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Artwork Included
Promo Only Release
CD BS Productions Limited (January 20th, 2016, available only on concerts of 'The End' Tour 2016).
"The End" is an EP release by UK heavy/doom metal act Black Sabbath. The EP was released through Vertigo Records in January 2016.
"The End" features 4 unreleased studio tracks, recorded during the sessions for "13 (2013)", and 4 live tracks recorded on the tour ("The Reunion Tour") supporting the album (recorded between April 2013 and April 2014). So while the EP was released to coincide with Black Sabbath final farewell tour ("The END Tour"), and was only available for purchase at shows on that tour, it actually doesn´t feature material recorded live from said tour.
Stylistically the studio tracks pretty much follow the same heavy/doom metal formula as the band also played on "13 (2013)". Quality wise it´s not necessarily obvious why these four tracks were left off "13 (2013)", as they are generally as memorable and powerful as the material featured on the album.
Especially "Season of the Dead" is quite a brilliant track. The sound production resembles the one on "13 (2013)", which is again natural as these tracks were recorded during the same sessions as the material on "13 (2013)". The sound production is powerful, dark, and organic, although the drums could have prospered from a more organic tone.
The live recordings feature a professional sound quality, and the instrumental part of the performances is of high quality throughout. Ozzy Osbourne´s performances are a bit more up and down.
He for example sounds great on "Under the Sun" (from "Vol 4 (1972)"), while his performances on the three tracks off "13 (2013)" ("God is Dead?", "End of the Beginning", and "Age of Reason"), vary a bit more in quality.
Everything about The End is an anomaly. It's a CD-only collection of four previously unreleased castaways from the sessions for Black Sabbath's stellar comeback LP, 2013's 13, along with a handful of live recordings; and it was only available to concertgoers who attended their farewell tour.
Most surprising, though, is that it's excellent: Any of these songs could have – and should have – come out years ago. Opener "Season of the Dead" contains one of Tony Iommi's doomiest riffs in decades, and its middle section fuses the fantastical grooves of the band's late Seventies recordings with the locomotive riffing of their Eighties Dio years.
The grim "Cry All Night" contains a brilliant, bluesy guitar solo; "Take Me Home" pairs Flamenco guitar with guttural, distorted riffing; and "Isolated Man" approximates Beatles psychedelia through the band's dark filter. It's Black Sabbath saying goodbye while twisting the knife – from the sound of these songs, they ought to record more.
♦♦ Ozzy Osbourne - vocals
♦♦ Tony Iommi - guitars
♦♦ Geezer Butler - bass
Guest musician:
♦♦ Brad Wilk - drums (1 - 4)
♦♦ Tommy Clufetos - drums (5 - 8)
♦♦ Adam Wakeman - keyboards (5 - 8), guitar (5 - 8)
01. Season Of The Dead 07.21
02. Cry All Night 06.58
03. Take Me Home 04.57
04. Isolated Man 05.31
05. God Is Dead? (Live Sydney, Australia 4/27/13) 09.48
06. Under The Sun (Live Auckland, New Zealand 4/20/13) 04.36
07. End Of The Beginning (Live Hamilton, ON Canada 4/11/14) 09.09
08. Age Of Reason (Live Hamilton, ON Canada 4/11/14) 07.45
Bonus Tracks:
09. Loner - 05.56 [Live Bonus 2016]
10. Dirty Woman - 07.24 [Live Bonus 2016]
11. Methademic - 05.21 [Live Bonus 2016]
Part 1: The End
Part 2: The End
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Part 1: The End
Part 2: The End
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Part 1: The End
Part 2: The End
