The blazing announcement of their retirement contrasted with footage that had been screened behind the band earlier in the show - showing Ozzy in a white, fringed suit like a superstar reincarnate, the other guys in the band with long heads of hair headbanging in ecstasy. Though the average age of the audience reflected the growing age of the band, 20-somethings in patched-up jean jackets holding red Solo cups embraced the gospel of the Sabbath as enthusiastically as anyone who caught the band during their ‘70’s prime would. The audience followed suit, rocking out and showing their respect for the heavy metal icons. These guys obviously wanted to go out on a high note, a flame of celebration and jubilation. The last image of the night, burned into the skulls of all attendees, was the band standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of a video projection of a fiery finale: “The End,” spelled in traditional Black Sabbath purple, in front of a burning world. They may have earned their opening slot due to lead singer Jay Buchanan’s ear-splitting, throat-tearing screams and screeches - similar to a certain Prince of Darkness’s back in the day. However, they kept the audience amused and satisfied with their solid, plowing rock. Only about 60% of their members were wearing black - almost a faux pas at this particular show. Openers Rival Songs had a bit more of a bluesy, outlaw element inserted into their rock instead of the devilish factor that makes Sabbath compelling. They wrapped up their set with a performance of “God Is Dead?” from 2013’s 13 before ripping into “Dirty Woman” and “Paranoid.” Ozzy insisted that if the crowd was fired up enough, they would perform more songs - and he must have felt pretty satisfied, as the crowd had only chanted “One more song!” a handful of times before the band trudged back onstage for “Children of the Grave,” complete with syncopated pyrotechnics for extra metalness. Following that came an elongated drum solo during “Rat Salad” featuring Clufetos it seemed out of place at a celebration of the classic Black Sabbath lineup, but it did provide a chance for the rockers to regain their breath before the steady staccato drum introduction to “Iron Man” came crashing down. “After Forever” and “Into the Void” from Master of Reality (1971) were early hits on the setlist, before the always-rocking “War Pigs” brought everyone to their feet in an incredible highlight of a performance, with sirens blasting and fog creeping over a blood-red stage.Ī little later I was treated to the first bass solo I’ve ever seen at a major concert thanks to Butler, who performed the “Bassically” medley from their debut album’s “Behind the Wall of Sleep/NIB” track. The majority of the band's set focused on their first three albums, reveling in their Ozzy years during their last hurrah (Osbourne was out of the band from 1979 to 1997) and playing relentless hits to keep the audience constantly on their feet. Near the drum set sat a bucket of water and a sponge available for the sole purpose of allowing Ozzy to have something to dunk his head into - his stringy, wet hair making him look even more crazed. Ozzy thirsts for audience interaction, spending the entire concert hurrying from center stage to both sides, demanding hands all the way in the air. Iommi and Butler sound as clear and as rocking as they ever have though Ozzy’s movements are a bit more restrained and his screech a bit more slurred than they were during the Nixon Administration, it's clear that the mania is still there. With each founding member closer to 70 than 60 now, black magic seems to have preserved their menace. (That fact has caused Black Sabbath to be the frequent target of protests, right up to the present day - outside the venue last night, men stood on milk crates with signs hoisted up for all to see declaring the many ways you could find yourself on the actual highway to hell.) The band revels in their theatrical blasphemy, with crosses on long silver chains hanging from the musicians' necks and Ozzy screaming about how “God is dead" - still playing the mad, dark priest, there to preach the gospel of the Black Sabbath. It’s a near impossible task to discuss the band or their long-haired, mad-eyed ringleader without using any pseudo-religious imagery. The band came onstage to “Black Sabbath,” from their eponymous 1970 debut, after a short video promo featuring some of Sabbath’s hallmarks: death, destruction, demons. On this tour, the remaining three members of the iconic heavy metal pioneers are joined by Tommy Clufetos, the drummer in Ozzy’s solo touring band, instead of founding drummer Bill Ward - due to contractual and other contentions.
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