Two days after ALICE IN CHAINS performed at Ozzy Osbourne's "Back To The Beginning" farewell concert — where the Seattle grunge pioneers covered BLACK SABBATH's "Fairies Wear Boots" — ALICE IN CHAINS frontman William DuVall took to his social media to share a few photos from the event, and he included the following message: "What an event. Such an immense honor just to be there, let alone to play and reconnect with so many people I admire that I don't get to see nearly often enough. Endless thanks to Sharon Osbourne for inviting us. Deep love and gratitude to all the amazing fans who showed up and showed out! We owe everything to you. We showed up in Aston for the same reasons you did — because we're also fans!

"[ALICE IN CHAINS drummer] Sean Kinney and I were in the dressing room at Villa Park getting ourselves together to go onstage and, at one point, the DJ playing records for the crowd between bands put on the song 'Black Sabbath' — first song on their first album. It was blasting through the PA, reverberating throughout the stadium and through the walls of the dressing room. I looked at Kinney and we both just cracked up laughing at how insanely heavy it still is. Recorded in 1969, live in the studio on an 8-track tape machine — along with 7 other songs recorded the same day for a total cost of £600 — and it still sounds like the end of the world. Fifty-five years later, for sheer heaviness, nothing beats it.

"Like for so many of you, BLACK SABBATH is a cornerstone for me. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward are masters who took the blues/jazz tradition and rewrote it into their own language — so heavy, so swinging, so funky. We all speak dialects of it. The conversation continues forever. And Ozzy Osbourne… the ferocity, the honesty, the humor, the LOVE. He's also one of the great singers and melodists of all time. I don't think he gets proper credit. But try singing those songs sometime. I guarantee you every singer at that #BackToTheBeginning concert felt rightfully daunted. The love Ozzy emanates is the main takeaway for me though — SABBATH in early seventies playing the loudest, most bludgeoning music to ever exist but then there's Ozzy smiling, throwing peace signs in the air with both hands, screaming 'WE LOVE YOU' into the mic. He MEANT that shit too. I felt the truth in it every time just like you do. His last performance was one of the most heroic things I've ever seen. All of the musicians around him — tremendous. Shout-out to Zakk Wylde and our man Mike Inez. What a beautiful full-circle moment. And Ozzy was incredible! Despite ALL the challenges, he was still THAT guy. The joy, the pain, the playfulness, the yearning, and the fucking FURY comes from so deep within him that it couldn't possibly be stopped. One last time he said, 'I love you all!' As always, we felt the truth of it in our very souls. We love you, too, Ozz. Forever. Inspirational to the very end.

"Here's a few snaps. So many more photos I wish I had gotten. No way to truly do the experience justice. The whole night was pretty unbelievable."

According to The Guardian, "Back To The Beginning" was livestreamed to more than five million fans worldwide (with peak audience of 5.8 million fans watching the livestream).

Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by fellow original BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar),Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) for four classic SABBATH songs: "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "N.I.B." and "Paranoid".

Ozzy's solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne's 1980 solo debut album "Blizzard Of Ozz" — "I Don't Know", "Mr. Crowley", "Suicide Solution" and "Crazy Train" — along with his 1991 "No More Tears" ballad "Mama, I'm Coming Home".

The 76-year-old heavy metal singer, who has Parkinson's disease, sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. "You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," he told the crowd.

At the end of SABBATH's set, Ozzy said: "It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Osbourne was then presented with a cake, while fireworks lit up the stadium from overhead.

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

More than 40,000 fans attended the event, which also saw performances from METALLICA, 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.

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

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.

Livestream tickets were priced $29.99, which got you live viewing and access to video for 48 hours. The livestream and T-shirt bundle was priced $64.98. It got you event viewing and a "Back To The Beginning" T-shirt.

"Back To The Beginning" was captured, produced and distributed by Mercury Studios ("One To One: John & Yoko", "American Symphony", "Metallica Saved My Life"). Mercury has partnered with Kiswe — the global D2C streaming partner behind the record-breaking BTS concert livestream — to deliver this moment of music history to fans across the globe.

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

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

Two hastily assembled supergroups — dubbed Supergroup A and Supergroup B — performed at the event, with EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt taking part in a five-song set of covers, while ex-Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee made an appearance for covers of "The Ultimate Sin" and "Shot In The Dark". Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing joined Morello, Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) and Adam Jones (TOOL) for a rendition of PRIEST's "Breaking The Law", while LIVING COLOUR's Vernon Reid hopped onstage for a cover of Ozzy's "Bark At The Moon", with GHOST's Papa V Perpetua (a.k.a. Tobias Forge) handling lead vocals.

What an event. Such an immense honor just to be there, let alone to play and reconnect with so many people I admire that...

Posted by William DuVall on Monday, July 7, 2025

British singer, songwriter and musician Yungblud — whose real name is Dominic Richard Harrison — has posted a video capturing a tender moment between him and Ozzy Osbourne, taken ahead of BLACK SABBATH's farewell concert at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, which took place on Saturday, July 5.

Speaking about the significance of the moment, Yungblud said: "Back in 2022 on the video shoot for 'The Funeral', Ozzy gave me his gold cross and said, 'I hope this brings you luck.' I thought, on this monumental moment for him and SABBATH, it was time for me to return the favor and let him know what he and the band means to me."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since then, Yungblud has created his own blend of alternative rock: poetry, guitar-hooks and break-beats with a fierce determination to make a dent in pop-culture. Startlingly bold yet emotionally grounded, he drops a grenade on listeners and imprints himself in their minds.

Photo credit: Tom Pallant (courtesy of The Outside Organisation)

Tim Cronin, founding member of stoner rock pioneers MONSTER MAGNET, has died at the age of 63.

Bob Pantella of MONSTER MAGNET and THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX confirmed Tim's passing, writing in a social media post: "Words cannot express how great this guy was… You had to know him. Rest in peace Tim."

It was announced in March that Tim had been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis),a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventual respiratory system failure. A GoFundMecampaign had been launched to help pay for the New Jersey native's care, and it raised over $100,000.

Cronin helped shape MONSTER MAGNET's early sound with contributions on vocals, bass, and drums after the band's formation in 1989. Outside the studio, Cronin had spent over three decades at the helm of Jack's Music Shoppe, a beloved independent record store in Red Bank, New Jersey.

In recent years, MONSTER MAGNET had gone through a number of lineup changes, leaving Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar) as the only constant member.

MONSTER MAGNET has released eleven studio albums to date, including the band's latest, a covers album titled "A Better Dystopia", which came out in 2021. They are best known for their 1990s hits "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and "Space Lord".

MONSTER MAGNET has been credited for developing and popularizing the stoner rock genre, along with MASTERS OF REALITY, KYUSS, FU MANCHU and SLEEP.

Words cannot express how great this guy was… You had to know him. Rest in peace Tim.

Posted by Bob Pantella on Tuesday, July 8, 2025

So it's true. A great light in the Univese has indeed gone out. My bandmate, musical guide, and old friend has left us....

Posted by Seth Fineberg on Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Absolutely heartbroken to share the news that my friend Tim Cronin has left this part of the journey. He’s been a huge...

Posted by Luke Cantin on Tuesday, July 8, 2025

A sad goodbye to Tim Cronin, a long distance pal of many years, who encouraged my arts from the very beginning,...

Posted by Steven Krakow on Tuesday, July 8, 2025

RIP Tim Cronin, I first met you in the mid 90's on tour with Monster Magnet. You were a true legend. Mountain of...

Posted by Serge Defraene on Tuesday, July 8, 2025

The Royal Mint has today unveiled an eye-catching commemorative coin celebrating 50 years of IRON MAIDEN. The East London icons are joining the ranks of musical royalty in The Royal Mint's Music Legends series, which has previously celebrated the likes of QUEEN, Elton John and David Bowie.

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail by contemporary IRON MAIDEN artist Albert "Akirant" Quirantes, the design features the band's infamous mascot Eddie in a dynamic pose that will strike a chord with fans worldwide. The design features numerous hidden "Easter eggs" referencing the band's illustrious career, albums and world tours — giving collectors plenty to hunt for.

IRON MAIDEN, who formed in 1975, worked closely with The Royal Mint throughout the design process, ensuring the coin captures the essence of a band whose influence has spanned five decades and counting. With a global footprint that spans the planet, IRON MAIDEN are one of the biggest success stories in British music, and with the international nature of coin-collecting this new commemorative piece — the first official collectable product to bear the 50th-anniversary logo — is sure to delight and excite collectors and fans alike.

Rod Smallwood, IRON MAIDEN's manager, said: "Having Eddie on an official U.K. coin is a continuation of his incredible odyssey since we unearthed him back in 1980. We've been on stamps, beer bottles, plane tails and now legal tender! The detail Akirant has managed to pack into the design is superb — there are little nods to virtually every chapter of our journey as a band. We're truly honored that The Royal Mint has chosen to commemorate 50 years of IRON MAIDEN in such a unique way."

Rebecca Morgan, director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, commented: "IRON MAIDEN have been fearless pioneers in music, flying the flag for Britain around the globe for half a century. Their creative vision, powerful performances and dedicated following have earned them a place as one of Britain's most influential bands. This coin is the perfect fusion of metal on metal and we expect it will prove to be a collector's piece that's highly sought after by both numismatists and passionate rock fans alike."

Quirantes said: "Designing the IRON MAIDEN coin has been one of the most thrilling projects of my career. As a lifelong fan of the band, and Derek Riggs's original creations in the '80s, I wanted to capture not just their iconic imagery, but also the rebellious spirit that has defined their music for decades. I've hidden several references within the design that true fans will enjoy discovering, including subtle nods to classic album artwork and their most beloved songs. It's my tribute to a band that has influenced generations of music lovers all over the world, and I hope fans will spend time exploring every detail just as passionately as they've analyzed the band's lyrics over the years."

Available in several editions, from standard brilliant uncirculated to limited edition precious metal proof versions, prices for the IRON MAIDEN coin start from £18.50. For more information about the IRON MAIDEN commemorative coin and to view the full range, visit www.royalmint.com/ironmaiden.

With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is one of Britain's oldest companies and the original maker of U.K. coins. Today The Royal Mint is a premium British maker, providing carefully crafted coins and precious metal products for the U.K. and overseas.

IRON MAIDEN was founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris and has grown to become one of the world's most celebrated bands. With a steady recording output beginning with their self-titled 1980 debut, they have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums and 47 singles which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played almost 2,500 live shows across 64 countries and were carried to some of these aboard Ed Force One, a Boeing 757 and then later a 747 piloted by singer Bruce Dickinson. They have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award among many other accolades, most recently joining THE ROLLING STONES and PINK FLOYD with their very own Royal Mail stamp set. Their beer, Trooper Beer, is now in its twelfth year and has sold in excess of 40 million pints and is distributed in 68 countries including six local variants in USA, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Australia. 2025 marks the band's official 50th year and is being celebrated by a two-year world tour titled "Run For Your Lives" and a range of events and products including a coffee-table visual history book and a feature film documentary.

In a new interview with Cassius Morris, HATEBREED drummer Matt Byrne was asked about the recent departure of the band's founding bassist Chris Beattie. Chris, who had been pursuing a career in real estate, confirmed his exit from HATEBREED in February, just days after the group announced SHADOWS FALL guitarist Matt Bachand would play bass for the Connecticut-based hardcore/metal act "for the foreseeable future." Byrne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, [I] can't talk too much about it, 'cause there's lawyers involved and things have to be settled, 'cause [Chris has] been in the band since day one. I've been in the band with him for more than half my life, so, yeah, this is going into a major change for me. I mean, I love the guy. We're just here now and we're going down different paths and he's not here anymore and it's gonna take some getting used to. Technically, our road crew, they're just on it. They're great. So there's no really missteps there. It's really just getting into a head space where he's not gonna be there anymore and continuing on and still giving the best show that we can, that we've always given. We're we're jamming with Matt Bachand from SHADOWS FALL, who we've known forever anyway. We all came up together in the music world here. He's a great player. He proves he's a great player by typically being the guitar player of a shreddy band like SHADOWS FALL, and he is jumping over on to bass for us. So, his performance is unquestionable. And we're just moving on in a different era of HATEBREED.

Asked if he and his HATEBREED bandmates wish that it could have ended differently between them and Chris, Byrne said: "Well, you could say that about anything — anything could have been handled differently, whether good or bad. I don't know. I can't talk much about it."

This past May, Chris opened up about his departure from HATEBREED, telling Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!: "Obviously, the last year was the 30th anniversary of the band, so we had big stuff going on for that, which was all completely amazing. We had a great year. Tours, shows were successful, and then we jump to right now where I'm not in the band anymore."

Chris went on to say that his exit from HATEBREED was "completely unexpected. We had just celebrated 30 years," he explained. "It was awesome. Successful tour. Left on a high note. We did great stuff. And like I said before publicly, it was not my decision to leave the band. Someone saw an opportunity to get me out of the picture, and that's where I am now."

Beattie continued: "Everything went really well that year, but there was stuff going on behind the scenes, and it became a chore to get in touch with anyone. And I was the middle man, basically, for bandmembers and crew members, and that became a chore for me. And I had started asking a lot of questions, and it became problematic. I became a problem within the [organization]."

Regarding where he stands with HATEBREED right now, Chris said: "We're trying to work it out. There's attorneys involved now. They're spending a lot of time having to deal with that and all the details of that. And I've gone back and forth.

"Obviously, when something like that happens, you're upset," he continued. "You go through all these crazy emotions. You put 30 years into something like that. But I don't wanna shit on the legacy of what I did. And I could be that guy. I could come out here and I could talk all kinds of shit, but I don't want [to]… I don't wanna be that guy. We made good music. We had great times together. Things changed. Dynamics changed.

"It's hard to be away from your family when you're touring. Everyone understands that. And the feedback from people when you play, you inspire them, you touch their life, you have a positive, lasting impact on someone, that always kept me in the game. And when shit wasn't going right in the band and whatnot, you look at that man that's the realest shit you could possibly get. People would come up to us all the time and be, like, 'Man, I was ready to kill myself. And your music changed me.' How do you respond to that? It's real deep shit.

"So I'm just hoping for the best," Chris added. "Hopefully we'll be able to sort this out. I don't want us to go down some shitty road. We've all seen bands do that, so hopefully it could end on decent terms and be able to move ahead."

Asked if he thinks there is any chance of him being able to work things out with HATEBREED and return to the band, Beattie said: "My time is done with HATEBREED… It's done. My family comes first. I'll leave it at that. I can't go back to that. But there is a legacy. With all the time that I haven't been in the band now, which, it's weird to say, but people know me from that band everywhere I go. You can't shake that kind of shit. The identity is still there. So it's good. It's hard to talk about too, but here we are. New doors open."

On the topic of new music projects, Beattie said: "It's kind of crazy when that happened [with HATEBREED]. A lot of people hit me up from other bands, big bands, touring bands, friends I've had. I'm not gonna name everyone. I respect their privacy and all that. But so much love to everyone that reached out to me. But that aside, my great friend Scott Vogel [TERROR] hits me up one day, and he's, like, 'Let's do a band.' I'm, like, Are you fucking serious?' 'Cause I'm not even looking for anything, really. All this shit just happened and I'm kind of sorting it out. And Scott's, like, 'Yeah, you get Sean Martin,' ex-HATEBREED guitar player, and he is gonna get Jamie Pushbutton, that played on [HATEBREED's debut album, 1997's] 'Satisfaction [Is The Death Of Desire]'. And I'm, like, 'Get the fuck outta here. This is fucking crazy.' So he hits up Jamie Pushbutton, and I hit up Sean. And yeah — so that's one of my new projects that's in the works. I skipped this week, but I go to Sean Martin's house every Friday, man. We're fucking working on music. And it's crazy, man. It's like the door opens. It would've never been there. So I can't wait to jam with these dudes and get us all in a room and do that. It's gonna be fucking awesome. I am thrilled to announce that and to let everybody know."

Beattie went on to say that he has "another project in the works" featuring Karl [Buechner] from EARTH CRISIS, and my buddy Anders [Löwgren] from AKANI. I think he did some stuff with Jorge [Rosado of MERAUDER]. I'm gonna be jamming with those dudes. They have music written. It's already done. I'm gonna play bass on it. But I look forward to doing that too.

"So I have multiple projects in the works right now," he added. "It's awesome to write new shit, still be able to jam with friends. Me and [former HATEBREED drummer] Dave Russo talked about jamming together, doing something."

When Beattie went public with his departure from HATEBREED less than three months ago, he wrote in a statement: "I just want to take the time to let everyone know that I am doing just fine and I sincerely appreciate everyone who has reached out.

"I was under the impression a joint announcement would be agreed upon in advance, but since that was not the case I wanted to address your concerns in my own post.

"At this time I am unable to discuss the specifics surrounding my departure from HATEBREED on November 13, 2024. However, I want to clarify that the decision to leave the band was not mine and that my departure was uncalled for and based on misleading and wrongful statements that will be subject to future actions."

HATEBREED celebrated its 30th anniversary with a North American tour last fall. The trek kicked off on September 26, 2024 in Portland, Maine and concluded on October 27, 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia. Support on the tour came from CARCASS, HARMS WAY and CRYPTA.

Over the course of its career, HATEBREED has gone from playing basements and backyards to being a featured attraction on countless festivals like Graspop Metal Meeting, Ozzfest, Warped and Download, alongside massive high-profile tours.

Described by Forbes as "more relevant than ever in the metal and hardcore community," HATEBREED celebrated a milestone with its track "Looking Down The Barrel Of Today", which surpassed 75 million global streams on Spotify alone while generating over 600,000 global equivalents across all digital service providers, making it the band's single biggest career streaming track of the modern era. To date, HATEBREED has sold over 1.5 million albums in North America alone.

In a new interview with Andrew McKaysmith of the Scars And Guitars podcast, former ICED EARTH and current ASHES OF ARES frontman Matt Barlow was asked about his views on the current state of the world. The singer, who has a full-time career as a police lieutenant in Georgetown, Delaware, responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "I've gotta have hope, man. I think we all have to have hope. And that doesn't mean that we bury our heads in the sand and just ignore facts. But that's another side of it as well. So because I've been in law enforcement for 22 years, I try to wait for the facts to present themselves, because that's how you move forward. And if you're trying to prove a case or prosecute a case, you follow the facts. And I can only say that I hope that we do better as a people. I hope that we all do better as humanity in general, and just really truly rely on the facts. And the people that have done things wrong, they, I can only assume, will pay for those things in one way or another, just like everybody does. But I think that there's always room for redemption, for whomever it is on whatever side. I think there's certainly room for redemption, so long as you're not taking people's lives or something like that, or seriously taking away their value of life. I think there's always room for that. And I do hope that we kind of get past this very, very divided politic that we're dealing with throughout the world. 'Cause I don't think it's just the U.S. I think it's happening a lot of different places. And I understand that there are people on both sides that are extreme, and that's a hard thing as well, dealing with that kind of stuff."

He continued: "I don't preach politics. It's a personal thing for me that I don't do, because I'm not trying to alienate people that are friends or fans of music or just my friends in general. 'Cause I have friends that are on all sides of the spectrum, where that's concerned. And it's just not my job. And maybe that's part of me being a police officer for 22 years. I am not gonna put myself in a spot where I'm picking sides, because oftentimes I'm called to protect people that are maybe politically on another side of the table from me. And so I have to be remain neutral in a lot of things. And that's my, job. And I feel that responsibility a lot with music too, man. I think that that's one of the reasons that I don't — in my lyrics or anything like that, if there's anything that's political or socially something, I try to leave it as ambiguous as possible so you can fill in your own blanks. A lot of the stuff that I do is thought out. I can release my rage and my demons in the music and make it aggressive because I know that that's what a lot of people need to release. That's what I needed. That's what drove me to metal, really, is that energy release and 'shake your fist in the air' and all that. But I'm not gonna be a RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guy, or FIVE FINGER [DEATH PUNCH] or whatever. And I don't really follow FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, but everybody's, like, 'Well, they're conservative.' But I'm just not gonna put myself out there like that. I just choose not to. That's not the kind of music that I wanna do, and that's not the kind of music that I will do. Because I feel that I have a responsibility as an entertainer because I am an entertainer, and I have the privilege of performing these songs and writing these songs and performing them for people of all types, of all walks of life. I don't discriminate against anybody that's a metal fan. People that don't like my music, then that's fine — move along. But I know that I have friends and fans that are of all walks of life, and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that relationship that I have with them. So that's kind of where I'm with that."

Elaborating on how he feels about other musicians voicing their political views, either through interviews and their lyrics, Barlow said: "Like I said, I don't begrudge people their opinion. I can only say that I wish that more musicians would not try to alienate their fans. And I think that a lot of them do, whether that's right or left. They end up so far in the weeds where that's concerned. And if you feel like you really need to get into politics like that, then just kind of get into politics. And again, man, my opinion is like anybody else's. I mean, most of them smell, but that's my feeling on it. I prefer to not just piss people off for no apparent reason other than my own personal beliefs. And maybe I have, with even pointing out RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, but it's been pretty, pretty clear that they take a political stance. I mean, hell, it's in the title of their name or the name of the band. And I guess the thing is you just have to determine which machine they're against, which side of the machine they're against. But, anyway, hey, man, it is what it is. I've got friends, very dear friends of mine that get on social media and they blast their political stuff. And I love 'em — I love 'em to death — but I just don't agree with that particular way of doing things. I think that I've been given a platform, and maybe I'm squandering that, maybe in their opinion, that I have a platform that I can speak and say things like that. But I just choose not to, man. I'm really a live-and-let-live kind of guy. That's it. And I do pray for humanity and our failings. And we all fail, man. We all have troubles. We all have missteps and things like that, including friends or family or just people that we respect. Everybody stumbles, and hopefully we can figure it out. And I think I was talking on another interview just about how kind of things are magnified now, obviously with social media and all that, and I think that that kind of takes it to another level as well. So, it just makes it seem more amplified than ever before."

Last October, ICED EARTH's founding guitarist Jon Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation and 120 hours of community service in connection with his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution and a $200 financial assessment. Schaffer later became one of about 1,500 people accused of crimes related to the riot who were pardoned by U.S. president Donald Trump.

This past April, it was announced that ASHES OF ARES, the band featuring Barlow and fellow ex-ICED EARTH member Freddie Vidales, will celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of ICED EARTH's third album, 1996's "The Dark Saga", on a European tour in September/October 2025. Vidales played with ICED EARTH from 2008 to 2012 and is featured on the band's 2011 album "Dystopia". from 1993 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2011.

ASHES OF ARES will release its fourth studio album, titled "New Messiahs", in Europe on July 18 and in North America on August 8 via ROAR!

ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Barlow, who is married to Schaffer's sister, announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.

Back in late 2020, Barlow reunited with Schaffer to celebrate the holiday season with an EP called "Winter Nights". Released under the SCHAFFER/BARLOW PROJECT banner, the effort contained the duo's unique spin on five Christmas classics and two ICED EARTH songs.

This past April, Schaffer said in an interview that the legal issues and professional setback he faced as a result of his involvement in the Capitol riot have been "the biggest gift" of his life, in part because "it is what led" him "to [Jesus] Christ."

Former ANTHRAX and current ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush, who was offered an opportunity to join METALLICA in the early '80s but turned it down, reflected on his decision in a new interview with Get On The Bus. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That is real. That actually happened before ARMORED SAINT even started, really, for the most part. It was, again, back to Jonny Z [founder of Megaforce Records], who was the manager of METALLICA at first. Then he became the manager of ANTHRAX. And he contacted me, which is kind of funny. And then he contacted me again about [joining] ANTHRAX [in the early 1990s]. I'm, like, 'Wait, okay, this is 10 years later, and you're calling me about maybe joining this other band.' It was kind of funny.

"But, yeah, again, it was an honor to be asked to sing in METALLICA," Bush continued. "I mean, I never can imagine anybody singing other than James Hetfield for that band. Ironically enough, I just saw James Hetfield and Lars [Ulrich] and Robert Trujillo, 'cause we played the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus [Ohio] last weekend, and METALLICA was one of the headlining bands; they headlined two nights, actually. And those guys came and watched ARMORED SAINT. And we played at, like, three in the afternoon. And that was very, very cool that they did that. 'Cause I was, like, 'It's very nice you're here. I don't think I would be here at three in the afternoon if I was going on at nine.' But they did. And that shows that they still, to this day, kind of think highly of us and give us love. And it's really cool."

Bush added: "It was always an honor [to be asked to join METALLICA]. It just was not my fate to be in METALLICA. But I did the one show, which was the — we [played at METALLICA's] 30th-anniversary shows in the Bay Area. They played four nights at the Fillmore. And ARMORED SAINT actually opened one. And then I came out and sang 'The Four Horsemen' with them and they told the story about it and how, 'We were gonna maybe get this guy, but it didn't happen. But this is what it would sound like if he did join.' And so that was a really special moment in my life. And you can see it on YouTube. And it was great. It was cool.

"There's always a connection because ARMORED SAINT ended up going out and touring with METALLICA on 'Ride The Lighting' and 'March Of The Saint' for us," John said. "And we have a lot of history together as friends. And one of the funny things is James, during METALLICA's set [at Sonic Temple], said, 'I was stoked to see ARMORED SAINT today.' This is in front of 50,000 people when they were playing. 'We destroyed a lot of hotels together.' I could have ruined metal. And that's just too much, man — that's too much pressure.

"Like I said, it just wasn't my fate," Bush added. "And I could never imagine anybody [else] singing those songs or not having James Hetfield as a frontman. That would've been a big loss for heavy metal. He was meant to do that. And James became an incredible singer. If you listen to 'Kill 'Em All' to the Black Album, his progression was just off the charts. And he's still an incredible singer."

In July 2024, Bush was asked in an interview with The Dan Chan Show what he thought of METALLICA's recent musical output. He responded at the time:  "METALLICA is a band that never rests on the laurels of what they've done. They're always taking chances, they're always doing different things, they're always expanding on their style and pushing the boundaries of the listeners, whether it's doing the orchestra stuff or doing a record with Lou Reed or making just a metal, powerful, thrashing record. The live performances — I want to see him at SoFi Stadium here [in Los Angeles], and it was phenomenal. It was really cool how they have these four different sections — they actually took this arena and yet when they were all together playing, it felt like you were almost watching them in some small room. It was amazing.

"When you're a band like METALLICA, everybody's expectations are so grand all the time," he continued. "And the reality is you're not always gonna hit the bullseye on everything, especially if you're willing to take chances, which they are. And I really commend that, because it would be easy to just kind of play it safe. And they never do. So I really respect them on that level.

"When I heard 'Lux Æterna' [the first single from METALLICA's latest album, '72 Seasons'], it sounded rad," Bush added. "It just sounded like them. It was really powerful. It's a great tune. And I was, like, 'Wow, it's cool.' And it just sounds fresh.

"James is one heck of a singer and just an awesome vocalist. And so, what are you gonna do? They're METALLICA."

Bush previously spoke about his decision to turn down an opportunity to join METALLICA in a December 2021 interview with Waste Some Time With Jason Green. He said at the time: "I've been talking about this for many years now. I'm always gonna be completely super flattered about the fact that I was asked to join METALLICA back in the early '80s. It just was never meant to be my destiny, is what I always say. There's no other singer that should have been the singer of METALLICA other than James Hetfield. That was meant to be, and that's kind of the way I see it. Like I say, I'm always flattered that I'm always connected to the history of that band — it's a huge feather in my cap, so to speak — but at the end of the day, it just was not my destiny to be the singer of METALLICA. I had a different fate in store."

Bush also talked about joining METALLICA on stage on December 7, 2011 for the second of four intimate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of the band's 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. "Yes, that was very cool," he said. "That was an awesome experience. We did that at the Fillmore in San Francisco. It was the 30th-anniversary shows that METALLICA did, which were really, really cool. They had all these various guests coming on stage with them at the time — everyone from Ozzy [Osbourne] to King Diamond to Lou Reed to Marianne Faithful; a lot of people associated with METALLICA through the years. And ARMORED SAINT, we got to open for [METALLICA] that one particular show — one of the four — and then that was the day that I actually came on stage and sang 'The Four Horsemen' with them, which was an incredible experience. And the whole thing was really, really awesome — just a beautiful thing to be a part of. So I always have that as a great memory in my life. We had a couple of friends that were there that came with us, and my wife was there. And we had a lot of fun doing that. Like I said, I'm really flattered that METALLICA thought of me as a person that was good enough to be in their band. But, like I said, it just wasn't meant to be something that happened for the rest of the band's career."

Another singer who was being considered for the frontman position in METALLICA was Jess Cox of Newcastle, England's TYGERS OF PAN TANG.

Bush later said in an interview: "METALLICA did ask me to join, but I said no for all the right reasons. People must think that's crazy, but you have to remember the scene then. METALLICA was nobody. ARMORED SAINT was hot; you have to remember that. Also, I was very tight with the [ARMORED SAINT] guys, back to elementary school in fact. ARMORED SAINT was getting interest from all kinds of places, and we had a lot of people starting to turn up at shows."

He continued: "METALLICA came to see SAINT at a gig in Anaheim, at The Woodstock in 1982. I heard they were interested in asking me to join, which they did later. The thing was that METALLICA was this new kind of thing, and nobody back then. I don't care what they say now; nobody could have predicted what would happen. I didn't know the guys either, so there was no real interest. It was great to be asked — in fact, a lot of people asked — but ARMORED SAINT was really strong.

"Some time after 'Kill 'Em All' had come out, I heard the same thing again, but I never understood that because James was singing great then and he was doing a great job. I understood the lack of confidence back in '82 but not for 'Ride The Lightning'. James owns that record."

In a 1989 interview with Metal Forces, Ulrich talked about what METALLICA could have sounded like had Bush ended up fronting the group. He said: "Only a couple of days ago, we were actually sitting around talking about how it would be now if John Bush had joined the band. Obviously, it's impossible to know how different it would have been, but I can't imagine METALLICA without James Hetfield up there growling into the microphone, fucking curved over and everything. It's really weird to think about it. I mean, nothing against John Bush — I think he's a great vocalist — but ... Well, thank God it didn't happen."