Since first listening to Black Sabbath at the age of eight, Scott Ian has been ensnared by the world of the heavy metal pioneers – one that would shape his own career in Anthrax, largely considered one of thrash metal’s genre-defining bands.
Fast-forward to 2025, and Anthrax will be taking part in the Ozzy Osbourne and Sabbath extravaganza, Back to the Beginning, this July in Birmingham – which, as Ozzy puts it, is the “true home of metal.”
Unlike the rest of us, Ian first heard about this historic event from Tom Morello, who's doubling as the musical director.
“I texted him back and said, ‘Dude, yes! Whatever it is, I’m in. What’s going on… what the hell?’” Ian tells Guitar World.
“He said, ‘As soon as I have more information on what song and who you’re playing with, I’ll let you know.’ Then he said, ‘We’re just starting to get this together now. Sharon [Osbourne] asked me if I would be creative director and help put it all together.’
And while Ian was initially slated to be part of an all-star jam, he was surprised when he realized that it wasn't just Ozzy and Sabbath performing, but a stacked bill featuring some of the top acts in the genre.
“A couple of days later, he sent me a list of people involved, and I saw there were other bands involved. I said, ‘OK,’ because I had no idea; I thought it was just gonna be like Sabbath and Ozzy, and then maybe a bunch of all-star lineups.
“I saw other bands but no Anthrax, so I’m like, ‘Well, shit, I’m already involved…’ I said, ‘How about getting Anthrax on this? I’m not the only Sabbath fan in the band.’ Tom said, ‘Let me get right back to you…’ Literally, like five minutes later, he said, ‘You’re in.”
As for what we can expect from what feels like the heavy metal event of the decade, Ian teases, “I’m on a couple of other Sabbath songs as well, in one of the all-star lineups that I get to be in. I don’t know how any of the production stuff is working.
“They’re going to have seemingly 200 different things going on before Sabbath gets on stage – but I don’t have to worry about that stuff. I just have to know the songs.”
In addition to Anthrax, the stacked event – which sees Ozzy reunite with the original Sabbath lineup for the first time in 20 years – will also feature Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Lamb of God, among many others.
Guitar World's full interview with Scott Ian will be published in the coming weeks.
