Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor recently performed a live cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” during the Sound & Vision Awards in Palm Springs, California, with the appearance drawing immediate online reaction from fans debating his take on iconic vocals of Ozzy Osbourne.
The performance took place on Monday, March 2nd, as part of a tribute segment honouring bassist Geezer Butler and singer Paul Rodgers. Taylor was joined by an all-star lineup including Butler and Rodgers alongside drummer Matt Sorum, vocalist-bassist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and guitarist Steve Stevens.
Clips and comments circulating after the show highlighted how strongly the cover landed with different corners of the rock and metal audience, with some listeners arguing Taylor’s modern rasp fit the song while others focused on how closely he should stick to the original recording.
Fans react
Fan remarks quoted in coverage ranged from hyperbolic praise—one commenter calling Taylor “the best vocalist ever” and claiming the rendition sounded “better than Ozzy Osbourne ever did”—to simpler assessments from longtime Sabbath supporters who described it as one of the stronger versions they had heard.
Beyond the social media chatter, the tribute highlighted Taylor’s continued profile as a crossover frontman capable of stepping into classic-metal material on high-visibility stages, while also placing a Slipknot figure in direct conversation with Black Sabbath’s foundational legacy.
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