Back to the Beginning: A Monumental Goodbye in the Home of Metal

If you’ve been living under a rock, you missed arguably the most important gig in the history of metal: Back to the Beginning. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, reunited with the original Black Sabbath lineup,Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward,for one final homecoming in Aston, Birmingham.

Credit: Ross Halfin

Fittingly being held at Villa Park Stadium, the day was jam packed with everyone who is anyone in metal. A bill jam packed full on names heavily influenced by the foursome. Without Sabbath, there would be no Metallica, no Slayer, the list goes on.

As a local gal, the announcement of this show meant a lot to me. The Home of Metal was to be on the world stage, rather than the laughing stock it often is to the rest of the country. Prior to the show, seeing the festivities around the city has been incredible, the city buzzed with pride. From Mr Murals' stunning artwork across town to overseas fans queuing for photo ops and metal pilgrimages, it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen here.

From the moment stepping into the stadium, you could feel the atmosphere. A mix of excitement with a hint of bittersweet, knowing that this show is the end of an era. Keeping it a family affair, Sid Wilson (Slipknot) was the house DJ for the day, donning an Aston Villa shirt.

One thing that deserves serious praise: the flow. The revolving stage meant transitions between bands were seamless. Those ten-minute changeovers felt like seconds. From the 1pm kickoff to the firework finale just before 11pm, it was nonstop entertainment. One thing that was allegedly not displayed on the live stream between acts was the revival of the Ozzfest parodies, where Ozzy is super imposed into famous movie scenes such as Forrest Gump, The Hangover and The Sixth Sense.

Before I get onto the music side of things, some may ask "were there any downsides?". Only one in my books, and that was the shambles of the Doug Ellis stand when it came to food. Having spoke to friends in other stands, there were no queues for anything due to the help of the exterior fan zones that they were free to enter and exit whenever. However in our stand, once you're in the turnstile you're in. Before kick off we queued for 20 minutes at a food stand only to be told everywhere had already ran out of food. This kept happening throughout the day except the queues grew to over a 2 hour wait according to some other fans. Not wanting to miss anything, we opted for starvation instead. That aside, with what I mentioned earlier with the constant source of entertainment, it was a big help to be distracted from being hungry.

Anyway onto the music! It's always hard to go first, but Mastodon did a great job opening, especially with their rendition of Sabbath's 'Supernaut'. It was great to see Rival Sons again after seeing them support Sabbath back in 2017 on their farewell tour, who amongst their own bluesier set threw in their take on 'Electric Funeral'.

First of 'the big 4', Anthrax ripped through 'Indians' and 'Into the Void', wearing Sabbath-themed shirts and delivering sharp thrash precision, an unmistakable nod to their mentors. Lzzy Hale made history as the event's sole female lead, delivering powerhouse vocals that many critics noted matched or surpassed male peers, especially while covering 'Perry Mason'.

Lamb of God hit hard with 'Laid to Rest', followed by savage versions of 'Redneck' and 'Children of the Grave'. Vocalist Randy Blythe even tossed his shoes into the crowd (we are still waiting to hear from the person who managed to take those home).

Now time for Tom Morello’s All‑Stars, the first super group of the day. Lzzy Hale, Jake E. Lee (eventually after he seemed to have lost his way to the stage), Nuno Bettencourt, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman first took on 'The Ultimate Sin'. David Draiman took to the stage, with a mixed reception due to his controversial images with the IDF, before taking on 'Shot in the Dark' and 'Sweet Leaf'. Whitfield Crane, Scott Ian, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, ll (Sleep Token) switched up to cover 'Believer', but I think one of the most surprising performances of the night was YUNGBLUDS unexpected appearance with one of the most highly praised performances of 'Changes'. And the surprises didn't stop there. A pre-recorded appearance featuring Jack Black performing 'Mr. Crowley', adding a cheeky theatrical interlude to the live line-up.

Alice in Chains brought their signature doom-laced sound, playing 'Man in the Box', 'Would?', and 'Fairies Wear Boots'. Gojira followed with precision and power, from 'Stranded' to 'Under the Sun'. Next up, a titanic drum battle featuring Tool's Danny Carey, Travis Barker, and Chad Smith to 'Symptom of the Universe', closing with a flashy fusion of talent. A bit shorter than I was expecting but cool to see none the less.

The second Morello-led supergroup took the stage: Billy Corgan, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo, and Danny Carey tore into 'Breaking the Law', a nod to fellow Midlands legends Judas Priest. Sammy Hagar followed, but I think doing a Montrose song, 'Rock Candy', was a bit of a mood dampener. Ghost's Papa V Perpetua was here to save the day with his rendition of 'Bark at the Moon', bringing the energy back to life. Though he was quickly overshadowed by the surprise appearance of Steven Tyler and Ronnie Wood, who did an electrifying medley of 'Walk This Way' and 'Whole Lotta Love'.

Pantera tore into 'Cowboys from Hell', 'Walk', 'Planet Caravan', and closed with Sabbath’s 'Electric Funeral' (for the second time today), giving iron-willed thrash a homecoming twist. One of the most iconic moments from the show was host Jason Momoa leaping into the crowd to join in the pit. Tool’s set carved expansive soundscapes that wove Sabbath influences into their own progressive heavy style. Slayer brought ferocity, with possibly some of the biggest circle pits of the evening.

Guns N' Roses were, unfortunately, the most criticised act. The band played tightly, but Axl’s timing was consistently off. It just didn’t hit right. Thankfully, Metallica brought redemption. From 'Hole in the Sky' to 'Master of Puppets', they dominated. James Hetfield’s moving tribute, "Without Black Sabbath… purpose in life”, resonated deeply.

Then the Ozzman commeth. It was finally time for The Prince of Darkness to come home.

Seated on a skull-adorned throne due to his health issues, his presence remained larger than life. From the first moment of 'I Don't Know', everyone was stood and attentive. But the most special and sentimental moment had to be 'Mama I'm Coming Home', there was not a single dry eye in the audience. Having said that, it wouldn't be an Ozzy show without some gags, as he sprayed the crowd with foam during 'Crazy Train'.

And of course, closing the night was Black Sabbath. Reuniting for four landmark tracks: 'War Pigs', 'N.I.B.', 'Iron Man' and 'Paranoid'. It was incredible to see Bill Ward back on stage, this was my 3rd time seeing Sabbath, but of course my first time with Bill, marking reconciliation, culminating in a triumphant yet bittersweet finale.

“Back to the Beginning” wasn’t just a concert, it was a historic homecoming, healing long-standing rifts and allowing Birmingham’s sons to exit with grace. The condensed yet powerful setlist, superstar cameos, and charitable mission turned Villa Park into an altar of legacy. For heavy rock lovers, it was a monumental, unforgettable day. Ozzy may have retired from live stages, but this celebration ensures his and Sabbath's legend roar on.