It Was Amazing To See What New Bands Were Coming Out Then

Geezer Butler is undoubtedly a pivotal figure in the genesis of heavy metal in the early 70s. And when a foundational figure like him offers acclaim to newer artists, it’s newsworthy. Turns out that Butler recently confessed his admiration for Slipknot and other emerging metal bands of the ’90s. Coming from someone who not only was the bassist but also the main lyricist for the genre forefathers, Black Sabbath, his acknowledgment highlights the impact these new-at-the-time bands were making on the evolving music scene.

During Ozzfest in 1999, where Black Sabbath was the headlining act, Butler paid close attention to the younger generation of metal bands sharing the stage. Reflecting on this period, he told Knotfest: “I was really into metal back then, and it was influencing the stuff I was writing as well.”

He expressed his excitement about the variety and innovation among new bands, stating: “It was amazing to see what new bands were coming out then. And each one had a different version of metal if you want to call it metal. Different versions, instead of just going on and screaming into the microphone and everything sounding the same. Really good, different bands coming out. Slipknot being one of them, obviously. It was great.”

Butler‘s journey into solo work also emphasized his connection with the evolving metal scene. Before Ozzfest ’99, he released his debut solo album, Plastic Planet. The album featured former Fear Factory frontman, Burton C. Bell, whose trademark holler fused with Butler‘s famous low end, the punishing riffs of Pedro Howser, and the precise drumming of Deen Castronovo. The thematic focus of Butler‘s lyrics on Plastic Planet largely revolved around science fiction, which he intriguingly compared to the contemporary rise of artificial intelligence.

Reflecting on the album’s inception, Butler shared: “I really liked Fear Factory at the time and I’d been writing all this stuff that was too heavy for Sabbath or Ozzy. Pedro Howse, my nephew, had this band called Crazy Angel, which was like an ultra-thrash band. So, when me and him got writing together it came out ultra-heavy, and I wasn’t restricted to what lyrics I was going to write about.”