With the ever-growing interest and respect around the world for the rock music genre known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) — the monumental British metal and European metal movement from 1979 through 1982 — there has never been a better time to celebrate the music of those pioneering bands from the era.

Several musicians who were key members of some of the biggest bands of that time — PRAYING MANTIS, DIAMOND HEAD, RAVEN, TANK and PERSIAN RISK — have come together as LORDS OF NWOBHM to faithfully perform many of those classic songs that are now a major part of rock music history.

LORDS OF NWOBHM's setlist will feature classic tracks from the above bands plus a carefully curated selection of songs from several of the other iconic artists from the era to make this the ultimate NWOBHM show.

The official LORDS OF NWOBHM lineup comprises:

Tino Troy (PRAYING MANTIS) - Guitar
John Gallagher (RAVEN) - Bass
Karl Wilcox (DIAMOND HEAD) - Drums
Cliff Evans (TANK) - Guitar
Carl Sentance (PERSIAN RISK) - Vocals

Two shows are already booked for Tokyo, Japan in January 2026, with more dates to be announced soon.

Gallagher says: "The cream of British metal playing the best of the NWOBHM!"

Adds Evans: "This music is in our blood!"

Wilcox states: "A hefty salute to the genre that spawned some of metal's biggest bands!"

Sentance says: "NWOBHM never dies!"

Troy comments: "The second wave is imminent!"

In an April 2023 interview with Japanese music critic and radio personality Masa Ito of TVK's "Rock City", Lars Ulrich spoke about METALLICA's enduring appreciation for New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and how it continues to influence METALLICA's music to this day. He said: "[New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is] a big part of the reason that METALLICA exists and it's a big part of the reason that, obviously, we're still sitting here.

"My playlists in my iPhone and the playlists in my car and the music that I listen to… Yesterday — I kid you not — I was listening to DEF LEPPARD's 'Good Morning Freedom', I was listening to HOLLOW GROUND, the single by this band HOLLOW GROUND, one of the lesser-known bands of British heavy metal, on one of my playlists in my car as I was driving to take my son to and from school and to his sports practices.

"New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is a big part of me, it's a big part of METALLICA," Lars continued. "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is for us in METALLICA a gift that keeps on giving. And it's something that we circle and have circled in and out of forever.

"I know there's a lot of people that connect [METALLICA's recent single] 'Lux Æterna' to the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. And I can tell you and look everybody in the eye and go, that wasn't necessarily the battle cry. When we sat down, we didn't say, 'Let's write a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal type of song.' But, obviously, I can hear those connections in the song when I disconnect myself from the recording and the writing process. And, like I said, I'm always proud to fly the flag for New Wave Of British Heavy Metal at any level that I can."

A self-proclaimed NWOBHM fanatic, Ulrich spent much of his time in the early 1980s tracking down obscure recordings from his favorite groups of the era. Ten years after the NWOBHM's glory days of 1982, Ulrich took time out to put together a multi-band compilation, "'79 Revisited: New Wave Of British Heavy Metal", along with journalist Geoff Barton, whose work in the now-defunct weekly U.K. rock paper Sounds had kept Ulrich posted while he was in the States.

At METALLICA's first-ever concert, which took place on March 14, 1982 at Radio City in Anaheim, California, Ulrich, James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney ran through a nine-song set, including no less than seven NWOBHM covers: four tracks by DIAMOND HEAD and one each from BLITZKRIEG, SWEET SAVAGE and SAVAGE.

Back in 2010, Lars was asked by Australia's long-running rock station Triple M about the band that was responsible for inspiring him to launch METALLICA. Ulrich said: "It was the summer of '81 and I'd been trying to get a band off the ground in California, but not much happened, so I sort of got fed up with the whole thing.

"DIAMOND HEAD were my favorite band, and I landed at Heathrow Airport (in London) and I went down to Woolwich Odeon, it was called, which was sort of a baby Odeon; it was about the size of this room we're in here. And there they were — DIAMOND HEAD. And I brown-nosed my way backstage and got a chance to meet them afterwards. I had actually written them a couple of fan letters. I was stunned to find out that they actually knew who I was. Maybe they didn't get as much fan mail as I expected, because the letter that I had sent them were actually on their radar. But then I ended up staying with them for the better part of the rest of the summer and ended up sleeping in the singer's front room.

"A lot of these bands that came out of that period, everything about the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal that I really liked was that all these bands were really grounded. There was a relaxed atmosphere around them, it wasn't sort of... Everything that had been going on in the '70s with bands like QUEEN and PINK FLOYD and DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN, it was all about this larger-than-life type of thing and all these bands that were so grand and so majestic and so kind of out there. And a lot of these new bands — IRON MAIDEN and DIAMOND HEAD and all these bands — they were just kids, and they had their feet very firmly planted on the ground. So, in some way, the spirit of that whole movement was about keeping it real and all those attitudes just kind of rubbed off on us and rubbed off on me and made me want to start a band and really have the fans involved and give the fans as much access as possible."

In a new interview with Marko Syrjala of Metal Rules, founding KROKUS bassist Chris Von Rohr asked about the possibility of fresh music from the legendary Swiss hard rock band. He responded: "Well, you know — that's the question. Who needs new music? A lot of bands release a new album, so they have a slogan for a new tour. We're not one of those bands. Not at all. We have so many songs we've never even played live. We have over 20 albums, you know? And for us, the measure is always: 'Is it as good as the best KROKUS songs?'"

He continued: "So, Fernando [Von Arb, KROKUS guitarist] and I are always exchanging ideas. But it has to stand next to 'Long Stick Goes Boom' or 'Easy Rocker' or the other best stuff. Otherwise, it makes no sense. But yeah — it's very possible there's something new coming. Perhaps a new video or a new song. But a full new album? I don't believe in that. The young bands — they need albums. We don't need whole albums. Marc [Storace, KROKUS singer] makes his solo records, but KROKUS is another thing. Another circus, you know? If we come out with a new KROKUS album, it better be up there. And me, as a producer — I say, if the ideas and songs are there, then why not? But if not…?"

Asked if he is saying that he already has some ideas in mind for new KROKUS material, Chris clarified: "There are ideas, but I couldn't say, as a producer, 'Let's jump into the studio now and make an album.' I mean, it takes a lot of time. And it's pressure time — at our age, you know? When you're getting toward your mid-70s, you start thinking, 'How do I want to spend my time? What do I really want to do?' But it's not impossible. We'll leave it open."

Regarding what "the most critical factors" are that, if they happen, could lead to a new KROKUS album being released, Chris said: "I say this to every young band: Nothing is stronger than a strong song. You need a very, very strong song. Like on [KROKUS's 2010] 'Hoodoo' album, for example — 'Hoodoo Woman', you need a song on that level. Otherwise, it makes no sense. Otherwise, you just end up playing a B-song from any of the older albums. So… yeah, we're open. We discuss, we see, we collect ideas, and maybe we'll sit here in a year with a new album. Or a new thing. Everything is possible, you know?"

This past January, Storace was asked by Chris Akin Presents if some of the material on the two solo albums he has released so far — 2021's "Live And Let Live" and 2024's "Crossfire" — would have been made available under the KROKUS banner if the legendary Swiss rock band was actively making new music. He responded: "Well, it's very difficult to say, because if KROKUS were to write a new album, which we haven't done since a long while, unfortunately, it would have been me working with Fernando — mostly he comes up with the riffs and arrangements — and Chris is also there with ideas for lyrics and also arrangements and stuff. And then I throw in my piece and I come up with the vocal melodies and take it there to as many levels as I can. But still, yeah, it's something that didn't happen and I don't see it happening."

He continued: "There's never any words lost about a new album with KROKUS. But I'm glad KROKUS is back, since [2023]. [In 2024] we played a lot of festivals and enjoyed doing it. There's a new, refreshing, fun aspect within the band. Even the crew we have, we've had them since years. It's like one big family, and it's really something admirable, also considering how long we've been doing this, the age of the band, myself being the eldest, [at the age of] 73. But I think age is just a number, when you have the passion and the physical ability to follow it up. So it's a matter of taking care of yourself and not overindulging — in the music as well as other things."

Storace went on to say that he is not thrilled about the fact that KROKUS hasn't made an album of all-new material in more than a decade.  "I'm not too happy that KROKUS doesn't wanna do a new album, sit together and write new songs," he said. "For me, this creative thing is very important for my soul. My heart and soul goes into the songs that we write, and then it goes into the songs when we perform them. So it's the birth of what we create, and that's kind of stopped. We're feeding off old material, which is great — I love singing KROKUS songs, and [I'm a] sentimental guy anyway and nostalgic, and all that stuff, and, as I said, we've become more like a team again. So, never say never, but at the same time, that's the situation, how it is. So I enjoy doing the gigs with KROKUS, but I enjoy the creative and the fight for [my solo project] STORACE. It's a big fight. We don't hold out the platter, and nothing comes in raining from heaven. [Laughs]"

KROKUS's latest studio album, "Big Rocks", came out in January 2017. The disc saw KROKUS paying tribute to bands and artists like LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN, THE WHO, STEPPENWOLF, Bob Dylan, THE ROLLING STONES and many more by presenting their very own versions of classic tracks such as "My Generation", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Whole Lotta Love", "Quinn The Eskimo", "Born To Be Wild" and others.

KROKUS's last collection of new music, "Dirty Dynamite", was made available in February 2013 in Europe via Sony Music and in North America in March 2013 via The End Records.

Five years ago, KROKUS postponed what was supposed to be the band's last-ever concerts in USA and Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic that was sweeping the globe.

Formed in 1975, KROKUS has sold over 15 million records, toured the world, and received gold and platinum discs in the USA and Canada. KROKUS was also the first Swiss band to sell out Hallenstadion and has received a diamond disc for selling one million albums in Switzerland alone.

In the course of its career, KROKUS has rocked over 2,000 shows on five continents, countless cities, unique locations, crazy gigs, and loyal fans.

English rock journalist Malcolm Dome quite rightly said: "If you look at the long-term output of this band, KROKUS is clearly one of the best hard rock bands of the last 40 years."

Image credit: Perry Denton

BUSH has released the official Ryan Valdez-directed music video for the song "Scars". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "I Beat Loneliness", which came out on July 18 via earMUSIC.

In a recent interview with Baltimore's 98 Rock radio station, BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale spoke about the lyrical inspiration for "I Beat Loneliness".  He said: "Well, I think it's like a snapshot of my life. I'm at a point in my life where I can look far enough back and remember when I first made records. I had no horizon, you know what I mean? And I didn't know what was happening, and the road was just infinite and open. And then, obviously, as you mature, you get older and you see what the lay of the land is and your time around, you gotta go, 'Okay, I can see the horizon.' So it kind of presents a different thing about making sure there's a reason to write. I call it making sure you improve the silence. And so I just went inside and found some things, just sort of experimented with myself musically and lyrically and just went inside and tried to be as clear as possible. Anytime I thought about an idea, I questioned myself if I was being clear enough about it. And I try to get right down to the kind of the really basic cell structure of people."

This past April, BUSH released a new single, "60 Ways To Forget People", a raw and emotionally charged taste from "I Beat Loneliness". The track explored the complexities of heartbreak, personal transformation, and the painful process of letting go.

Produced by Rossdale and Erik Ron (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, SET IT OFF, BAD OMEN),"I Beat Loneliness" marks BUSH's tenth studio album — a powerful testament to the band's enduring legacy and continued evolution. The record blends their grunge-rooted intensity with fresh textures and themes exploring mental health, solitude, and resilience.

"I Beat Loneliness" track listing:

01. Scars
02. I Beat Loneliness
03. The Land Of Milk And Honey
04. We're All The Same On The Inside
05. I Am Here To Save Your Life
06. 60 Ways To Forget People
07. Love Me Till The Pain Fades
08. We Are Of This Earth
09. Everyone Is Broken
10. Don't Be Afraid
11. Footsteps In The Sand
12. Rebel With A Cause

BUSH is on tour in North America from July 19 to August 30, before heading overseas to join VOLBEAT for a series of dates across Europe from September 18 through November 13.

In a separate interview with São Paulo, Brazil's 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, Rossdale stated about the 12 songs featured on "I Beat Loneliness": "I know that everyone [says] no one cares [about full albums anymore] and it's [all about] these singles, but I think that if I like an act, if I like a band, I just wanna hear their body of work. I don't wanna hear just one song. I'm a musician, so I wanna know what 12 ideas someone has, not just one idea. And so I'm excited for that. But I understand most people just listen to one song and move on, with so many bands. But [I'm] very excited about it."

Asked what fans can expect to hear on the new BUSH album, Gavin said: "Oh, it's in a similar vein to [2022's] 'The Art Of Survival' and [2020's] 'The Kingdom' — super detuned, super heavy, but there's moments of light. And so it's not like angst [all the way through], but it's just very… It is very sort of centered on people's mental health and well-being and those kind of challenges, because it becomes more and more apparent, people suffering more and more. So music is often the way that people — it's like a medicine. So it's really good to have heavy subjects within the songs, but the songs have loads of hope and light and lift you up. I want people to come see us and have a great experience. It's not a doom-and-gloom [collection of songs]; it's a sort of a, how do we fight the good fight?"

Gavin also spoke about the inspiration for the "I Beat Loneliness" title, saying: "The reason why I like that title — [there's] a song called that — is because anybody who has a degree of melancholy in their heart, and it's normal; sometimes you feel good, sometimes have a melancholy. And it's good to be reflective. You can't be smiling like a moron the whole time, like a maniac, so the idea of beating loneliness is that it's impossible, because you can't. But it's beautiful 'cause the idea is that if you feel you beat it, it's like a respite, and you're not in that mindset. But it's all temporary, because you come back and that sort of feeling can flood in. But I just like the idea 'cause it's impossible."

2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of BUSH's six-times-platinum debut album, "Sixteen Stone".

Last summer, BUSH celebrated its 30th anniversary with an extensive North American headline tour.

BUSH released "Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023" in November 2023 via Round Hill Records. The set included a new song called "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere", which was written by Gavin and produced by Rossdale and Corey Britz.

BUSH's current lineup consists of Rossdale, Chris Traynor (guitar),Corey Britz (bass) and Nik Hughes (drums).

BUSH broke up in 2002 but reformed in 2010, and has since released five albums: "The Sea of Memories" (2011),"Man On The Run" (2014),"Black And White Rainbows" (2017) and the aforementioned "The Kingdom" and "The Art Of Survival".

"Black And White Rainbows" was crafted after Rossdale went through a divorce with pop star/reality TV judge Gwen Stefani in 2015.

On the latest episode of "The David Ellefson Show", former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and Joshua Toomey sit down with original MEGADETH guitarist Greg Handevidt for a deep dive into the band's earliest days. Greg shares pivotal stories from moving to Los Angeles with Ellefson, meeting MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine and helping shape what would become the legendary MEGADETH.

Regarding how he came to suggest "MEGADETH" as the name for the band, Greg recalled (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We were sitting down in our little apartment, and Dave had read a pamphlet by Senator Alan Cranston talking about the 'arsenals of megadeath', and I think that really triggered something in him about nuclear war and just how devastating it was and everything. And I remember thinking, 'Holy shit, the arsenals of megadeath.' And he had that line in the lyrics. And it just occurred to me, 'Megadeath.' I'm, like, 'That would be a cool name for a band.' And I sat down, and at the time — and I still kind of feel this way, although my attitude about it sort of softened — but I was, like, 'Do you really want the word 'death' in the name of your band? Do you really want that?' It seemed kind of negative-karma-ey to me back then; that's what sort of was in my head. So I sat down and I just wrote it out as one word and I dropped the 'A' out, and I just wrote it on a piece of paper and I was, like, 'I think this is cool. We could call the band MEGADETH. One word. We take out the 'A'. It's unique. It doesn't have any sort of dark connotation around it. And I think people would see it and not be put off. It wouldn't put people off.' And I think at that point in time to break through in a commercial sense without just completely selling yourself out, I think there were barriers that would've… I'm not sure Capitol Records was ready to sign a band called 'DEATH' at the time. And maybe, maybe not. But even after all this, and I came back and I formed KUBLAI KHAN and we were shopping demos around, we kept getting stuff back sent to us saying, 'This is way too heavy. This isn't commercially acceptable. We can't sign you. This would never sell.'"

According to Handevidt, Mustaine "didn't like" the name MEGADETH "at first. It took him a couple of days" to warm up to it, Greg recalled. "And then I remember a couple of days later he came back and he was, like, 'Yeah, this is growing on me.' And that's how it came about. That's the story. It was a quick little thing."

In his book "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", Dave actually credited a different former member of MEGADETH with naming the band.

"In the beginning, I was skeptical about my own singing ability, so we brought in a vocalist named Lawrence 'Lor' Kane," Mustaine wrote in the book. "Lor wasn't in the band long, but give credit where credit is due: it was Lor who suggested MEGADETH as the band's name. It happened when we were driving around one night, talking about finding exactly the right moniker. Lor knew I had already written a song entitled 'Megadeath' and thought it would work equally well as a band name. And he was right. So, thanks for that, Lor."

Mustaine reportedly came across the aforementioned pamphlet from California Senator Alan Cranston while he was on a four-day cross-country bus ride back to California after he was kicked out of METALLICA. The pamphlet, which was a political discussion of the dangers of nuclear armament, included the line "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to."

Merriam-Webster defines "megadeath" as "one million deaths" and indicates that the term is "usually used as a unit in reference to nuclear warfare."

In a 2023 interview with Guitar World, Handevidt admitted that "there was some regret" after he left MEGADETH and the band found success without him. "How could I not be upset?" he said. "But we were so young, and there were a lot of things pushing me to leave. I mean… I was a kid, and one big issue was that I had a hard time being away from home. But I won't lie: there was definitely a falling out, and that was a huge part of why I split. No surprise, Dave got drunk one day and kicked me out of the band while he was angry. He never told me why, and I was just like, 'Great, now I'm in L.A. with nowhere to go.' But about a week later, we reconciled things. We rehearsed three or four more times, and then it was actually me who decided I needed to go back home to the Midwest. I found out I had a kid back there, and I felt tremendous guilt about not being in a position where I was doing anything to help raise my kid. Plus, the vibe was off when I was invited back. Had things felt cool, I might have stayed. But that's not what happened."

Handevidt went on to say that personality clashes with Mustaine influenced his decision to exit MEGADETH. "Yeah... that's true, too," he said. "The thing was, as history has stated, Dave — along with all of us — was pretty overindulgent and aggressive at the time. He had a chip on his shoulder, for sure. While that's made him great as a songwriter, it made it very hard for me to be in a band with him, especially since I was a kid."

In February 2016, Ellefson was asked by Cranked Up Live about Mustaine's comments to Real Rock 99.3 where the MEGADETH leader implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson said: "Now, look, when Dave came home from METALLICA, he had another bass player, kind of a kid he was almost teaching how to play bass, and another guitar player he had been working with a little bit, and a singer, named Lor. And those were kind of the first people that, I think, in April and May of 1983 that Dave was just kicking some ideas around [with], seeing if he could get anything going. But the day me and my friend Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave's door and asked him where to buy some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved forward, because me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a lot of the lyrics and the concept of 'Black Friday' on the 'Peace Sells' record, that was… we were the group that were rehearsing for a few weeks, working on these new songs Dave was writing. And one day we came back to… I think it was me and Greg's apartment… And it was Greg who suggested… We were talking about band names, and Greg suggested… There was a name kicking around, FALLEN ANGEL, that I think Dave… That was kind of working title that he had. But he had a song called 'Megadeth', which was later retitled to become 'Set The World Afire'. And it was my friend Greg who suggested, 'I think we should call the band MEGADETH.' And it was decided that day, so, I mean, technically, whoever was in the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, again, I don't know why there has to be so much importance on that. I know, I was there. And quickly, all those other members either scattered or were let go, and within a month or so, it was me and Dave standing next to each other — Dave and Dave of this new group called MEGADETH."

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

Original IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Mario Day has died at the age of 69. The British-born musician, who later formed a band called MORE and was the frontman of WILDFIRE and SWEET, had reportedly been battling cancer for the last few years.

Day's passing was confirmed by SWEET guitarist Andy Scott, who wrote in a social media post earlier today (Tuesday, July 29): "Paul Mario Day RIP. In 1985 Mick Tucker and myself put together the first new line-up of SWEET after the hiatus of the original band. We needed a singer and when Paul arrived for the audition we looked no further. Our first dates were in Australia, total sell-outs which boded well for the future. Europe followed suit and 3 sold out nights at the Marquee in London produced a live album, video and DVD. 'Live at the Marquee' did well in various charts around the world and Paul's vocal performance has stood the test of time.

"PMD was the original singer with IRON MAIDEN and had a stint with the band MORE before joining SWEET. He passed away peacefully at his home in Australia.

"My deepest condolences to his wife Cecily and family and friends. A sad day for all SWEET fans."

MORE also commented on Day's passing, writing on social media: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the great MORE vocalist Paul Mario Day.

"Paul was a huge part of the NWOBHM from his time in an early version of IRON MAIDEN and of course his fantastic performance on the 'Warhead' album. He was a well loved figure in British rock music and played many memorable shows not least the legendary 1981 Monsters of Rock show at Castle Donninton with AC/DC, WHITESNAKE/David Coverdale as well as tours with IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD and many other legendary artists. Mike Freeland remembers him fondly as a 'bloody great vocalist!'

"It's an honour for us to continue to play his music and we will always think of him every time we hit the opening notes to 'Warhead'.

"We send our deepest condolences to Paul's family and friends and also the many fans around the world who love his music. Play his music loud and sing along!

"Thank you. Rock in peace Paul".

A decade ago, Day, who was with MAIDEN from 1975 to 1976, suggested in an online post that he had co-written the band's song "Strange World" but was never credited for his contributions. Day wrote at the time: "This is my opinion. When I sang in IRON MAIDEN, it was a new pub band and nobody wanted to see or hear them. We were all nobodys all trying to make the best music we could and fighting for an audience. In 1976, photos/recording were next to impossible to have if you were poor boys from East London, so I cannot prove I wrote the words and melody for 'Strange World'. As for before the time of albums and recording deals, I would say it was creative theft, not deliberate, as probably I would have done the same thing myself to keep it clean and simple. I think, however, if it made me a mega amount of money in the future, I would have done the right thing and [made] amends. As back then we were all pulling for the same side and it still hurts to think the first-ever song I ever composed was on a big-selling album and nobody knows it was me. Not to mention how I scrape to earn a living while Mr. [Steve] Harris is living like a god!"

In a January 2019 interview with Danish webzine Power Of Metal, Day was asked about his supposed contributions to "Strange World", which appeared on MAIDEN's 1980 debut self-titled album. "That's something I really don't talk about anymore, if you don't mind," he said. "It's all good. It's all finished with. It's happened. That's good. I can't speak for anyone else. I can't speak for them, but I'm talking the present, because I've had this discussion. Everything's fine as far as that's concerned. I don't want to go down that road."

Day also talked about how he landed the gig as MAIDEN's first singer. "It's hard to remember the details, but I remember Steve being the bass player playing in a band at the Bridge House in Camden," he said. "It was GYPSY'S KISS. I knew the guitar player because he was maybe one year above me at school, but never knew him to talk to. I knew Steve and I thought, 'He's bloody good.' I heard he was only playing for three years and I thought, 'He's bloody amazing!' That was forgotten. I was working as a motorcycle mechanic in East London. I was outside the workshop and I saw Steve Harris and a group of guys walking past the workshop. I never really was in a band, I just worked with guitar players in bedrooms, just sort of learning, experimenting, because I wasn't really a singer. I just felt I could sing. So I said to the group of people and I focused on Steve because I've seen him before: 'I think I'm a singer. Could I join your band?' And he went, 'No.' I went, 'Okay, no problem.' I went back to work. A few days, or maybe a week or two later, Steve says, 'I couldn't say anything because the singer was with me of the band.' I don't know who it was and he says, 'Yeah, I'm interested. Do you want to come and have a blow?' So I did, they liked me and straight away, I was singing some of Steve's songs. He wrote some songs before the IRON MAIDEN period, they were in the old band. I sang and he wanted me to stay. I seemed to fit and then we started rehearsing. Then all the songs were being written and I was singing his songs."

Day was booted from MAIDEN in 1976 due to his supposed lack of stage presence. He was asked whether his departure had anything to do with its members' inability to deal with inter-band issues. "What happened to me, I think, was quite reasonable," he said. "It hurt me like losing a girlfriend that you had been in love with for maybe five years, losing a girlfriend suddenly. That's the emotion, but the thing is, for instance, Steve was saying, pardon me, I've got to let you know, that was my first real band. I never, ever sung with a drummer before, so I had zero experience. I just used to sing with records at home and had the patience to do. Steve was saying, 'You've got to get better. You've got to be more in the audience's face. You've got to be commanding. You've got to be a hero.' And I agreed with him, but I didn't actually know how to make that happen. I got warning for maybe three months: 'Get it together. Get it together.' And I wanted to, I just didn't know how to do it. So the funny thing is, the worst experience was the best lesson because when I got that notice and I felt so gutted, it changed me. The real reality. IRON MAIDEN at that time were nothing, honestly. It was the beginning… Everyone had to start from zero. That was when I was in the band, that was their zero point. What Steve was doing was trying to make the band big. He knew what he wanted. What he wanted is what he got. He got one of the biggest bands on the planet. As much as it hurt, as much as it upset me, I learnt a big lesson that day. I really did. I used that emotion, I guess, in my singing."

In December 2018, four-fifths of the original IRON MAIDEN lineup reunited for the first time in 42 years. Harris, who formed IRON MAIDEN on Christmas day in 1975, was photographed with Paul Mario Day and guitarists Dave Sullivan (1975 - 1976) and Terry Rance (1975 - 1976). Missing from the photo op was drummer Ron "Rebel" Matthews.

Day was replaced in MAIDEN by Dennis Wilcock. He went on to front SWEET and MORE while Rance still plays with AIRFORCE, which features former IRON MAIDEN drummer Doug Sampson.

MAIDEN's first demo recording, "Soundhouse Tapes", featured Harris, singer Paul Di'Anno, guitarist Dave Murray and Sampson. It eventually landed MAIDEN a record deal with EMI in 1980. The band's self-titled debut album brought about a new lineup with the addition of Clive Burr to replace Sampson and Dennis Stratton on guitar.

Paul Mario Day RIP

IN 1985 Mick Tucker and myself put together the first new line-up of Sweet after the hiatus of the...

Posted by The Sweet on Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Band statement:

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the great MORE vocalist Paul Mario Day.

Paul was a...

Posted by MORE on Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider joined KREATOR on stage on Sunday, July 27 at Greece's Chania Rock Festival to perform the song "Fallen Brother" in honor of Ozzy Osbourne. Video of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Altars Of Metal).

The studio version of "Fallen Brother" appears on KREATOR's 2017 album "Gods Of Violence" and pays respect to fallen music icons such as Lemmy, Jeff Hanneman, Cliff Burton, Peter Steele, Prince, David Bowie and Bon Scott, among others.

Prior to launching into "Fallen Brother" at Chania Rock Festival, KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza told the crowd: "We wanna play a special song for you tonight, and we wanna dedicate it to the great Ozzy Osbourne. I also wanna invite a guest. I wanna invite one of our good friends, Mr. Udo Dirkschneider."

Ozzy died the morning of 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.

Formed in Birmingham in 1968, BLACK SABBATH is widely recognized as one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, with a career spanning decades and over 75 million albums sold worldwide. Their impact on the genre remains as significant today as it was in the early 1970s, with their music shaping generations of metal musicians.

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.

Swedish metallers GHOST dedicated their Madison Square Garden concert in New York last night (Tuesday, July 22) to Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier in the day at the age of 76.

Addressing the audience before launching into GHOST's song "The Future Is A Foreign Land", GHOST leader Tobias Forge — who performs as Papa V Perpetua the new character fronting GHOST for its 2025 touring cycle — said: "We're going to dedicate tonight's show to the memory of the life and laughter of Ozzy Osbourne."

Amid chants of "Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!" from the sold-out crowd, he continued: "For being the Prince Of Darkness, he sure gave us a lot of light, so we're gonna tap into that tonight and carry it forward through a time of darkness."

On July 5, Forge performed at BLACK SABBATH and Ozzy's final concert, "Back To The Beginning", at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, where the GHOST frontman sang Ozzy's 1983 song "Bark At The Moon", backed by Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR),Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME),Adam Wakeman (OZZY OSBOURNE),Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE) and Travis Barker (BLINK-182).

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.

This past March, Tobias spoke about this appearance at "Back To The Beginning" during an appearance on The Mistress Carrie Podcast. He said at the time: "First and foremost, it's a huge honor since they have meant as much to me as most others, and from a very early age as well. And both Ozzy as a solo artist — that was generally predominantly his thing. When I grew up in the '80s, he was like the big star of the band. He was part of the mainframe of — I don't know — your glitterati of heavy metal, sort of top 40, top 10, if you will, with big hits, like 'Shot In The Dark' and 'Bark At The Moon'… So, of course, he was more like a face and more like a radio artist in my childhood, where BLACK SABBATH, of course, was a little bit of a… It was hard to really track them in the '80s, especially after the [Ronnie James] Dio years, because when Tony [Iommi] was going through all these different lineups, so you sort of paid attention, like, 'Oh, that's a new BLACK SABBATH record…' And later, when I was, like, 10 years old and when I really started buying records, I grew to love a lot of the '80s [SABBATH] stuff as well — I mean, even '90s stuff. I remember when 'Dehumanizer' came out and Dio was back, it was just, like, 'What?' A really cool record. It felt like they were a band to be counted on again.

"I'm digressing here a little," he continued. "But growing up with Ozzy and old BLACK SABBATH, it was hugely influential for me as a kid and onwards and just catapulting me into wanting to become a musician and write songs.

"Just to stay on the subject of BLACK SABBATH, I must say that especially their more proggy records… When I'm talking about my BLACK SABBATH influence it, especially on GHOST and as a songwriter, it's much more their mournful, big ballady or their big songs of 'Vol 4', 'Sabotage' and 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', that sort of stuff, when they were really brave. And Geezer's [Butler] lyrics were so deep and naked and not at all dark and gloomy. Obviously, everybody's giving credit to them, but sometimes I think that they neglect… The whole metal genre, all the big heavy bands, it's always been, like, 'Yeah, BLACK SABBATH. When I think about them, I think about keyboards and I think about big mournful ballads. Those were the deep things.

"I love'Symptom Of The Universe'. I love'Children Of The Grave' too, but they were so much more than that, so much more than that," Forge explained. "And hugely influential for me. So, if I'm just gonna say all the positive things, that's a big honor. But, of course, it comes with the little backhand of the finality of the show and what that means is heartbreaking in a way."

Earlier in March, Forge told Oran O'Beirne of Ireland's Overdrive about the fact that he would appear without the rest of GHOST at "Back To The Beginning": "The only thing I can really tell you, from what I gather, was that bands participating on stage playing, like full bands, are generally bands that are on tour at the time, whereas a lot of the artists that [are performing] singularly are ones that may not be sort of accessible in full group. We [in GHOST] were one of those, because we are about to start our U.S. tour, like, two days after that or something like that, so it was impossible for our entire entourage to multitask like that. We couldn't do it. Especially economically, it was, like, no fucking way. It's not gonna work. So, my job here, my mission, the gift that I've been given, which I feel really proud to be part of and being asked to do, is to play with — I don't know — some of the people playing there. Which I know a few others are doing too. I guess we're being put together in makeshift groups to play songs, which is phenomenal."

A few days earlier, Forge spoke to HardDrive XL's Lou Brutus about the influence BLACK SABBATH and Osbourne had on his development as a musical artist. He said:  "For me, obviously, one band that has meant — one band, BLACK SABBATH; one artist, Ozzy. Of course, I grew up in the '80s, so Ozzy was more prevalent, I guess, in presence because he was sort of — in media, he was just this over-the-top character whereas a lot of the stuff that that BLACK SABBATH was doing in the '80s I grew to love a lot later — with the exception of the [Ronnie James] Dio records, of course. But it took me some time to sort of like some of the '80s records with BLACK SABBATH, whereas now I'm a very, very wholistic in my worship. But Ozzy, obviously, as now obviously a singer, had a phenomenal impact on me. And, of course, everything that he was doing that was dark and haunting, and I guess I'm looking specifically at 'Bark At The Moon' and 'Diary Of A Madman', influenced me a lot."

"Back To The Beginning" sold out in less than 10 minutes in February. The concert marked the first time that the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — had played together in 20 years. 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.

Prior to "Back To The Beginning", the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Former GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died on Tuesday (July 22) at the age of 76.

Sorum took to his Instagram to write: "My life would be completely different without Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH. As a young kid growing up in Southern California was the polar opposite of the music coming out of England.

"At 15 my mind was completely blown when I got tickets for BLACK SABBATH at the Long Beach Arena in 1975 almost 50 years ago. SABBATH was the heaviest thing anyone had ever heard and it scared our parents which made me love them more. 'Iron Man' was a mainstream rock hit and you could play it on the guitar. [LED] ZEPPELIN was everyone's band in those days but I chose SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE as my bands. After seeing Bill Ward crush the drums with brute force I chose the hit hard like my hero Bill.

"Ozzy was the master of ceremonies guiding the audience through a mystic ritual where only your imagination brought you to dark castles in the Black Country of England. There was no internet or digital music. Just the visual of album covers of 'Black Sabbath', 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' and 'Paranoid'. The experience was more simple yet more mind expanding. Taking you on a journey. "

Referencing BLACK SABBATH's final performance earlier this month at the "Back To The Beginning" event in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Sorum added: "I was so happy to see Bill behind the kit one last time and I know Ozzy wanted that. What a beautiful celebration of Ozzy's life in Rock N Roll.

"Thank you Ozzy.. the music remains and you will always be a Legend and one of the greatest ever. RIP".

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 legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne had performed a couple of times in the last three years, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Photo credit: Michael Segal

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