When Geezer Butler’s band Black Sabbath called it a day in 2017, after 49 years as a planet-sized metal behemoth, he didn’t do what most of us would have done and immediately hit the beach for a permanent vacation. No, he formed a new band, Deadland Ritual, acquired a seven-string bass to work on his playing skills, and even assembled a brand-new box set of his solo work. That’s a serious work ethic by any standards, and one from which we could all learn. In our cover interview with the godfather of heavy metal bass, Butler looks back at his prolific career and forward to the future. Will he ever make his long-awaited jazz album? We ask him that very question.
As always, this issue of Bass Player is packed with value, whether we’re getting up close and personal with innovative bassists, testing out essential new gear or improving our theory and techniques with the coolest bass educators on the planet. Interviewees such as Dave Pomeroy, Verdine White, Adi Meyerson and Charnett Moffett may inhabit varying subgenres of music, but they each bring a fresh approach to bass that will inspire us all.
