Heavy metal has always thrived on moments that defy expectation, and today one of the genre’s most historic collaborations has landed. Shortly before his death, Ozzy Osbourne teamed with fellow British metal pioneers Judas Priest for a brand-new charity version of Black Sabbath’s immortal classic War Pigs.
The track is a powerful act of solidarity. All proceeds from downloads, streams and physical sales will go directly to The Glenn Tipton Parkinson’s Foundation and Cure Parkinson’s, two organisations working tirelessly in the battle against Parkinson’s disease.
Judas Priest and Black Sabbath share not just geography, both formed in Birmingham in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but also a brotherhood that has stretched across decades. Priest frontman Rob Halford has long called Ozzy “the voice that made me want to sing,” while Sabbath’s pioneering sound paved the way for Judas Priest to push heavy metal into a harder, faster future.
The charity project was born from disappointment. Earlier this year, Judas Priest had been invited to join Ozzy and Black Sabbath at the much-publicised Aston Villa homecoming concert, but prior commitments with The Scorpions’ 60th Anniversary show in Hannover meant they were unable to appear. Instead, the band offered to put together a tribute video. That idea, however, quickly snowballed into something bigger.
When Judas Priest floated the notion of turning the tribute into a proper single with proceeds to charity, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne jumped at the chance. It became more than just a nod of respect – it became a mission.
The recording is heavy with symbolism. Glenn Tipton, Judas Priest’s legendary guitarist, laid down parts for the track despite his ongoing struggle with Parkinson’s, a disease he revealed to fans back in 2018. His involvement ensures the song carries real emotional weight, with his playing adding a bittersweet edge to the thunderous riffs.
Vocally, the song is a duel and a brotherhood. Halford and Osbourne trade lines, sometimes shadowing one another, sometimes handing the spotlight back and forth. Their voices – Ozzy’s haunted wail and Halford’s operatic steel – strike a balance between familiarity and reinvention. Together, they drive the anti-war anthem into new territory, one where the rage of the original mixes with the fragility of time and the urgency of a cause.
For Ozzy, the track marks yet another chapter in a career where survival itself is an achievement. The Prince of Darkness has battled his own health issues in recent years, making his appearance on the song feel defiant.
For Priest, it’s a reminder of the power that still resides in a band that has carried metal for more than five decades.
More than anything, though, this collaboration shows how music can still do what it has always done best: unite, inspire, and help. Proceeds from War Pigs – Charity Version will directly support Parkinson’s research and patient support programs. For Glenn Tipton, for Ozzy, and for countless others, the fight is far from over.
Heavy metal may have been born in Birmingham, but today its legacy stretches into hospitals, research labs and the lives of people facing Parkinson’s. Ozzy and Priest haven’t just given us a new version of War Pigs. They’ve given us a reason to believe in the healing power of music.
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