Well, it seems like time to tackle this monumental release. Expectations and anticipation for 13 have been so high that a review is a daunting prospect.
Black Sabbath Review by Gary Hill Released in 1969 in the last days of the hippie era, Black Sabbath`s debut had definite roots in what had come before, but was a major change in tone.
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Heaven and Hell Review by Gary Hill I was a huge Black Sabbath fan when this disc came out. I suppose I should clarify that by admitting that I still am.
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Live at Hammersmith Odeon Review by Rick Damigella While the reformed Dio-era Black Sabbath (under the moniker Heaven & Hell) are touring to packed venues across the country right now, Rhino Handmade (the short-run, collector’s edition division of Rhino Records) has just released, and sold out of, Black Sabbath Live at Hammersmith Odeon to a rabid Sabbath following.
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Master of Reality Review by Gary Hill Black Sabbath’s third album is often overlooked. The first two were really defining a sound so they get more of the limelight.
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Never Say Die Review by Gary Hill Black Sabbath were arguably the creators of the heavy metal genre, but were never really happy to rest on their laurels for that accomplishment. They generally have pushed the envelope in many ways touching on musical styles which most metal bands consider out of their realm. More...
Paranoid Review by Gary Hill The second album from Black Sabbath, this isn’t quite as revolutionary as their debut, but that’s probably because of how groundbreaking that one was and the fact that this builds on the music they created there. More...
Reunion Review by Gary Hill Reunion represents the first performance of all the original members of Black Sabbath as a unit since 1979. The album is a two-disc set that consists of concert recordings from December of 1987 teamed with two new studio cuts. The band is back in all its glory. More...
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Review by Gary Hill It has to be tough to invent a musical style like Black Sabbath did. There’s no one around to tell you what does and doesn’t constitute heavy metal. More...
This is a weird album in the Black Sabbath catalogue.Initially meant as a solo record, the label and management “persuaded” Tony Iommi to release it under the banner of Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi.
Technical Ecstasy Review by Gary Hill A controversial album for Black Sabbath, this disc found them stretching into new and untried directions. The trademarked Sab metal is still present, but it is joined by other diverse sounds. More...
The Black Sabbath name was at a low ebb back in 1987. After the debacle of Seventh Star (which I thought was great) coming out as a Black Sabbath album instead of a Tony Iommi solo album, many fans jumped ship.
The Rules of Hell Review by Rick Damigella Like the opening of an arcane tome of eldritch and forbidden knowledge, Black Sabbath’s The Rules of Hell have been put forth. After a seeming eternity of a wait, every album from the Ronnie James Dio-era of Black Sabbath have finally been given a proper re-mastering and re-release in this must have box set.
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This disc was released in 1990, and by all accounts, Black Sabbath was at their lowest commercial point.Tony Iommi was the only original member at this point and he had a revolving door of singers for many years.
Volume IV Review by Gary Hill I must have a thing for falling in love with over looked albums. Some of my favorite discs in artists' catalogs are the ones that seem to have fallen by the wayside.
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Black Sabbath have had many lineups, but the one era that seems to always get overlooked is the Tony Martin fronted era.Martin sang on five studio releases, yet more people talk about the Ian Gillan version that only produced one record.
As both a die-hard Black Sabbath fanatic and one who was fortunate enough to see the band several times on their reunion tour, I was really looking forward to this DVD. The quality of the performance, the videography and sound all lived up to my expectations, showing just how phenomenal of a tour this was.
Black Sabbath - Live at Ozzfest, 2004, East Troy, WI Review by Gary Hill Ever since their original reunion with Ozzy I have made a point to see Black Sabbath whenever they came around. This time marks the 6th time I saw the lineup, and of all the shows, it was the weakest.
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Black Sabbath - Live in Chicago, IL, June 8th, 2001 Review by Gary Hill Having seen Sabbath the last couple times around, I was expecting another similar show - a band of living legends performing as legends, going through the motions of repeating the performances from their glory days. Not that that would not have been enjoyable, I signed on for two days of Ozzfest just for that experience two more times
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Black Sabbath - Live in Chicago, January 19, 1999 Review by Gary Hill Black Sabbath really invented the genre of heavy metal, and, to this day performs the genre in a way that many have copied but none have duplicated.
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You have to respect Eagle for all they do concerning their artists’ current work and re-issues, as they have been on a serious roll lately in particular.
The Lizards - Against All Odds Review by Gary Hill I have to say it, I love The Lizards! These guys just keep getting better with each successive album. They also seem to stretch the envelope of what is Lizards music as they continue on.
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Deep Purple - Around the World Live DVD Set Review by Gary Hill This is an amazing set and well worth the price of admission. You get four DVD’s (three full concerts and a documentary) all encased in a classy box. More...
Various Artists - Back Against the Wall Review by Gary Hill There are few people who haven't at least heard of Pink Floyd's The Wall. I would hazard to say that those who have never heard the album are in the minority as well.
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This record takes a few words to describe what’s really going on with it, and being a fan of Ian Gillan it’s appropriate to explain a few things in the process of reviewing this with as much of an unbiased approach as possible.
Various Artists - Bang Your Head 2007 DVD Review by Gary Hill I have to admit that sometimes I get put off by a lot of modern metal festivals. I’m not a big fan of growling death vocals (there are some I can deal with, but few) or other forms of extreme voice tactics.
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Glenn Tipton - Baptizm of Fire Review by Gary Hill This first solo album by Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton is a fine piece of work. It takes the Priest sounds one expects to find here and updates them, bringing new angles and directions to them.
Glenn Tipton - Baptizm of Fire Remaster Review by Gary Hill The debut solo album (first one released, not the first one recorded) by Glenn Tipton has just been reissued with two new tracks added on to the lineup. Since I reviewed the original release of the album, the majority of this review will be drawn and modified from that review.
Kevin Shirley’s inspiration to bring together Glenn Hughes, vocals and bass, and Joe Bonamassa, lead guitar and vocals has provided one of the best rock/blues bands and albums of the year.