As the metal world continues to reel from the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist and vocalist Daron Malakian has shared a powerful and emotional reflection on the legendary frontman’s passing and his impact on the genre.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Malakian opened up about the moment he learned of Osbourne’s death on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76. The BLACK SABBATH icon had been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years, and though the official cause of death has not been confirmed, his family stated he passed peacefully at his Buckinghamshire home surrounded by loved ones.
Malakian stated: “I hate to say this, but it feels like that day was the day that metal died. You have the King of Pop, the Queen of Pop, the King of Rock & Roll, and Ozzy’s like the King of Metal. Him passing away, it feels heavy.”
The Armenian-American musician went on to recall how Ozzfest, the legendary traveling festival founded by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, played a crucial role in launching SYSTEM OF A DOWN into stardom. The band first joined the tour in 1999, performing on the second stage in the early morning hours while still living the rough life in an RV.
“Ozzfest was like a heavy-metal summer camp. We were still touring in an RV on the first one [1999], but those early Ozzfests for me were some of the best times of my f**king life. It was huge for us, and it was a big deal for me,” Daron remembered. “When we played our first Ozzfest, we were on the second stage, and we would sometimes play at 11 o’clock in the morning. It wasn’t like how festivals are now. It was like a traveling circus. It was a tour that went from city to city.
I was just in awe of the people that were around me. MOTÖRHEAD was headlining the second stage. Lemmy [Kilmister] had this old, turquoise Eagle tour bus. One time I saw him sunbathing next to the bus with turquoise Speedos on. That’s all he had on. I’ll never forget that. Another time, I talked with MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee, who used to play with KING DIAMOND, and I told him how much I liked those albums. He’s like, ‘Oh, wow. I haven’t even thought of that for such a long time.’ And then you would see Ozzy walk by here and there.
My dreams were coming true. I’m just sitting here having conversations with these people that I used to see in music videos or they were on my wall when I was a teenager. And there I am with my band.
By 2002, SYSTEM OF A DOWN had climbed to Ozzfest headliners, a huge achievement that saw them playing in front of packed arenas even on nights when Ozzy was too ill to perform.
“We saw headlining Ozzfest as a huge accomplishment,” Malakian said. “And people showed up. It was a packed house every night. I’m very grateful to Sharon, very grateful to Ozzy.”
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