"After Forever" | ||||
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Single by Black Sabbath | ||||
from the album Master of Reality | ||||
B-side | "Fairies Wear Boots" | |||
Released | 1971 | |||
Recorded | 1 January 1971 | |||
Genre | Heavy metal | |||
Length | 5:27 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Writer(s) | Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler | |||
Producer(s) | Rodger Bain and Black Sabbath | |||
Black Sabbath singles chronology | ||||
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"After Forever" is a song by English rock band Black Sabbath. The song was released on their third studio album Master of Reality in 1971, and later the same year it had been released as the first single from the album, but failed to chart anywhere. The lyrics were written by Geezer Butler while the music was written by Tony Iommi.
The lyrics of the song "After Forever", written by Geezer Butler, a proclaimed Catholic, focus entirely on Christian themes. Although the album jacket credits Iommi alone as the composer of this song (including lyrics), the Black Sabbath Black Box Set refutes the album jacket credit and gives credit to this song (along with "Orchid" and "Embryo") to all four band members in keeping with their wishes to remain a democratic band. At the time, some viewed Black Sabbath as Satanists (which the band had consistently denied) due to their dark sound, image and lyrics. "After Forever" was released as a single along with "Fairies Wear Boots" in 1971.Rolling Stone reviewer Lester Bangs criticized the Christian theme of "After Forever" as too obvious, but welcomed the arrangement, while Wilson & Alroy's called the guitar sound "crude but effective".