but each one has its own character and charm, with a slightly "Rage-like" riff appearing near the end of the song. But I find the song hard to follow, it is quite all over the place. The true highlight of the track is the very nice bass work from Geezer, still at the top of his game, a four-string god. Not a bad song at all, just one of the weaker tracks on the album, a grower for sure. "Zeitgeist" is the spiritual successor to "Planet Caravan". Featuring lonely acoustics and percussion, I really like the future-apocalyptic blues/jazz vibe of this song, like Planet Caravan and Revelation (Mother Earth) had a mutated baby, musically speaking. Geezer is just as jazzy as "Caravan", beautiful bass work. Wilk sounds nice on the track, very minimal, a perfect accompaniment to Ozzy's desolate and fragile vocal. Iommi's solo is mind-blowing, sparse, but powerful at the same time. A great song, my favorite on the album.
"Age of Reason" brings back the riffage. Tony delivers a very nasty riff, like a thick cloud of metallic smoke, metaphorically speaking. Somewhat reminiscent of "Children of the Grave", it's very doom-laden, telling of the futility of supposed human reasoning and enlightenment. Brutally frank, it shatters our belief-systems like "Children" did so many years ago. It's nice to see Geezer as anti-establishment as ever, having kept his excellent ability to write socially-reflective lyrics that consistently challenge our social norms and systems, while you bang your f@#$ing head, of course. A great song, very strong lyrically, and certainly more than adequate musically speaking, I especially like the Mellotron like strings and solo at the end, very atmospheric. "Live Forever"administers a very fast-paced riff from Tony.Ozzy sounds great on the track, stubborn as hell, stating that he is certainly not done living. Basically the song is band confronting the reality of coming old-age. Certainly not the "feel good hit of the summer", but c'mon, this is Black Sabbath. If you came to feel good, you have the wrong band. Iommi is as equally as obstinate as Ozzy, throwing down a huge riff and great leads. Good stuff.
"Damaged Soul" is the bluesiest song on the album, delivering the "satanic blues" that Ozzy promised during the production of the album. The rawest song on the album, I like Rick Rubin's production a lot on this track, just letting the music do the talking. The subject-matter is equally as stark, basically the tale of a man beyond redemption, facing a life in hell. Iommi's solo is fractured and broken on purpose, perhaps reflecting the damaged psyche of the killer that Ozzy is playing the part of, a nice touch. I really like the track, something very different for the band, and a return to the sound of their early days as the blues band "Earth". Wilk seems a bit uncomfortable with the blues during the song at times, but he does a more than decent job. Last up is "Dear Father". A tale of abuse (likely by a priest), it is very disturbing, even for Sabbath. But what I love about the band is their lack of fear in terms of subject-matter. "Dear Father" is Sabbath at their most pissed off, a scathing critique of those who protect pedophiles and who commit the sick and twisted act themselves, very refreshing. A great closing track to a very good album.
"13" is very good, at times excellent. It fits nicely into a long and rich discography of stellar albums. The godfathers of metal certainly still have the charm, heaviness, and musical insight that made them reach pinnacle of success so many moons ago. While a few songs may be too long, and the production is somewhat too modern, the songs retain the essential character of Sabbath enough to more than rock your house down, so shut up and listen. Long live the kings!
Rating-8.5/10
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