"End of the Beginning" is a song by English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

, the opening track on their nineteenth studio album, '' 13'' (2013).

Composition

"End of the Beginning" has been described as a

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

song. According to lyricist

Geezer Butler Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born 17 July 1949) is an English musician, best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the pioneering Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He has also recorded and performed with Heave ...

, the song deals with the fear of how "technology is going to completely take over the human race", inspired particularly by

cloning Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction; this reproduction of an organism by itself without ...

: "It seems like eventually, people are going to clone

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

and stuff like that. I mean, it’s already happening now with a "

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

" at Coachella, using holograms. But eventually I think they’ll start cloning people like the Beatles, and sending them out on endless tours." Music Scholar and Black Sabbath fanatic, Nolan Stolz, notes that there are apparent similarities between "End of the Beginning" and "Black Sabbath", the first song off of the first album released by Black Sabbath. It is probable that this was an artistic statement signifying the band getting back to their roots.

Release

"End of the Beginning" was premiered during the finale of season 13 of '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. The band guest starred in the episode, and also appeared in a short interview prior to its release. The song was first performed live on 20 April 2013, on the first of the two Auckland shows in New Zealand. The performance was part of their reunion tour. It was also featured in the end credits of the film ''

This Is the End ''This Is the End'' is a 2013 American meta apocalyptic comedy film written, directed and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their directorial debuts. It is a feature-length film adaptation of Rogen and Goldberg's short film '' Jay ...

''. On 11 June, coinciding with the album's launch, Black Sabbath released a full performance video from the CSI season 13 finale of length 8:20. The single peaked at the number 38 in

US Mainstream Rock Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the "active rock" an ...

chart. "End of the Beginning" was ranked the 21st best Black Sabbath song by Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.

Personnel

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

– vocals *

Tony Iommi Anthony Frank Iommi Jr. (born 19 February 1948) is an English musician. He co-founded the pioneering Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader, primary composer, and sole continuous member for over ...

– guitars *

– bass Additional musician *

Brad Wilk Bradley Joseph Wilk (born September 5, 1968) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine (1991–2000, 2007–2011, 2019–2024), Audioslave (2001–2007, 2017), and Prophets of Rage (201 ...

– drums

Chart performance

References

{{authority control Black Sabbath songs Songs written by Geezer Butler Songs written by Tony Iommi Songs written by Ozzy Osbourne Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin 2013 songs Republic Records singles 2013 singles Doom metal songs