Black Sabbath is being honored in their hometown of Birmingham in the best way. The Birmingham Royal Ballet has created a performance totally based on the legendary band’s music. It will include classic songs including “Paranoid”, “Ironman”, “War Pigs”, and more, along with new music. According to the BBC, guitarist Tony Iommi said, “Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this! I’d never imagined pairing Black Sabbath with Ballet but it’s got a nice ring to it! I’ve met with Carlos several times and his enthusiasm is infectious. I… Read more »
London – Stolen gold and silver discs won by Ozzy Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath were recovered Wednesday after thieves dumped them behind trash cans. The discs were reported missing last week after a burglary at the home of Osbourne’s former manager Patrick Meehan, in southeastern England. Kent Police said an anonymous tip had led them to the eight discs, found in a plastic bag dumped behind recycling bins. Two other discs stolen in the haul – which included the albums “Master of Reality,” “Paranoid” and “Volume 4” – had already been returned after being offered for sale on Internet auction… Read more »
British heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath will reunite for the first time since 2001 for Ozzfest, which begins July 10 in Hartford, Conn., a spokeswoman for the annual road show said on Tuesday. Ozzfest co-founder and headliner Ozzy Osbourne will revisit such hard rocking classics as “War Pigs” and “Paranoid” along with guitarist Tony Iommi and bass player Geezer Butler. But original drummer Bill Ward will be replaced by Mike Bordin, who backs Osbourne on his solo gigs. Along with three-quarters of the original Black Sabbath, Ozzfest will also feature four-fifths of the original Judas Priest, and such acts as… Read more »
Ozzy Osbourne confirmed in a radio interview on Wednesday (March 31) that negotiations are underway for Black Sabbath to perform on this summer’s Ozzfest, according to Blabbermouth.net. Asked if the rumors about a Sabbath reunion had any basis in truth, Ozzy replied, “I believe so.” Ozzy would not confirm anything else, including the rumor that Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler had rejoined his solo band, because he apparently did not want to get “yelled at” by wife and manager Sharon Osbourne. Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi confirmed to LAUNCH earlier this week that talks about a Sabbath appearance at Ozzfest had commenced.… Read more »
Here’s one “guitar greats” list that Jimi Hendrix did not top: “the 100 greatest metal guitarists of all time.” According to Guitar World magazine, the No. 1 metal guitarist is Tony Iommi, the God-fearing axeman with pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Six musicians claimed the next four spots: Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett tied at No. 2; AC/DC siblings Angus and Malcolm Young at No. 3; Randy Rhoads, the late sideman for Ozzy Osbourne, at No. 4; and Eddie Van Halen, of the foursome that bears his name, at No. 5. Hendrix was No. 12, six places… Read more »
AC/DC has come clean about a knife-pulling incident during the group’s 1977 tour opening for Black Sabbath in Europe. In the Cash For Questions fan feature in the new edition of the British music magazine Q, AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young confirms that Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler did pull a knife on his opening act. Young’s version of the story: “We were staying in the same hotel, and Geezer was in the bar, crying in his bear, ’10 years I’ve been in this band, 10 years-wait till you guys have been around 10 years, you’ll feel like us.’ I said ‘I… Read more »
With the outrageous success of MTV’s The Osbournes, it seems everyone has Ozzy Osbourne fever these days. On Wednesday (April 17) night at New York’s Beacon Theater, Kid Rock popped onstage with Gov’t Mule to perform “Sweet Leaf” and “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, Osbourne’s former band, as well as Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See.” According to a source at the show, Kid Rock – recently engaged to Pamela Anderson (allstar, Miss Truth, April 15) – left midway through “War Pigs” because he didn’t know the words. The string of dates that Gov’t Mule is currently on features former… Read more »
Earlier this year, the four original members of Black Sabbath- Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Terry “Geezer” Butler, and Bill Ward-got together to try to write some new material, possibly for another Sabbath album. And while they did come up with at least one new song-“Scary Dreams,” which was performed during this summer’s OzzFest sets-Osbourne tells LAUNCH that the prospect of more new music from Black Sabbath music is unlikely. “We all sat down and said, ‘It’s gotta be the same way as it was before,’ but it wasn’t, you know? I’m not the same anymore, neither are they, you know?… Read more »
Black Sabbath has canceled a series of East Coast concert dates in August that were to follow the conclusion of OzzFest. A spokesperson for Disturbed, the planned opening act, said that there has been no reason given by the Sabbath camp. Calls to Black Sabbath’s spokespeople were not returned at press time. The seven-gig tour was to begin on either August 14 or 15 and extend to August 24 or 25. Cities affected include New York City, Scranton, Pennsylvania; Hershey, Pennsylvania; Buffalo; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Saratoga Springs, New York; and Columbia, Maryland.
The one thing fans will immediately notice about Ozzy Osbourne’s forthcoming LP Black Rain is that it’s drenched in some of the heaviest riffage to grace one of the Prince of Darkness’ solo outings – thanks, in large part, to Ozzy’s longtime guitarist, the Jack Daniel’s-chugging Zakk Wylde. According to Osbourne, there were times during the tracking of the album when he wondered whether the songs were too abrasive. But you see, Ozzy’s got this personal rule about making music. “If you’re heavy, don’t try to be f—ing light,” he explained. Wise words from a man whose stamp on the… Read more »
