Black Sabbath had their fair share of on-stage antics, internal turmoil, and adventures – and misadventures – throughout their decades-long lifespan. For Geezer Butler, one story that stands out in particular involves his old P-Bass, an angry customs officer, and a hammer.

“[This is] the second P-Bass [a 1968 Precision] that I ever had, and this one did the Paranoid album and the Master of Reality album – so Paranoid, War Pigs, Iron Man, Sweet Leaf, second Sabbath album, the third Sabbath album…” Butler tells Nate Mendel on an episode of Fender’s Lowdown on the Low End.

However, its original ’68 neck had to be replaced because of a particularly gnarly incident.

“This got wrecked,” Butler explains. “We were in Canada, and one of the customs guys in Canada decided he hated Black Sabbath, [and] smashed the neck with a hammer.”

Once Butler got to the venue and opened the case, he was met with a couple of unwanted surprises…

“There [were] hammer marks all the way down the neck, so obviously it was unplayable,” he adds. “It was a Sunday afternoon, so the promoter knew a guy that owned a guitar shop. The only bass he had was one of the plexiglass ones. So I got lumbered with that.”

Butler’s beat-up bass neck was quickly replaced with a ’70s neck – and the Sabbath bassist could continue using his workhorse, albeit with a modified neck. And while he used a plethora of different basses throughout his career – including Lakland basses, a Rickenbacker 4001, and custom Martin Birch and JayDee ones – the no-frills ’68 P-bass would forever define his tone.

In a 2024 interview with Bass Player, Butler revealed how he achieved his sought-after tone and why he struggled to find a producer who understood his vision.

What is it?

The towering, monolithic Black Sabbath – there are few bands that compare, in terms of sheer cultural significance.

In particular, if you are a metalhead, there’s absolutely no two ways about it – you owe your music’s existence to them. Even if they aren’t a direct influence on your chosen bands, dig deep enough and Black Sabbath is at the root of all heavy metal.

In 2025, the buzz around Sabbath’s triumphant final show caused many to revisit the distinguished works of Birmingham’s four shaggy-haired horsemen of the Apocalypse and, almost six decades on, Sabbath were as popular and widely adored as they’d ever been.

Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler is a perennial hero of bass guitar, inspiring generations of musicians with his distinctive, powerful playing. In recent years, Butler has favoured Ashdown amplifiers, co-creating a flagship signature head and, here with me today, a dual-EQ overdrive pedal with a DI output.

The names state intent – the amp is called the Head of Doom, and this black box is the Pedal of Doom.

Specs

• Price: $299 | £249 | €349
• Type: Bass preamp/overdrive/DI
• Controls: Output, Bass 1, Lo Mid 1, Hi Mid 1, Treble, Bass 2, Lo Mid 2, Hi Mid 2, Doom Vol, Doom, Ground/Lift button
• Features: Switchable Doom overdrive/fuzz, selectable dual EQs, dual VU meters
• Connectivity: 1/4" instrument input, XLR output, DC input, 1/4" amplifier output
• Power: 9v/18v, 100mA
• Dimensions: 183 x 120 x 65 mm
• Weight: 1.28kg
• Contact: Ashdown Engineering

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

We were talking about heavy metal; appropriately, the theme continues with the Pedal of Doom.

The enclosure is solid steel, 1.6mm thick – plus another aluminium faceplate mounted on top, just to hammer the point home. It weighs a hefty 1.28kg, and is built like the proverbial brick outhouse; it certainly doesn’t feel like it would crack under the pressure of live use.

Quite the opposite – it feels like you could drop it and damage the floor more than the pedal.

Usability

Usability rating: ★★★☆☆

The Ashdown is flush with seven EQ controls in total, having two separate channels with independent Bass, Lo Mid and Hi Mid, plus a shared Treble control between both.

Then, the Doom circuit that gives the pedal its name – this is a built-in drive stage with gain and volume controls, which can be balanced against the overall master volume of the pedal. The Pedal of Doom can be run at 9V, or 18V for more headroom.

There are two footswitches; the left switches between EQs 1 and 2, and the right engages Doom. The mode of operation is signalled by lights mounted within a pair of Ashdown's trademark VU meters. All straightforward and intuitive enough.

The problem is that, to make room for those meters, the row of knobs is mounted very close to the two footswitches, making it easy to knock your settings by accident; rather an unusual design oversight, on what is a relatively large pedal.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Butler’s sound is a P-Bass, played fingerstyle relatively near the neck, and hard; you can often hear the metallic clank of string hitting fret on those old Sabbath bass tracks. He isn’t big on overdrive either; a little bit of organic-sounding grit, sure, and his aggressive style drives the signal hard but, broadly speaking, not a high-gain sound.

As such, it’s surprising to kick in the Doom circuit, gain only half-way up, and be met with a heavily distorted signal. Turn up more, and you’re in full-blown fuzz territory. An angry, wildly saturated roar; entertaining for gain-hounds but, dare I say it… not very ‘Sabbath’ at all.

In the lower reaches of the Doom control, though, there are some far more tasteful and usable sounds to be had. With gain below 9 o’clock and volume higher to compensate, you can achieve a lovely, thick tone not dissimilar to those Butler is known for, with just a little retro-sounding fur around the edges.

Nudge it up to 9 or 10 o’clock and you can even approximate the sound of a cooking Ampeg B-15. These sounds are where the real utility of the Pedal of Doom lies.

Once you’ve dialled in the two EQs, it’s possible to have two quite distinct tones to switch between. The EQs affect the signal when the Doom circuit is off, too, so there’s no reason it couldn’t be combined with other effects to shape your clean signal, as well as providing an extra gain stage.

It’s a curious decision to link a shared Treble control to the two EQs; it limits adjustability. It might have been more useful to have a shared Bass control, to ensure an even spread of low-end frequencies between the two settings, to allow the rest of the frequencies to be sculpted to taste.

Verdict

Replicating Geezer Butler’s sound arguably doesn’t call for much in the way of pedals, and the Pedal of Doom is easily at its best (and closest to that tone) in the very low reaches of the gain control.

Seems a waste perhaps, for a pedal with so much distortion on tap – but those cleaner tones are very characterful and usable, evoking classic tube-driven bass amps. Its feeling of utter solidity suggests it’ll be just as long-lived too.

Guitar World verdict: The Pedal of Doom is a strange fish; while it can undoubtedly summon the sonic Armageddon its name suggests, it isn’t necessarily a ticket to Geezer Butler’s classic sound. It’s a sturdy, useful box in its own right though – with warm vintage tones, devastating fuzz and plenty of EQ shaping.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Ashdown Engineering

Metalhead Productions

• Best bass preamp pedals: consistently great tone, wherever you are

[Update 10.08 – An earlier version of this story stated these amps were played by Geezer Butler at Back to the Beginning, Black Sabbath's final show. Butler has since posted on social media to say these amps were used in rehearsals and not during the show. Butler also says he is not involved in the sale of the amps.]

Ashdown and Reverb are teaming up to sell a collection of amps that Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler played during rehearsals for the band's epic finale, Back to the Beginning.

15 Head of Doom amps are available – which will be sold exclusively on Reverb – and each were hand-signed by Butler himself during those rehearsals. They also come with a certificate of authenticity from Ashdown’s Managing Director, Dan Gooday.

As of yesterday, fans can sign up to be notified as soon as the amps are available on Ashdown's Reverb Shop. The sale is set to go live on October 14 at 10:00 a.m. US Central Time.

“The end of an era. The sound of a legend,” says Reverb. “This is your chance to own the sound that defined heavy metal. Don’t wait, once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

Ashdown will also be rolling out made-to-order speaker cabinets that help channel the iconic bassist's sound.

The 2x15” and 2x12” cabinets, dubbed the COD-212-8 and COD-215-8, will be handcrafted in the UK to the same specs as those at the final show. Rated at 300 watts RMS at 8 Ohms, the custom cabs will also feature a custom medal grill screen-printed with Geezer's artwork.

Butler's Head of Doom is also available online as a made-to-order option – with a £1,499 ($2,009) price tag. Specs-wise, it features a 9-band EQ, Sub-Harmonic generator, and a “Doom” control – alongside dual inputs for passive/active basses, footswitchable EQ settings, and DI, FX loop, line in/out, and dual Speakon outputs.

For more information, head to Reverb.

Back in July and following Ozzy's death, the Black Sabbath bassist shared his fondest memories of the Prince of Darkness in an exclusive interview with Guitar World – from their unlikely first encounter to Back to the Beginning.

Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Alice In Chains and Gojira were among the acts who took part in Black Sabbath’s final ever show in the band’s hometown of Birmingham, UK. Aptly dubbed Back To The Beginning, Sabbath's last rodeo marked the final chapter in an epic 57-year run by the unequivocal godfathers of heavy metal.

The cornerstone of this success, as well as Sabbath's undeniable influence, stems from its sophomore effort, Paranoid, released by Vertigo in September 1970. The songs from Paranoid became not only a blueprint for Sabbath's subsequent recordings, but also the template for legions of metal bands that followed in their wake.

“Geezer Butler was basically playing lead bass on that album,” Machine Head’s Adam Duce told Bass Player back in 2011. “His playing was almost like singing and it was as integral to the songs as the vocals. His bass had a voice of its own.”

“I’ve always written my own bass parts in Sabbath, but when I first switched to bass from guitar, I was terrible,” said Butler in the October 2021 issue of Bass Player. “I'd never even thought about bass.

“I couldn't afford a real bass guitar, so I just tuned the strings down on a Telecaster and they were flapping all over the place. I was looking over at Tony lommi and playing the root note of whatever chord he was playing at the time!”

Paranoid was recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London with Rodger Bain producing and Tom Allom engineering. In the documentary Classic Albums: Black Sabbath – Paranoid, Allom says they recorded Paranoid in just two days – from 10 AM to 10 PM each day for basic tracks, with another two days at Island Studios (also in London) for overdubs and mixing.

In the film, Butler says the album was basically recorded live. “There weren't any trendy effects back then. It's like listening to a live band.”

The material had already been developed on the road and honed at Rockfield Studios in South Wales under the tutelage of Bain, so the urgency of the band's performances is part of the album's appeal.

While most songs from Paranoid had been staples of Sabbath shows for years (War Pigs, Iron Man, Fairies Wear Boots, and the title track), one song that also made it into the set for the Back To The Beginning show was Hand of Doom, with Tool performing their own take on the Sabbath classic.

Along with the intro to N,I.B., Hand of Doom opens with one of Geezer Butler's most iconic bass riffs, but before discussing the bassline, it's important to note that Butler was also Sabbath's main lyricist. He often tackled controversial subject matter relating to war, politics, the occult, etc. In the Classic Albums documentary, he explains that his inspiration for Hand of Doom was drug abuse.

“We played two American army bases – one in Germany and one in England. It's where the guys went after doing a tour of Vietnam. Instead of going straight back to America, they had to stay at these halfway houses.

They were in a terrible state – doing heroin. There was nothing about it on the news. It stuck in my head. That's what I wrote about.”

Musically, Hand of Doom, like many songs on Paranoid, doesn't follow a traditional songwriting format of verse/bridge/chorus. Sabbath liked to piece together seemingly unrelated parts, creating radical changes in direction of energy, time and feel. Within any given tune there can be time changes, sometimes there are key changes, and sometimes there are both.

The track begins with the eight-bar bass intro riff, which Butler maintains through the verses and choruses of the song's first section, adding some fills in the choruses. This section has two main tonalities: the six-note D blues scale (D-F-G-Ab-A-C-D) and the five-note D minor pentatonic scale (D-F-G-A-D). This can be determined in part by the way Ozzy Osbourne bends the F’s in the vocal melody toward F# as well as the bluesy styles of Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi.

For the song's second section, at 02:05, the tempo and feel changes to a shuffle, while the key leans toward C minor, thanks to the presence of Ab's in the guitar part. Still, Osbourne is singing C blues-based melodies, and lommi supplements his power chords with a bluesy Eb/Bb – Bb7 turnaround. Meanwhile, Butler adds interesting phrase ending fills.

Following a slight uptick in tempo, lommi's guitar solo begins at 04:24, for which he switches to a C Dorian tonality, evident in his use of A's instead of Ab's.

Here, a hallmark of Butler's playing on Paranoid emerges: rather than plodding along on a fixed pattern or motif, he improvises in the second half of each measure, underscoring Iommi's solo with a pseudo-solo of his own. It gives these moments a heavy Cream-on-steroids kind of vibe.

Following a transition at 04:51, the first section returns via a fade-in. Two verses and choruses ensue before Butler ends the song the way he started it: alone.

After Jake E. Lee split from Ozzy Osbourne’s band in 1987, Jimi Bell was one of the many guitarists who auditioned for the gig. But while he respected Lee and Randy Rhoads, they weren’t his primary influences.

“Both were absolute monsters on the guitar, no question,” he says. “But I go a bit further back to guys like Johnny Winter, Ritchie Blackmore and Al Di Meola. And of course, Eddie Van Halen changed the game for me.”

Eventually, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne narrowed their choice down to Bell or Zakk Wylde. And although Bell got on well with Sharon, the facts that Wylde was a Rhoads disciple and was already working with Ozzy sealed the deal.

But Sharon introduced Bell to Geezer Butler, leading to a spell beside the Black Sabbath bass player. He co-wrote Master of Insanity with Butler, which appeared on 1991 Sabbath album Dehumanizer. But he wasn’t paid or credited for it. “I wish some things had turned out differently, but I don’t carry bitterness,” he says. “I’m proud of what I did – even if the paperwork didn’t always reflect it.”

He went on to record with House of Lords and joined Autograph after Steve Lynch quit. “Sharon definitely vibed with me,” he says of his Ozzy audition. “But he made the final call. Zakk was the right fit for where Ozzy was going.”

What inspired you to pick up the guitar?

“I was a drummer first, from age 10 to 13. I used to jam with friends, and one day the guitarist left his guitar against his amp. I couldn’t resist. Even though it was right-handed and I’m a lefty, I plugged it in, hit the Big Muff fuzz box – and I was hooked instantly.

“I became obsessed with guitar, so I progressed quickly. By 15 I was already playing in public. At 16, I started gigging in clubs, and I had to get my parents to sign permission slips to get in the venues. The first time I played for a real crowd, I knew I’d found my path.”

How did you hook up with Joan Jett?

“Around 1984 I was in a band called Joined Forces, playing all original music. Someone from Joan’s label, Blackheart Records, saw us live and offered us a management deal. Next thing we knew, we were out on tour with Joan. We had a full tour bus, became close with her band and crew, and Joan herself was incredibly kind and down-to-earth.

“Joan was always particularly kind and friendly towards me. That led to us landing the role as The Hunzz in the Joan Jett/Michael J. Fox film Light of Day. The release party at the Hard Rock Café in New York could have been a chapter in a book all by itself!”

How did you get the call to audition for Ozzy?

“I was endorsed by Kramer Guitars and Dennis Berardi, the president, had kind of taken me under his wing. One morning he called to say Jake E. Lee was out and he’d sent a video of me to Sharon. Suddenly I had an audition – but the catch was I had to fly out that same day.

“I already knew four or five Ozzy songs, so when I got to the hotel I focused on brushing up on them: I Don’t Know, Crazy Train, Flying High Again and Suicide Solution.”

What gear did you use for your Ozzy audition?

“The backline was all set. I just had to bring myself and my Boss 7-band EQ to push the amp a bit harder. I’m pretty sure it was a Marshall JCM800. The energy in the room was intense but inspiring.”

What was the actual audition like?

“Part one was with Randy Castillo and Phil Soussan. Most of the players went through that first round. Sharon actually sat in on mine – probably to see if she’d wasted plane tickets! She liked what she saw, and I was told I did great. The next day, part two was at a different location, onstage with Ozzy. Surreal doesn’t even begin to cover it.

“It went exceptionally well – I was locked in with the band and stayed true to the song and the solo, but I added a little flair unique to me. Ozzy literally leaned down in front of my amp while I was playing.

“Then I played a solo on my own, and the vibe was strong. Ozzy and Sharon told me it was down to me and Zakk. I went to dinner with them at a fancy restaurant, where Ozzy ate off my salad plate with his fingers!

“Then I went back to their house and hung out for a while, and I even met Ozzy’s oldest daughter, Aimee. At that point Zakk had already started working with them, and I think his similarities to Randy played a big part in the final decision.”

Ozzy has said Zakk’s tape was the only one he really listened to. What do you think of that?

“I don’t know if he ever saw my tape; but I know Sharon did, and that’s what got me in the room. More importantly, Ozzy saw me live, just inches from my amp. I think that moment said more than any demo ever could.”

How did your connection with Geezer Butler come about?

“Even after the Ozzy gig didn’t happen, Sharon still believed in me. That belief led directly to Geezer and what became a whole new chapter in my career. Geezer wanted to explore a more melodic sound than Sabbath, but still heavy. We had an amazing lineup: Carl Sentance on vocals, now in Nazareth; Jezz Woodruff from Robert Plant’s band on keys; and Gary Ferguson on drums – his resume is unreal.”

What was your rig like with Geezer?

“We rehearsed in a killer studio in London, and I used Marshall 800 heads – they were essential to match Geezer’s massive low-end tone. Watching him play up close was wild. His thunderous attack on the bass is next level.”

You co-wrote Master of Insanity, which ended up on Sabbath’s Dehumanizer. But there were issues with credit and payment. What happened?

“In ’91 I got a call from Geezer’s wife, Gloria. She told me Sabbath was reuniting with Ronnie James Dio and wanted to use Master of Insanity on the new album. I was thrilled – until I found out I wouldn’t get songwriting credit. Tony Iommi apparently didn’t want a song by another guitarist on a Sabbath record.

“Geezer did thank me in the liner notes, and he promised me payment after the tour. I never saw the money. But hearing Dio perform a song I wrote was unforgettable. Ronnie even mentioned our collaboration in his book, and Geezer wrote about it in his autobiography, so I’ve made peace with it.”

There’s been talk that Computer God, also from Dehumanizer, came from your era with Geezer.

“We did have a song called Computer God, but it was totally different – more of a melodic hard rock track. There’s a rehearsal video of it on YouTube. Only the title made it to the Sabbath version; musically they’re worlds apart.”

You’ve had major runs with House of Lords and Autograph. What were those experiences like?

“House of Lords has been a huge part of my career. We’ve made 13 albums with Frontiers Srl, and I’ve written over 100 songs with the band. James Christian still sings like a beast. We’re heading to Europe for a tour in late 2025.

“As for Autograph, I joined after Steve Lynch left to form 222. Randy Rand brought me in and told me to make the guitar my own, which I did. We had a great three-year run before Randy passed. I’ll always treasure that time. – he was more than a bandmate; he was a close friend.”

Steve Lynch wasn’t thrilled about your version of Autograph. Was that uncomfortable?

“The situation was tough, especially after Randy passed. But I’ve moved on. I prefer to focus on the good times we had and all the friendships I made. We were very close on and off stage. Randy will always hold a special place in my heart.”

What’s next for you?

“I’ve got a bunch of things going on. I get called to lay down solos for other artists, which I love. I’ve also done music for WWE wrestler entrance themes and ESPN; projects like that are always exciting.

“One of my main focuses is my tribute band Beyond Purple. We honor the Deep Purple family tree – songs by Rainbow, Dio, Whitesnake and all three DP vocalists. We’ve started writing original music, and we’ve already got more than a full album's worth ready to go.”

• Beyond Purple tour the US throughout 2025.

When Black Sabbath founder Geezer Butler thinks about his old friend and bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne, he doesn’t mince words: “I’ll remember him as a very dear friend and a true genius.”

Butler and Osbourne first joined forces back in 1968 and were known to be particularly close – perhaps the inevitable result of the tight relationship between the group’s vocalist and chief lyricist.

The Sabbath bassist admits that since the finish of Sabbath’s The End tour in 2017, he and Ozzy hadn’t done a very good job of keeping in touch. But that didn’t sour things, and Butler regrouped with Ozzy, Iommi and Ward to shake the world one last time on July 5, 2025, in Birmingham, for the triumphant Back to the Beginning show.

“We've been through too much together to let things get in the way of our friendship,” Butler says of Ozzy. Instead, he notes his main lament about Sabbath’s final bow is more poignant.

“My only regret is not saying goodbye to his face after the show,” Butler explains. “Because it was absolute chaos backstage, and I obviously didn't think I wouldn't see him again.”

While the writing was surely on the wall, the Prince of Darkness had always been bulletproof. Ozzy had to go sometime, but we all collectively hoped that it wouldn’t be so soon.

Of course, the universe had other plans and Osbourne passed away on July 22 – “with his family surrounded by love” – just weeks after the show.

Butler takes solace in the fact that Ozzy got to do what he loved one last time – and made a difference in the process.

“The courage he had to do that was mind-blowing,” Butler says. “To do that one final time, for the fans and for the charities, when he was so, so ill, was incredible.”

Now, speaking to Guitar World following Osbourne’s death, Butler shares some of his most treasured memories of the Prince of Darkness and the legacy they created together as Black Sabbath.

What are your memories of first meeting Ozzy?

“The very first actual meeting – I'd seen him around Aston occasionally – was when he came around to my house in response to his ‘Ozzy Zig wants a gig’ ad, which he had in the local music store. His house was three or four streets away from mine, and I had earlier gone to his house in response to his ad to see if he would join my band.

“His sister, Jill, answered the door and said he isn’t in, but she would give him my message. Later that evening, there was a knock at the front door, and my brother Jimmy answered it and told me there was ‘something’ asking for me.

“I said, ‘What do you mean by “something”?’ and he said, ‘You'll see.’ Ozzy was standing there with his dad's brown work gown on, a chimney brush over his shoulder, a shoe on a dog leash, bare feet, and a skinhead haircut.

“When I stopped laughing, I told him what kind of music we were doing, and he said, ‘Okay,’ and that was that. So yes, I could definitely see he was special.”

Before Black Sabbath, the band was known as Earth. What were your early rehearsals like?

“As Earth, we did mostly blues songs, Cream, John Mayall, that kind of thing. There were tons of ‘blues’ bands around at the time, so we knew that to get a record deal, we needed to write our own material. We rehearsed at the local community centre in Aston from 9:00am to 12:00pm.

“I had always wanted to call the band Black Sabbath after the Boris Karloff horror film, so when we wrote the first doomy song, I called it Black Sabbath, and the rest of the band thought it a good name to have when we had to change the name from Earth.”

Can you recall the first songs you wrote?

“The very first song we wrote was Wicked World. I think Ozzy wrote those lyrics in response to the turmoil going on around that time, particularly the threat of nuclear war and the Vietnam War.

“Most of the first album [Black Sabbath] was written from jamming, when we had to do seven or eight, 45-minute sets in places like the Star Club in Hamburg, and the Hirschen Club in Zurich.”

Did you have an awareness that at some point that the music you were making would change the world?

“No, we were not aware of the influence and longevity of the music we were making, especially as the music press hated us. It took seven auditions for various record companies to get a recording deal, and then only because one of the bands Vertigo [Records] had signed had suddenly split up. We just thought we'd try to keep going until we had to get ‘proper jobs’.”

You and Ozzy were particularly close. What was it like writing songs with him?

“He would always come up with great vocal lines. He had this incredible talent of being able to immediately come up with the right vocal lines to the riffs. He didn't particularly like writing lyrics, so I had to write them, but he would immediately adapt them to his melodies, with a few adjustments here and there. Genius!”

What do you feel was Ozzy's defining moment as a vocalist from Sabbath’s '70s heyday?

“He had several defining moments as a vocalist. From the doom and venom that he could put into songs like War Pigs and Hand of Doom, to the soaring vocals on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and The Writ.

“And then, there’s the heartfelt softness of Changes, he could do it all. I think the way he made the lyrics I wrote for him sound like they came from his soul was absolutely remarkable.”

When you think back to those days, what sticks in your mind?

“The fun we’d have. Ozzy would go to any lengths to make us laugh. We were like hooligans on tour, four working-class blokes from one of the most deprived areas of Birmingham, who were let loose on the world. Unfortunately, the drugs and the business side of things wore us down.

“We weren’t businessmen, never pretended to be, but the constant touring and the realization that we weren’t seeing much of the money made us feel like puppets dangled by a greedy management. It particularly hit Ozzy hard, and the booze and drugs and betrayal almost defeated him.”

You and Ozzy stayed close and kept working together even after he left Sabbath. How did your relationship evolve?

“With Ozzy, as with Tony and Bill, you could go two or three years without speaking or seeing each other, but when you did, it was as if it was just yesterday. We definitely had our ups and downs over the years, especially these last five or six years, when I hadn’t heard from or spoken to Ozzy since [2017's] The End tour. But I always knew if I reached out, he’d be there for me.”

How important was reuniting with Ozzy in the ’90s to you and the legacy of the band?

“To me, Black Sabbath was always the four original blokes from Aston, who defied the odds and saw it all through to the end. So, there could only be one lineup to finish the whole thing off, and luckily, we did it. Reuniting in the ’90s paved the way for that: after the many changing faces of Sabbath and Ozzy's solo success, when we came together in the ’90s, we knew there could only ever be one true Sabbath.”

What will you remember about Sabbath’s final gig on July 5, in Birmingham?

“It was incredibly strange to have Ozzy sitting in a chair, albeit a ‘throne’. I honestly didn't know what to do when we finished our set, because usually we would all hug and take a bow. So, I just went over to him and then presented him with a cake – I’m not even sure why. But seeing him literally giving his all for the fans was absolutely amazing.”

Black Sabbath’s co-founding members have reacted to the news of Ozzy Osbourne’s passing, with Tony Iommi echoing the thoughts of the wider metal community by reflecting, “There won’t ever be another like him.”

The singer died aged 76 on July 22, just weeks after his blockbuster blowout at Back to the Beginning, and the men he shared the stage with on that unforgettable night have paid tribute to the Prince of Darkness, and the legacy he’s left behind.

“I just can’t believe it! My dear, dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park,” writes Iommi.

"It’s just such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words. There won’t ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace. Oz.”

The guitarist had previously expressed his thoughts about Ozzy pulling a double shift at Back to the Beginning but the show, which smashed records with its charity fundraising efforts, epitomized Ozzy’s hardened dedication to music. Even if that meant performing on a bat-encrusted throne. It’s a sense of spirit that bass player Geezer Butler was keen to highlight with his post.

“Goodbye, dear friend,” he says. “Thanks for all those years. We had some great fun. Four kids from Aston. Who’d have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.”

It may have been Ozzy’s name that made the news headlines following their spectacular final show earlier this month, but it also provided a pertinent farewell for drummer Bill Ward, too, who missed out on 2017’s The End tour amid health issues. Now, he’s left to mourn the loss of his friend, the voice of heavy metal.

“Where will I find you now?” he asks. “In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP.

“Sincere regrets to all the fans,” he adds. “Never goodbye. Thank you, forever.”

Ozzy leaves behind a superlative legacy with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, which helped immortalize the likes of Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde along the way.

But above all, he was a working-class hero who redefined heavy music forever, and he had one hell of a taste for guitar players. He was a singer most metalheads could see themselves reflected in, and he won't be forgotten.

Black Sabbath, in any of their incarnations across their 57-year career to date, are a force of nature. Inventing heavy metal and doom metal at a stroke, thrilling the wise with their epic fantasy lyrics and scaring the weak-witted with their satanic flirtations, Sabbath have somehow survived it all.

They’ve been through lows and highs – in commercial and narcotic senses – and have navigated periods of total unfashionability as well as others of godlike regard.

The original – and best – Sabbath lineup of John “Ozzy” Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Terence “Geezer” Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) just completed the apex of their existence: Back to the Beginning at Villa Park in Birmingham. How big is this show? The support acts include Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Tool, arena-sized acts who haven’t felt the need to support another band in decades.

How did they get to this exalted point? Well, since you asked…

It’s a bit weird, but not unreasonable, to conclude that the four musicians, all born in Aston, Birmingham, in 1948 or ’49, should never have become superstars. That kind of thing just didn’t happen in Aston, especially in the aftermath of World War II, when young men were expected to spend 45 years working in a factory before dying in their sixties.

Ozzy’s first job was as a tool-maker’s apprentice, where he cut the end of his thumb off on the very first day. Having had the missing chunk sewed back on, he moved through a succession of more or less desperate jobs, including killing livestock in an abattoir.

The tedium was briefly interrupted in 1966 by a stint in prison for breaking and entering – he was an incompetent burglar at best, once wearing fingerless gloves while attempting to steal goods from a clothing store – and another stretch after he punched a police officer in the face.

Music was his only solace, as it was for Iommi, Butler and Ward – three boys with fewer antisocial tendencies than Ozzy, but with just as poor a career outlook. Ward had started learning to play the drums as a pre-teen; Butler was playing rhythm guitar; and Iommi was pouring his efforts into mastering a cheap Watkins Rapier 22.

The future guitar hero came very close to having no musical career of any kind. When his band secured dates in Europe in 1965, Iommi was ready to quit his job as a machine-press operator, but on his last day at the factory his hand became trapped inside the machine – and the ends of his two middle right-hand fingers were severed. Doctors stopped the bleeding and managed to re-implant Iommi’s fingernails, but the damage was serious.

As he told me, “To this day it hasn’t really healed; there’s only a couple of layers of skin over the ends of the bone, and if I bend those fingers, they still hurt. I’ve looked into every conceivable way of getting them repaired surgically. They want to pull the skin forward from the rest of the finger to make a bigger covering at the fingertip, but I really don’t want to do that.”

One of the obvious problems posed to Iommi by the injury to his right hand was how to hold guitar strings down with two fingertips missing. Fortunately for the future of heavy metal, he was inspired by gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who had evolved a way of fretting notes without using the third and fourth fingers of his left hand, which had been damaged in a fire.

Noting this, Iommi hit on the strategy of attaching home-made plastic clips to his injured fingertips to reduce the pain of holding down the strings.

As time passed, Iommi improved this further by switching to light-gauge strings and tuning down, thus reducing the string tension and making it easier to fret the notes. The consequence of this was that the riffs he played were what we would now call “heavier,” although in 1965 this was pretty meaningless.

In 1966, drummer Bill Ward formed a band called the Rest and soon asked Iommi – now playing his guitar with dexterity again – to come onboard. Ozzy, too, had decided in the absence of other options to become a singer and placed an ad on a musicians’ noticeboard.

It read “Ozzy Zig requires gig. Owns own PA” and was read with interest by Butler, who was playing in a band called Rare Breed; he contacted Ozzy and recruited him into the group.

The Rest soon split up, and Rare Breed changed their name to Mythology, although a drug bust in 1968 caused them to call it a day. Iommi and Ward knew Butler, who had by now switched to bass, and invited him to form a band with them. The latter recommended Ozzy as a singer, and by the summer of ’68 the quartet of Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward had solidified.

Renaming themselves Earth, the band adopted an overdriven, blues-indebted sound, and a manager – Jim Simpson – started to handle their affairs, although in December 1968 there was a hitch when Iommi quit to join Jethro Tull, then – as now – a successful folk-rock band.

He didn’t stay long, fortunately; although he did stick around just long enough to perform with Tull in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, in December.

Returning to Earth – literally – Iommi warned his bandmates that a new level of discipline would be required if they were to succeed. A new band name was borrowed from the 1963 horror movie Black Sabbath, and an independent producer, Tony Hall, gave the group £500 to record a debut album…

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: June 1, 1970
• Producer: Rodger Bain
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals, blues harp), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums)

This album’s first song is the unholy trinity of metal – Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath. It’s based on a tritone, the infamous flattened fifth or diabolus in musica, and Ozzy’s wail of “What is this that stands before me?” is spine-chilling to this day.

Other high points on this primitive but enormously influential album include Behind the Wall of Sleep, an expert exercise in allowing a riff to breathe. There’s tangible subtlety in the songwriting, with the riffage replaced at times by a warm, pastoral range of tones, and as the drums fade out, a slick bass solo from Butler stretches out for 40 seconds, aided by a Tycho Brahe wah pedal.

The songs, the artwork, the image, Ozzy’s sinister, untrained monotone, Iommi’s monolithic riffs… all combined to create the impression of a musical phenomenon far greater than the four scruffy musicians who inhabited it. This was the emerging sound of heavy metal, and the public lapped it up, sending it to Number 23 in the U.S.

Jim Simpson began shopping the album to record companies, looking for a deal, although most of them were unimpressed. Eventually his efforts paid off and a deal was struck with Vertigo in the U.K. and Warner Brothers in North America. Suddenly Black Sabbath were a hot property, commercially speaking, even if the musicians themselves remained flat broke.

Paranoid

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: January 7, 1971
• Producer: Rodger Bain
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar, flute), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums)

Paranoid, which appeared a mere eight months after its predecessor, is one of the most influential metal albums of all time. Its dark, lustrous appeal helped to make it Sabbath’s first Number 1, while the Paranoid single was an international hit. These were remarkable achievements for a band who had been practically unknown a year before.

The album’s high points are many, including War Pigs, where Sabbath take a stance against the warmongering regimes of the day, widely presumed to include the U.S. administration responsible for the final stages of the Vietnam War. Lyrically, the song doesn’t win any prizes – famously, lyricist Butler rhymes “Generals gathered in their masses” with “Just like witches at black masses” – but that’s an integral part of its charm.

Planet Caravan is a surprise; a gorgeous ballad laden with echoing textures, it demonstrated that a mellower side lay within the Sabbath songwriting team. That said, Iron Man – with its carved-in-stone riff and almost comedically threatening intro, featuring Ozzy’s electronically treated wail of “I am Iron Man!” – made it clear that this band didn’t want to be friends with you. They wanted to terrify you.

Master of Reality

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: August 6, 1971
• Producer: Rodger Bain
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar, keyboards, flute), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, percussion)

Master of Reality, recorded from February to April 1971, is a milestone by any standards.

Butler explained in an interview with the author: “With Master of Reality, we wanted to change the music a bit because we didn’t want to keep playing the same stuff all the time. We all bought different instruments, Tony started playing piano, we wanted to expand our musical horizons a bit. We took our time because we could afford to.”

Master begins with an ode to marijuana, Sweet Leaf, introduced by the sound of Iommi taking a hit from a joint and coughing, with the sound taped, looped and panned slowly across the speakers.

Elsewhere, the guitarist’s mellower side was on full display; see Orchid, an instrumental lasting just a minute and a half and effectively an acoustic guitar symphony. However, the immense Lord of This World and Into the Void are based on all-time classic riffs: success hadn’t taken away any of Iommi’s desire to make heavy music, evidently.

With the three-album run of Black Sabbath, Paranoid and Master of Reality, Sabbath had distinguished themselves beyond all reasonable expectations. Could they keep the momentum rolling?

Vol. 4

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: September 30, 1972
• Producer: Black Sabbath, Patrick Meehan
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar, piano, Mellotron), Geezer Butler (bass, Mellotron), Bill Ward (drums, percussion)

Vol. 4 IS a great album, if a slightly unusual one. Changes is nothing less than a piano-and-strings ballad, Supernaut is an uptempo rock anthem based on a harmony riff and huge cymbals from Ward, and Snowblind is an anthem to cocaine (“Feeling happy in my pain/Icicles within my brain” intones Ozzy.)

Laguna Sunrise is another sweet instrumental and works perfectly in context, showcasing once more Tony Iommi’s many-sided writing talents, but it’s an example of how Vol. 4 could – and did – leave a few Black Sabbath followers more than a little confused.

On the other hand, the musicianship (by all four members of the band) was superior to anything they’d done before, and the band had also successfully expanded their lyrical approach.

The album went gold in the U.S. within eight weeks of its release, where a celebrated tour followed. In fact, this was the beginning of the era of Black Sabbath’s heaviest period of rock ’n’ roll indulgence; the message on the album’s sleeve of “We wish to thank the great COKE-Cola company of Los Angeles” made it clear where the band were headed. Indeed, Iommi recalled in his 2011 autobiography, Iron Man, that Sabbath ordered cocaine to be delivered to the recording studio, hidden inside speaker boxes.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: November 1973
• Producer: Black Sabbath
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals, keyboards, tambourine), Tony Iommi (guitar, piano, keyboard, harpsichord, flute, bagpipes), Geezer Butler (bass, keyboards, Mellotron), Bill Ward (drums, bongos, timpani), Rick Wakeman (piano, Minimoog)

“I’d reached a point where I was addicted to narcotics,” said Bill Ward mournfully when I asked him what he recalled of the recording of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Geezer Butler saw it differently, telling me, “It was a great atmosphere – good times, great coke! Just like a new birth for me,” which reveals, if nothing else, that perspective is everything.

The pace certainly wasn’t letting up. In early ’73, Sabbath put in yet another row of international dates, this time in New Zealand, with Fairport Convention in tow. Curiously, the second support was local heroes Split Enz, who made a huge impact in the ’80s and ’90s when the core duo of Neil and Tim Finn made their names as Crowded House.

This didn’t exactly leave much gas in the creative tank when it came to writing new material. After time wasted in a Bel Air (Los Angeles) house – rented for songwriting purposes – had led to zero results due to writer’s block and exhaustion on Iommi’s part, Sabbath switched locations to Clearwell Castle, an ancient country manor in Gloucestershire, southern England.

Apparently inspired by their surroundings, where tales of hauntings were rife, the band came up with a set of songs that were their most compositionally ambitious yet.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’s standout tracks include the now-classic title cut, kicking off with one of Iommi’s best, and best-known riffs, and Sabbra Cadabra, a chunk of melodic rock ’n’ roll. The most impressive cut, technically speaking, is Spiral Architect, a grandiose ending to the album that features a lustrous string accompaniment and triple-tracked vocals. Believe it or not, Iommi also contributes bagpipes.

Very much back in business, the Black Sabbath gang hit the road in support of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, performing through Europe before a U.S. tour in February.

A Long Island, New York, show saw them perform over Bedlam, a band in which the supremely talented drummer named Cozy Powell played, before what was undoubtedly the most ambitious live gig of their career to date, the California Jam on April 6, 1974, at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, about an hour’s drive east of L.A.

And yes, Ozzy was up all night beforehand doing coke; we know because he told us.

Sabotage

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: July 28, 1975
• Producer: Black Sabbath, Mike Butcher
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar, piano, keyboards, harp), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, percussion, piano)

Sabbath's next album, Sabotage, was recorded in early 1975 at Morgan Studios in London and was the first LP to be produced by Iommi, although the overall credit went to Sabbath with Mike Butcher.

The high point of Sabotage is the majestic Symptom of the Universe, six-and-a-half minutes of riffs and solos, with multiple key and tempo changes underpinning Ozzy’s bat-like vocals. At 04:30, the track resolves into a piano and acoustic section, and in doing so becomes possibly the first progressive metal song.

The vocals were a problem, said Butler: “We always try to get Ozzy to sing Symptom of the Universe, but he never will. He says that he can’t reach the notes… It’s a psychological thing, I think. He won’t do it.”

The road was calling again, and Sabbath finished 1975 with another European and American tour. Business might have been good, but for some reason or other – drugs? Pressure? The rise of punk rock? – Sabbath were not to record a truly excellent album for some years.

Fortunately, a compilation, We Sold our Souls for Rock ’n’ Roll, was released in late 1975 and went some way toward reminding the kids what a tremendous early catalog Sabbath had.

Technical Ecstasy

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: October 22, 1976
• Producer: Black Sabbath
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals, blues harp), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, vocals), Gerald Woodroffe (keyboards)

Recorded and mixed at Criteria Studios in Miami and mastered in California, this album is almost devoid of classic riffage, focusing on light, radio-friendly rock.

Although it reached Number 13 in the U.K., it remained on the charts there for only six weeks before dropping off entirely – a far cry from the 42 and 27 weeks achieved by Black Sabbath and Paranoid, respectively.

Tour dates were as relentless as ever, though; for six months straight, starting in October 1976, Black Sabbath hit the road on a huge American tour. In March ’77, they played the U.K. and Europe, this time with fellow rockers AC/DC.

A backstage incident between Geezer Butler and AC/DC’s Malcolm Young has gone down in the annals of rock; the former is reported to have drawn a switchblade comb from his pocket, causing Young to misconstrue it as a flick-knife.

These were the least of Sabbath’s problems in late 1977. Ozzy’s father, Jack, was seriously ill with cancer, and as the end approached, the singer decided to quit the band. Iommi immediately recruited Dave Walker from Savoy Brown, although Walker and Ozzy could not have been more different in looks or singing style.

The prospect of an Ozzy-less Black Sabbath seemed not to deter the new lineup, who – along with session keyboard player Don Airey – rehearsed new material for the next album.

The Walker-fronted band even appeared on a BBC TV show, Look Hear, performing a new song, Junior’s Eyes. The program was broadcast on January 6, 1978, three weeks before Ozzy asked if he could rejoin. Shortly afterwards, he was reinstated.

Never Say Die!

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: September 29, 1978
• Producer: Black Sabbath
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, vocals), Don Airey (keyboards), Jon Elstar (blues harp)

The problem now was that Black Sabbath had lost ground in the face of a tedious last album – so their next album, Never Say Die!, recorded in early 1978 at Sound Interchange Studios in Toronto, needed to be significantly better than 1976’s Technical Ecstasy.

It wasn’t. As it turned out, Never Say Die! was basically the last gasp of a band that had run out of enthusiasm, and Sabbath’s choice of Van Halen as the support act for the subsequent tour didn’t help, either. The youngsters from Pasadena were probably the hottest rock band on the planet in 1979, whereas Sabbath seemed old and tired in comparison.

As the writer Sylvie Simmons, who witnessed Van Halen’s rise, recalled: “Van Halen were almost like a one-off blip. They came out of Pasadena with this thrust of power that absolutely knocked you sideways. It was absolutely fantastic; they were this completely don’t-give-a-fuck band. They toured with Sabbath on that last tour – and blew them out of the water.”

A new album was planned, of course, but Ozzy’s heart wasn’t in it. Songwriting sessions, once again in Bel Air, failed to produce anything of note – and on April 27, 1979, Bill Ward was delegated to tell Ozzy that he was being fired.

Heaven and Hell

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: April 18, 1980
• Producer: Martin Birch
• Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals, blues harp), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, percussion), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

Sabbath’s new singer was Ronnie James Dio, a warbler of unearthly vocal prowess who had hit the big time with Rainbow, the band formed by Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore.

Dio’s arrival was beset by a certain amount of chaos; Geezer Butler quit Sabbath temporarily after Ozzy’s departure, apparently feeling unsure if anyone could fill their long-time singer’s boots.

Recording sessions for the new lineup’s debut album, Heaven and Hell, began at Criteria Studios in Miami in September 1979, without Butler, who was still on a temporary break from Sabbath.

An acquaintance of Iommi’s, Geoff Nicholls, who played in a band called Quartz, stepped in on bass, switching to the position of touring keyboard player when Butler returned a few days later.

Martin Birch, who had engineered several early Fleetwood Mac and Faces albums as well as producing five Deep Purple albums, was brought in to produce Heaven and Hell. He gave the album a slick, precise feel that was a huge step up from previous Sabbath releases, not least in its radio-friendly arrangements.

The obvious example of this new, taut sound was Neon Knights, the highly catchy opener, and Children of the Sea, which begins with an ocean of acoustic guitars. The song Heaven and Hell is riffier in nature, recalling the glory days of Iron Man, and so is Die Young with its complex midsection.

Heaven and Hell was the perfect antidote to the humdrum albums recorded in the last years of Ozzy’s tenure, but Bill Ward, whose parents had both died in recent months, was finding life in Sabbath tough to endure. In urgent need of rehab, he left Sabbath on August 21, replaced by ex-Axis drummer Vinny Appice.

Mob Rules

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release date: November 4, 1981
• Producer: Martin Birch
• Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, percussion), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

In 1981, Sabbath scheduled the recording of a second LP with Ronnie James Dio, this time featuring Appice on drums. Mob Rules was scheduled for release in the autumn, after another huge tour in the summer.

Its title track was solid, featuring on the soundtrack for the cult Canadian film Heavy Metal, but the rest of the album didn’t quite match up to Heaven and Hell, unfortunately for Sabbath, who now faced the dread specter of their former singer outstripping them. Ozzy had recruited a firebrand guitarist in Randy Rhoads and was about to embark on a phenomenally successful solo career.

In fact, the Sabs were about to find themselves on the outside of modern heavy metal: in the early ’80s, American thrash metal was only a couple of years away from the dominance it achieved later in the decade, spearheaded by Metallica and Slayer and a host of lesser bands such as Exciter, who supported Sabbath in Canada that year.

Sabbath’s gradual descent from the top of the heavy metal pile began here, especially when Dio and Appice quit after the release of a live LP, Live Evil.

Born Again

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: September 9, 1983
• Producer: Black Sabbath, Robin Black
• Personnel: Ian Gillan (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar, flute), Geezer Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums, percussion), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

A night at the pub in 1983 led to a remarkable new lineup. Deep Purple singer and then-solo artist Ian Gillan became temporary frontman, perhaps improbably; although Purple and Sabbath had co-existed in a state of more or less mutual respect for a decade or more, the image of the two groups was dissimilar, to say the least.

Gillan joined the band in a state of serious intoxication, he later revealed, having forgotten to inform his manager that he was joining what was jocularly referred to as “Purple Sabbath” until the morning after the fateful night.

Before rehearsals could begin, a drummer was needed, so a call was placed to Bill Ward, who was on his way toward sobriety by the end of ’82, but he fell off the wagon when the album was finished and was unable to play the subsequent tour.

The ensuing dates became infamous, thanks to the extravagant stage set – a replica of the Stonehenge columns in Wiltshire, England – and also This Is Spinal Tap, which lampooned it mercilessly the following year. The columns were 15 meters in height rather than the intended 15 feet and barely fit into the venues on the tour, if at all.

Ward took off after only a year or so back in the band, and to make things worse, Butler also quit, leaving Iommi as the last man standing.

Seventh Star

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: January 28, 1986
• Producer: Jeff Glixman
• Personnel: Glenn Hughes (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Dave Spitz (bass), Eric Singer (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

This sorry state of affairs was overshadowed, at least temporarily, by the Live Aid concert on July 13, 1985, when the original foursome of Ozzy, Iommi, Butler and Ward made an appearance at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Take a look at the performance on YouTube; you’ll witness Black Sabbath kicking off their three-song, 15-minute set with a version of Children of the Grave. Note the spandex, the mirrored shades and lack of chemistry between the musicians. Everything points to a fairly uninspired collaboration. Iron Man and Paranoid were delivered with conviction, although any possibility of a full reunion was soon quashed.

Back to work for Iommi, then, whose concept for a solo album – which he wanted to call Seventh Star – had extended as far as bass and drum tracks. He required a singer and called Glenn Hughes, the singer/bassist whose unearthly vocals had graced albums by Trapeze, Deep Purple and a host of other heavy-rock projects since the late ’60s.

Once on board, Hughes recorded his vocals at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood in July and August. Lyrics came from keyboardist Geoff Nicholls, producer Jeff Glixman and Hughes. Iommi added a bassist, Dave Spitz – nicknamed “The Beast” for his Wookiee-like hair – and the new lineup was ready to tour.

A single, Stranger to Love, proved there was still life in the new band, albeit of a painfully weak AOR nature. However, Hughes was ousted after a few dates, unable to sing properly after being punched by one of Sabbath’s road crew in an argument. Once more, Sabbath were singerless.

The Eternal Idol

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: December 8, 1987
• Producer: Jeff Glixman, Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, Chris Tsangarides
• Personnel: Tony Martin (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Bob Daisley, Dave Spitz (bass), Eric Singer (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards, bass)

Black Sabbath singer number nine in seven years was Ray Gillen, a 25-year-old New Jersey resident who had sung with the Brooklyn-born former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli. Gillen – not to be confused with Ian Gillan – arrived before Glenn Hughes’ departure and played a series of shows.

The crowd seemed to accept the new recruit, and both Iommi and management breathed a collective sigh of relief… just before the entire band quit.

Once again left only with his long-term musical partner Geoff Nicholls, Iommi recruited a whole new lineup to complete the next album. His new singer was the golden-larynxed Tony Martin, while Bev Bevan played drums and Bob Daisley signed up to play bass.

The Eternal Idol was released November 28, 1987 (U.K.), and had some high-quality songs, including Nightmare, with its Tubular Bells-style keyboard intro, the instrumental Scarlet Pimpernel and the title track.

The subsequent European tour featured bassist Jo Burt, who had worked with Freddie Mercury, and Terry Chimes of the Clash came aboard as drummer, making this incarnation of Sabbath one of the strangest to date.

Headless Cross

• Label: I.R.S.
• U.S. release: April 17, 1989
• Producer: Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell
• Personnel: Tony Martin (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Laurence Cottle (bass), Cozy Powell (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

1987 was Black Sabbath’s worst year yet, despite Iommi’s attempts to keep the band credible. The band ended their deal with the Vertigo label, signing with IRS Records, the American company founded by Police and Sting manager Miles Copeland.

Yet another Sabbath lineup, featuring the two Tonys, Blue Murder drummer Cozy Powell and a session bassist, Laurence Cottle, gathered in August 1988 to rehearse for a new album, Headless Cross.

As Ozzy had recruited Geezer Butler to play on his No Rest for the Wicked tour in 1989, Iommi asked the session bassist Neil Murray to accompany him on tour that summer. Things were looking up a little; Headless Cross contained some moderately entertaining tunes, notably When Death Calls, with its Wagnerian conclusion, and went some way toward alleviating the damage done by the feebly performing Eternal Idol.

Fans of Iommi’s sheet-metal playing also appreciated the master’s melodic touch on Devil & Daughter, while the slick AOR sheen of Kill in the Spirit World was redeemed a little by the finger-twisting riff at the song’s core. Still, what a dismal period this was for the remnants of this once-great band.

Tyr

• Label: I.R.S.
• U.S. release: August 20, 1990
• Producer: Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell
• Personnel: Tony Martin (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Neil Murray (bass), Cozy Powell (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

Grunge and alternative rock were about to make life very hard for Black Sabbath as they entered the ’90s. It was a strange time for heavy metal in general, because the new, more serious dynamic emerging from Seattle made the old guard look, well, a touch silly. We were all a bit embarrassed – admit it...

That said, Sabbath managed to pull themselves out of the creative doldrums of the period to an extent, with Tony Martin’s expert vocals generally regarded by fans as a decent vehicle for Iommi’s songs. The next album, Tyr, released in the summer of 1990, enthralled more than a few fans with The Sabbath Stones, a near-seven-minute dinosaur of a track.

The Tyr tour was a success, with British and European dates lasting until November. Highlights included guest appearances at shows by Ian Gillan and Brian May, not to mention Geezer Butler, whose presence fuelled rumors that a classic lineup reunion might be on the cards — not the first, or last, time that such an idea had been suggested.

Dehumanizer

• Label: Reprise
• U.S. release: June 10, 1992
• Producer: Reinhold Mack
• Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Vinny Appice (drums, percussion), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

Reunion fever was definitely in the air in January 1991, when Ronnie James Dio replaced Tony Martin and Vinny Appice took over from Cozy Powell, who had sustained an injury while horse riding.

When a new album, Dehumanizer, was released in the summer of 1992, the song TV Crimes was a high point, with the technical riffing shared by Butler and Iommi a reminder of their advanced musicianship.

A tour rolled through South America in the month before the album release, gained momentum as Dehumanizer took off and passed through the U.S. before arriving at Ozzy’s supposed “retirement” show in Costa Mesa, California.

The idea had been that Dio, Iommi, Butler and Ward would support him before he closed the show, but Dio was not keen on the idea.

The show was a landmark nonetheless, with Ozzy joining his old band for four songs, and behind the scenes, real plans for a full-scale Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward reunion were being hatched.

As the last of these told me, “After the Costa Mesa show, we had our mind on this for at least nine months… We had conversations with [Ozzy] by phone, and our managers were in touch. Dates had already been scheduled before Ozzy decided not to carry on with the project.”

Ozzy did indeed pass on the idea, and his retirement turned out to be brief. For their part, Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice departed to re-form the band Dio, so Iommi called Tony Martin and asked if he would be interested in taking back his place in the band. The singer agreed, and the drummer Bobby Rondinelli signed up too, although some tough times lay ahead.

Cross Purposes

• Label: Warner
• U.S. release: January 31, 1994
• Producer: Leif Mases, Black Sabbath
• Personnel: Tony Martin (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Bobby Rondinelli (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

New songs were ready by summer 1993, and Cross Purposes was released in early ’94, just as Korn debuted with their self-titled album. There were still plenty of decent musical ideas coming from Sabbath, and Cross Purposes was respectable.

Virtual Death was a throwback to the style of their glory days, while Immaculate Deception featured an unusual but weighty guitar riff. The next step was a tour, and although the album performed only mildly well, ticket sales were strong; support came from Motörhead and Morbid Angel. Sabbath were starting to do well, which made it all the more strange when Butler and Ward quit again.

Ward still couldn’t face the band without Ozzy, and Butler wanted to start his own group with a sound that would fit better with modern metal. Neil Murray and Cozy Powell came back to the fold, but Sabbath fans began to wonder if the ’90s would only be about reunions and breakups.

Forbidden

• Label: Warner U.S.
• Release: June 5, 1995
• Producer: Ernie Cunnigan
• Personnel: Tony Martin (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Neil Murray (bass), Cozy Powell (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

All of Sabbath’s uncertainty about their role in modern music came to the fore on Forbidden. The band and management asked Ernie Cunnigan – a member of rapper Ice-T’s metal side-project, Body Count – to produce.

Body Count had a serious profile, thanks to the controversy over Cop Killer, and the group maintained a dangerous air that Sabbath presumably wanted for themselves. Still, the ruse smacked of desperation. That said, Forbidden wasn’t bad.

Illusion of Power, had its moments, including a guest rant from Ice-T. But that was it for Sabbath, studio albums-wise, for the next 18 years. The classic lineup reunited from 1997 to ’99 and again from 2004 to ’06 to play Ozzfest and tour the world, with a live album, Reunion, keeping the coffers full, and Sabbath were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ’06.

From 2007 to 2010, Iommi and Butler reunited with Dio and Appice to form a new band, Heaven & Hell, a world-class act that toured widely and released an excellent album, The Devil You Know, in 2009. Sadly, the group ended when Dio succumbed to stomach cancer in 2010.

13

• Label: Republic
• U.S. release: June 10, 2013
• Producer: Rick Rubin
• Personnel: Ozzy Osbourne (vocals, blues harp), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), Brad Wilk (drums)

In November 2011, promotional images bearing “11-11-11” appeared on Black Sabbath’s social media pages. Sabbath’s third reunion, fourth if you include Live Aid in 1985, was about to occur – and when it did, it was an occasion to remember. All four original members confirmed that live dates and an album produced by Rick Rubin were on their way.

The delight that many observers felt at Sabbath’s return was diminished when Iommi issued the dismal news in January 2012 that he was suffering from lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. The following month, Bill Ward compounded the disappointment by announcing that he would not be taking part in the album and tour after all, citing contractual reasons.

Ultimately, 13 was recorded with Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk; Ozzy’s drummer, Tommy Clufetos, stepped up to play the subsequent tour dates. 13 instantly went to Number 1 in the U.S., largely because it consisted of the most charismatic recordings Sabbath had created in decades.

Highlights included God Is Dead?, End of the Beginning and the convincing Zeitgeist, the best Sabbath ballad in years. Sabbath toured for the rest of 2013, with dates in Australia and New Zealand – their first shows there for 40 years – and then North and South America, before more gigs in Europe.

Black Sabbath have remained busy in the decade-plus since 13, with a final run of dates called The End taking the Clufetos-anchored live band through North America, Europe and Australasia from January 2016 to February 2017. The final shows of The End tour took place at the Genting Arena in Birmingham on February 2 and 4, 2017, leaving most of us unconvinced that they were really calling time on their careers.

Only Iommi – who revealed that his cancer was in remission in the summer of ’16 – kept things vague, hinting that one-off shows and an album weren’t out of the question. Butler said in 2017 that the band had considered recording a blues album, a fascinating possibility, but that the tour “got in the way”.

There was always a slight feeling of unfinished business about Sabbath; Ozzy hinted at some regrets regarding Bill Ward in 2020, saying, “The only thing I do regret is not doing the last farewell show in Birmingham with Bill. I felt really bad about that. It would have been so nice.”

A medley of Iron Man and Paranoid by Ozzy and Iommi at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was more or less the last we’ve seen of them since then.

However, things were moving behind the scenes, and in 2024 Ozzy admitted, “It’s unfinished. If they wanted to do one more gig with Bill, I would jump at the chance,” and in February, news broke of Back to the Beginning. And the rest, as they say, is history…

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Along with Roger Glover and John-Paul Jones, Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler represents the unholy trinity of 1970s British rock bass: unlike those esteemed players (of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin respectively, like you didn't know that already), his band – the one and only Black Sabbath – can truly claim to have invented heavy metal, albeit inadvertently.

The HM tag – itself the obvious tag for a sound comprising Ozzy Osbourne's demented vocals, Tony lommi’s crushing, downtuned riffs and the rhythm section of Butler and drummer Bill Ward – later became ubiquitous, but Sabbath are acknowledged by pretty much everyone as the group who started it all off.

A bassist with much to answer for, then… but Butler is still a fan with his own bass guitar idols. “I didn’t really know anything about bass until I went to see Cream,” he told Bass Player. “Jack Bruce’s bass playing was a complete surprise.”

“I knew about Eric Clapton’s guitar playing because I’d followed him since he was in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. I was a guitarist at the time, so I’d never thought about bass – and Jack completely floored me.”

“I’d never seen anyone use bass as a sort of semi-lead instrument, while at the same time being perfectly linked to the drums and the guitar. The way he bent the notes and came down the fretboard was amazing, too.

“At the time he was playing a Fender [Bass] VI, which I’d never seen before – they were terrible! I couldn’t even play one note on them, let alone the way he used to play them. He must have incredibly thin fingers, or something…”

The following Bass Player interview took place in February 2006.

Who’s your biggest influence on bass?

“Definitely, 100%, Jack Bruce. He's so underrated.”

He was in Bass Player not long ago. We've got his number if you want it?

“No! I don't want his number – everyone I've ever met that I worshipped has been a disappointment, so I want to keep him as my hero. I wouldn't know what to say to him. He worked on Bill Ward's solo album – Bill said he was great.”

So what’s so good about Bruce's bass playing?

“He was the first bass player I ever saw who was bending the strings and totally being on his own. At the time, when I saw him with Cream, he was playing a Fender VI, and they're horrendous to play. I tried one once but I couldn't do it, my fingers are too wide to get between the strings.”

What was your first bass?

“It was a thing called a Top 20. I think it was about 50p at a junk shop. I've never heard of them before or since. Originally I was playing rhythm guitar, then I switched to bass and got this Top 20 thing – I think I bought it off one of Ozzy's friends. And then on the way to the first gig, I borrowed my mate's Höfner violin bass, which only had three strings on it, and then eventually I swapped my Fender Telecaster for a Precision. I did the first two albums with that one.”

What basses are you currently using?

“I'm using Ampeg SVTs and Lakland basses… you can't beat them for my sound. They're modelled on Fender Precision and Jazz basses. The sound is like an old Fender, because I don't really like the new Fender stuff. I collect Fender basses, so I sort of know which sound I'm looking for – that old '60s sound.”

“I always used to play the wide Precision necks, but now I've started to like the Jazz necks as well. I vary it on stage because a lot of the songs are tuned to different keys. We tune down three semitones for some songs, some are two and some are one. It depends on what I'm tuned down to, what neck I use.”

Five-strings?

“I've tried them before, but I could never really get used to them. In fact, Lakland are just making me a five-string now. I've never had one that's great tuned down, even though you don't really need to tune a five-string down. They're just really flappy when you get into the studio. You can't really hear the bottom string.”

Do you use any effects?

“Not a lot, although I did use some Line 6 stuff on my Ohmwork album. I've got it sorted the way I want it, and use more or less the same sound on every track. When I'm recording, I do both – I use line-in and I mic up the amp, so I can balance the two. I also played piano on Alone and a couple of tiny little synthesizer effects on other songs.”

Do you play fretless?

“I've done a bit of it – I did a song on one of Ozzy's albums on fretless and another on a Sabbath album, but there's not really much room for fretless in heavy stuff like Sabbath.

“I like some Weather Report, and obviously you can't argue with Jaco Pastorius' bass playing. He did stuff that I'd never even thought about playing on bass. He was way out of my league!”

Having quite literally pioneered heavy metal, Black Sabbath are one of the most influential bands to ever make music. However, as is the case for many groups, their journey to the top wasn’t an easy ride, and the band was plagued by severe financial struggles in their early days.

Geezer Butler joined Matt Pinfield on New and Improved to discuss such hurdles, and revealed some of the lengths Sabbath had to go to in order to operate – one of which involved reusing old battered bass guitar strings.

"In those days, I couldn't afford a set of strings, so I'd play the same strings for about six months until they were completely worn out,” he explains. “And then, what we used to do is boil all our strings, so all the crap would come off them, and they'd sound almost new again.

“And that was the way we did it because we couldn't afford to buy new strings."

Such monetary struggles filtered into the recording of their debut album, which they had to piece together in just two days in order to remain within their already tight budget.

“We had two days in the studio because you only had £500 to make the album, which is like $700. And so, the only way we could do it is just to play live.

“It was recorded straight away as a live album on day one. And then, the next day, we did some vocal overdubs, and Tony did some guitar overdubs, fixed a few things, and that was it.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Butler also touched on a particularly pivotal point in Sabbath’s history, which involved Tony Iommi and a failed Jethro Tull try-out.

As Butler explains, Iommi was once scouted by Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson while the two groups played a gig together. Iommi was invited to join Jethro, but the link-up didn’t last long.

“It was the best thing that happened to us,” Butler goes on, “because he went down to London, rehearsed with them for a week and said ‘I’m not going to do this. Ian’s trying to tell me what to play and only I know how I’m going to play’.

“He came back and said ‘Look, to be like Jethro Tull we’ve got to write our own music and take everything really seriously from now on.’”

A few weeks ago, Butler revealed that plans for one final Black Sabbath show are afoot, and Ozzy Osbourne has already been brought onboard.

Robert Trujillo has recalled the surreal feeling of going from being a teenage Ozzy Osbourne fan to a member of his band. In addition to being a dream gig for Trujillo, one thing really sealed the deal for him to join Osbourne's band.

“I used to play Black Sabbath songs and Ozzy Osbourne solo songs like Crazy Train, and, you know, all these tracks in backyard parties when I was 16. And then all of a sudden, I'm playing in his band, you know, and I'm in front of the guy. And I'm like, ‘Wait a minute, am I dreaming?’” says Trujillo in a Dunlop interview alongside Marcus Miller.

“And the cool thing about him is that he loves bass. So he was like, ‘Rob, listen, I want you to play as loud as you want to play.’ I was like, ‘Yes! I found my man.’”

Surprisingly, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler reported having the complete opposite experience with Osbourne. 

In a recent interview with Bass Player, Butler said, “When recording, we would have to put the bass cabs in a different studio completely. It was deafeningly loud. You have to crank it up, but Ozzy doesn't understand that – it drove him nuts. He would never stand in front of the bass rig. He told me to turn it down one night, so for a laugh I turned it up.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Trujillo notes that the bass is “always something that is super-important and vital to any composition that I've ever been a part of.” Naturally, this includes Metallica, in particular, Cliff Burton's groundbreaking basslines.

“Cliff Burton brought the bass to prominence, and had a melodic phrasing and voice to this music in this genre that wasn't supposed to feature bass in that way,” asserts Trijullo.

According to him, Burton followed in the footsteps of jazz fusion bassists Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius, who pushed the envelope of what bassists could do.

“They were bringing the bass as an instrument that had a voice that stood out, like the lead guitarist, you know, and all that. And that's what was happening in Metallica and early Metallica. And I thought that was pretty fearless of Cliff, to make that statement with the instrument.”

Geezer Butler has given hope to the prospect of a final Black Sabbath show, revealing that he and Ozzy Osbourne are already onboard.

Osbourne's ongoing health issues, which have worsened in recent years, may mean the window of opportunity for a curtain closer is narrowing, but Butler insists there is a collective willingness to make it happen. 

Black Sabbath haven't performed since February 2017 when they wrapped up their 'The End' tour. Since then, Osbourne's medical issues and battle with Parkinson's have forced a host of solo show postponements, with the singer reluctantly announcing his retirement from touring last year. 

Following the announcement, Zakk Wylde extended his support to Osbourne, saying, “When you are ready to roll, we will roll,” should he look to tour again – and it appears the sentiments are echoed across the Sabbath camp. 

Speaking with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM (via Blabbermouth), Butler says he talks to Osbourne “every day,” with a final bow often discussed.  

“Of course there’s an interest [on my part to do it], but there’s a big ‘but’ – you’d have to speak to Bill [Ward, drummer] about it,” says the bass player. “Everybody wants to do it [but I don’t know if he is] capable [of pulling it off].  

“Ozzy was hoping to finish it all off next year back in Aston, at the Aston Villa [soccer stadium],” he adds. “I’m definitely up for it, to finish the whole thing off. I’d absolutely love to do it.” 

Despite the eagerness of all involved, Butler admits that only himself and Osbourne have out-right “agreed” to the idea of a show, adding he's “not sure about everyone else”. 

It's uncertain what Tony Iommi feels about the prospect of one last hurrah. Also, for Ward, who played no part in 'The End' tour due to his own health problems, returning to the stage represents another potential hurdle.

Butler did go on to pose an alternative option, though, which would see the original line-up work on a recording – as opposed to a live outing – for their swan song. 

“There wouldn’t be any travelling involved,”  he detailed. “We wouldn’t be actually all in the studio at the same time together. So it could be done that way – maybe.”

Before bands like Metallica, Slipknot and Rage Against the Machine – before the term “heavy metal” even existed – Black Sabbath’s colossal riffs and pure power set metal’s mood, with Terry “Geezer” Butler’s brooding basslines stoking the fires of metal’s foundry.

Black Sabbath didn’t invent the rock riff, but Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi used it in a way that defined a genre. Bending strings as if they were made of putty, Butler’s loud and gritty attack underscored the earnestness of his dark lyrics, sung with spine-chilling intensity by Ozzy Osbourne. 

"A lot of producers told us we couldn't play like we did,” Butler told Bass Player. “They'd come to see us and walk out halfway though the song! We were told to write proper music.” 

Butler also found it hard to find a like-minded producer when it came to his trademark bass tone, which he achieved by blasting his Fender Precision Bass through a blown guitar cabinet: “Every producer we played to said, ‘You can't have that sound – it's a bass, not a bloody guitar!’”

“When we recorded Black Sabbath, I had a 70-watt Laney guitar amp and a Park 4x12 cabinet with only three speakers in it – and two of them were wrecked! That's how I got that really distorted sound. I didn't have any alternative; I couldn't afford to buy new speakers.

“We had only two days to record, so we just plugged in and performed our live set in the studio. We were allowed one take for each song and stopped only if someone made a horrible mistake. No time to dial in the perfect bass tone.”

The following interview from the Bass Player archives took place in July 2004.

Which Sabbath album captured your favorite bass tone?

“So many people ask me how I got the bass tone on the first album. It was by accident! At times I have hated my sound, and I've tried to dial in whatever sounded modern at the time. It never worked. I remember trying to sound like Chris Squire.

“Ozzy's reaction was, ‘What the hell is that?’ I was attempting to get a sound I liked to listen to, but it didn't fit my playing style. My favorite tone would probably be on Master of Reality.”

What did you use for effects?

“I had two Tycobrahe pedals. With their wah-wah, which was a big blue pedal, you could get a weird sub-bass effect. Combined with their flanger, it created a really ethereal sound. I used that on the beginning of The Writ and on Zero the Hero. People think it's a keyboard making those sounds, but it's bass through the Tycobrahe pedals.”

Since you stopped using fried speakers, how do you get a distorted sound?

“It's almost impossible to get a natural distorted bass sound, especially now that amps are built so well. It just comes down to sheer volume. When recording, we would have to put the bass cabs in a different studio completely. It was deafeningly loud. You have to crank it up, but Ozzy doesn't understand that – it drove him nuts. He would never stand in front of the bass rig. He told me to turn it down one night, so for a laugh I turned it up.”

You tend to pluck near the neck, sometimes directly on top of the fingerboard. How and why did that style develop?

“Probably because I didn't realize that I could take the pickup covers off of my P-Bass. Also, I am relatively small in height, and it just felt natural that way. I think every player gets to a comfortable position onstage and keeps with it.”

You also hit your strings rather hard.

“Oh yeah, ridiculously hard. I have to consciously pull back. Producers always tell me to back off in the studio, because when I play hard they hear more of the strings against the frets – metal bashing on metal – than the actual note.”

Your plucking hand is extremely fast. Are you using two or three fingers?

“I use primarily two fingers, though I use three fingers on some songs. I sometimes use a pick for clarity, to make the bass stand out a bit more. Sometimes I'll go a whole night without using a pick, but if I have blisters or am playing a repetitious part, it's more comfortable to pick. I vary It depending on how my arm is feeling.”

Which Sabbath riffs stand out as personal favorites?

“I've always loved Black Sabbath, because it was the first song we wrote. But there are so many of them. Sweet Leaf, Hole in the Sky, and of course, Iron Man. Symptom of the Universe is one of the best riffs of all time. There are a lot of songs that I can't even remember writing or recording!”

Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler has seen and done it all when it comes to the bass guitar. A founder member of the first ever heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, he formed a rock-solid foundation with guitarist Tony Iommi and a melodic interplay with drummer Bill Ward that has influenced countless acts ever since.

Sabbath were formed in Birmingham in the late '60s, the constituent musicians having served time in various local blues-based outfits, including Earth, Tony lommi’s previous combo.

At this point, various contributory factors came together to help the nascent Sabs avoid becoming yet another blues band: singer Ozzy Osbourne's most un-blueslike flat and monotone wail; lommi, having lost 2nd and 3rd fretting fingertips in an earlier accident (he played with prosthetic tips), tuned his guitar down, sometimes as far as D or even C in order to make bluesy-string bends easier, only to discover that, banged through a powerful Marshall stack, the resulting guitar tone was much heavier. 

"It was always magical playing bass with Tony," Butler told Bass Player. "We never had to discuss anything, it just seemed to happen. He never once doubted me, and if I felt unsure of something, he would always encourage me and trust that I'd make the right choice myself. To me, he's the greatest guitarist ever.”

The undisputed King of the heavy metal bass riff, Butler maintained that Sabbath were a heavy blues band and has often quoted Jack Bruce as his main influence, alongside Hendrix, Cream, John Mayall and various other blues legends. 

With a bass tone that's inspired heavy-minded bassists since the ‘70s, we tune into Geezer Butler’s 10 best-known basslines with Black Sabbath.

1. Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath, 1970)

Thunder! Rain! Tolling bell! Then the heaviest three notes ever – root, octave, flattened fifth – the devil's interval, so-called because of its ability to upset listeners, which led to it being banned in early church music.

Butler’s historic bassline is the foundation of gazillions of other heavy metal basslines based on a tritone (like Metallica’s Enter Sandman). It’s the ultimate demonstration that you don't need a lot of notes to come up with a classic riff.

2. N.I.B. (Black Sabbath, 1970)

Heavy metal’s long tradition of making the bass guitar a lead instrument started with this distorted riff from Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut. It’s based on E minor pentatonic and follows a solo bass introduction with a wah-wah pedal. Make sure you get a meaty bottom end with not too much top.

The unusual song title was long rumoured to be an acronym for Nativity in Black, a reference to the birth of the antichrist. The rumours turned out to be false, however, as Butler later explained.

3. The Wizard (Black Sabbath, 1970)

Like many Sabbath riffs, Butler’s bassline is based on the pentatonic blues scale, here in A. Butler leaves space on beat four for Bill Ward's drum fills, and then he cuts loose towards the middle of the next bar. Be sure to bend the first and last C's to hit that ‘neutral’ 3rd, the blue note between the A's minor and major 3rds.

4. Paranoid (Paranoid, 1970)

Sabbath's deep, dark energy is encapsulated in this riff, which Butler and guitarist Tony lommi deliver with unapologetic excessive force. The two play mostly in octave unison: “That is what gives Sabbath riffs their heaviness,” said Butler. The first album was a hit in the States, but the Paranoid single from 1970 was a worldwide smash.

5. Hand of Doom (Paranoid, 1970)

Probably the darkest song from Paranoid, this harrowing condemnation of heroin addiction boasts some of Butler’s most earnestly soul-chilling lyrics. 

The song builds from Butler’s ominous bassline – the type that helped define Black Sabbath's sound as much as any Tony Iommi guitar riff, Ozzy Osbourne wail or Bill Ward cymbal crash. A trademark ‘Geezerism’ is to strategically depart from the riff, adding fills that jump out, only to melt back into the riff.

6. Iron Man (Paranoid, 1970)

Iron Man is one of Sabbath’s most iconic tunes. Note how Butler implies a major tonality towards the end of the B minor riff. He continues to throw major-modality teases in the chorus.

Again, he uses the flat 5 and major 7 passing tones. Interestingly, the bass can be found predominantly on one side of the stereo spectrum with the guitar on the other side.

7. War Pigs (Paranoid, 1970)

War Pigs not only ranks among Geezer Butler’s signature basslines, it may also be his greatest achievement as a lyricist. The song's brazen indictment of warmongers at the height of the Vietnam War served as a catalyst to the band's meteoric rise.

Butler aggressively slaps right above the fingerboard not with his thumb, but with his fingers, as if it were an upright bass.

8. Planet Caravan (Paranoid, 1970)

Planet Caravan is a slow song, with a softer, more psychedelic feel. Beats three and four in the second bar give Butler space to bend notes to get the quarter-tones and ‘blue notes’ that are in so many of his riffs and lines. His detuned strings were slack and easier to bend, especially mid-way up the neck.

To make the bends easier to execute, try tuning down a full step and then moving your playing position up two frets.

9. Into the Void (Master of Reality, 1971)

Many of Sabbath's heaviest songs are actually quite slow, like Into The Void. The heaviness comes from the frequent use of passing tones like the 5th tritone and the major 7th of the C# minor scale. The frequent use of the 5th, the so-called devil's interval, contributes to this riffs' sinister sound.

10. The Writ (Sabotage, 1975)

Butler’s psychedelic bassline bubbles beneath the dark waters of The Writ, the closing track on Sabbath’s 1975 album Sabotage. Although the album is a landmark in Seventies heavy music, the period in which it was released was chaotic to say the least.

“Sabotage was rightly named," Butler told Bass Player. “We were being sabotaged by court writs, court appearances, tax demands on money that we had never seen, all while trying to write and record the album. 

“We had left our manager, and all hell broke loose. We were visited by lawyers in the studio, the record company was panicking, our money – what there was of it that hadn't been stolen – was frozen. It was the beginning of the end for us. The pressure took its toll, and the band splintered after that.”

Terence ‘Geezer’ Butler, born in 1949, has done it all when it comes to the bass guitar. A founder member of the first ever heavy metal band, Black Sabbath, he formed a rock-solid foundation with guitarist Tony Iommi and a swung interplay with drummer Bill Ward that has influenced countless acts ever since. 

As Sabbath’s primary lyricist, Butler’s personal list of interests, which included Satanism, the Occult and associated states of ill-being, provided much of the group's lyrical inspiration, with fan favourite N.I.B continuing the same vein that unified much of the group’s self-titled debut album in 1970.

The unusual song title was long rumoured to be an acronym for Nativity in Black, a reference to the birth of the antichrist. The rumours turned out to be false, however, as Geezer later explained: “When I wrote N.I.B., I couldn’t think of a title for the song, so I just called it Nib, after Bill’s beard, which looked like a pen nib because it was pointy.” Clearly Geezer couldn’t have imagined just how widely discussed this obscure title would become.

Taking their name from the Hammer horror film, Black Sabbath began by writing songs around single guitar and bass riffs. “I think the first song we wrote together was Wicked World,” says Butler. “Ozzy came up with those lyrics. Black Sabbath was the second song. One night – I don’t know if it was drugs or what – I woke up and saw this bloody shape at the bottom of the bed, staring at me. I was into the occult at the time and it totally freaked me out. I told Ozzy about it, and he used it for the lyrics. Then he just didn’t want to write any more.”

The undisputed ‘King of the heavy metal bass riff,’ Butler maintains that his basslines were always inspired by guitarist Tony Iommi. “Practically always, I’m following Tony’s guitar riffs, unless it’s something that I’ve written, like N.I.B or Behind the Wall of Sleep. You had to be there to realise how much of a team effort it was. Tony would come up with a riff, say, and then we'd maybe need one note to take it into the next part of the song and Bill might hum something, just one note, and so on."

Behind The Wall Of Sleep is an expert exercise in allowing a bass part to breathe, with the holes in Iommi’s simple, catchy figure punctuated only by a slinky drum pattern. As the drums fade out, a bass solo leads into N.I.B, aided by a wah pedal. "I used Tony’s wah pedal on the first album, and I used an Tycobrahe wah pedal live. They went out of business, but there’s a firm in Chicago that’s making reproductions. Now, I’ve started using the Dunlop wah, and I really like it."

Bass adventures of the more unnerving persuasion will no doubt be plentiful in Geezer Butler’s forthcoming autobiography, Into The Void -  From Birth to Black Sabbath – and Beyond. The Black Sabbath bassist has often talked of the many exploits he and his band members committed while “over-served at the bar”, one memorable example being the time he headbutted a statue – and suffered the consequences – after having mistaken it for a real person.

Geezer Butler’s autobiography, Into The Void -  From Birth to Black Sabbath – and Beyond is available to pre-order on Amazon.

You can count on your fingers the bass players whose legacy comes close to Stanley Clarke, once of the fusion band Return To Forever and since then a constant collaborator with the great and the good of music. A jazz pioneer, Clarke has done more for the electric bass guitar than almost anybody else.

"I saw Stanley Clarke one night on The Midnight Special TV show when I was a teenager and I was floored by how he would open and close his right hand, almost strumming and plucking the bass in one smooth stroke," recalls former-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. "He was probably the fastest ‘lead bass guitarist’ I had ever seen take a solo!"

School Days was Stanley Clarke’s third solo album and it was the one on which his compositional skills and his flamboyant bass solos really caught the bass world’s imagination. Clarke had already demonstrated his double bass chops on the first two albums with Chick Corea's Return to Forever, but with the advent of his custom-built Alembic bass guitars, he now had a distinctive tone and look – the School Days album cover is a painting of Stanley in white flares spray painting poly chords onto a New York subway wall: very hip-hop. 

Asked about his motivation for adopting the electric bass as a lead instrument, Clarke explains, “It came out of something really simple. I used to play in bands, and I’d be the only guy that could arrange the music, the only guy that could write, and the only guy that could rehearse the band properly. So I thought, ‘If I have all these abilities, why don’t I just write some shit for the bass?’ I have to admit, I had some people that used to look at me like I was crazy.”

For a lot of bass players, the desire to play power chords on the bass guitar stems from those delicious first choppy intervals on 'School Days'. The intro sees Stanley strumming chords on the bass, a technique achieved by catching the strings on the down stroke with the fingernails of the right hand. 

"When Stanley did School Days, I’d never heard playing like that," says Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. "People used to tell me that I was a reasonable bass player and then I heard him, and I felt like just giving up. It was like, ‘Oh my God…’ He took it to a completely new level." 

Clarke’s solos may change, but his gear does not, at least at its core. He’s still sporting a variation of the Alembic instruments built for him in the early 70s. “My first bass was a horrible sounding EB-0. Then when Rick Turner built me an Alembic, it changed my life, and changed the world of the bass too, because suddenly the sound of the bass became clear.” 

Clarke's Carl Thompson piccolo also bass makes an appearance on three tracks on the album. "He had this really trebly, almost banjo-like tone that I immediately sought after," says David Ellefson. "From that time Stanley’s tone became a sound that I modelled for clarity in my thrash metal bass work."

In 2002 at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, a stage full of bassists got together to celebrate 'School Days'. Clarke was joined by the likes of Flea, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Billy Sheehan, Alex Al, Marcus Miller, Jimmy Johnson and Stuart Hamm. Stanley takes his solo at 02:23.

“There are solos on there that are phenomenal,” the late Victor Bailey once said of School Days. “In terms of significance to the history of the bass guitar, what Stanley Clarke did was the most important."

Visit stanleyclarke.com for more info.

Thrash metal is not known for its bass guitar players. There are too many guitar riffs for a start, played at ridiculous speeds, making the musical environment a difficult one for bassists. But then there’s Frank Bello, the most notable exception, whipping out super-melodic fills with amazing fingerstyle precision – and headbanging like a demon at the same time.

Bello plays an unusual style for the thrash idiom, which rarely has space for elaborate basslines. His fills and runs often expand around the main guitar parts, counterpointing the riffs and frequently shifting octaves to add dynamics. As well as his unique choice of notes and playing style, Bello is unusual among thrash bassists for his tone. "What most people don't understand is that your tone is really in your fingers," he says. "I love that Tom Petersson has a piano-like top end vibe, but I'll always have my sound because of the way I play."

All these years down the line, Bello is still aspiring to match the standards set by his bass heroes, he tells us. "We once cut a bunch of covers for the reissue of Worship Music and one of them was 'Anthem' by Rush. Now, I'm the biggest Geddy Lee fan, and I couldn't get this one lick in this song. It was bothering me so much, I was having sleepless nights.

"At four in the morning I'd go downstairs and get my bass and I'd be looking at YouTube and thinking, 'What is he doing?' while my wife and kids were asleep upstairs. I watched every live clip of that song I could find, and finally, there it was. Sometimes you can hear it but something's missing and you have to see it."

As a veteran of the New York thrash scene, we asked Frank to nominate five bass players that influenced his melodic fingerstyle bass playing.

Tom Petersson - Cheap Trick

"I grew up listening to Tom Petersson. He’s a very underrated bass player. It was his tone that got me – from his 8-string and 12-string basses. The lines weren’t complicated, and I don’t think they needed to be, because that piano-like tone – which came from three octaves of strings because of the little piccolo strings – just blew my mind. I used a 12-string in an Anthrax song in the 1990s, just in the background – and how he got the right amp for that tone I have no idea."

Paul McCartney - The Beatles

"Paul McCartney has been such an influence on me over the years, and I haven’t ever really thought about it. Talk about a guy who is not just a songwriter but who added so much to the songs with his basslines. He had a beautiful voice, and the bass adds so much melody to the songs. Listen to ‘Penny Lane’, where he plays a descending line in one verse and then plays it again – but an octave lower – in the next verse. And we’re still talking about it all these years later."

Geddy Lee - Rush

"Geddy Lee is one of my biggest influences. The intricacy of his scales and the synching-up with the drums really add up to a celebration of the bass. The Moving Pictures album is so inspiring to me to this day, and when I listen to a song like ‘YYZ’ I have to pick up my bass and play. The bass is meant to be played like that and I just have to follow it. Synching the bass and drums like Rush do is not a thought process, it’s just a natural talent. I was just listening to it the other day and it’s beautiful."

Geezer Butler - Black Sabbath

"I know the whole Ozzy period of Black Sabbath was amazing, but I love the Dio era too. Listen to the song ‘Heaven And Hell’ – Geezer Butler is having so much fun in that song. He's telling a story within a story, just with the bass part. When you can sing a bassline like that one, how much of a compliment is that?" 

Steve Harris - Iron Maiden 

"Every song on the first Iron Maiden album is like a bass exercise, but fun. That’s how Steve Harris writes – on the bass. Listen to the bass solo from ‘Phantom Of The Opera’. I love this stuff more than ever. I’ve got to know him over the years and I’ve asked him lots of questions about how he did it. Steve is one of my favourite bass players in the world, and he still has the fire."

Anthrax and Black Label Society are returning for round two of their 40th Anniversary Tour, which launches on January 17 at the Revolution Concert House in Boise, ID, and concludes on February 18 in Oakland, CA at the Fox Theatre.

Visit anthrax.com for updates.

Tony Iommi has revealed why he and Ozzy Osbourne were not joined by their Black Sabbath colleague Geezer Butler for the pair’s performance at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Iommi and Osbourne performed a storming rendition of Paranoid, with Adam Wakeman, son of Rick Wakeman of Yes, playing bass guitar, and Tommy Clufetos on drums. Clufetos played on Black Sabbath’s The End Tour following original drummer Bill Ward’s contractual disputes.

Speaking to Birmingham Live, Iommi admitted that it was the plan along along to have Butler play with the band, but the Black Sabbath bassist and chief lyricist – he, indeed, wrote the lyrics to Paranoid – had a couple of mishaps, with Covid and a boating accident ultimately ruling him out.

“I don’t think he wanted to come over as he hadn’t been well with Covid,” Iommi said. “He’d been on holiday to Kenya and to Italy and had had an accident on a boat, cracking or breaking a rib about three weeks ago, so he was not quite in fine fettle to come over to play. It’s a shame because we’d talked for a long time about the possibility of playing at the Commonwealth Games.”

• Tony Iommi's 10 best Black Sabbath riffs

If Butler being ruled out of action was a disappointment, Iommi was pleasantly surprised that Osbourne was declared fit for the show. Osbourne, too, recently had Covid, and was recovering from major surgery that his wife, Sharon, had described as “life-altering”.

“I never thought that Ozzy would be able to come and perform at the Commonwealth Games because of his operation,” Iommi said. “And then when he said he was coming over we were asked to keep it all a secret so that nobody would know."

Speaking to Talk TV, Sharon explained how Ozzy’s appearance was long mooted but ultimately arranged at the last minute. 

“They asked us six months ago and Ozzy coudn’t have possibly done it after his last operation,” she said. “The saw Ozzy was at Comic-Con and said, ‘All right, come on! Get him over!’ And we were like, ‘All right.’ And literally it was six days from their phone call to getting him there. And it was just incredible.” 

That didn’t leave much time for preparation. According to Birmingham Live, the pair arrived at the newly-redeveloped Alexander Stadium on the afternoon of the ceremony, and only got the chance to run through the track once before the show.

But with Paranoid ever-present on the Sabbath set-list since it was written in 1970, up until closing the band’s final ever show together on February 4 2017, it was not likely that they would forget how it went. 

Ozzy Osbourne recently shared Degradation Rules, the latest single from his forthcoming solo album, Patient Number 9, and a track which sees the Prince of Darkness welcome Iommi into the studio. 

Patient Number 9 is out September 9 and will feature an all-star cast of guitar players, with Iommi joined by the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and longtime Ozzy collaborator Zakk Wylde. 

With Terry ‘Geezer’ Butler embracing the freedom of life after Sabbath, he is releasing a box set of his solo albums, Manipulations Of The Mind. To mark the occasion, Bass Player sat down with the pioneer of metal bass guitar and talked about his career in Sabbath. You can read about that here.

But he also talked influences, and opened up on the five albums that made him the artists we know today. It's a list that features the obvious – Cream, Jack Bruce, of course! – and then some we might not have expected...

1. The Who – My Generation (1965)

“I used to love My Generation. Every bass player quotes the bass solo in that song. It’s an incredible-sounding bass. Really raw, really rough. That’s the way my sound became when Sabbath started off. I like that raw, edgy sound rather than ultra-bassy. I wouldn’t even attempt to play this solo, haha!

“My bass playing is basic and not too fancy: I’m an average bass player. A lot of people told me that I’ve influenced them the way that [these five players] influenced me, and I get a lot of emails telling me how good I’m supposed to be, but you can’t sit down and say ‘Oh yes, I’m great!’”

2. Cream – Fresh Cream (1966)

“I didn’t really know anything about bass until I went to see Cream. I knew about Eric Clapton’s guitar playing because I’d followed him since he was in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, but Jack Bruce’s bass playing was a complete surprise. I was a guitarist at the time, so I’d never thought about bass – and Jack completely floored me. 

“I’d never seen anyone use bass as a sort of semi-lead instrument, while at the same time being perfectly linked to the drums and the guitar. The way he bent the notes and came down the fretboard was amazing, too. At the time he was playing a Fender VI, which I’d never seen before – they were terrible! I couldn’t even play one note on them, let alone the way he used to play them.”

3. The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)

“Paul McCartney’s bass playing is unique. I learned some of his basslines and they’re so emotional, especially on the song Something. And that’s just one of his songs – ‘I Saw Her Standing There has a great rock ’n’ roll bassline as well. I’m a Beatles fanatic: It’s great that a band who were so popular were such great musicians as well. 

“I appreciated all of them, even though I was a rhythm guitarist at the time and mental about John Lennon. Their musicianship often gets overlooked, or it did at that time, anyway.”

4. Stanley Clarke – School Days (1976)

“I’m a huge fan of the jazz players – Mingus and the rest of them. When Stanley did School Days, I’d never heard playing like that. People used to tell me that I was a reasonable bass player, but then I heard him, and I felt like just giving up. It was like, ‘Oh my God…’ He took it to a completely new level.” 

5. Joni Mitchell – Mingus (1979)

“Jaco Pastorius was so innovative: he was such a technical player, and I suppose he was the first guy to play like that. I wasn’t into that kind of music, initially – I never even knew it existed. I’d always been told that the bass should be in the background, and played along with the drums, and then Jaco came along and threw away the rules. 

“It was amazing listening to it. You knew you could never come up to his level. You know what he was doing, and at the same time you know you could never do it yourself.”

• Manipulations of the Mind – The Complete Collection is out now via BMG.

If you or I ever reach 72 years of age, we will no doubt be spending a lot of time ignoring everything that people tell us about bass guitars, and refusing to acknowledge anything other than the tried-and-trusted gear that we’ve been playing for the last 50 years. 

Not so for the great Geezer Butler, or Terry as no-one calls him, who – despite a long and productive career as a master of the low end – is still breaking down barriers in bass. 

“I’ve just bought an Ibanez six-string bass, so I could play it like a guitar,” he tells us, “but then I progressed to a seven-string to have the full range, tuning the bottom string to B.”

He’s not merely noodling around on this beast, either. “I’ve come up with lots of different ideas,” he adds.

“I like having a few different things to experiment with, so I’ve recently acquired an array of different pedals and a box of goodies from IK Multimedia that I’ve yet to delve into. I’m in the process of moving house, which is a pain in the nether regions, so I haven’t had much time lately to fiddle about with everything... but I will when I’m settled into the new house.”

Butler’s new neighbors, whoever they may be, will not only be contending with the some monstrous sounds from the new seven-string: they’ll no doubt be treated to a whole universe of loud courtesy of Manipulations of the Mind, a three-album collection of the solo records he released during downtime with Black Sabbath. 

The albums, Plastic Planet (1995), Black Science (’97), and Ohmwork (2005), come with a bonus disc of rare and largely unreleased material, and collectively represent something of a welcome step outside the day-job band, it appears.

“All three albums were done with fun in mind,” he explains. “I felt totally free to do whatever I wanted to do – I didn’t have to repay vast advances from the record company, or have to think about selling hundreds of thousands of albums, or conforming to any preconceived ideas.”

Gear-wise, there’s a clear evolution through the albums, with Butler sticking to his old Sabbath bass gear for Plastic Planet.

“I used my old Fender P-Bass, that I used on the Paranoid (1970) and Master Of Reality (’71) albums, with an Ampeg amp through a 4x12 Marshall cab – but I think I played a Vigier bass on Black Science and a Lakland on Ohmwork, through an Ampeg Heritage amp and an 8x10 cab.”

These days, Lakland is his first call for bass guitars, and he also has a signature amp with Ashdown, the fearsome Head of Doom. The new Ibanez was borne of necessity, he explains. “Lakland is still my first-choice bass, but they don’t do seven-string basses, so Ibanez was readily available. I haven’t played Ibanez before, apart from the six-string bass, but I like the fact I can play them like a guitar.”

After so long as a touring bass player, Butler has suffered an unusual side-effect: “My fingers have been flattened after playing bass for more than 50 years, and ordinary guitars can be a problem for me, chord-wise, so the wide fretboard on the six- and seven-string basses allow me to play a variety of chords.”

Flattened fingers are normally the preserve of upright bass players, for whom spatulate fingertips are routine thanks to the extra pounds per square inch they need to leverage to get the job done, but it’s not something we often hear from electric players. In Butler’s case, it may have something to do with the sheer force with which he attacks his bass strings. 

Last time we spoke to him he explained, “I still hit them extremely hard. I’ve no idea where I got that from, it’s my natural style. I do get excited playing live: when I’m rehearsing I don’t hit the strings anywhere near as hard as that, which gives the soundman headaches. I’ve taught myself to back off a bit.”

Look back through Black Sabbath’s career – which, let us not forget, effectively kicked off  in 1969 after stints as the Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth – and you’ll see Butler smacking the life out of a wide range of basses, Precisions, Jaydees, Dan Armstrong and the occasional BC Rich among them. What does he look for in an instrument?

“Ease of playability, quality of build, and relationship to the bass company,” he explains. “I usually play a few Sabbath riffs to get a feel and to hear the response, and judge the bass by that. When it comes to amps, it’s mainly about how enthusiastic the people at the amp company are to work with me. 

“Ashdown have been outstanding to work with,” he continues. “They came to Sabbath rehearsals, listened to my sound, talked to me and Terry Welty, my bass tech, about what I wanted, and went away and built prototypes of amps, eventually culminating in the Head of Doom. 

“I wanted an amp that could provide just the right amount of distortion or overdrive when I needed it, and Ashdown totally nailed it. I also love their new Pedal of Doom. They did a great job – the Head of Doom in a pedal!”

As well as the Manipulations box set, Butler has also been promoting a recent deluxe reissue of Sabbath’s sixth album Sabotage (1975). Although the album is a landmark in '70s heavy music, the bassist recalls that the period in which it was released was chaotic to say the least.  

“Sabotage was rightly named,” he says, “because we were being sabotaged by court writs, court appearances, tax demands on money that we had never seen, all while trying to write and record the album. We had left our manager, and all hell broke loose. 

“We were visited by lawyers in the studio, the record company was panicking in case they were involved, our money – what there was of it that hadn’t been stolen – was frozen. It was the beginning of the end for us. The pressure took its toll, and the band splintered after that.”

Four years remained for Sabbath’s classic Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Bill Ward (drums) and Butler line-up after Sabotage, before Osbourne quit and was replaced by the late Ronnie James Dio, but as he says, around ’75 was effectively when the death knell began to ring. 

Fortunately, he has a sense of humor about this absurd period in Sabbath’s career, chuckling “Happy days!” when we remind him of a white John Birch bass to which he added a sticker parodying the Coca-Cola logo with the slogan ‘Enjoy cocaine’. 

“It was always magical playing with Tony,” he says nostalgically. “We never had to discuss anything; it just seemed to happen. He never once doubted me, and if I felt unsure of something, he would always encourage me and trust that I’d make the right choice myself. To me, he’s the greatest guitarist ever.”

Listing Megalomania among other Sabotage cuts as worthy of bass players’ attention, Butler also nominates certain of his solo songs as personal favorites. “I particularly like Catatonic Eclipse and Drive Boy for their music and lyrics, Box of Six for the heaviness, Mysterons for the fun of it, and Among The Cybermen and Invisible for their lyrical content, which is prescient and socially relevant,” he observes.

There have been rumors for some years that Butler planned to work on a jazz album. Is there any truth to the whisperings?

“I’ve always liked jazz – Mingus, Coltrane, Ahmad Jamal, Monk, and so on, and I absolutely love Billie Holiday, who I have to listen to almost every day to get my soul in gear, but I could never aspire to play like them. I like messing around playing jazz, but just for fun,” he says, which we think means ‘no’.

Still, as jazz is such a pleasure for Butler, it’s not surprising to hear him namecheck a particular jazz-trained bassist.

“My main inspiration for playing bass was Jack Bruce, who I saw with Cream on three occasions when they played in Birmingham,” he explains.

“I hadn’t thought about playing bass until then, so fingerstyle was the only way to go for me. I do sometimes use a pick, and I’ve had to resort to playing with a pick on some gigs when the blisters on my fingers have just popped and it was too painful to play fingerstyle. On some solo songs that were hideously fast, like House of Clouds, I used a pick for better clarity.”

It is indeed a bit of a workout for the picking hand. Are there any tips he can give us to build speed? “Don’t rush it,” he advises, “but if you prefer a pick, then go for it. There are no rules dictating how you should play. 

“Whatever you feel most comfortable with and brings out your best playing, then it’s up to the player to decide – pick, fingerstyle or both. As far as exercises, there is no substitute for playing every day, even for five minutes, it really does improve your playing. Practice makes better, if not perfect!”

• Manipulations of the Mind – The Complete Collection is out now on BMG

Ashdown has announced the launch of a new Geezer Butler signature EQ/distortion stompbox, the Pedal Of Doom. 

The new pedal uses the preamp from Butler’s Ashdown Head Of Doom as its basis but was reportedly inspired by the evolving tone of the 'Sabbath classic Hand Of Doom (from the metal icons' second album Paranoid,) in which Butler’s tone steps-up from the slower, grooving intro into the more frenetic, distorted sections.

As such, the brand wanted to develop a pedal that could give players plenty of EQ control and a choice of drives, enabling them to further scale-up the intensity and harmonic elements of the tone via the ‘Doom’ switch.  

Ashdown says the new pedal has been “forged in the deepest darkest depths of… Essex” in the UK and features an onboard transformer isolated DI output, dual switchable EQs, and a ‘Doom’ footswitch, which engages the drive section. 

There’s a five-band EQ for both the EQ and Doom channels of the pedal, with an independent volume and gain control on hand for the Doom side. Round the back there’s an XLR output, and a 1/4” in and out.  

The dual VU meters of the Head Of Doom are also present, giving players an immediate read on the input/output balance, as well as adding a bit of steam punk character, or demonic eyes (it’s a bit like a sort of pedal-based Rorschach test). 

Although Ashdown initially developed the pedal to an advanced stage before presenting it to Butler, the bassist has been suitably impressed with its performance. 

“This is without a doubt the best sounding and engineered pedal I have ever played,” says Butler. “And with my amp it truly has the sound of doom I live for.”

Ashdown Engineering’s Geezer Butler Pedal Of Doom will ship from January 2022 and has an MSRP of £299.00 (approx. $411.00).

Head to Ashdown's official site for more information.

The greatest metal lyricist of all time and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has raided the archives for a comprehensive box set of his solo material and best of compilation.

Manipulations Of The Mind – The Complete Collection, gathers Butler's three solo albums – Plastic Planet (1995), Black Science (1997) and Ohmwork (2005) – plus a host of unreleased and rare material for a whopping four-disc box set. The release will be accompanied by a compilation of his solo work, The Very Best of Geezer Butler, which features 17 tracks handpicked by the man himself.

Those tuning in and expecting a facsimile of the primal doom sound that Butler pioneered with Black Sabbath might be in for a shock. There are more than a few stylistic left turns in the Butler solo career. Inspired by Fear Factory and featuring Burton C Bell on vocals, Plastic Planet has a pronounced industrial metal groove that calls to mind those Consolidated remixes of Corrosion of Conformity's Vote With a Bullet. 

Of course, Butler was ever metal's renaissance man when it came to lyrics and so you had the propulsive chug of Drive Boy, Shooting referencing Alfred Lord Tennyson, with guitarist Pedro Howse an able foil for Butler's low-end thunder.

“I was listening to Fear Factory at the time and liked what Burton was doing – heavy vocals but with melodic choruses when required,” says Butler.

“So, I asked him if he’d be interested in singing on the album, and he agreed. Importantly, he was great to work with, and had a similar sense of humor to Pedro and me. And didn’t sound anything like Ozzy or Ronnie Dio, which was important to me.”

Recorded in Canada at Studio Morin Heights, 1997's Black Science saw Clark Brown take Burton C Bell's place on lead vocals, but still the vibe is drawn from the liminal space between industrial rock and metal, and just two years before The Matrix became the pop-cultural moment of the late-'90s, this felt very much of the time. 

That said, it was another decade's sci-fi that was inspiring Butler on Black Science, namely '60s television serials such as Doctor Who. Soon after the album's release, however, Black Sabbath had got back together, with the Ozzfest soon in full stem across the States and then globally. It wasn't until 2005 that Butler could return to the studio to track his third and final solo album, Ohmwork. 

While the influence of those years spent touring alongside Slipknot, Pantera et al can be heard throughout Ohmwork – particularly on tracks such as Pseudocide and Aurel Sects – it still feels very much part of an industrial trilogy, and a world apart from the morbid blues-rock of early Sabbath.

Both the Very Best of... and Manipulations Of The Mind box-set will be released on July 1 through BMG. See Geezer Butler for more details. The full tracklisting for The Very Best of Geezer Butler is at the bottom of the page.

The Very Best of Geezer Butler tracklist:

1. Drive Boy, Shooting
2. Man In A Suitcase
3. Misfit
4. The Invisible
5. Box Of Six
6. Pardon My Depression
7. House Of Cards
8. Mysterons
9. Aural Sects
10. Detective 27
11. Number 5
12. I Believe
13. Catatonic Eclipse
14. Among The Cybermen
15. Prisoner 103
16. Plastic Planet
17. Area Code 51

Tony Iommi and Eddie Van Halen had a famously close relationship – the Black Sabbath legend recently told Guitar World, following Eddie's passing, “I've got two really great friends in the music business – Brian May is one and Eddie Van Halen was the other.”

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some rocky moments between the electric guitar icons, especially in the very beginning. In an interview for the Eddie Van Halen book Eruption, author Paul Brannigan talked to both Iommi and Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler about tensions on their 1978 tour in support of Never Say Die!, for which Van Halen opened some shows.

At the time, Sabbath were experiencing their fair share of inter-band turmoil – Ozzy Osbourne would exit the group soon after – and Van Halen, who had just released their groundbreaking debut, were on the rise. The result was that the young California rockers often stole the show, a fact that did not go down well with the Sabbath camp.

“I didn’t know very much about Van Halen at all,” Iommi told Brannigan. “But when I first heard them it was like, ‘Bloody hell!’ They were so energetic, such great players, and they had good songs. We were just like, ‘Wow, blimey, these are really good!’ ”

Iommi went on to say that he felt Van Halen also picked up more than a few pointers from the headliners. “They watched us almost every night from the side of the stage," he continued, “and obviously they’d pick things up from us, seeing what worked, and what got the crowd going. 

"But it was just a bit awkward when we’d come onstage and it felt like we were just doing what they were doing. One night I said to Eddie, ‘Hey, Eddie, are you gonna play a couple of tracks off our new album tomorrow?’ ”

Butler concurred. “Van Halen went down incredibly well,” he told Brannigan. “The only thing that pissed me off was that at the beginning of the tour they seemed like a really raw band, but as the tour went on, they were sorta ripping us off.

“Eddie’s guitar solos were getting longer, David Lee Roth was copying everything that Ozzy would do, and the bass player [Michael Anthony] even started using a wah pedal, at a time when I was the only bass player that had ever used a wah pedal. By the time we went onstage, people were like, ‘Oh, I’ve already seen all this.’ It was like we were our own tribute act.”

The result? Iommi had to issue Eddie “fair warning” that his band was getting out of line.

“They were all really good blokes,” Butler said, “so we weren’t really that bothered about it. But Tony had to have a few words with Eddie, in a ‘behave yourself’ kind of way.”

All that said, Eddie and Tony had massive respect for one another as guitarists (Van Halen would cover the Sabs in their club days), and managed to hit off on that tour. 

“Eddie had obviously listened to other guitarists growing up, but he’d come up with his own thing and he was just a fabulous guitar player,” Iommi said.

“Most nights he’d come around to my room or I’d go to his room and we’d do a bit of coke and talk all night. He became a really good friend and I really respected him as a player. I’m really glad we had them with us, because it led me to make a friend for life.”

For more with Eddie and Tony, check out Guitar World’s 2010 joint cover story with the two guitar greats.

While most people were very pleasantly surprised when they heard the news about the release of a Dio-era Black Sabbath song that had never been heard before, Tony Iommi, as it turns out, did not share this enthusiasm.

Instead, the electric guitar legend has told Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM that he is “not happy at all” about the release of Slapback, saying, “It’s left a really bad taste in my mouth.”

The track – recorded during the 1979 songwriting sessions that produced the band’s first album with singer Ronnie James Dio – was initially published to YouTube by Gary Rees, who is the stepson and executor of the state of Sabbath keys man Geoff Nicholls.

And though Geezer Butler quickly confirmed the track’s authenticity during his own SiriusXM appearance, Iommi has come out and voiced his disapproval over the unauthorized release of Slapback.

In conversation with Trunk, Iommi said (via Blabbermouth), “I’m not happy with [Nicholl’s estate releasing the song] – at all. And it’s left a really bad taste in my mouth. At that point, when we did that, Geoff wasn’t even involved in the band. That is actually Ronnie playing bass on that… and that was just in the lounge recorded on a cassette.”

Iommi’s revelation that Dio donned the bass guitar in the track seemingly contradicts Butler’s claim that he recorded the track, the bassist having told SiriusXM that it “was one of the songs we did before I left”.

“It’s just one of those songs that didn’t make the grade,” Butler continued. “That was right before I left. It was just a one-off thing. We just jammed it and didn’t think anything more of it. It didn’t really work.”

Discussing why Slapback never made it off the cutting room floor, Iommi explained, “We had one or two things that we’d jam around on and play on and stuff, but it [wasn’t] right for the album, so we didn’t put it into shape; we didn’t record it or anything.”

Tony Iommi recently talked to Guitar World about his five favorite Dio-era Black Sabbath riffs. And while there were obvious inclusions like Neon Knights and Heaven and Hell, one song that didn’t make the electric guitar legend’s list was Slapback, which is likely because until a few days ago, no one even knew it existed.

The song – recorded during the 1979 songwriting sessions that produced Heaven and Hell, the band’s first album with singer Ronnie James Dio – was recently uploaded to YouTube by Gary Rees, the stepson and executor of the estate of Geoff Nicholls, Black Sabbath’s longtime keyboardist, who passed away in 2017.

Following Rees’s YouTube posting, questions arose as to Slapback’s authenticity. But in a new interview with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler offered confirmation. 

"Yeah, that was one of the songs that we did before I left," he said of Slapback. 

He added, jokingly, "It's probably the reason I did leave. It was just one of those songs that didn't make the grade."

And while Butler exited Sabbath for a short time before returning for the recording of Heaven and Hell, he also stated that it is his bass that can be heard on the song.

"Yeah, that was right before I left,” he said. “It was just a one-off thing. We just jammed it and didn't think anything more of it. It didn't really work."

Roughly a month ago, Rees posted a previously unheard rehearsal recording of Heaven and Hell from the same sessions. That performance, however, featured Nicholls on bass, as it was recorded during the period when Butler had left.

“I recently found this SONY C-90 tape cassette amongst the thousands in Geoff Nicholls' archive,” Rees wrote in the accompanying text. “On the inlay card is written 'ON & ON  HEAVEN & HELL  ORIGINAL VERSION GEOFF PLAYING BASS'. Inside the cassette case was a Maxell UD 90. The B side is written 'On + On HEAVEN HELL ORIGINAL GEOFF ON BASS.' ”

On March 5 of this year, both 1980’s Heaven and Hell and 1981’s Mob Rules were reissued in remastered/expanded editions.

Black Sabbath’s 1985 reunion with Ozzy Osbourne at Live Aid may not have been their most memorable show. But one thing that has always stuck out from the performance is Geezer Butler’s excessively pointy, cross-adorned red B.C. Rich custom bass.

Apparently, the instrument, which Geezer recently revealed he still owns, made quite the lasting impression on him as well.

"I was recently asked about the bass played during Live Aid,” he wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of the bass.

“Yes, I still have it. It's a custom B.C. Rich, only ever played it at Live Aid. 

"I whacked my thumb on that sharp edge, and could hardly play the bloody thing, it went right into my nerve and my whole hand went numb."

You can check out a pic of the possible moment of attack above. Let that be a warning to luthiers and fans of pointy guitars and basses everywhere.

In the world of hard rock and metal bass, you’d be hard pressed to find a player who doesn’t regard Geezer Butler as a giant of the genre.

And while most of us are familiar with Geezer’s deep, bluesy bends, his nimble fingerboard acrobatics, and his downright gargantuan tone, few are as familiar as Rob Blasko.

Spending the last decade backing Ozzy Osbourne on his solo albums and tours, Blasko is a Sabbath scholar on another level. So when the opportunity arose for the two bass brothers to talk shop, we jumped at the chance. Ahead of the release of 13, the first new album from Sabbath since 1995— and the first with Osbourne on vocals since 1978’s Never Say Die!—Blasko and Butler met up to talk tone, technique, and tools of the trade.

How did it feel, after so many years, to work with Ozzy and Tony on new material?

I’ve been working with Tony since we did Heaven & Hell together, so we’ve been doing it since 2005. When the three of us got together, it was fantastic— it’s like the magic was back. Everything fell into place. Nobody else sounds like us when we’re together.

We did try in 2001 to do an album, and it just didn’t work. Ozzy was doing his television show. We’d rented a house to do the record, and we were all stuck in a house together, driving each other nuts. It just didn’t feel right—it was too forced.

This time, for some reason, we just knew it was going to work. It’s sort of now or never, because we’re not going to be around much longer! [Laughs.] The difference this time is that Tony had two or three albums worth of riffs. The three of us got together to listen to them, and we just knew that we had some good stuff to start working on. That made a lot of difference.

Did you go back to listen to the old records for inspiration?

We got together with [13 producer] Rick Rubin at Kid Rock’s house in Malibu. He had us listen to the first album, which none of us had listened to for about 30 years.

When this process started we had [drummer] Bill Ward with us, so there were the four of us, listening to the first thing that we had done together. It was really weird! The four of us hadn’t listened to it together since back when we recorded it in 1969. It was like listening to it for the first time.

We realized it wasn’t really heavy metal— it had a lot of blues to it. Each song was different from the other; there were a lot of different colors and flavors. Rick said that was the feel he wanted us to get on the new album, so that gave us the direction to go in.

What we learned from listening to that first record was how basic it was. On the first three albums, there were no keyboards or any of the experimental stuff we did later on. We wanted to capture that live feel again, and that’s why Rick insisted we listen to our first album. He told us he didn’t want a typical heavy metal album. So it was about re-learning the blues approach. And I think fans of the first three albums are going to like this one.

You did that first record in just a matter of hours.

We did it in two days. We’d just come off playing a gig, and we happened to stop off at the studio on our way to do a residency in Switzerland. We played it like a live gig.

Rubin got the four of you in a room together to work on new music, which is something you hadn’t done for years and years.

Yeah. Before this, Ozzy had a lot of distractions— he was doing his TV show and solo albums, as well. But this time, he was really into it. We all had suggestions for the music, and Ozzy and I collaborated on the lyrics together, like we used to in the old days.

Are your basslines always inspired by a song’s riff , or does it sometimes work the other way around?

Practically always, I’m following Tony’s riffs, unless it’s something that I’ve written, like “N.I.B” or “Behind the Wall of Sleep.” On the new album— and about 95% of what we’ve done—the bass part is centered around Tony’s riff s.

On the new album, there are two tracks that came together purely as jams in the studio, with one take. What we’d do is jam together for about an hour in the studio, before we’d record the song we were there to work on.

This particular song [untitled as of press time], we were jamming and Rick said, “That is absolutely great—you’ve got to do that one!” We said, “What do you mean? It’s just a jam.” It was 18 minutes long, so Rick told us to pick out parts and make a seven-minute version of it. We did, but it just didn’t sound right. We couldn’t get that same feeling. So he edited his own version of it. Then Ozzy put vocal and harmonica on it, and we were like, “Yeah, that sounds really good.” We didn’t really even remember playing it! [Laughs.]

There’s an acoustic track on the album called “Zeitgeist.” For that, Tony was fiddling around with an acoustic that Taylor Guitars had just sent him, and Rick asked him, “What’s that?” Tony was just trying the guitar out. Rick said, “Put bass on it, Geez.” I didn’t even know what he was playing! I was just watching the chords Tony was playing, making it up as we went along. And it worked.

How did Rick Rubin get involved?

For years, he’s told us, “If there is ever another Black Sabbath album, I want to produce it.” When we tried in 2001, we went to Rick with the songs we had written. But as we played them for him we realized it was a lot of crap. [Laughs.] He was up to working on it, but we knew it just wasn’t up to standard.

This time, we were writing at Ozzy’s studio. He’d come down, lie on the couch and listen and either go, “Yes” or “No.” He’d leave after about ten minutes, and we’d have to figure out what was working and what wasn’t. When we were tracking, we’d do a take, and he’d say, “Yeah, that was great. Do it again.” So we’d do about four or five takes. Ozzy was starting to get pissed off , because Rick would say things like, “That was brilliant! Do it again.”

Once we got a good take, he wouldn’t even give us a chance to listen to it. He’d have us stay there and do the next song. We’d work from 1pm to 6pm, and no matter what we were doing at 6pm, we’d stop. We’ve never worked that way—we thought it was nuts!

But he did a great job with Ozzy. That’s where I really saw how good he is. He kept Ozzy in his register, reminding him that everything he did in the studio, he’d have to do on the stage. Ozzy had gotten used to singing beyond his range, which is why we couldn’t do a lot of the later Sabbath stuff live.

Your performance at last year’s Download Festival was pretty epic. How was it from your vantage point?

It was strange when we first went on, because we didn’t expect so many people. I’ve played Download in the past, and usually there are around 60,000 people. But that day, it was 120,000. It took my breath away. It was overwhelming at first, but once we got into it, it was another gig.

How did you get your start as a player?

Originally I picked up rhythm guitar because I loved the Beatles—John Lennon in particular. I started off with a little acoustic guitar that my brother bought me. I eventually bought a Fender Telecaster, just to play along with Beatles tunes.

Then John Mayall and Cream came on the scene. When I went to see Cream, Jack Bruce absolutely blew me away. I had never really paid much attention to bass before that. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

I was in the Rare Breed with Ozzy at the time. Ozzy and I wanted to do music full time, but the other guys in the band didn’t. So we left and got together with Tony and Bill. I still had my Fender Telecaster, but Tony said, 'I don’t want to play with a rhythm guitarist—you’ll have to switch to bass.'

I had never played bass before, so I started really listening to what Jack Bruce was doing. I couldn’t afford a bass, so I’d tune my Telecaster down. Eventually, I bought a Top Twenty bass and played it through a Selmer amplifier. I borrowed a friend’s Höfner “Beatle” Bass on the way to one of our gigs, which was the first time I had ever played bass on stage.

As a guitarist, why didn’t you play bass with a pick?

Because I saw Jack Bruce play with his fingers, and I said, that’s the way you play bass. After we got the first gigs out of the way, I swapped my Telecaster for my first Fender Precision Bass.

Ozzy says that when he saw This Is Spinal Tap, he thought it was a real documentary. He didn’t get the humor in it, because it was so close to home. Are there any standout Spinal Tap-type moments from your time with Sabbath.

Oh, God. Too many to mention. One of our first American tours, we didn’t know we had to have backstage passes and all that, so when we got to the gig, the security guy wouldn’t let us in to our own gig. We had to get the police to escort us in.

How did you become one of Sabbath’s primary lyricists, and where did the lyrical themes come from?

We knew when we started that if we wanted to get anywhere, we’d have to write our own material. I think the first song we wrote together was “Wicked World,” and Ozzy came up with those lyrics. “Black Sabbath” was the second song. I was into the occult at the time.

One night—I don’t know if it was drugs or what—I woke up and saw this bloody shape at the bottom of the bed, staring at me. It totally freaked me out. I told Ozzy about it, and he used it for the lyrics. Then he just didn’t want to write any more. Everybody else was singing about love, and we just didn’t want to do that. With the heavy music, it just didn’t feel right.

“The Wizard” was based on J.R.R. Tolkein’s Th e Lord of the Rings, which was a big thing at the time, and I had just read it. “N.I.B.” was about the devil falling in love.

Where does the band’s name come from?

At the cinema I used to go to, a film called Black Sabbath came through. I was too young to get in to see it, but I loved the title.

On Black Sabbath Vol. 4 [1972], you’re pictured playing a Dan Armstrong plexiglass bass.

I only used the plexiglass bass because we were on tour in America, somewhere between Detroit and Toronto, someone had opened the case of my Fender bass and smashed it to pieces. You could see the hammer marks.

It was a Sunday, and shops weren’t open, so we got in touch with the promoter, who had a friend who ran a music shop. He opened it up for us, but it was mostly cheap stuff . The only reasonable bass they had was the Dan Armstrong. That’s what I used on Vol. 4, which probably has the worst bass sound of any Sabbath record.

On the next tour, that bass was stolen. That’s when I started having custom Jaydee and John Birch basses.

At the 1974 California Jam festival, what is the white bass you played?

That was my first John Birch custom bass. After the Dan Armstrong bass was stolen, I got back to England and didn’t know what kind of bass to play, so I just had one made. Throughout the rest of the ’70s, I was using Birch and Jaydee basses. And by then we were tuning down as much as three semi-tones, so I needed to have custom instruments made. You couldn’t tune other basses like that.

By that time I had a whole PA setup as a rig, with Crown power amps and what I think was an Alembic preamp. Standing in front of it, it wasn’t that loud. But halfway out in the audience, it was deafening! We used to call those rigs Green Weenies, because they were green. The road crew hated me, because they were so heavy.

During Technical Ecstasy [1976] and Never Say Die [1978], you were known to play a Rickenbacker.

I actually only used the Rickenbacker on one show, and it was the one that was videotaped. It was the bass Glenn Hughes used in Deep Purple. I bought it just as a collector’s piece. We got to that Hammersmith gig, and I had completely forgotten to bring my basses with me. The only one I had with me was the Rickenbacker. I’m not sure why I even had that with me.

In the Heaven and Hell era [1980–81], with Ronnie James Dio fronting Black Sabbath, you played B.C. Rich basses.

When we were writing for those records, I just wasn’t happy with the bass sound I was getting. Somebody recommended B.C. Rich. I went down to the factory and met with [B.C. Rich founder] Bernie Rico. He made the basses for me himself. I really loved those basses—they had a great sound. It took me two weeks to get the studio bass sound for Heaven and Hell.

Your tone on Born Again [1983] is intense. What bass did you use for that?

I think I was using a Jaydee at that time. It was a neck-through bass, but it didn’t have a truss rod. By the end of tracking that record, it looked like a banana!

What’s your current setup?

Live, I’m using Harke Kilo amps with custom Hartke 4x12 and 2x15 cabinets—eight cabinets in all. In the studio I was using a combination of the Kilo, the studio’s 1969 Ampeg SVT and an Eclair Engineering Evil Twin direct box. I played everything cranked all the way up. I actually ended up blowing out the SVT, so we used the Kilo through the Ampeg cabinet to get that really distorted sound.

What are your favorite tracks on the record?

Now that I’ve heard them all back, “God Is Dead?,” and the blues jam—because I can’t even remember playing the bloody thing!

Fender, Dan Armstrong, Jaydee, Rickenbacker, B.C. Rich, Vigier, and now Lakland—what are you after in your bass choices?

I’m collecting—I collect guitars, as well. I’m after the perfect sound, and of course that’s a never-ending search.

I’ve always loved the sound of my first Fender, so I’m always trying to find that sound. I have nine or ten pre-CBS Fender Basses. They’re great at home or around the studio, but they won’t stay in tune on the road—they’re so temperamental. Plus, they’re terrible when you tune down. I like how well-made the Laklands are. Aside from sound, a bass needs to be well made to stand up to touring. Consistency is a thing, as well.

Nowadays, your basses are tuned CFBbEb. What do you do for strings?

DR Strings just made me a set of strings with a .115 low string. For a while, the thickest you could go would be .110, and then you’d jump all the way to a .120 for 5-string. These .115s are really good for C tuning.

You still use a wah when you play “N.I.B.” What other effects have you played with?

On Born Again, I used a one-off Yamaha pedalboard that had a bunch of different effects built into it. There are tons of bass effects on that album, but a lot of people think it’s keyboards.

I used Tony’s wah pedal on the first album, and I used a Tycobrahe wah pedal live. They went out of business, but there’s a firm in Chicago that’s making reproductions. Now, I’ve started using the Dunlop wah, and I really like it.

If you could change anything about what you’ve played or how you’ve sounded in Black Sabbath, would you?

Not so much what I’ve played, but I find the bass sound on Vol. 4 to be terrible. That album was when we’d discovered cocaine.

We also had a manager that ripped us off. He had taken all sorts of royalties and tour money, but he wanted to be a producer, as well. He didn’t have a clue how to get good sounds. And he kept us so coked out of our brains that we didn’t know any better.

Pulling some fan questions from social media, Ryan Beavers asks, “As Sabbath’s main lyricist, is there any one song that holds special meaning for you?”

It’s hard to say, but I know that Ozzy loves the lyrics for “Spiral Architect.” He’s always going on about how they’re his favorite lyrics of all time. So I suppose it would be that.

Sean Pelletier asks, “How hard was it to be vegan on tour back in the day?”

Bloody very hard! It was literally a baked potato every day. That’s what I lived on.

Joe Flores asks, “What was the first band you ever saw in concert?”

The Beatles, back in 1966 on their last tour. Problem is you couldn’t hear a thing because all the girls were screaming through the whole bloody set.

Ozzyrocks on Instagram asks, “With the music industry being what it is, do you think you’d have a chance of success in this day and age?

That’s impossible to say. There are so many bands around now, and the competition is ridiculous. It’s got to be so hard for a band to get known now.

Zachtheripper on Instagram asks, “What modern bands do you listen to?”

I don’t really listen to a lot, since I’ve rediscovered soul music by bands like Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament/Funkadelic. The most recent heavy band that I like is Mastodon. I liked Black Mountain when they came out, but I haven’t heard from them in years. And I like the Band of Skulls album.

You can have a rock-solid drummer, a perfectly capable guitarist, and a show-stopping frontperson, but when it comes down to it, many would argue that a bassist could make or break a band. After all, would Give It Away be the same without Flea's bombastic bass? What would YYZ sound like without the genius of Geddy Lee? Our guess is not nearly as good. 

So it begs the question: if you could have any (any!) bassist join your dream band, who would that be? Here is our list of low-end juggernauts that could take your band from bars to the big leagues.

Dave Ellefson

Speed is the name of the game with Dave Ellefson, and he can help crank your band’s intensity all the way up to eleven. The Megadeth bassist’s playing is the foundation of the band’s sound, delivering driving bass lines at breakneck speeds that are certain to blow away your audience. Ellefson is a perfect fit for any band looking to push BPMs to the limit, while also starting a few mosh pits here and there.

Geddy Lee

You have to go big or go home when it comes to selecting the right bassist, and nobody embodies this better than Geddy Lee. His pronounced playing style immediately makes itself known; he takes charge while delivering some of rock's most complex and proggy bass lines. Lee is definitely not a bassist who will hide in the shadows - he thrives in the limelight and will make sure you never forget his playing.

Carol Kaye

If you somehow land Carol Kaye in your lineup, you've struck gold. The L.A. studio ace has played on over 10,000 recordings, including timeless works by the Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and more. Plus, having Kaye as a bandmate could serve a dual purpose - she began her career as a jazz guitarist, so just in case your guitar player isn't cutting it, you're probably covered there, too. Watch Brian Wilson, the musical genius behind the Beach Boys, gush over Kaye in this video.

Victor Wooten 

When it comes to technically precise bass parts overflowing with musical vocabulary, Victor Wooten is your guy. As a member of the genre-blurring supergroup Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Wooten has proven his virtuosic chops and innovative take on the bass - and having five Grammy awards under his belt wouldn't hurt your band's cred, either.

Les Claypool

We hope your guitarist doesn't mind taking the back seat, because that's likely to happen if Les Claypool joins your band. The propulsive bassist and frontman of Primus is credited for furthering slap bass technique and helping introduce it to hard rock, earning him a rightful place as one of the most respected figures in low-end lore.

Flea

Granted you're ok with a little bit of on-stage nudity, enlisting Flea to your lineup would be no-brainer. A founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea's first entry into music was playing jazz trumpet. He later picked up bass, fusing hard funk and punk with his own melodic adventurousness to approach the instrument in an entirely new way.

Geezer Butler

The word “legend” gets thrown around a lot, but Geezer Butler is more than worthy of the title. On top of writing some of metal’s most iconic bass lines, Butler was one of the first in the genre to use a wah pedal and implement down-tuning. Plus, he’s responsible for nearly all of Black Sabbath’s Ozzy-era lyrics, so get ready for your band’s songwriting to receive a serious upgrade.

Doug Wimbish

Want a player who will add a little versatility to your sound? Look no further than Doug Wimbish, a bassist with some serious studio experience under his belt. In addition to his time with Living Colour, he’s recorded with everyone from the Rolling Stones and Joe Satriani to Madonna and Billy Idol. No matter what sound your band is shooting for, you just can’t go wrong with having Wimbish on your side.

Robert Trujillo

If you’re looking for heaviness with a hint of funk, give Robert Trujillo a call. His jazz fusion background and love of slap bass shine bright in his work with Suicidal Tendencies and Infectious Grooves. Plus, his preference to tackle Metallica’s catalog without a pick is no small feat, solidifying his place as a thrash titan.

Paul McCartney

As far as rock bassists go, you can't do much better than Paul McCartney. His bass lines stand alone as masterworks, lending brilliant melodicism and counterpoint to any song he graces. And it wouldn't hurt to have a Beatle around to help out in the songwriting department, either.

Geezer Butler and Steve Stevens want to make one thing clear: Don’t even think of calling Deadland Ritual — the new band they recently formed with drummer Matt Sorum (formerly of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver) and singer Franky Perez (of Apocalyptica and formerly of Scars on Broadway) — a “supergroup.” They’re having none of that.

“It’s kind of a passé term, isn’t it?” Butler asks rhetorically. “Whenever I think of supergroups, I think of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix — people of that caliber. Supergroups were kind of a Sixties or Seventies thing. We’re just four guys getting together and doing what we like.”

Stevens echoes Butler’s sentiments, saying, “We would never call ourselves a supergroup. I think anybody who uses that term is kind of setting themselves up for a fall, because the expectations will be so great that whatever you do will be judged so unfairly. What matters to me is what happened when we got together in this little rehearsal room. We looked at one another and said, ‘OK, do we have something here, or not?’ And immediately there was a chemistry. There was a shared vision, and we all felt a reason to do it.”

The origins of Deadland Ritual have their roots in two L.A.-based bands led by Sorum: Camp Freddy and Kings of Chaos, both of which featured a host of revolving high-wattage members and guest musicians that at various points featured Stevens and Perez. Stevens, on a break from his regular gig as guitarist and musical director for Billy Idol, was plotting a solo album with Perez as singer. “But then Franky said that he had been talking to Matt, and I thought it might be interesting for us all to work together,” he says. “The three of us had jammed with each other numerous times, so there was already a built-in comfort factor.”

The addition of Butler to the fold can be chalked up to timing and circumstance. After Black Sabbath played their last show in February 2017, the bassist and his wife spent the better part of the year traveling through Europe and America as tourists. “I wanted to spend time seeing all of the places I had only looked at through the windows of hotel rooms,” he says. Upon returning to his Los Angeles home, he quickly found himself bored and began writing songs for a solo album. “The only problem was, the guy I was working with moved to the East Coast, so I needed somebody to bounce ideas off of,” he explains. “It was kind of unfulfilling doing it all myself.”

Butler had remarked to a journalist that he was thinking of starting a new band, and once Sorum got wind of his intentions, he put in a call and asked the bassist if he’d be interested in joining forces. “We all met for dinner,” Stevens says, “and we realized that all four of us clicked. Then we got together to jam, and that was it — what a great sound. It was effortless. I was just looking around the room feeling excited about making music.”

Because of Stevens’ touring commitments with Billy Idol, Deadland Ritual have been able to track only a handful of songs — “Down in Flames,” “Broken and Bruised” and “Walking into Walls” — with producer Greg Fidelman (who had engineered Black Sabbath’s final album, 13). Once he wraps his current “duo” tour with Idol, he’ll reconvene with the band to complete their debut album, just in time for everybody to hit the festival circuit in Europe.

According to the guitarist, one of the fringe benefits of working with players who share illustrious pedigrees is the stories that get tossed around during rehearsals. “Even though we come from different bands and eras, a lot of our escapades are so similar,” he says. “We’ll swap stories and go, ‘Oh, man, that happened to you, too?’ And it’s interesting what you discover, like how Geezer was sitting around listening to the Beatles in 1966, just like me and Matt were, only we did it a few years later and we were an ocean apart. So that’s been the great thing, finding how similar we all are.”

Steve, you had worked with Matt and Franky before, but Geezer was something of a wild card. Even though he’s “Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath,” there was no guarantee he would be the right bassist for the band.

STEVENS: No, there wasn’t, and if it didn’t work, it didn’t work. But I was hoping that it would, and it did. I knew I wanted a one-guitar band, so by design I wanted a bass player who created a big sound. And if there’s anybody who’s known for that, it’s Geezer. He has lots of experience playing with one guitarist, laying down a strong foundation, and that frees me up to kind of do anything I want guitar-wise. And it frees Geezer up to be Geezer! [Laughs] Plus, he’s a great songwriter, so I knew I could rely on him for riffs and arrangements and all that.

BUTLER: That’s something I have a lot of experience with: being the bassist for a one-guitar band. Steve and I forged a good thing in a short period of time. I’ll play him something, and then he’ll say yes or no to it. And if he likes it he’ll take it in a totally different direction to what I’d imagined. That’s what I was hoping for, really.

Geezer, when did you first become aware of Steve?

BUTLER: The first time I saw him was on The Tonight Show years ago. I wasn’t really aware of him before then, but when I saw him playing, I was like, “Who the hell is this guy?” I never thought I’d be working with him, but I recall thinking he was really innovative. He’s very different from anybody I’ve ever worked with.

Even though you guys are well known, starting a new band takes a lot of work. How committed are you to the project?

BUTLER: Oh, I’m totally committed, 100 percent.

STEVENS: Same here. Obviously, my history with Billy Idol is well founded, but I’ve always wanted a band, and I’m totally into this. It gives me an outlet to put out new music. I think my approach to the guitar in this band will show off some sides to my playing that a lot of people might not be familiar with, so I’m really excited about that.

BUTLER: Nobody expects this to be immediate. We have to go out and start off like a brand-new band that nobody’s ever heard. We’re starting off in clubs, something I haven’t done in God knows how many years. It’ll be fun.

Really? You won’t miss the first-class travel and all that?

BUTLER: No, I’m looking forward to it. There’s a different atmosphere playing in clubs than when you’re performing for 15,000 in a big arena.

Even though we’re not calling the band a “supergroup,” you are players with histories and, I assume, egos. Did you all discuss how you were going to make this work so that nobody’s ego got in the way?

BUTLER: This was discussed during our first meeting, when we sat in a restaurant in Hollywood and talked all of this through. We got on really well, and I could kind of tell right away that everybody was down to earth. The attitude thing you’re talking about doesn’t really exist in this band.

STEVENS: I think we’ve all worked with temperamental people, and we don’t want to be them. You have to sweat and persevere to make great music, and the only way to see it through is to be egoless. When we go into a dingy little rehearsal room, that’s all we’re thinking about. You can’t be a prima donna and make that happen.

Most of the time, somebody sets the agenda for the band. Do you have a de facto leader?

BUTLER: So far, it feels very democratic. But I think we all look to Matt as that guy. It’s sort of like, “OK, Matt, what do we do next?” [Laughs]

STEVENS: I think we all know what our strengths are. Matt has a very good business acumen, so he’s really crucial in doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff, and he enjoys doing that. I’m not good at that. I have my home studio, and I’m happy to work on stuff and demo it. We try to concentrate on what we’re good at.

BUTLER: Matt came up with the name for the band.

I was going to ask, what does the name Deadland Ritual mean?

STEVENS: Deadland Ritual was something that Matt saw on an old Western poster. Picking a name isn’t so simple nowadays — everybody and their mother has a band name registered. You have to do your research and clear it. Back in 1964, when everybody started bands because of the Beatles, it was easy. You’d just pick a name and go with it. Things were wide open.

Is there a set approach to how you’ve been writing together?

BUTLER: The first two songs were written by Steve without me there, so those are what I heard, the demo versions. And then when I was part of the band, he and I got together and worked on more songs, and, of course, we got Franky and Matt involved.

STEVENS: Franky’s been sending song ideas, and he has one that’s kind of a dark ballad that we’re working on. I think everybody will contribute, and we’re honest with one another. There’s definitely a dark vibe to our stuff. I remember one idea I was working on, and I sent it to everybody. The response was, “Not dark enough.” So I listened back and went. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Steve, I notice a faint trace of prog in some of the arrangements. A lot of people don’t know what a big prog head you are.

STEVENS: I know! In some of the things we’re doing, my prog side is raising its head. When I come up with a song idea, I’ll demo it and send it off to Matt, and he’ll go, “Oh, all right, a little prog in there.” [Laughs] But it’s welcomed. Nobody’s going, “Oh, my God, no.” We’re not doing songs in 11/8, yet, but there’s little twists and turns that show off my love of prog.

“Broken and Bruised” is pretty tough sounding. Is that tuned down to D or C#? 

STEVENS: Yeah, a lot of the stuff is tuned down. 

You don’t do that kind of thing with Billy Idol, right?

STEVENS: No, I don’t, so it’s really cool to do it here. Tuning down is kind of tricky — you just can’t unwind your strings and expect everything to be perfect. So I had to have a guitar made specifically for me to do that. The people at Knaggs built me a Steve Stevens model with an EverTune bridge, which keeps things really stable. That guitar rang out just perfectly, and everything was perfectly in tune.

Of course, we should mention who helped pioneer the tuned-down guitar — Tony Iommi.

STEVENS: Of course!

BUTLER: Most of that came about accidentally because of Tony’s fingers. He had to tune down to get more of a grip on the strings with his plastic fingers. From there that became sort of our signature sound.

Speaking of which, “Down in Flames” has a riff that’s pretty Sabbath-y. Geezer, when the band plays that song, does everybody sort of stare at you?

BUTLER: [Laughs] I mean, not really. But Black Sabbath does seem to be the one band that everybody in this group likes, so I think a lot of the tracks have a Sabbath thing to them. It’s sort of there in the back of people’s minds.

STEVENS: I actually stumbled upon that riff a while ago, but it almost sounded like Hendrix to me. It’s weird — everybody hears something differently. But it definitely comes from the eras we like — the late Sixties and early Seventies.

“Walking into Walls” has a pretty wild, extended solo. Steve, are you going to go off a little more in the next batch of songs?

STEVENS: Could be. You know, it’s fun, obviously, but hopefully I don’t go off to the point where people feel compelled to hold up score cards or anything. I went a little crazy in that song because it fit. I know when to play and when not to play.

Steve, other than the Knaggs guitar that you had built for “Broken and Bruised,” what other axes are you using in the studio?

STEVENS: I used Knaggs for all of my electrics. I didn’t bring in 200 guitars or anything like that. For acoustics, I used Collings.

Geezer, what are you playing?

BUTLER: I play Lakland. They make a signature custom bass for me. That’s basically it.

What about amps?

STEVENS: I didn’t want to get hung up with too many choices; I wanted to take off my engineering hat, so I just brought in two amps — one of my Friedman SS amps and a Bogner Uberschall. But I also ended up playing through one of Greg’s amps, an Ampeg SV-4, which is a bass amp. He suggested it, and I thought he was crazy. Sure enough, I tried it and it sounded incredible. I never would have thought to use it.

BUTLER: I use the Ashdown Head of Doom — again, that’s my signature amp. Although I did use Greg’s Ampeg as well. Come to think of it, I used that on the Sabbath album I did with Greg. Yeah, that’s a good one.

And how about effects?

STEVENS: I didn’t use a big rack of stuff. I did use a Unique-Vibe, which is a replica of a Uni-Vibe, and that thing’s just great. I also used a Rockaway that I co-designed with Jay Archer. It’s not a boost or distortion; it’s a seven-band EQ, and it’s really useful when carving out solos. That was about it. Like I said, I left a lot of sounds to Greg to figure out.

BUTLER: I’m not big on effects myself. I have a signature Cry Baby wah with Dunlop — I used that, but I didn’t use it on this stuff yet.

Geezer, I should ask, do you keep up with the Sabbath guys? Ozzy had a health scare recently. Have you spoken with him?

BUTLER: Yes, I sent him a note. I haven’t talked to him because I don’t really use the phone that much, and he doesn’t email. So I sent him a “get well” thing via his people. Tony and I email quite a bit. And I saw Bill [Ward] at a Sabbath artist exhibition in L.A. We keep up. It’s all friendly.

Deadland Ritual, featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum and Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez, have shared a new single and video, “Broken and Bruised.” You can check it out above.

Regarding the band’s origins, Sorum, who came up with the initial idea, explained: "Steve and Franky were the first guys I called. We knew we wanted to create a heavier rock sound, but when I contacted Geezer and he agreed to play, I knew this could be a great band. Not long after we connected with producer Greg Fidelman, Deadland Ritual was born."

Said Butler: "I was working on a new solo album when this came to light. It was appealing for me to work in a band environment because that's what I'm used to, so [it] feels really natural. I'm really looking forward to playing shows with these guys."

Added Stevens about his first studio session with Butler: "There's a lot of times in the studio as a guitar player, you get a guitar sound and you're trying to make it work, tweaking it. There was none of that bullshit. It just fit against his bass sound and it was really exciting to me. I get to hear my guitar against a bass guitarist that I've idolized forever."

The band also recently played their first-ever show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. In addition to originals, they performed a setlist loaded with tunes from their other outfits. You can check out their version of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" above, as well as Velvet Revolver's "Slither" and Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell," here.

Deadland Ritual have also announced a string of European dates in June. 

For more information and a full itinerary, head over to DeadlandRitual.com.

Deadland Ritual, featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum and Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez, played their first-ever show on May 28 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. 

In addition to originals like their just-released debut single, "Down in Flames," the band played a setlist loaded with tunes from their other outfits. You can check out their version of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" above, as well as Velvet revolver's "Slither" and Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell," below.

Regarding the band’s origins, Sorum, who came up with the initial idea, explained: "Steve and Franky were the first guys I called. We knew we wanted to create a heavier rock sound, but when I contacted Geezer and he agreed to play, I knew this could be a great band. Not long after we connected with producer Greg Fidelman, Deadland Ritual was born."

Said Butler: "I was working on a new solo album when this came to light. It was appealing for me to work in a band environment because that's what I'm used to, so [it] feels really natural. I'm really looking forward to playing shows with these guys."

Added Stevens about his first studio session with Butler: "There's a lot of times in the studio as a guitar player, you get a guitar sound and you're trying to make it work, tweaking it. There was none of that bullshit. It just fit against his bass sound and it was really exciting to me. I get to hear my guitar against a bass guitarist that I've idolized forever."

Deadland Ritual have announced a string of European dates in June. For more information and a full itinerary, head over to DeadlandRitual.com.

Back in 2017, Black Sabbath released The End, a concert film and live album documenting their final show at the Genting Arena in the band's hometown of Birmingham.

In this clip from the film, you can watch the band run through "N.I.B.," one of their earliest classics.

“Because it was Birmingham, it was a special night for us,” guitarist Tony Iommi said of the show. “It was great to look out and know that all these people have come to see us. What a great feeling. There’s nothing like it."

“It will never be ‘The End’ for me," added bassist Geezer Butler. "I’ll always be a part of Sabbath, and Sabbath will always be a part of me."

The End—which also features The Angelic Sessions, the band's final studio recordings—will be released via Eagle Vision on November 17 on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, double CD, triple 180gm vinyl and a limited deluxe collector’s edition.

Deadland Ritual, featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum and Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez have shared their debut song and video, “Down In Flames." You can check it out above.

Regarding the band’s origins, Sorum, who came up with the initial idea, explained: "Steve and Franky were the first guys I called. We knew we wanted to create a heavier rock sound, but when I contacted Geezer and he agreed to play, I knew this could be a great band. Not long after we connected with producer Greg Fidelman, Deadland Ritual was born."

Said Butler: "I was working on a new solo album when this came to light. It was appealing for me to work in a band environment because that's what I'm used to, so [it] feels really natural. I'm really looking forward to playing shows with these guys."

Added Stevens about his first studio session with Butler: "There's a lot of times in the studio as a guitar player, you get a guitar sound and you're trying to make it work, tweaking it. There was none of that bullshit. It just fit against his bass sound and it was really exciting to me. I get to hear my guitar against a bass guitarist that I've idolized forever."

Deadland Ritual have announced two live performances, at the U.K.’s Download festival on June 14 and Hellfest in France on June 22.

For more information, head over to DeadlandRitual.com.

Back in 1994, Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Vai cowrote a handful of songs. According to some sources, Vai was even slated to perform on Ozzy's next album, the disc that would become 1995's Ozzmosis.

For whatever reason, however, that didn't happen. In fact, only one song from those writing sessions has ever seen the light of day, a five-minute-long ditty called "My Little Man," which wound up on Ozzmosis. And, best of all, it features lyrics by Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister.

"I wrote a song with [Lemmy] and Ozzy called 'My Little Man' that appears on Ozzy’s Ozzmosis record," Vai said in December 2015, upon hearing the news of Lemmy's death at age 70. "Lemmy wrote the lyrics. If you listen to [them], you can glean an insight into the deep softness that was comfortably resting under the external persona. The song is deeply touching, and when I met his son Paul, I realized how sincere those lyrics are."

When some delusional fans hear Ozzy's version of "My Little Man," they insist that Vai is playing either electric sitar or lead guitar—or both. And that would be true—except for the fact that it isn't. Zakk Wylde, Ozzy's guitarist at the time (and at the time of this writing), is playing both instruments with—it should be mentioned—a great deal of panache and taste.

But wait, there's more! To complete the impressive mishmash of talent, Black Sabbath co-founder Geezer Butler plays bass on the track and Yes/David Bowie legend Rick Wakeman plays keyboards. Ozzmosis is the only Ozzy album to feature Butler, his longtime Sabbath bandmate, on bass. So far, anyway.

Anyway, you can hear "My Little Man," which is officially credited to Osbourne/Kilmister/Vai, below. Enjoy!

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has joined forces with Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens and former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum in a new band, Deadland Ritual. The group also features Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez.

Butler and Stevens announced the project with short clips teasing new music on their respective Facebook pages.

So far, Deadland Ritual have announced one live performance, at the French rock festival Hellfest. The band will appear on the main stage on June 22.

You can check out some new music here.

In this video, guitarist and instructor Andy Aledort shows you how to play the intro to Black Sabbath's timeless metal classic, "War Pigs."

Aledort takes you through the eight-minute epic's massive, bludgeoning opening riff piece by piece, showing you exactly how Tony Iommi plays it.

Check it out above, and be sure to stay tuned for more classic lessons in the coming days!

From Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones to the Who’s John Entwistle, bass players are often cast as the strong, silent types. That seems to be especially true of Terence Michael Joseph “Geezer” Butler, who has been described as “quiet and reclusive” by no less than longtime bandmate and friend, Tony Iommi.

Reserved, yes, but as Black Sabbath’s primary lyricist and bassist, he’s had plenty to say. As a musician, his gigantic sound and nimble fret work has practically defined heavy metal, earning praise from virtuosos like Les Claypool, Pantera’s Rex Brown and Dream Theater’s John Myung. And as Black Sabbath’s wordsmith, he spoke volumes via frontman Ozzy Osbourne. His unvarnished assessments of war, drug abuse and mental illness paved the way for a whole new way of writing music, and were light years from the hippie platitudes that were popular during the band’s early years.

In 1970, the year Black Sabbath released their first album and Paranoid, the charts were filled with the soft rock of Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. One can only imagine what the world made of Butler-penned lyrics like “Push the needle in/Face death’s sickly grin/Holes are in your skin/ Caused by deadly pins.”

Songs like “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” were shockingly modern, direct and ahead of their time. Part of the fun of the new Black Sabbath live DVD The End of the End is getting one last opportunity to hear the great riffs and marvel at Butler’s sharp observations one more time.

I was eager to chat with the bassist about the band’s last show and his visionary lyrics, but there was that “strong, silent” thing to contend with. These days, Butler prefers to be interviewed via email. The following is our rather concise correspondence.

For our complete interview with Iommi (our January 2018 cover story), head here.

Were you happy with how the concert film came out, and were you satisfied with the band’s performance?
I was quite happy with the concert film. I would’ve been happier if “N.I.B.,” complete with the bass solo, was included in the cinema version, but the powers that be decided to go without it. It’ll be included on the DVD, though.

Is there a musical highlight for you?
Not really a highlight. I thought each song had its own dynamic. But I think “War Pigs” is always a good example of the band’s chemistry. The solos in it are quite tricky to play, bass-wise. I have to be spot-on with my timing.

What was the day of the final performance—February 4, 2017—with the band like for you?
It was a day like any other. I didn’t want to overthink things, so I just looked at it as a normal gig, otherwise I would’ve been a nervous wreck.

Did you take any special care in choosing the set?
We didn’t change anything from the set we’d been playing on the rest of the tour. We built much of the set around the Paranoid album. That’s our most successful album, and it was what people wanted to hear.

What songs will you miss playing with the band?
I’ll miss playing all the songs. I would’ve been happy to continue touring, but I suppose everything must end sooner or later. And it was appropriate for us to bow out at the top.

Are you surprised at the longevity of heavy metal?
I’m not surprised at all. There are so many different versions of metal now that there’s something to please everyone. And the standard of musicianship is generally very high across the board.

It could be argued that Black Sabbath created as many new musical conventions as Muddy Waters or the Beatles. Do you allow yourself that pat on the back, and place in music history?
Well, for so long we were written off as unimportant, particularly in the Seventies, and especially in the music press. But we stuck to our vision and carried on regardless of what the critics thought of us. We had the most loyal fans, and that’s who we really cared about. However, when we wrote our music, we did it to please ourselves, not what was expected of us, so we had a lot of light and shade on our albums.

Lyrically, your unflinching and unsentimental view of the world was very daring and new in the Seventies. Which songs represented a breakthrough for you and your writing and why?
I suppose the lyrics to “Paranoid” were the most representative of a breakthrough, as they were very personal. I had been suffering from undiagnosed depression, and the only way of dealing with it was to write about it. It was quite cathartic.

Did the way the band sounded push your writing into these areas, or would you have written that way regardless?
The sound absolutely dictated the lyrics. Songs like “Changes” and “Planet Caravan” called for softer ideas, while “War Pigs” and “Into the Void” suggested a more aggressive approach.

What would you like the world to know about Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne?
Tony is the most patient person when it comes to music. He knows exactly when a song is ready for human consumption, and he’ll keep adjusting the music until he finds it right. Ozzy is brilliant at coming up with vocal melodies, no matter how weird the music gets.

You have a very intimate musical relationship with Tony. What did you enjoy most about performing and recording with him for all these years? What impresses you about him as a musician?
He is the finest guitarist, bar none. He puts his heart and soul into every note of his music. It’s very inspirational. It’s always a great honor when he compliments me on my bass playing, and he always trusts me to come up with the most appropriate parts. He’s great to work with and he brings out the best in anyone he plays with.

Future plans?
At this moment I’m enjoying my retirement. I’m traveling the world in a leisurely way and doing stuff I haven’t had time for in the past 50 years. I will eventually write more music, just to keep my mind busy, and if I write anything suitable for release, then I will release an album. But I’ll always write music, regardless. It’s what I do.

The React videos have been around for quite awhile, and— like it or not—they've always been fairly popular among GuitarWorld.com readers.

Now, Fine Brothers Entertainment, makers of the popular “Kids React” videos, are back with a new clip showing how youngsters respond to hearing Black Sabbath for the first time.

It's interesting to see how deeply the band and their music have permeated popular culture, as almost every one of the assembled children immediately recognizes "Iron Man."

The dark, heavy sound of "Black Sabbath"—so unorthodox at the time of its 1970 release—barely phases most of the kids. 10-year-old Sydney, in a particularly savage remark, says "Halloween is over. I'm sorry Ozzy Osbourne."

You can watch the kids' always-entertaining comments in the video above.

For more React clips, follow along on YouTube.

• Great guitars for kids: top electrics and acoustics for children

Black Sabbath recently announced The End, a concert film and live album documenting their final show at the Genting Arena in the band's hometown of Birmingham.

Now—in another of the film—you can watch the band tear through "War Pigs," one of their most enduring songs.

“Because it was Birmingham, it was a special night for us,” guitarist Tony Iommi said of the show. “It was great to look out and know that all these people have come to see us. What a great feeling. There’s nothing like it."

“It will never be ‘The End’ for me," added bassist Geezer Butler. "I’ll always be a part of Sabbath, and Sabbath will always be a part of me."

The End—which also features The Angelic Sessions, the band's final studio recordings—will be released via Eagle Vision tomorrow, November 17, on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, double CD, triple 180gm vinyl and a limited deluxe collector’s edition.

Preorder The End here, and look out for more coverage on the band and The End in the upcoming issue of Guitar World....

Finding out what gear guitarists use isn’t a problem. Most players will gladly recite a list of their favorite guitars and equipment when asked, especially if they have signature model products. If they won’t, there’s usually a good chance that somebody somewhere has at least snapped a photo or two of their guitars and live rigs.

The bigger challenge is finding out how most guitarists use their gear. It’s not the fault of guitar journalists or the artists themselves—cataloging every single guitar played and amp or effect setting used can be a tedious, laborious, time-intensive affair, and many guitarists can’t remember all of the details (that’s why they pay their guitar techs big bucks). I personally can’t remember every knob on certain amps I own, let alone what my exact favorite settings are.

To help you figure out how to create the guitar tones of several iconic songs, we’ve dug deep into research mode, combing old interviews and meticulously examining stage and studio photos from the appropriate eras. I then dug into my personal gear collection of over 100 guitars, 75 amps and 400 pedals and rack processors to replicate those sounds. If I didn’t have particular pieces of gear, I used items like Fractal Audio’s Axe-Fx II XL+ and AX8 (extremely helpful), a Line 6 POD HD500X and various iPad apps, including Positive Grid’s Bias Series and IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube Series.

Much of the original gear used to record these songs is well known, and as a result many of these items are very expensive, if you can even find them. For those of you with limited funds, we’ve also put together more affordable alternative rigs that should provide most of the core elements of these tones. If you want it all, the most affordable alternative may actually be Fractal’s AX8 and a great guitar or two of your personal preference.

Because control markings and layout styles are inconsistent, I’ve listed all settings from 0–10 where 0 is completely off, 10 is all the way up and 5 is exactly in the middle. Keep in mind that the sound of even the same guitars and amp models can often vary dramatically, especially with vintage gear more than 30 years old. If the recommended settings don’t sound quite right, tweak them as you see fit. These settings worked best with my rigs and should get you very close, but variables such as a guitar’s tone woods and pickups can make a difference. Pedals are listed in the order that they should be chained together in series from the guitar to the amp.

Also keep in mind that all of the examples are studio recordings, so the sounds may not be ideal for live performance. Other important elements like the mics, outboard gear and mixing console settings used in the studio while tracking, mixing and mastering can affect the overall tone, so these sounds may not completely match the final product you hear on a record. However, we hope you’ll find that our settings get you most of the way there and inspire you to come up with your own signature sounds to influence new generations.

“IRON MAN”

Black Sabbath, Paranoid (1970)
Guitarist: Tony Iommi

Tony Iommi previously laid the foundation for heavy metal guitar tone on songs like “Black Sabbath” and “N.I.B.” on Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut album, but on the band’s follow-up, Paranoid, he perfected a sound that has inspired every aspiring metal guitarist ever since. On “Iron Man” all of the essential elements of metal guitar are in place—wicked distortion, evil riffing and fleet-fingered soloing, all wrapped up with aggressive attitude and swagger.

Iommi’s “Iron Man” rig was simple—a 1965 Gibson SG Special, modified Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster and 100-watt Laney Supergroup MK 1 head with a Laney 4x12 cabinet, most likely loaded with Celestion G12-25M speakers (some Laney cabs from this era had Goodman Audiom 61 speakers).

Iommi plugged into one of the Supergroup’s bass inputs, turned the presence, middle and treble to 10 while the bass was at 0 and cranked the Gain 1 control all the way up to produce crunchy, natural power tube overdrive. In addition to pushing the amp’s input even further into distortion, the Rangemaster cut bass frequencies while working in tandem with the SG’s single-coil P90 bridge pickup to produce thick midrange with a hollow, boxy honk. The guitar was tuned to standard pitch (EADGBE), and Iommi used light-gauge strings (probably .009—.042) and a medium pick.

ORIGINAL GEAR

GUITAR: 1965 Gibson SG Special with P90 pickups (bridge pickup)

AMP: 100-watt Laney Supergroup MK 1 (Presence: 10, Bass: 0, Middle: 10, Treble: 10, Gain One: 10; guitar plugged into Bass input)

CABINET: Laney Supergroup 4x12 with Celestion G12-25M Speakers

PEDAL: Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster (modified)

STRINGS/TUNING: .009–.042 light-gauge/Standard (EADGBE)

PICK: Medium

• Laney Tony Iommi Signature 15-watt combo
• AXL Guitars USA Bulldog
• Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra

The Sabbra Cadabra pedal has four controls, while the original Rangemaster effect has only a Set (gain) control. To duplicate the sound of the original Rangemaster, set the Sabbra Cadabra’s controls as follows: Presence: 6, Gain: 4, Vol 4: 3.5, Range: 6.

“PRIDE AND JOY”

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Texas Flood (1983)
Guitarist: Stevie Ray Vaughan

When Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double Trouble went to Los Angeles to record at Jackson Browne’s Down Town Studio, the intention was to record a demo to shop around to various labels. However, producer John Hammond and Epic A&R man Greg Geller were so impressed with the sound and vibe that they decided to release those recordings as Vaughan’s first album, Texas Flood.

These recordings were performed live over two days with no overdubs, providing a good representation of Vaughan’s live sound at the time. While Vaughan played through two Fender Vibroverb amps like he did onstage, only one of the Vibroverbs was miked. A Dumble Dumbleland Special amp that belonged to Browne was also incorporated into his rig because Vaughan loved its tight, big clean tones.

This amp’s 4x12 cabinet was miked as well. Vaughan’s only effects were his Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer used as a boost for solos and a Roland SDD-320 Dimension D that was added to his solos during mixing, which fattened his tone thanks to its subtle choruslike doubling effect.

ORIGINAL GEAR

GUITAR: 1962/63 Fender Stratocaster “Number One” with rosewood neck, 1959 pickups and left-hand tremolo (middle pickup: intro, verse, chorus, first solo; neck pickup: second solo/outro)

AMPS: 1964 Fender Vibroverb with single JBL D130F 15-inch speaker (Vibrato channel, Input 1, Volume: 6, Treble: 5.5, Middle: 3 Bass: 4, Reverb: off, Vibrato: off), Dumble Dumbleland Special (settings unknown) with Dumble 4x12 with Electro-Voice EVM12L speakers

PEDALS/EFFECTS: Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (Drive: 2-3, Tone: 4, Level: 9-10), Roland SDD-320 Dimension D (Mode: 2, used only during mixing)

STRINGS/TUNING: .013 .015 .019p .028 .038 .058. GHS Nickel Rockers/Eb standard (i.e. tuned down half step to Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb)

PICK: Fender Heavy, held sideways

GET THE SOUND, CHEAP!

• Fender Standard Stratocaster
• Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior III
• Ibanez TS9

TONE TIP

A lot of Stevie Ray’s sound can be attributed to his heavy strings and extremely aggressive attack. No soft touch here—hit the strings hard to get them to sing and sting.

Black Sabbath recently announced The End, a concert film and live album documenting their final show at the Genting Arena in the band's hometown of Birmingham. Now—in this preview of the film—you can watch the metal legends dramatically end their final show with one of their most iconic songs, "Paranoid."

“Because it was Birmingham, it was a special night for us,” guitarist Tony Iommi said of the show. “It was great to look out and know that all these people have come to see us. What a great feeling. There’s nothing like it."

“It will never be ‘The End’ for me," added bassist Geezer Butler. "I’ll always be a part of Sabbath, and Sabbath will always be a part of me."

The End—which also features The Angelic Sessions, the band's final studio recordings—will be released via Eagle Vision on November 17 on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, double CD, triple 180gm vinyl and a limited deluxe collector’s edition.

Preorder The Endhere, and watch the band's ferocious performance of "Paranoid," below.

Black Sabbath have announced The End, a concert film and live album documenting their final show at the Genting Arena in the band's hometown of Birmingham.

Filmed February 4, 2017, The End captures the band in fine form, and features a hit-packed set that includes classics like "War Pigs," "Paranoid," "Iron Man" and "Children of the Grave."

In addition, both the film and album feature The Angelic Sessions, five songs—recorded in the days following the band's final show—that mark the band's final studio recordings.

“Because it was Birmingham, it was a special night for us,” guitarist Tony Iommi said of the show. “It was great to look out and know that all these people have come to see us. What a great feeling. There’s nothing like it."

“It will never be ‘The End’ for me," added bassist Geezer Butler. "I’ll always be a part of Sabbath, and Sabbath will always be a part of me."

The End will be released via Eagle Vision on November 17 on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, double CD, triple 180gm vinyl and a limited deluxe collector’s edition. You can watch a trailer for The End, and check out its tracklist, below. Preorder The Endhere.

DVD and Blu-ray Tracklisting

• 01. Black Sabbath
• 02. Fairies Wear Boots
• 03. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes
• 04. After Forever
• 05. Into The Void
• 06. Snowblind
• 07. Band Intros
• 08. War Pigs
• 09. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
• 10. Bassically / N.I.B.
• 11. Hand Of Doom
• 12. Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania
• 13. Rat Salad / Drum Solo
• 14. Iron Man
• 15. Dirty Women
• 16. Children Of The Grave
• 17. Paranoid

Extras—The Angelic Sessions

01. The Wizard
02. Wicked World
03. Sweet Leaf
04. Tomorrow’s Dream
05. Changes

CD Tracklisting

The Angelic Sessions

01. The Wizard
02. Wicked World
03. Sweet Leaf
04. Tomorrow’s Dream
05. Changes

Double CD and Triple Vinyl Tracklisting

• 01. Black Sabbath
• 02. Fairies Wear Boots
• 03. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes
• 04. After Forever
• 05. Into The Void
• 06. Snowblind
• 07. Band Intros
• 08. War Pigs
• 09. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
• 10. Bassically / N.I.B.
• 11. Hand Of Doom
• 12. Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania
• 13. Rat Salad / Drum Solo
• 14. Iron Man
• 15. Dirty Women
• 16. Children Of The Grave
• 17. Paranoid

We've all heard the rumors that Black Sabbath were recently toying with the idea of recording a new studio album, a potential followup to 2013's successful 13.

Now it turns out it might've been a blues record.

“The follow-up to 13 was going to be a blues album, but the tour got in the way,” Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler told Music Radar.

“It would take something like two or three years to do it properly, and we thought we might not all be here by that time, so it would be better to do this final tour first and then maybe we’ll do a blues record later.” Butler was most likely referring Tony Iommi's headline-making battle with lymphoma.

“You’d have to make [the album] varied instead of doing 10 tracks of the same old 12-bar blues, though,” Butler added. “But even back in the Heaven & Hell tour days, Tony would go up into his lead and we would just jam around blues riffs for eight or nine minutes. And every night was different. So that is a thought.”

Keep in mind that, while Sabbath are through as a touring band, a new album, is still—technically—a possibility. If there's an update, we'll certainly let you know.

Here's a taste of Iommi and Butler (mostly Iommi) with Heaven & Hell in 2009.

This is an excerpt from the all-new March 2015 issue of Guitar World, which features an interview with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. For the rest of this interview, plus our guide to the 30 greatest classic Black Sabbath songs, plus gear views, tabs, lessons and more, check out the March 2015 issue of GW at the Guitar World Online Store. It’s rare that a band emerges and, with one inspired release, simultaneously launches and perfects a genre of music. Such is the singular case of Black Sabbath. Their 1970 self-titled debut, which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year, took the heavy blues and hard-rock idioms that came before and infused them with anthemic tritone riffs, doom-laden drum tempos, maniacal vocals and diabolical lyrics. Black Sabbath’s pioneering sound would later be christened heavy metal, and in many people’s minds that album still reigns supreme as the best representation of the genre. Many influential bands in their own right have come along and made contributions to heavy music, but all of them—from Judas Priest and Van Halen to Metallica and Soundgarden—hail the supremacy of Black Sabbath. Below, enjoy an excerpt from Guitar World's new interview with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. Interestingly enough, Butler—who was arrested in California this past Tuesday for assault and vandalism—discussed fighting, including a brawl with skinheads that took place several decades ago. GUITAR WORLD: Geezer, you’ve mentioned before that “Fairies Wear Boots,” [from 1970’s Paranoid] was inspired by a confrontation you guys had with skinheads. Being a longhair yourself, did you run into a lot of problems in England back then?GEEZER BUTLER There used to be fighting all the time. I used to be a football [soccer] fan—well, I still am—and I’d go down to watch the [Aston] Villa [Football Club]. I had long hair at the time. Then this one day, the skinheads, or hooligans, turned on the people with long hair, even though we were fans too. So after that I couldn’t go down there. This other time we did this gig in the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare [in North Somerset, England], and we had a fight with all these skinheads. I think that’s where the lyrics for “Fairies Wear Boots” came from.

Do you remember what kicked off the fight?BUTLER We didn’t get paid! [laughs] I was the one that used to go collect the check. We’d had this problem where we’d go collect our money and the guy would go, “Oh no, we sent the check in the post [mail].” We were promised that we’d get the money on the night, so I went to the promoter to get it. And he said, “Oh, I already sent it to your manager.” I went outside to the telephone to make a call to the manager and I got surrounded by all these bloody skinheads, going, “Kill him! Kill him!” So I had to time it right so I could throw the phone at them and leg it back into the gig. [laughs] I told Tony, and of course he said, “Come on, let’s go.” And he grabs a microphone stand and we went out for a battle with them. Fucking nuts. Parental groups and decency nags always bemoan the satanic and occult allusions in Black Sabbath lyrics. But Geezer, you were also writing about current social issues, too, on the track “War Pigs.” Were you following the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement and political unrest going on at the time in the United States? It was actually being covered more [in the press] in England than in America. They had this program on in England, and it showed all the stuff that wasn’t being told to the American people. Stuff like how the president [Lyndon Johnson]’s wife, Lady Bird Johnson, had this road-building company. The Americans would go in and bomb all these roads [in Vietnam]. Then her company would go in and rebuild them and get the money. They weren’t saying all that in America. We wrote “War Pigs” because many American bands were frightened to mention anything about the war. So we thought we’d tell it like it is. In 1971, you released Master of Reality, which saw the band experimenting a bit more with tracks like “Solitude” and the acoustic instrumental “Orchid.” Tony, had you always played acoustic or did you pick it up around that time?TONY IOMMI No, I never played acoustic that much at all really. I don’t even remember where we did that track, to be honest. I think the idea on the album was to have a bit of light and shade and relax it from the heavier stuff. Speaking of heavier stuff, what were you coughing on during that intro to “Sweet Leaf”?IOMMI [laughs] I choked me bloody self! It wasn’t intended to happen, and it wasn’t supposed to be on the track. We were in the studio tracking that song, and Ozzy gave me a joint and I nearly choked myself. The tape was on, so of course they wanted to use it to begin the track. BUTLER You couldn’t have gotten anything more appropriate for a song called “Sweet Leaf.” [laughs] That’s the truth. But the title “Sweet Leaf” was actually inspired by a different type of smoke, right?BUTLER Yeah the name “Sweet Leaf” came from the [Irish brand of] cigarettes called Sweet Afton. I’d just come back from Dublin. Everyone smoked back then, so I’d be offering them all cigarettes. You’d open the top of the package and it said something like, “It’s the sweet leaf.” I thought, Hmmm, That’s a good title.

The following year, Sabbath headed to Los Angeles’ Record Plant Studios to track Vol. 4, on which you broke new ground with “Changes.” It’s a piano ballad, and the lyrics are quite touching, which makes it a very unusual track for Sabbath.IOMMI It was a sad track as well. We were staying in this house and there was a ballroom with a piano in it. It was back in the days of doing a bit of blow and staying up late. And I just started playing and coming up with this idea. We had a Mellotron and Geez started to play the orchestrations. It fit well and came about pretty quickly, considering we’d never done anything like that before. Photo: Ross HalfinThis is an excerpt from the all-new March 2015 issue of Guitar World, which features an interview with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. For the rest of this interview, plus our guide to the 30 greatest classic Black Sabbath songs, plus gear views, tabs, lessons and more, check out the March 2015 issue of GW at the Guitar World Online Store.

The celebrity guest lineup for the November 9 Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show presented by Hartke has been expanded.

The all-star concert will take place at the historic Fonda Theatre and will honor heavy metal legend, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, rockabilly bass legend Lee Rocker and the late American blues musician and songwriter Willie Dixon, while jazz-rock phenom Tal Wilkenfeld will be presented with the “Young Gun” award.

The Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show will be hosted by Jim Norton (comedian/actor/radio host/New York Times best-selling author). The evening will feature an all-star band of rock luminaries performing Black Sabbath songs as a tribute to Geezer Butler. The performance will culminate with Geezer joining the band for the finale.

Musicians participating in the Geezer Butler tribute include Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society) on guitar and lead vocals, Charlie Benante (Anthrax) on drums, Corey Taylor (Stone Sour, Slipknot) and Sebastian Bach on lead vocals, along with guest bassists including: Billy Sheehan (the Winery Dogs, David Lee Roth), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Jason Newsted (Newsted), Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill, Pantera). Green Day’s Mike Dirnt has also been added to the show as an award presenter.

“Terry “Geezer” Butler is my No. 1 influence and greatest teacher of electric bass in heavy metal music,” says Jason Newsted. “All true metal bassists look up to Geezer as a pioneer and godfather of our chosen instrument. The best, ever.”

Host Jim Norton says, "Lee Rocker actually made the standup bass look cool and Geezer Butler is simply the most underrated bassist and lyricist of all time."

Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show will also feature performances from Lee Rocker (Stray Cats), Tal Wilkenfeld and a very special Willie Dixon tribute organized by — and featuring — the Rolling Stones’ bassist/collaborator Darryl Jones.

For the past three years, Bass Player has paid tribute to bass giants who have gone before us, dedicating posthumous Lifetime Achievement Awards to James Jamerson in 2011 and Jaco Pastorius in 2012. This year will honor the memory of Willie Dixon, a founding father of Chicago blues and a prolific composer who wrote songs made famous by such bands as Cream, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Darryl Jones will present the award to Dixon’s family on behalf of Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation, an organization devoted to promoting the blues tradition in Chicago area schools and beyond, before leading an all-star band through a powerful medley of Dixon compositions.

Doors for The Fonda Theatre open 6:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9. The concert begins 7:30 p.m.

The Bass Player LIVE! musician clinics and exhibitors will be at S.I.R. Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Saturday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bass players of all ages, levels and styles are invited to attend.

The stylistically diverse slate of clinics includes Tonight Show/American Idol bassist/musical director Rickey Minor; John Mayer and session bassist Sean Hurley; session legends Jerry Jemmott, Nathan East, “Ready” Freddie Washington and Bob Glaub; jazz heavies Michael Manring, Hadrien Feraud, Janek Gwizdala and Adam Nitti; Stevie Wonder bassman Nate Watts; and Prince and Jeff Beck bass lass Rhonda Smith.

The Bass Player LIVE! daytime activities at S.I.R. also will feature various artist signings, including David Ellefson’s My Life With Deth book signing at 11:30 a.m. November 9, directly after his clinic with Frank Bello. Books will be sold just outside the clinic (held in Room A) and the signing will take place at the Hartke booth.

The full itinerary of clinics and list of exhibitors can be found HERE.

Tickets are on sale now at bassplayer.com. Weekend package tickets that include the concert and awards show along with all clinics and exhibits are available for $90. Tickets for the Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show can also be purchased separately as follows:

Day Pass for Saturday OR Sunday - $37.50
Day Pass for Saturday AND Sunday - $52.50
Bass Player LIVE Concert general admission - $42.50
Bass Player LIVE Concert balcony seat - $45
All Inclusive Day Pass for both Saturday and Sunday, plus a general admission concert ticket - $90

Note: Each Day Pass purchase includes a complimentary subscription to Bass Player.

Bass Player Live! 2013, an all-star concert and more, will take place November 9 and 10 in Hollywood, California.

The annual event will feature bass clinics and exhibitors and will be highlighted by the November 9 Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show, which is presented by Hartke.

The concert, which will take place at the Fonda Theatre, will honor a true heavy metal legend, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler. Also among the honorees are rockabilly bass legend Lee Rocker of Stray Cays and jazz-rock phenom Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck), who will be presented with the “Young Gun” award.

The concert and awards show will be hosted by Jim Norton (comedian/actor/radio host/New York Times best-selling author).

"Lee Rocker actually made the standup bass look cool," Norton says. "Geezer Butler is simply the most underrated bassist and lyricist of all time."

Musicians participating in the Butler tribute include Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), Charlie Benante (Anthrax) and Corey Taylor (Stone Sour, Slipknot), along with guest bassists including Billy Sheehan (the Winery Dogs, David Lee Roth), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Jason Newsted (Newsted) and Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill, Pantera). More names will be added soon!

“Terry 'Geezer' Butler is my No. 1 influence and greatest teacher of electric bass in heavy metal music,” Newsted says. “All true metal bassists look up to Geezer as a pioneer and godfather of our chosen instrument. The best, ever.”

Tickets are available at bassplayerlive.com. Weekend package tickets that include the concert and awards show along with all clinics and exhibits cost $90. Tickets for the Bass Player LIVE! concert and awards show also can be purchased separately as follows:

Day Pass for Saturday OR Sunday: $37.50
Day Pass for Saturday AND Sunday: $52.50
Bass Player LIVE Concert general admission: $42.50
Bass Player LIVE Concert balcony seat: $45
All-Inclusive Day Pass for Saturday and Sunday, plus general admission concert ticket: $90

NOTE: Each day pass purchase includes a complimentary subscription to Bass Player magazine.

The Bass Player LIVE! clinics and exhibitors will take place 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, November 9, and Sunday, November 10, at S.I.R. Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Bass players of all ages, levels and styles are invited. Doors for the Fonda Theatre open 6:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9. The concert begins 7:30 p.m.

“Bass Player LIVE! is the biggest and baddest bass event of the year,” says Bass Player editor Brian Fox. “This year’s lineup is our heaviest yet. When it comes to hard rock bass playing, Butler wrote the book. That he continues to perform with every bit the raw intensity of his early days in Black Sabbath is an inspiration for players of all ages and all styles. With the Stray Cats, Lee Rocker took the upright bass — already one of the coolest instruments ever—and somehow made it even more hip, slapping the snot out of it to codify the sound of rockabilly bass.

"Tal Wilkenfeld personifies the bright future of rock bass. From her work with Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock and Joe Walsh to her fleet-fingered solo work, Tal’s refreshing fusion of jazz, soul, funk and rock is something we’ve had our ears and eyes on for a long time. We’re thrilled and honored to have these three artists anchor an evening of amazing performances.”

The daily schedule of clinics and panels is as follows (subject to change):

Saturday, November 9
10:30-11:30 AM
Room A: David Ellefson (Megadeth) & Frank Bello (Anthrax)
Room B: Carlos Del Puerto, Jr. (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Chris Botti)

• 12:30-1:30 PM
• Room A: Lee Rocker (with guest guitarist Buzz Campbell)
• Room B: Billy Sheehan (Winery Dogs, solo artist)

2:30-3:30 PM
Room A: Michael Manring (solo artist)
Room B: Rhonda Smith (Prince, Jeff Beck)

4:30-5:30 PM
Room A: The Changing Face of L.A. Session Bass
Room B: Janek Gwizdala (solo artist, Randy Brecker)

Sunday, November 10
11:00 AM-Noon
Room A: Nathan East (Toto, Fourplay, Eric Clapton)
Room B: Adam Nitti (Solo Artist)

12:45-1:45 PM
Room A: Jerry Jemmott (Gregg Allman, Aretha Franklin)
Room B: Working Bassist Panel with Rickey Minor (Tonight Show)

2:15-3:15PM
Room A: Conversation Series Hosted by Hartke with Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill, Pantera), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, David Lee Roth), David Ellefson (Megadeath) & Frank Bello (Anthrax)
Room B: Artists to be Announced

4:00-5:00PM
Room A: Nate Watts (Stevie Wonder)
Room B: Hadrien Feraud

The full itinerary of clinics and list of exhibitors can be found at bassplayer.com.

Additional musicians expected to attend Bass Player LIVE! include Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction), Jason Newsted (Metallica), Chris Broderick (Megadeth), Brian Bromberg (Solo artist), Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta), Scott Reader (Kyuss), Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon), Sean Hurley (John Mayer), Tim Lefebvre (Rudder), Phil Chen (The Doors), Ready Freddie Washington (Steely Dan), Damian Erskine (Gino Vanelli), Jimmy Earl (The Jimmy Kimmel Show), Mike Merritt (The Conan O'Brien Show), Brandino (Robbie Krieger), Ariane Cap (Lara Price), Igor Saavedra (Solo Artist), Jeff Hughell (Six feet Under), Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem), Alphonso Johnson (Solo Artist, Jazz Legend), Bob Glaub (Studio Great), Bunny Brunel (Solo Artist), Jerry Watts (LAMA, Session Bassist), Oskar Cartaya (J-Lo, Solo Artist), Alex Al (Arsenio Hall), Lance Morrison (Volto!), Brandino (Robbie Krieger), Jim Norton (Comedian), Dug Pinnick (King's X, Tres Mts.), Blasko (Ozzy Osborne), Evan Brewer (The Faceless), J.D. DeServio (Black Label Society), Bubby Lewis (Lupe Fiasco, Snoop Dogg), Norm Stockton (Bobby Kimball) and Rudy Sarzo (Whitesnake, Quiet Riot).

The latest list of guest musicians can be found at bassplayer.com.

For more about Bass Player, visit bassplayerlive.com and facebook.com/bassplayermag.

The album artwork and track listing for 13 — Black Sabbath's first new studio album with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's Never Say Die! — have officially been revealed.

In classic Black Sabbath fashion, the highly anticipated album, which is due out June 11, features eight songs and clocks in at just under 60 minutes.

For the recording of 13, Black Sabbath — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler — were joined by drummer Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine). The album, which was produced by Rick Rubin, will be released on Vertigo (worldwide) and Vertigo/Republic in the US.

13 track listing:

• 01. End Of The Beginning (8:07)
• 02. God Is Dead? (8:54)
• 03. Loner (5:06)
• 04. Zeitgeist (4:28)
• 05. Age Of Reason (7:02)
• 06. Live Forever (4:49)
• 07. Damaged Soul (7:43)
• 08. Dear Father (7:06)

For frequent Black Sabbath updates (including behind-the-scenes studio photos), check out the band's official Facebook page.

“It's been 30 years since we last recorded an album together. It’s a huge fucking deal,” says Ozzy Osbourne, in reference to Black Sabbath’s new studio album, 13, which is scheduled for release in June.

Ozzy and bassist Geezer Butler are holding court in a dark, wood-paneled library inside the Osbourne estate, a grand, modern home perched atop a hill in the outskirts of Los Angeles County that overlooks valleys of luxurious ranch houses and thoroughbred horses.

Guitar World is here, sitting on a plush, blue velvet couch (beneath a gold, bat-adorned chandelier, of course) and listening to a preview of 13. Missing from this meeting is guitarist Tony Iommi, who is back home in England undergoing the final round of treatment for lymphoma.

“I spoke to him this morning,” Osbourne says. “He’s havingan infusion. He’s like, ‘I feel a bit tired.’ I’m like, ‘A bit tired?’ Fucking hell. He’s my hero. If I was diagnosed, I’d say, ‘You can kiss my fucking ass goodbye. I’m gonna go get myself well.’ ”

Iommi has long been known as a formidable force in heavy metal, but the guitarist’s iron man–like status has risen to legendary proportions during this process. In early 2012, when he received his diagnosis, Black Sabbath were midway through writing new material for 13. Production stopped while Iommi began chemotherapy, but it wasn’t long before he requested the band move operations from L.A. to England so he could work on material between treatment sessions.

“Tony’s the kind of bloke that doesn’t want to let us down,” Butler says. “He wouldn’t let his illness interfere with this album. He wanted to get it done.”

Iommi’s illness was not the only setback to befall Black Sabbath during the creation of 13. Despite spending a year writing with the band, drummer Bill Ward declined to move forward with recording, due to contractual disagreements.

“We’d have loved to have Bill on the album,” Butler says. “But suddenly something came up. I went to Hawaii when Tony started his treatment, and when I came back Bill wasn’t in the band anymore.”

Upon producer Rick Rubin’s suggestion, Sabbath tapped an unexpected source to handle tracking drums: Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk. The band was skeptical at first, but Wilk proved up to the task. “I was really surprised,” Butler says. “He had that Bill Ward kind of jazzy swing feel, rather than heavy metal bashing.”

With Wilk in place and Iommi working around his treatment sessions, the band finally began laying down tracks at Rubin’s studio in California. Sabbath recorded 16 songs, which will get cut to nine or 10 for the final release. Among these are three seven-plus-minute behemoths — “End of the Beginning,” “God Is Dead” and “Epic” — which abound with all the godlike riffs, sinister grooves and apocalyptic choruses you’d expect from the fathers of heavy metal. The group also tackles some fittingly dark topics on 13, such as killing pedophile priests (“Dear Father”) and the scourge of methamphetamine addiction (“Methademic”).

Now with 13 completed and Iommi on the mend, the band will soon start gearing up for a short spring tour across Australia and Japan. But for the moment, Butler and Osbourne are simply enjoying the fact that they’ve come out on the other side of 13 relatively unscathed, especially in comparison to Ozzy’s previous, less-than-stellar outing with the band, 1978’s Never Say Die!

“This was a million times better than that last album,” Butler says with a laugh, “where everyone was coked out of their brains!”

Adds Osbourne, “Never Say Die! should have been called, ‘We Should Be Fucking Dead!’ ”

As the June 11 release date of Black Sabbath's new album, 13, gets closer, the band has released a second Jack Osbourne-directed clip of the gang at work in the studio. Be sure to check it out below.

Starting today, 13 is available for pre-order on a variety of formats via blacksabbath.com. Options include:

• Standard CD
• Deluxe double CD album in a deluxe soft-pack (includes a second disc of exclusive bonus audio material)
• Vinyl: a 12” heavyweight (180g) vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve
• Super Deluxe Box Set: Limited edition 12” clamshell box set which contains: Deluxe double CD album, 12” heavyweight (180g) vinyl album in a gatefold sleeve, Exclusive DVD containing “Black Sabbath — The Re-union” documentary, plus 5 behind-the-scenes videos, Download card containing exclusive track by track interview with Black Sabbath, 13 exclusive photographic prints and hand written album lyrics.

Anyone who pre-orders any of these formats via blacksabbath.com will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of VIP tickets to an official 13 album launch event in London, including a meet-and-greet with the band, flights and accommodations. Additional details and terms and conditions on the contest can be found at blacksabbath.com.

13 was recorded primarily in Los Angeles and features Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Geezer Butler (bass), who were joined by drummer Brad Wilk (Rage Against The Machine). Produced by Rick Rubin (seven-time Grammy winner, two of those as Producer of the Year), the album will be released on Vertigo (worldwide) and Vertigo/Republic in the US.

BLACK SABBATH’s overseas dates:

Sat 4/20 Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena
Mon 4/22 Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena
Thu 4/25 Brisbane, Australia Entertainment Centre
Sat 4/27 Sydney, Australia All Phones Arena
Mon 4/29 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena
Wed 5/1 Melbourne, Australia Rod Laver Arena
Sat 5/4 Perth, Australia Perth Arena
Tues 5/7 Adelaide, Australia Adelaide Entertainment Center
Sun 5/12 Tokyo, Japan Ozzfest - Makuhari Messe

Black Sabbath have posted a new video, as promised yesterday on their Facebook page, that gives fans an inside look at the band at work in the recording studio.

The three-minute video shows Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne — along with Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk and producer Rick Rubin — discussing and rehearsing tracks will wind up on 13, the band's much-anticipated new album. The video also shows some of the gear the guys are using, including Marshall and Laney amps.

"I want it to sound current but still have that Sabbath vibe," Osbourne says.

"It'll be today's version of what it was 40 years ago," Iommi adds.

Fans can decide for themselves when the album is released in June. Check out the video below. More updates are on the way!