Featuring
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Tommy Clufetos, Adam
Wakeman. Directed by Dick Carruthers. (2017, 136 min).
Here's
hoping this truly is the end for Sabbath.
Not
because I don't love them. After all, every self-respecting metal fan has
regularly bowed at the alter of Sabbath for decades. And if you know
anyone who proclaims a distaste for such classics as "War Pigs"
and "Paranoid," you need to pick better friends.
But
Sabbath has truly done it all. They've climbed to the very top of the
metal mountain they themselves had forged, tumbled from it more than once, lain dormant like Mt. St. Helens, then came roaring back with one last killer album that showed Tony Iommi is still a
riff-master, Geezer Butler is a consummate bassist and Ozzy Osbourne
is still...well, Ozzy Osbourne. They're now metal's elder statesmen and have
nothing left to prove. Why not go out in a blaze of glory in your own
hometown, where it all started nearly 50 years ago?
 |
| "Just give me the damn ball!" |
The
End captures their final epic concert, held in Birmingham before
an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd. The moment the curtain dropped to
the opening strains of their titular tune, "Black Sabbath,"
I had goosebumps and could only imagine what it was like to have been
there. But this video is the next best thing, beautifully shot and
and sonically stunning.
These
guys were never renowned for strutting and prowling the stage
(Iommi & Butler barely move from their designated spots),
content to simply play the songs with their usual virtuosity while
Ozzy's charisma keeps the crowd pumped (even if they have no idea
what he's saying). But director Dick Carruthers keeps things visually interesting with
surefire editing, alternating between up-close-and-personal shots of
the band and the visually-impressive, pyro-enhanced stage
presentation.
 |
| Mama bird returns to the nest. |
And
it's hard to argue with the song selection. All their biggest hits
are featured, impeccably performed by a band who hasn't lost a single
step after all these years. I suppose one quip would be the lack of
any songs from their final album,13, which had some great
tunes that would have fit-in comfortably with the classics. Also
included is "The Angelic Sessions," A five-track CD
containing re-recordings of classic-era songs, none of which are part
of the live set. They don't improve on the originals, but
these are Black Sabbath's final studio recordings, so its inclusion
is fitting.
The
End is an aptly-titled, perfect coda to a legendary career. For
Sabbath to continue beyond this point would be an exercise in
redundancy. That sense of finality comes through in their
performance. Each time they look at the crowd - or more
significantly, each other - it's almost as if they're saying, "This
is it guys...let's make it a good one."
And
they did.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"THE
ANGELIC SESSIONS" - A video diary of Black Sabbath's last studio
session.
SUPPLEMENTARY
BOOKLET: Featuring photos, credits and an essay by Kory Grow from
Rolling Stone magazine.
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE BITING THE HEAD OFF A PIGEON
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