A one-off world-exclusive CANDLEMASS concert featuring the band's former vocalist Messiah Marcolin took place on September 13 at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival Greece in Athens, Greece. It marked Marcolin's first performance with CANDLEMASS in nearly 20 years.

Speaking to Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, Messiah stated about the concert (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That was some fantastic show with CANDLEMASS at the Rock Hard Festival Greece. I wanna thank all the fans from all around the world who traveled from 40 different countries — big, big thanks from the heart. And also all the Greek fans, who traveled all across Greece to come there. It was, like — I don't know — 4,500 people [going] crazy and everyone was singing and it was so much fun — singing, screaming, doom dancing, just the way it should be. So I'm very happy about it. And a big thank you."

Asked how it felt to be back on stage with CANDLEMASS after almost two decades, Messiah said: "It felt like it was yesterday [that we had last played together]. It was 20 years [earlier], but it felt like yesterday. It was the same thing when we did… I was with CANDLEMASS from 1987 till 1991. Then I quit the band the first time. And then we did a reunion again in 2002, and I quit again in 2006. So in total I've been with them for eight years, but those, I think, I guess 12 years in between, it felt like time hadn't passed. When we start playing, it's just, like — I don't know — it's magic. Some bands, they have that when they play together; there's something special that comes with it. And CANDLEMASS always had that. Even since the first gig back in 1987 in Jönköping in Sweden — it was our very first concert, and we start the show with 'Crystal Ball' and all of a sudden punk rockers and everyone starts jumping on the stage, getting crazy. There's something special about when the five of us play together. So that's very cool. It's always been like that. It just works. I don't know how to describe it. It just works. It works really well. Off stage is another thing."

Asked if he was nervous before the Rock Hard Festival Greece show, Messiah said: "No, I don't get nervous. Of course, you get a little excited before the show, but I don't get nervous. I'm more excited. I want to kill. [Laughs] I don't want to kill, but I feel like I wanna kill. You want to do the best. Then, of course, your body doesn't act the same way as 20 years ago. I fell on my ass. What are you gonna do? The balance is not the same. All I can do is practice tai chi or something and try to get a better balance.

"With me and CANDLEMASS, it's like the family Addams," he explained. "If Uncle Fester goes away for 20 years and then he comes back and he's all weird — that's what it was like."

Regarding how he prepared for the Rock Hard Festival Greece performance, Messiah said: "People would say to me, 'Oh, good luck in Athens, good luck.' And I said, 'No, there's no luck. It's hard work.' I'd been practicing singing for almost every day for five months. So it all comes down to determination and hard work, 'cause you need that. 'Cause when you fall on the stage, like I did, or some technical thing, you can't hear yourself or whatever, then you need the muscle memory. So you must be prepared. And also I'm lazy. I don't sing all the time. I only sing when I have to. But I really got in shape for this one gig — five months, that's a lot of work. But it was all worth it in the end because the fans got a great show. And it was really fun."

Marcolin also talked about the possibility of more performances with CANDLEMASS in the future, saying: "I never said this is the only one show we're gonna do — Leif [Edling, CANDLEMASS bassist and main songwriter] said that. But I would tell all the promoters of the world, get in contact with CANDLEMASS's manager, Mr. Olé Bang, and try to book CANDLEMASS featuring Messiah Marcolin, because I just think it's such a shame for all the CANDLEMASS fans in the world not to be able to see [us play], the ones who couldn't be there [in Greece]. That's how I feel. I don't know how they feel. They're probably tired of me already, but I just think it would be great. If they can treat us as well, these promoters and the big festivals in Europe and all around the world, in Japan — I don't know — everywhere, if they can treat us as well as Rock Hard Festival Greece did, I see no problem with playing any more shows. 'Cause we're all getting old, and I'm the youngest — I'm 57. I'll always be the youngest. But anyway, what I'm saying is I don't see a reason for it not to happen again. For me, it's kind of like the vintage CANDLEMASS."

Asked if he has discussed with the members of CANDLEMASS the possibility of him playing more shows with the band, Messiah said: "No, because Leif went out and said 'no more shows' and this and that. But maybe they'll change their mind if we get some really good offers from around the world, treating us as well as Rock Hard Festival Greece did, maybe they'll change their minds. I would think now is the time to book the big festivals of 2026, next summer. So I think they should give it a try, even if it's just one or two. Who knows? At least it's something."

CANDLEMASS's setlist for the Rock Hard Festival Greece show was as follows:

01. The Well Of Souls
02. Dark Are The Veils Of Death
03. Mirror Mirror
04. Darkness In Paradise
05. Bewitched
06. Samarithan
07. Black Dwarf
08. Crystal Ball
09. A Sorcerer's Pledge

Encore:

10. At The Gallows End
11. Solitude

Fan-filmed video of the gig can be seen below.

Back in May, Edling reiterated that the band's reunion concert with Marcolin would be a one-off event, with no chance of further dates being added. In an interview with Rock Hard Greece, Edling stated about CANDLEMASS's concert with Messiah: "Well, it feels great. And we [are celebrating CANDLEMASS's] 40-year anniversary with many happenings, so this is one of the happenings that we have. So we have a special EP out with a couple of tracks, and we will have a special line of merchandise out. And we will do special shows in Sweden, and we will also do the thing with Messiah Marcolin in Athens. So there's several ways we can celebrate. We put a lot of old photos up on social media right now, for example, and I think there's a documentary about CANDLEMASS being filmed during the year as well. So, we celebrate in many ways."

Regarding the possibility of more concerts with Messiah being added, Leif said: "Yeah, it will be a one-off show. Absolutely. And we have no recording plans, we have no reunion plans. There are no plans whatsoever but just one show and one show only. So that's the entire thought behind it. Go down to Greece where we have a lot of true fans, loyal fans, and have a blast. Play a great show and enjoy ourselves for the 40-year anniversary's sake. Not many bands survive to have a 40-year anniversary. So we feel very lucky that we have managed to survive this long."

Asked if he saw the concert in Athens as "the perfect closure" of CANDLEMASS's chapter with Messiah, Leif said: "I think we had a closure, like, 20 years ago, actually. [Laughs] I mean, we didn't know that we would survive one year after Messiah left. And we didn't know that we would be playing 20 years after. So this is a bonus. And it's a bonus for all the people that would like to see us live with Messiah. So why not? Let's do it. Let's have fun for an evening in Athens."

During the chat, Leif also reflected on some of the "biggest challenges" CANDLEMASS's career, particularly in the first couple of decades of the band's existence. He said: "Well, difficult times — I guess it was when Messiah left the first time, and also the second time. It's not easy for a band to recover after that. We had quite a few changes of singers, and every time you make a singer replacement, you go through a difficult time. But it's been 40 years, so I think it's also kind of a natural thing, when you have such a long career. So, I don't think of it as we have a band with a lot of problems or anything. I mean, if you change a singer every eight years or whatever, I think that's quite natural that some members come and go. If it's not the singer, maybe it's the guitar player or the bass player or the drummer. So this happens in every band on the planet — they change the personnel. But we have four people playing for 40 years together — me, Jan [Lindh, drums], Mats [Björkman, guitar] and Lars [Johansson, guitar]. And now we have Johan [Längqvist, vocals] back in the band, and it's fucking fantastic. So I think we are very lucky to have survived these 40 years, and we are lucky enough to still be regarded as a headliner band or co-headliner band. And we play great shows for a lot of people. And every gig we play, we have all the hands in the air and people are cheering. So it makes me feel fucking fantastic every time, because you still attract people, you still make people happy with your music. That's absolutely fantastic."

In an interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Längqvist (a.k.a. Johan Langquist) was asked if he would be a part of CANDLEMASS's performance featuring Messiah. He responded: "No, I'm not a part of that performance, because the Greeks, they loved CANDLEMASS from the very beginning, and we are very popular in Greece. And I think the reason is because [Messiah] has a part of their history, the music listeners in Greece. So I do respect they wanted us to do a gig with Messiah."

Johan continued: "What can I say? I wish him the best. And he was a character in the band and we've actually met two nights together, partying together. And I wish him the best. I hope they're gonna make a great show down there. Yeah, that's it."

As the godfathers of epic doom metal, CANDLEMASS defined the genre with releases such as "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986) and "Nightfall" (1987). Through their evil riffs, crushing rhythmic attack and dramatic vocals, they changed the landscape of metal worldwide. Led by Edling, CANDLEMASS reunited with Längqvist in 2018, 32 years after the singer performed on "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus".

Längqvist originally exited CANDLEMASS after "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" and was replaced by Marcolin.

Marcolin left CANDLEMASS for the presumably final time in 2006, one year after the release of the band's self-titled album. He was later replaced by Robert Lowe (SOLITUDE AETURNUS),who sang on the band's "King Of The Grey Islands" (2007),"Death Magic Doom" (2009) and "Psalms For The Dead" (2012) LPs. CANDLEMASS's frontman between 2012 and 2018 was Mats Levén, who previously recorded and toured with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and THERION. Seven years ago, CANDLEMASS fired Levén and rehired Längqvist.

Back in October 2022, Messiah and longtime CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman joined Canadian metallers ANVIL on stage at the Slaktkyrkan venue in Stockholm, Sweden to perform the classic ANVIL song "Metal On Metal". The event marked the first time in 16 years that the two musicians performed together.

CANDLEMASS's latest EP, "Black Star", came out in May via Napalm Records.

Johan's solo project JOHAN LANGQUIST THE CASTLE released its self-titled debut album on CD and vinyl on June 27 via I Hate Records. The record was initially made available digitally without a label in 2024.

CANDLEMASS's mark on the genre and their legacy can be heard in bands such as OPETH, GHOST and PARADISE LOST. In 2019 CANDLEMASS were nominated for a U.S. Grammy Award with the album "The Door To Doom". One could say that CANDLEMASS reached a full-circle moment when BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi played a solo on one of the tracks on the record.

CANDLEMASS was formed in 1984 in Upplands Väsby, Sweden, by bassist and main songwriter Edling. The band quickly became pioneers of a slower, heavier, and darker style of metal that came to be known as doom metal — a direct sonic descendant of BLACK SABBATH, but with its own epic and gothic twist. Their debut album, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986),is today considered a genre-defining classic, but at the time it flew under the radar. Ironically, the album's status grew over the years, making it one of the most celebrated and influential doom metal albums of all time. In 1987, the band recruited Marcolin, whose operatic, vibrato-rich singing style and monk-like stage persona became an identifiable part of CANDLEMASS's visual and sonic identity. With Messiah on board, CANDLEMASS released the albums "Nightfall" (1987),"Ancient Dreams" (1988) and "Tales Of Creation" (1989) — a trilogy that cemented their legacy and built a loyal international fanbase.

In a new interview with Anthony Bryant of The Hair Metal Guru, EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the Swedish band's long-awaited next LP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "It's been a while now since we recorded the last album; 2017 [is when] 'Walk The Earth' came out. And it doesn't feel like it's — whatever — seven years or eight years since it was released, because — I don't know — the older you get, the faster time spins, I guess. But we now finally are gonna release a new album next year, and we're gonna record it starting in October this year."

Asked if all the songs for EUROPE's new album have already been written, Ian said: "Yeah, most of it is done, I would say. I think we have more than that covers an album. And you know what?! The great thing with having seven years between the albums is that we had time to really collect great material. So there's no sense of rushing around these songs. And the good thing with not having Sony Records dictating is that we can pick exactly the songs we want to, we own the recordings. We just bring them — like LED ZEPPELIN did in the '60s; they'd bring the master and say, 'This is it. Take it or leave it.' So we're living after that formula these days."

Regarding whether EUROPE has already decided on a title for the upcoming album, Ian said: "No. Well, we've been kind of feeling it out a little. There are some titles that might be suitable for album titles. But we also have the feeling that the album title usually presents itself during the process. Once you get into the studio and you start recording, you get that, 'Oh, wow. This is a good album name.' But I have to say, and it's not trying to sell the new album, but I have to say at this stage I never heard this many awesome song ideas or finished songs as we have for this forthcoming album. It's gonna be really a case of 'kill your darlings' when we start recording it. At this early stage still, they feel like very well thought-through creations with compositions within composition, if you know what I mean. Solo parts that are composed as a totally new part. It's really inspiring. Yeah, I think this is gonna be the fucking greatest album ever. [Laughs]"

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new EUROPE material, Ian said: "I have to say this album is more of a sort of an homage to the '80s in the sense of, I would say, a lot more, a lot more melodic ideas and, as I said, melodic — not solos, but melodies that carry the song. So, yeah, it's more of an homage to the '80s, I would say. It's really exciting."

This past April, EUROPE singer Joey Tempest told Colombia's Radioacktiva about the fact that it's been eight years since he and his bandmates released their last studio album: "Honestly, we've never had this long break — ever. I mean, when we did 'Bag Of Bones' [2012], 'War Of Kings' [2015] and 'Walk The Earth', those three albums, they were, like, boom, boom, boom, touring all the way. And then all of a sudden COVID hit and we had some extra time. And then it kind of felt okay to leave it a bit and to live with the ideas, to write new stuff. And that's why this [upcoming EUROPE] album's gonna be special. These songs we lived with for a while — they're strong and there's some strong melodies. And it's gonna make this album special, that it has this extra time. But we've been touring ever since, as you know. So we're always on the road, but we haven't been in the studio, and we're going in this autumn, and that's gonna be a big moment."

Earlier that same month, Haugland was asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira how EUROPE's longtime fans have reacted to the band's recent studio output, which has followed a more blues/classic rock direction instead of the poppy hard rock from the group's most commercially successful years. Ian responded: "Some of the more sort of '80s lovers, they have some — I shouldn't say 'negative' thoughts, but they miss the old EUROPE, as they say. [They tell us], 'You should write more melodic songs' or whatever. But I think our thoughts [have] always been [that] the most important thing for the band to move on is to not only move on and play the old songs, but to give ourselves the space to develop as musicians, as a band, with trying different sounds out. And I think we've been on a musical journey.'

He continued: "The last couple of albums have been more towards the bluesier hard rock. And now the latest one, which actually came eight years ago, 'Walk The Earth', is a lot inspired by our roots, like RAINBOW and [LED] ZEPELIN and DEEP PURPLE. So it's more of that. And right now we're writing songs for a new album that is gonna be recorded later this year. And I think that now we're maybe more back to the melodic EUROPE, sort of. So we're on the journey swaying from different styles and angles. And I think it's important for us to be able to develop all the time. But I would say most of our fans are positive to our development."

Also in April, Tempest confirmed to Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda that he and his EUROPE bandmates were working on new material. "It's been a long while," he said. "We've never had this long of a break before — ever. We always move from tour into the studio, tour into the studio. I mean, 'Bag Of Bones', 'War Of Kings' and 'Walk The Earth', it was a period in our lives, a very energetic period. But we've been touring ever since, though, ever since 'Walk The Earth'. But we haven't been in the studio. I mean, it started a bit with the, the period of COVID, that made us sort of start over again. In a way, it was good for writing because I could start from scratch. There was more time all of a sudden. There was not, like, 'Let's record an album because we've gotta get back on the road.' We had time all of a sudden. So this is what makes the new album interesting. In a way, it feels like a debut album because it has had life. We had to live with ideas for years. And that's how debut albums are with bands, 'cause bands are out touring and they have written the songs and they live with them, they play them. And it feels a bit like that. It feels fresh, this new EUROPE album."

In March, Joey told El Expreso Del Rock that the musical direction of the upcoming EUROPE LP won't be similar to that of "Walk The Earth" and "War Of Kings". He said: "No, it'll move on. It'll be a new adventure. But I realize, hearing some of the demos we make now, that it's really strong, [with] great melodies. Some of it's really heavy as well. But there's also some connection to the past.

"I'm writing with everyone," he revealed. "I'm writing with John [Norum, guitar], I'm writing with John [Levén, bass] and Mic [Michaeli, keyboards]. And there's beautiful melodies there as well. I'm really excited. There's some great songs coming on. And it's been a while, so we've had time to live with the music, almost like a debut album, almost like the first album, because we have years to live with the songs. We know some of them are really strong because they have staying power; they've stayed for years now. So yeah, this could be an interesting album.

"Yeah, we just like to go on our own adventure, but always carry your past with you," he explained. "That's the thing."

In September 2023, EUROPE released a new song titled "Hold Your Head Up". The track, which was described by the band as "a punchy uptempo rocker with reminiscent elements of early EUROPE," was recorded in August 2023 at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with producer Klas Åhlund (GHOST, ROBYN) and was mixed by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, DEF LEPPARD),who also mixed EUROPE's "Secret Society" album.

In an interview with Metal Global, Tempest was asked why he and his EUROPE bandmates decided to record and release just one song at this time. Tempest said: "We wanted to get this ready before the [fall 2023 European] tour and the [upcoming EUROPE] documentary. So we focused on this song so we could have something out together with the tour and the documentary. That's why we released one song now. But we have a handful of songs — great ideas."

Regarding the experience of working with Åhlund this time around, Joey said: "It was a great experience. We all liked it. The whole band would like to do more stuff with him. We don't know whether he's gonna be the producer of the [upcoming EUROPE] album yet, but... No, we don't know yet. I mean, it would be an interesting idea, actually. But we haven't decided yet. But we were very happy finding him and working with him. He's very professional, and he's also listened to EUROPE when he was younger and so he knows how we think. And the procedure with him was amazing. It went really smooth, and he's a very talented, very talented man. He's a guitar player as well."

Joey also talked about the musical direction of "Hold Your Head Up", which Botas noted is a combination of the classic EUROPE sound and the band's more recent, bluesier approach. The singer said: "I think it's a good mixture in the song. We never really set out to do that. It was an idea I had, and I sent it to the guys and everybody was, like, 'Yeah, that's great. Let's do that.' So, it's a natural progression, but I think you're right. I think it's a little bit of some melodies, especially in the verses, in the end of the verses there, there's melodies that remind you of some of the earlier stuff. But maybe the chorus and the riff a little bit, it's also quite fresh and more modern, I suppose. So yeah, it's got a bit of everything, but it still sounds like EUROPE, which is really cool."

"Hold Your Head Up" was made available to stream and download on September 29, 2023 across all reputable digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple, iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora and YouTube Music.

"Walk The Earth" was released in October 2017 via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).

Photo credit: Fredrik Etoall

A new book, "Always Moving - The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod", celebrates the extraordinary 40-plus-year career of Canada's cosmic metal visionaries VOIVOD. Author Jeff Wagner draws from exclusive interviews with band members, managers, producers, record label reps, family, peers, and musicians profoundly shaped by VOIVOD's ever-mutating sound to tell their full, fascinating story.

Set to ship the week of November 17, "Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod" is presented as a monumental oral history woven with Wagner's narrative. "Always Moving" casts a bright arc light on every creative era — from the raw chaos of the early years to the tech-prog heights, through tragedy, reinvention, and ultimate triumph.

At 540 pages (with a 12-page color spread),this 7.75" x 10" tome is the most comprehensive chronicle of VOIVOD ever assembled — essential for every diehard Voivodian, on this planet or any other.

"Always Moving - The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod" is described as an official history of Canadian progressive metal band VOIVOD. Written with the full cooperation of the band, and drawing from interviews with bandmembers past and present, past and present managers, record label employees, peer musicians and musicians influenced by the band and their 40-year evolution.

"Always Moving - The Strange Multiverse Of Voivod" is Wagner's fourth book. He previously authored "Destination Onward - The Story Of Fates Warning" (2022); "Soul On Fire - The Life And Music Of Peter Steele" (2014); and "Mean Deviation - Four Decades Of Progressive Heavy Metal" (2010). He has worked for record labels such as Relapse, InsideOut, Century Media and The End. From 1997 to 2001 he was an editor at Metal Maniacs magazine. He lives in Greensboro with his wife and several furry animal children.

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

VOIVOD found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989),which is the band's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114.

VOIVOD's long-awaited official documentary, "We Are Connected", received its world premiere in July 2024 at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Canada.

VOIVOD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Morgöth Tales", which was released in July 2023 via Century Media, The Orchard and Sony Music.

The band's 2022 release, "Synchro Anarchy", garnered significant acclaim, winning the 2023 Juno Award for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Album" in Canada.

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, "Morgöth Tales" includes fresh studio re-recordings by the band's current lineup of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band's hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song and the album's title track, "Morgöth Tales".

Photo credit: Catherine Deslauriers

🚀📖 New Voïvod Book Incoming! 📖🚀

*** EDIT ***
There was an error at first on the site with the shipping prices. It has...

Posted by Voivod on Tuesday, September 30, 2025

In a new interview with Get On The Bus, veteran Swedish hard rock and heavy metal drummer Mikkey Dee, who landed the job as the drummer for SCORPIONS in 2016 after spending almost 25 years as a member of MOTÖRHEAD, reflected on his time with the Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister-fronted outfit. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Lemmy was] probably the most intelligent guy I know or [have] known. Here's a man that I describe as my father, my grandfather, my younger brother, even my younger sister sometimes. He was so simple and so easy to deal with because you already know, which made it hard and easy. And I have to explain that because… I was very much involved with the band — we all were equally involved — but if I had something, I had to go… I was maybe more involved with the business. Business came to me. I went to the boys, and the boys came to me, 'Oh, can you talk to' whatever? So I was kind of in the middle a little bit. And I asked Lemmy something, and I already [knew] exactly what he would say. It was frustrating sometimes because if I thought he was wrong, because he was so simple in a way and he wouldn't compromise himself or the music or MOTÖRHEAD, and that's why we were what we were. But sometimes it was frustrating. We thought that we were right — sometimes we were right, sometimes we were wrong."

He continued: "I'll give you an idea. Long story short, we were in U.S. in full recording [mode], and we got offered to fly to Argentina for one show, and it was a very, very important show because it would've given us some really great festivals. And we got offered X amount of money, and we tried to scale [our production] down. We were gonna have drums supplied down there, Marshall stacks, fly [with] as little as we could and not bring in the full crew from all over the world. And I came to Lemmy and Lemmy said, 'Absolutely no.' And I go, 'Oh, come on. We can't afford to fly all our shit, bring in the whole crew. We're gonna lose hundreds of thousands of dollars here.' And I was on him and on him, and he got irritated about this, and I gave him reasons why we should do this. And he just gave me one reason, and he said, 'What's the fucking point, Mikkey, to go to Argentina and be MOTÖRHEAD and not sound like MOTÖRHEAD?' And I go, 'You know what, Lem? You're totally right. Let's not do it.' He won that one."

Dee went on to say that he appreciated and respected Lemmy's "simplicity". He explained: "You've probably seen in documentaries how he lived. He lived very simple, very tight. He had a million things [at his home]. You couldn't even get into his… You had a little trail like that. You look at some of these hoarder people. Lemmy had cool stuff, but it was so much, you could barely walk in there. And I said, 'Lem, why don't you get a three-, four-bedroom house instead?' He goes, 'What's the point, Mikkey? You can only be in one room at a time anyway.' [Laughs] How do you beat these one-liners? He was fantastic there. Like what he said, 'If you think you're too old for rock and roll, then you are.' Simple, straight, no bullshit, and that made him who he was. And I keep saying if everybody was like Lem, we wouldn't have any wars, we wouldn't have all this political correctness, all this bullshit that's suffocating humanity today. He was in for the fun and for the real rock and roll."

Lemmy died on December 28, 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.

MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy's poor health, although the band did manage to complete the aforementioned European tour a couple of weeks before his death.

In June 2020, it was announced that Lemmy would get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, "Lemmy", will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, "Lemmy".

A custom-made urn containing Lemmy's ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Back in May 2021, Dee told the "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" video podcast that Lemmy refused to quit touring in the weeks leading up to his death, even when his health was clearly deteriorating.

"We played the last show the 11th of December [of 2015] in Berlin, and he passed just [two] weeks later," Mikkey recalled. "And that tells you, the guy died with his boots on. And both me and Phil [Campbell, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist] were trying to talk him out of starting the second part of the European tour after Christmas. But there was no way in hell we could do that. And I said to Phil, 'Look, instead of arguing with Lemmy or pushing him not to do this,' because we said maybe we should break for a couple of months for him to catch his wind, basically. I said, 'Let's not push him anyway. Let him decide what he wants to do. He knows best what he wants to do.' And he wanted to be on stage. So we said, 'Let's just support him instead,' and that's what we did. But we never made it to the second leg of that European tour, unfortunately. It was the U.K. that was on the next part of it, I remember that."

Asked if he knew when he came home to Sweden that it would probably be the end for Lemmy, Mikkey said: "No. Not at all. Because I talked to Lemmy after that show in Berlin. We were all gonna go separate ways, obviously. I was gonna just fly out to Sweden, and Phil went back home to Wales. Lemmy was flying back to L.A., but I believe he was gonna fly to London and stay one night or two or so and say hi to friends and then fly back home. And I spoke to him right after the show. I went down to Lemmy's dressing room, and I said, 'All right. Go back to L.A. and figure out, maybe, another two songs from [MOTÖRHEAD's final album] 'Bad Magic' that you think that we should do. And we take out the two songs that we already played on this leg, and we put in two new songs from the record.' And he said, 'Yeah. All right. I'll check that out.' And I said, 'Let's hook up after Christmas.' Because it was the 11th of December at that time, and I figured we'd talk between Christmas and New Year's Eve and decide which two songs that we agreed on on playing on that next leg. And he said, 'Yeah, I'll go back and work on that.' And that was it. He had no intention of not coming back to Europe and touring. So we did a little finger hook, as we always did, and that was the last time I saw him, actually. Very sad."

Dee went on to say that Lemmy had made some changes in his life to improve his health after dealing with several issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble. "But my personal belief is that it was maybe a little too late," he said. "He should have maybe changed a little earlier. But knowing Lemmy, he was not for that. He was doing it his way or the highway, basically. And that made him to what he was. He never compromised with his music, he never compromised with friendship, he never compromised with what way he was gonna go for anyone else in that way, which is why MOTÖRHEAD was MOTÖRHEAD, and still is MOTÖRHEAD. But with that said, of course, the three of us were talking a lot about stuff, and it was not like he was some kind of a boss here. But we all worked so good together, and that's what created the magic, I would say."

Image credit: Sonor

Danish-Swedish quartet VOLA was joined by IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén on stage last night (Sunday, September 28) at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California for a performance of the song "Cannibal". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

The studio version of "Cannibal", which features Fridén on guest vocals, was included on VOLA's latest album, "Friend Of A Phantom", which came out in November 2024 via Mascot Records.

When "Cannibal" was first released as a single in September 2024, VOLA said in a statement: "VOLA's music is heavily shaped by melodic death metal, so having Anders Fridén from the legendary IN FLAMES featured on 'Cannibal' is a dream come true for us. We feel truly fortunate and are enormously proud of the result."

Fridén explained at the time how he got involved with the song, saying: "I have been a fan of VOLA since their first album. They are constantly evolving and, to me, are one of the most interesting bands out right now." He continued: "During the recording of our last album, I had the opportunity to meet the band and witness an incredible show at The Troubadour in L.A. Cut to a few months later, I was approached if I would be interested in being on a song for their next album. It was a yes without hesitation. It's an honor to be part of this monster of a song. Bang your head if you know what's good for you!"

VOLA elaborated on how the collaboration and song came about: "When we toured North America in the fall of 2023, Anders and Björn from IN FLAMES attended our concert at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. They came backstage before the show to chat with us, and it turned out they were big fans of the band. Quite a surreal experience, given that IN FLAMES have played a huge part in forming our musical DNA. When we came home from the tour, we dug deep into recording 'Friend Of A Phantom', and during that process, we began discussing whether 'Cannibal' would benefit from having guest vocals. We all agreed that having some really powerful screams in there would elevate the song, and having just created a bond with Anders meant that it was the easiest decision in the world to ask him if he wanted to be a part of the track. Anders quickly said yes to participate, and eventually, he both recorded vocals and came to Denmark to shoot the video with us. We were thrilled, to say the least!"

The song marries the euphoric and epic but complex and crushing sound that has become distinctively VOLA with a visually stunning video to accompany the song.

"Working with Vertigo and Riivata Visuals on the music video was incredible," VOLA adds. "We filmed the video in a gigantic hall in Denmark, with plenty of big lights and lasers, including a large triangle light at the back of the hall. To top it all off, Anders came to Denmark to join us and be part of the video. It was a fantastic experience, and the footage captured the heavy side of VOLA in its essence."

VOLA's 2025 North American headlining tour in support of "Friend Of A Phantom" launched on September 3 in Nashville, Tennessee and concluded in West Hollywood.

Prior to the LP's arrival, the quartet shared several singles, including "Paper Wolf", "Break My Lying Tongue", "I Don't Know How We Got Here" and the aforementioned "Cannibal".

Earlier this year, VOLA supported INTERVALS on the "Memory Palace Tour 2025".

VOLA's defining 2021 album "Witness" was a sonic assault that captured their signature blend of thoughtful labyrinthine narratives with crushing riffs and experimental sophistication. Heavy/quiet and dark/light were combined with elements of tech-metal, progressive alt-rock, electronica, and stadium-sized choruses.

They've since wrapped up several tours of the U.S., with several venues upgraded due to overwhelming demand, as well as sold-out shows in New York, Chicago and the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles. Their first tour of Canada resulted in sold-out shows in Toronto and Montreal, and they rounded off the continent with triumphant South American shows in Mexico, Brazil, and a sold-out show in Chile.

The quartet — Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar),Martin Werner (keys),Nicolai Mogensen (bass) and Adam Janzi (drums) — has been one of Europe's most exciting metal bands in recent years, catapulting them on to the international stage. They've become a formidable live draw that has seen them also tour with Devin Townsend, including playing the Royal Albert Hall in London. They've also opened for EVANESCENCE and played festivals such as ArcTanGent (U.K.),Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium),Tuska (Finland),Roskilde (Denmark),Copenhell (Denmark),CL Prog (Chile) and more.

VOLA's strength has always been combining a multitude of ideas within a single song, packing it in with a grandiose power that can be as ferocious as it can be delicate.

Known for their innovative approach to progressive metal, VOLA continues to captivate audiences with their blend of intense rhythmic complexity and poignant lyrical narratives. With this perpetual evolution, the pressure doesn't consume them. "There is always the pressure of continuing to climb the mountain," reflected Janzi. "Embracing change and whatever new chapters may wait around the corner is a way to make life more enjoyable."

VOLA is coming to the roxy this sunday, with their genre-bending blend of progressive metal and electronic soundscapes...

Posted by The Roxy Theatre on Thursday, September 25, 2025

In a new interview with WJFF Radio Catskill, HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson spoke about how she and her sister — HEART vocalist Ann Wilson — were able to discover their purpose in life early on and pursue their passion as professional musicians. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is really a lucky thing. I realize just more and more, the more advanced in age I become, it's, like, 'Wow.'

"I have 25-year-old twin boys, who right now are trying to find their joy, find their bliss, find their own path and their career path and try to figure out in their life what's gonna be fulfilling for them to do in the world in the workforce," Nancy continued. "And being as young as I was, and me and Ann both were, getting started in music so young, it was a calling. And Ann had this God-given talent of voice and I had this burning desire to become proficient on the guitar from nine years old. And so it was, like, the course was set. And I feel so completely grateful, blessed and lucky to have had that direction from such a young age and know what we wanted to do. And we were able to actually get out there, become the competent musicians at an early age, do all of the 10,000 hours that it takes to become competent to begin with and get out there and succeed on the roller coaster up and down."

On the topic of HEART's longevity, Nancy said: "Still, after 50 years, there's a legacy that exists that's really strong today. And the songs are really the hallmark of any music organization, any rock band out there, any band that people love. It's really for the songs. The songs are the things that lasts longer than we last. They're bigger than we are. So it's cool. You see so many bands that are not even original members that are out there, or just even tribute bands that get a lot of business because the songs are so important to people's lives. They're the soundtrack to people's lives and they are also healing — they help people heal and get through the hardships of our lives and songs are there for us in that way. So, it's just a joyful time in HEART for this legacy to be out, like I said, just sharing the magic."

Asked what it means to her to be considered an icon for women who wanted to step into an industry that is "often dominated by men", Nancy said: "It's so interesting because that question has been more and more frequent as we've gone along because there's been more and more change and more successful women out there in the business world, in the corporate world, in all levels of the workforce, including entertainment and music.

"We never walked into this thinking, like, 'We wanna break a glass ceiling,'" she explained. "We were just driven — because THE BEATLES came out when we were little kids, and THE BEATLES just drove us to our calling. It was just like we were aimed like a pistol from the minute… We already had music in our family — lots of singing and playing piano and harmony singing and ukuleles and aunts and uncles and grandparents — so we had all the gifts given to us in a musical family just to go straight into music with, and the calling was loud and clear. But the fact that we were women didn't even register in our minds at the beginning. We were just little kids, so we had no sexual identity to conform to at the beginning. So we just went ahead, like the military brats that we are — we just joined forces and took no prisoners. [Laughs]"

The 2025 leg of HEART's tour saw Ann, performing while seated in a wheelchair after she "busted" her "elbow in three places" prior to the launch of the trek.

HEART's "Royal Flush" tour kicked off on February 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The trek made stops in cities including Milwaukee, Montreal, Toronto, Boston and more before wrapping April 16 in New York City.

In March, HEART announced the "An Evening With Heart" spring/summer 2025 U.S. tour. The trek, which saw the band performing two separate sets each night, kicked off May 31 at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City and concluded on June 28 in Hollywood, Florida.

The current members of HEART feature Nancy Wilson (rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals),Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute),Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar),Ryan Waters (guitars),Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals),Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums and bike).

In December 2023, HEART played its first three concerts in more than four years — in Highland, California, at Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, and in Seattle, Washington.

Prior to HEART's December 27, 2023 show in Highland, the band's last performance took place in October 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

HEART toured North America in the summer of 2019 after a nasty split that kept the Wilson sisters estranged for three years.

HEART's 2013 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame saw Ann and Nancy reunited with the four musicians who helped HEART achieve its initial success in the mid-1970s — guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve Fossen, drummer Michael DeRosier and longtime guitarist-keyboardist Howard Leese.

The Wilson sisters' reunion with HEART's original lineup at the Rock Hall ceremony marked the first time the group played together in 34 years.

When Ann and Nancy formed HEART, the idea of two women leading a rock band was still groundbreaking. From the moment 1975's "Dreamboat Annie" was released, they became stars. With hits like "Magic Man", "Crazy On You", "Barracuda", "Alone", "What About Love" and "These Dreams", the band became one of the biggest hit-makers in the '70s and '80s, selling more than 35 million records. In 2012, their memoir "Kicking & Dreaming: A Story Of Heart, Soul And Rock & Roll" became a New York Times bestseller.

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", THREE DAYS GRACE bassist Brad Walst was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Damn, dude, that's hard. 'Master Of Puppets' is amazing, so I'm gonna go with that. That's just one of my more favorite albums, but that's a tough one."

Walst went on to say that he got a chance to see METALLICA "a couple of times" on the ongoing "M72" world tour, "and it just blew my mind, dude. And how they just pull out some of those old songs and just kill it. It's unbelievable," he said. "Insane, dude. Yeah. Kudos to them."

Asked by MikeZ if THREE DAYS GRACE ever got a chance to share the stage with METALLICA at various festivals over the years, Brad said: "On a few, yeah. And we are on the same management [Q Prime], so we're always kind of nudging management, 'Okay, when's our turn [to tour with METALLICA]? Let's go.' Which would be amazing. But they're great guys. And I think for us to see a band like that still going after so long, it's something to look up to and it's pretty awesome."

THREE DAYS GRACE's latest album, "Alienation", was released on August 22 via RCA Records. For the first time in over a decade, original THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier is back, joining Matt Walst on vocals along with Neil Sanderson (drums),Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (guitars).

THREE DAYS GRACE played its first full show with Gontier in 12 years on February 25 as the support act for DISTURBED on the U.S. leg of "The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour" at Ford Idaho Center Arena in Nampa, Idaho.

In 1992, Gontier, Brad Walst, Phil Crowe, Neil Sanderson and Joe Grant formed GROUNDSWELL while most of the members were still in high school. That band broke up in 1995, but two years later Gontier, Sanderson and Walst reformed as THREE DAYS GRACE. Gontier left the band in 2013 and was replaced by Matt, the vocalist from another Norwood band, MY DARKEST DAYS.

Gontier initially went into rehab in 2005 in Toronto after admitting an addiction to Oxycontin. The rehab stint influenced some material which would appear on THREE DAYS GRACE's "One-X" album, including the songs "Pain" and "Over And Over".

Gontier left THREE DAYS GRACE in the spring of 2013. At the time, the Canadian rockers cited unspecified "health issues" when his departure was announced. Adam later released a statement explaining he exited THREE DAYS GRACE to pursue new projects, and not to deal with addiction.

Gontier is also a member of SAINT ASONIA, which features STAIND guitarist/founding member Mike Mushok. The quartet is rounded out by Cale Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums).

Vocalist Lou Koller of New York hardcore legends SICK OF IT ALL, who underwent chemotherapy last year after being diagnosed with an esophageal tumor, says that his cancer has returned, four months after he was declared "cancer free".

Earlier today (Tuesday, September 30),Lou released a short video message via the SICK OF IT ALL social media in which he said:  "Hey, everybody. What's up? It's Lou here. I don't know if you could tell it's me, with my new skeletal look that I have going on.

"Here's an update for you. It's not what I wanna make, but, unfortunately, the cancer's come back and he brought some friends with him.

"I was having a really hard time with my recovery. I was having a tough time gaining weight and keeping food down. So I had some scans done, and sure enough, he is back. But we're gonna take it day by day and see what happens.

"I wanna thank you all again for your moral support. The way you all reach out to me still is very — thank you very much. But I'll keep you updated and let you know how it goes. All right? We'll see you soon."

A benefit concert supporting Koller's battle with esophageal cancer was held on November 23, 2024 at Irving Plaza in New York City. The "I'm In The Fight With Lou" event featured performances by VISION OF DISORDER, LIFE OF AGONY and MUNICIPAL WASTE, as well as veteran New York hardcore acts KILLING TIME and CROWN OF THORNZ. Notably, it marked VISION OF DISORDER's first live appearance since 2018. It was also LIFE OF AGONY's first show since the band's singer Keith Caputo — who came out as transgender and assumed the name Mina Caputo in 2011 — announced that he had "cured" his gender dysphoria and was planning to "physically completely detransition" in 2025 before officially changing his name back to Keith Caputo.

After Lou went public in late June 2024 with the news that doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his esophagus, his brother Pete, who plays guitar in SICK OF IT ALL — set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover some of the costs of his cancer treatment and assist with living expenses while the group is off the road and unable to tour. That campaign has since raised more than $300,000, with fellow artists AFI, RANCID and DROPKICK MURPHYS contributing $5,000 apiece, and bands such as SNAPCASE and HOT WATER MUSIC also making generous donations.

The long-running New York Hardcore band subsequently canceled its previously announced European tour dates.

When Lou first posted about the diagnosis on social media, he said: "[Doctors] found a tumor in my esophagus that goes into my stomach, and I'll have to be getting treatment all summer — and of course, with full support of the band. As soon as they heard it, they were, like, 'Forget the tour. Just get healthy.' … They're all behind me staying home and us staying home."

Koller ended the message by saying: "I'll hopefully beat this thing and see you at the end of the summer … or maybe the winter."

SICK OF IT ALL's European tour was supposed to kick off in the Czech Republic on July 4, 2024.

SICK OF IT ALL's latest album, "Wake The Sleeping Dragon!", was released in November 2018 via Century Media.

In a new interview with Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar, former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was asked whom he would credit with setting the template for extreme metal and hardcore blast beats. He said: "I heard rumors of 'blast beat,' so that's double bass is going and the snare is, like, on top of the double bass, hitting at the same 32nd notes, or however you want to describe it. I heard it was jazz drummers, which I believe they probably did, because they did everything first before anybody. And then later I heard… It might have been Mick Harris from NAPALM DEATH. Back in the early days of NAPALM DEATH."

As for when he first incorporated the blast beat into his own playing, Dave said: "I started using a blast beat, I believe, during [SLAYER's] 'Christ Illusion'…No, no, actually FANTÔMAS. So, 2000 I believe I started using it."

A type of fast drum beat characteristic of extreme heavy metal styles such as black metal, death metal and grindcore, a blast beat is basically a single stroke roll broken up between the snare drum and the bass drum, with the hi-hat/ride hand playing unison strokes with the bass drum.

A year and a half ago, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante once again said that his work with the 1980s hardcore/metal project STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH (S.O.D.) was instrumental in developing the blast beat. Benante told Drumeo at the time: "There was this one [STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH] song called 'Milk', and the riff was really fast and Danny Lilker, the [STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH] bass player, he said he wanted it to be more of a fast kind of paddling… So it's basically a one foot blast. And when we recorded it, we had so much fun doing it. And then when we would play it live, it would kind of evolve into — instead of a one-foot blast, it became [what is known as the blast beat today]."

Charlie continued: "The blast was something that — I think it's the first time it appears on a record. I think D.R.I. had something similar on the 'Dirty Rotten' EP. But I think this specific song and this specific band influenced a lot of bands to come. And I revisited the blast beat on [ANTHRAX's] 'State Of Euphoria' record in a song called 'Misery Loves Company'. And then on the ANTHRAX record 'We've Come For You All', there's a song called 'Black Dahlia' where the blast beat is in that, too. But I believe that the S.O.D. record was the first time it was ever recorded."

Asked where he started hearing the blast beat pop up in other bands and other records after the release of the STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH album, Charlie said: "I think the first time I heard it was maybe Pete Sandoval [of] MORBID ANGEL. And then CANNIBAL CORPSE, Paul [Mazurkiewicz] was doing it. And then, of course, the black metal band started to pick up on it. They did it a little differently — more of the two-foot, more independent. I think the best one for me was on the DIMMU BORGIR record with Nick Barker, the first one with Nick. I think that's when the blast beat became, like, 'What the fuck is that?' Especially for me, hearing that record for the first time, I was completely blown away by his playing and just the style and just the band itself. And then it started to become very popular. And then it started to get into the drumming, kind of the vernacular. And now you've got little kids and their mothers doing the blast beat."

Back in 2021, Benante was asked by "Drum For The Song" about his comment that he was "tired" of not being recognized as a pioneer of the blast beat. He said: "I have to clarify this. I didn't say I invented it. It was the first time that it appeared on a record; it was on the S.O.D. record. And other people had said that yes, of course, it's the first time it appeared on a record. And basically, what it was was the bass player in the band S.O.D., we had this song called 'Milk', and we basically collaborated on this drum beat, and it turned out to be called the blast beat. There was another band from New York, a hardcore band called NYC MAYHEM, and they would have these short bursts in their songs — kind of like D.R.I. or this other band called ADRENALINE OVERDOSE [A.O.D.] from New Jersey. And, yeah, they were doing something similar. And then on the first S.O.D. record, on the song 'Milk', is where that beat is. And it became very popular to this day. And that's it."

He continued: "But I never actually said that I was sitting in my room and I… We just kind of created this thing and we put it on the record, but other people were doing little bursts like that too. And it's funny — someone put a picture or they showed a video of a jazz drummer back in 1964 or something doing something similar, and it's, like, all right, dude, I get it. Do you think all of a sudden everybody was doing these blast beats because of this jazz drummer? No. A lot of it was because of that S.O.D. record. So, that's it. I just wanted to clarify it."

Benante previously discussed his role in developing the blast beat during an August 2019 interview with Drumtalk, the video podcast by German drummer and videographer Philipp Koch. At the time, he said: "There's this style of beat called 'blast beat,' and I will say that the first time ever that type of beat was recorded and played on a record was on this S.O.D. record that we did in 1985. And I'm tired of people not crediting that that was the first time. And, of course, people perfected it and play it way better, but that was the first time that a blast beat was on record. If you can prove me wrong, prove me wrong, but I believe that that was the first time. And, like I said, other people have mastered it and done it way better, and I never took it any further — that was it. It fit in that song 'Milk'. Like, when we would play it live, the more I played it, the more I started to develop a different way of playing it. Because I would always play it with a single kick drum, and I would either reverse it, which I think Paul [Mazurkiewicz] from CANNIBAL CORPSE played more of that style of blast beat. I would play it either with the ride or I would play it with the hat, reversing it. When S.O.D. would play more and more shows, I would always develop it and not just do a single kick — I would throw in a double. And then I discovered that some of the black metal bands, later on, were doing it [slightly differently]. So it was being developed even more. And then when I heard the DIMMU BORGIR record 'Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia', Nick Barker's drumming on that record was, to me, one of those moments where another door opened and he took the blast beat style to a whole other level."

Asked if it felt like he was doing something new when he first came up with the drum beat for "Milk", Charlie told Drumtalk: "I remember when that song came out, 'Milk', with the blast beat in it, and many people were saying, 'What are you doing here? What are you doing?' And there was a part of me that was, like, 'I can't really tell you what I'm doing.' [Laughs] When we would play it, I would always see people watching me play it. And S.O.D. didn't play many shows, of course, but when we did play, we played the whole record. And it was never at the same speed that the record was recorded — it was live and it was just fast, so it was always moving forward."

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

The official trailer for "Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home" can be seen below.

The one-hour film about the "last chapter" of Ozzy Osbourne's life, which was pulled from the BBC's schedule more than a month ago to respect his family's wishes, will now be shown on BBC One and iPlayer at 21:00 BST on October 2.

"Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home" had been due to air on BBC One and iPlayer at on August 18, but was removed from the schedule earlier in the day. It was replaced by an episode of "Fake Or Fortune".

The BBC later released the following statement: "Our sympathies are with the Osbourne family at this difficult time. We are respecting the family's wishes to wait a bit longer before airing this very special film."

Titled "Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home", the film was described as "the moving and inspirational account of the last chapter of Ozzy's life, told through unique and intimate access to the whole Osbourne family, including Sharon, Jack and Kelly."

Filmed over three years, "Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home" reportedly captures the extraordinary roller-coaster of their lives as Sharon and Ozzy attempt to complete their long-held dream of moving back to the U.K., Ozzy heroically battles to get fit enough to perform, and the family deal with the dramatic consequences of his ill health.

The film is full of love, laughter and tears and the kind of unforgettable family moments that we've come to expect from the Osbournes. It's a remarkably candid and uplifting tribute to one of the world's true icons, and documents the first family of rock as they are forced to accept, that, as Kelly says in the film, "Iron man wasn't really made of iron".

Clare Sillery, BBC head of commissioning, documentaries, previously said in a statement: "We are honored to have had the opportunity to film with Ozzy and his family. The film captures an intimate glimpse into their journey as they prepare to return to the U.K. It features family moments, humor, reflection and shows the enduring spirit that made Ozzy a global icon. We hope it brings comfort and joy to Ozzy's fans and viewers as they remember and celebrate his extraordinary life."

Ben Wicks and Colin Barr, executive producers at Expectation, added: "It was an incredible privilege to spend the last few years with Ozzy, as well as Sharon, Jack and Kelly. Ozzy wanted to make it back to the U.K. and appear on stage one last time — our film is an inspiring and poignant account of him fulfilling that dream. Ozzy was loved by millions around the world not just for his music, but for his sense of mischief and his honesty all of which we saw plenty of in the final years of his life. But one thing shone through even more brightly to us, and that was Ozzy's intense love for his exceptional family who were by his side through it all."

"Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home" is produced by Expectation in association with JOKS Productions Limited for BBC One and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, BBC head of commissioning, documentaries. The BBC commissioning editor is Carl Callam. Executive producers for Expectation are Ben Wicks, Colin Barr, Rachael Barnes and Louisa McKay. The documentary is being distributed internationally by Banijay Rights.

Originally conceived as a series "Home To Roost", announced in 2022, the project evolved as Ozzy's health deteriorated into a one-hour film "Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home".

Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate also reportedly said the 76-year-old musician suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease.