FIREWIND and OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Gus G. (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) joined Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHERon stage this past Monday, July 22 at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California to perform the OZZY classic "Crazy Train". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below. Photos are available at this location.
STEEL PANTHER recently spent time in the studio putting the finishing touches on its third full-length album at a studio in Sherman Oaks, California with producer Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR,MEATLOAF) for a fall release.
Speaking to the South Bend Tribune, STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia (real name: Darren Leader) stated about the band's as-yet-untitled new CD: "If you liked [2009's] 'Feel The Steel' and [2011's] 'Balls Out', you will love this record. It is more heavy metal songs that are hooky and great and fun and make you want to rock and make you want to have a good time and party. Also, there is a lot of riffage on this album that I think anybody who has ever questioned this band — 'Oh, those guys wear spandex and it is 2000-whatever' — these songs are going to put all of that to rest."
Regarding naysayers that say STEEL PANTHER is a joke-metal band,Zadinia said: "Listen to our record and tell us that our songs aren't better than most of the bands out there. How funny is that? At the end of the day, it comes down to the songs. I think our songs — without sounding egotistical — I think our songs are great. When you hear the hooks in our songs, you hear the playing and you hear the vocals, you throw that up against any band in any era, and I think it stands up."
BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne held a press teleconference on July 10 with around two dozen writers to discuss the band's recently released comeback album, "13", and the upcoming North American tour. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On performing new songs alongside BLACK SABBATH classics on the current tour:
Ozzy: "We recently went to New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, and we did a couple of the new songs. We said they're all new. God, you'd think it had been released as a single or a first track off album, and so that… I remember when we played two shows in Auckland, New Zealand. The first night they didn't really respond much to it. The second night they're all singing the lyrics with me. I'm going, I can't even remember them that good. I mean, it's good for us as well to do new stuff, because you know, we're all tuned into 'Iron Man', 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid', and all of the old classics, but instead, it gives us as a band something refreshing to put into the show, and so I'm just glad that people have bought into the new songs."
On whether BLACK SABBATH made a conscious effort during the writing process for "13" to come up with vocal lines that Ozzy could reproduce live:
Ozzy: "Well, after keeping the people waiting for as long as we did, I certainly — I can still get the range, but I can't do it
According to The Pulse Of Radio, BLACK SABBATH's new album, "13", is such a success for the reunited band that singer Ozzy Osbourne wants to make another one — and hopes that original drummer Bill Ward can join the group in the studio this time. When asked by NME about the chances of Ward returning, Ozzy answered, "It's a strong possibility. We would have loved to have Bill on this album. Maybe we can work things out by the next one. But it won't take another 35 years. I'm 65 now. There's no fucking recording studios in the afterlife. We're all even closer for all this shit so there's one positive, one fucking silver lining."
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk played drums on "13"after Ward sat out the sessions. While money was believed to be an issue, Ward was reportedly also upset that the group wanted another drummer around anyway to back him up if he was physically unable to get the job done.
BLACK SABBATH members Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) and Geezer Butler(bass) were interviewed on this morning's (Tuesday, June 11) edition of "The Opie & Anthony Show" on Sirius XM satellite radio.
A four-minute clip in which Ozzy talks about his drug use with Opie andAnthony can be seen below.
After 35 years, three original members of BLACK SABBATH release a new disc on Tuesday called "13". The first SABBATH record since 1978's"Never Say Die!" to feature Ozzy, along with guitarist Tony Iommi and Butler, it's their second attempt at new music together after a previous effort failed in 2001. Butler told The Pulse Of Radio why it worked this time. "When we tried it in 2001, we just went in, like, completely without any idea of what we were gonna do," he said. "We got about six reasonable songs out of it, but we knew that we had to come up to, like, a certain standard, and we didn't feel that it did so we didn't carry on with it. This time we got together and Tony, like, accumulated all these hundreds of riffs, so we had a starting point this time. There was a certain point where we went, 'Yeah, that's it, we can do it.'"
Paul Lester of The Guardian recently conducted an inter view withBLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi (guitar), Ozzy Osbourne (vocals) and Terry "Geezer" Butler (bass). A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On whether they believe in God:
Butler: "I do when I'm on a plane — the first thing I do is say my prayers."
Ozzy: "I've done a good job of trying to kill myself for 64 years. But something's kept me alive. I don't know if it's God, fate or whatever. I'm open-minded. But I don't believe in organized religion at all."
On the few myths surrounding BLACK SABBATH, including the one aboutOzzy biting off the head of a live bat, which he had presumed was rubber, in 1982:
BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne recently spoke to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine about "13", the first SABBATH record in 35 years to feature Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler all playing together.
"I've not been this happy about an album in years," Ozzy said. "I'm not trying to sell my home. If this record was just OK, I'd fucking say it. But honestly, hand on heart, it's one of the best things I've done in my entire life."
Ozzy also offered some thoughts on the situation surrounding originalSABBATH drummer Bill Ward, who backed out of the band's reunion last year.
BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne spoke to Mojo magazine about original drummer Bill Ward's decision to bow out of the band's reunion early last year.
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Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack has dismissed as "bullshit" a report in the British tabloid The Sun which claimed that the BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife/manage...
