There was never going to be a quiet goodbye for Black Sabbath. But no one could’ve predicted this kind of beautiful chaos.
This past Saturday night in Birmingham, England—ground zero for heavy metal—the gods of doom returned to their cathedral one final time. The city was electric, and what unfolded inside Villa Park was less a concert than a thunderous, full-scale exorcism of rock history. It was a final chapter written in fire, sweat, and legacy.
The night was loaded with reverence and surprise. Kicking things off, Halestorm delivered a searing cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Perry Mason”, with Lzzy Hale channeling the Prince of Darkness in both power and swagger. But the volume didn’t stop there.
David Draiman of Disturbed brought arena-sized drama to “Shot in the Dark”, backed by an all-star band so stacked it almost seemed unfair— Jake E. Lee and Rudy Sarzo (both Ozzy alums) took the stage in a classy move to pay homage to the Prince of Darkness previous touring band, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, Ozzy’s keyboardist Adam Wakeman, and Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin. It was pure spectacle, every note crackling like lightning against the stormy Birmingham sky.
Then came the unexpected emotional high point: Yungblud’s haunting, guttural take on Black Sabbath’s “Changes”. Backed by Bettencourt, Anthrax’s Frank Bello, keyboardist Adam Wakeman, and more, it was stripped-down but devastating—an aching farewell to youth, to innocence, to Ozzy as we knew him.
Billy Corgan surprised the crowd with a growling, sneering performance of Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” with former Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, Tom Morello, Tool’s Danny Carey,, and Adam Jones trading riffs, it felt less like a cover and more like a full-metal communion.
And somewhere in the chaos? Jason Momoa, fist in the air and shirt soaked in sweat, throwing himself into the pit during Pantera’s earth-shaking set. Because of course he did.
But it all came down to the final act. Ozzy Osbourne—fragile, fiery and sitting upon a dark throne—took the stage for one last solo set, defiant in the face of age and health.
“I Don’t Know”, “Mr. Crowley”. “Suicide Solution”, “Mama, I’m Coming Home”, and “Crazy Train”—each song a scream into the void, a reminder of why he’ll always be the godfather of heavy metal.
Then came Sabbath. The original lineup. One final communion between Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ozzy. They ended where they began—with “War Pigs”, “N.I.B.”, “Iron Man”, and “Paranoid”. The crowd didn’t cry; they howled, worshipped, exhaled. It wasn’t just an ending. It was a benediction.
Birmingham will never sound the same again.
