It seems so fitting that the most exciting year in Black Sabbath news since they hooked up with Dio again in 2007 ends with the number "13." That's also the name of the band's new record, which undoubtedly you've already heard the first single, "God Is Dead?", if you're a Sab fan at all.
"God is Dead?" is a crushing, nine-minute saga examining the writings of Nietzsche that went a long way toward restoring the faith of those of us wondering if a reunion with Ozzy after all these years could turn out worth listening to. In case you also missed this bit of news, Black Sabbath is opening the U.S. portion of their world tour in Houston July 25 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
As you can imagine, this has just about all of us digging out our old Sabbath records and taking notes. In the course of doing so, I realized that there's a lot of pretty awesome tracks the band has recorded over the years that don't get nearly the attention or love they deserve. So in light of that, consider this your guide to the world of Sabbath deep cuts.
10. "St. Vitus Dance" "St. Vitus Dance" seems a little bit like a throwaway track on Vol. 4, with its silly-sounding main riff, but it's a deceptively catchy one that reels you in upon repeated listens to the record. It perfectly breaks the doom and gloom vibe right before the album's fantastic closer "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes."
9. "Country Girl" The second album from the initial Dio era of the band, Mob Rules, gets a lot of praise for its A-side, but the second half is unfortunately mostly forgotten. It's a shame because it contains some exceptional gems, like "Country Girl," which features one of Iommi's heavier riffs of the era. It could almost be seen as a throwback to their Vol. 4 era.
8. "Wishing Well" Heaven and Hell may be one of Black Sabbath's most well-regarded records, but not every track has survived the test of time and memory. Despite starting Side 2 of the record, "Wishing Well" doesn't stand out to many fans, but it has one of Iommi's most upbeat and exciting riffs on the album this side of "Neon Knights," a fantastic rolling bassline from Butller, and, of course, soaring vocals and a great chorus from Dio.
