“Symptom Of The Universe” kicks off with a powerful, crunchy guitar riff, thrashing away furiously. The drums are thick and fast, with plenty of cymbal action.
Then Ozzy Osbourne sings in his inimitable style, leading the rest of the song, which includes some sick guitar solos by the legendary Tony Iommi, and ends the last two minutes with a completely different folksy style.
The incongruous feel of the end is because that last bit stems from an impromptu jam session. Not bad for a day’s work.
It’s a great example of how Black Sabbath’s proto-metal didn’t lack the sophistication of some of their peers. They were heavy metal pioneers, light years ahead of their time, with talent in spades.
The song was released on Sabotage in 1975, so named because the band was drowning in legal issues trying to get their due.
Metal so heavy even Thor couldn’t lift it!