Judas Priest Pay Tribute To Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne With “War Pigs” Cover

Judas Priest Pay Tribute To Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne With “War Pigs” Cover…

 

**Judas Priest Pays Powerful Tribute to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne with Fiery Cover of “War Pigs”**

 

*Birmingham, UK – July 2, 2025*

 

In a thunderous tribute echoing with decades of metal brotherhood, **Judas Priest** has released a searing cover of **Black Sabbath’s legendary anthem “War Pigs,”** honoring the band that started it all — and especially frontman **Ozzy Osbourne** — in the lead-up to Sabbath’s final tour and farewell to the stage.

 

The cover dropped earlier today across all major streaming platforms, accompanied by a gritty, black-and-white performance video filmed in Judas Priest’s hometown of **Birmingham**, the very city where both bands forged the foundation of heavy metal.

 

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### 🎤 A Tribute from Titans

 

> *“We wanted to show our deepest respect to the band that gave the world heavy metal,”* said Judas Priest vocalist **Rob Halford** in an emotional statement. *“Sabbath lit the torch. Ozzy was the voice. This is our salute — with love, rage, and reverence.”*

 

The cover stays true to the apocalyptic heaviness of the 1970 original, while Priest adds their signature punch: **Halford’s roaring vocals**, **razor-sharp guitars** from **Richie Faulkner** and **Andy Sneap**, and a thunderous rhythm section that modernizes the track without losing its soul.

 

Halford’s final scream in the track is being called by fans “a battle cry for the metal ages.”

 

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### ⚔️ Metal Brotherhood on Display

 

Judas Priest and Black Sabbath share more than a genre — they share a city, a history, and a deep musical connection dating back over 50 years. Both bands emerged from the working-class grit of Birmingham in the late ’60s and ’70s, turning industrial angst into immortal sound.

 

While they carved different paths through the decades, the mutual respect has never wavered.

 

> **Tony Iommi**, Sabbath’s guitarist and founding member, responded: *“Hearing Rob sing ‘War Pigs’ gave me chills. There’s no one else who could honor it like that.”*

 

> **Ozzy Osbourne**, currently preparing for his final live appearances in 2026, simply said: *“Brought a tear to my eye. Thank you, Judas.”*

 

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### 🎬 A Haunting Visual Companion

 

The accompanying music video for the cover takes fans through **decades of shared metal history**, blending live Judas Priest footage with archival images of Black Sabbath, street scenes from 1970s Birmingham, and flickering images of war, protest, and defiance — themes central to the song’s original message.

 

A shot of Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Halford embracing backstage closes the video, leaving fans around the world in chills.

 

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### 🚨 Part of Something Bigger

 

This tribute arrives just weeks ahead of the **“Final Sabbath” joint farewell tour**, where Judas Priest and Black Sabbath will co-headline stages across the globe for the last time. Fans are already speculating that the bands may perform **“War Pigs” together live** — a once-in-a-lifetime moment for metal loyalists.

 

A special edition vinyl of the “War Pigs” cover will be released later this year, featuring exclusive live B-sides and a behind-the-scenes booklet titled *”Priest for Sabbath.”*

 

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### 🖤 Final Thoughts

 

With this blistering, heartfelt rendition of “War Pigs,” **Judas Priest has done more than cover a classic** — they’ve honored a movement, a city, and the metal family that began with Black Sabbath.