Hands of Doom and the Gospel of Black Sabbath

Hands of Doom is the most important and relevant book ever written about Black Sabbath. It’s not a simple “behind the scenes” relaying the same “untold” stories and Ozzy, Bill, Geezer and Tony’s hijinks. This is an in-depth analysis of Sabbath from the point of view of biblical scripture, a Gospel of Black Sabbath, if you will. And it’s unflinching in its analysis.

Jack Holloway is a theologian, cultural critic, musician and all around awesome dude who just happens to actually minister to the poor, defend the meek, and try to make the world a better place. From his perspective, that’s exactly what Black Sabbath was doing through their music. It’s a compelling argument!

So, when I really became a fan of Black Sabbath, I was studying apocalyptic literature in the Bible. And I was on my way to class on my way to a Job class one day. And I was listening to war pigs. And I was astounded by the the resonance that.
That song has the biblical resonance that it has. And of course, like all of that imagery comes from the Bible. Like he’s, Geezer Butler, when he wrote War Pigs, was specifically drawing on his Catholic background. But what’s interesting there is in the book of Job, Satan is like working for God. Like Satan is not, like, God’s arch nemesis: he comes into God’s court and God hires him to investigate Job, essentially. So yeah, even it’s, it’s even in the Bible… like what is satanic and who is Satan is not quite resolved.

-Jack Holloway, Interview with Cleanandsoberstoner

I truly hope that you check out this Interview I did with Jack a few months ago. Due to technical issues, I wasn’t able to publish it until now. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s too important, and relevant, not to publish.

If YouTube isn’t your thing, we also have the Podcast on Spotify:

Throughout the interview, I joke what we’re “offending everyone.” But there’s truth behind that. For a lot of people in the Heavy Metal community, injecting a Christian perspective into the songs of Black Sabbath will probably feel wrong. I felt that, and to a degree I still do.

I can also see where some Christians will take offense, biggly, at some of Jack’s remarks. Especially when he points out that,

The fact that so many Christians and so many powerful Christians, I mean, we’re talking about a lot of the Republicans have a lot of power in the world and Republican Christians have a lot of power in the world. And the Christianity that it’s founded on is very world denying. It’s a rejection of the world. And it’s a retreat into private space and into individual self -focused space.

So yeah, I think, I mean, all you have to do is you don’t have to look any further than the climate issue, you know, the issue of global warming to see that far too many Christians are neglecting the care for this world because they’re too focused on, you know, heaven on going to heaven and what it means and like what we need to do and to get right with God so that we can ensure our place in the next life. You know primitive man’s got that song This Life… You need to focus on this life…

– Jack Holloway

Best of all, Jack’s not trying to convert or proselytize. He ain’t preachin’, and he’s not really teachin’, either. He’s simply laying out, in academic fashion, how he feels about Black Sabbath and how it relates to his Biblical Scholarship. If you’re open to the experience, this might be one of the most challenging and provocative books you’re read in a while!

You can buy Hands of Doom: The Apocalyptic Imagination of Black Sabbath here. We don’t have an affiliate account, so we’re not shilling. Yet…