When I go back in time to the 1980s, I see myself at six or seven years old, too small to understand the world but already big enough to feel the power of an electric guitar. It was my father’s Status Quo record spinning on the living room turntable. I didn’t even know what “air guitar” was yet, but I was already playing imaginary solos on the carpet, jumping as if the stage were mine. The passion for rock and heavy metal wasn’t something they introduced to me; it simply existed, as if it were part of my DNA.

In the 1990s, before the internet became this endless gateway of discoveries, what reached me came through the mainstream: radio, TV, the bands that were on the charts, grunge dominating the airwaves. But at the end of that decade the universe widened my horizons. I remember it like it was yesterday: a friend showed up with a cassette tape and said it was a band with a female singer. I admit I thought it would be just another band — not because of the voice, but because few had real presence then. I put the tape in the old player and, in the middle of “Gethsemane” by Nightwish, I was swept away. Love at first listen. That band scored many rainy nights, full of talks, drinks and friends. From that moment on, I dove headfirst into heavy metal, punk, and everything the alternative scene offered. It felt like I had finally found my place in the world.

Now, in 2025, together with D R Nocturnis, we decided to found this page — or rather, to give life to this space — to repay the heavy metal community for everything it has given us. Here we will pay tributes and publish reviews, whether of albums or videos, always with sincerity and passion. This project is a tribute, a meeting point for those who feel metal pulsing through their veins. We want to share stories, discoveries, and keep alive the flame that united us since childhood.

Above all, we proudly open Land of Metal with an article dedicated to Black Sabbath — the true parents of heavy metal. It’s no coincidence we chose this legendary band to launch our work: Sabbath not only created a new genre, but defined the attitude, the sound and the soul of metal. Their journey, marked by struggle, innovation and an unmistakable sound, still echoes in every heavy riff and in every passionate fan. This article is more than a homage; it’s an acknowledgment that, without Black Sabbath, our community might not exist. May this reading inspire everyone to revisit the roots and understand why Sabbath’s legacy is eternal.

This year we lived through two moments that deeply marked the scene and became, without a doubt, the most talked-about news of the year: Black Sabbath’s final show with Ozzy Osbourne on July 5, 2025, in Birmingham, England, and Ozzy Osbourne’s death on July 22, 2025. Seeing the band that started it all take the stage one last time brought memories, tears and celebrations — a closing of a cycle that moved fans across generations. On the other hand, Ozzy’s passing left an immense void; more than losing an unmistakable voice, it was the farewell to a symbol that helped shape the identity of rock and metal. The resonance of these events went beyond headlines: they sparked studio conversations, forum debates, tributes at concerts and playlists revisiting every riff, every lyric and every historic moment.

Ozzy’s loss is felt as the loss of a pillar. His journey was marked by reinvention, excess, glory and a deep bond with the public. Even for those who never saw him up close, his influence shaped how many of us understand what it means to be a metal artist: authentic, unpredictable and brave. And Black Sabbath’s final show, both grand and melancholic, proved that some stories need a worthy ending — a goodbye that celebrates what was built and makes clear the immortal legacy that remains in guitars, lyrics and hearts.

If you’ve made it this far, make yourself at home. This space is as much yours as it is ours. Get ready to dive into authentic content made by people who live and breathe metal. We will cover, with respect and passion, both the tributes and memories of these moments and the new bands rising to carry the torch. Let the long nights, the heavy riffs and the eternal friendships come. The show is only beginning.