Photos By Brooke Striewski

Back in late 2006, I had been a new father for just over half a year when I ventured out to Ormond Beach, FL for Biketoberfest to catch Quiet Riot and Skid Row – two bands I loved while growing up that many of my middle/high school peers would surely give me flack for still rocking out to at the height of grunge and nu metal (Though I never cared much what anyone else thought). It ended up being one of the funniest shows I had ever been to up to that point, and I’ll forever be grateful to have seen the late legends Kevin DuBrow and Frankie Banali on stage together prior to their unfortunate, respective passings since.

Twenty years later, and a lot has certainly changed. But I knew when I saw Quiet Riot were coming to the Hard Rock Live in Orlando with Vixen in tow on Friday, March 6 (coincidentally one year to the day since I was also discharged from the hospital), it was time to finally catch the band live again, this time with my wife and Photographer Brooke beside me for the ride, too, who was ready to once again break out her SLR camera again for the occasion. (As crazy as the first week of March might have started out for us, too.) And after putting in a last-minute request, we got the “okay” from none other than Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi himself (the only remaining member of the band left from said time I caught them back in ’06 who I also interviewed for Rewind It Magazine back in 2021), we were all set to go. (Thank you again, Alex.)

Almost immediately after entering the building it was clear that we had made the right decision to go. While preparing to start photographing the show from the side of the stage, Brooke ran into longtime (and legendary) Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo, whose initial time in the band stretches all the way back to the late ’70s, and recently returned to the lineup in 2021. Sarzo – who also served some time in both Ozzy Osbourne’s band and Whitesnake in the ’80s, and has also had stints with the likes of Dio and Blue Oyster Cult, among so many others – was no doubt one of the major selling points for us to go that night in the first place (Especially yours truly, having come from the school of bass players myself.)

Another group that we’ve caught live before who have also experienced some significant lineup changes since the last time we saw them back in 2019 (opening for Sebastian Bach, ironically at the very same venue), the always-lovely Vixen, who now featured new lead singer Rosa Laricchiuta, and temporary bassist Jennifer Jo Oberle filling in for Julia Lage. (Who is currently on tour oversees with Smith/Kotzen, and admittedly I was a bit disappointed to find out was not there, though Oberle no doubt did an admirable job in her place).

Vixen on stage at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on Friday, March 6. (Photo by Brooke Striewski.)

The gals kicked off the night with plenty of energy though, opening with “Rev It Up” before launching into “Charmed Life,” “How Much Love,” “Crusin’,” “Hard 16,” and “Cryin’.” A medley featuring parts of “Runnin’ with the Devil,” “I Want You to Rock Me,’ “Perfect Strangers,” “What You’re Doing,” “War Pigs,” and “Still of the Night” kept the momentum going before a drum solo from Roxy Petrucci lead them back to “I Want You to Rock Me.”

Yet the girls were still far from finished, with “Streets in Paradise, “Love is a Killer,” “Not a Minute Too Soon,” “You Ought to Know By Now,” “Love Made Me,” and of course, “Edge of a Broken Heart” all finally wrapping up their whopping seventy-five minute long set.

By the time Quiet Riot hit the stage the excitement was undeniable. The previously mentioned Sarzo and Grossi were now joined by another former Rewind It interveiwee, Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate (another band whose show we covered some years back in 2018), and drummer Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative and Danzig fame. (Who I was also lucky enough to catch on stage with both acts in the past in the ’90s and ’00s.)

Bass icon Rudy Sarzo commanded the stage with Quiet Riot at the Hard Rock Live this past Friday, March 6 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

In an instant the entire audience was transported back in time with the likes of “Run For Cover,” “Slick Black Cadillac,” “Mama Weer All Crazee Now,” and “Love’s a Bitch,” all paving the way for what was still to come. The tender “Thunderbird” was then introduced and then dedicated not only to late guitarist Randy Rhodes (who the song was originally penned for after his tragic death in the early ’80s), but also DuBrow, Banali, and another former Sarzo bandmate, Mr. Ozzy Osbourne himself.

“Party All Night,” “Blackout in the Red Room,” and “The Wild and the Young” all kept the party going before the guys unleashed a medley of their own that featured “Let’s Get Crazy,” “Crazy Train,” a guitar solo from Grossi that segued into Van Halen’s “Eruption,” and a touch of Type O Negative’s “Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)” before coming full circle back into “Let’s Get Crazy” again.

By that point, there was not much more left to do other than the one-two punch of “Cum On Feel the Noize” and “Metal Health (Bang Your Head).” No doubt it was a night full of fun and classic anthems, but there’s more to it than just that; each time bands like Quiet Riot and Vixen hit the stage, they’re keeping not only the music itself alive, but also the memories of all those those who had a hand it helping to create it.

In Memoriam: Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025) By: Jesse Striewski

Ozzy Osbourne. So few names in history have been as universally recognized or needed as little to no introduction as he has. Even just the word “Ozzy” alone is enough to invoke an array of memories and emotions for nearly any functional adult that’s been paying attention for the past five plus decades (including those who aren’t even necessarily “fans”).

Not even three weeks ago I was researching and writing about Ozzy’s life in preparation for his final, “Back to the Beginning” show both as a solo artist, and as a member of the pioneering heavy metal act Black Sabbath that he had co-founded alongside Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward so many years ago back in 1968. Like so many others, I watched with my family as Ozzy and company said their farewells on stage from Birmingham, England. And like so many others, I mourned at the news of his passing yesterday, just seventeen days after that monumental final show.

I considered the fact that writing about both Ozzy and Sabbath again so closely after the last time might run the risk of some redundancy, but how could I not do a full tribute for such a deserving figure? That being said, I decided I would not get too detailed here, and would try to focus more on conveying what Ozzy has meant to me personally, rather than give a straight history lesson on his life alone.

As previously stated, Osbourne began his musical journey in the late 1960’s as a member of Black Sabbath, who are largely considered to this day to be the forefathers of heavy metal music. The band released their first self-titled album in 1970, and Osbourne stayed with them throughout the rest of the decade before his erratic behavior brought on by drugs and alcohol saw him dismissed from the band shortly after 1978’s Never Say Die! album.

A comeback of epic proportions ensued in the following decade when, with the aid of new manager (and future wife) Sharon and a hotshot new guitarist by the name of Randy Rhoads helped get Ozzy in shape for a solo career that started with 1980’s Blizzard of Oz record.

A string of albums, including 1981’s Diary of a Madman (the final before Rhoads’ untimely death in a plane accident), 1983’s Bark at the Moon, 1986’s The Ultimate Sin, and 1988’s No Rest For the Wicked (the latter of which the first to feature longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde) cemented Osbourne’s role as the “Prince of Darkness.”

By 1991’s No More Tears LP, I was beginning to really start to appreciate Ozzy’s music, just as it seemed as though he might be ready to retire from it. Thankfully for me though that was not the case, and just two years after the release of 1995’s Ozzmosis album I would be seeing him on stage for the first time, both as a solo artist, and as a member of the reunited Black Sabbath (sans Bill Ward on drums) at the 1997 Ozzfest. It was an epic experience I only wish I had soaked in a little longer.

Around this same time, I had also started playing the bass guitar and even started my first garage band, ironically with two of my fellow friends/classmates that I had attended said Ozzfest with in the ’90s. I would practice that bass for hours, likely driving my family insane (my poor parents were the ones who even gifted me the instrument in the first place) as I learned many an Ozzy or Sabbath song, some for band practices, some just for fun (I was dumbfounded the first time I ever made my way through “Crazy Train” from start to finish, which to the best of my memory was the first song I ever learned to play in its entirety).

Several years later, I would see Ozzy and Sabbath on stage once again, this time for the 2004 Ozzfest, and this time with the entire original lineup together at last, including Bill Ward. I remember driving all the way from essentially Orlando to Tampa directly after getting off of work (something that would likely not be possible for me nowadays) to make the show, and sitting on the lawn by my lonesome (my girlfriend at the time and her friends all left early for whatever reason) before someone graciously handed me an upgraded ticket about eleven rows back from the stage. From there, the party truly began, and even Ozzy’s wife, Sharon, was there to introduce the band at the height of the Osbournes’ newfound reality TV show fame, too.

I had a chance to go to one more Ozzfest in 2007, but at the time I was still a relatively new father, and it just wasn’t the feasible thing to do just then (no doubt something I now regret to some degree in hindsight).

But by 2010, something equally as exciting as watching your heroes live happened. I had worked my way into music journalism as a freelancer by that point, and was given the chance to interview original Sabbath drummer and longtime bandmate to Ozzy, Bill Ward. I could not believe my luck as I actually spoke to this living legend on the phone as he recounted many of his historic memories with me that day (I would have a similar experience a few years later in 2018 when I also interviewed former Ozzy bassist Phil Soussan for Rewind It Magazine).

By 2023, my own son was old enough to not only start appreciating many of these moments, but also start taking part in some of them, too. First by seeing the reunited Pantera with said Ozzy axeman Zakk Wylde in place of the late Dimebag Darrell (who ironically was also there at that ’97 Ozzfest as an opening band so many years prior), but also meet one of Osbourne’s own offspring, Jack Osbourne, that same summer as well (see photo below).

The author (second from right) with (from left to right) Brooke Striewski (wife), Jack Osbourne, and Jacob Striewski (son) at Spookala on 6-10-23.

When the devastating news of Osbourne’s passing first began making waves yesterday afternoon, I knew the impact would be like none other before it. Every musician or artist of any kind that I follow were each posting their own unique tributes to this person that affected so many lives, and even friends and family were reaching out to me as though I had lost someone close to me (which in a way we all had). The only response that made any sense to me at the time was to simply gather all of my Ozzy and Sabbath records, CD’s, tapes, and concert ticket stubs and put them all together as a shrine of sorts (see photo below).

Various Ozzy Osbourne-related items from the author’s personal collection.

I found it appalling that there was also somehow still a sub-sect of people out there posting negative comments online about Osbourne, calling him “problematic” among other ignorant things. One such person even went as far as saying he had “never done anything good” during his time here, but based off of the $190 million Osbourne’s final concert raised alone for Parkinson’s and other charities, I’d say that’s a fairly false observation (and it has got to be exhausting to be that way).

As I’m sure he was to so many others, Ozzy was like that second dad – or at the very least that unhinged uncle your parents don’t want you spending too much time around (I’ve often related my own father, whose date of birth is only separated from Ozzy’s by a mere ten days, to him). In an even stranger turn of events, Ozzy not only left this world in the same manner as my late uncle Joe, but also on the same anniversary of my late cousin Scott Striewski, who was a born rocker through and through, that passed away on July 22, 1998.

The influence Ozzy Osbourne had on both music and the world itself is immeasurable, and the lasting impact he’s had and will continue to have for generations to come, is indescribable. He was a legend we loved while he was here with us, and a beloved icon that will now forever remain in each of our hearts until the end of time. Goodbye, Ozzy.

Special Edition: Black Sabbath go ‘Back to the Beginning’ in the End By Jesse Striewski

There’s a reason why I chose the specific, early ’70s backstage photo of Black Sabbath above that I did to be the starting point for this article; it was the first image of the heavy metal originators that I can recall ever seeing, adorning the walls of my bedroom throughout most of my high school years and beyond.

Sabbath were indeed the starting point for many a new fan of rock music, and I was no exception. As a young bass player, I spent countless hours cutting my teeth to Geezer Butler’s bass lines, especially from the first two albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid (each released in 1970), which were my own introductions to the metal legends (I can’t honestly remember which one was first exactly, though I’m fairly certain I obtained each within a short period of time of one another).

The roots of Black Sabbath as we all know now can be traced back to Birmangham, England in 1968, when guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward enlisted wild card frontman Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. The foursome went through several name changes – first going by The Polka Tulk Blues Band and then Earth before wisely settling on Black Sabbath after the Boris Karlof film of the same name, by 1969.

After relentlessly working the regional club circuit, the band released their aforementioned debut effort in 1970, quickly followed by Paranoid, each laying the groundwork to what we now call heavy metal, with respective classics such as “Black Sabbath,” “N.I.B.,” “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and of course, “Paranoid” contained on each.

1971’s Master of Reality found the band further perfecting their sound with the likes of “Sweet Leaf,” “Children of the Grave,” and “Into the Void,” while the production of 1972’s Vol. 4 was fueled by drug-induced studio time (see, “Snowblind”), though saw the band at their lighter side with “Changes” (a track Osbourne would later duet on with his daughter, Kelly, many years after in 2003).

It can be argued the band peaked by 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album, which contained such gems and heavy-hitters as “A National Acrobat,” “Sabbra Cadabra,” and its unforgettable title track.

By 1975’s Sabatoge album, cracks at the seems were becoming more and more noticeable, punctuated further by 1976’s experimental Technical Ecstasy album, an effort Butler would later describe in a 2001 interview as “The beginning of the end, really.”

By 1978’s Never Say Die! album, the ongoing substance abuse and management/legal issues had finally taken their tolls, culminating with Dave Walker of Fleetwood Mac/Savoy Brown briefly taking over for Osbourne before his eventual return to finish the album/tour (most notable for having then-up-and-comers Van Halen as openers outshining their own headliners). Regardless, Osbourne would be out before the turn of the new decade.

By 1980 Sabbath were primed for a comeback with former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio in Osbourne’s place for the Heaven and Hell album, while Ozzy was being brought back to life for a solo career via manager and future wife, Sharon. The resulting album Blizzard of Oz, featuring guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoades (R.I.P.), quickly became one of metal’s greatest albums of all time.

While Ozzy continued to grow his solo career with more hit records in the form of 1981’s Diary of a Madman and 1983’s Bark at the Moon, Sabbath struggled and declined after one more album with Dio (1981’s Mob Rules), which marked a succession of singers and lineups throughout the 1980s and early ’90s that included the likes of Ian Gillan, Glen Hughes, and Tony Martin (just to name a few) at the forefront, while Iommi remained the only consistent original member throughout each and every one of these incarnations.

A brief comeback with Dio and drummer Vinny Appice would produce the admirable Dehumaninzer album in 1992, but that lineup again fizzled out again before it ever really got started. After a couple more mediocre efforts with Tony Martin on vocals (1994’s Cross Purposes and 1995’s Forbidden), Iommi likely finally saw the writing on the wall and came to his senses.

Then in 1997, the unthinkable happened – Iommi reunited with Osbourne and Butler for a partial reunion (Ward was not physically up to the task at that moment in time, so the band enlisted Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin instead) to co-headline the ’97 Ozzfest alongside of Ozzy’s solo band.

I was a freshmen in high school at the time, and even then I knew how monumental of an event this was. So it was surreal to find myself there with my friends and bandmates at the West Palm Beach, FL show that Memorial Day for only my second concert ever (I had caught AC/DC at the same venue the year prior).

A live album, fittingly titled Reunion, was released the following year in 1998 as the band continued to tour into the 2000’s and rebuild their fanbase. By 2004, I found myself at another Ozzfest, this time in Tampa, FL (with Judas Priest and Slayer in direct support, each with their own reunions of sorts), and this time the entire original lineup of Iommi/Butler/Osbourne/Ward intact.

Ticket stubs from the two Ozzfests the author attended in 1997 and 2004, respectively, with noticeable damage to the former stub from smoke/incense.

The 2004 show particularly stands out as one of the better concerts I’ve seen in my lifetime. I had met my girlfriend at the time there with some of her friends, who decided to leave the show – and effectively me – early before Sabbath’s set.

As I sat by my lonesome on the lawn watching the show, a worker for the venue – who must’ve sensed my despair – very generously handed me an upgraded ticket stub closer to the stage in the seated area (I was convinced whoever this person was, had to have been sent there by the rock Gods). It felt somewhat like the ending scene of Detroit Rock City, where the group of teens finally make it to the KISS show after everything they had been through.

But I digress; I got to the closer seat, which was positioned right next to a couple who were having the time of their lives, and welcomed me with open arms to the party. I was in awe watching the legends before me on the stage with my newfound friends that night, way closer than I had ever imagined I would be (I might’ve even got a little misty-eyed at some point, most likely during “Snowblind”).

Yet I can’t say for sure if that was my favorite personal Sabbath moment, or if it was the next one. In 2010, I was still going to school for Journalism and rapidly growing my portfolio as a freelancer in music-related writing. I had already done a couple major interviews when the chance to interview Bill Ward – who was actually writing a monthly column in the very same national magazine that I was contributing to at the time – presented itself to me.

I couldn’t believe it as I sat there on the phone beside myself with one of the originators of heavy metal. There were so many things I couldn’t wait to pick his brain about (and even more that I wish I had in hindsight), and it still remains one of the friendliest, most easy-going interviews I’ve done to this day.

Partial excerpt from the author’s 2010 interview with original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward for Hails and Horns Magazine.

So I was a little more than disappointed to see the band would be putting out a final album (2013’s 13) and embarking on a “final” tour that each did not feel right without Ward included. Like many, I watched clips of the band performing their last show in Birmingham, England from afar on February 4, 2017, but felt just a tad cheated (and no offense to drummer Tommy Clufetos, who did his best with the given situation).

So when it was announced last year that the band would finally be doing it properly, with all four original members in tow once again, I was more than happy to hear it.

Official flyer for the bands final show in Birmingham, England today, Saturday, July 5.

As we soon watch the band take their final bows together today, I know my mind will be racing with my own memories of them as previously mentioned. I know I’m not just saying goodbye to a group of strangers, but rather some of the guys who actually helped mold and shape me into the man I am today, while also saying goodbye to yet another era, and another part of myself, now long gone.

Together again; the original Black Sabbath (left to right, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward) reunited ahead of their final show in Birmingham, England on Saturday, July 5, 2025 (Photo by Ross Halfin).

To Tony, Geezer, Ozzy, and Bill…thank you for everything gentlemen.

Retro Review: Quiet Riot – Metal Health (Pasha/CBS)

By: Jesse Striewski

I can vividly remember the first time Quiet Riot’s Metal Health truly hit my senses. I was a freshman in high school, sitting on the steps of my school when my friend Scott handed me a copy of his dad’s tape. I popped it into my walkman, and instantly the whole world (and all my troubles) disappeared, leaving just me and the music. There was no doubt about it; I was falling in love.

The story behind Metal Health – a monumental achievement in metal history – was no small feat; late singer Kevin Dubrow had recently revived the name Quiet Riot in 1982 after the previous band – which had released two Japan-released albums in the late ’70s – had broken up two years prior. Dubrow recruited guitarist Carlos Cavazo, bassist Chuck Wright, and drummer Frankie Banali to complete the lineup and resurrect the name after receiving the blessing from former guitarist Randy Rhoads, who by then had gone on to join Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band.

Recording of the album commenced in North Hollywood, CA, and shortly after, Rhoads died tragically in a plan crash while on tour. At that point, former bassist Rudy Sarzo (who had also joined Osbourne’s solo outfit) was asked to perform on the track “Thunderbird” as tribute to Rhoads. Sarzo quickly took the place of Wright, who had already recorded the tracks “Don’t Wanna Let You Go” and the album’s crushing opener, “Metal Health” prior to leaving.

A cover of Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize” would propel the band into superstardom, shooting to number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of 1983, eight months after the record’s March 11 release date. The video received around-the-clock rotation on the then-new MTV station at the time. “Slick Black Cadillac” was a re-recording of a track from 1978’s Quiet Riot II, while “Love’s a Bitch,” “Breathless,” and “Run For Cover” keep the momentum going. Cavazo shows off his chops with the instrumental “Battle Axe,” while “Let’s Get Crazy” kicks things up a notch before finally slowing it down with the previously-mentioned “Thunderbird.”

There’s no denying the lasting impact the record has had for generations. And as the first heavy metal album to ever reach number one on the charts, it literally put metal on the map, causing a craze for the music that would last the rest of the decade. When I was finally able to see the band live in October of 2006, I was instantly greeted with the familiar sounds of the guitar solo to “Cum on Feel the Noize” as I arrived fashionably late for their set. Dubrow and company then killed it with “Metal Health” before finally exiting the stage, and I knew I had just witnessed true greatness in the nick of time.