An epic 10-hour show dedicated to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne dubbed “Back to the Beginning” took place at a sold-out Villa Park in Osbourne’s and the band’s birth town of Aston, Birmingham, England on Saturday, July 5. The farewell charity event saw the last performance ever from Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne whose advanced Parkinson’s disease has taken a toll on the icon who sang while seated on a delightfully gothic throne.

Tom Morello served as the musical director for the show and it was clear he was intent on cultivating the best heavy metal show ever. The mini-festival used a revolving stage to transition between musical acts swiftly. Aquaman and Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa hosted the concert which will surely go down in not just metal, but music history. The lineup included video tributes played between sets from AC/DC, Def Leppard, Billy Idol, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, Marilyn Manson and Dolly Parton, who could not physically make the event.

Live performances included sets from Mastodon, Rival Sons, Anthrax, Halestorm, Lamb of God, Jack Black, Alice in Chains, Gojira, Pantera, Tool, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. It also featured two supergroup performances put together by Tom Morello and a drum-off with Travis Barker, Danny Carey and Chad Smith. Supergroup A including Nuno Bettencourt, Mike Bordin, David Ellefson, Lzzy Hale, Jake E. Lee, Adam Wakeman, David Draiman, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Whitfield Crane, Sleep Token’s II, Yungblud, Roman Morello, Yoyoka Soma and Hugo Weiss. Supergroup B including Danny Carrey, Billy Corgan, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Tom Morello, Rudy Sarzo, Nuno Bettencourt, Hagar, Chad Smith, Sammy Hagar, Vernon Reid, Adam Wakeman, Travis Barker, Ghost’s Papa V Perpetua, Steven Tyler, Andrew Watt and Ronnie Wood.

Tool

Tool had a stand-out, heavy-hitting performance with a three-song set list. They opened with an all-encompassing, rich auditory landscape which manifested into one of the most spiritual sets of the event. The band’s performance of “Forty Six & 2,” “Ænema” and Black Sabbath’s “Hand of Doom” created a distinct ambiance that was almost tangible. Their rendition of the more somber Black Sabbath song off Paranoid was celestial and raw, evoking an emotional journey that will not be forgotten. The band led by Maynard James Keenan managed to salute the original version while still putting their indisputable stamp on it.

Pantera

Pantera delivered an invigorating, energetic performance that consisted of two original songs and two Black Sabbath covers. Their aptitude to draw the crowd in was stunning and a pinnacle of the set. They opened with “Cowboys from Hell,” during which actor Jason Momoa fearlessly joined the crowd in a circle pit and “Walk.” Those were followed by a touching performance of Black Sabbath’s otherworldly “Planet Caravan” and an equally powerful one of “Electric Funeral.” Pantera previously covered “Planet Caravan” on the 1994 album Far Beyond Driven and “Electric Funeral” on Nativity in Black II: A Tribute to Black Sabbath.

Lamb of God

Lamb of God gave a lively and intense performance with a three-song set including originals “Laid to Rest” and “Redneck” as well as Black Sabbath cover “Children of the Grave.” Randy Blythe was energetic, to say the least, instigating mosh pits and even throwing his shoes into the crowd during “Children of the Grave.” It was an electrifying, chaotic scene oozing with uninhibited rage that encompasses the epitome of a heavy metal performance.

Gojira

Gojira had a stellar performance that was full of lucidity and candidness.  Their set list consisted of “Stranded,” “Silvera,” 2024 Paris Olympic opening ceremony song “Mea Culpa” which they performed with opera singer Marina Viotti and Black Sabbath’s “Under the Sun.” The instrumentals, especially the complex guitar parts, were more than impressive. Their deliverance of Black Sabbath’s “Under the Sun” was executed flawlessly and was full of potency. They captivated the audience, leaving a memorable impression.

Ghost

Ghost’s Tobias Forge performed as his newest persona, Papa V Perpetua, without the rest of the band since they are starting their U.S. tour just days after the event. He performed in one of two supergroups that also included The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and Sammy Hagar, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Tom Morello and K.K. Downing, Tool’s Adam Jones and Danny Carey, former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, among others. Papa V Perpetua gave a brilliant performance of the Ozzy Osbourne solo track “Bark at the Moon” along with Travis Barker.

Tom Morello

Tom Morello was the musical director of the “Back to the Beginning” show who assembled multiple supergroup performances for the event. One of the most anticipated groups of the night was the Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins and Tool mashup performance made up of Morello, Billy Corgan and Adam Jones who played Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” and Black Sabbath’s “Snowblind” from 1972’s Vol. 4. They were joined by Judas Priest’s K.K. Downing and former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo while performing “Breaking the Law.” The performances were invigorating and saw Morello, Jones and Downing deliver a myriad of rock ‘n’ roll drenched, powerful, energetic and intense guitar solos.

Yungblud

Yungblud’s surprise appearance at Black Sabbath’s final show truly moved the audience. Tears were shed and those in attendance were lucky to witness one of the best moments of the event. His performance of the Black Sabbath melodic classic “Changes” won over the crowd and stole everyone’s attention. From viewing footage of the event, it seems like every single person there was singing along. It was full of passion, sincerity and emotion.

Nuno Bettencourt

Nuno Bettencourt played in both supergroups during the event, basically acting as the show’s guitarist, a spot rightfully earned. Bettencourt, who play in Extreme and has been a live guitarist for Rihanna, gave an exceptional performance during the numerous songs he was a part of. His all-star set list including “The Ultimate Sin,” “Sweet Leaf,” “Believer,” “Changes,” “Symptom of the Universe,” “Flying High Again,” “Rock Candy,” “Bark at the Moon,” “Train Kept A-Rollin,” “Walk This Way” and “Whole Lotta Love.”

Travis Barker

Travis Barker of Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Tool’s Danny Carey were all part of a drum-off over “Symptom of the Universe.” Barker killed his solo during the competition. He also took the stage with Ghost’s Tobias Forge’s new persona, Papa V Perpetua, to perform a remarkable version of Osbourne’s “Bark at the Moon.” Next, he performed with Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Rudy Sarzo, Steven Tyler, Andrew Watt and Ronnie Wood for Aerosmith’s “Train Kept a Rollin’.”

Jack Black

While not physically there, Jack Black made an extremely impressive virtual appearance in a pre-recorded video of “Mr. Crowley.” It featured Black remaking Osbourne’s iconic 1981 performance of the song, even wearing a replica of Osbourne’s memorable outfit from the performance. The band featured in the video included Roman Morello, Tom Morello’s son, playing the guitar and Yoyoka Soma on drums and Hugo Weiss on keys. It also paid tribute to Randy Rhoads, Osbourne’s late guitarist, by Morello who played a guitar previously owned by Rhoads. They recreated the 1987 Tribune album cover as Black picked up Morello like Osbourne and Rhoads.