13 (Black Sabbath, 2013)

I swear the selections here are chosen at random (how else does one explain going from Anthrax to Oliver Nelson in a single day?). So here we are at January 22nd and have our first repeat artist, Black Sabbath. If that wasn't strange enough, it is also the latest album, which I compared to the new Deep Purple album, released the same month.

When discussing Black Sabbath Vol. 4 earlier this year, I noticed how the band was always trying to distance themselves from the sound they have been credited with making famous. What makes 13 so unusual in the history of Sabbath is that they are now running back to embrace that sound, with overt nods to classics like "Black Sabbath" (the first song from their first album) and "Planet Caravan".

What Black Sabbath is doing isn't all that unusual. In fact, Deep Purple is far more the exception than the rule when it comes to the latest output of the old first-generation metal bands. In the case of Purple, in the mid-1990's they made a decisive break with a formula was producing diminishing returns with regard to artistic satisfaction (making money is different matter, alas). Meanwhile, most other bands are doing the back-to-basics approach, usually with the help of a producer/spirit guide. Examples include Metallica's Death Magnetic (Rick Rubin), Iron Maiden's Brave New World (Kevin Shirley), and Judas Priest's Angel of Retribution (Roy Z), whose latest output typically followed a particularly flimsy or poorly-received album (St. Anger, Virtual XI, Demolition and the Sabs' own Forbidden are all albums most consider to be the worst of these bands). In all cases except Metallica (a latecomer to this phenomenon), the following albums show more progressive leanings: Dance of Death and Nostradamus point to new directions from old bands.

I'm not sure if Black Sabbath will do a follow-up album, but it would be interesting to see what it would be like. Just to get 13 to market, they had to battle cancer, alcoholism, and Bill Ward, not to mention the 18 years of drama since Forbidden's release. The Heaven and Hell era with Dio was a far more professional era for the band. I think they were recording new tracks a matter of days after they reunited for the Dio Years compilation. I will say to Ozzy's credit though that 13 is a more adventurous album (even within the restraints of Rubin's back-to-basics decree) than The Devil You Know and even with it's flaws and limitations it's nice to see that there's still some spark to this old warhorse of a band.