Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath―And Beyond

This book is as much a very frank and no holds barred history of Black Sabbath as a biography of Geezer Butler. It is told from his point of view, but he is not afraid to be critical when criticism is warranted. He is a funny storyteller but gives us the lowdown of all the stupid mistakes the band made in its history. A lot of it is heartbreaking, mainly on the many times the band got ripped off by the people they trusted. Even if you don't like Sabbath, it is a very good read about classic rock history and band dynamics.

This is a very good book. Well written and informative. I enjoyed reading it. Geezer comes across as very down to earth, no airs about him. Just a good bloke. I saw Sabbath in '78, Nashville. Van Halen opened. That show is mentioned in the book.

This is Geezer's story from his perspective. The story moves fast skipping a lot of detail. This is good when covering childhood before the band, but bad when covering the band. Geezer covers everything from every era of Black Sabbath that he was involved with along with his stint in Ozzy's solo band and his solo work. It's a lot to cover but in doing this he omits a lot of detail that most Black Sabbath fans would like. He is very polite to all of his former band members. That being said he still honestly covers himself. While most hardcore Black Sabbath fans will know most of this, there are still some nuggets in the book. A well written book that is a great read just a little short on details.

I'm only 1/4 thru this book but Geezer is an extremely interesting guy. The chapters are very short. He was heavily influenced by Religion when he was young and when he ran into anything that crossed his beliefs he panicked. His father wanted him to be an accountant but Geezer refused to cut his hair and act the part. Geezer mourned heavily when he lost his dog when he was young and he said he wanted to be buried along with his dog. When he took up the bass with Sabbath he could only afford one string! He was a strict vegetarian and when he traveled with Sabbath he recalled scrounging thru a turnip field to find food. He also talks about his depression when he was young and said he would resort to cutting himself. This bio is much better than Iommi's bio. The chapters are well-written.

Geezer’s career spanning memoir is honest and engaging. The four members of Sabbath were so different yet they coalesced into the pioneering fathers of the heavy metal genre. Butler’s time is an interesting peek behind the curtains.

Excellent book. Geezer is a very humorous writer. Lots of hilarious episodes. He provides a lot of detail about the various stages of their career, the grim lives they had growing up, and the early stages of the band. The sections about his first meetings with Ozzy are really hilarious, as are the parts about the times Tony almost killed Bill. The parts about his discovery of veganism are really interesting. I've already re-read the book several times, it's that good. Even if you're not a Sabbath fan, it's a great read. There are some downsides, like his constant sniping at Tony Iommi for continuing to use the Sabbath name after he (Geezer) gladly sold his interest in the Sabbath name to Iommi. But I think most of the Tony Martin-era albums are well worthy of the Sabbath name. Either way, great book.

Great story from a great band. It's a very interesting behind the scenes look at the great Black Sabbath. A true delight for any music fan.

Geezer Butler is the secret ingredient to the fabled and vital Black Sabbath sound and experience. Terrence "Geezer" Butler is not only the bassist of Black Sabbath, but he also wrote all their mystical, nightmarish, and magical lyrics. Geezer discusses his early days growing up in a strict, Catholic family, his introduction to the world of music, and, of course, the dizzy highs and depraved lows of Black Sabbath, including manager rip-offs, label shenanigans, addiction for members of the band, and the crazy life of being a rock band on the road in the 1970s and early 1980s. Geezer is a good egg, and you can tell he's a genuine good man, with the talent of holding it down and elevating metal to the art form that it is today. We're fortunate to live in a brief moment in time in which Black Sabbath existed for many decades and defined the entire genre.

I found it quite an interesting book, perhaps especially for people who grew up in that era and listened to their music or the music of other hard rock bands of that era, to know how Black Sabbath came to be, how they succeeded in becoming a well known band despite many difficulties, what inspired their songs, their sometimes definitely crazy life on the road, their interactions with other musicians, producers, and other people in the music industry and about the bass player's life in particular, growing up Irish Catholic in Birmingham in the 50s and 60s - Geezer Butler - who wrote this book. Well written and it kept my attention. Four working class lads from Birmingham who managed to make a quite significant mark on rock n roll, as could be seen by their last show with Ozzy Osbourne earlier this year together with all the heavy metal bands who were inspired by them.

Imprescindibile raccolta di aneddoti sui leggendari Black Sabbath, in una autobiografia del bassista e paroliere Geezer Butler onesta e molto ben scritta

This book is amazing. For Anyone interested in learning about early Sabbath stories, you will find hilarious ones!

Después de haber leído la autobiografía de Tony Iommy y de Ozzy, y las memorias de sus roadies, creo que ésta es la pata que faltaba para tener una visión profunda, y desde un punto de vista muy neutral, de las aventuras y desventuras de BS. Espero que Bill publique la suya, que supuestamente empezó a escribir en 2021

Für Black Sabbath Fans ein Muss!