Sad to hear Ozzy died today. When I was in high school I discovered Sabbath. “War Pigs” was terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. It was Ozzy’s voice that took me away to a dark universe. A great escape. Then when The ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ record came out I was instantly a fan. Randy Rhoads was an influence on me to play lead guitar. Luckily I got to play on the song “Immortal” on the last record. Thanks for the music, Ozzy it makes our journey in life better. Mike McCready

METALLICA has paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the BLACK SABBATH singer died earlier today at the age of 76.

The San Francisco Bay Area metal legends took to their social media to write: " OZZY RIP. It's impossible to put into words what Ozzy Osbourne has meant to METALLICA. Hero, icon, pioneer, inspiration, mentor, and most of all, friend are a few that come to mind. Ozzy and Sharon believed in us and transformed our lives and careers. He taught us how to play in the big leagues while at the same time being warm, welcoming, engaging, and all around brilliant.

"We are heartbroken and devastated by this loss and send our love and condolences to Sharon and their family, bandmates, and his very large circle of friends. He left an incredible legacy and will be sorely missed."

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.

METALLICA played a six-song set at BLACK SABBATH's "Back To The Beginning" charity event on July 5. The San Francisco Bay Area metal legends opened their performance with the SABBATH "Sabotage" classic "Hole In The Sky" and continued with two of their own songs, "Creeping Death" and "For Whom The Bell Tolls" before returning to covering SABBATH with "Johnny Blade" off the latter's "Never Say Die!" album. METALLICA concluded its set by playing two more of its classic songs: "Battery" and "Master Of Puppets".

In a recent interview with Heavy Consequence, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett stated about his band's appearance at "Back To The Beginning": "It's a real opportunity to say thank you to Ozzy and Tony [Iommi] and Geezer [Butler] and Bill [Ward], 'cause they fricking wrote the book on the genre. They developed it, they fleshed it out so that we can use what they did as a stepping stone to other ways to do this."

Hammett continued: "If it wasn't for those four guys, man, we might still be just kind of like wandering around in the dark. But the fact that they created a genre — not only created it, but then developed it and, and, and then turned it into like a few different things over the course of their career — is completely awe inspiring to me and my peers musically. I mean, how do you thank someone like that? … I feel lucky and blessed that I'm in a situation where I can actually say thank you to the progenitors of a fricking genre. I love those guys. I have love for them for what they did. And I just want them to know that I'm just extremely thankful, 'cause my life would be extremely different if they didn't do what they did."

Nearly two decades ago, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told Rolling Stone magazine that he was surprised at how choked up he had gotten while honoring BLACK SABBATH at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in March 2006 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Hetfield — dressed in black jeans and a black shirt amid a sea of tuxedos — fought back tears as he recalled a young James, nine years old, stealing SABBATH records from his older brother. "Those monstrous riffs lived inside of him and spoke the feelings he could never put into words, sending chills of inspiration through him," Hetfield said. "They helped crack the shell he was stuck in. Also, scaring his mom and sister was an extra bonus. And now, as the former nine-year-old speaks to you here, as an adult musician — I know those two words really don't go together — I realize that without their defining sound, there would be no METALLICA, especially with one James Hetfield. Never have I known a more timeless and influential band. They have spread their wonderful disease through generations of musicians. They are always listed as an influence by heavy bands to this day. They are loved and highly respected as the fathers of heavy music."

Afterward, Hetfield told Rolling Stone, "It was like, 'Oh, no, I'm going to start crying,'" he said. "I'd never known it until I had to access all those emotions in front of that crowd, but it just goes to show how much SABBATH mean."

In addition to inducting SABBATH into the Rock Hall, METALLICA performed a medley of SABBATH songs ("Hole In The Sky" and "Iron Man") during the ceremony.

In his induction speech, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said about BLACK SABBATH: "Bill, Geezer, Ozzy and Tony, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here. Obviously if there was no BLACK SABBATH, there would be no METALLICA. If there was no BLACK SABBATH, hard rock and heavy metal as we know it today would look, sound and be shaped very, very differently. So if there was no BLACK SABBATH, I could possibly still be a morning newspaper delivery boy — no fun, no fun. So thank you for meeting, thank you for knowing each other, and thank you for forming a band.

"As one who has fought labeling at any opportunity given, I hereby not only acknowledge but scream from every fucking rooftop that BLACK SABBATH is and always will be synonymous with the term 'heavy metal.'

"SABBATH join what I consider a very short list of artists who can claim to be synonymous with their specific genre of music — one being Bob Marley with reggae, Bob Dylan with folk, Johnny Cash with country, perhaps Bill Haley with rockabilly, but no matter how you fucking slice and dice it, when you say 'heavy metal,' the words BLACK SABBATH hover in the shadows fighting for pole position. On any given day, the heavy metal genre might as well be subtitled 'music derivative of BLACK SABBATH.' Sure, we're all respectful to BLUE CHEER, we're enamored with LED ZEPPELIN, we're in awe of DEEP PURPLE and of course admiring of STEPPENWOLF and John Kay's first uttering of the words 'heavy metal,' but when it comes to defining a genre within the world of heavy music, SABBATH stand alone. They took pre-existing elements of blues, rock and soul, threw in the right amount of darkness and street cred, and fused those elements with a previously undiscovered 'X' factor — whatever the fuck that was — creating something unheard, unexperienced, unique and utterly groundbreaking with their huge hymns of doom. BLACK SABBATH are an entity of their own — in my mind, the only word that fits is the word 'pioneer.' They were, and much more importantly, still are considered pioneers of all things heavy. All the metal bands and all the so-called subgenres of metal still trace their lineage to one place: four kids in their late teens from the black country of Birmingham who named their band after a 1963 Italian horror movie starring Boris Karloff. Subsequently they changed hard rock and by doing so the entire family tree of metal and everything that metal, for better or worse, stands for, was and will be forever both invigorated and elevated."

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

The all-day event at Villa Park, produced by Live Nation, was hosted and compered by American actor Jason Momoa, and featured a supergroup of musicians.

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

OZZY RIP

It’s impossible to put into words what Ozzy Osbourne has meant to Metallica. Hero, icon, pioneer,...

Posted by Metallica on Tuesday, July 22, 2025

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the BLACK SABBATH singer died earlier today at the age of 76.

The fellow West Midlands pioneering metal band took to social media to write: "Our hearts are broken like millions around the world. Words can't express the love and loss we are all feeling.

"Sharon, may God surround you and your beautiful family with love, peace and light.

"Ozzy, you will never leave us — your music is eternal. God blesses you now more than ever after you blessed us all through your magnificent life.

"Rob, Glenn, Ian, Richie & Scott".

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.

Earlier in the month, PRIEST released a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs" ahead of the "Back To The Beginning" concert, which marked the original SABBATH lineup's last-ever performance.

PRIEST was unable to appear at "Back To The Beginning" on July 5 in Birmingham, United Kingdom because the band was scheduled to perform at SCORPIONS' huge hometown 60th-anniversary concert at the Heinz Von Heiden Arena in Hannover, Germany on the very same day.

This past May, PRIEST singer Rob Halford said that he was "absolutely gutted" to have to miss the last BLACK SABBATH concert. Rob told Metal Hammer: "I had no idea [the SABBATH show] was happening. It all got announced and was a big deal — [the Hannover concert featuring] SCORPIONS and PRIEST — and suddenly I get this phone call [from Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne]: 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with SCORPIONS, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys. He'd love to see you.'"

Halford explained that trying to make both performances happen would be "dangerous", adding: "Even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical', where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems… I was absolutely gutted."

Acknowledging that K.K. Downing was going to perform at the Villa Park concert, Halford said that the founding PRIEST guitarist would represent "the spirit of the band".

In August 2023, Halford picked BLACK SABBATH's classic 1970 self-titled debut album as one of the albums he'd be willing to listen to in perpetuity if he found himself stranded and alone on an island. He said: "I would have to go with BLACK SABBATH, the original 'Black Sabbath' album that I think is the motivator for all great things in heavy metal."

Back in 2020, Halford broke down his top 10 favorite albums in an interview with Rolling Stone and explained how they helped make him who he is. Among the records included on the list was BLACK SABBATH's debut. At the time, Halford said about his choice: "They were local guys from the same neighborhood, the same neck of the woods as PRIEST. We literally grew up together, inventing this great music that we love and cherish so much called heavy-metal music.

"I chose the 'Black Sabbath' album just because, like so many bands, your first one or two records really establish who you are as a band," he explained. "It's a bit like PRIEST with 'Rocka Rolla' and 'Sad Wings Of Destiny'; 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' becomes the one we love so much because it becomes defining. With 'Black Sabbath', here was the first example of what heavy-metal music should sound like, just the texture, the tone, the structure of all of the material, Ozzy's very unique voice. It's just become a very important record in the discography of BLACK SABBATH."

Halford joined SABBATH for two gigs to support Ozzy Osbourne on his last shows for the "No More Tours" tour in November 1992 in Costa Mesa, California after SABBATH's singer at the time, Ronnie James Dio, refused to take the stage. Rob also performed with SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on August 26, 2004 at the Camden, New Jersey stop of Ozzfest after Ozzy came down with an "attack of bronchitis" and was unable to take part in the concert.

Asked which SABBATH tune he'd most enjoying performing with the band, Halford told The Georgia Straight: "Ooo, that's a good question. Um, I'd probably say the actual song 'Black Sabbath', which is, to me, the most evil song that's ever been written. [Laughs]. It's very fucking scary. There's something very malevolent about that song. It's just the whole — it's the way it starts, and then it's almost deathly quiet, and then that opening line: 'What is this I see before me?' You know, I just get goosebumps thinking about it now. And when I sang that song live, it makes you feel really… Wow… I can't describe it. It's just very overwhelming, the emotion is very overwhelming. And when you see Ozzy singing it you can see him change, you know, his whole demeanor, he just changes as a person to sing that song. It's really spooky."

Photo credit: Andy "Elvis" McGovern

Posted by Judas Priest on Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Iskald, a melodic black meta band from Norway, are pleased to welcome Tobias Aubert as their new full-time bassist. He will replace Emanuel Salgado.

Comments the band on new addition in the ranks: "We’re thrilled to officially welcome Tobias Aubert as our new bass player! A talented, young, and dedicated musician who instantly felt like the right fit for our next chapter. The passion and precision he brought to our upcoming album is nothing short of incredible - we can’t wait for you to hear it.

"At the same time, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Emanuel Salgado for two great years of music and memories. Things ended on good terms, and we wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors."

Sweet Freedom share today their new single and official lyric video, “Another Day”, taken from the upcoming new album Blind Leading The Blind, set for release on August 29 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Jörgen Schelander commented on the new single, by saying: “Sweet Freedom is about being free, but ‘Another Day’ is about the opposite, the suffocating feeling of not being free. These days, we all know where in the world that is, and we all must use our voice (our vote) to change it. This track is a true classic rock anthem, and Matti really shows what an amazing singer he is.”



Talking about the record, Schelander says: “This album is a blast of classic rock. Close your eyes and listen all the way through Blind Leading The Blind – and you’ll come out blind no more… Maybe just a little deaf! The energy we captured, especially with Stefan Boman’s production, is something rare these days.”

Sweet Freedom began as a solo project by Swedish keyboardist Jörgen Schelander during the pandemic, born from a clear artistic vision and DIY spirit that had long been brewing in his mind.

Their debut album, initially released with no promotion, gained surprising attention — even landing coverage in Sweden Rock Magazine as one of the year’s top releases. By late 2022, the band evolved from a solo project to a full lineup under the name Sweet Freedom, reminiscent of how Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow became simply Rainbow.

The new album, Blind Leading The Blind, sees the return of the same core lineup, but with one notable change: powerhouse vocalist Matti Alfonzetti (Skintrade, Jagged Edge) steps in as frontman, replacing Stefan Nyqvist. Matti’s signature voice and charisma elevate these already high-octane songs to new heights.

Together with Håkan Nilsson on guitar, Jan Lund on bass, and Håkan Rangemo on drums, Sweet Freedom forms a Swedish supergroup. The new album is a ten-song collection of massive classic rock with a progressive twist.

The album was recorded live as a full band at Tilt Recording Studios in Strömstad, Sweden – an intentional move to capture the raw energy and chemistry that can only happen when a real band plays together in the same room. That energy, combined with a massive-sounding mix and master by Stefan Boman (Opeth, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard), results in a huge, dynamic rock production.

While Matti is well known in the rock world, the rest of Sweet Freedom’s members also boast serious credentials. Jörgen performed all keyboards on the 2024 touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar (featuring Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation), and both Jan and Håkan previously played in Sabbtail alongside Mats Levén and Fredrik Åkesson of Opeth.

Pre-order the new album here.



Tracklisting:

“Infinity”
“Tears Of The Sun”
“Another Day”
“Skin And Bone”
“Innocent Child”
“Live From The Heart”
“Skeleton Key”
“Solid Ground”
“I Push Too Hard”
“Outcry”

Australian metallic hardcore outfit Nicolas Cage Fighter has unveiled their latest single, "Garden of the Grieving Mother", from the upcoming album I Watched You Burn, set for release on September 12 via Bleeding Art Collective / Blood Blast Distribution (Nuclear Blast/Believe).

I Watched You Burn was mixed and mastered by Cryptopsy guitarist Christian Donaldson (also known from his work with Neuraxis, Despised Icon, Shadow Of Intent, The Agonist, Beneath The Massacre among others), and will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats.

Artwork for the album has been created by Giannis Nakos, who has worked with acts such as Suffocation, Emperor and Aborted.

Vocalist Nick Moriarty had the following to say: "If this album was a Nic Cage film, it would be Mandy. It's dark, savage, and has a righteous thirst for bloody vengeance; we are pushing our sound to new extremes.

In "Garden Of The Grieving Mother," mother nature comes back to take that which is rightfully hers. The protagonist in the concept behind the album, after having eaten the tainted fruit of the corrupted tree of life, is infected with an incurable curse, his soul stripped from his flesh as he is condemned to rot away in a prison of the mind. Sentenced to an eternity in limbo between the life of chaos he has known and an uncertain future in the abyssal void that lies ahead, he can only watch on in hopelessness as the bodies around him are consumed by the Earth."

Last month, Nicolas Cage Fighter also released a music video for the album's title track, which can be viewed below.



Video by Steller Media


Guitarist Justin Ellis commented: "'I Watched You Burn' was the first song I wrote for the new album and we all loved it from the pre-production ideas. Plenty of riffs but still catchy. Working with Dyl on it and the ideas he had really set the level we wanted to reach for the whole album. It's also a beast to play live and the reception has been great."






I Watched You Burn tracklisting:

01. I Watched You Burn
02. Valley Of Agony
03. Godforsaken Silence
04. The Executioner
05. Tempest
06. Garden Of The Grieving Mother
07. Death In Bloom
08. Legacies Of Dust
09. Existing Beyond Death
10. Tarnished Remains

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has completed recording guitars for its long-awaited follow-up to 2018's "No Cross No Crown" album. The sessions took place at a private Miami, Florida studio owned by Barry Gibb of the BEE GEES.

On Sunday (July 20),CORROSION OF CONFORMITY shared a photo of C.O.C. frontman Pepper Keenan and Gibb at the studio and included the following message: "Beer drinkers and free thinkers… We wanna let y'all know we just finished trackin guitars in a very special place…

"Here's the deal… We were diggin around in the underground and fell upon an outing by a band called [KILL THE ROBOT] , the production caught our ear immediately as did the songs …clicked a lil deeper n' realized it was our dear friend Stephen Gibb's [Barry Gibb's son, who has previously played with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and CROWBAR] new outing… and was recorded and produced by [Warren Riker], another ol' friend who recorded the orginal 'Stare Too Long' and produced two [DOWN] records ..

"Didn't take long to start puttin the pieces together. Couple of texts and phone calls and we got the ultimate invitation… Come record at my father's place , where Warren and Stephen had built a dream studio. We stole the gas money and loaded the U haul n' headed to Miams.. We're goin to @officialbarrygibb of the friggin BEE GEES !! What followed next is way too epic to share…. but it took us to another level.

"We are forever grateful for sharing your world with us… never in our youth did we think we would be here tracking, and having Barry share his most prized instruments .. aka the Staying Alive Strat !!.. No Jive Talkin… We are humbled and definitely thank you Barry Gibb, Stephen Gibb and Warren Riker..

"Stay tuned! The new COC record is a monster!!

"We love you all..

"See yall next tour with Alice [Cooper] and the mighty [JUDAS] PRIEST."

Last October, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recruited onetime DOWN guitarist and current PANTERA bass tech Bobby Landgraf to play bass for the band on the 2024 edition of the Headbangers Boat cruise. He has since joined CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in the studio and on the concert stage.

In September 2024, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's founding bassist Mike Dean announced his departure from the band.

Dean revealed his decision to leave CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in a statement posted on social media. He wrote: "Recently I made a decision to step away from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, a band started 40-odd years ago by Reed Mullin, Woody Weatherman, and myself.

"I'm extremely proud of everything we've done together, and look forward to hearing more from the band going forward.

"When I rejoined COC for the finishing touches of the 'Deliverance' album, I moved back to Raleigh, NC for an all-in creative campaign, but time, distance and side projects and life in general has changed all of that.

"Ever since Reed drifted away from the band and then passed away, it's been difficult for me to collaborate on new material with bandmates who live hundreds of miles away.

"I look forward to putting together a new Raleigh-based outlet to create new music with more alacrity and with more of an emphasis on my own ideas than in recent times. Also, I look forward to continuing to record and produce other artists.

"All the best to Woodroe, Pepper, and COC crew, and most importantly, many big thanks to the fans of all iterations of the band, who have made this real for all of these years. Salute!"

The remaining members of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY — Keenan and Weatherman — added in a separate statement: "We, Woodroe and Pepper, are in full support of Dean's future endeavors and wish him all the best in the quest. Thankful for the music made and (R)evolutionary paths created. That being said, this book of CORROSION is not finished, nor will the train stop.

"The opportunity to play music and create is something that we don't take lightly, and we will not waver. New COC recording is well underway and will be released in 2025.

"Much love and respect to all the free thinkin' beer drinkin' friends and fans worldwide, looking to making more. Without you, we are just growing deaf in a garage."

Two years ago, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY confirmed the return of Moore for its upcoming album.

Mullin died in January 2020 at the age of 53. The drummer, who co-founded CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in 1982 as a hardcore punk act alongside Weatherman and Dean, had missed a number of shows in the preceding four years due to a variety of health issues, including an alcohol-related seizure he suffered back in June 2016.

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Weatherman, Dean and Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled back in 2017. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking."

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY recorded "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year at a North Carolina studio with longtime producer John Custer.

Beer drinkers and free thinkers… We wanna let y'all know we jus finished trackin guitars in a very special place…...

Posted by Corrosion Of Conformity on Sunday, July 20, 2025

Guitarist Phil Fasciana of long-running Florida death metallers MALEVOLENT CREATION will likely remain hospitalized for at least another week in Montpelier, France after developing a severe case of bacterial pneumonia.

As a result of Phil's hospitalization, the other members of the band — Ronnie Parmer (drums),Jesse Jolly (bass, lead vocals) and Chris Cannella (guitar) — are playing the remaining shows of the band's in-progress European tour as a three-piece, beginning with this past Thursday night's (July 17) concert at Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Spain.

Earlier today, Parmer, Jolly and Cannella released the following update on Fasciana's condition via social media: "There is positive news to share regarding Phil's condition. However, to understand the gravity of the situation, we need to be fully transparent with the fact that when Phil was admitted to the ICU, he was placed in an induced coma to avoid any intense strain on his cardiovascular system during his intravenous treatment. Phil has shown improvement, and the doctors are remaining positive based on signs of his recovery, as his infection has almost cleared up! He is slowly being taken off of breathing assistance, and he is responding to his name as they attempt to communicate with him, but he is not out of the woods just yet. He will likely be in the hospital for another week, at least, but his overall condition is improving.

"We cannot express enough how much his family, friends, and we as his brothers-in-arms appreciate the continuing thoughts, hopes and prayers directed towards his recovery. We will do our best to provide timely updates as they become available and appropriate, based on further developments.

"Horns high, for you, Phil. We love you".

Fasciana is the sole remaining original member of MALEVOLENT CREATION, which formed in in Buffalo, New York in 1986 and later relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

MALEVOLENT CREATION's latest album, "The 13th Beast", was released in January 2019 via Century Media. It was the band's sole disc to feature drummer Phil Cancilla and vocalist/guitarist Lee Wollenschlaeger.

Former MALEVOLENT CREATION frontman Bret Hoffmann died in July 2018 after a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was only 51 years old.

Bret performed on the first three MALEVOLENT CREATION releases until he left the band after 1993's "Stillborn" album. Five years later, he returned and performed on "The Fine Art Of Murder" and "Envenomed" before leaving again and being replaced by Kyle Symons. He rejoined MALEVOLENT again in 2006 and appeared on three more of the group's albums, 2007's "Doomsday X", 2010's "Invidious Dominion" and 2015's "Dead Man's Path". He exited the group once again in 2016 and was replaced by Wollenschlaeger.

Image courtesy of Soundterror

A brief update on Phil:
There is positive news to share regarding Phil's condition. However, to understand the gravity...

Posted by Malevolent Creation Band on Monday, July 21, 2025

DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll was interviewed by "Reckless" Rexx Ruger for a new episode of the Pod Scum podcast. Asked by Ruger where DEATH ANGEL's place is within the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal scene, Will — who joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon — responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Ah, that's a hard question. Where does DEATH ANGEL fit in the Bay Area thrash community? I mean, it's gonna be a biased answer, obviously, 'cause I'm in the band. But I think DEATH ANGEL should be a hell of a lot bigger than they are. And I'm not quite sure why that is, that they haven't had more success. I mean, we're successful, but I think DEATH ANGEL should be much more successful and playing better spots on festivals, better slots on festivals and bigger tours and everything. They've paid their dues and they've put out a long string of killer albums, before I was in the band and since I've been in the band."

Will continued: "I'm not trying to sound like I'm patting myself on the back, but we're hard workers, man. And we've toured our asses off in the past 16 years since I've joined. And we've toured way more since I've joined than they did the first time around. And I'm not even gonna take the time to figure out why they're not more successful than they are. But — whatever — I think the band should be further along. And it is not 'cause of lack of hard work on our end."

Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital in March 2020. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of that year's "The Bay Strikes Back" tour. The now-52-year-old musician was hospitalized at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco after catching COVID-19 on the aforementioned European tour.

Carroll woke up from a medically induced coma on March 30, 2020 after spending nearly two weeks on a ventilator. Doctors told the San Francisco Chronicle he was in critical condition and came close to dying.

DEATH ANGEL had been touring in support of its ninth album, "Humanicide", which came out in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast.

The band was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Will can be heard on the last four DEATH ANGEL studio albums: "Relentless Retribution" (2010),"The Dream Calls For Blood" (2013),"The Evil Divide" (2016) and the aforementioned "Humanicide".

DEATH ANGEL will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its "Act III" album by performing it in its entirety on a fall 2025 U.S. tour. The trek, which will feature support from TOXIC HOLOCAUST, LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE, will kick off on November 26 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado and wrap with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

This past May, DEATH ANGEL released its first new music in six years, a brand new song called "Wrath (Bring Fire)".