“It really is like starting from scratch”: Ozzy Osbourne is doing “endurance training” ahead of final Black Sabbath show By Matt Mills published 23 April 25 The Prince Of Darkness will step onstage for the last time at Birmingham’s Villa Park on July 5
“He was, without question, the best rock drummer in the world”: What Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward really thought of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham By Classic Rock published 18 April 25 Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward and Led Zeppelin”s John Bonham rose through the ranks together
"They'd throw shrapnel at us - coins. I collected enough to buy a beer." Burton C. Bell recalls the trials of supporting Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath in the 90s By Rich Hobson published 16 April 25 The former Fear Factory frontman did meet Brian May though, so it wasn't all bad
We got rock and metal's best bands to pick the greatest Ozzy Osbourne (and Black Sabbath) songs ever By Rich Hobson published 11 April 25 Members of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Halestorm and more choose the best songs featuring the Prince Of Darkness
"Ozzy jumped from one subject to another with astonishing rapidity, like some frantic pigeon": A mind-mincing encounter with Black Sabbath on the Sabotage tour By Geoff Barton published 9 April 25 By 1976, Black Sabbath already had a huge heritage to live up to. We joined them on the road in Portsmouth
“I was begging for tickets, now I turn out to be hosting”: Jason Momoa reveals how he got the job compering Black Sabbath’s final show By Matt Mills published 8 April 25 The Minecraft Movie actor still has no idea what he’s going to do onstage, though
"Our manager gave us each $1000 and put us on the plane, economy class. We later found out we had received $250,000 for the show: he kept it all." The true story behind Black Sabbath's biggest show ever By Paul Brannigan published 3 April 25 On April 6, 1974, Black Sabbath performed for 250,000 rock fans at the first California Jam festival. It was a gig that would live long in the memory for all involved, for reasons both good and bad
“If it wasn’t for those four guys, we might still be wandering around in the dark”: While Kirk Hammett hails Black Sabbath as metal’s founders, Ghost’s Tobias Forge names the “neglected” aspect of their sound By Matt Mills published 1 April 25 As the build-up to Black Sabbath’s farewell show continues, Metallica’s guitarist and Ghost’s mastermind explain why the Birmingham four-piece are so special
"We have a very, very simple goal, to make this the greatest day in the history of heavy metal." Tom Morello reveals what we can expect from Black Sabbath's Back To The Beginning mega-gig, teases added surprise from "huge superstars" By Paul Brannigan published 31 March 25 As if we weren't already excited enough for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne's final show
The greatest gig I've ever seen: 24 writers pick the most memorable live show of their lives By Classic Rock Magazine published 27 March 25 24 life-changing live shows from 60 years of gigs
“I agreed to join the band when I was drunk. I’ve not much recollection of what went on!”: The chaotic story of Black Sabbath’s Born Again and the tour that inspired Spinal Tap By Malcolm Dome published 22 March 25 Black Sabbath’s Born Again: flawed classic or total disaster? Ian Gillan has opinions
"Everybody's gonna be playing Sabbath songs, it's gonna be pretty mindblowing." Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde says that Black Sabbath's Back To The Beginning homecoming will be "special for everybody", but he hopes it won't be Ozzy's last show By Paul Brannigan published 17 March 25 Zakk Wylde is excited for Ozzy and Black Sabbath's final bow this summer, but would be up for another Ozzy tour
“I had a dreadful hangover, so I put my dark glasses on and we played Children Of The Grave, Iron Man and Paranoid”: What happened when Black Sabbath reunited for one day only at Live Aid 1985 By Matt Mills published 12 March 25 Back To The Beginning won’t be the first time Black Sabbath’s founding lineup briefly got back together to raise money for charity…
“All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘We want to announce now, what do we say?’”: Ghost’s Tobias Forge explains why Papa V Perpetua was unveiled on the Black Sabbath farewell show poster By Matt Mills published 12 March 25 The world got its first look at Ghost’s ‘new’ frontman last week, but Papa V Perpetua was first named on February posters for Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning event
"Flashes of utter brilliance mixed with too many extra-curricular activities and bad management." Black Sabbath's Sabotage is the end of a golden age - and the point cracks are beginning to show By Classic Rock Magazine published 10 March 25 The final entry into Black Sabbath's original golden run, Sabotage is often hailed as the band's heaviest and most fearless album. But is it really?
“I lost the tips of two fingers in an accident when I was 17. Doctors told me that I had no hope of playing guitar again. I refused to accept that”: The life and times of Tony Iommi, metal’s indestructible dark lord By Malcolm Dome published 9 March 25 If it wasn’t for Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, the world would sound very, very different
"Ozzy is the real life Iron Man." Ozzy Osbourne's producer Andrew Watt gives an update on the singer's health as the countdown to his final show continues By Paul Brannigan published 7 March 25 Good news for those who managed to score tickets for Ozzy and Black Sabbath's farewell bow in Birmingham
The best Black Sabbath songs that don’t feature Ozzy Osbourne or Ronnie James Dio By Chris Chantler published 5 March 25 Ozzy and Dio may be Sabbath’s best-known singers, but these bangers with less-famous voices deserve their share of the love
“The last six years have been full of some of the worst times I’ve been through”: A documentary about Ozzy Osbourne will hit Paramount Plus later this year By Matt Mills published 25 February 25 Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now is currently in production and chronicles the Black Sabbath singer’s life since he suffered a spinal injury in 2019
Black Sabbath's Live... Gathered In Their Masses concert film is now free to watch on YouTube By Fraser Lewry published 23 February 25 The footage was recorded on Black Sabbath's 13 tour of Australia in 2013
