''The End'' is an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

by English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

and is their final release as a band. It was released on 20 January 2016. The exclusive, limited-edition CD was only available for purchase at tour dates for their final tour The End Tour. The first half of the album is leftover tracks from the '' 13'' sessions and the second half is live tracks recorded on tour between 2013 and 2014.

Background

The band recorded tracks at Shangri La Studios in Malibu with producer Rick Rubin during the sessions for ''13'', their nineteenth album. While Sabbath had been planning a follow-up to ''13'', the album was ultimately scrapped. Guitarist

Tony Iommi Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...

had written "a whole load of riffs" for the abandoned LP, but " Geezer (Butler) didn't particularly want to do another album", Iommi said of the bassist. Lead singer Ozzy Osbourne also voiced not wanting to record another album, saying "If we were to do an album before the tour, it would take three or four years to complete the album."

Release

The EP was intended to be promoted with The End Tour, being only available for purchase at live dates. Cover art for the disc was created by

OBEY Obey may refer to: *Obedience (human behavior), the act of following instructions or recognizing someone's authority * Obey (surname) * ''Obey'' (Brainbombs album), a 1995 album by the Swedish band Brainbombs * ''Obey'' (Axis of Advance album), a ...

founder and artist Shepard Fairey. ''The End'' was placed at number 20 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

's'' top metal albums of 2016.

Track listing

Personnel

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

– vocals *

– guitars * Geezer Butler – bass Additional musicians * Brad Wilk – drums (tracks 1–4) * Tommy Clufetos – drums (tracks 5–8) * Adam Wakeman – keyboards (tracks 5–8) * Mike Exeter – mixing, mastering

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:End 2016 debut EPs Albums produced by Rick Rubin Black Sabbath albums EPs by English artists Albums recorded at Shangri-La (recording studio)