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Rating: The Black Sabbath has always been a source of inspiration for thousands of bands, fascinated not only by their music but also by their esoteric allure. Some have even copied their habits and way of dressing, which has only increased the immense popularity of the band. They have managed to capture the attention even of those who didn't love the heavy genre and scandalous themes that would later lay the foundations for future metal in the '80s, '90s, and 2000s. Countless bands have paid tribute to Black Sabbath, and this album I present is a collection of artists brought together under the title "Nativity In Black" who enjoy reinterpreting great classics of the band in their own way. But let's dive into this rich lineup of tracks and immediately at No. 1, we find a cover signed Biohazard: "After forever" becomes a powerful crossover/Hardcore song, with Evan Seinfeld's (bassist and vocalist) outstanding performance and a band precise and devastating like an explosive device, delivering a perfect sound (listen to it at high volume, please!). At No. 2, we find a wild Rob Zombie with his White Zombie, who churn out a thrilling version of "Children of the grave", complete with a psychopathic laughter worthy of Charles Manson (the first time I heard it, I got chills from that laughter); the sound here is also perfect, and the riffs seem like chainsaw cuts over which Rob's raspy voice stands out, giving his all for this performance.
More canonical, however, is the version of the following "Paranoid" performed by the best Megadeth of the Rust in Peace/Countdown to Extinction era, who crank up the metronome and enrich the already beautiful song with a dizzying and captivating solo by the "Maestro" Friedman, with Mustaine in full vocal form. Track No. 4 is "Supernaut" performed by 1000 Homo DJs, a band I'm not very familiar with, but they know how to interpret this other Sabbath classic in their own style. What a surprise at No. 5, guess who's there? It's good (not so good) Ozzy who, assisted by Therapy?, redoes a fantastic "Iron Man"; listen to the massive guitars grinding riff after riff, Ozzy's warm voice, Fyfe Ewing's drumming, all blended by stellar production. Another excellent performance is delivered by the Corrosion of Conformity, one of the bands on this album that is most influenced by Black Sabbath; they play an excellent "Lord of this world" where the drummer and especially Pepper Keenan with his raw Southern American voice stand out. Track No. 7 is the most violent of the entire album and is played in a divine manner by Sepultura (from the Arise/Chaos A.D. era) who completely transform "Symptom of the universe", making it a song that could have easily appeared on one of their albums. Here, for the record, we must pause: at the beginning, there is a pompous guitar riff that gives goosebumps followed by the entrance of Igor Cavalera's drums, delivering perfect percussive passages (I have heard few metal drummers so fast with rolls across the drums and always on time); a solo in the middle part on the Mixolydian scale gives it a nice Latin/American flavor, like the ending characterized by acoustic guitars and almost bossa nova solos where the "four cariocas" demonstrate they can do more than just metal. A great surprise awaits in the following "The wizard" where we find a group of illustrious guests: Billy Ward, Geezer Butler, Rob Halford, Wino, Brian Tilse, and finally, Jimmy Wood on the mouth harp. The result is of excellent taste, with Wood's harmonica fitting perfectly at the beginning, almost making the original version forgettable, and Rob Halford with his shrill voice reconfirming himself as "the wizard of heavy metal." We are approaching the final tracks (and what tracks!), including "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", a piece that has a remarkable impact thanks to the contribution of Bruce "siren" Dickinson together with Godspeed, followed by "Nativity in Black" played quite well by Ugly Kid Joe and a live track, No. 11, taken from a performance by Faith No More with Mike Patton in front of a frenzied crowd performing a stunning and captivating "War Pigs"; Patton demonstrates he has a great voice and the rest of the group follows him through breaks and guitar solos. Now it's the turn of Type O Negative to tackle a piece as dark as they are, and what better piece than "Black Sabbath" for Pete Steele and company? Let's say this track turned out to be a masterpiece. It feels like being in the underworld participating in a satanic mantra, with Steele's deep and abysmal voice as the infernal priest, while the other musicians are the acolytes assisting their leader, all performing excellently: Silver recreates atmosphere black as oil with the keyboards, sulfurous and cavernous, even using a piano that offers little comfort; Hickey churns out great riffs in the closing part and Sal Abruscato smashes his drum skins. A triumph (of evil)! Cathedral closes this tribute with the acoustic execution of "Solitude", enriching it with male vespers and a very wild and moving flute. Truly skilled!
Black Sabbath continues to be and will always be a determining influence in the rock scene, and this album is irrefutable proof.
Tracklist
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