After ten relentless hours of pure musical adrenaline—where a parade of Download Festival headliners zipped on and off the stage—Ozzy Osbourne delivered a line so honest, it would sound cliché anywhere else. But here, at Aston Villa’s stadium, a stone’s throw from where Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward first called home, and at the close of a day where generations of bands paid tribute to Black Sabbath’s legacy, it felt like gospel.
Ozzy, perched regally atop a colossal throne, and Bill Ward, finally back behind the drum kit after two decades, put the definitive exclamation point on the saga of the greatest band ever to grace this planet. Just glance at the star-studded lineup—no one does it like Black Sabbath. Even surrounded by rock’s royalty, nobody does it better.
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The End—For Real, This Time
This was “The End.” No comebacks, no take-backs. A send-off of this magnitude—with Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, and more—guaranteed there’d be no backpedaling. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event, impossible to replicate, staged in a football stadium hilariously unprepared for the appetites and thirsts of 45,000 fans (especially when sipping a pint within sight of the pitch is strictly forbidden). Yet, it was the ideal closing chapter to the Sabbath story, right where it all began in the late ‘60s.
Live Aid Vibes and Lightning-Quick Sets
The show ran like a turbocharged Live Aid: a revolving stage, rapid-fire sets, and barely five minutes between acts. Some bands played as themselves, others formed supergroups of legendary status. Every act tackled a Sabbath or Ozzy classic. The ever-charismatic Jason Momoa emceed most of the proceedings, splicing in hilarious Ozzy moments and video shoutouts from absent friends like Judas Priest, Korn, Def Leppard, and Elton John, plus a moving tribute from Kathy Rhoads, sister of the late Randy Rhoads. In between, Slipknot’s Sid Wilson spun tracks in a Villa jersey.
The action was so non-stop that, despite a few missing names (Jonathan Davis, Freddy D, Wolfgang Van Halen), there was zero time for snacks, bathroom breaks, or anything but soaking in the world’s greatest rock show at warp speed.
Opening Salvos: Mastodon, Rival Sons, Anthrax, and More
Just after 1pm, the first heroes took the stage. Mastodon ripped through “Black Tongue” and “Blood And Thunder” (despite some PA gremlins), then Brann Dailor juggled drumming and singing on a jazz-infused “Supernaut.” Sporting Sabbath tees, the Atlanta crew set a sky-high bar right out of the gate.
Next up, Rival Sons’ Jay Buchanan, channeling a post-apocalyptic Jim Morrison, nailed “Electric Funeral.” Anthrax, in “Sabbath Bloody Anthrax” shirts, tore through “Indians” and a flawless “Into The Void.” Halestorm, led by a beaming Lzzy Hale in a tasseled jacket and a sea of crucifixes, delivered a raucous “Perry Mason.” Lamb Of God followed, smashing “Redneck,” reimagining “Children Of The Grave,” and Randy Blythe, in a burst of joy, flung his worn sneakers into the crowd.
Supergroups, Surprises, and Show-Stealers
All this unfolded in under an hour. Then came the first of Tom Morello’s curated supergroups. Lzzy Hale joined Mike Bordin (Faith No More/Ozzy), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme/Rihanna), David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Adam Wakeman, and Jake E Lee for “The Ultimate Sin.” Disturbed’s David Draiman faced a chorus of boos for “Sweet Leaf” and “Shot In The Dark,” his delivery the day’s only stumble. Ugly Kid Joe’s Whitfield Crane, backed by Sleep Token’s drummer, fared better. But it was YUNGBLUD who stole the spotlight, delivering a heartfelt “Changes” after a touching dedication to Diogo Jota from Nuno, in Portuguese. Unexpected as his appearance was, YUNGBLUD absolutely nailed the assignment and won over the stadium.
Legends Collide: Alice In Chains, Gojira, and Teatime Titans
The star wattage only grew. Alice In Chains crushed “Fairies Wear Boots,” “Would?,” and a gloriously sludgy “Man In The Box.” Gojira brought their signature heaviness to “Under The Sun,” displaying a flexibility that might surprise their fans. But the second round of supergroups at teatime truly underscored the event’s gravity.
A drum showdown featuring Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Travis Barker (blink-182), and Danny Carey (Tool) on “Symptom Of The Universe” (Barker takes the win, by the way) set the tone. Then things got wild: Billy Corgan led Tom Morello, local legend KK Downing (Judas Priest), Nuno, and Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy) through “Breaking The Law” and a thunderous “Snowblind.” Sammy Hagar (Van Halen, Montrose) and Vernon Reid (Living Colour) joined for “Flying High Again” and “Rock Candy.” Ghost’s Tobias Forge, decked in a silver jacket, dazzled with “Bark At The Moon.”
How do you top that? Enter Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones), Andrew Watt, and, after a special intro from Momoa, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, who blitzed through “Walk This Way” with unmatched flair—the only one to out-dazzle YUNGBLUD all day.
Pantera, Tool, Slayer, and the Art of the Cover
Momoa then urged the crowd to “make some room for me in the pit, I’m coming in” to introduce Pantera. They were on fire, especially with their blissed-out “Planet Caravan” and a fierce “Electric Funeral.”
Tool’s affinity for Sabbath’s rhythmic wizardry is well-documented, so it was no shock that their take on “Hand Of Doom”—bookended by “Forty Six & 2” and a ferocious “Aenima”—was nearly flawless. Maynard James Keenan’s NOT LOCAL shirt may or may not have been a League Of Gentlemen reference, but the band’s genuine affection for Sabbath was crystal clear.
Slayer surprised everyone with their tribute. After “Disciple” and the biting “God hates us all” chorus, plus “War Ensemble,” they seamlessly blended “Wicked World” into “South Of Heaven.” Tom Araya’s sweet between-song thanks—“I wanna thank Black fucking Sabbath. That’s why we’re here.”—was a rare tender moment. Then came “Angel Of Death,” delivered with the band’s trademark ferocity. Slayer gave zero fucks, as only they can.
Guitar Gods, Metallica’s Salute, and Ozzy’s Triumph
Of all the guitarists present, only Slash could truly rival Tony Iommi’s unique touch. During an unexpected “Never Say Die!” and a piano-led “It’s Alright,” Axl Rose’s vocals struggled, sometimes running ahead of the band. But “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” was a knockout, and seeing Axl defer to another frontman was a rare treat.
Metallica, meanwhile, were on another level. Maybe it was the shorter set, the change in billing, or the anticipation of following the true headliners—Ozzy and Sabbath. Their “Hole In The Sky” was massive, but it was “Battery,” “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” “Creeping Death,” and a thunderous “Master Of Puppets” that stole their half-hour. James Hetfield summed it up: “Look at all this love! Without Black Sabbath there would be no Metallica. Thank you boys for giving us our purpose in life.” For a moment, it felt like 1986, with Metallica opening for Ozzy.
Ozzy’s Emotional Return and Sabbath’s Last Waltz
When Ozzy finally emerged, rising from the stage on a massive leather throne, it was almost too much—emotionally—for everyone. Every ounce of his energy and soul went into “I Don’t Know” and a haunting “Mr Crowley.” Critics who doubted his readiness were proven wrong; Ozzy fought tooth and nail to be here, pouring everything into the performance, radiating pure joy. That’s the essence of rock’n’roll—grit, resilience, and defiance.
It got even more poignant as “Suicide Solution” and a heartfelt “Mama I’m Coming Home” brought tears to his eyes, with Zakk Wylde checking in on his friend throughout. Ozzy looked utterly thrilled to be back where he belongs. As he urged the crowd to “Go fucking crazy!” for “Crazy Train,” throne or not, he was back in his element, and the atmosphere was electric.
9- Ozzy Osbourne and Crazy Train.
That was the hell of a performance! pic.twitter.com/kbRAmL4gX3
— Rock’n Roll of All (@rocknrollofall) July 6, 2025
The Final Bow: Black Sabbath’s Last Stand
Then, the moment everyone had waited for: Black Sabbath—Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill—took the stage for one final dance. The music echoed through the streets where they first jammed 57 years ago. In just a handful of songs, the emotional weight was almost too much to process. “War Pigs,” as Randy Blythe pointed out earlier, felt as relevant today as ever. “NIB” thundered with Geezer’s signature wah-bass, Tony’s colossal “Iron Man” riffs shook the stadium, and Ozzy’s iconic “I am iron man” rang out with fresh relevance. Watching Bill and Geezer lock in as the world’s greatest rhythm section made time stand still.
It all wrapped up with “Paranoid.” Four songs, capping off ten hours of nearly non-stop music. But there was no sense of being shortchanged—not when you could see the battle Ozzy fought to make it happen, and not when the magic was that palpable. No one—Metallica, Pantera, Mastodon, Halestorm, Guns, Tool, Slayer, or any combination of rock legends—can do what Sabbath does. As Ozzy said.
Legacy Etched in Stone
Seventy-some years ago, four local lads were born in this neighborhood. As thousands drifted home through those same streets, the impact of what they achieved together—over a decade that ended 45 years ago—was impossible to miss. Everything we love, the music that followed, and everyone present owes a debt to them. Even this grand farewell doesn’t feel like enough.
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