Black Sabbath‘s early demos, which they recorded under the name Earth in 1969, will be officially released on July 25 as, Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes, via Big Bear Records. Overseen by Jim Simpson – Big Bear founder and Black Sabbath’s first manager – the collection features remastered recordings from Zella Studios in Birmingham, showcasing the band’s musical prowess even before they changed their name to Black Sabbath and released their self-titled debut album in 1970. Despite bootleg releases of Earth-era recordings, these demos have never been officially released, while Black Sabbath’s official involvement in The Legendary Lost Tapes remains unclear.

In additional Sabbath news, the band’s four original members were on hand to receive Birmingham’s Freedom of the City honor on Saturday (June 28), a week before their historic final concert on July 5. The ceremony recognized their contribution to the city’s cultural and musical identity as pioneers of heavy metal, with scrolls and medals presented to them by the Lord Mayor. “It’s a great thing to receive,” guitarist Tony Iommi said. “Birmingham is our home, and we love what Birmingham has done for us.” (Rolling Stone)