Symptom of the Universe

For the compilation album, see Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978.

"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, thrash metal[1]
Length	6:29
Label	Vertigo
Songwriter(s)	Geezer Butler Tony Iommi Ozzy Osbourne Bill Ward
Producer(s)	Black Sabbath Mike Butcher

"Symptom of the Universe" is a song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their 1975 album Sabotage.

Overview

"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.^[2]

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.^[3] 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.^[4]

Musical style

The main riff to "Symptom of the Universe" is considered to be a structural and sonic predecessor to thrash metal,^[5] 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."^[6]

Notable covers

• 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

• Ozzy Osbourne – vocals
• Tony Iommi – electric and acoustic guitars
• Geezer Butler – bass
• Bill Ward – drums, bongos, claves

References

1. Rogerson, B. (2020). "Metal guitarists say that Black Sabbath's Symptom Of The Universe riff is the greatest of all time".
2. Iommi, Tony (2011). Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-30681-9551.
3. "Black Sabbath: Never Say Die". Sanctuary Records Group. Archived from the original on 29 September 2006.
4. 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.
5. Rakhmanin, Vladimir (22 September 2012). "Thrash Metal – An Introduction". University Times Magazine. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
6. Iommi, Tony (2012). Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath. Simon & Schuster. p. 146. ISBN 978-0306822315.