Acclaimed rock innovators THRICE return with "Horizons/West", their highly anticipated new album set for release on October 3, 2025 via Epitaph Records. The announcement arrives alongside the release of the record's blistering lead single "Gnash", available now on all streaming platforms. Pre-sale for the "Horizons/West" vinyl and exclusive merch is available now at ThriceMerch.com.

Serving as a companion to 2021's "Horizons/East", the new full-length album continues the band's bold sonic exploration and philosophical depth, while standing firmly as its own statement. "Horizons/West" blends cinematic post-rock textures, intricate rhythms, and the raw urgency that defined THRICE's early work, offering an album that's equal parts introspection and confrontation.

"This is the first time we leaned into something that felt like a direct continuation, like a sequel to a previous album," says frontman Dustin Kensrue.

"Horizons/West" was produced and engineered by the band at New Grass Studios, with mixing and additional production by Scott Evans and mastering by Matthew J. Barnhart, both of whom also worked on THRICE's "The Artist In The Ambulance (Revisited)" (2023). The release continues the band's long-standing DIY ethos and adventurous spirit. The album also marks a lyrical deep dive into themes of personal identity, societal manipulation, technological anxiety, and spiritual awakening.

"A lot of this record is about parsing reality," Kensrue explains. "We're constantly being influenced by algorithms, by fear, by our own social echo chambers. 'Horizons/West' tries to pull the curtain back on some of that. We've always just followed our curiosity, wherever it leads," Kensrue reflects. "We want to keep growing, exploring, and making something that feels honest to who we are right now."

"Horizons/West" track listing:

01. Blackout
02. Gnash
03. Albatross
04. Undertow
05. Holding On
06. Dusk
07. The Dark Glow
08. Crooked Shadows
09. Distant Suns
10. Vesper Light
11. Unitive/West

Following the release, THRICE will embark on a nationwide headline tour this fall, joined by MODERN COLOR and DOWNWARD. The tour kicks off October 17 in San Diego, California and includes stops in New York City, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, wrapping up November 23 in Anaheim, California.

THRICE fall 2025 tour dates with MODERN COLOR and DOWNWARD:

Oct. 17 - San Diego, CA - Observatory NP
Oct. 18 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Oct. 20 - Dallas, TX - HOB Dallas
Oct. 21 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Oct. 23 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Heaven
Oct. 24 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus
Oct. 25 - Orlando, FL - HOB Orlando
Oct. 27 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
Oct. 28 - Norfolk, VA - NorVa
Oct. 29 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
Oct. 31 - Boston, MA - HOB Boston
Nov. 01 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Nov. 02 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
Nov. 04 - Toronto, ON - Danforth
Nov. 05 - Montreal, QC - Beanfield
Nov. 07 - Cleveland, OH - Globe Iron
Nov. 08 - Detroit, MI - Majestic
Nov. 09 - Chicago, IL - HOB Chicago
Nov. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Fillmore Minneapolis
Nov. 13 - Denver, CO - Summit
Nov. 14 - Fort Collins, CO - Washington's
Nov. 15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Union
Nov. 17 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore
Nov. 18 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
Nov. 19 - Portland, OR - Roseland
Nov. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
Nov. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - The Novo
Nov. 23 - Anaheim, CA - HOB Anaheim
Nov. 25 - Anaheim, CA - HOB Anaheim

Steadfast and straightforward creative conviction has guided THRICE since they emerged in the late '90s with a sound that combined hardcore grit and progressive ambition, establishing themselves as pioneers among their post-hardcore peers. From the underground punk scene to major labels and influential indie labels, with a rich catalog of intense, meaningful, and emotionally driven albums, THRICE is a singular entity that gains more significance with each new release among their fans. Dustin Kensrue (vocals/guitar),Teppei Teranishi (guitar),Eddie Breckenridge (bass) and Riley Breckenridge (drums) consistently evolve in sound and substance. From their earliest releases to the bold exploration over more than 20 years of material, THRICE built a reputation as a band for musicians and songwriters, and a group with consistent integrity willing to take artistic and commercial risks. "Palms" (2018),their first album for Epitaph, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Indie and Hard Rock charts. And they've never lost their connection to their diverse audience, which is best understood beyond the Billboard charts and massive streams, through personal impact and a relationship forged through years. The double decade anniversaries of "The Illusion Of Safety" (2002) and "The Artist In The Ambulance" (2003) inevitably fed the energy and creative self-assurance that resulted in "Horizons/West". "Horizons/West", their 2025 full-length studio album, arrives as a companion to 2021's "Horizons/East". It continues the themes and sonic ambitions of its predecessor while standing entirely on its own. In 2025, THRICE reaffirms its legacy while continuing to push forward.

Photo credit: Atiba Jefferson

Fan-filmed video of PANTERA's entire July 25 concert at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Featured songs:

001:11 Hellbound
05:31 5 Minutes Alone
11:43 Strength Beyond Strength
17:10 Mouth For War
22:00 Goddamn Electric
26:25 Guitar Solo By Philip Anselmo (With Dean From Hell)
29:28 Becoming
33:44 I'm Broken
38:21 10's
44:16 I'll Cast A Shadow
48:55 This Love
55:44 Cowboys From Hell
01:01:45 A New Level
01:06:13 Walk
01:11:54 Domination
01:13:20 Hollow
01:17:48 Fucking Hostile

In other news, PANTERA has postponed and canceled several shows on "The Heaviest Tour Of The Summer" with AMON AMARTH while the bandmembers mourn the death of Ozzy Osbourne.

"Ozzy wasn't just a legend who shaped the very foundation of heavy metal and inspired PANTERA from the beginning — he was family," the reformed outfit, which includes longtime Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde, wrote on social media. "A mentor, a brother, and a constant presence in our lives both on and off the stage. The bond we shared with him ran far deeper than music."

The post continued: "In light of this profound loss, we need time and space to grieve — to be with our families, our crew, and each other as we process and honor the life of someone who meant so much to us."

Shows set to take place July 28 in Saratoga Springs, New York and July 31 in Holmdel, New Jersey have been rescheduled for September 9 and September 8, respectively, while dates in Gilford, New Hampshire, on July 29, Birmingham, Alabama on September 8 and Virginia Beach, Virginia on September 10 have been scrapped entirely.

"We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time," PANTERA added.

PANTERA paid tribute to Ozzy during the band's July 22 concert at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. While performing a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Planet Caravan" — during which the PANTERA normally shows archival footage of the band's founding members "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott on the big screens — PANTERA displayed photos and animated images of Ozzy, some of which included Wylde, who had been a member of Osbourne's solo band, on and off, for nearly four decades.

On July 22, Zakk shared the following message via social media: " "THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THE WORLD w/YOUR KINDNESS & GREATNESS OZ - YOU BROUGHT LIGHT INTO SO MANY LIVES & MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE - YOU LIVED w/THE HEART OF A LION - I THANK THE GOOD LORD EVERY DAY FOR BLESSING MY LIFE w/YOU IN IT - I LOVE YOU OZ. BEYOND FOREVER".

Ozzy and Zakk first teamed up 38 years ago when Zakk (whom Ozzy described as "a fucking absolutely amazing guitar player") joined Ozzy's band in 1987; they last recorded in 2022 on Ozzy's acclaimed album "Patient Number 9".

Back in 1990, Ozzy told Guitar World magazine about why he picked Zakk to be his guitarist: "This is a bizarre story, but it's the God's honest truth. It was a bad period for me because I was sick of auditioning people – drummers, bass players, keyboard players, you name it. Now it was time to audition yet another guitar player. The spark had gone out of it, probably due to my various battles with drugs and alcohol. I had a lot of personal hang-ups about a lot of things, plus I was tired.

"I asked the guys who were in the band at the time to put out the word that I needed somebody and to have people send me résumés. I auditioned about 50 guys. Some of them were hilarious. I asked one guy to play something in a specific key. He said, 'I think it would be better in another key.' I said, 'No it wouldn't. Just play it in the key it was written in.' He protested again and I just thought, What the hell am I doing here? I'm jet-lagged to the max, arguing with some idiot guitar player. Then there were all these Eddie Van Halen clones on steroids. They played like Van Halen while standing on their heads and hopping on one leg. One guy even played like Eddie while eating a fucking sword!

"One morning I was confronted with a mound of tapes and I remember picking one up out of thousands and saying, 'Look here, a Randy Rhoads clone.' It was a picture of some guy with long blonde hair playing a Les Paul Custom. I couldn't even bring myself to listen to his tape. I tossed it back in the pile and forgot about it. Then about six months later, my drummer, Randy Castillo, walks in and says, 'I found this great guitarist from New Jersey, and his name is Zakk.' I walked into the audition and I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember where. He plugs in and plays my whole catalog, note for note. I then asked him to play something of his own and he played some acoustic stuff and some classical stuff. He had a bounce and a spark about him. Then I realized where I saw Zakk before: he was the Randy Rhoads clone in the photo, the one tape I had picked out of thousands. Only it turned out that he wasn't a Randy clone at all. Randy would've looked like an ant next to Zakk.

"There were lots of benefits to choosing Zakk. He had followed my career and he knew my songs better than I knew them myself. We knew it wouldn't be hard to break him in."

In a 2022 interview with Revolver magazine, Wylde reflected on the first time he listened to BLACK SABBATH's music as a kid, saying: "I remember being in art class. My one buddy Tommy — he must have been like 11 years old — he had a sculpture of a jawless skull, which is basically the BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY] skull now: Skully. It was a jawless skull with a lightning bolt going through it that said, 'Black Sabbath 666.' I was, like, 'Wow, what is that?' And he goes, 'Oh, it's just a rock band my older brother listens to.' And I thought it looked so cool. I just wanted to figure out what it was. So, I was at the mall with my mother and my mom was, like, 'You can get a record.' Okay, so obviously, I ended up buying 'We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll' — but we know it's a double album. I had never heard a SABBATH song before in my life. So, I put the record on and I was beyond terrified the whole time I listened to the album. I was Catholic when I first put the needle down on it, and halfway through the second LP, I was a full-blown Satanist. And by the end of the album, I converted back to Catholicism just so I could thank God for creating BLACK SABBATH."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ozzy Osbourne's catalog, spanning his genre-defining work with BLACK SABBATH and his iconic solo career, has seen a resurgence the legendary heavy metal singer's passing.

In the days following the July 22 announcement of Osbourne's death, his solo Spotify monthly listeners jumped from 12.4 million to 18.7 million, an increase of 6.3 million. BLACK SABBATH, meanwhile, jumped from 19.8 million to 24.6 million.

In terms of individual songs, Ozzy's classic solo track "Crazy Train" added 8 million streams, hitting 809 million total; "No More Tears" gained 7 million, reaching 266 million; and "Mama, I'm Coming Home" spiked by 7.2 million to 245 million. BLACK SABBATH's timeless classic "Paranoid" racked up 9.3 million streams to reach an all-time number of 1.38 billion; "Iron Man" went from 581 million to 587 million; and "War Pigs" added 5 million to reach 385 million.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Ozzy's family reality television show "The Osbournes" won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.

In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.

Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song "I Don't Want To Change The World".

Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife's previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin (courtesy of Premier)

In an interview with U.K.'s Primordial Radio, TRIVIUM guitarist Corey Beaulieu confirmed that a new song from him and his bandmates should arrive within the next two weeks, prior to their appearance at this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival (taking place August 7-10). Regarding how and when the song will be rolled out, Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I guess to protect me if I say something I'm not supposed to… Basically, it's gonna drop before… I can't remember the exact day, but it's supposed to come out before we play Bloodstock, 'cause we're gonna play it at Bloodstock. So, I guess that would be anywhere the first week of August. So within that timeframe."

He continued: "We've been hinting at this song online with clips and everything for a while, so people know it's coming. They just don't know exactly when. But it's gonna be before we start this tour, so the first week of August, in that timeframe, it's gonna drop, I believe. We've been filming some content and stuff to promote it, leading up to it, so there's gonna be a lot more ramping up to totally piss everyone off, 'cause they'd been just waiting for new music. So every time you post a snippet or a clip or some kind of teaser, it makes people more mad. So it's gonna ramp up, 'cause they just want the song."

Asked if TRIVIUM's recent tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's second album and Roadrunner debut, "Ascendancy", affected the songwriting process for TRIVIUM's new music, Corey said: "Well, last year we would get together and we were rehearsing 'Ascendancy', and in between the rehearsals we started writing some new songs. 'Cause, obviously, we've got the studio being built. When it gets done, we wanna have something ready to kind of break it in, get the studio up and running. So we started writing some songs. And there was no real, I guess, game plan, 'cause we weren't in the head space of, 'We're writing a record.' It was just, like, 'Hey, let's just write some songs and just kind of let it be what it is.' We'd rehearse 'Ascendancy' on a Monday and then Wednesday we would be, like, 'All right, we're just gonna work on writing some stuff.' And we kind of summed it up as the couple songs that we wrote, it was kind of like spirit animals of 'Ascendancy', where it was, like, we were rehearsing 'Ascendancy' and we kind of used the energy and playing those songs, and we were, like, 'Oh, let's kind of parlay that into new music.' And the new stuff definitely has kind of the spirit of 'Ascendancy', but also a lot of kind of what we do now kind of blended in. So I think just focusing on playing 'Ascendancy' definitely carried over into the writing of just trying to, I guess, capture that intensity and energy of what that record was. And when we played the stuff to some friends and stuff like that, they were just, like, 'Oh, shit.' This has got some pretty intense stuff. The first song coming out definitely is a very — I guess maybe the closest comparison might be 'Rain', in a sense of just something right in your face, fast, very aggressive. So, it's definitely gonna be cool."

Elaborating on TRIVIUM's plans to release new music, Corey said: "When we did the stuff, the intention was we thought we were gonna be doing the 'Ascendancy' tour from January to December, doing a full tour. And then the idea was we were gonna record a couple songs and then just release 'em as singles kind of as the year goes on for the tour, kind of, like, 'Hey, we're coming to South America.' Oh, new song drops. Or we're going there, and just releasing standalone singles. 'Cause it's been so long since we put out a record, it was kind of, like, 'Hey, let's give the fans some new stuff to listen to while we're doing the anniversary stuff.' And then once that abruptly ended, we kind of pivoted to doing an EP. So we're just gonna put everything out at one time. We're working on some really cool, special vinyl stuff, some collectible stuff. So kind of do a little special mini-release before we are able to get a [full] record done. So, kind of wanting to give the fans, since it's been a little bit of a wait to get 'em some new stuff to listen to, hold 'em over until we're able to finish up a new album."

TRIVIUM will embark on the "Ascend Above The Ashes" tour this fall. The trek will kick off October 31 in Myrtle Beach and runs though December 14, with an epic hometown show in Orlando. Special guests JINJER will appear, while HERIOT will serve as support.

While the tour will continue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of TRIVIUM's landmark "Ascendancy" album, fans can also expect new music soon. TRIVIUM will also make appearances at Louder Than Life and Aftershock this fall.

TRIVIUM and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently teamed up for "The Poisoned Ascendancy" tour during which the two bands celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Ascendancy" and "The Poison" albums, respectively, by playing them in full.

Produced by Live Nation, the North American leg of "The Poisoned Ascendancy" kicked off on March 30 at PNE Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, making stops across North America in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and more before wrapping up in Raleigh, North Carolina at Red Hat Amphitheater on May 18.

Released in March of 2005, TRIVIUM crafted a classic in the form of "Ascendancy". It concluded 2005 as Kerrang!'s "Album Of The Year," went gold in the U.K., and has since surpassed global sales of 500,000 copies. Opening the main stage of Download festival that year, the Floridian four piece — barely out of their teens — delivered a set that left all who witnessed it in no doubt that they were looking at future legends, with Kerrang! readers later voting it as the tenth best gig of all time.

TRIVIUM's latest album, "In The Court Of The Dragon", came out in October 2021 via TRIVIUM's longtime label Roadrunner Records. The record was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and recorded in the fall of 2020 at Full Sail University in Orlando. The album cover is an original oil painting by French artist Mathieu Nozieres.

German hard rock legends SCORPIONS have released "Still Loving You (Taratata, 28 Apr 1996)" as the second single from their upcoming greatest-hits album "From The First Sting", due on September 26 via BMG. This powerful live version of their iconic hit was recorded during a taping of the French music show "Taratata", where they performed alongside internationally acclaimed violinist Vanessa-Mae. The video has already been viewed over 101 million times on YouTube and is now available as audio on streaming platforms for the first time.

In celebration of their sixth decade as a band, SCORPIONS will release "From The First Sting", a thrilling collection showcasing the raw energy, unforgettable anthems, and iconic moments from their illustrious career. "From The First Sting" will be available on a deluxe 2LP and 2CD bookpack and 2CD format for European and rest-of-the-world fans, as well as 2LP vinyl and 1CD format for fans in the Americas.

During their career, the SCORPIONS viewed their music as a bridge between cultures. They performed in the former Soviet Union, China, and Southeast Asia, thereby fostering international understanding. Commercially, the band are also one of the best-selling hard rock and heavy metal bands of all time — with over 120 million album sales to their name.

"From The First Sting" is a sonic journey through the band's timeless hits, from "Rock You Like A Hurricane" to "Wind Of Change", showcasing SCORPIONS' evolution while honouring the spirit of their classic sound.

"From The First Sting" features two previously unreleased tracks, "This Is My Song" and "Still Loving You", the latter of which features British violinist Vanessa Mae. The physical for European and rest-of-the-world fans comes housed in a carefully crafted 2LP colored vinyl and 2CD 40-page deluxe edition bookpack, comprehensively illustrating the enduring influence of the pioneering masters of their genre.

Perfect for die-hard fans and newcomers alike, "From The First Sting" delivers the ultimate SCORPIONS experience — a blistering ride through 60 years of hard-hitting, heart-pounding rock that continues to leave its mark on the world.

2LP and 1CD track listing

01. In Search Of The Peace Of Mind
02. This Is My Song*
03. Speedy's Coming
04. In Trance
05. Pictured Life
06. The Sails Of Charon
07. Top Of The Bill (Live)
08. Always Somewhere
09. The Zoo
10. No One Like You
11. Rock You Like A Hurricane
12. Big City Nights
13. Wind Of Change
14. Still Loving You (feat. Vanessa Mae)*
15. Humanity
16. Rock Believer

* Bonus tracks

2CD track listing

CD1

01. In Search Of The Peace Of Mind
02. This Is My Song
03. Speedy's Coming
04. In Trance
05. Pictured Life
06. The Sails Of Charon
07. Top Of The Bill (Live)
08. Holiday
09. Always Somwhere
10. Lady Starlight
11. The Zoo
12. No One Like You
13. When The Smoke Is Going Down
14. Still Loving You
15. Rock You Like A Hurricane
16. Big City Nights

CD2

01. Rock You Like A Hurricane (Live)
02. Believe In Love
03. Send Me An Angel
04. Wind Of Change
05. Under The Same Sun
06. Still Loving You (feat. Vanessa Mae)
07. Mind Like A Tree
08. You & I
09. Wind Of Change (Moment Of Glory)
10. Always Somewhere
11. Maybe I Maybe You
12. Humanity
13. The Best Is Yet To Come
14. House Of Cards
15. Rock Believer

Photo credit: Marc Theis (courtesy of Wilful Publicity)

Following a landmark year that included back-to-back No. 1 singles at Active Rock with "Artificial" and "Pieces", and sold-out tours with BREAKING BENJAMIN, STAIND and DISTURBED, multi-platinum rock band DAUGHTRY is keeping up the momentum with the announcement of an upcoming EP, "Shock To The System (Part Two)", arriving September 12 via Big Machine Rock.

After the April release of the haunting "The Day I Die" which set the tone for this next chapter, DAUGHTRY delivers another bold preview with new single "The Bottom", available now on all platforms. Built on a swaggering groove that cuts through a haze of distortion, "The Bottom" finds frontman Chris Daughtry flexing his vocal range with a hypnotic cadence as he confesses, "I was down in a hole until I clawed my way back from the bottom." The track captures the raw honesty and sonic intensity that define "Shock To The System (Part Two)" and gives fans a deeper glimpse into the EP's emotional core.

"'Shock To The System' is about facing the things we've ignored and confronting the wake-up calls that force us to go deeper and get honest," says Chris Daughtry. "These songs unlocked something in me as a writer and a human being. 'Part Two' is the result of that journey."

"Shock To The System (Part One)" delivered major milestones for the band, scoring their first-ever No. 1 at Active Rock with "Artificial", followed by another No. 1 with "Pieces". The project drew widespread praise from outlets such as Billboard and Spin, who highlighted the palpable heaviness and fearless creative evolution of this new era.

"Shock To The System (Part Two)" track listing:

01. The Seeds
02. Divided
03. The Day I Die
04. The Bottom
05. Terrified
06. Razor
07. Antidote

DAUGHTRY remains a force of nature in rock music and culture, standing out as one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century. The history-making group has scored multiple platinum and gold certifications, notched two No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, packed venues worldwide, and sold north of nine million albums and 25 million singles. Recently, 2021's "Dearly Beloved" spawned a procession of Top 10 Billboard Rock Airplay hits, namely "World On Fire", "Heavy Is The Crown" and "Changes Are Coming". DAUGHTRY teamed up with Lzzy Hale of HALESTORM for a chart-busting cover of JOURNEY's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" during 2023. Chris Daughtry has further distinguished himself with featured vocals for PAPA ROACH, BAD WOLVES, NOTHINGMORE and SEVENDUST. Embedded in popular culture, his presence can also be felt everywhere from "Family Guy" to his comic book cover art including DC comics variant cover of Batman #50. In 2024, "Shock To The System (Part One)" spawned the group's first-ever No. 1 at Active Rock with "Artificial", along with earning the title of Billboard's "Most Played Artist" at Active rock in 2024. Beyond looks from Billboard, Spin and more, Loudwire marveled at how "There's quite the palpable heaviness to the first installment of the singer's planned EPs." Between playing arenas with BREAKING BENJAMIN, STAIND and DISTURBED, the band recorded "Shock To The System (Part Two)" (Dogtree Records/Big Machine Label Group) alongside producers and co-writers Marti Frederiksen and Scott Stevens.

In November 2021, Chris's stepdaughter Hannah Price was found dead in her home. It was later revealed that Price, 25, died by suicide while under the influence of narcotics at her home in Fentress County, Tennessee.

Chris was on tour when Price died, and subsequently postponed a series of concert dates.

Fan-filmed video of GHOST performing the song "Square Hammer" on July 19 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can be seen below. Also available is a two-camera mix of GHOST's performance of the song "Peacefield" on July 12 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

During a July 4 question-and-answer session with fans at Birmingham, United Kingdom's HMV Vault, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge addressed the band's announcement that GHOST's 2025 world tour would be "a phone-free experience", with guests maintaining possession of their phones at all times, secured in Yondr pouches. Asked if he got any "pushback" from his camp about enforcing this so-called "phone ban", he said: "Oh, pushback. I think that the first initial pushback, it wasn't necessarily muscular pushback, but it was an inquiry to maybe reconsider. But that was more from — you know, the first person that you'd speak to when you're an artist is obviously your manager and your agent. And 'I have this idea.' It's, like , 'Mm-hmm. You sure about that?' And then the agent comes and, like, 'Oh, I love the idea, but…' Because it also adds a lot of baggage to the administration part and the practical bit of the concert, and anything that makes things harder is always frowned upon. And, of course, we had to really vet that idea. What does it mean? Who has done this before? Oh, not many. Okay. But who does that?

"The thing is that there are a lot of artists [who phone shame the audience], and I know a lot of artists — a lot more than let people know — absolutely hate the phones," Forge continued. "But it's one thing to phone shame people and [it's] another to go through the hurdle of doing what we did. And, of course, we had to weigh that. Essentially, what people wanna know [is] what does it cost? What's the ramifications of it, time-wise and economically? 'Okay, that's about right.'"

Elaborating on the mindset that led him to suggest the "phone ban" in the first place, Forge said: "I am vehemently against what I experienced, culminating on the last bit of our last tour cycle, where — and just for complete transparency, we went obviously to all kinds of different countries where temperament differs. So, with or without phones, there are certain parts of the world where people are just generally slightly subdued. But there are other parts of the world where people are exactly opposite and very engaged. And it really hit me when we came to certain countries where they have generally been much more enthusiastic, and you come out — there's, like, 18,000 people there, and there's, like, 10,000 phones. And they're not even bouncing anymore. And you're just like, 'What is this? What has happened?'"

After one fan suggested that it is a form of "disrespect", Tobias replied: "I don't know if it's disrespect… This is the thing that most people, most individuals haven't thought about how it is, because you think that, 'Well, no one cares about what I'm doing. I'm standing here in the back. I'm just gonna take a photo. I'm gonna film a song.' So each individual is not doing a purposefully disrespectful diss, but the sum of it becomes a completely changed, especially for an artist who you come out on a stage and you're expecting, like, 'Fucking people are gonna rage,' and then all of a sudden it's, like, the crowd that you've seen for, at that point, through 13 years has just gone less and less and less engaged in exchange for these phones. What's that about? What the fuck? And so I just felt that I came to a point where I'm, like, 'I don't think I wanna do this. I don't think I wanna do this. If this is how it's gonna be, I'd rather not do it.' That that's how worthless it became because of the phones. Especially a show like ours. I mean, I know that there are a lot of artists who [do] a completely more a free-form show, but we don't. Our show is pretty sort of nailed and arranged. There's obviously a certain wiggle room for individualism. But, yeah, in order to do what we do, we need to have a certain regimen. And so what do we feed off of? [The crowd]. And that is crucial. That is crucial for us to be able to do the show. If you came into a dress rehearsal and saw us do the same thing but without a crowd, it's dramatically worse. But when you have an engaged crowd, it becomes better because you're two… It is exactly like that. It's an exchange. And if someone in the act of doing it just takes a phone out…?"

Asked by the moderator if the decision to ban phones on the 2025 tour has "paid off" for GHOST so far, Tobias said: "Oh, absolutely. [It's been a] fucking life changer. Life changer for the existence of the band. Absolutely. We had a collective… Just walking off stage first night [of the tour] was just, like, this has completely changed the entire outlook of how this feels. So, yeah, now we're doing that. And I think that there are a lot of bands that are looking at this and just, like, 'Okay, so how do we do that too?'"

Earlier this month, GHOST kicked off the U.S. leg of the "Skeletour" world tour in support of the group's sixth studio album, "Skeletá", which came out in April. Marking a bold evolution in GHOST's live performances, the tour is the band's most theatrical and cinematic production yet. Designed by Tobias Rylander and GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge, the tour embraces a grander and more ambitious scale than ever before.

The set design is a striking blend of gothic symbolism and brutalist architecture, melding the ornate drama of cathedrals with the stark lines of modernist concrete forms. Inspired by brutalist cathedrals across Europe, the stage transforms into a sanctum of dark majesty: part sacred temple and part rock coliseum.

At the core of the design is the "Grucifix" — GHOST's reimagined crucifix inspired by their iconic logo. Suspended above the band, this colossal structure functions as both a visual centerpiece and a dynamic lighting rig, casting an ethereal glow over the stage.

Rylander's design includes sculptural scenic facades on the lighting pods, echoing the textures and verticality of cathedral interiors, further reinforcing the ecclesiastical themes central to GHOST's identity.

The lighting leans into a retro-rock aesthetic, with visual nods to classical QUEEN and VAN HALEN. The tour also represents a milestone for the band as it's the first time a full-scale video production led by Rylander and video director Amir Chamdin. With video content by Green Wall Designs, the creative direction transcends the physical stage, evolving into a fully immersive multimedia experience.

In keeping with the show's theatricality, the stage itself has been engineered to perform as much as the artist. Multiple elevated performance platforms, mechanical lifts, and concealed entrances are strategically placed to accommodate dramatic reveals and character transitions. A living, breathing cathedral of performance, "Skeletour" redefines the GHOST live experience, where sacred architecture collides with the raw energy of rock and roll.

Renowned for his work across live music world tours, fashion, theatre and art installations, Rylander has collaborated with artists such as Beyoncé, THE 1975, Childish Gambino, Chappell Roan, The XX and FKA Twigs. "Skeletour" marks his first creative partnership with the Grammy Award-winning band, bringing a new dimension to GHOST's already-iconic stage presence.

The European leg of GHOST's 2025 world tour kicked off on April 15 in Manchester, United Kingdom and concluded on May 24 in Oslo, Norway. The North American leg of GHOST's 2025 tour launched on July 9 in Baltimore, Maryland and will wrap up on August 16 in Houston, Texas.

Through the use of technology like Yondr, fans are able to place their phones in a pouch that unlocks only after they leave the no-cell-phone zone. The pouch can also be unlocked at specific cell phone stations inside the venue.

Phones, Apple watches and other communication devices are placed in the pouch and sealed using a magnetized lock, which can be opened with an unlocking base.

This past May, "Skeletá" landed at position No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 86,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the LP's first week of release. According to Billboard, 89% of that figure (77,000) consisted of traditional album sales, with vinyl purchases accounting for over 44,000 copies. Notably, "Skeletá" was the first hard rock album to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC's "Power Up" in 2020.

The music video for the LP's first single, "Satanized", introduced the new character who is fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle: Papa V Perpetua.

Forge performed as a "new" Papa Emeritus on each of the band's first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of 2018's "Prequelle". In March 2020, at final show of GHOST's "Prequelle" tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the character who fronted the act for its "Impera" (2022) album phase.

In a recent episode of the Broken Record podcast, Mike Shinoda spoke about LINKIN PARK's decision to reinvent itself by hiring Emily Armstrong — co-founder of alternative rock band DEAD SARA — to front the group seven years after previous singer Chester Bennington died by suicide. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that one of the things that really drove us is the idea that if we had just like hung it up and said, 'Okay, that was a good run,' and called it quits, that is such a shitty way for the band to end or stop making new music. That is an awful story. No one wants to read that book. And instead to be able to say, 'And then the guys dusted themselves up off and got up again,' that, to me, is the exactly the book I wanna read. That's the thing that's the hardest to do and the most intimidating, the most challenging, the most that could go wrong, honestly. And for ourselves and for our kids, for our fans, to do it and say… Yeah, we took huge risks on this."

He continued: "There's so much about the new music, the new lineup and everything else that is… I mean, before anybody knew anything, we were, like, 'Okay, here's a laundry list of the things that people are not gonna like.' … [These were] all of the things that they ended up not liking, all the things that anybody on the Internet argued about and continues to argue about our band. If anyone thinks that we didn't think of those things, they're crazy. We live and breathe this band. We thought of all those things. We went, 'Okay. Is that okay? That's gonna be okay, right?' The open-mouth breather, neck beard misogynist metal fan who loved our first two records and hasn't listened to the band since, but like thinks he's a LINKIN PARK fan, he's gonna hate this band and be vocal about it. So, that's okay. Great, because that person's gonna get replaced by ostensibly a 15-year-old girl who's, like, 'I've never been into like loud music before, and I wanna learn to play guitar now.' And I love that."

Asked if he and the other members of LINKIN PARK have ever taken part in any joint therapy sessions to deal with whatever issues they might have encountered along the way, Mike said: "I don't know if we have a problem with authority or something, but that type of thing, we've brushed up against it and it hasn't worked well for us because we just feel like the person, if there's a mediator, that they don't know us at all. Because they don't. We know everybody's buttons, we know where all the bodies are buried, so you can totally subtly antagonize each other if you want to. And so for us it was much more about… Well, the problem isn't that we know each other so well; the problem is that you've gotta care a lot and be grateful that this thing is very special and that if you do something to antagonize your bandmate, like you would antagonize your sibling, you're hurting yourself. I love the band. If I'm doing something that's making him or her uncomfortable or upset, then I'm hurting myself. So I think that we, thankfully, have a very emotionally intelligent band who can self-regulate to some degree."

In addition to Shinoda and Armstrong, LINKIN PARK's current lineup includes bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joe Hahn and drummer Colin Brittain.

In 2024, LINKIN PARK returned to the top of the charts with its latest album, "From Zero", the band's first new release in seven years. The critically acclaimed album features No. 1 single "The Emptiness Machine" and propelled the band to be the only rock band in 2024 to exceed two billion streams. LINKIN PARK is currently on tour in support of the album, with dates throughout North America, Europe and South America. "From Zero (Deluxe Edition)" was released on May 16.

Delson contributed to "From Zero", but hasn't been part of LINKIN PARK's live shows in support of the LP. The live guitar position has instead been filled by Alex Feder.

Last September, more than seven years after Bennington's death, LINKIN PARK debuted Armstrong and Brittain on a livestream.

"From Zero (Deluxe Edition)" 2CD is a limited pressing. It features a four-panel softpak packaging with 16-page booklet and showcases three new songs, five live tracks recorded around the world and all new, expanded packaging.

In late January, LINKIN PARK released an a cappella/vocals-only version of "From Zero", dubbed "From Zero - A Cappellas".

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine (courtesy of Warner Records)

Fan-filmed video of Steven Adler's July 19 concert at the Sunset Station Outdoor Amphitheater in Henderson, Nevada can be seen below.

The former GUNS N' ROSES drummer's current solo band lineup includes lead guitarist Michael Thomas, rhythm guitarist Alistair James, bassist Cristian Sturba and lead singer Ariel "Ari" Kamin.

"You don't get better than Michael Thomas and Alistair James; they are two of the best guitarists in rock," noted Adler.

Thomas previously delighted music fans as the lead guitarist for ENGINES OF AGGRESSION, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and FASTER PUSSYCAT. In addition to providing Adler with smooth rhythms, James has engineered recordings for HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES — the supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Joe Perry of AEROSMITH, and Alice Cooper.

Kamin was a well-known rocker in Argentina with such bands as CRIATURAS SALVAJES and GN'R tribute act SON OF A GUN when he was selected to come to the U.S. and join Adler in electrifying audiences with the music of GUNS N' ROSES. Audiences have been blown away.

"Ari Kamin is the total package. He's everything a rock 'n' roll front man is supposed to be," Adler said. "Not only does he have an incredible voice, he really connects with the audience. He's one of the best you'll ever experience."

In 2021, Adler told the M3 Rock Festival YouTube channel about how he ended up recruiting Kamin to front his ADLER solo band: "Actually, I went to Argentina [in November 2016] — my wife's from there; her family lives there — and the GN'R guys invited me to do a couple of songs. And so I had a little party at a club called the Roxy in [Buenos Aires], and he was the singer [that played with us that night]. You can go on my web site and see — the Roxy in Argentina. He was so great. I was, like, 'You're coming with me.' And the guitar player from the band that opened up for GN'R was so amazing. I told him, 'Come down. I wanna jam with you.' And he came down. I tell you, if [GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] Slash would have seen him playing, he would have been in the back, in the dressing room, practicing. That's how good he was."

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates in May 2018, including an Australian tour.

Although he wasn't included in the lineup that launched the "Not In This Lifetime" trek in 2016, Adler rejoined GUNS N' ROSES at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle".

In February 2017, Adler revealed that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016.

GUNS N' ROSES' current drummer is Isaac Carpenter, who made his live debut with the band on May 1 at Incheon, South Korea's Songdo Moonlight Festival Park. Carpenter replaced Frank Ferrer, the longest-serving drummer in GUNS N' ROSES' storied run, in March.

Get ready because Queensrÿche, Slaughter, & Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses are all coming to Sunset Station! Catch them...

Posted by Sunset Station Hotel & Casino on Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Sebastian Bach performed covers of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and "I Don't Know" during his concert Friday night (July 25) at the Labadie Rib Fest in Bay City, Michigan.

Prior to launching into "Crazy Train", which was the fourth song of his set, Sebastian told the crowd:  "You know, they called him the Prince Of Darkness, but all he did was make us all fucking happy, man. That's it.

"This show tonight is dedicated to fucking Ozzy Osbourne tonight, Bay City.

"And they said that when he died, he was surrounded by his family and his friends after doing the best concert that he ever did in his whole life.

"We all love Ozzy.

"How many people wanna go fucking crazy tonight? Let's go off the rails on the crazy train."

Fan-filmed video of Sebastian's performance — courtesy of Joe E Bravo — can be seen below.

Bach's current touring band includes his son Paris Bach on drums, "Bruiser" Brody DeRozie on guitar, and Fede Delfino on bass.

Sebastian Bach setlist for July 25 concert at the Labadie Rib Fest in Bay City, Michigan:

01. What Do I Got To Lose?
02. Slave To The Grind (SKID ROW song)
03. Here I Am (SKID ROW song)
04. Crazy Train (OZZY OSBOURNE cover)
05. Big Guns (SKID ROW song)
06. Sweet Little Sister (SKID ROW song)
07. 18 And Life (SKID ROW song)
08. Piece Of Me (SKID ROW song)
09. Freedom
10. Future Of Youth
11. Monkey Business (SKID ROW song)
12. I Don't Know (OZZY OSBOURNE cover)
13. I Remember You (SKID ROW song)
14. (Hold On) To The Dream
15. Youth Gone Wild (SKID ROW song)

In 2014, Sebastian said his "ultimate dream in rock 'n' roll" when he was "fired" from SKID ROW in 1996 "was to possibly some day be like Ozzy Osbourne, in that he came up with [BLACK] SABBATH and then had a successful solo career."

That same year, Bach defended Osbourne against critics, telling TV Rock Live: "Some people think, 'Oh, Ozzy, he's not a great singer.' I say, bullshit. I think Ozzy is an amazing singer, because I feel what is in his crazy fucking mind. Like, he sounds, you know… crazy."

A decade ago, Bach released a cover of Ozzy's "S.A.T.O." as part of an album celebrating the legacy of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT). Blessed by the Rhoads family and including a track by Randy's brother Kelle Rhoads, the CD was made available in January 2015 at the "Randy Rhoads Remembered" show at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

In addition to Sebastian, Bach's version of "S.A.T.O." featured Brent Woods (SEBASTIAN BACH, VINCE NEIL) on guitar, James LoMenzo (JOHN FOGERTY, BLACK LABEL SOCEITY, MEGADETH, DAVID LEE ROTH, WHITE LION) on bass, and Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER, PRIDE & GLORY) on drums.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Ozzy's family reality television show "The Osbournes" won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.

In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.

Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song "I Don't Want To Change The World".

Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife's previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.

BAY CITY MICHIGAN!!! Cya FRIDAY JULY 25 @labadieribfest ! Also on the bill @officialgreatwhite @traceadkins @...

Posted by Sebastian Bach on Thursday, June 26, 2025

In one of the most unforgettable and emotional moments in recent music history, the original ALICE COOPER group reunited live on stage at London's sold-out O2 Arena — performing together in front of 12,000 stunned fans on the same day their first new album in over 50 years, "The Revenge Of Alice Cooper", was released via earMUSIC.

The emotional crescendo of the night began as Hollywood superstar — and Cooper's HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES bandmate — Johnny Depp joined Alice and his touring band on stage for what appeared to be the show's explosive finale — BLACK SABBATH's classic "Paranoid", in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne — already sending the crowd into a frenzy. But what happened next became the stuff of rock legend.

In a moment that will live in rock history, original ALICE COOPER band members Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith and Michael Bruce emerged to join them. The group launched into a fierce and heartfelt performance of "School's Out" — supported by the touring band and Depp — bringing the show to a euphoric close before a further set from JUDAS PRIEST.

The ALICE COOPER performance was a celebration of brotherhood, legacy, and the rebirth of a band that shaped generations of rock music.

This epic night followed an equally memorable event the evening before at London's Union Chapel, where Alice, Dennis, Neal and Michael joined longtime producer and honorary sixth member Bob Ezrin for an exclusive, sold-out question-and-answer session and global livestream, hosted by Sir Tim Rice — which also featured the world premiere of the album in full.

Earlier this week, Alice was asked by Darren Redick of U.K.'s Planet Rock if Ozzy Osbourne's death on Tuesday (July 22) gave him pause in any way. Alice responded: "I was on my way to the stage when I heard about it, and I went, 'Oh, that's not right. He just did this thing [where he performed with BLACK SABBATH one last time at the 'Back To The Beginning' event in Birmingham, United Kingdom]. I saw him. He was singing well.' But when it finally hit, it was just one of those… Even though you know it's coming, especially with Ozzy, especially with certain guys in rock where you go, 'He certainly hasn't been well for a while.' But what a shock to the system. And at the end of the show, I just said, 'Everybody, let's say good night to Ozzy,' and everybody just [went], 'Ozzy! Ozzy!' So, he was a very beloved character in rock."

Elaborating on his relationship with Ozzy, Alice said: "We did shows together. He was not one of those guys that I would say [was] one of my best friends, but we were close when we saw each other. We'd go, 'Oh, good to see you, man,' dah, dah, dah. We didn't hang in the same sort of people. I knew [Ozzy's wife and manager] Sharon, I think, more than I knew Ozzy, 'cause I'd met Sharon before for other things, and I met [their son] Jack a couple of times.

"Ozzy and I did four or five things together — he sang on [my album] 'Hey Stoopid', and we did Brazil together, a soccer stadium down there together, and things like that," Alice continued. "But there was never that, 'Let me call Ozzy,' there was never that thing. I just respected him and I think we had a mutual respect for each other. We had a lot of the same players. I mean, the great thing about being a lead singer without a band is that you get your pick of — you know who the guitar players are, you know who the drummers are, you know who the bass players are. So between us, we had the same drummer at one time. You get your pick of the litter."

Cooper and his band found out that the world lost Osbourne just minutes before they were due to go perform in Cardiff, Wales, which is about two hours from the place where legendary BLACK SABBATH singer was born. Before hitting the stage, Alice recorded the following quote for his radio show "Alice's Attic": "Well, we all know that time is going to take us rockers, but when the giants fall, it's really hard to accept. Even though everybody saw it coming with Ozzy, it just took our breath away when it happened. So, Ozzy and family, your records and your music and your legend and all that you brought — the humor to the rock business — will live on forever and we're gonna miss you, man."

Alice and his band then dedicated Tuesday night's show to Ozzy's memory and they were able to celebrate along with the crowd who had also just learned of this great loss for rock and roll. Following the concert, Alice summed up his thoughts by saying: "The whole world is mourning Ozzy tonight. Over his long career, he earned immense respect among his peers and from fans around the world as an unmatched showman and cultural icon.

"I always saw Ozzy as a cross between the prince of darkness, which is the persona his fans saw, and the court jester. That was the side that his family and friends saw. He was and will continue to be a rock and roll legend.

"Rock and roll is a family and a fraternity. When we lose one of our own, it bleeds. I wish I would have gotten to know my brother Ozzy better.

"Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and the rest of the Ozzy brood — our prayers are with you tonight. A titanic boulder has crashed, but rock will roll on."

In 1991, Ozzy provided backing vocals to Cooper's song "Hey Stoopid", which was the title track of Alice's 12th studio album. The two worked together again on the song "Wake The Dead", which appeared on Cooper's 2008 album "Along Came A Spider".

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

The original ALICE COOPER group — Alice Cooper (vocals),Michael Bruce (guitar),Dennis Dunaway (bass),Neal Smith (drums) and Glen Buxton (guitar) — redefined rock in the early 1970s, blending raw, hard-hitting music with shocking theatricality.

With Bob Ezrin at the helm, they pioneered shock rock, delivering rebellious anthems, dark storytelling, and over-the-top stage shows featuring guillotines, snakes, and macabre theatrics.

Albums like "Love It to Death" (1971),"Killer" (1971),"School's Out" (1972) and "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973) turned them into superstars, producing legendary hits like "I'm Eighteen", "Elected", "School's Out" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Their mix of hard rock, glam, and horror made them one of the most influential and controversial bands of their era, leaving a permanent mark on rock history.

Cooper has sold countless millions of records worldwide and shaped rock history forever. Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011, Alice's music remains as powerful and relevant as ever.

During an appearance on a new episode of the "Talk Is Jericho" podcast, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the status of the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're gonna release a song at the end of this year, to give people a taste of what's to come. I just finished the album cover, and that is fucking trippy as hell… I designed it with this artist, who is killer. You know David Blaine, the magician. He did a six-part series recently [National Geographic's 'Do Not Attempt'], and Mark [Stutzman], the artist, he did a lot of the conceptual art for it.

"It's so weird how things happen to me," Charlie continued. "It's, like, I was looking for an artist and I'm watching this David Blaine documentary, and there's this art, which is exactly what I wanted. And I contacted him, and he loved the idea and he was a fan. So it's so crazy how things just turn out that way. So I'm really happy about that."

Earlier this month, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's new album: "The record's done. It's going into mixing now. Look, I know it's a long time coming, and thank you to the fans that are listening right now, and I know it's been a while. But between COVID, side projects, everything, we've all had different lives, and everybody's very much into what we're doing now with ANTHRAX. So, you'll be hearing something before the end of the year, for sure."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk if that means that ANTHRAX fans will at least get a new song before the end of 2025, Frank said: "That is the plan, Eddie. That is the plan. 'Cause nobody puts out records right away — just a song and then a song, and you tease it out."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Frank said: "I can't say the title [of the album yet], but what I can say is people who have liked the last two records, and there's been a lot of you, and thank you for that, I think we took another step from that. And this isn't just a salesmanship thing. I am, as a fan, really proud of the band stepping up like this — musicianship, songwriting. Joey's [Belladonna] vocals — I'm not even joking when I say this about Belladonna, it's one of the best singing he's done on an ANTHRAX record. I'm not even joking with that. So, we made sure the melodies, everything is right with this record. We're ready to go. It's been a long time, but I think we have the goods. I'm really proud of it, and I can't wait to play this stuff. It's gonna be a little challenging, definitely, but I'm looking forward to getting out there again."

Asked if 2026 has been "carved out" as the year when everyone in ANTHRAX will focus on touring with the band in support of the upcoming album, Frank said: "That is carved out, from my manager Mike Monterulo, straight from his mouth. We're we're concentrating specifically on ANTHRAX. Look, there may be shows here and there for other projects and that's fine when we're off, but it's absolutely focused on ANTHRAX and the record and getting it out there and really making people hear the stuff."

On the topic of ANTHRAX's touring plans for 2026, Frank said: "There's things being booked now. There might be even stuff being booked for this year, at the end of the year. We don't know. The contract's being signed right now. We'll see. I can't tell you right now, Eddie, 'cause it's not signed, but you'll love the tour we're talking about doing later this year, if that works out. I hope it does. [If it happens, it will be] with a package… It'll be fun. I hope it works out. That's just a tease I have to put out there, because I wanna let people know that we are actually working on this and we are hungry. And, look, I'm biting at the bit to do this, and that [BLACK] SABBATH [final concert in Birmingham] we just did [in early July] made me wanna play more, obviously. So, it'll be fun to do. I'm looking forward to it."

Last November, Bello returned to Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California to resume recording the bass tracks for ANTHRAX's next effort.

ANTHRAX is once again working with producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed "For All Kings" and 2011's "Worship Music" albums.

Earlier this month, Belladonna told Chicago's Rebel Radio 92.5 FM as part of the station's 31st-anniversary celebration that he had "finished the vocals" for ANTHRAX's upcoming album. "I'm really happy with what I've done," he said. "And the band sounds great on the record. And as far as I know right now, we're still finishing up a few things. We're not even mixing yet, so at this point I'd be just speculating [about a possible release date]. Obviously, things are going in the right form and the timing is right. So, all good. I'm happy. You're gonna love it."

In September 2024, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian told Jon Wiederhorn of Guitar World magazine that he and his bandmates hoped to finally release their new album in 2025.

"We're taking our time and not rushing anything because we want it to be exactly how we want it," Ian said. "We're not in a place in our lives anymore where we could have dropped everything and said, 'All right, we've got two months of studio time. Let's finish writing and then get in there and record it all and do the vocals. Mix, master and we're done — like in the old days.' We have families and commitments now, so it can't work that way anymore and hasn't in a long time."

Regarding the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Ian said: "There are crushing riffs and great, hooky choruses. Even some of the thrashiest songs have great choruses. We're always looking for the hook, and I think we've accomplished that."

He added: "With the songs we've written, we'd be able to put together a nine- or 10-song record that would be thrashier than anything we've done in a long time. But there would also be a way to make it a very different kind of album depending on which songs we choose. And I can tell you, I know which way I'm leaning. And I think we're all on the same page. We want this record to punch people in the face. And then we can use the bonus tracks for other things, but in the context of the record, I really want it to hit hard."

As for his expectations for the new ANTHRAX album, Scott said: "I'd like to think this record will be a slew of songs that people are going to be very excited about hearing live for the next few years. I generally feel the riffs, the grooves and the breakdowns – we used to call them mosh parts in the old days — I think they're gonna connect with our fans. And a lot of these songs are tailor-made for our live show, so I hope we'll be playing them for a long time."

In August 2024, Benante told Metal Hammer magazine about ANTHRAX's upcoming LP: "There's a song which has the same kind of epic feel as 'In The End' [from 2011's 'Worship Music'] and 'Blood Eagle Wings' [from 'For All Kings']. It revolves around the journey we've been on in the band. And there are three songs that don't sound like anything we've done before. One called 'The Edge Of Perfection' I had way before COVID, and it has just stayed with me — the melody and the chords, but also the aggression."

In January 2024, Bello told Rodney McG about the long delay in getting new ANTHRAX music out: "There wasn't a rush, obviously. I know it's been eight years since our last record, but we wanna make sure it's right, and it is [right]. We are very confident. I'm not worried about how right it is. It's right on exactly where I think, and the rest of the band think, we need to be. I love that it's more complicated for me to play. I love the challenge of that. I think we stepped it up a little bit, the heaviness. Again, everybody's gonna prop their record. Doing this for so long, this is how I feel.

"I don't wanna get complacent," he continued. "I want the challenge, 'cause I'm a fan. I'm a fan, and it has to stimulate me. And it has to get me going on stage."

As for the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material, Bello said: "On this record, there's stuff that we've never done before. I'm just saying right out — there's stuff, in a heavy way, which I'm very proud of. I like that we went that way with it and just went, 'What the fuck was that?' Some of the things that Charlie Benante does on drums, Scott and I were just, 'What the fuck was that?' And that's great, 'cause you wanna raise your game after that. I think it makes everybody step up a little bit. I'm doing some bass stuff that I had some fun with on this that I would never have done. I think there's a lot of cool stuff that's going on vocally, melody-wise. I'm really happy where the next ANTHRAX record is going."

In October 2023, Ian told "THAT Rocks!" that he and his ANTHRAX bandmates had "only really been working on" their new LP "for a year-ish, I would say… But then once lockdown and all that stuff happened, we just all walked away; nothing creative was happening at all with us through that whole period," he explained. "And then, slowly but surely, when we started playing shows again in '21 and going into '22, that's when we started working again, really. And then in the last year, we really started to put stuff together and Charlie and Frankie and I getting together and having writing sessions and arranging stuff."

In September 2023, Belladonna was asked by Tulsa Music Stream if he is typically presented with finished lyrics to sing or if he gets to contribute a lot lyrically to the content. Joey said: "I love doing lyrics, but there's a lot of lyrics that Scott — he just loves to do it. It's his thing. He just digs into such — these topics that he likes to go and get into, and we all kind of have our own little thoughts on the songs. But I get in there and I really kind of — I dig into the whole thing a lot further. There's a lot of stuff that I have to… When you start singing on something, you really have to find the pockets of what you wanna do, what kind of tone I wanna throw on it and how I wanna go for a certain range for certain things and how I approach it is very important. There are lyrics, but at the end of the day, I have to go in there and still sing as good and catchy and appropriate as I can to make this stuff my thing, my style. Obviously, we're not the hit-oriented type of thing, but I'm always going for something cool to catch you off guard and neat and different. I have my own style, so I just kind of do my thing."

During an August 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Ian said about the musical direction of the new ANTHRAX material: "Certainly of the nine [songs] we've tracked so far, from a riff point of view, it's definitely — I mean it's riffs with all capital letters. Like if you were going to write, you would write 'riffs' in all capitals with an exclamation point. The riffs are killer. It's very riff-centric. There's a lot of faster uptempo material, certainly."

Ian added: "I will say there is a song — I won't say any titles yet, 'cause it's still probably a working title — there's definitely one song, it's the fastest thing we've ever done. There's another song that we haven't recorded yet that's also in the vein, more of a 'Gung-Ho' or a 'Caught In A Mosh'. Because Charlie and I talk all the time. I said, 'We still need something that's like a three-and-a-half-minute just ripper. You know, something like that.' And then we come up with something like that and I'm, like, 'Hey, I forgot I'm 60 now, and now I have to play this song for the next three years.' Just make my life harder."

Earlier in 2023, Benante was asked by Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules why it has taken so long for ANTHRAX to complete the writing process for a new LP. Charlie said: "If we didn't get hit with this whole global pandemic thing, it would have been out probably two years ago, three years ago. But we all know what happened. But now, being that some of the songs were [written] before the pandemic hit, they're old to me. So now there's a bunch of new songs that kind of came in the mix. So that's a good thing. You can never have enough… We're still working on the older ones because we really like a lot of those."

ANTHRAX celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a number of special activities and events. Formed by Ian and bassist Dan Lilker in Queens, New York on July 18, 1981, ANTHRAX was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast and quickly became regarded as a leader in the genre alongside METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

Active over the past five decades, ANTHRAX has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple gold and platinum certifications, received six Grammy nominations, toured the world since 1984 playing thousands of shows, including headlining Madison Square Garden and playing Yankee Stadium with the "Big Four".

"For All Kings" was called by some critics ANTHRAX's strongest album to date. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the group experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the "Big Four" tour, and continuing with the release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Frank played his first show with ANTHRAX in nearly a year and a half on October 12, 2024 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

Bello and ANTHRAX were supposed to perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27, 2024, but their show ended up being canceled due to severe weather.

Prior to Aftershock, Bello last played with ANTHRAX in May 2023 at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In April and early May 2024, Bello sat out ANTHRAX's South American tour as well as two U.S. festival dates due to "personal reasons." Filling in on those shows was ANTHRAX founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on ANTHRAX's debut album "Fistful Of Metal", was also a member of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH with Benante and Ian.

Yungblud has vowed to cover BLACK SABBATH's classic song "Changes" at every one of his concerts in honor of Ozzy Osbourne.

On Thursday, July 24, the British singer, songwriter and musician — whose real name is Dominic Harrison — shared an Instagram post where he revealed his plans to play the 1972 track each night "for the rest of my life" following the Osbourne's death on Tuesday, July 22 at age 76.

"I'm trying to compute the last couple days and honestly I'm absolutely fucking shattered," the 27-year-old Yungblud, who performed "Changes" at Osbourne's final concert with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom on July 5, wrote. "You have been my North Star for everything for as long as I can remember from when I was misunderstood as a child to the way people thought I was just a little 'too much' or 'strange' in my life and career.

"I owe so much to you, your wife and your family — you all gave me a road to run down and supported me when people would turn their nose up.

"You loved life so much and you adored music. It was your smile man. You taught me it was beautiful to be out of the box.

"I promise you with all my heart I will try my best and make it my life's journey to keep the sprit that you started and what you have taught me alive. I will give it my best shot.

"To sing this song for you at an event surrounded by legends inspired by you to a crowd that loved you was truly my life's greatest honour and I vow to play this song every night for the rest of my life.

"You're my hero in every regard. I hope you're up there [h]avin' a drink with [late Ozzy guitarist] Randy [Rhoads].

"For the prince of darkness you sure brought all the light to the world. I love you Ozzy."

The day of Osbourne's death, Yungblud paid tribute to Ozzy, writing on Instagram: "I didn't think you would leave so soon the last time we met you were so full of life and your laugh filled up the room. But as it is written with legends, they seem to know the things that we don't.

Yungblud continued: "I will never forget you - you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage. Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own. You asked me once if there was anything you could do for me and as I said then and as I will say now for all of us the music was enough. You took us on your adventure - an adventure that started it all."

"I am truly heartbroken. You were the greatest of all time," he concluded.

Earlier in the month, Yungblud posted a video capturing a tender moment between him and Ozzy, taken ahead of BLACK SABBATH's farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Speaking about the significance of the moment, Yungblud said: "Back in 2022 on the video shoot for 'The Funeral', Ozzy gave me his gold cross and said, 'I hope this brings you luck.' I thought, on this monumental moment for him and SABBATH, it was time for me to return the favor and let him know what he and the band means to me."

At the July 5 concert, Yungblud sang a version of "Changes", backed by EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, ANTHRAX's Frank Bello on bass, SLEEP TOKEN's II on drums and BLACK SABBATH/OZZY OSBOURNE touring keyboardist Adam Wakeman on keys. The original version of "Changes" appeared on SABBATH's fourth album, "Vol. 4", released in 1972.

Earlier this year, Yungblud spoke to Louder about the video shoot for "The Funeral", the lead single from his self-titled third album, which featured a cameo from Ozzy, as well as a guest appearance from Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne.

"A lot of people compare me and Ozzy," Yungblud said. "Not our music, 'cause that’s different, but I believe we have this unfiltered fucking thing that is hard to put your finger on.

"If you can be completely truthful, people aren't going to get it, and then they're gonna get it," he continued. "For a period you're gonna be loved, and for a period you’re gonna be hated. And Ozzy was, like, 'That's the journey. When you look back at it at 70, that's the fucking fun bit. You look back at it and go, 'Fucking hell, that was mad,' or 'that was a rough time', or 'that was a great time.' And he said, 'You don't want to live your life censoring it, or don't be a rock star.' He said, 'You get this opportunity because you are not afraid to say the things other people will be. So when you stop fucking doing that, you ain't a rock star anymore.'"

"That shit hit me like a ton of bricks," Yungblud concluded. "Because, fuck, yeah!"

As an artist and songwriter, Yungblud lives to stir up the raw energy of rebellion. With his frenetic take on alt-pop equally inspired by punk, hip-hop, and U.K. garage, Yungblud makes brilliant use of his breakneck flow and tongue-in-cheek attitude, delivering pointed lyrics without ever getting heavy-handed.

Born in Yorkshire, Harrison first picked up a guitar at age two and began writing his own songs when he was ten. At 16 he moved to London, then spent the next few years struggling to define his musical vision. But after reconnecting with the firebrand artists that first compelled him to make music — THE CLASH, ARCTIC MONKEYS, N.W.A. — he felt unstoppably inspired. That inspiration lead to the eventual release of his 2017 debut, "King Charles". Since then, Yungblud has created his own blend of alternative rock: poetry, guitar-hooks and break-beats with a fierce determination to make a dent in pop culture.

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Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD performed their cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Children Of The Grave" during their hometown concert last night (Thursday, July 24) at Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront. Prior to launching into the track, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe told the crowd (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Thank you so much for being our home, Richmond. Thank you so much for raising us up and carrying us through the years.

"Everywhere we go around the fucking world — we have played on every single continent except for Antarctica — the first thing I say when I address the audience is, 'We are LAMB OF GOD. We hail from Richmond, motherfucking Virginia.' I let them know. I let them know, motherfuckers. Very recently, I got to say those very words somewhere very fucking special.

"We've been around for 30 years now, playing parties here," he continued. "In 2004, we got invited on a festival called the Ozzfest. We played with HATEBREED on that one. We came back in 2007 and played it again. And most recently, the members of a band called BLACK SABBATH, the all four original members of the band BLACK SABBATH, got together to play one final show in Birmingham, England. And they hit us up and they asked little old LAMB OF GOD if we wanted to come to play. It was fucking a huge honor to be there. It was a huge honor to be there in Birmingham, England, playing with BLACK SABBATH, representing our city, this city in front of the four dudes who fucking created heavy metal. They were the first. And it was a magic, magic day, my friends. I don't know how to tell — I don't even know how to explain the feeling, but it was so intense. And then I stayed in England for a little while later, and then the next week I did this convention and I got to hang out with Ozzy Osbourne. And he was in the best fucking mood. He felt the love.

"Did any of you motherfuckers livestream that fucking thing?" Blythe asked the audience. "Thank you so much. From that concert, we raised $190 million for charity. A bunch of fucking heavy metal freak weirdos [were responsible for] the largest charity gig in the history of music, period. And Ozzy was so fucking excited about that. And then, as all of you know, a few days ago Mr. Osbourne has left. He has gone on on his next journey. And we're sad, but I know he went out with joy in his heart. I saw it. I saw it. And he felt it."

Randy added: "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for BLACK SABBATH. None of us would be here right now if it wasn't for BLACK SABBATH. So if it's okay with you guys, we're gonna play you a BLACK SABBATH song right now. We're gonna play it for those dudes in BLACK SABBATH, and we're gonna play it for Ozzy Osbourne. I wanna hear it: Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!" Responding to "Ozzy" chants from the crowd, Blythe said: "Louder. I want 'em to hear it in Birmingham, motherfuckers. Louder. Louder. That's right. This is for Ozzy Osbourne of BLACK SABBATH. This song is called 'Children Of The Grave'."

The day of Ozzy's death, Blythe shared a photo of him with the BLACK SABBATH singer, and he wrote: "Like most of you reading this, I am immensely sad right now.

"This picture was taken 10 days ago, at @comicconmidlands- I was with my pals @scottianthrax & @thefrankbello. Our friend @malfuncsean took us back into Ozzy's green room— we hung out for a good half hour & had some laughs with the Prince of Darkness.

"Know this: Ozzy was in a GREAT mood, & still buzzing over the 'Back To The Beginning' concert. I thanked him for having @lambofgod on the show, & told him 'We just went by 14 Lodge Road two days ago' (his childhood home in Birmingham.) Ozzy looked up & gave me an huge grin & said 'Boy, I'll bet that fucking guy who lives there now is sick of hearing about me!' & started laughing really hard. It was great to see!

"I do not claim to have been close to him, but I’ve had several interactions with Ozzy over the years. Yes, Ozzy was a TRUE ROCK N' ROLL MADMAN- they don't build 'em like him anymore. But I also knew him as a kind & gentle man who, alongside his family, did so much for my band, & more personally, spoke out publicly on my behalf when I was facing serious legal issues.

"When you are in a foreign prison & inmates you don't know come up to you suddenly acting impressed & saying 'Ozzy Osbourne says good things for you!' in broken English… trust me, it makes a difference.

"Thank you for that, mate.

"So yes, I'm very sad right now— but my heart is also full. Ozzy got to say goodbye, & he got to do it on HIS terms, with HIS band. One last time the mighty SABBATH roared… & we all watched in awe.

"While in the green room, I had Ozzy sign my shoes, the ones I am holding in this photo- there were only 121 pairs of these Adidas made, strictly as thank you gifts to performers at the 'Back To The Beginning' show. I told Ozzy I was going to auction them off to further benefit the charities that the concert raised money for, & he was well pleased by this.

"And so I shall.

"This is how I would like to thank & honor him for all he did for music, my band, & myself. The shoes will be part of a larger auction that is being organized right now. Details soon.

"Thank you Ozzy. We love you.

"'Show the world that love is still alive, you must be brave…'"

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

The day after LAMB OF GOD took the stage at "Back To The Beginning" — where the Virginia metallers also covered "Children Of The Grave" — Blythe took to his social media to write: "I do not have the words to explain what merely being at, much less performing at, BLACK SABBATH's final show yesterday felt like. I'm still trying to process it- it's crazy.

"I have been in my band for 30 years now, and I have played many, many shows in that time. But the overwhelming energy at this show— in the audience, in the backstage area, and onstage (because I was in all 3 areas at different times)— was something I have never felt before, and I know I never will again. It was something DIFFERENT, something very, very special.

"If you play in a heavy metal band, or are a fan of any heavy metal music, then know that your roots lay in Birmingham, starting way back in 1968 with four working class Englishmen named Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, & Bill Ward. They created this. PERIOD. For those of us who make this music, there will never be another chance to play with the original creators again. That was IT… & it was amazing.

"If you were there in the audience, you should know that every single band member I talked to- from MASTODON who opened the show up all the way to METALLICA who played right before Ozzy- was nervous to go onstage… & I do mean EVERYONE (God knows I was.) It a sign of our respect for the dudes who created this music that we all felt this way. We all wanted to honor them, to show respect, to thank them for this wild-ass life that they have given us, and to do justice to their tunes— all of us get to travel the world & play this music because of what these four guys started. Then to see those four guys give it one last glorious whirl, four songs… it was earth shattering.

"So thank you BLACK SABBATH, thank you Birmingham, & thank you to all the fans who came out yesterday to help us give SABBATH a proper send off. We also raised A LOT of money yesterday for 3 different charities- Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital, & Acorn Children's Hospice. None of the bands took a single penny for this gig- hell, none of us even got a guestlist! I am so happy to have witnessed it & beyond grateful to have been asked to be a part of it. A simply unbelievable day…"

"Back To The Beginning" took place on Saturday, July 5 in BLACK SABBATH's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The nine-hour event, hosted by actor Jason Momoa at Villa Park, saw over a dozen bands play at least one BLACK SABBATH or Ozzy Osbourne cover as they paid homage to the SABBATH singer, who has Parkinson's disease.

Hours after LAMB OF GOD's performance at "Back To The Beginning", the band released a studio version of "Children Of The Grave" on streaming music services.

"LAMB OF GOD being invited to perform with BLACK SABBATH at their final show is one of the greatest honors of our career," LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton said in a statement. "As an offering to the celebration, we've recorded our take on their classic 'Children Of The Grave', a protest song with lyrics that are as relevant today as they were in 1971 when the original was released.”

"BLACK SABBATH invented heavy metal and in doing so, they changed the world," Morton continued. "This genre that they created brings immeasurable joy to fans all over the world. We are so grateful to have the heavy metal community to call our home, and so grateful to BLACK SABBATH for the gift of their music that they've given to all of us."

Curated by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, "Back To The Beginning" featured arguably the greatest lineup of rock and metal bands ever assembled on one day.

The concert for Ozzy Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease several years ago and billed the event as his final onstage performance, marked the first time original BLACK SABBATH bandmembers — Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — performed together in 20 years.

More than 40,000 fans attended "Back To The Beginning", which also saw performances from Ozzy's solo band, GUNS N' ROSES, METALLICA, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX, among others. Profits from the show will be shared equally between the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice.

There was also an online auction benefiting those charities. Items up for bid included two Gibson guitars signed by performers, a GUNS N' ROSES pinball machine, several gold record and CD displays including BLACK SABBATH's "Paranoid", LED ZEPPELIN's "Physical Graffiti" and METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets", plus more than a dozen travel packages.

In the final segment, Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward performed a set of classic SABBATH songs "War Pigs", "N.I.B.", "Iron Man" and "Paranoid". Osbourne, who had performed from a black-winged throne, was then presented with a cake, while fireworks lit up the stadium from overhead.

At the end of the set, Ozzy said: "It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

A message on screen then read, "Thank you for everything, you guys are fucking amazing. Birmingham Forever," before the sky lit up with fireworks.

A livestream of the daylong event was announced in June. While it was called a livestream, the video was delayed two hours from the in-arena start time.

TONIGHT (7/24) 🤘 Lamb of God with GWAR & Hatebreed!

🎟️ GET TICKETS: https://livemu.sc/3GZ1Y2d
ℹ️ VENUE INFO:...

Posted by Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront on Thursday, July 24, 2025

Fans have been gathering at the Black Sabbath Bench, a tourist attraction close to the Black Sabbath Bridge, two of many Birmingham, United Kingdom landmarks dedicated to Ozzy Osbourne and his BLACK SABBATH bandmates, in the days after the news broke on Tuesday that the legendary heavy metal singer had died at the age of 76. According to The New York Times, some fans had laid bouquets at the bench's base, while others had left homemade signs with tributes. Some conveyed the pride of his home city ("Birmingham forever – Ozzy, you rock!"),while others highlighted Osbourne's global appeal ("Gracias Ozzy!"; "Thank you for the music - from me and all your fans in Bulgaria"). "You have touched millions, my whole life your music has played almost as if raising me", another message read.

Drake, the Canadian rapper, who was in Birmingham on tour, also stopped by the Black Sabbath Bench — which features cut-out figures of the four BLACK SABBATH bandmembers — and reportedly poured some tequila on the ground next to the bench to pay homage to Osbourne.

"I just came out to pay respects to someone who lived it to the fullest," Drake told The New York Times.

Drake also reportedly posted and deleted a photo of the bench filled with flowers, signs, photos and heartfelt messages to Osbourne. "Drank with the NY Times last night for Ozzy," he wrote in his Instagram caption.

At his concert on Wednesday (July 23) at Utilita Arena Birmingham, Drake paid tribute to Ozzy by walking out to BLACK SABBATH's "Iron Man" and telling the crowd: "Hey Birmingham! Rest in peace to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne."

The Black Sabbath Bench features the names Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward engraved in the wood, while the stone next to it is engraved with the band’s name.

In March 2024, the Black Sabbath Bench was returned to the Birmingham city center following a major refurbishment that included brand new heads for all bandmembers.

The heavy metal bench was first installed by Westside Business Improvement District on the renamed Black Sabbath Bridge across the canal on the city's "golden mile" of Broad Street back in June 2019. Since then, the bench has arguably become Birmingham and the West Midlands' biggest-used piece of "engagement public art". It was removed in early February 2024 but was returned in late March 2024 to its much-visited spot.

The handmade stainless steel bench was forged in the city by Gateway Steel Fabrications and features images of Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward with the words "Geezer. Ozzy. Tony. Bill. Made in Birmingham 1968" etched on it.

BLACK SABBATH super-fan Mohammed Osama came up with the idea and worked closely with Westside Business Improvement District on the project.

The bench's artwork was created by Egyptian artist Tarek Abdelkawi.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Ozzy's family reality television show "The Osbournes" won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.

In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.

Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song "I Don't Want To Change The World".

Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife's previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.

Last night (Thursday, July 24),TESLA bassist and founding member Brian Wheat joined BAD MARRIAGE on stage in Webster, New York, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that Wheat and Tommy Skeoch — BAD MARRIAGE lead guitarist and original TESLA member — have performed live together. Wheat, Skeoch and the rest of BAD MARRIAGE ripped through the TESLA classics "Rock Me To The Top" and "Little Suzi".

BAD MARRIAGE bassist Todd Boisvert shared video of the reunion and wrote in an accompanying caption: "I don't give my bass up to anyone.. but when Brian Wheat wants to jam with his brother Tommy Skeoch on stage I will relent...first time in almost 20 years..."

The new album from BAD MARRIAGE, "Match Made In Hell", is slated for release soon via Ron Keel's RFK Media label.

Five months ago, Wheat brought up his current relationship with Skeoch while speaking to Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk about his friendship with former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes. He said:  "Me and Chris are gonna do a band or a project, whatever you wanna call it, together. And Tommy has agreed to do it as well. So the three of us have talked about putting together a project, band, whatever you wanna call it this day and age, but me and Chris have already started to work on some songs. And I know me and Tommy know how to write songs together 'cause we did a lot in TESLA. So the next step would be to get me and Tommy and Chris together, whether it's on a Zoom, working together like that or whatever, and write some material, and then find a singer that would be the right singer for that project.

"But, yeah, me and Chris are pretty good buddies," Brian continued. "We see each other when I'm at my house in Italy. He's there all the time. He lives in France. And I'm in Florida now for the winter. Tommy's in Florida. So we've all talked about it. So it's just when we get around to doing it. And it's just carving out a time where Chris isn't busy doing MEAN MAN, I'm not doing TESLA or VIOLET BREED, and Tommy's not doing BAD MARRIAGE.

"I'm looking forward to it, because I like Chris and I wanna work with Tommy again," Wheat added.

In February 2022, Skeoch, who left TESLA in 2006 to receive treatment for substance-abuse issues, reconnected with Wheat for the first time in more than a decade and a half aboard that year's Monsters Of Rock cruise. The charter cruise featured performances by Skeoch's then-band RESIST & BITE while Wheat was onboard showing his art.

In an interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Skeoch was asked if he exited TESLA of his own accord or if he was asked to leave. Tommy said: "I was fired. I was getting fucked up and I was definitely in the wrong about a lot of stuff, and they put up with it for a long time. But at the same time, none of us were angels, and we put up with a lot of stuff from the other guys for a long time too, and they're still there. So I felt like a little scapegoated by the thing. And the other thing is they didn't want people — I guess for the benefit of my family, so it wouldn't look bad — they said, 'Tommy's just gonna spend time [with his family].' That's why nobody knows, and that's why you're asking this question. Everyone's confused on even what happened. Basically, I was fired. I was getting fucked up, and I kept fucking up, and I kept telling 'em I wouldn't, and I just couldn't stop."

Skeoch added that he accepts responsibility for the circumstances that led to his departure from TESLA. "I do, of course," he said. "But I also believe we put up with a lot of shit for a long time from almost every other guy in the band, and they're still there. So I don't know what's up with that; that's a little weird to me."

Skeoch was a founding member of TESLA and played on the Sacramento five-piece defining albums, including 1986 debut "Mechanical Resonance" and 1990's "Five Man Acoustical Jam".

Tommy, who was fired due to substance abuse issues in 1994, rejoined when TESLA reformed more than two and a half decades ago following a brief hiatus.

JUDAS PRIEST was rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton on stage during the band's concert Friday night (July 25) at The O2 in London, United Kingdom. Tipton appeared with PRIEST for the final song of the group's set, performing "Living After Midnight". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease more than 10 years ago — after being stricken by the progressive neurodegenerative disorder at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" and "Invincible Shield" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

In April 2024, Tipton spoke to Total Guitar magazine about his contributions to PRIEST's latest album, "Invincible Shield". He said: "I played what I could and am very proud of the whole album. Richie [Faulkner, fellow PRIEST guitarist] helped a lot. I think his strongest attribute is his ability to adapt to different styles whilst maintaining his own very strong character. PRIEST require a guitarist who can shift from out-and-out metal to more melodic tracks."

Glenn continued: "Obviously the drawback for me now is Parkinson's, and I've had to pass a lot of work onto his shoulders. I keep pushing myself because I believe in 'no surrender'. This disease won't beat me, and I will continue writing and playing for as long as I can."

Faulkner also spoke to Total Guitar about "Invincible Shield" and how it was affected by Tipton's illness. He said: "With Glenn's situation, he wasn't playing as much lead as before. But that's okay, we didn't want that to impede the process. If Glenn was having a good day, he'd play the part. If he couldn't, I'd do it.

"We didn't want him to worry," Faulkner explained. "He brought songs to the table like 'Sons Of Thunder' which is a classic three-minute track in the style of 'Hell Bent For Leather'. Glenn is the master of that stuff. He was as involved as he could be and it was important for us to involve him."

In a separate interview with Bryan Reesman of The Aquarian, Faulkner spoke about Tipton's contributions to "Invincible Shield". Asked how many ideas Glenn worked on and how Richie collaborated with him on all the guitar parts, Faulkner said: "We all go away separately after a tour and put down riff ideas and song ideas and melody ideas. He was the same, really, so when we get in a room together — me, Glenn and Rob [Halford, vocals] — we get those ideas out. We put those ideas on the table, we play them back for each other. Glenn did the same. He had a few more ideas that were more developed — 'Sons Of Thunder', 'Escape From Reality', 'Vicious Circle', stuff like that — so we worked on those. It was no different in that regard. He was able to sit in a studio [to] take time and play the ideas that he was putting forward. And when he had an idea and we were together, if he couldn't play it that day, then he would translate it through me and we'd hash it out.

"If Glenn can play it, then he'll play it, and if he can't play it, then I'll take on the workload," Richie explained. "I mean, what's wrong with that? I'm a guitar player and I'm a fan. I love the guys. That's your duty — if something needs to be done, guitar or otherwise, you do it. You step up, you know? That applied to the recording, as well. There are some things on there that he played, and he could write. It was important to us to involve him, and it probably was just as important for him to be involved as much as he could after doing it and being a genre-defining guitar player for the last 50 years."

Asked where Glenn's soloing pops up on "Invincible Shield", Richie said: "Glenn's influence is more than just the solos. There are solos on 'Sons Of Thunder' and 'Vicious Circle', and it goes beyond that. As we said before, the little twists and turns musically… and the vibe. When you play songs and solos by both K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton on an intimate level for 13 years, I don't think you can help but have that become part of your DNA, as well, so I think you can hear stuff from Glenn in my playing as well as what I've learned from him in the last 13 years. On something like 'Panic Attack', there are some sweep picking stuff that was never part of my repertoire. Playing songs like 'Painkiller' on an intimate level becomes part of your repertoire, so it shows up on the record. So apart from the songwriting ideas he had, the songs he had, some of the solos he had, it's in my playing as well. He's infiltrated my DNA in that sense — along with Ken [K.K.], of course, and along with Zakk [Wylde] and Michael Schenker and people like that. I think [Glenn's] influence can't be overstated either."

In his first interview since revealing his condition in early 2018, Glenn, who turned 77 last October, told Guitar World magazine about his diagnosis: "It was upsetting, but I wasn't really shocked because I sort of thought it was Parkinson's. I probably hoped it wasn't but the doctor said it was."

Regarding being told by the doctor that he had likely already had the disease for between 10 and 15 years, Glenn said: "Hearing that I already had Parkinson's for a long time made me even more determined to fight. I could still play, so I just continued recording and touring."

About a month before the opening date of PRIEST's "Firepower" tour, Tipton realized he could not guarantee that he would be able to execute an energetic, precision performance with the band night after night and "decided that it was really going to be too much for me," he told Guitar World. "With the medication and the time zone changes and everything else, I realized it was time to retire — from touring at least. I don't ever want to compromise JUDAS PRIEST. It's too big a part of my life.”

"Invincible Shield" arrived in March 2024 via Sony Music.

BREAKING BENJAMIN singer Benjamin Burnley performed an acoustic rendition of Ozzy Osbourne's classic "Mama, I'm Coming Home" with FLYLEAF vocalist Lacey Sturm and her husband Josh on July 22 at Egyptian Room at Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana. Video of the performance can be seen below. Captured live just hours after Ozzy's death during Benjamin, Lacey and Josh's intimate unplugged tour, this heartfelt cover blends raw emotion, stripped-down instrumentation and soaring harmonies in a tribute to one of rock's most iconic ballads.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Ozzy's family reality television show "The Osbournes" won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.

In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.

Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song "I Don't Want To Change The World".

Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.

Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife's previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin (courtesy of Premier)

Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT opened their concert this past Tuesday (July 22) at Cascades Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington with a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Children Of The Grave" in tribute to SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne, who died earlier that day. Video of the performance can be seen below.

Last month, VOLBEAT guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen was asked during an appearance on The Mistress Carrie Podcast what the music of heavy metal legends BLACK SABBATH has meant to him over the years. He responded: "Everything. Because BLACK SABBATH was the main reason why I started playing guitar. That was listening and discovering BLACK SABBATH. And it's still that band that keeps inspiring, no matter what music I do for whatever band. They are eternal and they are the godfathers for a reason. [They have had] so many great albums, classic albums, and very interesting lineups as well. So they meant a lot to me and still do."

In a December 2021 interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Poulsen credited BLACK SABBATH with inspiring some of the music on VOLBEAT's eighth studio album, "Servant Of The Mind", which came out earlier that month via Republic Records.

"If you look at the more heavy side of the material, it's obvious that's a lot of old BLACK SABBATH inspiration — more from the [Ronnie James] Dio past and from the Tony Martin [era] of BLACK SABBATH," he said. "I do love the Ozzy [Osbourne] material, but you can definitely hear the inspiration from the BLACK SABBATH Dio and Tony Martin era."

Back in January 2020, Poulsen picked BLACK SABBATH's "Black Sabbath" a one of the 10 songs that changed his life. He explained to Kerrang! magazine: "My mom's brother lived next door to us, so I went through his record collection and found an album with a sleeve that scared the crap out of me. It was a woman in a graveyard or something, and he told me I was way too young to listen to it. So when he was out, I snuck into his house and put the record on, and that was my introduction to BLACK SABBATH. That was the song that made me want to dig into that scene. Hearing that opening riff made me want my first guitar."

VOLBEAT's ninth album, "God Of Angels Trust", was released on June 6 via longtime label Vertigo/Universal.

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

Kermit The Frog has paid tribute to his "friend" Ozzy Osbourne after the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer's passing on July 22.

"No one rocked harder than the great Ozzy Osbourne," the iconic green fog, who was created and performed by the late Jim Henson, said in a social media post. "We loved working with him on our album 'Kermit: Unpigged'. He recorded 'Born To Be Wild' with Miss Piggy — the perfect song for both of them!"

"Every time we bumped into Ozzy over the years, he made us feel just as cool as he was," Kermit's post continued.

"We loved having a friend like Ozzy Osbourne and we feel so lucky to have known him, worked with him and experienced his music for so many decades."

The official post's caption read: "Thanks to the Prince of Darkness for the music and the memories. Remembering our friend Ozzy Osbourne."

Ozzy's version of "Born To Be Wild" for "Kermit: Unpigged" was recorded in 1994.

Ozzy appeared alongside Kermit The Frog at the Golden Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, and posed for a press photo with Kermit that recalled his tendency for biting animal heads.

Ozzy and Sharon appeared on the May 13, 2005 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" with Fozzie Bear and Rizzo The Rat who were there promoting "The Muppets' Wizard Of Oz".

Ozzy died Tuesday morning (July 22),his family announced in a statement.

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time," the family said.

No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.

Ozzy's death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band's original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.

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Modern rock supergroup THE FELL, featuring legendary bassist Billy Sheehan, multi-platinum producer Mike "K." Krompass, and Australian vocal powerhouse Toby Rand, returns with an electrifying new single, "Killswitch", a crushing, high-voltage anthem that melds the golden age of rock with a modern-day edge.

An accompanying music video for "Killswitch" will arrive on July 30.

"Killswitch" will also be available in Dolby Atmos mix via Apple, Amazon and Tidal on August 15.

"Killswitch" is about reclaiming control, cutting off the noise, shutting down manipulation, and powering through chaos with conviction, says the band. It's a rally cry for anyone who's ever felt pushed to the edge. The track pulses with massive guitars, blistering bass, and bone-crushing drums, wrapped in a wall of sound that nods to the best of late '80s and '90s rock while punching hard with a polished modern edge. This is not nostalgia, this is evolution.

THE FELL's powerhouse lineup features legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH, SONS OF APOLLO),multi-platinum producer, songwriter, and guitar player Mike "K." Krompass (SMASH MOUTH, NELLY FURTADO, EVERYBODY LOVES AN OUTLAW, DEAD ROMANTIC) and vocal powerhouse Toby Rand (ROCKSTAR: SUPERNOVA, JUKE KARTEL, ASHEN MOON),whose dynamic voice soars over a backdrop of "Killswitch"'s grinding riffs and thunderous grooves. Sheehan delivers his signature low-end firepower with acrobatic flair, while Krompass's massive guitar tones and razor-sharp production elevate the track to arena-sized proportions. Rounding out the lineup is elite session drummer Nick Chiarore (DEAD ROMANTIC),whose explosive drumming brings relentless precision and raw intensity. Chiarore's chops can be heard on recordings with Slash and Steve Vai.

Another single, "Face Out", will be released on September 12, followed by "Trippin'" on October 24, plus a new version of THE FELL's past hit "Footprints" (with Toby on vocals) on November 28.

On October 24, the "Killswitch" EP will be released by Crown X Recordings/BCMG Recordings in special packaging containing both CD and laser-etched LP. It will feature four streaming singles plus a new version of "Dancin' On A Glass Floor" that will remain exclusive to this release. A limited number of band-signed deluxe editions will be available through their webstore.

Watch for the announcement of record-release shows in late October.