13 is Black Sabbath's very well received latest album featuring an almost complete original line-up with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne. Sabbath have now followed it up with a live release giving fans plenty to smile about in 2013 with a double dose from this most significant metal group. Live... Gathered In Their Masses includes tracks off 13 plus an appealing selection of Sabbath classics from the Ozzy era, the footage was taken over two performances from earlier this year at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Australia. The sound and picture quality is just as one would expect of a Blu Ray release.
The Black Sabbath of 2013 isn't quite the line-up so many had hoped for as drummer Bill Ward was not part of the new album and subsequent tour, and if it had of worked out that would have been the "icing on the cake" so to speak. In his place is Tommy Clufetos (Ozzy's solo band drummer) and the energy he brings with his drums to this live performance is great to see and hear along with the legendary figures of Iommi and Butler. Clufetos is given his opportunity to cut loose with a solo spot on the shortened and instrumental version of "Symptom of the Universe". The songs of Sabbath certainly haven't lost any shine after so many years and those new tracks like the excellent "Metahademic" fit so well, actually this one always reminds me of Dream Theater's "A Nightmare To Remember". Though it's those older songs like "Children of the Grave" that get the audience pumped up.
Tony Iommi's mammoth riffs and Geezer Butler's bass licks are a joy to behold as these two masters of their instruments make the classics like "Black Sabbath" sound so good and Butler's introduction to "N.I.B." is just so cool. As for Ozzy well it's probably best said these songs would not be the same with anyone else's vocals, and like the others he played his role in the establishment of such a formidable musical force. So let's just be thankful to still have this opportunity to view Sabbath on stage after all they did start out well over 40 years ago. The Primal Fear song "Metal is forever" comes to mind and we have great bands like Black Sabbath to thank for that.
Black Sabbath have put on a commanding show for Live... Gathered In Their Masses another top live release in 2013.
Track Listing
1. Warpigs
2. Into the Void
3. Loner
4. Snowblind
5. Black Sabbath
6. Behind the Wall of Sleep
7. N.I.B.
8. Methademic
9. Fairies Wear Boots
10. Symptom of the Universe
11. Iron Man
12. End of the Beginning
13. Children of the Grave
14. God is Dead?
15. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (intro) / Paranoid
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
