It is the first (and also, the last) album in over a decade to feature Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice. Initial writing and demo sessions at Rich Bitch Studios in Birmingham featured Cozy Powell and bootlegs exist.
Album information
Both lyrically and musically, it is considered one of Sabbath's heaviest albums. Song themes vary from a computer worshipped as a god, to televangelists, to individualism and doubts about after-life.
The album was originally to be done with drummer Cozy Powell, but he was in a horse riding accident, which broke his pelvis. Dio wanted to get Simon Wright, from AC/DC and later his own band, as drummer, but Butler and Iommi rejected him. So, they called Vinny Appice to be drummer. During the sessions however, 2 unreleased songs were recorded: "The Night Life", whose riff was later used for Psychophobia on Cross Purposes; And "Bad Blood", which sounds very similar to "I" on the same album. These songs can be found, along with other demos and untitled songs on bootlegged "Complete Dehumanizer Sessions" along with the Geezer Butler Band's version of "Master of Insanity" and "Computer God", which sounds like an entirely different song.
"Computer God" was the title of an unreleased song by The Geezer Butler Band, in 1986 - only the title made it to Dehumanizer. The GBB version is available as a download on Geezer Butler's website. "Master of Insanity" was also an unreleased GBB track and the Dehumanizer version is essentially a re-recording of this. (1:17 minutes of this track is available as a download on the website of Carl Sentance, erstwhile vocalist with The GBB.)
Although the band lineup is the same as 1981's Mob Rules, the musical direction is very different - not only because of the aforementioned heaviness, but the songs are also darker, more pessimistic and more intense than in every earlier Sabbath album. It was a dramatic, and to some, welcome return from their previous album, Tyr.
Ronnie James Dio himself would follow this musical / lyrical direction in his next two albums with his band Dio, Strange Highways (1994) and Angry Machines (1996).
Commercially, this album is regarded as a resurgence for Sabbath. The album reached the Top 40 in the UK. It peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200 chart.
This incarnation of Sabbath ended when Ronnie James Dio abruptly quit the band upon guitarist Tony Iommi's suggestion that the band open for Ozzy Osbourne in Costa Mesa at the end of his 1992 tour, intended to be the farewell tour. Dio and Osbourne had a history of animosity, more from Osbourne's side but certainly not one-sided, and Dio felt that Sabbath should not open for any band, much less his 'rival' (and the band's former frontman) Ozzy Osbourne. Dio's contract expired at the end of the Dehumanizer tour and he chose not to do the two Osbourne Costa Mesa shows.
For these two shows the band replaced Dio with Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford and, on the second night, Iommi, Butler and original Sabbath drummer Bill Ward joined Osbourne onstage for four songs. Halford and Dio are friends (Dio having been impressed with Halford's work ethic on the 'Stars' project) and Halford would only do the Costa Mesa shows with Dio's blessing, which he received when he spoke with Dio by phone. Both shows were recorded in their entireties and are now widely circulated as audio and video bootlegs.
It is somewhat unclear as to whether this album was supposed to be a one-off affair or the beginning of a true reunion of this Sabbath line-up. Dio's contract technically ran out at the end of the album's tour (allowing him to quit the band in response to Tony Iommi's desire to have the band open for Ozzy Osbourne) which would suggest that future albums were not meant to be. However, Iommi also formally fired the other three band members (including twice firing singer Tony Martin) which would indicate that he never really intended to bring them back. It has been suggested that the album was officially a one-off effort but that the band members would continue if they found they could co-exist well enough to do so. According to Ronnie James Dio, the band could not get along sufficiently as the members' personalities and egos had not changed over the previous decade. There were also rumors that talks of a reunion with Ozzy took place during the Dehumanizer tour; it being alleged that Iommi and Butler went so far as to discuss this with Osbourne, who ultimately backed out. It is possible these talks were used by the Osbourne camp to derail the Dehumanizer reunion.
Track listing
All songs written by Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi.
Side one
"Computer God" – 6:10
"After All (The Dead)" – 5:37
"TV Crimes" – 3:58
"Letters From Earth" – 4:12
"Master Of Insanity" – 5:54
Side two
"Time Machine" – 4:10
"Sins Of The Father" – 4:43
"Too Late" – 6:54
"I" – 5:10
"Buried Alive" – 4:47
Bonus track
The US-release added a bonus track:
"Time Machine (Wayne's World Version)" – 4:18 This is the first recording of the song, specifically for the soundtrack to "Wayne's World" and ahead of the album sessions. It was also released as a 1-track promo CD.
Covers
Jørn Lande covers "Letters from Earth" on his album Unlocking the Past.
Personnel
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitars
Geezer Butler – bass
Vinny Appice – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Mack – producer, engineer, mixer
Darren Gayler – engineer
Stephen Wissnet – engineer
Computer God
Black Sabbath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
New clear vision, genocide
Computerize God, it's the new religion
Program the brain, not the heartbeat
Onward all you crystal soldiers
Touch tomorrow, energize
Digital dreams
And you're the next correction
Man's a mistake so we'll fix it, yeah
Take a look at your own reflection
Right before your eyes
It turns to steel
[Chorus:]
There's another side of heaven
This way, to technical paradise
Find it on the other side
When the walls fall down
Love is automatic pleasure
Virtual reality
Terminal hate, it's a calculation
Send in the child for connection
Take a look at the toys around you
Right before your eyes
The toys are real
[Chorus]
Midnight confessions
Never heal the soul
What you believe is fantasy
Your past is your future
Left behind
Lost in time
Will you surrender
Waiting for the revolution
Program the brain
Not the heartbeat
Deliver us to evil
Deny us of our faith
Robotic hearts bleed poison
On the world we populate
Virtual existence
With a superhuman mind
The ultimate creation
Destroyer of mankind
Termination of our youth
For we do not compute
No!
Black Sabbath's "Computer God" is a song that explores the idea of technology becoming the new religion, the replacement of spirituality with artificial intelligence. The song opens with a call for revolution and the promise of a new, clearer vision for the world, but quickly turns darker as it speaks of genocide and the deification of technology. The lyrics suggest that humans are flawed and imperfect, and that our only hope for salvation lies in programming our brains to be more like machines. The chorus describes a "technical paradise" that can be found on the other side of heaven, where love is replaced by automatic pleasure and virtual reality.
The second verse adds to the dystopian image of the song, with the mentioning of "terminal hate" being a calculation and of sending in a child and toys being real. The song then turns to the idea of confessing to an automated system, but this does not heal the soul as it's still merely just computerized. The imagery used is very powerful as the listener is encouraged to take a look at their reflection, which turns to steel, emphasizing the dehumanization caused by the obsession with technology.
Line by Line Meaning
Waiting for the revolution
Anticipating a major change in the world
New clear vision, genocide
A plan for a new world led by a small group involving mass destruction
Computerize God, it's the new religion
The belief in computer intelligence replacing the traditional concept of a higher power
Program the brain, not the heartbeat
The goal to control the mind over human emotion and instinct
Onward all you crystal soldiers
Those who stand behind and support a technology-based focus
Touch tomorrow, energize
Emphasizing the importance of technology in propelling forward
Digital dreams
Aspirations for a technological future
And you're the next correction
The current state is not perfect, and technology is seen as the solution
Man's a mistake so we'll fix it, yeah
Humanity has fundamental flaws, and technology seeks to eliminate them
Take a look at your own reflection
Self-reflection and awareness, particularly of one's physical form
Right before your eyes
A visual representation of the previous line
It turns to steel
The physical body is seen as a flawed or weak vessel
[Chorus:]
The recurring theme that humanity is transitioning towards a technology-focused future
There's another side of heaven
Heaven is redefined to be a technological paradise
This way, to technical paradise
Following the path of technological development will lead us to this new heaven
Find it on the other side
This new heaven is seen as a new level of existence, only accessible to those who embrace technology
When the walls fall down
When traditional structures of society and religion crumble, technological progress will take hold
Love is automatic pleasure
Human emotion is seen as a flawed and inefficient concept when compared to a technological alternative
Virtual reality
The replacement of the physical and tangible world with a digital simulation
Terminal hate, it's a calculation
Hatred is a controllable emotion rather than a genuine experience
Send in the child for connection
Youth who are raised in this technological society will naturally be more connected to it
Take a look at the toys around you
The physical objects of the world are seen as childish when compared to a digital alternative
The toys are real
Despite their toy-like appearance, they are a genuine and meaningful part of this new world
[Chorus]
Reiterating the theme of technological progress leading towards a new type of heaven
Midnight confessions
Confronting one's own flaws and fears
Never heal the soul
No matter the effort, one can never truly deal with the deep-seated spiritual problems within
What you believe is fantasy
The traditional views on spirituality and the soul are seen as outdated and unrealistic
Your past is your future
The progression of time leads towards the technological future of humanity
Left behind
Those who cannot or refuse to adapt to technological progress will not survive
Lost in time
Those who are not part of the new technological world will be forgotten with time
Will you surrender
A call to embrace the inevitable shift towards a technological future
Deliver us to evil
The recognition that technology can be a double-edged sword, both necessary and dangerous
Deny us of our faith
The old faith is no longer relevant when faced with the progress of technology
Robotic hearts bleed poison
The attempt to imbue technology with organic qualities is seen as ultimately problematic
On the world we populate
The impact of technology on the world as a whole
Virtual existence
The digital, intangible world that has come to replace much of the physical world
With a superhuman mind
The idea that technology can create a better, more advanced intellect than humans possess
The ultimate creation
The end goal of technological progress is seen as the ultimate achievement for humanity
Destroyer of mankind
The fear that technology, if not controlled, may bring about the downfall of humanity
Termination of our youth
The negative impact that technology can have on the development and growth of young people
For we do not compute
The inherent flaws of humanity that cannot be calculated or predicted through technology
No!
The final rejection of the idea that technology should replace humanity
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEEZER BUTLER, RONNIE JAMES DIO, TONY IOMMI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ferenc Zakharides
on Sweet Leaf
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