Geezer Butler’s Autobiography ‘Into The Void’ In Trade Paperback
Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler’s autobiography “Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond” is out on trade paperback on June 18, ’24 (Dey Street Books)!
As you may know, Butler’s book was first released in June ’23 and it was well received. A great read. Mojo even said it was “an epic odyssey of one of rock’s unlikeliest stars”, while the Financial Times – yes, the Financial Times gave a shit enough to say it was “an entertaining memoir about decibels and debauchery on the road with SABBATH.”
The book also got to #2 on the London Times’ best seller list.
And you gotta know Geezer has the stories – Sabbath’s bassist for the majority of the years since forming in ’68, Birmingham, England. He’s an undeniable influence on every rock and metal bassist since. Imagine you’re in a band in the late 60s, and this HEAVY HEAVY band called Black Sabbath just arrived. What. The. Hell.
So yes, I do mean an influence ever since forming in ’68.
Butler was a guest of the “KQ Morning Show” on 92 KQRS and talked about how recording the audio book was harder than writing the book. “Oh, it certainly was. ‘Cause I’m terrible at speeches and things like that. It was nerve-racking, ’cause you have to keep repeating yourself, or you didn’t put enough emphasis on certain parts, so you have to go back and re-record it. Yeah, it was nerve-racking. I didn’t like the experience whatsoever.”
If you didn’t know, Butler wrote the book himself. No help from a co-writer or a ghostwriter. Geezer said, “I’ve read lots of other (autobiographies), and they just don’t sound like the people that are supposed to have written ’em. And I just wanted a book that sounded like me in the writing.”
And yes, some stories didn’t make it. “I just sent in several manuscripts of my stuff, and the final manuscript I sent in was about — oh, God — probably about five hundred pages, and that was edited down to three hundred pages, as in the book.”
The publisher describes “Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond” as “a rollicking, effusive, and candid memoir by the heavy metal musician and founding member of Black Sabbath, covering his years as the band’s bassist and main lyricist through his later-career projects, and detailing how one of rock’s most influential bands formed and prevailed.
“With over 70 million records sold, Black Sabbath, dubbed by Rolling Stone ‘The Beatles of heavy metal,’ helped create the genre itself, with their distinctive heavy riffs, tuned down guitars, and apocalyptic lyrics. Bassist and primary lyricist Geezer Butler played a gigantic part in the band’s renown, from suggesting the band name to using his fascination with horror, religion, and the occult to compose the lyrics and build the foundation of heavy metal as we know it.
“In ‘Into The Void’, Butler tells his side of the story, from the band’s beginnings as a scrappy blues quartet in Birmingham through the struggles leading to the many well-documented lineup changes while touring around London’s gritty clubs (Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and The Who makes notable appearances!),and the band’s important later years. He writes honestly of his childhood in a working-class family of seven in Luftwaffe-battered Birmingham, his almost-life as an accountant, and how his disillusionment with organized religion and class systems would spawn the lyrics and artistic themes that would resonate so powerfully with fans around the world.
“‘Into The Void’ reveals the softer side of the heavy metal legend and the formation of one of rock’s most exciting bands, while holding nothing back. Like Geezer’s bass lines, it is both original, dramatic, and forever surprising.”
Butler is the third member of the original Black Sabbath lineup to put out a book.
And this is kinda cool to wrap this article up – especially cool for the people of Englewood, Colorado and if you visit on May 22. Geezer will be joined by comedian Brian Posehn at the Gothic Theatre to talk about Butler’s book, life, and career.
And wouldn’t you know it, they’re calling the night “Filling The Void”. As they should.
