The back cover artwork on 'Seventh Star' is a copper-plate engraving print by the German painter and engraver Lucas Cranach the Elder. It is the appropriately titled 'The Torment of Saint Antony', and was made in 1506. St. Antony the Great, (otherwise known as St. Antony of Egypt), was a 4th century Egyptian, who first developed Christian monasticism, leading the ascetic life of a hermit in the desert, in his endeavour to rid himself of the temptation to sin and attain spiritual peace and oneness with God. It seems that Mr. Iommi himself was going through much torment by record company execs to call his solo project a Sabbath album, and also, maybe, due to more personal reasons. Seeing Iommi looking quite distressed on the album cover, standing in the middle of a desert, one cannot help but see striking parallels with the mental torment faced by Iommi's holy namesake in the deserts of Egypt. 'Sphinx (The Guardian)', and 'Seventh Star' seem to be Iommi's tribute to St. Antony and Egypt, where both he and his namesake await the end of this world, ("...let my spirit go, lead my burning soul to rest...a thousand chanting souls, waiting judgment from God's hand...the pyramids will fall...), and the coming of the new, (...the star will rise again, until destiny is done). I hope I have demonstrated that the relationship between the front cover photo of Iommi, the Cranach engraving on the back, and the two feature tunes on the album, are more than just co-incidental
Very interesting read, thank you. I have had my own interpretations of this song as well, but this is probably the intended one. Still sorrow and confusion often lead great artists into creating masterpieces with endless meanings, this one of them. One of my favourite Black Sabbath tracks, one of my favourite songs of all time.
Very interesting read, thank you. I have had my own interpretations of this song as well, but this is probably the intended one. Still sorrow and confusion often lead great artists into creating masterpieces with endless meanings, this one of them. One of my favourite Black Sabbath tracks, one of my favourite songs of all time.
The back cover artwork on 'Seventh Star' is a copper-plate engraving print by the German painter and engraver Lucas Cranach the Elder. It is the appropriately titled 'The Torment of Saint Antony', and was made in 1506. St. Antony the Great, (otherwise known as St. Antony of Egypt), was a 4th century Egyptian, who first developed Christian monasticism, leading the ascetic life of a hermit in the desert, in his endeavour to rid himself of the temptation to sin and attain spiritual peace and oneness with God. It seems that Mr. Iommi himself was going through much torment by record company execs to call his solo project a Sabbath album, and also, maybe, due to more personal reasons. Seeing Iommi looking quite distressed on the album cover, standing in the middle of a desert, one cannot help but see striking parallels with the mental torment faced by Iommi's holy namesake in the deserts of Egypt. 'Sphinx (The Guardian)', and 'Seventh Star' seem to be Iommi's tribute to St. Antony and Egypt, where both he and his namesake await the end of this world, ("...let my spirit go, lead my burning soul to rest...a thousand chanting souls, waiting judgment from God's hand...the pyramids will fall...), and the coming of the new, (...the star will rise again, until destiny is done). I hope I have demonstrated that the relationship between the front cover photo of Iommi, the Cranach engraving on the back, and the two feature tunes on the album, are more than just co-incidental
Very interesting read, thank you. I have had my own interpretations of this song as well, but this is probably the intended one. Still sorrow and confusion often lead great artists into creating masterpieces with endless meanings, this one of them. One of my favourite Black Sabbath tracks, one of my favourite songs of all time.
Very interesting read, thank you. I have had my own interpretations of this song as well, but this is probably the intended one. Still sorrow and confusion often lead great artists into creating masterpieces with endless meanings, this one of them. One of my favourite Black Sabbath tracks, one of my favourite songs of all time.