Ozzfest 2005: Sabbath. Maiden. Slash. Wylde. Zombie. Need we say more? Ok, how about Mudvayne, In Flames, Trivium, and Mastodon tagged on. The 10th anniversary of the phenomenal heavy metal festival had a number of highlights, including taking over Download for a day, but you’re here to see what happened to the lesser known names so let’s jump right in…
View our photo gallery from Ozzfest 2005.
A DOZEN FURIES
Another short-lived group that disbanded after their first Ozzfest, A Dozen Furies earned their spot after winning MTV’s Battle For Ozzfest. They planned to release a sophomore effort after A Concept From Fire, but the band members went their separate ways in 2006. Despite receiving mixed reviews from those who wrongly believed that they were just an illegitimate realty show band, listening to their songs like “Cycle” and “Lost In A Fantasy” say otherwise.
IT DIES TODAY
Quickly rising in popularity with the release of 2004’s debut The Caitiff Choir, It Dies Today enjoyed a successful run of tours accompanying bands like Throwdown, Walls of Jericho, and Machine Head. They released three full length albums: the first two with original vocalist Nick Brooks and the final with Jason Wood (who does a great cover of “Them Bones”). While they have the longest tenure and most major releases of the bands on this list, It Dies Today find themselves in the same boat as many other Ozzfest alum: indefinite hiatus. They played a few shows with Brooks in 2014, and have discussed writing new material, but as of 2015, there are no plans for their future.
WICKED WISDOM
“Will Smith’s Wife Starts A Metal Band” is a headline that the metal community was vocal about, to say the least. While some trusted Sharon Osbourne’s judgment, others wondered why an actress was getting a coveted spot on the Ozzfest stage while other groups were passed over. Throw out the controversy and take a minute to listen to Wicked Wisdom with an open mind. They may not be genre-changing, but they’re not horrible. “Left Behind” is beautiful and gives Jada Pinkett Smith an opportunity to showcase her talent. If Kittie and Otep are your cup of tea, listen to “Something Inside Of Me” or “Yesterday Don’t Mean”. The band released two albums, and if nothing else, deserve props for giving Ozzfest their all despite opening the festival to more hate than likely any other group in tour history. Who knows if we’ll hear from them again.
GIZMACHI
The sole band signed to Shawn Crahan’s Big Orange Clown Records, Gizmachi earned their placed on the Ozzfest stage with their album The Imbuing. Their camp is quiet right now, despite fans still voicing their desires for a follow-up over a decade later. Give their album a listen; Gizmachi are far from disappointing.
Ozzfest 2005 was a milestone and despite obstacles, we’ve gotten eight more in the twelve years since. This lineup was another fantastic mix of rock, pairing stalwarts Black Label Society and Black Sabbath with Velvet Revolver and Iron Maiden, but the real gems were further down the card. Trivium debuted with Ascendancy, In Flames was touring to support Soundtrack To Your Escape, and Soilwork had just released Stabbing The Drama. This was an Ozzfest to droll over.
Which show were you at? Tell us what you thought about Wicked Wisdom’s performance, Sharon Osbourne cutting Iron Maiden's power, and which set you loved the most. Sound off in the comments and be sure to check out our previous posts here.
