Black Sabbath are allowing fans a chance to stream their new album ‘13‘ on iTunes for free, ahead of its official release next week on June 11th.

You can check out the full stream by clicking here. Important: you need to click the ‘view in iTunes‘ button next to the band name to hear the free stream. And if you’d like to pre-order on iTunes I’ll have a widget to do so at the bottom of the post.

This album has been a hard-fought reunion. Drummer Bill Ward dropped out due to a business dispute (he’s been replaced by Brad Wilk, drummer for Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave). Then guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with cancer. And then Ozzy Osbourne had a relapse, causing much drama with his wife Sharon (what else is new?)

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But producer Rick Rubin, was dogged in his pursuit to get them in the studio for their first full length album, 1977’s ‘Never Say Die’.

But Iommi and the band were baffled by the producer’s eccentric behavior, solidifying claims of his vague approach. The initial stage of the album involved sending emails of song ideas and snippets. Eventually Rubin joined them in the studio but according to the guitarist he was laying down on a bed during recording.

Regardless of his odd approach, Rubin knows how to draw out powerful performances from the artists he produces and while it’s too early to decide if “13” is a classic Sabbath album, it’s likely as good as its going to get.

So check out the free stream and weigh in with your thoughts on Black Sabbath’s “13” below. I’ll post a full review after I’ve had time to absorb the new material.

Pre-order “13” on iTunes:

RELATED: check out my review for new albums from Alice In Chains and Queens Of The Stone Age by clicking on the highlighted band names.