Black Sabbath – 13

Heavy metal masters return in fine form...

After many moons (and now without original drummer Bill Ward), metal founders Black Sabbath have returned. And about time, too.

With platinum-certified producer Rick Rubin on board, ‘13’ (actually the band’s 19th studio album) is an eight-track, doom-laden trip down memory lane that ticks all the right boxes.

‘Age Of Reason’ is as good as any ‘70s classic, while ‘Damaged Soul’ lets Ozzy Osbourne whip out both harmonica and his inimitable drone.

This a group locked in, firing on all cylinders, just eager to make a devilish noise.

They’ve quite the legacy to live up to, but Sabbath have produced a muscular, urgent sounding record that does no disservice whatsoever to those early metal masterpieces. 

8/10

Words: Sam Walker-Smart

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