Being a part of the Again to the Starting competition — Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne‘s closing dwell performances — on July 5 in Birmingham, England, will probably be particular for the myriad musicians concerned. However Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo has a unique stake within the proceedings.
Trujillo served as Osbourne’s bass participant from 1996 to 2003, when he joined Metallica. He co-wrote songs for 2001’s Right down to Earth and recorded contemporary bass elements for 2002 reissues of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, and launched his signature, sumo-like “crab stroll” stage transfer whereas enjoying Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” with Osbourne. Trujillo additionally co-wrote 4 songs on Osbourne’s Grammy-winning 2022 album Affected person No. 9, and performed on seven of its 13 tracks. And the bassist was a part of the all-star efficiency for Osbourne’s induction final October into the Rock and Roll Corridor of fame.
“I’m all the time there for Ozz,” Trujillo tells Billboard. “It’s surreal … to go from enjoying Black Sabbath songs and Ozzy solo materials at yard events at age type of 16 and 17, over on the west facet of Los Angeles earlier than you went to the golf equipment … after which as soon as I obtained on stage with Ozzy once I performed in his band, enjoying songs like ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Candy Leaf’ and ‘Struggle Pigs’ was so unbelievable and surreal, like a dream come true. To try this and there he’s, in entrance of me — it was nice.
“So this expertise we’re about to have in Birmingham is de facto particular, but it surely’s additionally unhappy as a result of that is the ultimate present for them, and that’s particular. It feels just like the closing of a chapter.”
Trujillo’s connection to Osbourne and Black Sabbath goes again to his childhood, in a fashion he says can also be shared by his Metallica mates James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett.
“The primary music that was heavy that actually did scare me got here from Black Sabbath,” Trujillo explains. “All of us in Metallica have comparable tales. It was listening to the track ‘Black Sabbath’ and that picture of the lady on the [first album] cowl, with the church within the background, and scaring ourselves: ‘What is that this all about? Who is that this lady? The place is that this?’ It simply resonated with us and scared us as children.
“It’s so humorous we had that comparable expertise. I believed that was fairly cool.”
Trujillo remembers that in his days in Osbourne’s band, the singer advised him about Black Sabbath watching the 1973 movie The Exorcist collectively whereas on the street within the U.S. “They had been so scared by it they slept with the lights on — I don’t even know in the event that they made it by way of the entire movie,” he says. “It was so humorous to listen to Ozzy inform that story about how frightened they had been. He was, ‘Are you able to think about the Prince of Darkness, afraid of a film?!’” he laughs.
“So what they skilled by way of The Exorcist, all of us skilled by way of the [Black Sabbath] album and their music — particularly on that first document.”
Due to that, the Metallica crew will probably be at Again to the Starting as a lot followers as performers.
“We’re very excited to see Sabbath play,” Trujillo says. “It’s additionally a thriller to see what they’re gonna play and the way a lot they’re gonna have the ability to do. It’s simply cool that so many musicians — younger and outdated and in-between — are gonna be a part of this. All people’s round to rejoice the suitable means. It’s like three days compacted into one, and it’s an honor and privilege and actually the final word signal of respect for that band.”
Trujillo says Metallica was one of many first bands approached to be a part of the Again to the Starting occasion, whose lineup additionally contains Weapons N’ Roses, Slayer, Software, Patera, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Sammy Hagar, Billy Corgan and plenty of extra, with Rage Towards the Machine’s Tom Morello serving as music director. “We obtained requested months and months and months in the past — six months in the past or earlier than, when folks didn’t know that it was taking place,” Trujillo remembers. “Then I began listening to about it, so it was type of fascinating to see the thrill construct with different musicians. It was type of the discuss of the city — at the least in L.A., the place I dwell — among the many friends, and I’m pondering, ‘Oh, yeah, I find out about that …’”
Metallica has been busy crafting its half-hour set for the occasion, which can embody its personal songs in addition to at the least one Black Sabbath monitor. Trujillo’s not giving something away, however predicts “I’d think about we’ll play what followers would in all probability wish to hear from a Metallica set, the favored wheelhouse of what Metallica does. After which so far as the Sabbath track, we’ve performed just a few over time. We’ve been engaged on stuff, however we haven’t formally gone in there and actually jammed on it, so it’s a piece in progress, however I feel the followers will probably be pleasantly stunned and in addition excited, ’trigger we all the time put our stamp on it.
“It’s additionally an important problem for us. I heard James engaged on a few of it yesterday, earlier than the present, off within the distance in our jam room. Ozzy’s vocals are fairly excessive — particularly again in his youth — he was going for these notes, and I feel for anyone that’s a little bit of a problem you’ve obtained to type of navigate. So, yeah, we’re gearing up for it, in all probability like everyone proper now. A lot of the bands are on tour proper now, and possibly of their sound checks they’re working by way of one or two of the Sabbath songs, ’trigger you wish to do it proper, y’know?”
The Again to the Starting live performance will probably be livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m. ET in the USA. Tickets can be found by way of Again to the Starting’s website.
Metallica, in the meantime, just lately wrapped up the conflagration North American leg of its persevering with M72 World Tour, which launched throughout April of 2023. The group heads to Australia, New Zealand and the Center East beginning in November, with one other run by way of Europe slated for late spring and summer time of 2026.