Symptom of the Universe
| "Symptom of the Universe" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Black Sabbath | |
| from the album Sabotage | |
| Released | 28 July 1975 |
| Recorded | Early 1975 |
| Studio | Morgan, London |
| Genre | Heavy metal |
| Length | 6:29 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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"Symptom of the Universe" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their 1975 album Sabotage.
Overview[edit]
"Symptom of the Universe" was composed largely by guitarist Tony Iommi, with lyrics by Geezer Butler. Its closing passage, very unlike the rest of the song, evolved from an in-studio jam, created spontaneously in a single day.[1]
Live versions can be heard on the albums Past Lives, Cross Purposes Live and Live... Gathered in Their Masses, as well as the Never Say Die! concert video.[2] It is also the opening track on Ozzy Osbourne's 1982 live album, Speak of the Devil.
"Symptom of the Universe" was ranked the 19th-best Black Sabbath song by Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.[3]
Musical style[edit]
The main riff to "Symptom of the Universe" is considered to be a structural and sonic predecessor to thrash metal,[4] a heavy metal subgenre which emerged in the early 1980s. Tony Iommi said of the song "It starts with an acoustic bit. Then it goes into the up-tempo stuff to give it that dynamic, and it does have a lot of changes to it, including the jam at the end."[5]
Notable covers[edit]
- Brazilian band Sepultura recorded a cover of the song in 1994 for the Black Sabbath tribute album Nativity in Black. That recording was later included on the band's 1997 album Blood-Rooted.
- Helmet recorded a version for the soundtrack of The Jerky Boys: The Movie. In the film, Helmet are featured as a club band with Ozzy Osbourne guest-starring as their manager.
- Candlemass covered the song as part of a Black Sabbath medley on their 1988 album Ancient Dreams.
- Pop Will Eat Itself used a sample in their song 'Familus Horribilus' on their 1994 album Dos Dedos Mis Amigos.
Personnel[edit]
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
- Tony Iommi – electric and acoustic guitars
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Bill Ward – drums, bongos, claves
References[edit]
- ^ Iommi, Tony (2011). Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-30681-9551.
- ^ "Black Sabbath: Never Say Die". Sanctuary Records Group. Archived from the original on 29 September 2006.
- ^ Rehe, Christoph (2013). Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check: alle Alben, alle Songs. Ein eclipsed-Buch (in German). Sysyphus Sysyphus Verlags GmbH. ISBN 978-3868526462.
- ^ Rakhmanin, Vladimir (22 September 2012). "Thrash Metal – An Introduction". University Times Magazine. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ^ Iommi, Tony (2012). Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath. Simon & Schuster. p. 146. ISBN 978-0306822315.
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