Source: Blabbermouth.net
Despite last month’s announcement to the contrary, BLACK SABBATH will not appear at this year’s Ozzfest Japan, scheduled for November 21-22 at Makuhari Messe outside Tokyo. The show will instead feature a solo performance by BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne, who will be accompanied by as-yet-undisclosed “friends.”
No reason was given for SABBATH‘s withdrawal from the event.
BLACK SABBATH‘s appearance at Ozzfest Japan was announced last month via a videotaped message from Ozzy‘s wife and manager Sharon, who said, “Ozzfest will be back in Japan on November 21st and 22nd. And this will be BLACK SABBATH‘s farewell. We’re also announcing KORN, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary. Now you can’t miss that.”
Sharon‘s announcement didn’t exactly line up with SABBATH‘s previous plans to record a new album in 2015 and head out on one final tour before retiring, unless the band planned a summer release for the record and very limited touring until the last show in Japan. But Sharon likely meant that this would be SABBATH‘s last show ever in Japan — which she did not make clear on the video.
Ozzy told Metal Hammer last year, “The whole SABBATH experience this time around was great. We all made friends, we didn’t fuck around, we all knew that we had a job to do, and we did it. It was a lot of fun. So we’re going to do one more album, and a final tour.”
It is not clear whether SABBATH has begun writing a new album yet. Ozzy has also hinted at working on a solo album, and will do a residency in Las Vegas this October.
