Raramente mi è capitato di imbattermi in una cosa del genere: una band sostanzialmente in ripresa, con alle spalle un disco del calibro di Cross Purposes, che scivola, anzi precipita in un baratro, nel vuoto. Bum! Forbidden rappresenta il prototipo del disco prodotto con il deretano, di qualità scadente, sia nella composizione dei brani che nell'esecuzione, nonostante musicisti di prim'ordine come Neil Murray, Cozy Powell e naturalmente Tony Iommi.

L'ascolto è uno scempio, dall'inizio alla fine, del tutto sottotono rispetto ai fasti di un tempo. Orrenda la linea di vocale The Illusion Of Power, al limite di un cantato stonato, una pessima prestazione di Tony Martin. C'è anche il cantante Ice-T, dalla band Body Count, a dare man forte: nulla da fare, fa proprio schifo. Get A Grip sembra uno scarto di qualche session o registrazione passata, Can't get close enough è banale, Shaking Off The Chains è scontata, I Won't Cry For You non ha sostanza, Guilty As Hell non ha né capo né coda, Sick and Tired presenta un riff già sentito. Meglio non parlare neanche di Rusty Angels, che già dal titolo fa presagire la demenzialità del brano. Kiss of death è il pattume finale. L'unico pezzo davvero bello, Loser Gets It All, ma non è stato incluso nell'album, se non soltanto nella versione giapponese e ciò rappresenta un altro punto a sfavore. A completare l'opera, uno pseudo-artwork di qualità scadente, disegnato davvero male, per non parlare del retro, ossia le bruttissime caricature dei membri della band, a formare un malriuscito miscuglio fra temi dark e (fiacco) umorismo.

Conviene a questo punto non tirarla tanto per le lunghe: Forbidden è proprio un disco di emmenthal, una fesciata di proporzioni enormi, una raschiatura di fondo del barile. Più in basso di così i Black Sabbath non potevano proprio andare. Sarà soltanto la Reunion del nucleo originale della band nel 1999 a rialzare le sorti di un progetto altrimenti destinato alla nemesi. Senza ispirazione i dischi non si possono fare, soprattutto se a dettarne la produzione sono una casa discografica avida e una marea di obblighi di contratto da onorare. Grande lezione per Tony Iommi, che d'ora in poi si muoverà coi piedi di piombo.  

Forbidden: vietato ascoltarlo!

Elenco tracce e testi

01   The Illusion of Power (04:54)

02   Get a Grip (03:59)

I see it on the TV, it's playing on my mind,
Everything I see has got something to do with killing my brother.

Just another mind game? or maybe it's a sign,
When the child with a gun holds it up to the head of his brother.

Well that ain't nice. Gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life,
Gotta get a grip cause you're gonna slip, yeah.

Somebody tell me, where did we lose?
Where's the point that we lost the control to live with each other?
Mister politician, searching for a lie.
What's the truth? will the youth find the proof for a revolution?

Cause that ain't nice, gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip cause you're gonna slip, on ice,
Gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip cause you're gonna slip

Gotta get a hold of the situation, gotta get you into my life,
Gotta get a hold and get it moving.
I can't tell you what you need to know it's up to you, oh yeah

That ain't nice, gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip, cause you're gonna slip, on ice,
Gotta get a grip, gotta get a hold on life
Gotta get a grip cause you're gonna slip.

Gotta get a hold of the situation, gotta get a hold on life,
Gotta get a grip and get it moving,
I can't tell you what you need to know, it's up to you, oh yeah.

Don't your blood run cold, don't the sorrow show,
Hold on tight to what you have.
See it in your eyes, don't it make you cry,
Get a grip and shake the can.
Get a grip, yeah, get a grip, yeah, get a grip, yeah,
Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip, get a grip, get a hold.
Get a grip on life, get a grip on life, get a grip on life,
Yeah get a grip.

03   Can't Get Close Enough (04:28)

04   Shaking Off the Chains (04:04)

05   I Won't Cry for You (04:48)

So you lie awake and think about tomorrow,
And you try to justify the things you've done,
But there's no one here, to hear your tears falling,
When you turn around, you find out, that you're the lonely one.

And it feels like someone's treading on your shadow,
And you always thought that Heaven knows for sure,
And it feels like you're drowning, in your tears.

So I won't cry for you, no I ain't gonna cry for you,
And I ain't gonna lie for you, no I ain't gonna cry for you.
Ain't gonna cry for you.

So you lie awake and think about the sorrow,
Does it really still the fears in your mind,
And you try to realise the things you wanted,
But you take it all for granted and now it makes you blind.

And it feels like someone's treading on your shadow,
And you always thought that Heaven knows for sure,
And it feels like you're drowning, in your tears.

So I ain't gonna cry for you, no I ain't gonna die for you,
And I ain't gonna lie for you, no I ain't gonna cry for you.
Ain't gonna cry

I ain't gonna cry for you, I ain't gonna cry.

So I ain't gonna cry for you, no I ain't gonna die for you,
No I ain't gonna lie for you, no I ain't gonna cry for you,
Ain't gonna cry, ain't gonna cry for you no more,
Ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna die for no more,
Ain't gonna lie, I ain't gonna lie for no more,

Ain't gonna cry, I ain't gonna cry for you no more.

06   Guilty as Hell (03:28)

07   Sick and Tired (03:31)

08   Rusty Angels (05:00)

09   Forbidden (03:49)

If I had to live again, I'd change everything,
'Cause everything I do, you know that I can't win.
You say it isn't right, but you say it isn't wrong,
How the Hell am I supposed to please everyone.

Tell me what it is that I'm supposed to do.
I aint here for everybody, but I aint here for you,
You said it isn't right, but you said it isn't wrong.
I wish somebody could tell me, what it is that I've done wrong.

The best things in live aren't given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
The best things in live aren't given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.

You know it's gonna get you now, and you know it starts to bring you down.

Tell me what it is that I'm supposed to do,
I aint here for everybody, but I aint here for you,
It seems I have to fight, for all the things I want,
Wish somebody could tell me what it is that I've done wrong.

The best things in live aren't given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
The best things in live aren't given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.

It's Forbidden.

The best things in live aren't given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
The best things in live aren't given, these things aint for you and me,
Every time you shout Forbidden, makes me wonder what you see.
Makes me wonder what you see.

10   Kiss of Death (06:09)

This is no ordinary soul, that you're destroying,
Not just another life that drifts along with the sands of time.
We tried to show you on your way, but still, you cannot see,
you're hurting me You told too many lies and so it ends, yeah

You tried to touch me, but then I knew your plan,
You tried to take my world away, oh no,
Now I see it, it's as clear as day,
No you'll never stand a chance, oh no you'll never stand a chance.

You tried to lead me, to the land where you keep your lies,
But I've seen this read before, oh yeah,
There is no reason why I should listen now,
No you'll never stand a chance, oh no you'll never stand a chance.

So many people tried before, but still I came through stronger than before,
Someone like you will never get through my door no more,
Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible.
Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible. Yeah.

Every lie that you tell you get closer,
Closer to the edge of the Cauldron and in to the fire, yeah.
Every life you destroy will return, it will come back and haunt you,
For ever and ever.

Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible.
Nothing you can do will hurt me, I am indestructible. Yeah.

This is no ordinary soul that you're destroying,
Not just another life that drifts along with the sands of time.

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