
Indeed, 13 captures much of the "spirit" fans were hoping for with Ozzy's return, but with the spotlight comes a record lacking consistency and quality. Separating Osbourne's vocals from the mix reveals obvious computer aid, which, for a man with years of drug and alcohol abuse under his belt, is expected. On the other hand, the music, despite having moments that harken back to the golden age, tends to grow dull and plastic sounding thanks to a poor production job. Ultimately, the situation paints the album as a rather lazy addition to the Black Sabbath discography and as one hastened by the premise of easy money.

Taking another look at 13 and the baggage that comes along with it becomes all the more intriguing given its success story. Predictably, a crazed fan would conclude that the record was the last chance to reunite with old mates based on interviews but, at the core, there's likely more to the series of events. As noted, where does this place the lawsuit? How are relations outside performance on stage? Many questions are left unanswered and, without first-hand input from each member, explanations hang in empty space.
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Classic Ozzy pose. |
And therein lies the issue. Unlike The Devil You Know, a fantastic collection of music in its own right, 13 sounds tired and devoid of experimentation. The record isn't outgoing. It's too safe. It has a grand total of zero stand-out tracks. And it isn't exactly appealing next to the plethora of doom metal bands emerging from every corner of the world today. For an act that was once at the top of heavy music, 13 comes up too short to be anything but average.
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I anticipate being labeled a "fake" Black Sabbath fan, but that's totally okay because the world is built upon opinions. I know what I like, and I certainly know what a quality release from a legendary band sounds like. We've heard plenty of half-baked albums roll off the production line from the biggest names since modern music's inception, and 13 isn't any different. It's just another release lost at sea among, well, other subpar releases.
In the end, I can't complain too much, as Black Sabbath's earlier offerings are bona-fide classics that set the bar high for others to follow (Hell, bands are still following them!). I always have Ozzy and Dio's tried-and-true work with Sabbath to fall back on, but I don't think it was unreasonable to expect more. After all, no one--and I mean no one--is Black fucking Sabbath.
-TMA
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