The Ozzy Osbourne final show went ahead against the advice of six doctors who told the family it would kill him, Sharon Osbourne has revealed, and Ozzy’s answer was four words: ‘It’s what I want.’ He played Villa Park on July 5, 2025 and died seventeen days later.

Now Tony Iommi, who spoke to him the day before he died, says the loss has him thinking about his own death at 78: ‘I’m 78, how much longer?’ What’s next for the man who wrote the riffs is a solo album in ten days, no more Black Sabbath, and a conversation with Brian May that he says gets more dismal every time.

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‘They Said It Would Kill Him’: Sharon On The Doctors’ Warning

Sharon Osbourne told Rolling Stone that after Ozzy was discharged from hospital in England, a team of specialists came to the house and advised the family not to do Back To The Beginning.

The run-up was worse than anyone outside the family knew. Ozzy, retired from touring since 2023 because of Parkinson’s disease and a run of other problems, had been in hospital in America before flying to England, then spent a week in hospital there. When he came home, the doctors came with him. ‘We had six different doctors and, like, a quarterback,’ Sharon said, specialists for his heart, his Parkinson’s and his lungs. Their verdict was unanimous. ‘They advised us not to do the show. They said it would kill him.’

Ozzy’s reply, as Sharon tells it: ‘It’s not an option. It’s what I want.’ He didn’t pretend not to understand the risk. ‘I know I’m dying,’ he told her. ‘If I miss a few months of my life, I want to go this way.’ And then the question she couldn’t answer: ‘Another six months, what’s it going to do for me?’

So the show happened: July 5, 2025, Villa Park, a mile from where he grew up in Aston, with Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Gojira and Mastodon on the bill and Tom Morello directing it. Ozzy sang from a throne. Sharon says he was ‘very, very emotional’ on the day, and that the day itself was ‘beautiful’ and ‘amazing’. Her summary is the line that will outlive the interview: ‘I say he went out like a Viking.’

Seventeen Days

Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22, 2025, seventeen days after Back To The Beginning, at 76.

Nobody in the family has said the show caused it, and Sharon doesn’t say so now. What she’s saying is narrower and harder: that they were told it might, that Ozzy heard the warning, and that he chose the stage over the months. The city of Birmingham has since made July 22 Ozzy Day, and the family has been grieving in public ever since, Kelly most visibly; her account of the last year came out this week too.

The documentary of the night, Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning, gets a limited cinema release on October 28, and Sharon says every artist who performed is in it. Watching it now, knowing what the doctors said that week, is going to be a different experience from the one anyone planned.

Iommi: ‘I’m 78, How Much Longer?’

Tony Iommi told The Telegraph that Ozzy’s death has made him think about his own mortality ‘a lot’, and that he last spoke to Ozzy on July 21, the day before he died.

Asked directly whether the loss had reminded him of his own age, Iommi didn’t soften it. ‘Yes, it does. A lot.’ He’s lost several friends in recent years and talks about it with Brian May, who turned 79 in July; the two of them, he says, compare notes, and ‘he’s more dismal than me.’ Iommi himself has been living with a cancer diagnosis since 2012, which makes the arithmetic less abstract than it sounds.

The last conversation is the detail that stays with you. On July 21, Ozzy told him he was ‘really tired’ and ‘absolutely shattered’. Iommi told him it had been a tough few weeks and that he should rest. Ozzy said he’d try. The next day the phone rang. ‘It was weird,’ Iommi says, which from a man who has spent sixty years choosing his words carefully means something closer to unbearable. ‘He was a part of my life for 60 years. I do miss him.’

No More Sabbath, And A Solo Album Instead

Iommi has shut the door on a final Black Sabbath record and is releasing his own album, From The Dark, on October 23.

Last week producer Andrew Watt claimed that Iommi, Ozzy and Geezer Butler had wanted one more album with the original lineup in the early 2020s, and that it fell apart because Bill Ward couldn’t commit. Iommi’s version, given to Classic Rock, is cooler: Watt ‘was very keen and a bit too excited’ and ‘didn’t know what it was like working with the original Sabbath’. After 13, Iommi says, he ‘didn’t like the idea’ of another one. We covered the album that died in an email when Watt’s story broke; this is the other side of it, and it’s the one that counts.

What he’s doing instead is From The Dark, out October 23 on BMG, previewed by ‘World Alone’ and ‘Stormwatcher’, with May among the guests. It’s the first time Iommi has fronted a record under his own name since Fused in 2005, and it arrives five days before the documentary. The man who kept Sabbath alive after Ozzy left the first time isn’t going to do it again. He’s going to do this.

What The Two Interviews Say Together

One man chose the show over the months; the other is counting the months and choosing the work.

That’s the whole story, and it’s not a sad one, or not only. Ozzy asked what six more months would do for him and decided the answer was less than one night at Villa Park. You can argue with the decision; you can’t argue it wasn’t his. Iommi’s answer to the same question is a record, which is the only answer he’s ever had. Sabbath’s catalogue is finished, Ozzy’s is finished, and the last guitarist standing is putting out new songs in October at 78. Viking is Sharon’s word. It fits both of them.

TL;DR

• Sharon Osbourne told Rolling Stone that six doctors advised the family not to do Back To The Beginning: ‘They said it would kill him.’ Ozzy’s reply: ‘It’s not an option. It’s what I want.’
• Ozzy played Villa Park on July 5, 2025 and died on July 22, seventeen days later, aged 76. Sharon: ‘I say he went out like a Viking.’
• Tony Iommi told The Telegraph that Ozzy’s death has made him think about his own mortality ‘a lot’; he’s 78 and last spoke to Ozzy on July 21, when Ozzy said he was ‘absolutely shattered’.
• Iommi has dismissed a final Sabbath album; his solo record From The Dark is out October 23, and the Back To The Beginning documentary opens in cinemas October 28.

FAQ

Would you have made the same call Ozzy did? Tell us in the comments, and follow Loaded Radio for the documentary and From The Dark the week they land.

The post Doctors Warned Ozzy Osbourne His Final Show Would Kill Him — And Now Tony Iommi Fears What’s Next appeared first on Loaded Radio.

 Shadows Fall Brian Fair Meet & Greet at Purchase Street Records!

This past weekend, we headed to Purchase Street Records on Popes Island in New Bedford for the Brian Fair meet and greet. This unassuming parking lot with an adjoining Dunkin Donuts has become the mecca of Heavy Metal record shops(cds, cassettes too) on the East Coast. We hit up the shop around start time (1pm) and who did I find first in line? Youtube sensation and vinyl guru “The Flip Side with JC “, aka Joshua Costa. Now Josh and I go back to our teens and he’s such a solid dude. I’m genuinely happy for all of his success with the channel. If you visit Purchase Street Records, you’re more than likely to find him either behind the counter displaying his monthly recommendation or diving head first into the vinyl bins. Josh knows records and loves music. So it was no shock to see that he and his wife had brought copies of Shadows Fall “Of One Blood”. Josh purchased one for himself and one to give away on his youtube channel (Mega CD & Vinyl Grail / plus we give away a signed Shadows Fall Album)

A signed print out of Brian and I’s interview for this very Blog!

My signed copy of Art of Touring and a cool Hardcore Trading Card

Gloryhammer has released a new single, “Starfighters Of Leuchars,” from its fifth album, Space 1993: Wrath Of Kor-Virliath. The song introduces a group of ace pilots who join hero Angus McFife V on his quest to save the universe. The same pilots appear on the album artwork. The track sits in a big orchestral setting, and like earlier singles it comes with an animated video.

Gloryhammer said: “Mighty warriors! Set H-foils to attack position. You may Hoot when ready.”

The album arrives Friday, Oct. 16, through Napalm Records. That same day, the band starts its tour in Toulouse, France, and works its way across Europe and the U.K. before ending in Glasgow in November.

Space 1993: Wrath Of Kor-Virliath is a direct sequel to 2015’s Space 1992: Rise Of The Chaos Wizards and continues the McFife saga. Angus McFife V, the Crown Prince of Fife, was last heard from on the 2022 single “Fly Away.” Here he travels through spacetime to 1993, where his destiny waits.

The 11-track album pulls from a wider set of styles than past records, covering classic power metal, thrash, high-energy synth rock and large orchestral passages, while keeping the hook-heavy songwriting the band is known for. Gloryhammer produced it and Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe) mixed it. The outcome is a version of the band listeners haven’t heard before. Whether Angus and his allies win, or the galaxy falls into demonic chaos, is left for the album to answer.

Gloryhammer said: “Mighty warriors, rejoice! The almighty Gloryhammer return triumphantly with a new chapter in the long and tumultuous history of the Intergalactic Empire of Fife. Multidimensional wormholes, abandoned space stations, and EPIC BATTLES await at the final frontier of Space 1993. FOR THE ETERNAL GLORY OF DUNDEE!”

Space 1993: Wrath Of Kor-Virliath will be available here in these formats:

• 1LP White Label Edition, with 24-page LP-sized booklet, certificate and cover card (strictly limited, Napalm Records EU Shop only)
• Wooden boxset, with digipak CD, five miniatures, 7″ bonus LP and autographed card (strictly limited, Napalm Records EU Shop only)
• 1LP Gatefold Splatter, with 24-page LP-sized booklet (strictly limited, Napalm Records EU Shop only)
• 1LP Gatefold Marbled, with lyric sheet (strictly limited, Napalm Records EU Shop only)
• 1LP Gatefold Black
• Digipak CD
• Digital album

The post GLORYHAMMER Drops “Starfighters Of Leuchars”, Brings The Space Pilots To “Space 1993: Wrath Of Kor-Virliath” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Black metal collective Befouled Malediction—an offshoot of the larger Ordo Vampyris Orientis collective—will release their debut album, Desperate Necromancy, on October 13. An exploration of the darker, more occult story-focused side of black metal, Desperate Necromancy specifically focuses on a warlock seeking ways to bring his deceased lover back from the dead.

The dark story is matched by the musicianship, which finds heavy inspiration from bands like Sacramentum, Dissection and Arckanum, using bright, almost triumphant, harmonies against bleak synthesizers and heavy black metal. These elements are extremely present on the song “Deliberation,” which you can stream below. The contrasting sounds feel like a sonic representation of the story—the brightness of love and wild hope to reclaim it juxtaposed against the darkness.

Desperate Necromancy will be formally released on November 13 via Ixiol Productions and Dawnbreed Records.

The post Track Premiere: Befouled Malediction – ‘Deliberation’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

(written by Islander) We’ve had a couple of reviews today that are well worth reading — DGR’s take on Behemoth’s new compilation and Andy Synn’s writing about the fantastic new album from Great Falls. I was supposed to prepare the premiere of a full album stream for today as well, but that fell through because […]

The post SEEN AND HEARD: RADIANT KNIFE, NIHILO, ANCESTROS, GNULL, SUNDOWNER, GHÂSIQIN appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

Ian Hill, the longest-serving member of Judas Priest, has explained why he is retiring from the band. He spoke with Ukrainian metalhead Vladyslav Stadnyk, who runs the Metal Pilgrim YouTube channel. Hill told fans about his exit in a long statement on Oct. 9, pointing to the “evil arthritis” and other injuries as his reasons.

Asked why this was the moment to step away from Priest, Hill told Metal Pilgrim (transcribed by Blabbermouth), “It is funny, because the last couple of tours have been a bit of a struggle, because this trouble is basically my shoulder and my thumb — [I’ve got a] great big lump on my thumb, which is all arthritis. I’ve been struggling with that for the past couple of tours or so. And it doesn’t go away, unfortunately, and it’s one of those things that just gets worse as time goes by. And I almost retired at the end of the last tour.

“It’s funny the way it came about,” Hill continued. “Iron Maiden said, ‘Do you fancy doing a four-week tour of America this year?’ And I said, ‘Well, yeah, that sounds okay, a four-week tour of America, quick four weeks.’ Then they pulled out. In the meantime, we’d put in Bloodstock in Britain, which is the festival in Britain. So you can’t tool up to do one show. So the next thing, ‘Oh, we’ll do one or two dates in Europe around Bloodstock.’ And nine weeks later… And that’s what did it. We did six shows in eight days. That was running up to Brussels, so that’s when the tendon snapped.

“Because we were averaging maybe a day on, a day off, day on, day off, so the crew could get to the next gig and what have you. And, of course, it was recovering on the days off. Obviously, I wasn’t doing anything, so it recovered. And then, of course, you go on stage and you aggravate it all over again. But then it was sort of, like I say, six shows in eight days, and I’d never had time to recover. And right before the encores on the Brussels show, I just felt a snap and a real sharp, searing pain, and I thought, ‘That’s it. That’s the end of it.’ And for the encores, I had to actually get my elbow and rest it on my stomach and pull the bass back so I could get down to the bottom of the neck.

“And it’s easing off a lot now. I can sort of lift it and do things that I couldn’t do immediately after that. I mean, I couldn’t move it at all. From the elbow down, everything was fine. It worked a treat, but I just could not move my shoulder. And that’s why I had to miss the London show. I physically could not play the bass.”

The 74-year-old bassist said he was able to record parts for Judas Priest‘s upcoming album. There were worries about whether he could get through the recent European run, though, so the band lined up Uriah Heep‘s Davey Rimmer as a backup. Rimmer filled in for Hill at the band’s Sept. 21 show at the Eventim Apollo in London, after Hill was reported to have suffered “a badly damaged tendon in his left arm.”

“There were some questions about whether I’d be able to make it through because of the troubles I’d had in the past,” Ian explained. “So we did ask Davey to come, and he came over to Andy‘s [Sneap, Priest producer and touring guitarist] place in Derbyshire. And he learnt the set and went through it with the rest of the guys. I just sat out in the kitchen listening to him. And he did a fucking unbelievable job, really. So short, two days’ notice. You’re on stage. Wow. So, he’s flying. He had to use all my equipment and everything. He just brought his basses with him, and he pulled off an incredible, incredible performance.”

Hill went on to say that he “was really, really gutted that I couldn’t make that last show [in London]. I mean, it would’ve been the last one. But no. And then I’ve seen specialists since. In fact, I’m there tomorrow. He’s got some kind of plan for me, whatever that entails. He doesn’t wanna send me for surgery, which is good news all around. If I go for surgery, he said there’s no guarantee it’s, it’s gonna work. So he’s gonna try and avoid that if he can.

“So I had no choice, really, than to knock it on the head,” Hill explained. “I couldn’t put the rest of the guys in jeopardy and go out on another tour, and it happen all over again in the middle of a tour. It’s not fair on anybody — the fans, the rest of the guys, the people have put money into us to get us out to these places, and suddenly you’re having to cancel shows and things. It’s not fair. So I decided to call it a day, and I have. I’ve neglected family life. It’s cost me two marriages over the years. So I decided to spend a bit of time with the folks.”

Metal Pilgrim asked whether the London show would have been Hill‘s last with Priest even without the snapped tendon in Brussels. Hill answered, “I think I’d have retired anyway because, like I say, we had to get Davey in at the start of this last tour, just in case something happened. And he did. A good job he did. And like I say, it ain’t getting better. Arthritis doesn’t get better. You either have to go and have your joints replaced and stuff like that. But it’s just one of those old fart things that happen to you when you get of a certain age.”

Metal Pilgrim also asked whether Rob Halford would have told the London crowd it was Hill‘s final show. Ian said, “I don’t think so, no. I think it would’ve been… I don’t know. I just didn’t think it felt right doing that, saying, ‘This is Ian‘s last show. This is the last chance to see Ian.’ Then you’ve gotta go everywhere else and get the last chance to see Ian. That obviously wasn’t on the cards. I couldn’t do that.”

Hill said he is confident Rimmer will do well with Priest, even though “he’s gonna get flack” from some fans. “I mean, the other [members of Priest who replaced other musicians] did. Richie [Faulkner, Priest guitarist] got it when he took over from Ken [K.K. Downing]. And Andy got it when he took over from Glenn [Tipton, Priest guitarist]. He’s gonna get flack for the first year or so, until he’s settled down and he builds up that confidence, if you know what I mean, which is what it’s all about. It’s always nerve-wracking when you’re doing something totally different, which he will be doing, from Uriah Heep. And, of course, we’ve known him for ages. And Richie knows him really well. I mean, he’s known him for decades. So, we know what kind of character he is, and he’s not bringing any baggage with him from a purely human point of view. He’s a wonderful bloke. He really is. And a great bass player, so there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to get on with it. And I wish him all the best of luck.”

On what comes next for him with the band, Ian said, “I’ve managed to put bass down to the new album coming out next year. There’s a bit more work to do. [But if] I hold the bass in the right position. I’ll be able to complete it. So, at least I’ll be on the record, if nothing else.”

Hill also left the door open for occasional guest spots at Priest shows.

“I’m not gonna be a stranger,” he explained. “Every now and again, I’ll show up and just go stand on the sound desk and really see what it sounds like. I’ll probably be knocked out, because everything’s happening behind you. You can’t see a thing. You’re concentrating what you’re playing and the audience, and then every now and then you turn around and see what’s going on.”

Asked whether he might join the band for a song or two at a show, Ian said, “Yeah, I’ve told the guys I’m wide open to stuff like that. If they need me for a special occasion or what have you, I’m more than happy to come up and do what I can. I won’t be able to do more than I can now, for instance — not that I’m gonna push Davey out again — but I’ll get up there and I’ll do what Glenn did. Go and play an encore or two or whatever at one of the landmark shows. That’s if the guys want me to do that. And whether Davey‘s gonna be happy for me to do that. He might claim his spot, and, ‘This is mine now.’ [Laughs]”

Hill was the last original member still in Judas Priest, which formed in 1969. Halford came aboard in 1973 and Tipton in 1974. Halford left in the early 1990s to start his own band and returned in 2003. Original guitarist Downing departed in 2011, and Faulkner took his place.

The post IAN HILL Recalls The Moment His Tendon Gave Out On JUDAS PRIEST’s Brussels Stage: “I Just Felt A Snap” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Music has a profound impact on how we experience the world around us, but for me, Fall does the opposite. Its intoxicating atmosphere influences my musical tastes more than any other season. While my playlist always feels familiar this time of year, the little details keep shifting, feeding my sadistic craving for sinister sounds. It’s no secret that I prefer dark, brooding gothic soundscapes, but how they get delivered into my ears varies from season to season. So let’s dive into what’s been poisoning my palate as I prepare for the hallowed holiday we all know and love.

Sinoia Caves

1983 – Main Theme

Recorded for the 2010 sci-fi horror film Beyond the Black Rainbow, this track and its siblings represent a score that is not only reminiscent of the great horror scores of yesteryear, but also reflects a new landscape of mesmerizing melodies laid at the feet of our favorite genre.

Hole

Gold Dust Woman

As a massive fan of the original Crow movie, I wasn’t too thrilled when they announced the sequel, but when this heavy cover of a Fleetwood Mac tune hit before the film came out, it stuck with me like blood on a bat.

Disasterpeace

Detroit

From the modern horror classic It Follows, this is a short track with a huge impact. The synths carry a nostalgic vibe while still remaining as fresh and vibrant as any new horror score could, during a time in my life when nostalgia hits like a drug.

Type O Negative

World Coming Down

Much like drawing poison from an open wound, this song extracts all of the emotional dread that lingers inside of me, and releases it under the guise of beautifully written chord progressions with hauntingly poignant vocals.

Goblin

L’Alba dei Morti Viventi

Yes, you must pronounce it like that, in Italian, and in the spookiest voice you can conjure. Jokes aside, this is from one of the best horror soundtracks ever recorded: Dawn of the Dead, as it’s known by many, or just plain Zombi, depending on where you are in the world.

Cradle of Filth

Saffron’s Curse

Creepy keyboards and devastatingly delicious guitar riffs carry this track through its paces as Dani Filth sets the mood with more lyrics that on paper read more beautifully than the work of most modern poets.

John Harrison

Prologue/Welcome to Creepshow

As iconic to me as any other horror soundtrack you could conjure, the use of synths on this song not only influenced my own music with Autumns Eyes, but countless other metal bands as well. Just listen to the track “Creatures that Kissed in Cold Mirrors” by Cradle of Filth for an overt homage.

Opeth

Ghost of Perdition

This entire album has been on repeat many times these past few weeks, and this song plays a huge part in that. It’s a never-ending maze of complexity hidden within punishing riffs and lush melodies.

Shiro Sagisu & Mike Wyzgowski

Who Will Know

With lyrics that could fit on any goth metal album this side of Transylvania, this track actually comes from a Godzilla movie believe it or not. Shin Godzilla belongs in a category all its own, with a monster that is equal parts tragic and devastating.

My Dying Bride

My Wine In Silence

Having a title eerily similar to how I prefer consuming a bottle of Pinot Noir over the weekend, this track strips out all the distortion we’re used to hearing from bands of this caliber. It proves that melancholy can live within the goth metal space just as strongly without such a wall of noise doing all the heavy lifting.

John Carpenter

Laurie’s Theme

As classic as classic gets when it comes to music that encompasses everything this season represents. Yes, the main theme is more well known amongst the general population, but Laurie’s Theme is what hits my veins like a drug every time I hear it.

Autumns Eyes

Death of October

Shameless self-promotion? Yes. Do I love listening to this track as much as I loved recording it? Absolutely. If you don’t enjoy your own work as an artist, what’s the point? So much of my music is inspired by this time of year, and listening back always brings things full circle. This song in particular conjures memories of spooky seasons past and reminds me why I fell in love with making music in the first place.

The post A Spooky Soundtrack for a Spooky Season appeared first on Autumns Eyes.

Filmed during their KIA Forum and Red Rocks sets.

The post Motionless In White Share “R.I.P.” Live Video Featuring Skylar Grey appeared first on Theprp.com.