Remember how cool and fun touring music festivals used to be? Whether it was the Vans Warped Tour, Rockstar Mayhem Fest, or Ozzfest, they were wonderful opportunities to spend the day watching the biggest bands at the time perform, as well as discovering some new favorites who were on the cusp of breaking onto the scene. Surviving the brutal heat, paying for overpriced food and beer, spending all day on your feet, and enduring the awful smells of shit and sweat was all worth it if it meant hanging out with friends, meeting new people, sharing stories, buying some sick new merch, and enjoying hours upon hours of music.
The creation of Ozzfest in 1996 was a direct response by Ozzy Osbourne's manager and wife, Sharon, to getting rejected to play at Lollapalooza. The first year was not a touring festival like it became known to be, rather it was a two-day festival that occurred on October 25-26 in Phoenix, Arizona and Devore, California respectively. It proved to be a success, and thus the annual Ozzfest that we all came to know and love was born.
Ozzfest lineups over the years have included many different subgenres of metal, ranging from thrash, groove, death, industrial, gothic, metalcore, and of course, nu metal. The peak commercial success of the tour coincided with the explosion in popularity of nu metal, and thus, the two became associated with one another. Some of the biggest names in nu metal played on Ozzfest at least once, and many even got their big break from the exposure this tour provided. One of the most influential years on the genre was Ozzfest 2000 (June 2nd - September 2nd). Let's take a look at the lineup from 25 years ago and see what the bands were doing at the time, and where they're at now.
MAIN STAGE
Ozzy Osbourne
His most recent musical release was Ozzmosis in 1995, and he had just come off of a Black Sabbath reunion tour with all of the original members in 1999. Their performances on that tour were recorded for a documentary called The Last Supper, which also included interviews with the band members. He has since been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first in 2006 as a part of Black Sabbath, and later again in 2024 as a solo artist. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, Ozzy has just passed away less than a month ago on July 22nd, 2025. His passing has resulted in an outpouring of love and tributes from many nu metal artists who cite Ozzy and Ozzfest as one of the reasons for their success. Fans have been calling for a return of this festival in his honor.
Rest in peace, Ozzy. Thank you for everything.
Pantera
Reinventing the Steel, the band's ninth studio album, was released earlier in the year on March 21st. Ozzfest 2000 was Pantera's third time playing the festival, with the first two times being in 1997 and 1998. Here is an interview with drummer Vinnie Paul featured in an episode of MTV's All Access Week from the tour:
The quartet went on to disband a few years later in 2003. Tragically, guitarist Dimebag Darrell was murdered on December 8th, 2004, and his brother, Vinnie, would pass away from health complications on June 22nd, 2018. Vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown have since reunited to reform the band in 2023, enlisting the help of Anthrax's Charlie Benante on drums and Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society on guitar. They have been touring the past few years, and are currently on tour, with a stint in Europe supporting Metallica later this year.
Godsmack
The Massachusetts band was gearing up to release their third studio album titled Awake on Halloween of 2000. Godsmack had been touring nonstop since the release of their self-titled album two years prior, so a lot of Awake was written while they were on the road. Nowadays, the band have strayed from their earlier nu metal sound. Their most recent release is their ninth studio album, Lighting Up the Sky, in 2024 and has been confirmed to be the band's final one. Currently, Godsmack is on a year-long hiatus.
Static-X
Returning for their second consecutive go-around of the touring festival, Static-X was still riding the high from the success of their debut album, Wisconsin Death Trip, the previous year. The band blended industrial metal and nu metal wonderfully, making them a perfect selection for Ozzfest. It would go on to become certified platinum in 2001. Check out this performance of their hit "Push It":
Sadly, we have another case of a rockstar gone too soon. Iconic frontman Wayne Static would pass away on November 1st, 2014 from an overdose. Although the band had broken up in 2013, the surviving original members would reunite in 2018 and have remained active since. Dope vocalist Edsel Dope would fill the shoes left behind by Wayne Static, under the name Xer0. Static-X will be embarking on a fall tour as support for fellow nu metal powerhouses Mudvayne.
Incubus
Make Yourself, the third studio album from Incubus, was released on October 26th, 1999. The band followed it up with an EP, When Incubus Attacks Vol. 1, that came out on August 22nd while they were in the midst of the Ozzfest 2000 tour. They had previously played Ozzfest in 1998, thanks to Ozzy Osbourne's son, Jack, being a fan. While the band may not be considered nu metal anymore, they were heavily associated with the genre in the early 2000's, especially with their sophomore album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (which is one of my favorite nu metal albums of all time, if I may add). Most recently, Incubus has just finished a summer tour where they performed their album Morning View in its entirety, with one show left on October 4th. We can anticipate a new album from the band, Something in the Water, to be released later this year.
Methods of Mayhem
Is Tommy Lee someone that you would associate with nu metal? I didn't think so. While his notoriety comes from his time as the drummer of glam metal band Mötley Crüe, he explored the world of nu metal when he formed Methods of Mayhem after temporarily quitting his former band. Lee was also going through his divorce from Pamela Anderson at the time. They released their debut self-titled album on December 7th, 1999 and it featured guest features by acts such as nu metal legend Fred Durst and rappers Snoop Dogg and Lil' Kim. Methods of Mayhem was short lived, disbanding after the Ozzfest 2000 tour in September of that year. However, in 2019, Lee wanted to give the project another try and discussed plans to release a new album. It's been six years since we've gotten an update, but never say never. Enjoy this interview where Lee talks about his time in the nu metal scene:
P.O.D.
At the time of the tour, San Diego's P.O.D. had just recently released their third studio album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, the previous year on August 24th. They opened up for Korn on their European tour in the springtime, before joining Ozzfest only a month after returning. Then, not even two months after wrapping up their time on Ozzfest, they joined fellow nu metal groups Hed PE and Linkin Park for the Kings of the Game tour in the fall. P.O.D. remain active to this day and have since released eleven studio albums in total, with their most recent, Veritas, coming in May of 2024. The band is set to embark on a tour this fall opening up for Seether and Daughtry.
Queens of the Stone Age
This tour had a variety of genres represented. While not a nu metal band, Queens of the Stone Age rose in popularity during the same time period. Rated R, their second studio album, was released on June 6, one month before the band would head out on Ozzfest. No doubt this tour aided in the success of this album, and subsequently the band as a whole.
What is the band up to these days? Oh, not much, just performing a live set inside the Catacombs of Paris, no big deal. They digitally released a recording of the performance entitled Alive in the Catacombs on June 5th, 2025. Right now, they are on a tour of the United Kingdom.
Black Label Society
Another example of a non-nu metal band on this lineup, Black Label Society is a southern metal band, much like Pantera. Ozzy Osbourne's lead guitarist and long-time friend Zakk Wylde fronts the band, and while he didn't play with Osbourne for his set, he made an appearance on the tour with his own band. Black Label Society's second studio album, Stronger Than Death, was released on April 18th, 2000, mere months before the first Ozzfest date. Black Label Society would go on to appear many more times on future Ozzfest bills. The band is still going strong to this day, with two singles being released earlier this year, "Lord Humungus" and "The Gallows", in preparation for a new album coming out in late 2025 or early 2026.
Apartment 26
This British band blended industrial metal with nu metal seamlessly, as shown in their debut album entitled Hallucinating, released in May of 2000. Apartment 26 was featured on Ozzfest 1999, albeit on the second stage. They are but one example of Ozzfest providing exposure for new bands. After their first appearance on the touring festival, they were signed to a major label and released their first album before they were invited back the following year, this time to perform on the main stage in their home country on the UK leg. Unfortunately, their success was short lived. Apartment 26 went on to release a second album, Music for the Massive, in early 2004, but was dropped by their label soon after, and by the end of the year, they had disbanded. It's been over 20 years since they called it quits, but Hallucinating still remains a staple in my music rotation.
SECOND STAGE
Soulfly
The second stage of Ozzfest 2000 had some heavy hitters on the lineup. Frontman Max Cavalera had left the Brazilian metal band Sepultura in 1996, subsequently forming Soulfly the following year in 1997. They released their debut self-titled album in 1998, and at the time of Ozzfest 2000, they were preparing to release their second studio album, Primitive, mere weeks after the tour ended, on September 26th. With features from nu metal juggernauts Corey Taylor of Slipknot on "Jumpdafuckup" and Chino Moreno of Deftones on "Pain", Primitive has since carved it's place in history as a classic nu metal album. Even the track "In Memory of..." features full-on rapping. Check out this performance of the opening track, "Back to the Primitive", from the festival.
Who else could make the berimbau, a musical bow popular in Brazilian music, nu metal but these guys?
While Soulfly may have moved on from their early nu metal sound, they are still going strong in the thrash metal scene with their most recent release being their 2022 album, Totem. Cavalera has since spoke of plans to write and record the bands thirteenth studio album with a hopeful release in October of 2025, hinting at returning to the band's nu roots. At the time of writing, there has still been no new Soulfly tunes, but there is a little over one month until October, so all hope is not gone.
Kittie
In early 2000, this quartet of teenage girls took the nu metal world by storm. On January 11th, 2000, Kittie released their impactful debut album titled Spit. This record was raw, brash, aggressive, and feminist as hell. They even dropped out of high school in order to tour, opening up for Slipknot numerous times. Then came their time to shine on the second stage of Ozzfest for the summer months. For a lot of people at the time, this was their first time seeing an all-female band melt their faces off. In a male-dominated, sometimes misogynistic, metal scene, Kittie proved that women could be just as angry, commanding, and powerful, or even more so, than men, and that they deserved respect and recognition. Here is live footage from the tour of one of their most iconic songs, "Spit":
Whilst they moved on from their nu metal sound towards the death and thrash metal scenes after Spit, their debut remains iconic and revered by many as one of the most quintessential nu metal albums ever released. The band went on hiatus during the 2010's, but returned to performing in 2022. They performed their first new song in twelve years, "Vultures" at Sick New World in May of 2023, later confirming a new album was coming. Kittie's most recent album, Fire, was released on June 21st, 2024. In 2025, the band have been teasing something special for the 25th anniversary of Spit, and on August 19th, they released "Spit XXV", a re-recorded and updated version of the title track. The following day, on August 20th, it was revealed that an EP of the same name, consisting of four re-recorded tracks, will be released on September 19th.
Disturbed
Here we have yet another example of a band who can attribute a lot of their success to their early days touring on Ozzfest. Chicago's own Disturbed released their debut studio album, The Sickness, on March 7, 2000. Due to Crazy Town having to pull out just two weeks in (more on that later), they were moved to open up for the main stage. They toured in support of their new record at the festival, and later in the year, they would go on to open for Slipknot. The Sickness has since become recognized as one of the best debut metal albums, one of the best metal albums of 2000, and one of the most essential nu metal albums. Check out their performance of the first single from the album, "Stupify":
Since their debut and time on Ozzfest 2000, they have played the touring festival many more times and have released seven additional studio albums. Most recently, Disturbed have released a new song titled "I Will Not Break" on February 21st, 2025, with plans for a new album on the way. Earlier this year, the band embarked on a celebratory 25th anniversary tour of The Sickness, where they played the album in full.
Taproot
Ozzfest 2000 was Taproot's first year playing the festival, thanks to help from Jack Osbourne. The band released their first studio album, Gift, a few weeks into the tour on June 27th, 2000. It is a quintessential nu metal album with Stephen Richards' mix of melodic clean vocals, frantic rapping, assertive screams, heavy-hitting guitar riffs, strong, prominent basslines, and nihilistic lyrics. Taproot would play Ozzfest again the following year, and in 2002, would find even more success with their second album, Welcome. Their most recent album is SC\SSRS, released on September 29th, 2023, coming eleven years after their previous release. Their last tour was in 2024, but have played a handful of festival dates this year.
Pitchshifter
English band Pitchshifter has been cited as one of the early innovators of the industrial metal genre, but found a way to fuse their sound with the burgeoning demand of nu metal towards the end of the nineties. The band had previously played the UK edition of Ozzfest a couple of years prior in 1998, right after the release of their album www.pitchshifter.com, which incorporated more nu metal elements and would become their most successful album. Just a week and a few days before Ozzfest 2000 started, Pitchshifter released their fifth studio album, Deviant. Since then, the band has went on hiatus a couple of times, but reunited in 2018 to tour in celebration of the 20th anniversary of www.pitchshifter.com. The last time the band performed was November 30th, 2024.
Slaves on Dope
French-Canadian rockers Slaves on Dope founded in 1993, but Canada wasn't very alternative friendly at the time, so the band had to travel to Los Angeles to promote their band. Their efforts proved successful as they got their big break when they were signed to Divine Recordings, a record label created by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Their debut studio album, Inches from the Mainline, was released to the world on October 3rd, 2000. Watch their performance of "Pushing Me" from the festival below:
The band released one more album, 2003's Metafour, before disbanding the following year. However, Slaves on Dope got back together years later in 2009, and have since released new music. Their newest album, HORSE, released on August 26th, 2016. Their last live performance was on February 17th, 2017, and we haven't heard much from them since.
Reveille
Massachusetts-based band Reveille formed in 1998, signed to Elektra Records, and released their debut album, Laced, in 1999. They were no stranger to playing festivals by the time they joined Ozzfest 2000; they had previously performed at Warped Tour 1999 and the infamous Woodstock 1999. Their second and final album, Bleed the Sky, came out on September 18th, 2001, which included features from nu metal vocalists Stephen Richards (Taproot) and Scooter Ward (Cold). Reveille eventually broke up a couple of years later in 2003, and would only reunite for one time in 2008 for a show called "Reveille Reborn". There were no further plans for the band after the reunion.
Shuvel
A rap-metal band out of the Midwest, Shuvel formed in 1997 and signed a record deal 1999 (thanks to a stripper who attended their house party and had connections in the industry). Set It Off dropped in late 2000, and the band would go on to tour with nu metal icons Sevendust, and fellow Ozzfest 2000 performers Kittie and Crazy Town. Drummer Kyle Hollinger would leave the band and join the aforementioned Crazy Town from 2001-2003. Shuvel would continue to release music throughout the 2000's before they disbanded in 2011.
Primer 55
This band out of Memphis, Tennessee kicked off 2000 by releasing their debut studio album, Introduction to Mayhem, on January 25th. The record included features from Chris Kilmore, turntablist of Incubus, and Jared Gomes, frontman of Hed PE. Adding to their hot start of a year, they toured with Biohazard, Slipknot, Machine Head, and Dope before joining Ozzfest in the summertime. Here's a recording of "Set It Off" live from the tour:
After Ozzfest, they continued to tour, heading out with the previously mentioned Soulfly and Slaves on Dope. One year later, Primer 55 dropped their second studio album, (the) New Release, on August 14th, 2001. Afterwards, the band would go on hiatus a couple of times, but indefinitely on October 7th, 2015. Vocalist J-Sin would sadly succumb to his battle with Hepatitis-C on August 10th, 2018. There were talks of a reformation in 2020 for a 20th anniversary celebration of their debut album, but it would not come to fruition until June of this year. At the time of writing, Primer 55 is gearing up for a fall tour to celebrate 25 years of Introduction to Mayhem.
The Deadlights
The highlight of this band's short-lived career was playing Ozzfest in 2000. They formed in 1998, and would release their only album, The Deadlights, on February 22nd, 2000. Just one year later, the band would be broken up by frontman Duke Collins via a post on their official website. The bassist, Jerry Montano, would later go on to play in nu metal band Nothingface, then the metal supergroup Hellyeah afterwards. There has only been one reunion show, taking place on March 19th, 2016 in memory of Collins' passing one year prior.
Crazy Town
When you think of iconic nu metal album covers, I'd bet that one that comes to mind is that of The Gift of Game, Crazy Town's debut album. Released on November 9th, 1999, this record featured the smash hit "Butterfly", which would eventually top the Billboard Hot 100. The band was scheduled to play Ozzfest in 2000, but had to pull out only two weeks in due to the singer, Shifty Shellshock, drunkenly throwing a chair through a window. They were ultimately invited back for the next year's iteration of the tour. Like many previously mentioned bands, Crazy Town would go on hiatus for a bit before reforming. The band's most recent release, an EP called Flirting With Disaster, came out in March of 2024. Regrettably, we have another instance of premature loss. Seth Binzer, the real name of Shifty Shellshock, passed away from an accidental drug overdose on June 24th, 2024, resulting in disbandment of Crazy Town.
@numetalhistorian Pretty much everyone on Ozzfest hated Crazy Town. Not this guy though. You will never convince me that crazy town is bad. Butterfly or not. Mtv devoted a whole segment to crazy town in this ozzfest documentary for mtv. #ozzfest #ozzyosbourne #crazytown #sethbinzer #shiftyshellshock #kellyosbourne #slipknot #numetal #numetaltiktok ♬ original sound - The Nu Metal Historian 👽
Pumpjack
There isn't much information to be found on this band, other than that they were a southern groove metal band that formed in 1995. They were in the same vein as Pantera, and were actually friends with the band. The drummer for the band has posted a series of writings about his time on the Ozzfest tour, which can be found here.
Conclusion
What a killer lineup. We must give our thanks to the Osbournes for putting together this touring festival and giving so many bands a platform to show the world what they're made of. Of course, that's not to say these bands wouldn't have achieved their dreams if Ozzfest didn't exist. Surely they would've find a path to success one way or another, but it cannot be denied how crucial this festival was to the flourishing realm of nu metal. Fans came to see the biggest names in metal, while the up and coming bands hoped to make their mark on the industry, captivating new audiences with their grit and passion. Groups such as Soulfly, Kittie, Disturbed exploded onto the scene, took the nu metal world by storm, and the rest is history.
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