Black Sabbath is back: Part 2 of 2

As early as November to December 2011, there were already numerous reports coming in of a rumored new album in the works for Black Sabbath. But we have heard of such reports for years already and we really didn’t know if those were merely rumors or fabricated by some long-time fans of the legendary Heavy Metal band in their desire to get them back together. A ton of questions were thrown around but one that lingered in the back of many long-time fans was that if this was going to be the original line-up of the band? Most questions were left unanswered until after a few interviews Ozzy Osbourne had with some news agencies which confirmed that Black Sabbath were indeed in the process of getting back together in the studio and starting the ground work of what would not only be their comeback album but which would mark the band’s latest studio-release with Ozzy Osbourne since 1979…or a whopping 34 years ago!

Never too late

Black Sabbath proves that it is never too late to release new music as indeed they had held back “Father Time” a little while longer but which, on the other hand, gave the younger music aficionados the benefit to learn more about them as also the opportunity to purchase the band’s new studio-release “13”. Indeed, it became a win-win situation for both Black Sabbath and their fans. It is, in fact rare to not meet any music aficionado who isn’t familiar with at least a few of their greatest hits! The band’s classics like “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” are staples and are in permanent rotation in rock radio stations in the States.

Almost everyone knows those two above-mentioned songs and have heard them being used in a few movies and even in a number of television shows. Whether you are a fan of Black Sabbath or not, and you may only have heard of their music through the records of your parents, this is pretty much a no-brainer that it is highly recommended that you purchase their latest studio-release “13” when and if it is made available here in the Philippines.

Black Sabbath was formed when two other legendary bands like “The Beatles” were actively at the peak of their fame and “Led Zeppelin” was at the beginning stages of their stellar careers. It goes without saying that Black Sabbath was a part of that elite group. But decades later, it is only Black Sabbath that has still all their original members alive. That is one of the reasons why there was a great and almost universal demand in the rock community for such a long time for them to reunite and release at least one more record while they still can.

Indifference               

Sometimes we smirk when we hear anything remotely heavy and unfamiliar to us in music—whether it is a guitar riff, thick slabs of bass, and the hard pounding of the skins of the drums. Not everyone’s ears are attuned or even accustomed to the finer points of music. And some simply don’t like music that for them is “all noise.” It is probably because they were never exposed to it and they may even be intimidated by it. When our minds are closed and we aren’t aware that there is more out there than what we are usually exposed to and are familiar with, then we can forget sometimes that the music world we live in isn’t all about Pop but that there are other branches of music out there. Realistically, not everything should be about the latest news revolving around the same lucky few Pop-stars who are constantly getting worldwide media attention even for the smallest and most trivial of things that are sometimes even nonsensical. At times, I almost feel like it has become a “one-sided affair”—a monopoly, if you will—such that only a small group of international artists are seemingly getting all the glory and other artists are sadly shunned and shut off because of the genre they represent.

Bands like Black Sabbath deserve our respect and why wait when it is too late before we even show them that? I say, enough of posthumous awards and late recognitions! It would be much better and more appropriate to make them feel important while they are still here.

I firmly believe there is no wrong when it comes to writing about music. But I do see something “off” when it is the same select few who keep getting attention for years on end. Overexposure usually doesn’t work and boomerangs on the artist in the long run.

The world of music is such a diverse and exciting subject matter. You can write about the past, the present, and even give your own educated predictions for the future while scanning for new artists to watch out for. Why limit yourself to only the present, I ask? Because Black Sabbath is both a representation of the past and the present. Do you know how truly rare it is to have founders of a major genre, Heavy Metal, release a new record? Well, this doesn’t happen often at all.

Black Sabbath’s latest studio-effort ’13’ was released in international markets on June 10, 2013.

Since its release, it has already reached the Number 1 spot in the UK album chart.