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THE REVIEW
Rarely have I stumbled upon something like this: a band essentially on the rebound, with an album like Cross Purposes under their belt, sliding, or rather, plummeting into a chasm, into the void. Boom! Forbidden represents the prototype of an album produced with the backside, of poor quality, both in the composition of the tracks and in their execution, despite top-tier musicians like Neil Murray, Cozy Powell, and of course Tony Iommi.
The listening experience is a disaster, from start to finish, completely subdued compared to the glory days. Horrendous is the vocal line of The Illusion Of Power, on the verge of being off-key, a terrible performance by Tony Martin. Even singer Ice-T, from the band Body Count, came to lend a hand: to no avail, it just sucks. Get A Grip seems like a leftover from some previous session or recording, Can't get close enough is banal, Shaking Off The Chains is predictable, I Won't Cry For You lacks substance, Guilty As Hell is directionless, Sick and Tired features a riff we've heard before. It's better not to even talk about Rusty Angels, which, just from the title, foretells the brainlessness of the track. Kiss of death is the final trash. The only truly good track, Loser Gets It All, was not included in the album, except in the Japanese version, which is another point against it. Completing the work, a pseudo-artwork of poor quality, really poorly drawn, not to mention the back, namely the hideous caricatures of the band members, forming a poorly mixed combination of dark themes and (weak) humor.
At this point, it’s best not to drag it out: Forbidden is really a Swiss cheese album, a massive blunder, scraping the bottom of the barrel. The Black Sabbath couldn’t go any lower than this. It would only be the Reunion of the original band core in 1999 that would raise the fortunes of a project otherwise destined for nemesis. Without inspiration, records cannot be made, especially when the production is dictated by a greedy record company and a multitude of contractual obligations to honor. Great lesson for Tony Iommi, who from now on would tread carefully.
Forbidden: forbidden to listen to!
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Summary by Bot
Forbidden by Black Sabbath is considered a severe failure, marked by poor composition, weak vocals, and uninspired execution. Despite having talented musicians on board, the album falls far short of the band's glory days. The review highlights the uninspired tracks, disappointing production, and subpar artwork. The rare good track was excluded from the main release. Only the reunion with the original lineup helped revive the band's fortunes.Tracklist Lyrics
Black Sabbath
English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968, widely credited as pioneers of heavy metal and led musically by guitarist Tony Iommi.91 Reviews
