BREAKING: Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain Ad…read more.
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has spoken out in admiration of Black Sabbath’s recent farewell tour, calling it “a monument to metal’s legacy” and “a perfect ending to the story that started it all.”
In a brief but heartfelt statement shared on his official website and social media, McBrain reflected on the final Black Sabbath concert held on July 5, 2025, in Birmingham, which marked the end of a decades-long journey for the pioneers of heavy metal. The concert, dubbed Back to the Beginning, reunited original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for one final show in their hometown a move that McBrain called “deeply symbolic, emotional, and long overdue.”
“For all of us who grew up playing this music and living it night after night on stage, Sabbath were the blueprint,” McBrain wrote. “To see those four lads from Birmingham back together, playing the music that launched a global movement, it hit me in the chest. And doing it one last time in their home city? That’s full circle in the best possible way.”
McBrain, who retired from touring with Iron Maiden in late 2024 following complications from a stroke, said watching Sabbath’s final performance was both “inspiring and bittersweet.”
“Part of me wished I was still out there, feeling that roar from the crowd. But another part of me just stood back in awe, appreciating it like a fan. That night was history.”
While McBrain and Black Sabbath never toured together in an official co-headlining capacity, the Iron Maiden drummer has often cited Bill Ward as a key influence on his own drumming style. “Bill played with feel, power, and soul,” McBrain noted. “His return to the kit for this final show was emotional and triumphant.”
McBrain ended his statement by thanking Sabbath for their decades of music and legacy. “They were the first. The sound, the darkness, the groove it all began with them. We all owe them a debt. What a way to bow out.”
The Back to the Beginning concert is set to be released as a live album and documentary in late 2025. McBrain hinted that he’ll “definitely be picking that up.”
