Posted last night on Ozzy Osbourne's blog.

Below is my official press statement on the official Black Sabbath trademark lawsuit. I am very saddened that I've had to take legal action against Tony. This is something that I've tried to avoid for years. I am not Geezer or Bill's voice. However, till the day I die I will not change my mind on this issue. The Black Sabbath trademark should be equally owned by Geezer, Bill, Tony and I as the true Black Sabbath lineup is Tony, Geezer, Bill and I. We've all been mates since school. I've always said there is an invisible thread that holds us together. Tony, lets get this ridiculous issue sorted and move on with our lives. You're 61, I'm 60. I hope that we've got a good 20 years left in us. But if not, God Forbid something happens to you. What's going to happen to the Black Sabbath trademark? Who's going to oversee it? Don't you think after we're long gone the rights should stay in your family, my family, Bill's family and Geezer's family?

Statement from Ozzy Osbourne:

"It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long term partner, Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse. As of the mid-1990's, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of "Black Sabbath" was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name Black Sabbath) was reduced to performing in clubs. Since 1997 when Geezer, Bill and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name "Black Sabbath" which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the "Black Sabbath" brand through Ozzfest, touring, merchandising and album reissues. The name "Black Sabbath" now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour. Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright. We're all in our 60's now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing."

Source:	ozzy.com
Band profile:	Black Sabbath

"Vacuum" is the title of the debut album of Pensées Nocturnes, a depressive Black Metal/Ambient one-man project (in the vein of A Forest Of Stars), fronted by Vaerohn and hailing from Paris. On this occasion, the label Les Acteurs De l'Ombre Productions, launched a new song "Epitaph" online for your listening pleasure. Three tracks can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/penseesnocturnes.

The tracklisting of "Vacuum" cover art] is as follows:

01. Lune Malade
02. Flore
03. Dés-Espoir
04. Coups de Bleus
05. Epitaphe
06. Repas de Corbeaux

The album is limited to 1000 copies and was released on the 3rd of April through Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions.

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Source:

myspace.com

Birmingham is to have it's own Hollywood style Walk of Fame on Broad Street and local hero and global superstar Ozzy Osbourne will be the first star inducted on July 6th 2007.

The Birmingham Walk of Stars will honour those people who have made a significant contribution in the categories of music, television, film, radio, theatre, sport and literacy.

Ozzy's induction to the Walk of Stars will be on the same day as the rock legend's homecoming concert at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena.

A handmade brass paving star will be placed in Broad Street in Ozzy's honour and further stars are planned in the near future. Uniquely, the pavement stars will be placed throughout the area creating a Walk of Stars trail. The exact location of the 'Ozzy Osbourne star' will be revealed closer to the induction event, which the public will be welcome to attend.

Source:	ozzy.com
Band profile:	Ozzy Osbourne

AOL Music is once again streaming full albums, and select exclusive tracks of various bands, online.

To check out Ozzy Osbourne's new album "Black Rain", click here.

You can also find the new album of The Bravery, Young Jeezy, The Used and KRS-One & Marley available for streaming online at the AOL Music website. The new Smashing Pumpkins single "Tarantula" can be found here.

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Source:	music.aol.com
Band profile:	Ozzy Osbourne

The following message was posted on Black Sabbath's official web site:

"There was a press release issued by Ozzy's offices today with info on his new album, which is due next month. The title of the album is "Black Rain". It is due to be released May 22nd, and that is a worldwide release date - sort of. If you live outside the US/Canada, your specific date will be that week, check with your local stores and shops for a specific date in your region.

Anyway, the band lineup on the album should be familiar.

Ozzy - Vocals
Zakk Wylde - Guitar
Rob Nicholson (Blasko) - Bass
Mike Bordin - Drums

I don't know who is on keyboards on the album. When I asked if Adam Wakeman was still the keyboardist, since he was the keyboardist of record the last time Ozzy's solo band did anything, I was told he was still the touring keyboardist, but didn't give me any info on who is playing on the album.

There was some other info I was able to piece together from the press release (which you can read in full on my Black Rain discography page here was a track listing. I'm unsure if this is the complete track listing, or what order they come in, but these are the tracks listed in the press release:

1. I Don't Wanna Stop (First single)
2. Not Going Away
3. Thank God For The Almighty Dollar
4. Civilize The Universe
5. Black Rain
6. Countdown's Begun
7. Trap Door
8. Here for You
9. Lay Your World Down on Me
10. 11 Silver

As noted above, the first single is the track "I Don't Wanna Stop", and will be released this Friday. The full album will be available at digital retailers such as iTunes, so I would assume that the single will be available there this Friday, but I'm waiting on confirmation of that. Unfortunately, no cover art is available, so I can't post that. I also could not find any online retailer taking pre-orders for Black Rain yet, but when you can do that, I'll post some links.

Also, Ozzy's website has had a recent overhaul to be a "teaser" of sorts - you have to hover a cross over various hidden things to hear song samples from the new album. I'm personally not a fan of site designs that make you "play games" to find the content, but I've been told several people like that. If you like that kind of thing, head to http://www.ozzy.com and have at it. Or you can click these links, which are direct links to the respective sound samples.

Sample 01
Sample 02

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Source:	black-sabbath.com
Band profile:	Ozzy Osbourne

A number of audio clips from Ozzy Osbourne's forthcoming album "Black Rain" have been posted online at Ozzy.com (Note: You have to scroll over and click on the books and other images on the main page to hear the audio. For direct links to audio samples, click here.).

The follow-up to 2001's "Down to Earth", was recorded with the same band that backed Osbourne on his scattered 2006 Ozzfest dates ? Zakk Wylde on guitar, Mike Bordin on drums, and former Rob Zombie bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson. The album has no official producer, although longtime Mutt Lange protégé Kevin Churko is serving as the engineer.

More Blabbermouth info here.

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Source:	roadrunnerrecords.com
Band profile:	Ozzy Osbourne

Epica have been working on a soundtrack inspired by a Dutch movie entitled "Joyride." The soundtrack will be released by Transmission Records on September 8th, under the title, The Score: An Epic Journey.

According to guitarist Mark Jansen, The Score is "Typically Epica, Only without the singing, without the guitars, no bass and no drums..." Mark Jansen, together with Yves Huts and Coen Jansen are responsible for the greater part of the music. The Score is much more than simply Epica without the Gothic rock. The remaining orchestrations have been worked out into the most minute details with strong arrangements. As a result, The Score has become an extremely attractive album which will appeal to a far larger audience than just the rock aficionados. An album that might be regarded as detached from all the earlier Epica work, but also as the next logical step.

"Of course The Score sounds different from the earlier albums, on the other hand it is at the same time unequivocally Epica. For this reason we're obviously releasing it under our own name. We are enormously proud of this album and we do not feel we have to confine ourselves to a certain genre."

"Collaboration is something Epica feels very strongly about. It is just like a colouring picture that you keep on making more beautiful with the whole group. Yves also contributes a lot of music, Coen takes care of the arrangements, subsequently I have some ideas and in this way, a project continues to grow. Into everything we do, we put our hearts and souls. The guitars, singing, bass and drums may be lacking, but with regards to work, this album took nearly as much time as a regular Epica CD."

The influence of composers Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer is very clearly present. The music of this duo ranks as the crème de la crème of what is being composed in the field of incidental music in Hollywood at this moment. Mark Jansen looks upon the duo as a shining example:

"To me, personally, it is an aspiration to reach that same level at some point in the future. They are the absolute top in their discipline and each and every member of Epica thinks of them as shining examples. Our dream therefore is composing the music for a Hollywood film at some point in time. Films such as Gladiator, Braveheart or The Last Samurai are projects to which I would have gladly contributed. Films such as these pre-eminently suitable for our music."

"I would like to write more scores, preferably intertwined with what we are doing with Epica. With The Score, we want to make a name for ourselves. This is who we are and this is what we have to offer. Nothing is impossible and that is why we pattern ourselves on the best composers and strive for the best. In the arrangements on our album Consign to Oblivion you can easily detect to what an extent Epica has been influenced by cinematic orchestrations and soundtrack elements. On The Score we explore these influences."

Source:	Dutch Progressive Rock Page
Band profile:	Epica

Black Sabbath frontman and general global superstar, Ozzy Osbourne has been diagnosed with Parkin Syndrome, a hereditary condition that affects the nervous system.

It was widely assumed that the prince of darkness' famous tremors were the result of his drug fuelled past life, but it now appears that the condition is a medical one.

A quote from Ozzy said: "I'd always assumed it was the booze and stuff. Now I've found it all stems from the family. It's called Parkin but it's not Parkinson's. Anything to do with the central nervous system has the word Parkin in it. A doctor in Los Angeles tried to tell me I had multiple sclerosis. And I believed him until I had a second opinion. When I told my sisters she said, 'Not you as well? Mum had that and Auntie Elsie and your grandma.' I'm like, 'Thanks for fucking telling me'. Me walking around thinking I've got some drug paralysis."

Source:	drownedinsound.com
Band profile:	Ozzy Osbourne

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has officially left OZZY OSBOURNE and has been replaced by ex-ROB ZOMBIE bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson. Newsted, who was with the band for less than a year, left due to undisclosed reasons.

"It's still settling in," Nicholson told MTV.com about his new gig. "It's something I never would have imagined. After playing with Rob Zombie, I was ready to go, 'OK, this is as far as I'm taking this bass-playing thing. This is the end of the road.' I was ready to kind of hang it up.

"But when this came around, it was very odd," he added. "I was almost like, 'There is no possible way that this could happen.' "

At least one other bassist ? FEAR FACTORY's Christian Olde Wolbers ? jammed with Ozzy, guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Mike Bordin in recent weeks, but Nicholson was hired after successfully completing two auditions.

"The first audition was a little intimidating, to say the least," Nicholson said. "Granted, I know Zakk and I've been on Ozzfest before. The situation wasn't uncomfortable, it was just intimidating, playing these songs that I had never played. But the second audition, I was a lot more prepared.

" 'Into the Void' is my favorite BLACK SABBATH song and Ozzy called it out," he continued. "At that moment, I realized, even if I don't get the gig, the fact that I got to play 'Into the Void' with Ozzy was the coolest moment of my life!"

Band profile:

Ozzy Osbourne