Ozzfest '96 and '97 marked the first times the band braved the sunlight to deliver their crushing, dynamic and brilliant live set. Especially in the mid-'90s, Neurosis were arguably the heaviest band on any bill, both conceptually and sonically. Neurosis found their true, monolithic sound on 1998's Times of Grace, but it was Through Silver In Blood guitarist/vocalist Steve Von Till described as "a f***ing railroad through hell," to Rolling Stone in a 30-year retrospective piece. Imprint is pure, unadulterated aggression, punching out of the speakers like a heavy concentrate of undiluted force that still sounds grating, pained and eviscerating nearly 20 years later. Produced by rock mainstay Dave Sardy (Incubus, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails) and heavily endorsed by Pantera's Phil Anselmo, who makes an appearance on "By The River," VOD vaulted from Long Island, N.Y., to Ozzfest's second stage in 1997. Coal Chamber were a pillar of Ozzfest's second stage from '96–'98, and their debut album packaged the demented frenzy of their sound accurately.įew albums of this or any era are as relentless as Imprint. shock-rock classic, this debut album stuck to the ribs much better than most of the so-called nu metal spawned during this timeframe, largely due to the musical makeup of the band: Miguel "Meegs" Rascón's uber-creative guitar work, Rayna Foss' signature bass grooves and frontman Dez Fafara's unhinged vocals. A decade later, the band was nominated for a Best Metal Performance GRAMMY for "Aesthetics Of Hate" from 2007's The Blackening.Īn instant groove-oriented L.A. While only on the tour for one year, their influence in the genre never slowed.
… Less technical than their debut, Machine Head brought a raw aggression to the Ozzfest main stage in 1997. Machine Head, The More Things Change … (1997)īay Area bashers pinpointed power on The More Things Changed. Bell received a GRAMMY nod for his work with Ministry. Years later, Fear Factory frontman Burton C. The Los Angeles band continued to evolve over the course of their tumultuous career, developing dystopian themes and experimenting with instrumentation, but Demanufacture remained many fans' favorite balance of concept, construction and intensity. On their second album, Demanufacture, Fear Factory's sound exploded from its death metal roots into an industrial roar that shook Ozzfest's main stage during their early afternoon sets from 1996 to 1997. The chance to see their hero Osbourne, both as a solo act and fronting a reunited Sabbath, shoulder-to-shoulder with anti-radio thrash monsters Slayer and Pantera, flanked by an army of the most brutal young bands on Earth such as Neurosis, Machine Head and Fear Factory was, well, a real f***ing treat.Īs we look back on the genesis of Ozzfest and the role it played in the proliferation of heavy music, here are 15 metal albums from 1995 to 1998 that still have our ears ringing. In the years that followed, more accessible Ozzfest bands such as Disturbed, Godsmack, and larger-than-life shock rockers Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie would burst through that door and onto the airwaves.īut just prior to that shift, metal fans in the mid-'90s were used to being ignored by the radio. It's worth remembering that the landscape of mainstream radio changed in the summer of 1999 when Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit started getting airplay alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, opening the door for heavier sounds on radio. The early lineups at Ozzfest read like a lineage of Sabbath's family tree. Of course, Ozzfest went on to more than 10 years of successful tours that showcased more commercially successful bands, and the festival landscape in general would grow to the juggernaut it is today, but there was something special about the early years of Ozzfest.Īrguably the most influential band to any one genre, Black Sabbath are to heavy music what Newton is to physics.
Then, in the summer of 1997, Osbourne and his traveling dark circus traipsed across the country with 14 bands in tow to offer fans the chance to see a full day of the heaviest bands around on two stages. Ozzy Osbourne, with the help of his wife and manager Sharon, launched the concept in 1996 with just two dates in Phoenix and San Bernardino, Calif. Two decades ago this summer, the metal community got its own touring festival: Ozzfest.