It seems Ozzfest, like any good corporation, promotes from within.
Former second-stage headliner Rob Zombie will fill the main-stage slot vacated by the untitled Chris Cornell-Rage Against the Machine collaboration, which forfeited the slot after the ex-Soundgarden singer announced he was “no longer moving forward” with the project, according to tour organizers.
Although appearing on the larger stage, Zombie will still perform the stripped-down set he planned for the second stage.
The move now allows Down – a group composed of Pantera’s Philip Anselmo and members of Eyehategod, Corrosion of Conformity and Crowbar – to headline the second stage, while their previous slot will be filled with Hatebreed.
Complete lineups for the second and third stages have also been announced. While Down, Hatebreed and Meshuggah will stay fixed on the second stage, the remaining acts will rotate between the second and third stages daily.
Although he claimed to be invited to replace the Rage-Cornell band, Andrew W.K. will jump between the second and third stages for the first half of the tour (July 6 to August 7), and Switched will take over for the second half (August 10 to September 8).
Other second- and third-stage artists include Apex Theory, Lostprophets, Pulse Ultra and Neurotica. On the first half of dates, Flaw, 3rd Strike, Otep, Seether and Ill Niño will do the sub-stage shuffle; replaced by Mushroomhead, Soil, Chevelle, Glassjaw and the Used for the second half.
Portions of the itinerary have changed along with the lineup. Instead of visiting New York’s Jones Beach on July 10, the tour will stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania, instead. And the dates for the Indianapolis and Cleveland shows – previously August 4 and August 13, respectively – have flip-flopped.