Black Sabbath - Back to the Beginning: A Night of Metal Gods
Ozzy Osbourne performing a last time.
I knew this night was going to be unforgettable. But I didn’t expect it to tear me open and stitch me back together all at once. From the moment the first riff ripped through the speakers, something shifted inside me. It wasn’t just the volume, the lights, the spectacle, it was the weight of everything this music has ever meant to me. Every scream, every solo, every drop-tuned note felt like a rite. By the time the final, fading feedback rang out into the dark, I realized this wasn’t a concert. It was a pilgrimage. A sacred return to the altar of sound where we go to remember who we are and why we never let go.
I’m going to talk about my favorite eight performances (because why not) of this unforgettable show in my order of preference from this event that rewrote the definition of heavy metal’s power and legacy.
8. Mastodon
Setlist (15 min):
Black Tongue
Blood and Thunder
Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover – w/ Mario Duplantier, Danny Carey, Eloy Casagrande)
Mastodon opened the day with unstoppable technicality. Their interplay, particularly the precision between three powerhouse drummerswas a rhythmic marvel. Complex polyrhythms and shifting time signatures in Black Tongue and Blood and Thunder were executed with surgical accuracy. But when Supernaut launched, triggered by tribal percussion, the texture became organic and visceral, bridging prog-metal and raw Sabbath roots. They didn’t just start the day—they detonated it.
7. Gojira
Setlist (20 min):
Stranded
Silvera
Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) — w/ soprano Marina Viotti
Under the Sun (Black Sabbath cover)
Even in a 20-minute slot, Gojira proved why they’re now arena-headliners. Joe Duplantier’s guitar tone, rich in pick-scrapes and pinch harmonics, laid a textured canvas, while Mario’s drumming combined blast-beats with jazzy syncopation. Stranded felt like engineering in motion: every downbeat precise, every fill placed with purpose. Mea Culpa, enhanced by soprano Marina Viotti, transcended metal: it was ritual orchestration. The debut of Under the Sun paid homage technically and emotionally, balancing groove and power, the very heartbeat of Sabbath’s influence.
6. Lamb of God
Setlist:
Laid to Rest
Redneck
Children of the Grave (Black Sabbath cover)
Lamb of God channeled raw aggression with superb timing. Mark Morton’s guitar tone was razor-sharp, and Willie Adler’s contrasting riffs injected tension-filled interplay. Laid to Rest initiated a seismic pit syncopated rhythms locking into monstrous chugs. Randy Blythe’s vocals, ranging from guttural growls to impassioned shouts were supported by drum patterns so tight they felt mechanical. Their Sabbath cover had a communal feel, turning the stage into a rallying point.
Phil Anselmo - Pantera
5. Pantera
Setlist:
Cowboys from Hell
Walk
Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath cover)
Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath cover)
Pantera redefined heaviness. Darrell Abbott’s riffing was thick, blues-rooted, and aggressive Cowboys from Hell shook the venue’s foundations. Vinnie Paul’s drumming balanced groove and aggression with unmatched swagger. Their slow, psychedelic approach to Planet Caravan and the sludgy, doom-laced Electric Funeral demonstrated their versatility and reverence. Zakk Wylde’s use of pinch harmonics and dive bombs paid homage to Dimebag’s spirit, capturing emotional intensity through tone alone. Pantera didn’t reenact history, they reanimated it.
James Hetfield - Metallica
4. Metallica
Setlist:
Hole in the Sky (Black Sabbath cover)
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Johnny Blade (Black Sabbath cover)
Battery
Master of Puppets
Metallica delivered textbook metal fundamentals at their apex. Hetfield’s rhythm guitar was steel-tight, each downstroke disciplined; Kirk Hammett’s solos were melodic lightning fluid yet scorching. Lars Ulrich, despite criticism, was thunderous, his double-kick in Battery reaffirmed his enduring strength. Robert Trujillo’s bass was no afterthought: it anchored their heavy choreography. Technically, this set was about control, every tempo shift, breakdown, and solo delivered with exacting conviction.
3. Slayer
Setlist:
Disciple
War Ensemble
Wicked World (Black Sabbath cover)
South of Heaven
Raining Blood
Angel of Death
Slayer were the final verdict.. blistering speed, razor-sharp riffs. Kerry King and Gary Holt traded tremolo-picked solos in a duel of quicksilver intensity; their syncopated riffing carried venom. Paul Bostaph’s drumming gave Raining Blood the explosive thrust it needed, and by the time Angel of Death landed, the crowd mirrored that aggression. This wasn’t retrospective; it was unapologetic retribution.
2 . Ozzy Osbourne – Farewell
Setlist:
I Don’t Know
Mr. Crowley
Suicide Solution
Mama, I’m Coming Home
Crazy Train (w/ Zakk Wylde, Adam Wakeman, Mike Inez, Tommy Clufetos)
Ozzy’s set wasn’t about vocal perfection; it was about raw human presence. His voice was frail yet emotionally acute. Each tremor, each hesitant phrase, carried decades of feeling. Zakk Wylde’s guitar interplay—fluid harmonic bends, rapid-fire vibrato,reinforced the emotional weight. The arrangement was tender, yet carried the heavy metal DNA that shaped generations.
Black Sabbath - Closure
Setlist:
War Pigs
N.I.B.
Iron Man
Paranoid
The founding quartet reunited in technical solemnity. Iommi’s riffs were slow and oppressive, perfectly measured doom. Geezer Butler’s bass was melodic yet grounding. Bill Ward.. back behind the kit, used swing and shuffle to bring life to these classics again. Paranoid ended with confetti and fireworks, but the technical precision syncopated transitions, riffs morphing into solos—underscored why Sabbath invented metal and why they could still perform it.
Every performance was calibrated: tight, intentional, and rooted in legacy. That’s why this night didn’t just echo through the stands—it etched itself into history.
The Rest of the Day
Complementary sets from Rival Sons, Anthrax, Halestorm, Morello’s supergroups, Alice in Chains, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, all demonstrated refined technical prowess. Especially noteworthy was the three-drummer face-off on Symptom of the Universe: complex syncopation, polyrhythmic layering, respectful nods to Sabbath’s legacy. A soloist’s showcase and an interlude of communal celebration.
One of the most emotional and symbolic moments of the night came when Blackjack, a special all-star ensemble led by actor and metalhead Jack Black, took the screens to honor Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy. But this wasn’t just about tribute, it was about passing the torch. Among those joining the performance were Revel Ian, son of Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and Roman Morello, son of Tom Morello. Together, these young musicians didn’t just accompany legends, they held their own, playing with raw energy and reverence. Watching them shred alongside the elders of metal wasn’t just heartwarming, it was prophetic. The future of metal was already on stage.
I stood in my sofa feeling shattered and uplifted. I saw gods walk among men. I saw generations collide in sound and sweat. I saw the beginning. And maybe the end. I cried like a baby not from sadness, but from overwhelming joy. There is a before and after this show. It didn’t just mark a moment in time. It changed something in me. It was the bookend to a life of sound.
