Submitted by: kirkland on Friday October 22nd, 2004 at 08:32 PM EST

Ozzy Osbourne is more than just the most famous befuddled father in the world.

Before MTV turned his family into household names with the reality series "The Osbournes," he helped invent heavy metal with his band Black Sabbath almost 40 years ago and went on to enjoy a huge solo career. Now, the "Prince of Darkness" is launching a new series on the music cable channel to remind people that he is a rock star first.

"Battle for Ozzfest," premiering on Monday at 10:30 p.m. EDT, pits representatives of eight unsigned hard rock bands from across the United States against each other in a series of challenges designed to give one band the chance to grab a coveted spot on his annual Ozzfest tour next year.

In one episode, the contestants must bite the head off a bat, just as Osbourne once did.

» Read full story @ Reuters