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Black Sabbath - Reunion CD (album) cover

REUNION

Black Sabbath

 

Prog Related

4.19 | 122 ratings

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ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer
5 stars This will be one of my younger brother (Jean-Luc) biggest disappointment. "Sabbath" should have come to Belgium in 99 for a concert such as this "Reunion" one but it was cancelled a couple of weeks prior to the event. We already had the tickets...and we never really heard the reason of the cancellation. I doubt that we will be able to share a "Sabbath" experience like this one. And since he is six years younger than myself he could not come with me to see the band in 1973 : my first "prog" concert.

So, he bought this double live CD set and copied it for me (but we are used to share lots of musical material). Moneywise it is a good solution and I have so many thousnads of ? in records, videos, DVD's that I haven't any philophical problem with this.

Ozzy and his bandmates are quite in a good shape for this reunion. And the crowd is totally united with the band. Enthusisast and wild. Ozzy is very good in his leading role, exhorting the crowd with his typical coarse language (it is impossible to count all these "fu.." throughout this set. And what a set !

The impressive thing about this live release is not only the setlist, which is probably the best a "Sabbath" fan could dream of but also the rendition of all these numbers. The feeling is really superb and obviously the band has a great pleasure to be on stage again in their original line-up and probably perform their repertoire like never before. In a completely different style and to releate this live album with one most of you know, it can be compared to "Keys To Ascension" from "Yes" (for the spirit and the tracklist. Not for the genre of course).

Ozzy confirms this after "N.I.B.". I quote : "You know what ? It's been seventeen years that I haven't make a gig with these three guys. And you know what ? I have been fuc.ing missed them".

Of course most of this double live CD is made of songs from their first three albums. And that's what the audience was exactly expecting. Four songs from their debut album : "Black Sabbath", "The Wizzard", "Behind the Wall of Sleep" and "N.I.B.". The bulk of songs comes from "Paranoïd" of course. No less than five songs. The title track as encore as well as two of the best heavy metal songs ever written : "War Pigs" and "Iron Man". Super mighty versions of these two incredible songs. But let's not forget "Electric Funeral" and "Fairies".

From "MOR" five songs as well of which the delicate "Orchid". Completely lost into this ocean of pure, super heavy metal. But one of the many great versions here is a completely demential version of "Spiral Architect". Phenomenally heavy although the original studio version was even featuring some strings. Nothing as such here, I can tell you. Just a fuc.ing wild interpretation. One of the fifteen highlights I guess.

Just one regret here : the fantastic "Wheels Of Confusion" won't be featured. But with such a tracklist, one can easily forgive this to "Sabbath". Only "Snowblind" from "Volume four" sits on this live album.

This double CD set is extremely wild and heavy. And it is what the fans were expecting. IMHHO, this is the best heavy metal live album ever recorded. Each songs is brilliantly interpreted. Of course, you have to be ready for this "prog" live experience.

There will even be two unreleased studio songs (a weird idea, but maybe that "Sabbath" thought it would be an additional sales argument. And even "Psycho Man" as well as "Selling my Soul" are good.

Five stars for this incredible live testament.

For the tracklist. For the atmosphere. For the renditions. For the nostalgia. Just get out and grab it, or steal it, or do whatever you like to get it. But do get it. Now, now, now, now, now !

ZowieZiggy | 5/5 |

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