Black Sabbath – The End
Eagle Vision
www.blacksabbath.com

Rating: B

Gotta admit...watching the final Black Sabbath show in the comfort of my own living room is pretty damn cool idea. I mean...back when I was first buying Sabbath albums I never even saw them on TV...they were too controversial. They were the Devil. So seeing them on TV was not going to happen. That alone makes this a very cool product.

The reason this does not have an A rating, however, is mainly because the awesome experience I wanted in my living room drove me crazy due to the cameras switching constantly. I mean it was Ozzy then Geezer, then Tommy then Tony...then a chick in the crowd then Ozzy again…sometimes all before one line was sung.

The editing on the video is horrible. It damn near ruined it for me, but the music on this night and the stage…stunning. The day was saved by the music. That is the way it should be with old time heavy metal. As much as the fire and the graphics on the screens are cool...it is the music that counts.

Black Sabbath are about the riffs, the solos, the wild drum beats, the low end thump and that high pitched voice. And here, in their hometown of Birmingham they brought it out.

The set list was not long enough but we got much more than just the huge hits. Read the track listing below and you will see what I am talking about. There are many lower level classics that no one expected Ozzy to attempt.

Sure it is a shame that there is no Bill Ward. At the end of the day it is what it is, sad to say. However, it must be noted that Ward’s replacement, Tommy Cluefetos, does a great job and really is an amazing talent. Elsewhere, Ozzy is Ozzy...he does not change. Geezer is the cool cat and he lays low and delivers the low end. Tony Iommi goes out with Sabbath just as he came in...as the star of the show. This guy is so cool...so in control. He brings it all night long. He is a true heavy metal icon and without him Sabbath would have never been.

As much as I love Ozzy...Watching Tony makes you realize this is his band...always was...always will be.

As cool as it was to see and hear this band one more time...i really think they mean it this time… I think this is the end.

As cool as it was to see them play back where it all started...my favorite part of this event was the bonus features called The Angelic Sessions. This is Tony, Geezer and Ozzy...with Tommy in a rehearsal studio. No frills. No lights. No crowd. Just the music.

The sessions show who and what Sabbath really is. They pump the same sound in that little room that they do in stadiums.

What makes this really cool is the fact that they recorded this session after they played their final show. They are just jamming out...having fun and playing music. Look at the songs they chose: "The Wizard,” "Wicked World," "Sweet Leaf," "Tomorrow's Dream" and "Changes." They are all masterful and ending with “Changes” was emotional.

At the end of the day...maybe it is time for the end to be here. Seeing them in the studio makes one wish it was not so. They still have it all. But they are going out on top. It is very cool.

Still…I wish Bill Ward has been included on the final song...that would have been amazing.

DVD and Blu-ray tracklisting:
"Black Sabbath"
"Fairies Wear Boots"
"Under The Sun" / "Every Day Comes And Goes"
"After Forever"
"Into The Void"
"Snowblind"
Band Intros
"War Pigs"
"Behind The Wall Of Sleep"
"Bassically / N.I.B."
"Hand Of Doom"
"Supernaut" / "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" / "Megalomania"
"Rat Salad" / Drum Solo
"Iron Man"
"Dirty Women"
"Children Of The Grave"
"Paranoid"

Extras - The Angelic Sessions:

"The Wizard"
"Wicked World"
"Sweet Leaf"
"Tomorrow's Dream"
"Changes"

CD tracklisting - The Angelic Sessions:

"The Wizard"
"Wicked World"
"Sweet Leaf"
"Tomorrow's Dream"
"Changes"

Double CD and Triple Vinyl tracklisting:

"Black Sabbath"
"Fairies Wear Boots"
"Under The Sun" / "Every Day Comes And Goes"
"After Forever"
"Into The Void"
"Snowblind"
Band Intros
"War Pigs"
"Behind The Wall Of Sleep"
"Bassically / N.I.B."
"Hand Of Doom"
"Supernaut" / "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" / "Megalomania"
"Rat Salad" / Drum Solo
"Iron Man"
"Dirty Women"
"Children Of The Grave"
"Paranoid"

By Jeb “Iron Man” Wright