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Sabbath listening party testimonials


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“Black Sabbath are back!” Fans of the Ozzy Osbourne-led lineup have been waiting to hear that statement for nearly 35 years, and on Wednesday night (April 10) in Hollywood, Calif., a small theater full of select media and VIPs could officially finally make that claim. Thankfully, Loudwire was among the lucky attendees.

 

Before the songs off the disc were played for those in attendance, Ozzy Osbourne’s son Jack welcomed the audience and played a short film on the making of the album that his company created. In it, viewers get to see the giddiness of producer Rick Rubin, who proclaims that he’s thrilled to be working on a new Sabbath album that can stand next to the others because, as he says, we’d all played the others so many times in the past. Viewers get to see the camaraderie of the group, which is on display as Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler kid the new guy, Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, who manned the skins in the absence of Bill Ward. Wilk spoke of what a fun experience it was, as they never took things too seriously. Upon one of his hard hitting drum beats in the studio, a startled Osbourne jumped, proclaiming, “f***ing hell, that woke me up!”

 

Also on display was the band’s determination to make the album they wanted to make. As Osbourne states in the film, “I’m making an album I like and if someone else likes it, great.” He would go on to call the ’13′ disc “quite possibly the most important album of my career.”

 

That’s a lofty expectation to meet, so with that, let’s delve into our first impressions of the ’13′ album with a track-by-track rundown of the eight songs we were given the opportunity to hear:

 

‘End of the Beginning’ — Knowing that Black Sabbath would need an opener to catch people’s attention, the band didn’t disappoint. ‘End of the Beginning’ starts off with some wicked Iommi guitar riffs and powerful Wilk drumming, then steps back into a moodier song with Osbourne delivering the opening line, “Is it the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end,” perhaps laying out what’s really on the line with the album. Midway through the track, Butler and Wilk begin a truly swinging groove while Iommi wails on the guitar in a most inspired moment.

 

‘God Is Dead?’ — Fans who caught the recent video tease the band release will recognize this track. Butler’s bass work offers a mesmerizing beginning to the song that continues through a majority of the track. Osbourne sings about a bleak future and questions the existence of a higher being, given some of the hard times on Earth. As he belts, “Will someone please tell me is God really dead?,” a musical shift begins to set in with Wilk and the band offering a swinging beat while Osbourne exclaims, “Nowhere to run / Nowhere to hide.” The song offers a cold end and was met with applause from the audience.

 

‘Loner’ — After two songs that clocked in at eight minutes-plus, ‘Loner’ comes across as a more traditional rocker. The five-minute track is a fist-pumper and offers a few headbanging moments with Iommi and Wilk really driving the song. Osbourne once again has mortality on his mind, pondering of the titular character, “I wonder if he’ll be happy when he’s dead.” Once again, a thorough rocking to the finish climaxes with a cold ending.

 

‘Zeitgeist’ — After three very hard, very rocking tracks, ‘Zeitgeist’ sees Sabbath switching gears to a more moody and bluesy style. The song emanates the vibe and feel of the ’13′ album art, with Osbourne’s opening sinister laugh, Iommi’s bluesy guitar riffs and what sounds like bongos from Wilk mirroring the stark and desolate imagery. Osbourne adds to the mystique with affected vocals that give off a shimmery quality in his delivery.

 

‘Age of Reason’ — Following the perfectly placed moody shift, the album immediately picks up again. ‘Age of Reason’ is a seven-minute cut that features several time shifts, Wilk providing some hard-hitting drums reminiscent of Bill Ward or late Led Zeppelin great John Bonham, and an amazing mid-song breakdown that finds the band truly jamming on a groove for all it’s worth. Iommi’s solo late in the song is a reminder of how great and dexterous he is on the guitar.

 

‘Live Forever’ — This one has the makings of a live favorite, with its fist-pumping, headbanging moments. Once again, the song delves deep into mortality, with Osbourne asking in one line, “Facing death, but is your conscious clean?” Iommi shines on guitar, once again showcasing his prowess and importance in the heavy metal world.

 

‘Damaged Soul’ — Let us not forget Black Sabbath’s blues influence that started it all with the band. And if you do, ‘Damaged Soul’ and the following previewed track ‘Dear Father’ will be a great reminder of what they can do. The song starts out rather trudgingly, with guitars reminiscent of early Sabbath, but by the end of the song the full band is in on a bluesy roadhouse jam that would make some of their late ’60s / early ’70s peers proud.

 

‘Dear Father’ — The bluesy but hard rock feel carries over into ‘Dear Father.’ Butler’s bass has a little extra filth on this one, and Osbourne offers the tortured message, “Dear father / Forgive me / I know just what I’ve done / In silence / Is violence / Will leave your life in ruin.” The song comes to a fierce climactic end, finishing out with a thunderous lightning strike, the sounds of rain and a faint bell heard off in the distance.

 

Upon first listen, it’s clear that Black Sabbath’s ’13′ will be a standout metal album of 2013. Fans will hear a lot of what has made the band legends in the first place while experiencing the freshness of some new music. At the end of the session, Osbourne, Iommi and Butler made a surprise guest appearance. They were greeted with cheers and thanked the audience for listening. There should be plenty more applause coming their way once the ’13′ album arrives on June 11.

 

*

 

As I walked along the stars on Vine Street under the blazing sun of the hottest day of the year so far, my skin prickled as I saw the marquee:

 

From Ozzy Osbourne being one of my first concerts…to leaving a Black Sabbath set at one of the first Ozzfests early because I was there to see Pantera…to getting so into Black Sabbath in my twenties that I was once asked if that was all I listened to…to now, about to be part of the first group of people to hear their new album, 13, which releases on June 11th; I may have taken a meandering path to get here, but here I was.

 

My cell phone was swiftly taken away, and I was a wallflower in the lobby wondering who all these people are and pondering the contrast between the classic Sabbath playing through the speakers and all of the sports paraphernalia lying around. Then the doors opened to the theater, which was tiny, and the crowd of less than 100 wandered in and took a seat. I was third row center. Then it felt like we waited 35 years for it to begin…

 

Son of Ozzy, Jack Osbourne, walked up to the stage and kicked off the event. We would first watch a little “making of” documentary…which was a great, unexpected introduction to the listening session.

 

“We don’t write songs you hear on the radio…we write musical pieces.” Ozzy kicked off the short film with this true statement, before we were shown behind the scenes footage and interviews from the 13 recording sessions. I’ll admit that my major hesitation with this album surrounded Rick Rubin’s involvement, and watching him lying in a bed with a microphone headbanging along and giving feedback from wherever this room was made me nervous. And then there was the elephant in the room, the controversial piece marring what could have been a perfect reunion: the absence of The Drummer. Being a huge Rage Against the Machine fan back in the day (I even saw Ozzy and RATM play the same stage as two of my first concerts), I was surprised at the involvement of Brad Wilk in the song crafting as the film would allude to. Just noticed that they have the same initials. Jack gingerly addressed this by saying how the band went back to the very beginning, recording in Birmingham, and left it at that.

 

Watching them craft the songs in the cozy yet cool room, seeing Tony Iommi’s fingertip prosthetics play these new riffs, and the unspoken connection between he and Geezer Butler as they work, as well as Ozzy’s beloved rambling…it was the perfect hors d’oeuvre to the album. I’ve never attended a listening party before, especially not such an exclusive one as this, and it felt decidedly old school. I sat there with a pen and paper, no one was using any kind of technology…it was nice. And when the album began, it had my full attention. If only I could listen to every album this way, as it was meant to be heard: perfectly calculated audio at high volume from start to finish.

 

At first I didn’t know where to look- the album cover art was starting to burn a hole in my eyes, so I closed them for a lot of it. I don’t write record reviews- I’m horrible at it- but several things came to my mind as I was listening. My first thought was how interesting it was to hear that classic Black Sabbath sound through the lens of modern production. From the first 10 seconds of “End of the Beginning”, any Sabbath fan will be like, “unholy f**k….they are BACK!” For a band that has influenced the sound, band names, lifestyles, etc. of so many contemporary bands that I listen to, the album as a whole is exactly what any fan would want: they didn’t reinvent the wheel, they are the wheel.

 

The first two tracks are my favorite: after getting past the played out theme in the aforementioned first track- the doomy, first days of Sabbath sound thrilled me to pieces. It reminded me of the first time I heard “Black Sabbath”: decadently evil sounding in the simplest of ways. The second, and longest track of the album- “God Is Dead?”- established the themes of the album: life, death, and God. What else is there really, especially from a band in their golden years? “What is the answer? Will someone empty my head? Is God really dead?” I liked how the track moved from questioning to answering, like it was recapping the gain of wisdom of a band who’s seen it all.

 

“Loner” was the weakest track of the album for me, I yawned three times and couldn’t find anything to say about it. “Zeitgeist” is this album’s “Planet Caravan”; it was the mellow track. “Age of Reason” was the other strongest track, starting out very drum-heavy and keeping a solid groove throughout. “I don’t wanna live forever…but I don’t wanna die”; “Live Forever” continues the almost confessional theme. “Damaged Soul” is a bluesy track, and “Dear Father”, the final track, has lyrics that stab, ending with the same thunder and church bells that begin “Black Sabbath”. When I heard that, it was almost like a perfect circle: will these be the last recorded notes- the same that kicked off their first album nearly half a century ago- you will ever hear from this threesome?

 

Everyone clapped at the album’s end, and Jack appeared back on stage to thank everyone and tell them there was a little surprise. And then out walked Ozzy, Iommi, and Geezer, beaming like proud grandfathers. Had I just listened to the new album….with Black Sabbath?!

 

Yes.

 

The crowd was obviously industry because the excitement didn’t swell too much as I froze in my chair and took it all in. They waved and gave thanks and were whisked off again.

 

As I left the venue, I passed by Tommy Clufetos. I can’t wait to have this album in my car.

 

*

 

…it is a VERY good record, certainly belonging of a place in the Ozzy-era discography. It is not mind-expandingly original, nor would I want it to be. What it is, is VERY heavy Ozzy-era-sounding Sabbath.

 

There were about 60 of us. No electronics were permitted (e.g., cameras, cell phones, etc.) If you had them, they were checked at the door. People were wanded to ensure compliance. Once seated we heard seemingly every other Ozzy-era song before they finally started.

 

Jack Osbourne — looking fit and clean/sober — came out and introduced the record, and showed the clips that we have now seen on YouTube which were, evidently, produced by his production company (nepotism at its finest, take that Geoff Tate). There was an additional clip that I’d not yet seen played at the end, so maybe 10 minutes in total.

 

Then they played the music. Eight tracks, five of which are 7+ minutes. I didn’t have a pen so I had to scratch some notes into the piece of paper with a key…a dubious method of note-taking, to be sure. Here are my recollections:

 

Overall, very heavy production, owing at least in part to what must have been downtuning to a low A or something to accommodate an aging Mr. Osbourne. The tempos seems to sway a little bit. Some may prefer this as it’s more organic sounding. I was irritated somewhat by it in a couple of places, but it wasn’t to distraction. Most of the time, Ozzy’s melodies were not simply mimicking the guitar line (think Iron Man, Electric Funeral, NIB, etc.). The sole exception to this was the final track.

 

Almost everything is mid-tempo. No short quick tracks ala Paranoid. No reaaaaally drawn out doomy stuff like the beginning of Into the Void. There’s a fair amount of “swing” (e.g., Hole in the Sky type stuff) in here to go along with relatively brisk (for Sabbath, meaning mid-tempo) riffage.

 

Specific Track Remarks:

 

End of the Beginning (8:07):

Too long a track for an opener but otherwise very good. Very heavy. Ozzy’s vocals don’t evoke dragons and knights and the soaring evil of Dio…rather, they have a melodic but, unsettling quality to then. Not operatic bombast, but understated, melodic eeriness. But it works. This is not the uninspired songwriting of those two songs from the Reunion album — this is real songwriting with some good riffs from Iommi. A very good song.

 

God Is Dead? (8:54):

This song slays. Very cool riffing and a good melody line. The B section is evocative of the Holy in the Sky riff but it still works really well. This is an excellent song, worthy of standing with anything in the Ozzy catalog (thought it lacks the instant memorability of Iron Man or Paranoid).

 

Loner (5:06):

Sounds a LOT like a heavy, modern-production version of NIB (I even sang “Oh yeah” after the appropriate riff). Lyrically and mood-wise it mixes in some Johnny Blade. It’s a good song, but not as good as the previous ones.

 

Zeitgeist (4:28):

Mellow, and somewhat evocative of Planet Caravan. It’s fine, but I anticipate skipping this on CD.

 

Age of Reason (7:02):

This song kills. My notes (again, scratched in there by keys) are unintelligible. But this one had people pretty fired up.

 

Live Forever (4:49):

Has a Children of the Grave / Hole in the Sky Feel once again. A good song, if not as ambitious as some of the others.

 

Damaged Soul (7:43):

Very heavy blues. Too bluesy for my tastes. Blues blues and more blues, and when you are done with the blues, it shoves another does of blues up your ass. This is overstated — it’s plenty heavy. It just is too (wait for it) bluesy for my tastes. Others enjoyed it more than me. Still, this is not a throwaway, just not one of my favorites.

 

Dear Father (7:06):

A great song to finish with, again quite heavy with a lot of energy. The B section is the one featured in the video with Rubin telling Ozzy to try again (“…the victims of the sins you devise.”) The main section is beefier than that part. There is a recurrent tritone riff that is very evocative of the first notes played in the song Black Sabbath. It’s so evocative that one wonders if it’s purposeful…and the riffs appears again at the very end of the song…and then the song ends…with rain…and church bells. Very cool. Very cool indeed.

 

In all, four terrific songs (tracks 1, 2, 5 and 8). Three good songs (3, 6, 7 if you like blues). One song that non-stoners will skip. And non-stoned stoners, probably. On balance, this is a very, very strong record.

 

At the end, Jack came back out and thanked everybody, and then (this was a surprise) Ozzy, Tony and Geezer came out to say hello briefly. Tony looked well. Ozzy mumbled something well below the already low standard for coherence that has been established for him — I could only make out the word “album.” In fairness, people were applauding so it would have been hard to discern what he said in any case.

 

So, you’ll be very happy. I think you will find it to be an enjoyable reprise of the original Sabbath sound you liked. You’ll hear what Iommi’s old riffs sound like played with modern production. I think everybody will probably find something to like about it.

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It's funny how the one person says the opening track is too long to be an opener. I guess War Pigs and Wheels Of Confusion, which are the same length aren't good album opening songs then. Who knew?

 

I'm very much looking forward to this album, maybe even more than Rush last year.

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Seeking exposure for records that don't sell in this day and age has nothing necessarily to do with quality.

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Another:

 

"I don't wanna live forever / But I don't wanna die," Ozzy Osbourne wails over the galloping, angry power of "Live Forever" – as honest and direct as a 65 year old man can be when attempting to orchestrate one of the most maniacally anticipated albums of all time.



 

Black Sabbath's new album 13 is due out June 11 on Vertigo/Republic, their original label, and it marks the group's first studio effort together since 1978's Never Say Die! A revitalized backbone with Rage Against The Machine's Brad Wilk on drums and the oversight of a production guru, Rick Rubin, working the knobs brings the pioneers of heavy metal to the modern age with surprising efficiency – and just enough downtuning to accommodate age to be noticeable.

 

Wednesday in Los Angeles I was invited to a first-listen party for 13, with a making-of documentary and an appearance by the band themselves. Thankfully, this is not old man hyping a tired sound to appease the fans, what I had feared when entering the Ricardo Montalban Theater. Running eight songs, five over seven minutes long, some things never change: Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi still hone in on one another's movement with a brooding, symbiotic excellence, and Ozzy's lyrics (or Geezer's, rather?) still reflect the gloomy color-by-numbers cliches of an eighth grader – but the delivery is as forebodingly dark and excellent as ever. Thankfully, we're reminded once again not of the shuffling, mumbling mess of hair and sweatpants on his reality show, but of the bat-biting Prince of f***ing Darkness that we often consider a relic of the past, a cartoon.

 

But here he was, in the flesh, on fire once again. The colossal slow stomp opening of "End of the Beginning" teases what's to come with a gentle melody over spacious instrumentation, until after the second verse when the main riff arrives and ushers in the real meat we've been waiting for. Tony and Geezer are immediately in lockstep, with some surprising bass flourishes before an absolutely ripping solo.

 

"Lost in the Darkness" has a meandering, rising instrumental under a vocal that concludes with Ozzy screaming "God is dead!" over and over, a cauldron of beats arriving from Wilk's eager – and able – pounding. With the first two tracks pushing a total seventeen minutes in length, the first sensations of tedium arrive here, though the powerful finish revitalizes the sensation that holy shit I'm listening to a new Black Sabbath album.

 

We're not used to taking our time anymore. We're not used to the rising sound anymore. You'd think we'd have to retrain our minds, even our hearts, to remember why these legends were legendary in the first place. But no, this album sets out to kick the shit out of you, and even the most hardened, cynical message-board mercenaries are going to have to concede some solid ground this time around.

 

"Loner"'s chuggy lead riff is powerfully similar to "N.I.B.," clearly an eager embrace of lean & mean, ending with a delicious abruptness. Its energy is a direct contrast to the excellent "Zeitgeist," which leads with a laugh before an acoustic guitar and tabla frame a ghostly vocal. "I'm falling through the universe again," our narrator laments, "I wonder will my ship be found?" The classically-laced solo is gorgeous, and it's a delightful irony that it seems to end too soon at 4:28.

 

Wilk's thundering drum intro to "Age of Reason" leads into a head-nodder riff and an epically cascading melody, lamenting "So many lies". It immediately strikes the ear as a winning track, but when it grows fangs and gets goddamned mean in the third act, you know you've hit gold. The return of Ozzy's "Oh yeaaah!" is just icing. And Iommi? The man is possessed – just a reminder, if your parents and friends were terrible people and didn't show you the light of Sabbath growing up. He offers many, many reminders throughout 13 as to why he stands among the greatest of axemen all time.

 

"Just before you die, they say you see your whole life flash before your eyes," Ozzy warns in "Live Forever," one of the more lyrically honest and poignant songs on 13. To hear these pioneering heroes addressing their inevitable mortality head on, particularly at such a twilight stage in life, is a remarkable thing. "I'll probably forget this next month," Geezer jokes in the making-of documentary we saw before the album screening. It's not that far-fetched a notion, but at the very least he'll have the record to remind him that nearly three quarters of a century into the game he can still rock the shit out of the legions of incredible musicians he directly inspired to pick up an instrument.

 

The blues overdrive of "Damaged Soul" arrives in a wash of reverse effects and voices, building on giant, pendular beats. This one will serve as the deep-album cut that hits when the joint is on its last legs and the mood gets darker. Wilk is a core component here, as he is on "Dear Father," a high-energy rocker that sends the collection off on a high note. The album ends with the sound of a rainstorm, distant church bells ringing.

 

Does 13 measure up to the band's first four records? Come on, is it really supposed to? If you're expecting a release with the impact and cultural significance of Paranoid, you're delusional. But with a full-throttle return delivering a great many surprising twists and turns, after 35 years the architects of heavy metal weren't in this for the payload victory-lap. They came to kill it.

 

They succeeded.

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".........after 35 years the architects of heavy metal weren't in this for the payload victory-lap. They came to kill it. They succeeded."

 

 

Sweet!!! I am now officially stoked for this. Hope Tony's up to touring with a full show and a bunch of songs from this album, not just 50 mins. at the end of Ozzfest.

Edited by driventotheedge
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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Seeking exposure for records that don't sell in this day and age has nothing necessarily to do with quality.

 

of course thats true but i fail to see where i suggested otherwise. from a marketing standpoint its brilliant. maybe some you guys wathc that show?

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Seeking exposure for records that don't sell in this day and age has nothing necessarily to do with quality.

 

of course thats true but i fail to see where i suggested otherwise. from a marketing standpoint its brilliant. maybe some you guys wathc that show?

 

Well that was your lead off thought on the subject. LOL. ;) I do that when I'm trying to take a bit of a shit on something myself.

 

Van Halen also did this prior to the release of their Roth album last year, albeit after the initial single was released. Before the album leaked you could hear a good chunk of Stay Frosty as played in the background of a bar scene (don't remember the show, but it seems it was a CSI-type program).

 

Good to see you around man. If you're still in the area we ought to have some lunch sometime. I'm craving some White Duck Taco in the River Arts District.

Edited by Presto-digitation
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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Where've you been Tangy!!??? :o

 

we await your verdict as to if it is metal or not.......

 

 

spent the winter skiiing alot and in general avoiding reality.

 

Skiing eh?? At last I can finally use this smiley properly!

 

:D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13:

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Where've you been Tangy!!??? :o

 

we await your verdict as to if it is metal or not.......

 

 

spent the winter skiiing alot and in general avoiding reality.

Oh it will be METAL alright... :blaze:

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Seeking exposure for records that don't sell in this day and age has nothing necessarily to do with quality.

 

of course thats true but i fail to see where i suggested otherwise. from a marketing standpoint its brilliant. maybe some you guys wathc that show?

 

Well that was your lead off thought on the subject. LOL. ;) I do that when I'm trying to take a bit of a shit on something myself.

 

Van Halen also did this prior to the release of their Roth album last year, albeit after the initial single was released. Before the album leaked you could hear a good chunk of Stay Frosty as played in the background of a bar scene (don't remember the show, but it seems it was a CSI-type program).

 

Good to see you around man. If you're still in the area we ought to have some lunch sometime. I'm craving some White Duck Taco in the River Arts District.

 

i guess i yearn for the old days when sabbath tended to freak out certain people.

 

counter culture going popular culture makes me feel old......... i do think its a natural course of events though.

 

anyways, i have yet to hit up the white duck but i have been thinking about catching either the opeth show in may, john mclaughlin in june or the mastodon show in august.

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Where've you been Tangy!!??? :o

 

we await your verdict as to if it is metal or not.......

 

 

spent the winter skiiing alot and in general avoiding reality.

 

Skiing eh?? At last I can finally use this smiley properly!

 

:D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13: :D-13:

 

nah, better stick with this one :smoke:

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Seeking exposure for records that don't sell in this day and age has nothing necessarily to do with quality.

 

of course thats true but i fail to see where i suggested otherwise. from a marketing standpoint its brilliant. maybe some you guys wathc that show?

 

Well that was your lead off thought on the subject. LOL. ;) I do that when I'm trying to take a bit of a shit on something myself.

 

Van Halen also did this prior to the release of their Roth album last year, albeit after the initial single was released. Before the album leaked you could hear a good chunk of Stay Frosty as played in the background of a bar scene (don't remember the show, but it seems it was a CSI-type program).

 

Good to see you around man. If you're still in the area we ought to have some lunch sometime. I'm craving some White Duck Taco in the River Arts District.

 

i guess i yearn for the old days when sabbath tended to freak out certain people.

 

counter culture going popular culture makes me feel old......... i do think its a natural course of events though.

 

anyways, i have yet to hit up the white duck but i have been thinking about catching either the opeth show in may, john mclaughlin in june or the mastodon show in august.

 

White duck I was thinking you meant me for a minute! :o

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somehow the idea that they are going to premier a new song during during an episode of CSI seems to me to be a little cheesy and certainly not very metal..........

 

http://www.rollingst...finale-20130410

 

Seeking exposure for records that don't sell in this day and age has nothing necessarily to do with quality.

 

of course thats true but i fail to see where i suggested otherwise. from a marketing standpoint its brilliant. maybe some you guys wathc that show?

 

Well that was your lead off thought on the subject. LOL. ;) I do that when I'm trying to take a bit of a shit on something myself.

 

Van Halen also did this prior to the release of their Roth album last year, albeit after the initial single was released. Before the album leaked you could hear a good chunk of Stay Frosty as played in the background of a bar scene (don't remember the show, but it seems it was a CSI-type program).

 

Good to see you around man. If you're still in the area we ought to have some lunch sometime. I'm craving some White Duck Taco in the River Arts District.

 

i guess i yearn for the old days when sabbath tended to freak out certain people.

 

counter culture going popular culture makes me feel old......... i do think its a natural course of events though.

 

anyways, i have yet to hit up the white duck but i have been thinking about catching either the opeth show in may, john mclaughlin in june or the mastodon show in august.

 

Well part of that mystique was age at play too. Kiss used to be "mysterious" and Gene Simmons and Alice Cooper and Eddie from Iron Maiden were all "cool" in a very teenage way to this guy. Now they're all just old men or aged mascots. That's a product of being 40-something. Cancer is far scarier to me than Black Sabbath, but not when I was 11. ;)

 

Anyhow, I'm glad they're getting in a final go 'round (at least). I love that our last Ozzy/Sabbath effort won't be back from when the original Star Wars was still new.

 

Holler if you want to grab some lunch. It'd be fun to catch up man.

Edited by Presto-digitation
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I need to go back and see what some of the initial buzz about The Devil You Know was. I bought that the day it was released, and enjoyed it enough then, but I haven't listened to it since 2009. Now if I'm craving some Dio Sabbath I'll go with Heaven & Hell or Mob Rules or Live at Hammersmith Odeon. Maybe even Live Evil if I really go on a binge and need the variety. I hope this has some staying power, and doesn't end up collecting dust in my basement after I've listened to it 20 times after it's released.
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I find new releases far more intriguing anymore if they're any kind of good. I mean, I've probably listened to Paranoid or Vol. 4 some 3,218 times (give or take)....so even pretty average NEW Sabbath is going to be more compelling to me than my millionth friggin' listen to War Pigs. So unless this album is BAD in a pretty unlistenable way (and that's surely possible as Van Halen 3 reminds), it's likely to get a lot of spins from me. I'm this way with the new Van Halen, the new Rush, etc.

 

When I was growing up I could listen to the same old album non-stop on constant rotation....all day if need be. They were new to me then and I was just an inexhaustible sponge. And then at some point you just need to put down Led Zeppelin IV for a good long while, awesome as it may be, and move on to other things. This is why I'm always (!!) in favor of older bands continuing to make and play live their new music rather than go on the nostalgia-only circuit. Sometimes it's a swing and a miss, but it's always worth the at-bat to me.

 

Glad they're stepping back to the plate with Ozzy again. Been a long, long time...

Edited by Presto-digitation
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Interesting and encouraging, even though that woman's voice got on my nerves after about 30 seconds...

Yeah, a review isn't supposed to be presented like a news report as she does. Content is pretty good though.

Edited by adace1
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