DEHUMANIZER

After being completely discouraged by Born Again to ever trying any new music from Black Sabbath, I left the band behind me and moved to many new discoveries in the world of rock music. Although when I heard that the Mob Rules/Dehumanizer lineup had reunited and released their new album The Devil You Know I gave the band another go, seeing that they weren't actually called Black Sabbath!

That 2009-release really surprised me since it didn't sound anything like the band's two '80s releases, but I definitely enjoyed it. After overhearing two of my friends pointing out similarities between The Devil You Know and Dehumanizer, it peaked my interest and so I found myself streaming the album off Spotify. My first impression was surprisingly positive and I definitely started to question all the negative publicity that Dehumanizer had received in the media over the years.

Unlike the many energetic album openers that Black Sabbath are known for, Computer God kicked off the album with a slow groove that didn't really surprised me too much, considering that I just heard The Devil You Know, but it might have been a big surprise for the fan base back in the day. It might not be one of the stronger album openers but Computer God sets just the right mood for the magnificent After All (The Dead)! Let's get one thing clear here! I never cared for the lyrical context of Black Sabbath songs and I'm honestly surprised to see so many reviewers complaining about it. It's not like the lyrics played a significant part in the Black Sabbath songs on landmark albums like Heaven And Hell since I don't see that many people complain about the medieval dungeons and dragons imagery that was depicted there. Or do those people actually happen to enjoy that?

Musically, After All (The Dead) is an epic and it surely plays like one! We also get a Judas Priest-inspired TV Crimes and the great Master Of Insanity, which reminds me a lot of the old Led Zeppelin classic The Wanton Song. The material towards the end of the album is surprisingly strong, even if there aren't any more majestic moments, except possibly for the ballad Too Late. I'm also happy to say that the album didn't get tiresome over time and I still often play it whenever I'm in that Black Sabbath type of mood.

To me, Dehumanizer is a definite return to excellence for the band. I'd like to give a special shout out to the very underrated Vinny Appice, who does an excellent job by giving his beats that extra twist that many other drummers might have disproved of and went in either too technical style or completely underplaying the drum's role in Black Sabbath's music.

***** star songs: After All (The Dead) (5:42) Master Of Insanity (5:55)

**** star songs: Computer God (6:15) TV Crimes (4:03) Time Machine (4:16) Sins Of The Father (4:47) Too Late (6:56) I (5:13) Buried Alive (4:50)

*** star songs: Letters From Earth (4:17)