Black Sabbath Release ‘Black Lives Matter’ Charity T-Shirt
Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Press
Black Sabbath have released a new t-shirt.
But this piece of merch comes with a twist.
Parodying the band’s iconic Master of Reality album artwork the tee’s logo reads “Black Lives Matter”.
Supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, which has once again surged into the public consciousness in the wake of the killing of US citizen George Floyd.
(George Floyd was a Minneapolis resident who died after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a police officer’s knee May 7.
All proceeds will be donated to charity.
“#BlackLivesMatter,” Black Sabbath writes via their official Instagram account, “100% of the proceeds to @BlkLivesMatter https://blacksabbathapparelshop.com/.”
The idea for the design follows a home-made parody tee sported by Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
Morello’s design went viral earlier this month when he posted an Instagram photo with mother and longtime civil rights activist Mary Morello.
The image was greeted with widespread approval by Rage Against The Machine fans, including Black Sabbath’s own Geezer Butler.
“Nice shirt & nice sentiment,” Geezer Butler commented, “& awesome mum.”
Black Sabbath’s bassist was also responsible for some of the group’s most pointedly political songs, including 1970 number ‘War Pigs’.
“The song was inspired by the Vietnam War,” Butler recalled to Mojo Magazine in 2017. “Britain was on the verge of being brought into it, there were protests in the street, all kinds of anti -Vietnam things going on. War is the real Satanism. Politicians are the real Satanists. That’s what I was trying to say.”
No doubt a similar sentiment sits behind Geezer Butler and the band’s latest release.
More recently Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne stated his support for the Black Lives matters protesters, citing lyrics from 2001 song ‘Dreamer’.
Black Sabbath’s “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt is now available via the group’s official merch store.
Orders ship July 14th.
100% of the proceeds to @BlkLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/XimuN9fqWX pic.twitter.com/13Sib23TxF
— BlackSabbath (@BlackSabbath) June 16, 2020
