Judas Priest Covers ‘War Pigs’ in Honor of Black Sabbath
Judas Priest shared a cover of the classic Black Sabbath song “War Pigs” in tribute to the band, days before their final performance on July 5. In a brief statement,…
Judas Priest shared a cover of the classic Black Sabbath song "War Pigs" in tribute to the band, days before their final performance on July 5.
In a brief statement, Priest said, "We are honored to show our love for Ozzy and Black Sabbath with our homage to 'War Pigs' - A song we play at every show around the world that fans sing along to - reinforcing their love as well for the legendary Prince of Darkness....!!"
Why Judas Priest Isn't On The Bill For Final Black Sabbath Show
Despite also being heavy metal icons from Birmingham, England, Judas Priest is not on the bill of the massive all-star concert headlined by the final performance of Ozzy Osbourne and the original Black Sabbath lineup. In May, Rob Halford told Metal Hammer that he had no idea this show was happening before committing to another major metal show happening on the same day in Hannover, Germany, marking the 60th anniversary of Scorpions.
Halford explained, "It all got announced and was a big deal – Scorpions and Priest – and suddenly I get this phone call [from Sharon Osbourne]: ‘Robbie, I know you’ve got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys, he’d love to see you.’”
At first, there was an attempt to see if Priest could play both shows, with Sharon offering to fly the band to and from each gig. However, the timing was very tight to the point where it was deemed too "dangerous" to attempt flying between both performances.
Halford said, "Even with a private plane, there’s a word called ‘technical’, where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems … I was absolutely gutted."
Of course, the final Black Sabbath show won't be without some Judas Priest representation, albeit from a former member. Booked for the show is former Priest guitarist K.K. Downing. In February, he said in a statement about being included on the bill, "This will be an incredibly emotional and historic event! The final farewell to the ultimate gods of metal. Black Sabbath and Ozzy will return to their home in Aston, Birmingham, the very place where it all began, and I am deeply honored to be part of this momentous occasion, paying my respects and tribute."
