Lineup: Black Sabbath/Rival Sons
Venue: Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Massachusetts
Date: August 25th, 2016
Rival Sons: Rival Sons is a band that I'd heard a decent amount of hype around over the past few years, but had never bothered to actually check out. After seeing them live, I doubt I'll ever listen to them again. They were an inoffensive yet completely forgettable blues-tinged hard rock band that brought nothing interesting to the table outside of a couple of decent guitar solos. Black Sabbath could've brought out a far worse opener for their final U.S. tour, but I feel like a stoner rock/metal like Red Fang or Clutch would've been a far more fitting choice for this coveted slot.
Black Sabbath: When it comes to heavy metal, no band has more clout than Black Sabbath. The roots of every single metal band of the past 40 years can be tied back to the British four-piece that took the early 1970's by storm with a crushing, sinister type of music that had never been heard before. While there were a number of other bands that played a bigger role in developing my love affair with metal, I've always appreciated Black Sabbath and thoroughly enjoy a number of their albums (particularly Paranoid and Master of Reality). I finally got the opportunity to see the godfathers of the genre that has been an integral part of my life for the past 11 years and it made for one of the most special performances I've seen.
Based on the way Black Sabbath performed last night, you would've they were a young band in the middle of their prime. The precision and edge they played with for a band that is collectively pushing 70 was awe-inspiring to behold. Ozzy Osbourne verified why he's one of the most iconic frontmen in the history of music with a stunning vocal performance and towering stage presence, Geezer Butler can still slap the ever-loving shit out of the bass and watching guitarist/riffmaster overlord Tony Iommi play live filled me with a borderline pathetic level of joy. It's honestly kind of astonishing how these guys still sound so good at their age and more aging bands should drink from whatever fountain of youth Osbourne, Butler and Iommi have been sipping from.
Further cementing this set's brilliance was a hit-showcasing, career retrospective setlist that was pretty much perfect. The slow-burning "Black Sabbath" did a great job of establishing the set's haunting, bittersweet tone while "Into the Void" and "Children of the Grave" were so beautifully satisfying and heavy that they reduced me to a combination of shit-eating grins and dumbfounded expressions. Even songs like "Dirty Women" and "Iron Man" that I don't really like that much on record absolutely destroyed live. "Electric Funeral" being the only non-instrumental song they didn't play from Paranoid was a bit disappointing , but that was merely a small misstep in an otherwise excellent setlist.
Getting to see Black Sabbath on their farewell tour was a surreal,
invigorating experience that greatly surpassed every expectation I had
before the show. If you're a Sabbath fan or just appreciate heavy metal in any capacity, I urge to you see them-regardless of how much it costs-while you still have the chance.
Scores:
Rival Sons 5/10
Black Sabbath 10/10
Setlist:
Black Sabbath:
Black Sabbath
Fairies Wear Boots
After Forever
Into the Void
Snowblind
War Pigs
Behind the Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.
Hand of Doom
Rat Salad (w/extended drum solo)
Iron Man
Dirty Women
Children of the Grave
Encore:
Paranoid
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