By Dan DeSlover<\/p>\n
Heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath are in the middle of their farewell tour, dubbed \u201cThe End,\u201d culminating in their hometown of Birmingham, England, in February 2017. The extended trek rolled through the United Center in Chicago earlier this year at the beginning of the tour, and they returned to the area for an encore performance at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on Sunday, September 4. It\u2019s the last time they\u2019ll perform in the Chicagoland area.<\/p>\n
Three of the four original members–vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler–were joined by Ozzy\u2019s drummer Tommy Clufetos in place of Bill Ward and Adam Wakeman on keyboards. The show started appropriately with the song that defined an entire genre of music–the gloomy title-track, \u201cBlack Sabbath,\u201d from their debut album. Wrought with resonating bass coupled with pinpoint percussion, highlighted by Iommi\u2019s deft fretwork, while Ozzy narrates an occult-laden tale.<\/p>\n
The show focused on their early material, with no reference of their swan song album, \u201c13,\u201d released to critical acclaim in 2013. Rather, they honed in on their roots, filling the nearly two-hour set with music exclusively from their first three albums with the exception of \u201cSnowblind\u201d from Vol. 4<\/em> and \u201cDirty Women\u201d from Technical Ecstasy<\/em>. Fan favorites \u201cFairies Wear Boots,\u201d \u201cWar Pigs,\u201d \u201cIron Man\u201d and \u201cParanoid\u201d were peppered in with classic Sabbath material that were a joy to diehard fans. A particular highlight was \u201cInto the Void,\u201d showcasing Iommi\u2019s menacing riffs, and perhaps one of the greatest guitar compositions in the history of rock.<\/p>\n As the band rolled through epic jams, most in excess of 7-8 minutes, Ozzy played the hype man shouting, \u201cLet me see those hands in the air.\u201d He simultaneously moved back-and-forth across the stage, while motioning for the crowd to thrust their fists to the heavens in unison. And they did. Though Iommi\u2019s play forms the foundation of Sabbath\u2019s trademark sound, it\u2019s Butler\u2019s intricate bass work, dancing around the looming guitar riffs, that actually seal the deal.<\/p>\n Ozzy did address the crowd briefly before performing \u201cChildren of the Grave\u201d near the end of the night. He stated, \u201cThese really are our final shows\u2026you\u2019re not going to see us change our mind in five years\u2026it\u2019s not going to happen\u201d The Prince of Darkness added, \u201cThank you for giving me such a great life, I love you all.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a metal show, but the ubiquitous drum-solo would have been better served with more music. Classics such as \u201cSweet Leaf,\u201d \u201cSabbath Bloody Sabbath,\u201d or \u00a0\u201cHole in the Sky\u201d would have been a welcome addition. However, if that 10-minute breather gave the aging rockers time to recoup for a show that went beyond the standard 90-minute fare, it was a worthy trade.<\/p>\n