By Thomas Semioli

He is the foundation of an ensemble whose influence, akin to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, is incalculable – and will be for as long as there is an art form which calls itself rock ‘n’ roll.

Subtract Ozzy and Bill Ward at your own risk – however if you dare eliminate bassist Terence Michael Joseph “Geezer” Butler from any version of Black Sabbath: call it a Tony Iommi project, with all due respect to the iconic guitarist and the gifted musicians who nobly served in the various Sabbath mutations.

Geezer wrote the book (and most of Sabbath’s lyrics) by way of his massive tone which fortifies the sound of metal; along with his execution, technique, altered tunings, and innovative use of pedals and effects.

By positioning his right hand at the base of the neck or atop the neck pickup and striking deliberately hard– Butler achieves a brutal crunching resonance that studio bassists and engineers once feared!

Eschewing flash and dexterity for rhythm – Butler’s brilliance lies firmly in the manner in which he encircles the almighty riff – embellishing Iommi’s maudlin motifs with sustained notes, hammer-ons, and glissandos that groove.

Geezer Butler Sound & Vision…

Black Sabbath

“N.I.B.”  https://youtu.be/MWTzHHoySaI

“War Pigs” https://youtu.be/S_A6y58afFY

“Supernaut” https://youtu.be/7H4PIWBcnYs

“Hole In the Sky” https://youtu.be/TyiwkLoXTTs

“Sweat Leaf” https://youtu.be/boNNEoXdzIM

Solo Geezer:

“Plastic Planet” https://youtu.be/EHeRbpVhKVo

“Has to Be” https://youtu.be/R-v4eYol15I

With Sabbath firmly in the past, Geezer anchors Deadland Ritual, featuring Matt Sorum, Franky Perez, and Steve Stevens.

“Broken and Bruised” https://youtu.be/RUPp6fD7Jco