Phillip D'Amour of The Republican reviewed BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST's performances at the opening show of this year's Ozzfest, which took place Saturday (July 10) in Hartford, Connecticut.
"SABBATH opened its 60-minute set with its 1971 metal masterpiece 'War Pigs' from the classic album 'Paranoid'," he wrote. "'War Pigs' sounded as pertinent and vital Saturday as it had over 30 years ago thanks in part to the giant screen behind the band that projected images of war and less than subtle images of our current president, George W. Bush (including a shot of him wearing a superimposed red clown nose).
" 'I didn't die Christmas' said Osbourne, referring to his near-fatal ATV accident this past winter, 'and I'm not dying now - I've got too much rocking to do!'
"With that Osbourne and his band reached even further back for the satanic 'N.I.B' from their self-titled 1970 record debut. The band continued to please with classic favorites during its [ten]-song set including 'Fairies Wear Boots' also from 'Paranoid' as well as 'Into the Void' and 'Sweet Leaf', both from 1971's highly influential 'Master of Reality'.
"Though Osbourne's voice has never been brilliant, it sounded a bit weak, but not as weak as one might have thought not that long after such a serious accident. What's more, Iommi's guitar playing was as strong and riff-filled as always, providing just the right amount of oomph to SABBATH's vintage material."
BLACK SABBATH set list:
01. War Pigs
02. N.I.B
03. Fairies Wear Boots
04. Sweet Leaf
05. Into The Void
06. Snowblind
07. Black Sabbath
08. Iron Man
09. Children Of The Grave
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath intro -> Paranoid
Darrell Lance Abbott 20-08-1966/08-12-2004
R.I.P Cowboy!!!
