“The crown will forever remain yours!” – XOSG 🤘
Well now, this clears the fog in the valley of doom. After weeks of whispers, speculation, and fans wondering “Where the hell were Soundgarden?” during Black Sabbath’s epic “Back to the Beginning” farewell bash in Birmingham, we finally have an answer straight from the grunge gods themselves.
In a heartfelt, poetic, and very Soundgarden statement posted to their Instagram, the band paid their full respects to Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, while also explaining why their names were on early line-ups but not on the final stage. And no, there was no beef, no drama — just the usual chaos of juggling a million rock star diaries.
“We are super bummed and regret that we were unable to coordinate the schedules of our individual and collective projects to attend and contribute to the festival.” 😔
Oof. You can almost hear the sigh behind that sentence.
🎤 A Tribute Fit for the Masters of Metal
While they couldn’t make it to Sabbath’s last stand, Soundgarden didn’t skimp on the love. Their words were nothing short of rock poetry:
“Congratulations to Black Sabbath on the grand and final pealing of their vesper bells!… Thank you for an astounding career that provided us and your legion of fans with a lifetime of beauty, horror, love, power, happiness, melancholy and a profoundly sublime, yet viscerally rocking transcendence informed by both doom and hope.”
We’ve got chills. Literal doom and hope chills. 💀✨
The band praised Sabbath’s role as both inspiration and beacon throughout their journey, and gave a huge shoutout to Sharon Osbourne and Tom Morello, the show’s musical director and the glue behind the “Back to the Beginning” spectacle.
🕰️ What Was Meant to Be
Back in May, Sharon Osbourne let slip in an interview with The Guardian that Soundgarden were intended to appear, alongside Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame. And while Tyler did bring the swagger and scarves to Brum, SG sadly couldn’t join the final Sabbath supper.
No bitterness though — only love. 🤍
They also threw in a vintage Ross Halfin photo dump for good measure, including snaps from:
- Download Festival 2012 📸
- London, 2014 🇬🇧
- Tacoma, WA, 2016 🇺🇸
- And the pièce de résistance: Back to the Beginning, 2025, which they couldn’t attend, but clearly had friends capturing the magic.
(Side note: shout out to Bill Herzog for the Tacoma shot – tidy work, butt!)
💬 Final Words from the Garden of Sound
“Soundgarden loves you and embraces your rock and roll souls!
XOSG!!!”
Now that’s how you miss a gig and still turn it into a mic-drop moment. No passive-aggressive notes. No cryptic shade. Just respect. Humility. Doom. Hope. And a whole lotta Sabbath love. 🖤
Whether you were headbanging in Birmingham or reading this from your sofa surrounded by vinyls and incense, it’s clear: Black Sabbath’s shadow stretches long — and even the mighty Soundgarden bows with reverence.
🤘 In the end, it’s not about who was on the stage. It’s about who carries the torch. And Soundgarden just lit theirs with Sabbath fire. 🔥
🕯️ Raise a horn for Sabbath. Blast “Black Hole Sun.” And tell us — who else should’ve played Back to the Beginning?
Let us know on The Riff Report Forums — where the metal never sleeps. 😈🏴☠️
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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