Okay...some thoughts...COMING UP!! Well from what you guys posted earlier, I'm not shocked at all that Ozzy interfered with the lyric production of GID? Definitely sounds like that song wasn't thought out with the full band agreeing. Other than that it's not terrible; but let me know tell you it gets out better. End of the Beginning is a huge opener and i'm not the biggest fan of long metal songs. Loner is a fast rocker with some great lyrics and really sets a good mood with Ozzy just laying it down with some Geezer's dark, melancholy lyrics. This should of been the lead single in my honest opinion. Now onto the heavier material..! Another thing I'd like to point out is that each song kind of segues well into the other and you can little live recording bits in between the beginning or end of each track. Hearing the tuning of guitar or bass. Brad doing a little drum intro, and hearing Iommi fiddling the guitar strings to open up a great riff on one track. Which I found very cool and felt like a band working off of each other. Rick was able to capture that live sound while making Ozzy sing really well. On Scream his previous solo album you could tell there was an improvement in Ozzy's singing ability. Here in my opinion his vocals sound more fleshed out without the need of so much studio effects, pro tools, etc etc. You can notice a little bit of that; but it works in the album's favor especially when the riff king, Iommi and Geezer are killing it and giving their best performances to date. Now back to the other songs shall we. Zeitgeist is Planet Caravan Pt. 2 in a nutshell and completely obvious during the first couple of seconds. But..it's a good song and very fun escapism to listen to with headphones. Rick brings the vocader to Ozzy's voice to get that original production of the song it's based off of. Brad is adding strong reggae percussion and adding a good back beat on Geezer's bass while Tony is hammering a melodic acoustic guitar track and then switching back to electric. Nothing special or groundbreaking on this one. Age of Reason goes back to the heavy featuring an epic guitar solo and strong rhythm. It's a pounding force going on with clever lyrics that can be quite a spoonful. Live Forever could of used a re-write on the lyrical side since it gets a little too predictable on the chorus; but the music more than makes up for it. Ozzy's vocals are strong on this one I remember from my viewing earlier that evening. Damaged Soul is an awesome tune with Ozzy killing it on the harmonica, Brad pounding on the skins, and dark lyrics dealing with demon possession, life choices, and other things. Now...Dear Father sounds like it could of been written back in 1969 when the first album was being made. Geezer's lyrics deal with hypocrisy, broken homes, demons, and make the whole experience worth it.  The middle and ending of this closing track has Iommi making the guitar his bitch and the rest of the band firing on all cylinders. Really concludes the album nicely and makes it satisfying for people that may not want to flesh out the extra dough for the bonus tracks. As for the bonus tracks didn't get to hear them; so I'm going to have to buy the deluxe version to listen to those and give my thoughts later on in the coming week.

Overall opinion:

This is the closet Sabbath record to the original band's sound that's been missing since the late 70s. Featuring epic guitar solos, strong lyrics, and production this album is simply going to get better over time and with repeated listens. Anyone worried about the problems getting this thing together are completely out the window. Sure it's not the best or a perfect comeback or metal album; but if you look back Rock N' Roll and Heavy Metal in general was never about perfection. It probably will sound better on other formats and the tidbits and live cuts that appear on the songs are definitely fun to hear and probably better riffs going on that I didn't quite make out that deserve a few more listens later on to get everything down. Some songs especially God is Dead? needed to be cut by 2 minutes at least. It's a great album to chill back to and throw up the horns. Metal fans won't be disappointed and Black Sabbath fans that have been waiting for years will be rewarded. Ward fucked up big time for not joining in; but his lack of presence didn't ruin the songs at all. The songs sound like they would stand up with the first few Sabbath albums most definitely.  Enjoy everybody!!

Got around to listening to the stream. Album sounds fucking sick! Iommi proofs he is the still the riff king, Ozzy's best vocals in years, Brad nails the drum sound even the lack of Ward can be felt, and some epic moments throughout most of the tracks. Bonus songs not included in the stream which was fine. God sounded better than the last time I listened to it; but it's definitely the weakest song on the album. That being said you aren't going to be disappointed, BLS. Some songs I find are going to grow; but it's the classic Sabbath sound no doubt. Should I wait to give my thoughts on the other songs for next week so you guys get a chance?

I would like to hear that cover; but it's going to be hard to top the Man in Black's version. Which I find powerful, chilling, and well covered yet using the simplest production. He was able to give that tune as much as respect as he did with his cover of Hurt and some others on that album.

I just got Rust 2004 remaster with the other day. Hoping to rock out to that pretty soon. Tasty jams and heavy riffs.

Yeah you have a point. I saw parts of the 5'th one and what I saw I enjoyed. I don't think I would of enjoyed this new film as much if my friend didn't join me. Originally we are going to do a big group; but it didn't work out. I agree with Axlin's Lethal Weapon and buddy action flick formula explanation as well. Vin Diesel is also doing the Riddick sequel/reboot. So hoping that's good.