Slash, Deftones, Tool + Stone Sour Join Ozzfest Japan Lineup

Ozzfest may leave quite an impression on Japan next year. The longtime hard rock and metal festival turned a few heads earlier this year when it was announced that Slipknot and Black Sabbath would headline the two-night destination festival in Japan. Now comes word that four more heavy hitters have signed on to play.

A new concert poster reveals that Slash and Deftones will join the May 11 lineup, which has Slipknot as the headliner, while Tool and Stone Sour will get a chance to open for Black Sabbath on May 12.

These are significant “gets” for Sharon Osbourne and the Ozzfest organizers. For one, it’s been the rare occasion that both of Corey Taylor‘s bands are on the same bill, and he’ll get to play both days of the festival with the decidedly different sounding Slipknot and Stone Sour. Plus, Slipknot only have committed to a handful of dates for 2013, with Ozzfest being one of them.

Meanwhile, after a long delay between discs, fans have been clamoring for new Tool music. The band has quietly been working on material over the past year, and the revelation that the group signed on for the show could signify that they may have new music to support when they return to the stage.

Ozzfest was a major touring festival from 1996-2007, but has opted for either single-destination stops or minor runs in recent years. This will mark the first time the festival has taken place in Japan. The event is scheduled for May 11-12 at the Makuhari Messe Arena outside of Tokyo.

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