Now it’s over the bands we’re saying farewell to in 2025, so lets kick off with the heavy stuff go from there shall we?
OZZY OSBOURNE AND BLACK SABBATH
As there hadn’t been an official closure to Sabbath with Ozzy for the band’s fans, and as Ozzy himself announced his retirement due to failing health, it was announced that they would play one last time and not only that, but bring some friends along to celebrate the inventors of Heavy Metal with the Back To The Beginning day fest. A packed-out Villa Park was the venue and the concert was streamed across the world, where Youngblud seemed to manage to pull off a Queen at Live Aid-like moment. Sadly, Ozzy’s retirement afterwards wasn’t a long one as he passed away just a couple of weeks later.
SEPULTURA
Probably the most successful Metal band to come out of Brazil which might to the uninitiated seem like something that isn’t really a thing but trust me, the Brazilians love a good thrash. Sepultura finally hung up their guitars after a career spanning over 4 decades.
WHITESNAKE
If you were a teenage boy in the 80’s then I will absolutely guarantee that you stopped whatever you were doing the minute you heard Whitesnake on MTV around 1987 and the release of the album named after said year thanks to who would eventually become his wife, Tawny Kitaen. The images of those white dresses became embedded in the heads of hot-blooded young males back in the day and purely because of “research”, I watched a couple during the writing of this article and let me tell you this, nothing much has changed in the nearly 40 years that have passed…
Coverdale announced he was calling time on Whitesnake as he felt he could no longer deliver what he wanted to his fans, now if only Joe Elliot could do the same…
ORANGE GOBLIN
Also calling time with a farewell tour, Orange Goblin called it quits after 30 years of classic British Heavy Metal, while they never hit the highs of some of the bands they were inspired by, it never took away any of the quality of their songs or performances.
CANNABIS CORPSE
Death Metal Stoners brought to a close the band just shy of their 20th anniversary, Rest In Weed guys.
STRAY FROM THE PATH
Hardcore Metalers Stray from the Path announced the end with their final album, Clockwork and tour, calling it a mutual decision to split.
GANG OF FOUR
Another band that had an incredible 4 decades in the industry, inspiring bands such as INXS, The Chilli’s and REM after the death of David Allen, it was announced that they wouldn’t continue, though their name has appeared on some festival billings for 2026 so this death might have been quickly resurrected.
SHOPPING
The UK post-punk trio called it quits after 13 years, influenced by the above, a bright future was proclaimed by many of the press that never truly came to be, a worthy band nonetheless that, like many, were ignored by mainstream radio stations and struggled to fulfil their true potential.
SUM 41
Starting out as a NOFX tribute band and dismissed by many as a joke band Sum 41 managed to achieve a near 30-year career in the industry before their farewell tour wrapped things up earlier this year.
YOU ME AT SIX
British rockers that you couldn’t really pigeonhole, were they Pop Punk, Emo or Alternative? Regardless they had a reasonable amount of success over a couple of decades, achieving several top 10 albums, including a couple of No1’s announced their retirement in 2025 after last year’s 20th anniversary tour.
JEFF LYNNE’S ELO
After 55 years of performing Jeff Lynne finally called it a day with what was going to be his final show at Hyde Park, which was cancelled the day before it was due to happen, no rescheduled date was given and ticket holders were refunded. A sad way for the man to bow out but yet somehow so typically Jeff Lynne, no official retirement and yet no sign of anything extra happening.
SUNDARA KARMA
Sundara Karma announced they would split up after a 13-year run, concluding with a farewell tour that would end in early 2025, stating that the cost of touring and lack of royalties had made the band unviable
PORRIDGE RADIO
Dana announced at the beginning of the year that Porridge Radio’s next tour would be their last, and sure enough, the final dates happened in December. No official reason was given for calling it a day.
TENNIS
The Husband and wife lo-fi indie-pop duo announced an indefinite hiatus after 15 years, following the release of Face Down in the Garden, their 7th studio album and its subsequent tour.
THE SEARCHERS
Regarded as britains longest running band in pop history, they called it a day after just 68 years in the business, and their 2025 Glastonbury set would be their last. Reason cited wasn’t the usual musical differences but merely they were fed up with driving up and down the country in heavy traffic – it doesn’t get more Rock n Roll than that folks…
OCTOBER DRIFT
This one is personal on so many levels to us at RGM over the years, they had become firm favourites with folks that have written or shot them in the past for us, their on-stage energy was rarely matched by any other band and many fans of the band became friends away from them. Kiwi, Chris, Dan and Bish weren’t just performers on a stage; they were people we grew to know and love, and we got behind them because not only did they make wonderful music, but behind the scenes, they were beautiful people too!
I have personally never heard a bad thing about them from any other band, it’s been quite sickening the number of times I was only given compliments about them instead of someone saying that the lead singer is a right wanker or the drummer’s an arsehole. It seemed everyone just loved them and so did we. Their final 3 dates in December, they gave the fans their all, and we partied like it was the last day on earth, the band should have been huge, deserved to be huge, but sadly, these are the cards it seems hard-working bands are dealt with these days, unless you’re getting bankrolled, you’re not going to break down walls.
And finally…
COLDPLAY
Chris Martin stated he would quit writing new music in 2025 – stick with the promise Chris, stick with the promise…
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