Tributes to the Fallen:
Celebrating the Lives of Those We've Lost in Metal
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"We got to live on the same earth at the same time as all these dudes…"
"Do you know how many Junes they lived through?"
"All you gotta do if you miss them is press play…"
About This Episode
Death. The word alone possesses the same tangible finality and permanence as the act itself. Death marks the end of one's physical life and existence in this world — and can come as a tragic, sudden, and untimely end, or as the sometimes welcome final resolution following a long, protracted period of illness and suffering.
Regardless of how it presents, death impacts every single human on earth. Whether it's the loss of a loved one or the weight of our own mortality, it's the one thing we as humans all share. And no matter what we do or how we live out our lives, eventually we will all be — as Lemmy so poetically put it — killed by death.
Over the course of our lifetime, we all bid farewell to the artists who helped shape us as people, providing us with what became the soundtrack to our lives. On this episode of Metal Nerdery, we're not here to bemoan the losses we've experienced in the metal community — we're here to celebrate the legacy of those we have lost who blessed our lives so richly with timeless art that will forever transcend death.
The Tributes — Where Were You When?
Each of these moments changed metal forever. We asked the question throughout the episode: where were you when this happened? Here are the legends we paid tribute to — and the songs we played in their honour.
🎵 Played: Pantera — "Shedding Skin" (Far Beyond Driven, 1994)
Shot on stage mid-song in Columbus, Ohio while performing with Damageplan. Of any musician who has ever graced the metal world, Dimebag Darrell least deserved the fate he received. The date of his murder — December 8 — is the same date John Lennon was shot in 1980, exactly 24 years earlier. The metal community described him as an extreme metal version of Eddie Van Halen — a player who chugged with the same ferocity he soloed with. "That riff is almost like The Sleep…" We raised a Jägermeister shot for Dime. RIP Good Time Dime.
🎵 Played: Ozzy Osbourne — "Diary of a Madman" (Diary of a Madman, 1981)
The tour bus driver decided to buzz Ozzy's sleeping tour bus in a small plane — and clipped it on a low pass. Randy was just 25 years old. Two albums. Classical guitar training. Already in the Eddie Van Halen conversation. Ozzy said a million times that Randy Rhoads saved his life. The weird addendum to this tragedy? Someone who knew the pilot later said they saw a dark aura around him before the flight. Can you imagine Randy Rhoads at 70? The greatest "what if" in metal guitar history. "That bass player getting busy… the drummer… the youngest old guy…"
🎵 Played: Metallica — "Orion" (Master of Puppets, 1986)
Metallica's tour bus skidded on ice in rural Sweden during the Master of Puppets tour. Cliff was thrown through the window and the bus landed on him. He was 24. The conversation in the studio turned to the big "what if" — what would Metallica be like if Cliff had never passed away? "I almost think with Cliff you've gotta do the train section…driving with that on at night…" "Orion" was the unanimous choice. Baby making music. Musical zen. Cliff vs Lars — a conversation for another day. The Cliff 'Em All video is what made many of us truly "get it."
🎵 Played: AC/DC — "Ride On" (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976/1981)
Found dead in a car in London. He was 33 — the Lord's age. And here's the detail that stops you in your tracks: Bon Scott passed away on Tony Iommi's birthday. Santa Claus brought one of us Highway to Hell that Christmas — and the idea of Bon Scott being gone felt like an alternate reality, a Mandela Effect moment. We remembered thinking it couldn't be real. "Ride On" was the tribute — quiet, gorgeous, completely at odds with AC/DC's reputation, and exactly right for the moment.
🎵 Played: Slayer — "Angel of Death" (Reign in Blood, 1986) — in tribute to Jeff Hanneman
The 90s losses came up as a group — Layne Staley, Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell — each one a gut punch in its own right. And Jeff Hanneman of Slayer, who died of liver failure in 2013 after a spider bite led to necrotizing fasciitis that ended his touring career. As one host put it: "He's a normal guy… we don't like going to the doctor… just put some dirt on it…" "Angel of Death" was the tribute to Jeff. "Just let it wash over you… take in the Jeff Zen… Take 2 Slayers and call me in the morning."
🎵 Played: Black Sabbath — "After All (The Dead)" (Dehumanizer, 1992)
Stomach cancer at 67 — his wife Wendy kept the diagnosis private for months. The conversation touched on the strange mystery around Dio's age (was he 40? Was he 43?), and we chose the Dehumanizer track — the Mob Rules lineup — as the tribute. "Almost sounds like Ozzy Sabbath in a way… maybe this is what they were going for." Neil Peart came up in the same breath — and the conversation about "Afterimage" from Rush's Grace Under Pressure drew one of the episode's most honest moments: "That song will make you moist in the eyeballs." The grieving process was discussed genuinely — and one host reminded us: "Love is the most powerful force in the universe."
🎵 Played: Motörhead — "Overkill" (Overkill, 1979)
Diagnosed with aggressive cancer on December 24. Dead four days later. Motörhead dissolved the same day. "Lemmy 70 and Bill 70 is different… WAY different!" He just lived his life — all of it, all the way to the end, on his own terms. "You could live your life… bark like a dog…" "Overkill" was the perfect send-off. And maybe the favourite part of any metal song — ever.
🎵 Played: Black Sabbath — "Symptom of the Universe" (Sabotage, 1975)
We recorded this episode in June — and with Ozzy Osbourne having left this earth on July 22, 2025, his loss was still raw in the room. The episode couldn't end any other way. "We're coming up on the month that Mr. Ozzy Osbourne has left this earth…" "What do you play though?" After discussing the Back to the Beginning farewell show and Tribute's Sabbath covers, "Symptom of the Universe" was chosen — because "Ozzy is a symptom of the universe, for sure." A fly got into the studio while we were talking about metal deaths. We took that as a sign. "I still think it's ironic that a fly got in here while we're talking about notable metal deaths…" Bless that man. #MysteriousWays.
Also Heard This Episode
The episode opened with a listen to Converge — "Hum of Hurt" from Love Is Not Enough (2026) — described as having "the meatiest bass sound I've ever heard in my life." Like the Loads, basically. CD case has no song titles, no band name on the cover — like Led Zeppelin IV. "It was an experience."
The pre-show conversation turned to favourite guitar solos that still send shivers — sparked by a listener question from American Dave (Part Two). The "golden take" concept came up — the idea of piecing together the perfect performance vs. the magic of a spontaneous one. "Delicious might be the word."
The big philosophical closer: "If you could have the last recorded gig of anybody, especially if they passed untimely… would you want it?" No right answer. But a great question to sit with.
🎸 What would Metallica sound like if Cliff Burton had never passed away?
This is the biggest "what if" in all of thrash metal. The Black Album? Load? Re-Load? The whole trajectory of the band's sound was shaped by losing Cliff at 24. Does a version of Metallica with Cliff still in it make different records — and are they better or worse?
🎶 Can you imagine Randy Rhoads at 70?
Two albums with Ozzy. Classical training. Already in the Eddie Van Halen conversation at 25. What does the next 45 years of his career look like? Is there a more painful "what could have been" in all of metal guitar history?
📼 If you could have the last recorded gig of any musician who passed untimely — would you want it?
The philosophical question that closed the episode. There's something sacred about the last performance — but is it better left unrecorded, preserved only in the memory of those who were there?
🤘 We got to live on the same earth at the same time as all these dudes — how lucky are we?
Not a debate question. Just a statement worth sitting with. Dimebag. Cliff. Randy. Bon Scott. Lemmy. Dio. Ozzy. We got to be here when they were here. All you gotta do if you miss them is press play.
- Episode: Metal Nerdery #358
- Recorded: Last Saturday of June 2026 — one year on from losing Ozzy (July 22, 2025)
- Dimebag's murder date: December 8 — same date as John Lennon's murder, exactly 24 years earlier
- Bon Scott's age at death: 33 — the Lord's age. He died on Tony Iommi's birthday.
- Randy Rhoads' age at death: 25 — two albums recorded
- Cliff Burton's age at death: 24 — on tour for Master of Puppets
- Lemmy's diagnosis to death: 4 days
- Songs played this episode: Shedding Skin · Diary of a Madman · Orion · Ride On · Angel of Death · After All (The Dead) · Overkill · Symptom of the Universe
- Unexpected guest: One fly, during the Ozzy tribute. Make of that what you will.
Related Metal Nerdery Episodes
Having said that, we are not here to bemoan the losses we’ve experienced in the metal community so much as we are here to ask you to JOIN US as we CELEBRATE the legacy of those we have lost who have blessed our lives so richly with the timeless art they created that will forever transcend death.
Show Notes:
(00:01): “It’s the last Saturday in June…”/ “The Righteous Bean…”/ “It’s got the meatiest bass sound I’ve ever heard in my life…”/ #markthetime / #Converge #HumOfHurt #LoveIsNotEnough / “It’s like their Loads, basically…”/ ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / “I’m sorry, dude…it’s June.” / “Yeah, I like showing my titties…”/ #sideboobaction
(03:13): ***PATREON US at www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast *** /
“Actually, you can pick whichever Metal Nerdery shirt you want…”/ ***SHOP US at metalnerdery.com/merch to see which shirt is right for you! ***/ “The trillionaire is no longer a trillionaire now…he literally lost as much money as the 2nd richest person on the planet is worth…”/ ***GIVE US A CALL AND VOICEMAIL US at 980-666-8182!!!*** /
#AmericanDave #PartTwo / “Any guitar solos from the day that blew your mind that still sends shivers?” / #allegedly /#guitarsolos / Some of our favorite, most memorable guitar solos (Thanks for the conversation starter, Dave!) / “I don’t pay attention to guitar solos as much as you guys do…”/ “Talk about ‘golden take’…”/ “They’re trying to piecemeal the perfect performance…”/ “Delicious might be the word…”
(09:38): “It’s appropriate that you’d say that in June…”/ #fabulous / “It was usually about food…” / “I had two pieces of chicken sausage…”/ #markthetime / #chickendick / “Dude, that looks fabulous!” / “I got corrected for it…”/ “It made me sound a little bit…June…”
(12:03): “I wanted to expose you guys…I think you’re gonna like this…” / #Converge DREAM DEBRIS (Hum of Hurt – 2026) / “I didn’t cup, dude…”/ “Those are drums, sir…”/ “Is that not meaty!?” / “If you look at the CD case…it’s like Led Zeppelin IV…there’s no song titles, the band name’s not on there…”/ “Like the old days…it was an experience…”/ #stankface /
“I wanna drive the #killdozer at 120 mph…”/ #rampagevehicle / “We’re not gonna listen to what I’ve been listening to the last few days…”/ #RussellsReflectionsASMR #Sublime / “Okay, that time I cupped…Bill got caught in the crossfire…”/ #markthetime / “I feel like metalheads are more open minded musically…”/ #TaylorSwiftIsAPsyOp / “Name 3 songs…”/ “Drugs and fuckin’…”/ “I always think it’s weird when 2 people go to the bathroom…” / ***EMAIL US AT metalnerdery@gmail.com / SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #YouTube #Instagram #Facebook and #TikTok
(21:28): #TheDocket METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: TRIBUTES TO THE FALLEN – NOTABLE DEATHS IN METAL & THE CELEBRATION OF THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED BEFORE US / “Where were YOU when this happened?” / “Moments that changed metal forever…”/ #Dimebag / “That was the same day that John Lennon was murdered…”/ #jagermeistershots / “Of any dudes on Planet Dude, THAT dude didn’t deserve it…”/ #GoodTimeDime / “Hold on, let’s do a little tribute…I’ve got a deep cut…”/ #Pantera SHEDDING SKIN (Far Beyond Driven – 1994) / “I was gonna get another beer but I’m gonna wait…”/ “That riff is almost like The Sleep…”/ “In a way, he’s an extreme metal version of #EVH …”/ “He chugged…”
(31:06): “I mentioned #RandyRhoads obviously…” / “I remember when it happened…on 96 Rock they announced it…”/ “The weirdest thing I heard about that whole thing…somebody they knew looked at the pilot…she said she saw a dark aura around him…”/ #gutinstinct / “Ozzy said a million times that Randy Rhoads saved his life…”/ “It’s like (with) Cliff and Metallica … / “I don’t think I ‘got it’ until the Cliff ‘Em All video came out…”/ “While we’re on the Cliff subject…”/ #Ringah / “If you’ve got a 4-sided cock ring…”/ #OzzyOsbourne DIARY OF A MADMAN (Diary of a Madman – 1981) / “Bass player getting busy…”/ “The drummer…the youngest old guy…”/ #OldeFaece / “Can you imagine Randy Rhoads…at 70?”/ “What would #Metallica be like if Cliff never passed away?”/ #TheBigWhatIfs /
“I almost think with Cliff you’ve gotta do the train section…”/ “Driving with that on at night…”/ #Metallica ORION (Master of Puppets – 1986) / “That’s baby making music right there…”/ “That’s like musical zen…”/ “You know what I wonder…” / Cliff vs Lars
(43:56): “I kinda remember Bon Scott…” / “It was like a Mandela Effect…alternate reality…”/
“Christmas, Santa Claus brought me Highway to Hell…YOUR Santa was better than MY Santa…”/ “When you’re in this kinda mood, it makes you really think about it…”/
#ACDC RIDE ON (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – 1976 (Everywhere EXCEPT the US) & 1981 (US)) / “He was The Lord’s age when he passed…he was 33…Bon Scott passed away on Tony Iommi’s birthday…”
(48:55): “We’ve gotta mention the 90’s guys…”/ “You wanna hear something weird about the Kurt thing…that whole thing is coming back up…yeah we all kinda already knew that…”/ #LayneStaley #AIC #ChrisCornell #Soundgarden / #JeffHanneman / “He’s a normal guy…we don’t like going to the doctor…just put some dirt on it…”/ #Slayer ANGEL OF DEATH (Reign In Blood – 1986) / “Just let it wash over you…take in the Jeff Zen…”/ “You’ve gotta let it get to the good part…”/“Take 2 Slayers and call me in the morning…”
(53:41): “So maybe for Mr. Dio’s tribute we pull up something from Dehumanizer?”/ #RJD / “There was that whole weird thing: is he 40? Is he 43?” / “Oh man, that’s profound. Man, Shame On The Night is fucking beautiful, man…”/ “That’s fitting for this one…”/
#BlackSabbath AFTER ALL (THE DEAD) (Dehumanizer – 1992) / “This was the Mob Rules lineup…”/ “Almost sounds like Ozzy Sabbath in a way…”/ “Maybe this is what they were going for…”/ #Skynet / “What about Neil Peart?”/ “There’s always something there to remind me…”/ “That song will make you moist in the eyeballs…”/ #Afterimage / The process of grieving and coping with loss / “Love is the most powerful force in the universe…”/
“Speaking of drummers…John Bonham…”/ #LedZeppelin / “If you could have the last recorded gig of anybody, especially if they passed untimely…would you want it?”
(1:02:02): “How about Lemmy?”/ “Maybe my favorite part of any metal song ever…maybe just play that one part?” / “Lemmy 70 and Bill 70 is different…WAY different!”/ “He just lived his life…” / “You could live your life…bark like a dog…”/ #Motorhead OVERKILL (Overkill – 1979) / “I saw what you did there…”/ “I have a suggestion…”/ “It was hanging down…”/ #markthetime / “We’ve gotta end properly…we’re coming up on the month that Mr. Ozzy Osbourne has left this earth…” / #BackToTheBeginning / “What do you play though?”/
“Tribute has got some Sabbath songs on it, don’t it?” / “Ozzy is a symptom of the universe, for sure…”/ #BlackSabbath SYMPTOM OF THE UNIVERSE (Sabotage – 1975) / #BlessThatMan / “I still think it’s ironic that a fly got in here while we’re talking about notable (metal) deaths…”/ #CelebrationOfLife / “Take the trash out first, leave these ones…”/ #MysteriousWays / “We got to live on the same earth at the same time as all these dudes…”/ “Do you know how many Junes they lived through?”/
“All you gotta do if you miss them: press play…”/ THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!! / #untilthenext #outroreel