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To us as kids, he wasn’t just the frontman, he was heavy metal. We all knew the stories, especially that one about the bat. He felt like the embodiment of everything wild, dark, and electrifying about the genre.

That first album wasn’t just important, it was seismic. And they didn’t stop there, they kept pushing boundaries and making phenomenal music for decades. At the heart of it all was Ozzy.

Ozzy Osbourne was more than just a larger than life figure, that barely scratches the surface. For many, Black Sabbath marked the true birth of heavy metal. Sure, you can debate who came before or after, but Sabbath had staying power. #RIPOzzy

His final show, seated on a black throne in Birmingham, was a full-circle goodbye. For those of us who grew up on Sabbath, this isn’t just the end of an era. It’s the loss of the man who gave our music a soul. Rest easy, Ozzy. Thank you for everything. 🖤.

Ozzy went on to become one of rock’s most enduring icons. Solo albums, Ozzfest, TV shows, reunions. Through it all, he remained himself—flawed, honest, unpredictable, brilliant. Over 100 million albums sold. Two Rock Hall inductions. A legend.

The band was so tight, so heavy. That debut was the true birth of metal. And they recorded and mixed it in a day and a half. Tony Iommi’s riffs. Geezer’s bass. Bill Ward’s thunder. Ozzy’s voice floating above it all. Raw. Ominous. Perfect.

I still remember sneaking out of school at 15 to my friend Cat’s house. We played Sabbath’s debut. The church bells in the opening track chilled us. The witch-like figure on the cover scared the schnizzle out of me but I couldn’t stop listening.

When Black Sabbath released their debut in 1970, it didn’t just introduce a new band. It lit the fuse for an entire genre. Heavy metal was born and Ozzy was its voice. That album hit me like a bolt from the sky. It changed everything.

Ozzy Osbourne’s passing is a huge loss. He wasn’t just the frontman of @BlackSabbath He helped invent the very music that shaped so many of our lives A true pioneer His voice, presence fearlessness, there was nothing like him & there never will be again #RIPOzzy #RIPOzzyOsbourne

Let’s not lose the art of performance. Music production isn’t just tools, it’s taste. It’s choosing a take that feels good, letting the emotion lead, and trusting that real connection always wins in the end.

Ironically, I now hear covers of these songs, with autotune, drum grids, all the polish we deliberately avoided. At the time, The Fray sounded fresh because it wasn’t perfect. Imagine a band coming out like that today.

Yet here we are, 20 years later. Look After You has half a billion plays. Not because it was perfect, but because it was honest. That’s what people connect with—feel, not flawlessness.

Back then, everything on rock radio was super polished, gridded drums, stacked vocals, pitch correction everywhere. This album went the opposite way. And honestly, no one thought it would break through.

We recorded it during the How to Save a Life sessions at my old studio, Swing House. Nothing was gridded, autotuned, or sampled. Mark Endert mixed the single without adding a single sample. What you hear is the real band. That’s why it still breathes.

Look After You by @TheFray just crossed 500 million streams. It was never even a single. Just a fan favourite that kept connecting. That number is a powerful reminder: real emotion in music lasts.

How @DaveStewart REINVENTED Pop MUSIC From A Bedroom Studio

One of the most iconic producers, songwriters, and musicians ever @DaveStewart of Eurythmics. From Sweet Dreams to Dylan, Petty, and Aretha, his story is wild and still unfolding. Listen to Dave does Dylan: Watch the interview:

Kristian Kohle just dropped a killer course: Mix Carcass' “The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing” with David Castillo (Opeth, Katatonia). Multitracks included. No grid. No click. Real feedback from Kohle. $67 or free with Kult membership:

Get the XVive here:

Ever tried rehearsing with no vocals in the mix? Drummer can’t hear the bass, guitarist turns up louder., chaos. We tested the @Xvive_Wireless More You system at Brighton Electric to see if it could fix that. Download the multitracks:.